On Monday, I bought a house!!!
It's a teeny tiny thing at 628 sq. ft. but it has the cutest yard and great potential for renovating into a more open living space inside.
(Not my furniture or chiminea, but the gazebo and shed are.)
Despite needing some updating on the decor (the recreation room in the basement [yes, it has one - and it's fully finished!] is good ol' 70's style with dark wood paneling on the walls, gaudy patterned carpet on the floor, and a "stucco" ceiling that actually extended 1/4 the way down the walls), it is structurally very sound. The roof shingles are only 5 years old, it has a mid-efficiency furnace, central a/c, a central vacuum, two bathrooms, some newer vinyl windows and updated insulation in the roof and the basement walls.
Short term plans are to just move in and breathe a sigh of relief at not being a tenant anymore! (Did I tell you my neighbour upstairs decided to vacuum her carpets at 7:25 one morning this week? Which is not only rude and inconsiderate [I've been working evening shifts all week] but also against city noise bylaws... grrrr!!)
Long term plans will be to knock out the wall between the living room and the front bedroom to open that space up, then knock out the wall between the living room and the kitchen, replace all the cupboards (to better utilize that tiny space) and to install a breakfast bar on the counter between the living room and kitchen. That will make everything very open and much more spacious so the house won't seem so small.
It has a lovely screened in gazebo in the backyard on the patio and with the addition of my BBQ and a firepit, will become a cozy spot to hang out, grill some great food and relax. I may even (one day) get a hot tub to put out there!!
It is in a small (pop. ~13,000) city north of Winnipeg and will require a 40 - 45 minute commute, but it's straight down the highway and given the hours that I work, I should miss most of the traffic congestion completely! Definitely a worthy compromise for having a nice little house to call my own.
Now to start packing... again. (I think my family hates me... I've moved so many times.)
