So with the Cottage In the Woods off our list, let’s turn our attention to another house that we toured: the cute cape cod near shops. We were a bit skeptical about this one because it was in a totally new area for us, but we though its hints of city feel might reawaken the part of us that once loved living in NYC and being able to walk to the store. So we decided to check it out. Here it is in its slightly-doctored-photo glory (see why we’re not sharing tons of pics out of respect to the sellers here):
THE STATS:
- Age: 1945
- House size: 2,001 square feet
- Lot size: 0.25 acres
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
THE PROS:
- Cute, friendly & walkable neighborhood (we could even walk to Target!)
- County schools/taxes with city feel
- Old and definitely in need of work
- Gorgeous hardwood floors throughout
THE CONS:
- Expensive per square foot compared to others we looked at
- Layout made house feel chopped up and closed in
- Main bedroom on 1st floor, others upstairs (we’d like ’em on the same level)
- No central air
- Not very close to family
This particular home didn’t quite feel right to us once we got inside (we’re sort of waiting for the same gut reaction that we had when buying our current house) but we’re glad we saw it because we realized that we did like this sort of neighborhood, even though it was a new area for us entirely. The fact that it was a bit pricier and further away from our family wasn’t ideal, but we did like the charming exterior and hope to look at other two-level houses in Bon Air just to keep our options open beyond ranches (read more about why Bon Air is the promised land for us here). On to the next one…
Altered exterior photo taken by us and edited thanks to our friend Photoshop.
Psst- Want to see the coolest nursery we’ve seen in a while? Check out this week’s BabyCenter post right here for a Nursery Crashing adventure.
Carole says
we saw a couple of Cape Cods on our house search, but none worked well enough for our family of 4 (with a work-from-home parent)…the upstairs was either the master (with an office area, too close for comfort for sleeping well without obsessing about work!), or two smallish bedrooms upstairs and the master downstairs…for us, that just did not work…
from the outside, though, they are absolutely the *most* charming houses!
bfish says
We’ve totally renovated and sold two 1950 brick Cape Cod houses in Petersburg in recent years. Each had two bedrooms up and two down — and we added central A/C to each!
Because of this, I have a soft spot for them. However, two big disadvantages to note (at least from personal experience, as well as other similar ones I’ve been in):
— bathrooms are tiny without any real flexibility to make them bigger. I don’t mind small bathrooms but I’m talking about ones you can barely turn around in.
— the basic design is intended to maximize space in rooms and minimize the space taken up by the staircase. This makes for a very steep flight of stairs which is not so kid friendly, IMO.
Additionally, as others have noted, the closets are small and there are slanted and low ceilings upstairs. John looks pretty tall.
The ones we worked on had small separate dining rooms and galley kitchens. We were able to make enough changes to the kitchens to allow a good amount of countertop and storage space, however, so I certainly don’t think that most Cape Cod kitchens are functionally obsolescent.
Good luck, I’m vicariously enjoying your house hunt and house-selling project!
Beeya says
I so love the brick exterior!!
Ok so since you guys love the old houses, would you consider one if the original owner died a peaceful death on the property or would it spook you out?
A halloween appropriate question :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s a question! I don’t know. I guess if we walked in and had that gut feeling like “this is the one” and we later learned that someone lived a nice long life and had a peaceful death there we might still move in if we still adored the place. Maybe? I think we’d rather not know about things like that honestly. Haha.
xo,
s
Kristiana says
How fun is house hunting?! Anyways, I was just wondering if you were working with a realtor. (I’m not advertising for them or anything, I’m a violinist :) But when my husband and I bought our first house earlier this year it was really helpful to work with our realtor. He has been in the business for a LONG time and really knows the different areas and has so many people he sees lots of houses. He knows what a house should be priced in the area and had excellent advice for what to bid.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re so fortunate to have many realtor friends who are helping us out on our hunt. And of course if we find the perfect place and we want a buyer’s agent to represent us we won’t hesitate to use one!
xo,
s
Paula/adhocmom says
Walkable is SO great once your kid becomes well, walkable. And you SO don’t look like a giant lollipop in those photos! Congrats on the show. That is very exciting!
WendyG says
Oh man, you had me at “walk to Target”. :)
The S's Beach House says
If your brain did not flutter with ideas when you entered……then it’s a NO!
Stacy says
Really hope you find your new place soon. I can’t wait to watch how you transform and remodel. One question: What will you do if you sell your house before you find a new one? (I ask because this happened to my sister. She couldn’t find a house that was just right, had some issues with a few “not so short” short sale properties, and consequently had to rent an apartment for almost a year before finding “the one”) Not looking to scare ya’ll (Lol!) just wondering. Thanks and good luck.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stacy,
We plan to negotiate a long close date (around 60 days) to buy us some time. Since we’re already looking we’re well on our way, so we’re just crossing our fingers that it’ll work out!
xo,
s
Melissa @ Houseography.net says
I hear you on Capes. It’s hard for me to get past the basic floor plan because there are very few ways to make it less choppy without losing bedrooms. Of course if it’s a bigger cape, that’s a different story but so many in Arlington have the single master bedroom upstairs or 2 small bedrooms upstairs and a larger bedroom downstairs. It is also really hard to do an addition on a cape – especially a 2 story addition. Just in case you are still considering that as a very long term possibility. Maybe a bigger split-level is the way to go for you guys – seems like it would suit your lifestyle and would give you the extra space and bigger bedrooms you are looking for. Also, so many of them have master bathrooms because they were built in the 60s and 70s when that people realized that sharing a bathroom with a teenager was not ideal! Good luck with the hunt!
Elizabeth says
My dad has a Cape Cod and it’s great for him, because he can “live” on one floor, though he uses the upstairs for an office and prefers the upstairs bath because it is larger. I actually love his house (so much charm, hardwood floors, great molding, and a screened front porch!) but would not live there because of the very narrow stairs. His house has 2 bedrooms downstairs, two smaller bedrooms upstairs and a sun-filled sitting area too. Plus a basement. And awesome landscaping. But the stairs- blech! They have a door at the bottom too, so I guess the upstairs was not meant to be used often?
I’ve actually been wondering how intimidating it would be for someone else to move into your house… it is so distinctively *yours*. (I have this thought about model houses too, about how I’d like them with my own stuff in them.) It occurred to me that maybe it’d sweeten the deal if you did a design consult for the new owner after they moved in, plus it would be sort of cool to see pictures of how your current house works for another family! (Of course there might be privacy concerns for the new owners, I realize!)
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Man, I’m slacking on my YHL today!!
My husband mentioned this earlier, but we once lived within walking distance to a Target and I loved it! But we now have this joke that whenever we enter a Target it will cost us $40. We would go there for milk…end up with new clothes, something for the house, some greeting cards we forgot about…But really I miss it. Now we have a drug store close by, which is good for the milk type stuff, but I no longer know what clothing Target is carrying each week!
And that nursery is UNREAL. I don’t even know what to say.
Lynn says
This has nothing to do with house hunting, but I love your blog and I love pottery barn’s mirrored nightstand. I want two which would set me back $800! Not in the budget… ever thought about making a mirrored piece of furniture like that?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lynn,
I definitely see the allure of a mirrored nightstand, they’re glam and gorgeous! But with one soon-to-be-mobile child (and possible future kiddo(s) coming later) we just worry that it might get hit and cracked by bambinos so it wouldn’t be something we’d personally take on anytime soon. But I bet you could google around for terms like “make a mirrored table” or “mirrored nightstand DIY” and hopefully find something. Good luck!
xo,
s
annabelvita says
I’m loving the househunting posts, and the new diary style posts. Just thought I’d let you know.
annabelvita says
Forgot to say that I think gut feeling is the most important. You can forgive a lot if you LOVE a house.
tarynkay says
You’ll find the perfect one soon! I know that you’re looking for something that you can live in during renovations, but would you consider things like removing or adding walls to improve layout, adding central a/c, that kind of thing? Or are you primarily interested in re-doing finishes (like paint, flooring, etc)?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tarynkay,
Oh yes, we’re totally down to knock down walls, gut kitchens and bathrooms, and re-arrange floor plans and layouts- that’s the fun stuff! We’d even consider installing central a/c if we find the right house!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
i don’t know if someone already asked this (I’m sorry but I can’t go through all the comments, you get so many!) but are there any insta-deal breakers for you guys? I’m just curious.
Have people been coming to your house to look a lot? Any offers??
And I think the proximity to Target would have sealed the deal for me :) Good luck on your search!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elizabeth,
We’re not sure there are really insta-deal breakers for us since we know if we walk into a house, even with flaws we could get that gut feeling and know it’s the one. Here’s a post where we outline other things we’d love for our new house to have. As for showings we have been very lucky. We had one every day last week and four this weekend! No offers yet but our fingers are crossed that we get one soon (a few people have been back a few times).
xo,
s
Maryann says
We have a cape here on Long Island & we LOVE having the master bedroom downstairs.
Remember, the little ones will be babies for less time than they will be big kids & teenagers. The seperation of floors is really great – for noise, for privacy.
Just wait until you have all the bedrooms on the same floor & you guys are looking for a little “adult time” and the kids are Right Next Door…
Jayme (The Random Blogette) says
You definitely have to wait for that gut feeling. The first house that we ever looked at ended up being the house that we bought. Everyone always tells you not to put an offer on the first house that you look at but we looked at several after that and none of them felt like our home like the first one did.
s leigh says
we were lucky that the previous owners who only lived in our cape cod did a bunch of work to the place, so in a neighborhood full of the same cape cods we have the best on the block. All the other cape cods have a wall to the left when you first walk in, that was to a bedroom. Our previous owners knocked it out and it made a huge difference in the layout, its now the living room and its open to the other half front of the house which is the dining room. They also put up a wall upstairs to create a second bedroom, which made a big difference in the layout. They also finished half of the basement very nicely, so we got an office and a media room (as well as storage on the other side). Not to mention they refinished the floors, did landscaping and installed built-ins. They were handy, we made out! So in all, in our little cape cod we have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and an office and as a family of 4 it fits us perfect. I’m rooting for the cape cod, I want to see what you guys do with it so we can take note!
DIY Dude says
That “gut feeling” is everything. You’re going to be spending a lot of time there and making a huge investment. I would think that being in “walking distance to Target” might have a downside: traffic and noise. Most communities just aren’t geared for pedestrian traffic these days, sadly.
Just found your blog — lovely! Good luck in your house search.
Karada?lar says
Walkable is SO great once your kid becomes well, walkable. And you SO don’t look like a giant lollipop in those photos! Congrats on the show. That is very exciting!
Katy says
No way!? You guys used to live in NY? Can you share more about that period in your lives? My husband and I got married in June and live in a studio converted into a one bedroom (i.e., a room with a wall in the middle of it). We definitely want to move out to grow our family, eventually back to one of our home towns. How was this period and transition in your life? Oh please do share! What hood did you live in? Is this where you met? Sorry for the million questions but I read your blog every day and dream of having a washer/dryer and to “organize” the space it’s in.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katy,
We’ve shared a lot about our NYC experience back in our archives (in fact if you search “NYC” on our sidebar you might find some old posts that you’ll enjoy). I lived in Chelsea, Astoria Queens, Bay Ridge Brooklyn, and The Village among other places and John lived in Astoria, Long Island City and The Upper West Side. We moved around a lot in our nearly 10-years-combined experience in the city! And yes, that’s where we met and fell in love (working together in Midtown). Here’s a video tour of my old place in The Village. And here’s a tour of John’s Upper West Side apartment. So much fun! As for the transition, we loved moving to Richmond. We wanted a space to spread out and have a yard, a dog, and a baby or two- so we’re really happy with where we landed.
xo,
s
Erin says
Hey guys! I’ve been following your blog for a couple of months now – I’m obsessed! Apart from loving DIY and home decorating, I attended the University of Richmond from 1998 – 2002, which is another reason I love to follow your blog. My husband, 1 year old daughter, and I currently live in northern VA in a home that “used to be” a cape cod. It was built in the 40s. The former owners, another great pair of DIYers, renovate the house by essentially bumping the roof up to create a full second floor with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. The former master br on the main level is now our formal dining room, and there’s also a guest br and full bath on the main level. So, there’s definitely potential in a cape – if you have the time and $$ to spend turning it into a colonial :-) We have a great before and after pic that I can send you if you’re interested –
Keep up the great work, and enjoy your house hunt!
Erin
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
You know we love a good before and after! Send away! Or feel free to post it on our Facebook wall so everyone can ogle it!
xo,
s
Katy says
Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll definitely take a look at the old archives. It’s so nice to know that I can relate to you guys in that way! I’ve been in ny for nine years now, currently living in the Upper West Side. Love it but I really miss Applebees, the mall and doing laundry in my own place! Oh and of course I’m obsessed with DIY! I guess I’m vicariously living that dream through your blog! So THANK YOU for that!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I love the outside look of Capes, but once inside, most are choppy and not an open layout. I used to have one. Two bedrooms upstair with slated walls and one downstairs. I would never buy a Cape again because of it. That is why we bought a Hi-Ranch. We love it really. All the rooms on one floor and then we have our Family Room on the first floor. But we really love Ranch style homes too, easy plan and can be opened up. Our LR, DR & Kitchen is a Great Room and we love it for family gatherings. You will find the “One” for you guys. I can’t wait to see what kind of house you guys pick for your next house. It’s going to be a great new road with you DIYers. ;)
Laura says
I love that nursury from the crash link! I’ve had the idea in the back of my mind to do a not-pastel, superhero themed nursury but I wasn’t sure how exactly to pull it off. Those pictures really help, and I’ve saved the link (even though I’m not even pregnant yet :-P )
Holly says
Hey guys!
My husband and I are going to start house hunting for our first house next year! I would really love to look at houses built in 1950-1970. They have so much character and I would love to get a good price and remodel it!
My husband is concerned though because he says the electrical will all have to be redone (to bring it current). He is also worried about asbestos. I never thought of any of those things. Did you have to redo the electrical at your house? Did you get it checked for asbestos? I don’t even know if the electrical is something we could do.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
We had an inspection on our home and they didn’t find any asbestos (we didn’t go on a witch hunt and test behind walls or anything, but we have plaster walls and ceilings so it all seemed 100% safe) and none of our electric needed to be redone (even when we gutted the kitchen and the bathroom we had no issues with electrical wiring, everything was safe and squared away). Thankfully this house has been an amazing home, which is why we’re not gun shy about embracing another older home and making it our own. They really don’t build things like they used to in our opinion, so it could even be argued that newer houses might have more problems than older homes that have already stood the test of time. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I am wishing you the best of luck with your new home search! I was just wondering, you had said that you weren’t really doing any staging or remodeling but what about the magnetic painted area in the office/playroom/guest room? Are you informing people of that feature or will you be painting over it before you move? I just thought it might interfere with electronics?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elizabeth,
It says right on the can that it won’t interfere with electronics (and our laptops are nearby along with our house phone and a baby monitor and none of them have been effected). It has been painted over with paint (that’s how it blends in) so we’re thinking any potential buyer is all set. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Krystle says
This house is definitely cute on the outside!! It’s so cozy and quaint! My fiance and I are in the process of searching for a home as well and I find that alot of the homes have the master bedroom downstairs and the rest upstairs! I’m not a fan of that at all. Happy house hunting! =)
Morgan @ PepperDesignBlog.com says
Cute nursery that you featured at BabyCenter! Any suggestions on where else I can find tons of nursery inspiration? I love DecorPad and Project Nursery, but I’m sure there are more out there… Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Morgan,
We love ohdeedoh.com and spearmintbaby.com along with google images. Good luck!
xo,
s
Snickrsnack Katie says
The houses you have looked at thus far that you have showcased on your blog are pretty – but I am confused. Aren’t you wanting a bigger home? These are slightly bigger in area than your current abode, but they are only 3-bedrooms. Do you not want more bedrooms so you can expand your family and have room for guests? Or do you just want a clean pallet on which to decorate a brand new home, and size and number of rooms doesn’t really matter?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Snickrsnack Katie,
Well our current house is around 1300 square feet (well, 1550-ish now that we added the heater to the sunroom) so you can see that homes in the 1700+ range are substantially bigger! We’ve never been crazy about the idea of a super huge house and have always wished our house just had one or two more rooms, which would be perfect. Ideally we’d find something that’s a four bedroom or something with three bedrooms and a separate office (which we’re lacking in this house). So even if things are listed as three bedroom houses, if they also have an office or the potential to be reworked to include an office then they’re definitely a lot more functional for us (that way if we ever have another baby, each child can have their own room and we’ll have our bedroom along with a separate office). Hope that explains it!
xo,
s
xo,
s
Irene says
We own a Cape and I LOVE this style home. The cape cod was a post-war house for middle-class families – more often than not, the 2nd floor was never finished because most families couldn’t afford it. The rooms upstairs were finished as they had children. We’re putting the AC unit in the attic above the kitchen and dining room and our next big renovation, that we are doing ourselves, is to add a master suite (currently our 2nd floor is 2 bedrooms)
I knew a Cape was probably not your cup of tea – I myself can’t wait for a master suite on the second floor and all the bedrooms downstairs regardless of having kids or not.
tasha roe says
we have a house built in 1920 and luckily it had central air when we bought it. that was pretty much a deal breaker for us – we live outside of St. Louis and it can get to 100+ in the summer and humidity 95%+ we are so glad we didnt settle for the 2 story victorian down the street with no central air for a few bucks less. good luck on the search!!
Annabelle says
Since you said this one is walkable to Target, I’m thinking it’s in the Monument/Libbie/W Broad vicinity? Anyway, I grew up on Libbie closer to Patterson and Grove (in the City) and have to say that a more walkable neighborhood is hard to find in Richmond. I loved it!
Cheryl P says
Hi guys!
I appreciate your house hunting posts since we have just finished that process ourselves. In fact, we just moved up to Richmond from Atlanta and should be closing on our new house on Monday! I was quite sad to sell our beloved home in Georgia but finding a house here we both love has helped tremendously. I was thinking we would love to have you house crash when we get settled in the place.
Good luck and enjoy the hunt.
CP
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh fun! We’d love to house crash you Cheryl! Just send us pics and your info once you’re settled.
xo,
s
Bonnie says
I think this house is my old neighbors house – which is next door to my first house. My house is the one with black shutters, red door. I loved, loved, loved that house. I lived there for 7 years, before the Target shopping center was built. It’s a great area.. if you choose that area, I promise you will love it. I only sold it because I got transferred to NYC.. now back in Virginia.. in New Kent.
Erica @ Erica's Inspirations says
I absolutely LOVE this style home! The mix of traditional with a cottage feel is to die for!
Trish says
Love your blog, guys!!!
I know this is going to sound silly but I had to do a quick double take at this home because,at first glance, it looks much like our little love shack!
http://enjoythislifeofours.blogspot.com/p/our-house.html
Gotta love cute, brick cape cods.
Snickrsnack Katie says
Thanks for explaining that a little better. No matter what, I LOVE watching your house hunt. I cannot WAIT to see what you guys decide on! :) Thanks!