What would you do?

[ninny]

We have 4 acres and a 100 year old 2 bedroom 1 bath 17000 sq ft house that needs so much work its not funny. None of the land is fenced, the workshop/car port is down by the road, and the barn is falling a part. We would like more land, closer to town and more modern house. But we like where we are and we like the house. Now never of us is the moving type. We like to stay in one place. We could get a lot out of this place if it was fixed up.
What would you do?
Stay where we are and just fixed it up and make it wonderful?
Just move and be done with it?
Move into town and buy the land to work on till the new house is ready to move into?
Just move if you found something you'd like.
Fixed up the place and then look for new land?
Buy land and build it up slowly into what you want while you fix up the old house then sell?

Im just wondering what would be the best route.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Personally, unless I had a bunch of cash on hand, since the market is bad, I'd work on the house you have, and then , when the market is better, you can sell and buy something else... if you have the money, you could buy some land now, since land isn't real expensive, and most sellers are motivated... and start planning your new house.

 

[gritsar]

We are basically in the same boat you are - old house, property needs alot of work. We will never move. This land has been in DH's family, in one fashion or another, since civil war times. It's the first place I've ever truly felt at home.
I've been trying to talk DH into looking at some of the newer mobile/modular homes. They are extremely well built nowadays, but he has a serious prejudice against them.
So, stay put we will. Best in today's uncertain times anyhow.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Good Morning Grit. Please sit down and stop rocking the boat.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Good Morning Grit. Please sit down and stop rocking the boat.

I can't help but rock it. I'm trying to bale all this water out!

 

[GaNewChick]

Well, 17000 sq feet is one big house.

 

[chickon baby]

1st;I would price land;the amt of acreage you want n location.
2nd;Is there any land that you want w/a home on it that you like? (in your price range?)
3rd;How much would you get for the home/land you have? How much would it cost to fix everything to your satisfaction?
4th;are you 2 handy to do the work yourself? Would you pay someone? how much?For what jobs?
5th If you put a ton of $$$ into the home you have n had to move,would you recoop the $$$??
6th;Would you be able to live there while doing renovations? could you have a nice home built on the property n tear the old one down afterwards?

We lived in a subdivision for years n years,we always wanted land and ard us it was so very exspensive.With 4 kids we wanted "country" without being to far in the country.We found a few acres but it came w/a "handy man special" AKA: Money pit" We bought it and off to work we went,litterally..We had both homes for quite some time and it was quite the challenge at times.We needed a gas line,sewers and several other "big ticket" items done.Dh put himself through college working for a builder,he is a electrical engineer and quite talented so that saved us a lot of $$.Having kids,this was something that was going to be a "family" thing and everyone was in agreement with the sacrifices n work ahead of us.It took us a long time to get things done as daily life needs creep up on you.There are days I would say,We would never do it again and then other days we'd say,we would.But looking back I think we both agree we all learned alot from the experience.Of course hind~sight we would do somethings different.All in all we doubled the sq footage,have plenty of room for kids n dogs to run n play,room for our girls,a huge garden,fruit trees,neighbors but not to close and wildlife that is amazing.It is so peaceful n relaxing despite some projects that are still in progress.Hope my thought on this helped you.Good Luck

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Indeed!

 

[redhen]

Follow your heart..
look at some other house..maybe you'll find "the one"..or maybe you'll realize that your already living in "the one"..
Personally i would love to live in a old house like that..they have so much character.. good luck!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

How did you happen to acquire that old house? If you purchased it, thats one thing, but if you are living in a house you inherited, thats a horse of a completely different color in my book.