Big news, everyone! After a year of saving and active house hunting, we finally bought our first house! Ahhhh!
It’s been about two months since we signed our initial contract and put money down on a new construction home, and I still can’t believe this is real life. It probably helps that the home is still in the permitting phase, and the home site is currently just a dirt lot. Turns out, it’s surprisingly easy to forget about such a major purchase when there is no house to be seen. Then it all comes rushing back, and I find myself daydreaming about mundane things like having a window over the kitchen sink, or a washing machine that doesn’t get overloaded and thrash around like an inflatable flailing arm man every time we try to wash our comforter.
Our house hunting journey actually began with new construction this time last year. Our preference was to build new, choose our own finishes, and live a relatively hassle-free life in our new, warrantied home. This is not meant to be our forever home, so we wanted something that worked for us right away, rather than something we could renovate over several years.
The first few builders we visited dampened our new construction dreams, listing crazy-high HOA/CDD fees and lot premiums in addition to the extra costs we’d anticipated. Never mind the cost of studio upgrades. The first sales rep we spoke to quoted us a monthly mortgage payment that was $400 over our original budget, assuring us that we’d only need an additional $10K in upgrades to bring the base model up to par.
Our first mistake was assuming that all new build homes would follow this model, drawing us in with a low base price and then making up the difference with crazy fees and overpriced upgrades. If we couldn’t afford the homes with lower base prices, was there even a point in trying with other, slightly more expensive builders?
So with new construction on the back burner, we spent the next ten months or so devoted to finding an existing home that we could purchase at a decent price and renovate little by little to suit our personal style. We visited over 80 homes with the Opendoor app, which let us tour open houses and get to know various neighborhoods all over the Orlando area without a listing agent breathing down our necks. I highly recommend that approach if Opendoor operates in your area. In January, we hired a realtor and added regular open houses and private showings to the agenda.
All that time spent in other people’s houses really helped us to figure out exactly what we wanted in a home. More importantly, it showed us what we didn’t want, and after considering all our options, we wound up right back where we started: seeking a new construction home with an open layout, a big backyard, and plenty of energy-efficient features. All we had to do was find the right property, and in February we sealed the deal by putting money down on a 3 bed, 2 bath home in Clermont. The base price was slightly higher than the homes we’d originally viewed, but the upgrades were reasonable, and the CDD fees almost non-existent. It turns out, new construction doesn’t have to be crazy expensive after all.
GUYS. We’ve been sharing a one bedroom, 693 square foot apartment for the past five years. Taking turns in the only bathroom. Getting ready by the hall mirror. Piling storage boxes into the entry closet and wedging everything else behind the couch or under the bed. I can’t open the oven if the dishwasher is being loaded, and I can’t get a TV signal through all the units clustered around us. First world problems, I know, but the point is that we are ready to go. We’ve been ready, and it feels so good to finally have an end date in sight.
Keep an eye on this space as our home journey continues! I have several posts in mind, and updates I’d like to share along the way. Dan and I are already window shopping for appliances and furniture and dreaming of the projects we want to complete once we move in. Just because the home is move-in ready doesn’t mean it’s completed, in our eyes! I’m most excited about fencing in our backyard and filling it with fragrant blooms, a lemon tree, and fresh herbs and veggies. I’m already dreaming of jasmine-scented evenings on the back patio, a glass of wine or spa water in hand. There are so many good things ahead, and projects to be unpacked, so stay tuned!
BONNOT CLAUDINE says
BRAVO ! I’ m happy for uou !
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Merci! 🙂
Ari says
How exciting!!! Is your home nearing the end of construction??? We just signed with kb and i found your blog through the design center post and im dying to know how your selected finishes are coming along!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Congrats on your home purchase! Yes, we moved in a couple of months ago! We haven’t had time to paint or do any serious decorating, but I’m excited to start doing small upgrades like adding our own cabinet hardware and lighting fixtures around the house. The design process was so much fun. What are you thinking for your house?