Former New Yorkers and House Hunters Ellete and Nate are relocating to Austin, Texas. Stress runs high for these two as they only have a weekend to find a new home before their big move. The couple met at work. She was a planner and he was a buyer, since then, Ellete and Nate have been married for six years and have one son, Charlie, and a cat named Penny.
Ellete and Nate are moving because his job wants him to work at its Austin headquarters. Ellete’s job allows her to work remote. They have a budget between $850,000 and one million dollars. Nate doesn’t want to go over the million dollar max at all, but Ellete is more willing to compromise on the price for the right home.
Wish Lists
Ellete and Nate both want a single family home with plenty of space and a big backyard.
His: Nate prefers the craftsman style homes. He wants it to be close to the city, so he has an easier commute to work. He also doesn’t want a ton of space in their new home. Nate wants to keep the home between 2000 and 2500 square feet. He also doesn’t want a swimming pool.
Hers: Ellete wants a traditional style home with a pool. She wants a more living space, so she wants the house to at least have 3000 sq ft.
House #1, $859,000
The first home is an updated craftsman with about 2500 sq ft. It includes five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The home makes an immediate statement with its curb appeal. This places gives Nate an easier commute because it’s only a few minutes from downtown. It has an oppen concept that allows the living room to open into the very large kitchen.
This space includes some closed areas like a formal dining room. Ellete won’t get her pool with this home, nor will she get much backyard space, but it does have a lovely focal point terrace. Vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom and a fancy master bathroom round out the glamorous features in this home.
House #2, $1.085 million
The second home falls more within Ellete’s style: it is 3674 sq ft, closer to the suburbs (40 minutes from downtown), has a pool and one acre of land. The kitchen doesn’t have an open concept, and it’s a little outdated, but it is nice enough for Nate and Ellete. All the bedrooms in this home provide plenty of space for Nate, Ellete, Charlie, and Penny.
Noise may become an issue because this place is located by a busy street. The house has a sunroom and a lovely backyard that lets the swimming pool become the focal area.
House #3, $799,000
This home is a mid-century moden home built in 1960. It’s been newly remodeled to take into this century. It’s also a little far from Nate’s target location; it’s 30 minutes from downtown. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, so this home has a lot less space than the first two. What it lacks in space, it makes up for in creativity. The design gives this home a treehouse feel.
There are plenty of windows to add natural lighting. It also doesn’t have a patio or backyard but the deck offers an extraordinary view of nature. This home has two master bedrooms, so it gives Nate and Ellete plenty of room options.
Decision Time: Personally, we were in love with House #3, but the lack of a backyard and not many rooms, made it out of the running for Nate and Ellete. House #2 was over budget, but not by much. The bigget problem with this place was its location. House #1 seemed like the obvious choice, considering its location and spacious interior.
Sometimes obvious isn’t the right choice…they picked House #2.
Nate and Ellete have been living in this home for about three weeks. They’ve started the kitchen remodel, but they have been enjoying just hosting family in their new home. They bought it for $1.025 million instead of the 1.085 million asking price.
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