On this House Hunters Hailey and Chris are Minnesota natives looking for a new home in the Lakeview area. They want to live here because it’s only about 30 minutes from Minneapolis, MN, so they get the best of both worlds: big city convenience and small town charm. Chris and Hailey have been living with her parents since selling their home.
Hailey and Chris met as residential assistants (RAs) in college. They have been married for three years, and they have owned their dog Kirby just as long. The couple bought a home right after their wedding, and then brought another home. This will be their third house purchase in three years.
The main reason they’re getting a new place is to trade up, and find something bigger. Chris wants to find a home under $450,000, but Hailey is willing to go up to $500,000.
Wish Lists:
They both want an open concept layout that is move-in ready and has four bedrooms on the same floor. They also want a fireplace in their new space.
Hers: Hailey prefers a craftsman style home with a finished basement and massive closet.
His: Chris wants a ranch style home with no basement. He also would prefer a no maintenance deck.
House #1, $429,000
The first home on their tour has a craftsman style. It has four bedrooms, and two and a half bathrooms. The place has multiple fireplaces, including one in the living room and the bathroom. It’s a very winter ready space.
The home’s kitchen is massive, and it includes a huge fridge and island. This home has a basement, but it’s unfinished. This makes Chris worried because he doesn’t want to invest anymore into the house. The master bedroom is small but the master bathroom is eye-catching with a large tub for extra relaxation.
House #2, $440,000
This ranch style home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It also has a large family room equipped with a fireplace. The home has an additional office space, that could be converted into a spare bedroom. A lot of the rooms in this home need updating, including the kitchen. Unlike the first home, this one has a finished recreational basement.
The bathroom in this home also falls into the luxury category. It has beautiful tile work and a double vanity. The biggest issue with this place is that two rooms are on one floor, and two on another. If they have children, Hailey wants all the rooms on one floor.
House #3, $454,900
This is an angular craftsman home with five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Four of the rooms are on the same floor, and one is on a different floor. It’s move-in ready. The place has plenty of natural lighting with windows strategically placed around the house. It has a small kitchen and missing a deck. It would cost them several thousand dollars to add a deck.
The house is open concept but the kitchen is on the darker side. It has a small master bedroom but a huge master bathroom. It also has a finished basement with a full additional room and bathroom.
Decision Time: It was hard to figure out which house stood out the most to Chris and Hailey. Chris seemed very much set on sticking to his budget, so House #3 seemed out of the running. House #1 seemed problematic with the unfinished basement, but House #2 had a lot of remodeling projects.
They picked…House #1.
There were multiple bids so they bought it for $433,000 instead of $429,000. With Hailey’s family’s help, they’re already working on finishing the basement.
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