In Norfolk, VA, House Hunters Nikita and Chantal are looking for their potential forever home. The newlyweds met in college, and they have been married for a year and a half. Prior to their decision to move, Nikita and Chantal owned a three bedroom townhouse, but they want a family, which meant selling that home for a single family one.
As they wait to find a new place, Chantal and Nikita currently live with her mother. They have a $500,000 budget.
Wish Lists
Nikita and Chantal want a four bedroom, three bathroom home with a large fenced backyard. They want an in-law suite for when Chantal’s mom comes to visit. The couple also wants a waterfront or water access home.
His: Nikita wants a brick ranch style home. He wants it to be move-in ready, and he wants it to have a private space for a man cave and a fireplace.
Hers: Chantal wants a French provincial or plantation home. She wants a grand, “Gone with the Wind” staircase, ornate details, and some renovation projects. Chantal also wants an updated kitchen with granite countertops and a 48 inch gas range stove. She also wants space to entertain and a tub in her master en suite.
House #1, $428,900
This 1920s built plantation home has three stories and a basement. In this large unit there are five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a space for a potential sunroom, a screened porch, and a formal dining room. The home doesn’t have a Gone with the Wind staircase, but it does have an eye-catching, attractive one.
In the kitchen, it has a gas stove, but everything else Chantal thinks needs to go. She wants a full remodel, but Nikita doesn’t think it needs that much updating. This place doesn’t have waterfront access. Despite the bathroom and master bedroom being okay sizes, it doesn’t have the tub that they want. The semi-finished basement includes a bar.
House #2, $470,000
This is a single-story ranch brick home. The exterior has the original 1940s built look, but the inside is very modern. The place includes a very nice mother-in-law suite with a large walk-in closet, plenty of bedroom space, and a small kitchen. In the main part of the home, there are five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a den, and a formal dining room. Chantal notices all the ornate details in this ranch. This home has a nice size master suite with a large closet, a bathtub and a shower.
The kitchen is very new and updated but doesn’t have a gas stove. This place is also a few steps away from a creek. The major downfall of this place is the backyard, which has plenty of greenery, but it also has plenty of concrete.
House #3, $409,900
This French provincial is located right on a waterfront, a little lake. It’s a major fixer-upper, with large projects in every room. The home has four bedrooms, and two and a half bathrooms. It has a Gone with the Wind staircase, but it’s covered in wallpaper. Too much wallpaper seems to be the theme of the home. It has a nice, huge fireplace, but it’s right next to a leopard print sofa and rug.
The backyard has a large deck with the 100 feet lake right by it. The entire kitchen needs to be redone, as well as many other parts of this home.
Decision Time: Often, the House Hunters surprise us with their choices. This is one of those times where we were completely baffled by the decision. To us, the obvious and best choice was the ranch style home, house #2. It had everything Chantal and Nikita wanted, and even the issues with the backyard weren’t that bad. We guess in the end, Chantal really wanted projects and to create her own home.
Nikita and Chantal picked…House #3.
They closed a deal that let them purchase the place for $408,500 instead of $409,900. Chantal and Nikita haven’t moved into the home yet, but they’ve been working on some of the renovations.
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