House Hunters Suzanne and Nick are Texas transplants who are facing a little sticker shock from the prices of homes in Chicago.
The couple have two sons and a dog and have been looking for the perfect home for their family. However, finding one in their price range has been a bit tough. Their original price range was $450,000m but after 18 months of finding nothing suitable for that price, they’ve increased their budget to $650,000. That’s the price they will have to pay if they want to stay in the Lincoln Park area, where they’ve been renting, and they do.
So it needs to be in Lincoln Park. It also needs to have 3 bedrooms and at least two baths. Let’s take a look at what else they’re looking for in their new home.
Wish Lists
His: He prefers a modern style. He says the family must two living spaces (living room and family room) and chef’s kitchen. He’s OK with doing some work, so a bit of a fixer-upper is OK with him.
Hers: She insists on a single-family homes, no condos. She prefers a craftsman style (she hates modern, sorry Nick). She wants the house to be move-in ready. She is not at all interested in a fixer-upper.
So let’s see what their agent has found for them.
House #1, $615,000
First of all, this is a townhouse and it’s not modern or a craftsman. And it’s on a busy street. That’s already three strikes. It does have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2 living areas. So those at least hit their wish lists. The first living area is on the bottom floor, and it’s a little weird. But once you go upstairs the main level living area is really nice and open to the modern kitchen. There’s also a private wine room in the house and pretty nice bedrooms, despite them being on different floors of the unit.
This house is basically nothing like they wanted. You could actually see the horror in Suzanne’s eyes as they toured the house. No way they’re taking this house. Right?
House #2, $599,900
The second house is really modern, so he likes that. Her, not so much. The main issue with this house, though, is that it’s 15-20 minutes outside their target area. And they don’t say this, but I think it kind of looks like a post office from the outside.
The inside is open and airy. The ceilings are a bit low, though. Actually, there’s just not much character on the inside, and Suzanne takes note. They head downstairs to see if the other living space is any better. And it’s not. It’s large but pretty basic.
The upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms are also pretty basic. There’s just no wow factor to this house. And it’s out of their area. The price might be tempting, but I don’t see them picking this house.
House #3, $650,000
The third house is 30 minutes out of their target area, but it’s a beautiful house, and the exact craftsman style she wants. It has a whopping 4 beds and 3.5 baths. The price is a bit high to be so far outside of their area, however, and Nick is really hanging on to that.
The inside of the house is phenomenal. And even though it’s a craftsman, it’s an updated craftsman, so there are a lot of modern touches. That means it gives them both a little of what they want as far as design. The kitchen, which is open to the living room, is also gorgeous. It’s definitely a chef’s kitchen.
And it keeps getting better. It has a nice back yard and a detached garage. And as if there wren’t enough checks from their check list, it also has a finished basement. It’s not that big, but it’s really nice and updated. She loves it, but he thinks it’s too small. The rest of the house is just as great. Great bedrooms, bathrooms and a beautiful master suite.
Suzanne loves the house, but Nick is being very skeptical about the price and the distance. I think that’s just to throw us off. That’s going to be the house the choose. But let’s find out.
After some deliberation, Nick and Suzanne decide to go with House #1. WHAT? I am shocked. I don’t even know what to say. I mean it’s a nice house, but it makes no sense based on the episode. I guess location is what really mattered to them.
Were you as surprised as I was that the chose the first house?
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