Chris and Megan are newlyweds looking for a home in the Northern Virginia suburbs. They want to move out of their smaller condo, but have some differing views on what’s next for them. She wants a forever home, and he thinks they need more of a starter home, like a townhouse.
They have a budget of $600,000 and are ready to get moving.
The Wish Lists
Hers: She wants the house to be close to DC and prefers a brick ranch that will be their forever home. That means she wants four bedrooms, a walk-in pantry, open floor plan, formal dining room and a home office.
His: He prefers a colonial style home but is leaning more toward a townhome (so they can move in 5 or 10 years). As a construction worker he doesn’t want to bring work home with him so he prefers a move-in ready place with a large TV wall, hardwood floors and space for the coveted man cave.
The Houses
House 1, $425,000
The first place is not really the kind of place either of them mentioned. It’s an expanded ranch with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The house is pretty outdated and fully carpeted. Megan thinks it wouldn’t make sense to move into a house they’re going to outgrow. She does think with the prize they could do some work on the house to make it the house they want. They don’t seem super excited about the house so I’m not sure this is the one for them.
House 2, $575,000
The second place is a colonial like Chris likes, but it’s a little father away from D.C. than they like. It has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. It also has a garage and a great front porch.
Inside, the entrance is a little weird and opens to a weird space and a pretty small dining room. But it does have a home office. The family room is open to the kitchen. Megan loves the kitchen and thrilled that it has the walk-in pantry she wants. Out back is a nice screened-in porch. Megan seems pretty sold on the house, but Chris thinks it’s not as updated as it should be for that price. He does love the large finished basement, however. They seem pretty into the house, but they do have several concerns.
House 3, $559,900
The last house is the townhouse that Chris wanted to see. It’s much closer to D.C. than the last house. And even though it has 4 bedroom and 3.5 baths, the price is a bit high price for a townhouse, Chris notes.
The inside of the house is a nice open concept, but the living room and the kitchen area are a little tight (especially for the price). But the kitchen itself is very well-done and wouldn’t need anything changed. It also has a large panty, which Megan loves. Chris loves the townhouse and Megan definitely doesn’t hate it. But she does want a bigger living space. They seem to be pretty interested in this one.
This is a tough one to call. I think they might go with the townhouse. Or maybe the first house and use the extra money to upgrade it. I think the second house is the best house, but it’s so far out I don’t know if they want that compromise. But I need to pick just one. OK, I say House #3. So let’s find out.
They decide to go with House #2! They tricked us! Even down to the last minute … she made it sound like she was going to say yes to the townhouse then he chimes in and says he’s ready to go for the forever home. I think they made the right decision even though I didn’t expect it.
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