House Hunters Devin and Geoff met in college and have been together for four years. Since graduating, they’ve been renting an apartment with their pug, but now they are ready to settle into a new home. At only 24, Geoff and Devin have been saving for a house most of their lives. They love the Pittsburgh happy hour life so much that they create a website and blog about it, and they want to stay as close to that area as possible.
So a major aim of their house hunting journey is to stay within budget and be around plenty of restaurants and shops. They have a budget of $200,000.
Wish Lists
As stated, two major things on their wish list is to be near the city and in an area with high walkability. Geoff and Devin also don’t want to drive everywhere, so they want a place near public transportation. The couple also wants the home to have off-street parking, no extensive stairways, a large master closet, and a small yard that’s low maintenance.
Hers: Devin prefers row home. She also wants a move-in ready house that’s small and has a traditional layout. Devin also wants her own quiet room to escape Geoff’s noisy cooking.
His: Geoff prefers the contemporary style of home. He worked in construction, so he is drawn to projects and wants a few of them in his new home. Geoff also wants high ceilings and a gas range stove.
House #1, $175,000
This home is a contemporary ranch with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s a far distance from downtown Pittsburgh. It also lacks restaurants, clubs, etc—it has very little walkability. Geoff and Devin discover another disappointment when they see the electric stove.
The home has a large yard with a shed. It has too much outdoor space for them, but the master suite is just right. It has a large master bedroom, two large closets, and a nice size bathroom. The place also has a finished basement with a laundry area and separate bathroom.
House #2, $219,000
This is a row house close to downtown. It was built in 1910, so it has some of the original finishes, but it’s been newly remodeled. The floors need refinishing, so this gives Geoff one project. The house has a lot of character with high ceilings, exposed brick, and a weird kitchen layout, which has a gas stove.
The yard is just the right size for Devin and Geoff. It has a finished basement and decent size master bedroom. This home also has a lovely view of the city.
House #3, $180,000
This home has steep stairs in the front, but includes an alley entrance. In the back, near the alley, there is also a garage and extra parking. This is a foursquare home with three bedrooms, and one and a half bathroom. It has 2000 sq ft with decorative fireplaces all over the home.
This foursquare was built in 1930 and has a lot of character, despite the renovatations. The home overall has an open feel but the kitchen is closed off. It has Geoff’s gas stove and other stainless steel appliances. The basement is large but needs to be finished.
Decision Time: House #3 had a lot of great features like its walkability, but Devin kept expressing concern about it being too much house for them. House #2 seemed like the ideal one because of it’s features and location, but it was way over their budget. House #1 seemed to have the most glaring flaws, like no gas stove, not very walkable, and a basement that was too large.
Devin and Geoff pick…House #3.
They ended up buying it for the $180,000 asking price.
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