Anyone who has watched House Hunters has heard the term “man cave.” It’s in almost every episode. We finally have a man who does not want to escape his family and is looking for a “famcave.” That man is Shaun and he and his wife Nina are looking for a new place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The couple aren’t new to buying a home, however. This will be their second house and they, like man first-time buyers, made a few missteps the first time around. They want to be careful and exact on what they get this time so they don’t make the same mistakes. One of those things is sticking to their budget of $350,000. Shaun stresses there can be no budging on that.
So what are those very specific things they’re looking for? Let’s take a look.
Wish Lists
His: He wants a craftsman with multiple floors. And of course that famcave space. He’d love a house with some history. He also prefers an open concept and insists on a 3-car garage.
Hers: She doesn’t like multiple floors so she’s looking for a practical ranch. If not one floor, then she requires the bedrooms all be on the same floor. She also is not interested in history, because that could mean some work. She’d rather the house be turn-key. She also would love a white kitchen and a place with a lot of natural light.
Let’s see what their real estate agent has for them.
House 1: $360,000
The first house is a new construction and it’s a two-story craftsman. That’s perfect for Shaun. But right away, Nina does not like the stairs. She likes the big windows and they both like the open concept. This place would have a varying price based on what kind of upgrades they want, so its not certain how much over budget this would be with what they want. This house is amazing, but I think it’s going to be too much for their budget. I think this is just a filler house. I don’t expect them to go for this house. They want something a little more unique.
House 2: $329,900
The second house was built in 1914 so it has the history Shaun is looking for and he loves the outside. Inside, iI’s a pretty classic house with not many updates. That means Nina isn’t into it at all. And it’s not exactly perfect for Shaun either. It’s only a two-car garage, so that doesn’t meet his needs. There’s also not an open floorpan. The kitchen is enclosed, small and dark. There are a lot of differences of opinions on this house, so unless they want to get divorced they better pass on this house. There is definitely a lot of character there, but very outdated.
House 3: $374,000
The third house is a model home so this, like the first wouldn’t be the exact house they would get. It is a ranch, which Nina loves. All the bedrooms are on one floor. Even thought he model house is using the garage as an office, they could get the 3-car garage Shaun wants. It has a kitchen and she loves it. The house is open and bright, but has a small and boring master bedroom. It does have the huge famcave, though. They’d end up at $374,000 with what they want. So that’s way over budget.
So what are they going to choose? I have absolutely no idea on this one. I’d think they liked the third house the most, but it’s too much. She hated the second house, but it’s under budget and I’m guessing they can upgrade the kitchen for her. I say they pick House 2. Let’s find out.
Shaun and Nina have decided to go with … House #1. OK, House Hunters, way to trick us with editing. They picked the first house but went with a different floorpan and ended up paying $355,000, so they were only $5,000 over budget. After seeing the actual house they bought, it made sense. It was a perfect choice.
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