Unexpectedly, we are on the move again, this time renting a huge, one-level rambler (3100sq.ft.!)
Originally, we had planned to remain in our lake view rental until next Spring or early Summer to avoid potential landlords seeing the BK13 on the credit check, but this golden opportunity came up in a very desirable location we have long wanted to move to where many fine restaurants, shopping stores we already frequent and gyms/ yoga studios abound, and the rent was hundreds less than other available homes in the area.
The caveat? The spacious 1960 home, much like the much shabbier and more basic 1963 small Colorado starter home which all but insured our subsequent BK13, has few updates.
One interesting artifact still installed and partially functioning(?), is a vintage NuTone system!
My husband said he had a similar home intercom system in his Arkansas home where he spent most of his childhood after moving there from NY state.
One bathroom is pink and the other, two-toned blue/green, all circa 1960! Everything in there does work, but all in a mid-century way- there are no wall outlets, instead the wall lights each have one installed inside.
There is a quite nice atrium with a disconnected water fountain and an adjoining office with a well-maintained ceiling to floor built-in all wood bookcase. The sunken living room boasts a striking Brady Bunch -style fireplace with quarry rock.
The kitchen is an extremely long galley kitchen with interesting, albeit very old and well-worn countertops and cabinets but luckily, newer appliances. My husband loves the gigantic double sink which is much wider than modern ones.
As is common with this era, the closets are all small, except the his and her corridor ones which lead to the smaller than usual master bath, and the gigantic front hall closet which hold triple the number of coats found in more contemporary homes.
The one outdated feature which gave us pause was the notorious Zinsco 1960 electric panel.
The owner, determined to only update when absolutely necessary, finally agreed to replace the panel when we threatened to end the lease citing safety issues. Additionally, dedicated circuits will be added to support my recently purchased Horizon treadmill and our two portable air conditioners. (Naturally, the home offers no cooling and whole house AC can only be added when the rambler is rewired after the current owner sells to an in-investor buyer, per his own comments.)
Why coming full circle? The house we bought was an investor only flip project, exactly like this more elegant home will be and neither should be purchased by clueless, first-time homeowners as we were in 2014. That house should have been a rental only, and had we been smarter we would have kept looking until we found a more updated, larger ranch with a more appealing layout.
So, our landlord is actually savvy, deferring all updates to the wealthy flipper who will turn 500k of whole house gutting while retaining some of the classic elements like the atrium and quarry rock accents into a luxury remodel, one which will sell for 2-3 million.
We recognize that in Washington renting an older home in need of numerous updates is far preferable to buying one and thereby digging our financial grave to make it "more resalable."
We are humbler but oh so much wiser, thanks to our frenemy, BK13!
Originally, we had planned to remain in our lake view rental until next Spring or early Summer to avoid potential landlords seeing the BK13 on the credit check, but this golden opportunity came up in a very desirable location we have long wanted to move to where many fine restaurants, shopping stores we already frequent and gyms/ yoga studios abound, and the rent was hundreds less than other available homes in the area.
The caveat? The spacious 1960 home, much like the much shabbier and more basic 1963 small Colorado starter home which all but insured our subsequent BK13, has few updates.
One interesting artifact still installed and partially functioning(?), is a vintage NuTone system!
My husband said he had a similar home intercom system in his Arkansas home where he spent most of his childhood after moving there from NY state.
One bathroom is pink and the other, two-toned blue/green, all circa 1960! Everything in there does work, but all in a mid-century way- there are no wall outlets, instead the wall lights each have one installed inside.
There is a quite nice atrium with a disconnected water fountain and an adjoining office with a well-maintained ceiling to floor built-in all wood bookcase. The sunken living room boasts a striking Brady Bunch -style fireplace with quarry rock.
The kitchen is an extremely long galley kitchen with interesting, albeit very old and well-worn countertops and cabinets but luckily, newer appliances. My husband loves the gigantic double sink which is much wider than modern ones.
As is common with this era, the closets are all small, except the his and her corridor ones which lead to the smaller than usual master bath, and the gigantic front hall closet which hold triple the number of coats found in more contemporary homes.
The one outdated feature which gave us pause was the notorious Zinsco 1960 electric panel.
The owner, determined to only update when absolutely necessary, finally agreed to replace the panel when we threatened to end the lease citing safety issues. Additionally, dedicated circuits will be added to support my recently purchased Horizon treadmill and our two portable air conditioners. (Naturally, the home offers no cooling and whole house AC can only be added when the rambler is rewired after the current owner sells to an in-investor buyer, per his own comments.)
Why coming full circle? The house we bought was an investor only flip project, exactly like this more elegant home will be and neither should be purchased by clueless, first-time homeowners as we were in 2014. That house should have been a rental only, and had we been smarter we would have kept looking until we found a more updated, larger ranch with a more appealing layout.
So, our landlord is actually savvy, deferring all updates to the wealthy flipper who will turn 500k of whole house gutting while retaining some of the classic elements like the atrium and quarry rock accents into a luxury remodel, one which will sell for 2-3 million.
We recognize that in Washington renting an older home in need of numerous updates is far preferable to buying one and thereby digging our financial grave to make it "more resalable."
We are humbler but oh so much wiser, thanks to our frenemy, BK13!
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