Changes

My house went on the market yesterday. The sign went up in the yard today.

I’ve been in this house since 1997, a long time for some people. But I spent the first 18 years of my life at the same address, and I think this has shaped my attitude towards moving (in a word: don’t). There are a few reasons for this move, but economic ones are probably foremost: Gwen and I have some debt, and the property taxes on this place are just not affordable. And there’s a huge amount of equity tied up in the house, because it has roughly doubled in value since I bought it. We expect to sell the house for a pretty good chunk of change, pay off most of our debt, move into something cheaper and still have a lot of money in the bank. I like this house, and I love this neighborhood–wherever we move next, it’s almost certain to hurt our quality of life in terms of neighbors, ready access to places we like to go, etc. So I feel a bit cornered into making this move, and I have a diffuse resentment at the circumstances that have me cornered.

But I’m not all negative about this. The move is also an opportunity to start fresh, which is good. The part of town we’re looking at most closely (78702) is on the leading edge of an intense revitalization, so it may turn out pretty nice in a few years, and will probably prove to have been a good investment. Gwen and I do not know what our next home will be–we’re considering a few options, including buying an empty lot and building a new home on it. This, obviously, would be a big step into the unknown, and if any members of my adoring public have specific advice, I’d appreciate it.

Gwen and I have talked about the whole issue of gentrification. We’re being gentrified out of our current house–not that this neighborhood was remotely undesirable before, but our incomes have hardly kept pace with the increasing property values and property taxes. We may well be the gentrifiers rather than the gentrifiees at our next place. Is that ethical?

2 thoughts on “Changes”

  1. Moving is huge. I used to have nightmares about it, back when I had moved 3 times in one year. You asked, so here’s my opinion on whether to build or buy. I think it’s wise to expect that building will take up to twice as long as they tell you. For example, if they tell you it will take 9 months to build, it will likely take between 12 and 18 months. Do you have someplace to live in the meantime? Someplace where, if you have to stay longer than expected, they will not kick you out? Or force you to sign a lease for longer than you want?

    My personal preference is to buy an existing house and fix it up the way I want it. I just don’t love newly constructed homes, which typically have pretty mediocre materials and appliances. For example, my sister bought a new house a few years ago, but the cabinets were so crappy that they started coming off the wall and the shelves started sagging after about 6 years. Her low-flow toilets require what we have come to call “interim flushing.” And even then, they are prone to backups.

    Better in my view to buy a solid existing structure and then have the kitchen and bathrooms remodeled over a period of time. I think you ultimately get more for your money that way. When I remodeled the bathrooms in my last house (er…uh… had them remodeled. I must confess I don’t do anything but paint) I got Toto toilets. Yes, they’re low-flow, but they’re powerful and don’t require interim flushing. A plumbing contractor told me about them. Of course, when remodeling, the same time rule applies. It often takes up to twice as long as they say it will.

    The irony for me was that just as soon as we got our old house spruced up pretty much the way we liked it, we moved. Now I’m waiting for Cisco stock to hit $40 before I can remodel anything in my current house.

    I’m curious about your potential new neighborhood. I’ll have to find out more about it.

  2. If we build, we will probably buy an interim house to live in until construction is finished, after which we’ll rent it out or sell it.

    Also, if we build, we’re not going to get a cheap-ass developer home. We’re going to get it done right or not at all. Remodeling is great if you’ve got a good house to start from, but you’ve got the problem of where to live during the remodel (the house may not be habitable for long stretches), and an extensive remodel can be more costly than building from scratch.

    Right now, everything is on the table–we are considering houses that we might be able to remodel, or just move into.

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