During this summers trip to California I have a couple of major tasks to complete besides just enjoying life with family OTW. Firstly I have to get my present home ready to sell, not a major task I hope, as it's in a good area and is in good condition.I'm not looking forward to putting stuff in storage however as it is something I've never done before.The second task is however going to be more of a problem...that of buying a new home. I intend to buy in the Napa valley closer to Vinogirl and Vinomaker as I like the area and Princess OTW will have access to family and the vinodogs. The problems will start when I start viewing when I return from Utah at the end of the month. I know quite a bit about most styles of homes in England and have worked on many of the more popular and some of the rarer. I don't want an English style home because...it isn't England, but my knowledge of American style homes is only rather cursory.I have been a householder here and involved (slightly) in a new build here,coupled with a crash course in various aspects acquired through reading and bugging Vinomaker I am I know only too ill equipped for the coming struggle. I am hoping rather like a vulture that the recent property crash will stand me in good stead as regards price but it's no help in the task of actually understanding the finer points of American architecture. As a quick summary I need ...a few acres...a decent house to live in now but a house that will benefit from major rebuild and extension...plus room for a guest house and shop...oh and a nice view!....any ideas?
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
House hunting.
During this summers trip to California I have a couple of major tasks to complete besides just enjoying life with family OTW. Firstly I have to get my present home ready to sell, not a major task I hope, as it's in a good area and is in good condition.I'm not looking forward to putting stuff in storage however as it is something I've never done before.The second task is however going to be more of a problem...that of buying a new home. I intend to buy in the Napa valley closer to Vinogirl and Vinomaker as I like the area and Princess OTW will have access to family and the vinodogs. The problems will start when I start viewing when I return from Utah at the end of the month. I know quite a bit about most styles of homes in England and have worked on many of the more popular and some of the rarer. I don't want an English style home because...it isn't England, but my knowledge of American style homes is only rather cursory.I have been a householder here and involved (slightly) in a new build here,coupled with a crash course in various aspects acquired through reading and bugging Vinomaker I am I know only too ill equipped for the coming struggle. I am hoping rather like a vulture that the recent property crash will stand me in good stead as regards price but it's no help in the task of actually understanding the finer points of American architecture. As a quick summary I need ...a few acres...a decent house to live in now but a house that will benefit from major rebuild and extension...plus room for a guest house and shop...oh and a nice view!....any ideas?
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18 comments:
American "architecture"-? It's stick-framed, with sheetrock and some insulation, maybe a basement. Storage is always an issue. Especially out West here with the "ranch-style" (= flat slab open floorplan on an "L" usually) there is no fine point to any home less than 100-years old.
It's all about the arrangement of space/floor-plan to Nature - for views, and heating/insulating costs.
And then there's some stuff by certain folks who are "highly individualistic" that is really just bizzaro.
Nice house in the picture but the trees might be a bit close for fire-safety purposes. It looks like the Sierras with the kind of trees and pitch of the roof - in which case the question becomes how old is the septic system, or is it on the town mains? :-)
septic...mains?....oh bollocks!.....I have alot to consider.
you need horses,wood fire burning stove, dogs, birds, a cat, fish nearby to fish and eat,
i wish you luck Thud in your house search. What a wonderful life style you must have. We have a return of the monsoon conditions here on Merseyside.
Oh how I envy you....Sigh...
Di.xx
Hey...it's old thudster
So...me ole mucker...why are you moving to the land of the big-burger.
That's more of an interesting question than: "Who can bloody well find me a house..with hot and cold running seven-up and corn-bread-ago-go".
Isnt the Great UK good enough for you all of a sudden?
Is there perhaps a problem Mr P can help you with?
- trouble with your neighbours?
- a barking dog?
- closure of your local Tandoori?
All this things can be sorted.
PLEASE DONT GO THUDDY
The Real Estate agent should handle that plumbing stuff, but again, it's just stick-framed wood and sheetrock - just gotta know which of the walls is loadbearing and you can smash away all the others. :-) Unless you live in some kind of HomeOwner's Association with CC&R's (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions - the governing documents that Dictate, and which you MUST legally obey).
Mr p..great to hear from you...even if I don't have a friggin clue who you are!.....as for reasons...you seem to do the best by your kids and that for me is the major reason...a great life beckons...plus its always bloody raining up north in liverpool
Thudster (haha) its quite clear Mr P really dosent know you.
- closure of your local Tandoori?
in fact "me ole mucker" sounds like my neck of the woods.
Tandoori...yes my well know 'love' of everything asian is a bit of a giveaway.
"giveaway"?
TAKEAWAY
only if you like crap food.
Oh Thudster
Indian Food is the greatest food in the whole wide world.
How can you leave the UK?
It has the most wonderful Indian Grub in the world
I tend to leave via Manchester airport,its quite easy.As for India...for me nothing good ever came from there but who am I to deny somebody a curry.
mr p, give it a rest where have you come from? you really need to read before commenting.
loving curry is not the reason to stay in britain, where has the national identity gone if all you can say is stay for the curry??
Dear Monkey-Man
Curry is a very good reason for staying in the UK. I prefer a vindaloo myself.
How's about you? Banana Madras perhaps?
Look - you are obviously an old bloke - who likes his real ale and Sunday roast. Nothing wrong with that at all. My grandad is the same.
But in the modern UK - curry is the proper food. To move to a country with just ONE curry house (Bronx - New York) - is simply crazy.
Mr p, actually i like a bhuna, and as for an old bloke you couldnt more wrong. i am however old english and feel that if curry is the only thing that makes this nation great in you eyes then that could be a possible reason why people would want to leave.
Okay Monkey-Face you got Mr P there. See - when Mr P makes a comment there are folks who get all arsie and clam up...but you?
Well
You come back with a rationale for your views. Well done.
Mr P was joking the whole time...the whole bleedin' time. As for Thudster...well if he wants to move to the States then Bloody Good on him.
I wish I could move too. But I need me bucket of vindaloo
Mr p..I havn't quite left yet..still a few things worth staying in england for...so I'm planning to go back and forth for awhile.As for monkey...a mere strippling I'm afraid although he is partial to a good roast dinner.
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