A Little Elbow Room With A Giant Garage

We are on a house quest.  My hubby and I have been renting a beautiful townhouse apartment since we returned to the city. We really didn't want to move back to Rockford, but family obligations made it a necessary decision.  Although our townhouse is lovely, it is still an apartment.  We are used to having space and our own yard. When we were living in a very small town in central Illinois, our home was "smack dab" in the middle of a double corner lot.  Derrol had a six car garage, filled to the brim with every tool you might need for woodworking or fixing up old cars (his passion). 

Now we are looking for a "fixer upper" or reasonably priced home that can fill these requirements.  In the city, it is really hard to find space in between homes.  Everyone seems to like being huddled together for some reason.  We don't need tons of square footage for just the two of us or acres to mow and maintain, but enough space so I can have a sewing room and he can have his garage retreat.  Living in the midwest, a dry basement is a requirement for a rec room, a must for family gatherings.

There are hundreds of homes for sale in our community due to the loss of many manufacturing jobs.  You would think that this quest would be an easy one.  I've poured over all the listings on the internet and made my list.  We've driven by dozens of houses that could fill our needs, except for the most important one, space.  We are flexible about our needs and if we have enough land, we can add on to the house or build the garage.

So far, I've actually gone through two houses with potential.  The first one was obviously built by the homeowner back in the 50's and didn't have a standard size door in the place.  The bathroom was so tiny, you had to walk in sideways.  I'm not kidding.  My realtor is 6 ft. 7in. and couldn't fit in past the doorway. The kitchen and dining area were recently remodeled and lovely.  However, when we went outside to look at the back yard and deck, it was obvious by looking at the curled shingles and scorched siding, the kitchen remodel was due to a fire.  Too many hidden problems in that one, so I scratched it off my list.  

The second one was pertect!  Priced way under market value, was this gorgeous brick, three bedroom ranch.  It was listed as a foreclosure, so I really wasn't expecting much.  Boy was I surprised.  Other than some paint, decorating and new carpet, it was an immaculate home with plastered walls, beautiful woodwork and lots of space.  A great rec room graced the dry basement, featuring a wet bar and multiple storage closets.  The yard was perfect, plenty of room and an oversized 2-1/2 car garage.  A lot of other people thought this home was perfect as well.  By the time I got home from the showing, my realtor called to tell me that the listing company had just sold the house thanks to multiple offers.  It was only on the market for less than a week.  Boo Hoo!

I've been brooding about that house for days.  Now it's time to get back to the listings and the quest for elbow room with a giant garage.  I'll keep you posted.