Anyone have tips i should keep in mind when buying a house

[Propellarhead9]

So I am in the beginning stages of purchasing a house and I was curious if anyone has any tips that I should keep in mind. I am looking to put a theater in the basement of whatever house I get so any input would be helpful. Be it stuff I should look for that could make or break being able to put in a theater and what not.

[MrFattBill]

I personally wish I would have purchased a home with a finished or semi-finished basement. As it stands I have a giant cavern (~1,500 sqft) under me that is longing for some attention but alas the funds will not allow it....yet. I do however have a nice finished extra garage that I have thought about turning into a nice movie house

Bill

[kpkelley]

Just remember that it's easy to be overwhelmed by all the things you don't like, they can either be seen as detrimental or as opportunities.

One thing that I would suggest is seeing as many houses as you physically can, that are anywhere near your price range. Then come up with a list of things you like and don't like, need and don't need.

For instance, I can't stand having a furnace in living space, so I am not fond of slab ranches(which are quite common in my area).

[Beta Man]

Wow..... I could probably think of countless things to consider if I thought about it long enough..... but some of the basics....

Get a good inspection, and let the inspector know your intentions..... he'll be more likely to give additional attention to the electrical (not as big of a deal) and the moisture in the walls to determine if it's properly water-proofed (HUGE deal) You may want to try to have the inspector agree to making a return visit after the area has received a decent amount of rainfall.

I'd look for a place that has the major obstacles like Furnace etc. out of the way.

Are you looking at a place that already has a finished basement? If it's already finished, it'll be much easier to tell if it's properly water-proofed, because the walls will retain moisture which can easily be tested.

I know basements are usually "Ideal" for Home Theaters.... but bonus rooms above garages have many benefits too (no water issues)

I'd rule out anywhere that doesn't have 8' minimum ceiling clearance (when finished)

If you're going to do a theater, you may be better off getting an unfinished, but waterproofed basement...... or "rough finished" basement. You'll pay extra for a house that has a finished basement, but if it's finished with 3 or 4 rooms where you'll want to knock down the walls anyways, you'll be paying for finishing a basement twice (more or less)

I don't know where you are, so I don't know about the water table etc. in your area either..... I'd look for a completely dug-out basement, and not one from a house built on a hill that has doors open to the outside (walk-out basement)

You'll obviously have trade-offs with every house you look at though.... and you just have to prioritize..... water-proofing is major bucks..... everything else can be done yourself, or relatively cheaply.

Good luck!

[Propellarhead9]

currently I have about 25 that I am going to be looking at, I'm looking at the first 6 tomorrow one of which already has a theater in it that I want to see how it looks. They didn't give to much info on it in the description and they didn't post a picture but supposedly it has a screen and HD projector of some sort. My luck it will be a small screen with a 5 year old projector lol.

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

My luck it will be a small screen with a 5 year old projector lol.

Currently the only thing that should matter is the space

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Wow..... I could probably think of countless things to consider if I thought about it long enough..... but some of the basics....

Get a good inspection, and let the inspector know your intentions..... he'll be more likely to give additional attention to the electrical (not as big of a deal) and the moisture in the walls to determine if it's properly water-proofed (HUGE deal) You may want to try to have the inspector agree to making a return visit after the area has received a decent amount of rainfall.

I'd look for a place that has the major obstacles like Furnace etc. out of the way.

Are you looking at a place that already has a finished basement? If it's already finished, it'll be much easier to tell if it's properly water-proofed, because the walls will retain moisture which can easily be tested.

I know basements are usually "Ideal" for Home Theaters.... but bonus rooms above garages have many benefits too (no water issues)

I'd rule out anywhere that doesn't have 8' minimum ceiling clearance (when finished)

If you're going to do a theater, you may be better off getting an unfinished, but waterproofed basement...... or "rough finished" basement. You'll pay extra for a house that has a finished basement, but if it's finished with 3 or 4 rooms where you'll want to knock down the walls anyways, you'll be paying for finishing a basement twice (more or less)

I don't know where you are, so I don't know about the water table etc. in your area either..... I'd look for a completely dug-out basement, and not one from a house built on a hill that has doors open to the outside (walk-out basement)

You'll obviously have trade-offs with every house you look at though.... and you just have to prioritize..... water-proofing is major bucks..... everything else can be done yourself, or relatively cheaply.

Good luck!

I live in the Louisville, KY area which is notorious for flooding. For the most part I'm looking at unfished basements with a few exceptions mainly cause i would rather put up walls where I want and not have to worry about taking out any.

The 8' is a good tip.

[Al Bundy]

Other then the obvious which is the condition of the house, for me the most important thing when buying the house is the floorplan. You can rarely if ever change the floorplan and if you do cost a lot of money. If condition of the house aside the most important thing is the layout of the house.

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by Timhortons

Other then the obvious which is the condition of the house, for me the most important thing when buying the house is the floorplan. You can rarely if ever change the floorplan and if you do cost a lot of money. If condition of the house aside the most important thing is the layout of the house.

Age was one of the main things with me, just because I lived in a 100 year old house when I lived in New England and I was constant tripping breakers and what not because the wiring was so old. I'm trying to find the most open floor plan that I can find so that it will allow for as much customizing as possible. I am spending about $200K on the house itself and I am going to be spending about another $50K for theater and bar.

You gotta love marrying into a rich family, they are giving us $750K to get started.

[erict]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

Age was one of the main things with me, just because I lived in a 100 year old house when I lived in New England and I was constant tripping breakers and what not because the wiring was so old. I'm trying to find the most open floor plan that I can find so that it will allow for as much customizing as possible. I am spending about $200K on the house itself and I am going to be spending about another $50K for theater and bar.

You gotta love marrying into a rich family, they are giving us $750K to get started.

$750k When you're done can you send me the other $500k

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by erict

$750k When you're done can you send me the other $500k

We are going to spend about half of it on the house and decking it out. We are putting the other in savings for eventual retirement later on in life.

[eclimax13]

reason number 1 for me purchasing a house was to have my own home theater and i was mostly concentrating on houses with basements built for it....turns out even after i bought the home i decided to put my theater in one of the bedrooms instead...reasons...already finished, perfect size to fit my theater, theres a bathroom on that level of the house, i wouldnt be using the bedroom for anything else, and i dont have to cool/heat the basement, so far it has worked out great for me..so always consider another part of the house as a theater and use your imagination

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

Age was one of the main things with me, just because I lived in a 100 year old house when I lived in New England and I was constant tripping breakers and what not because the wiring was so old. I'm trying to find the most open floor plan that I can find so that it will allow for as much customizing as possible. I am spending about $200K on the house itself and I am going to be spending about another $50K for theater and bar.

You gotta love marrying into a rich family, they are giving us $750K to get started.

holy crap!!!

i wish i could catch a break like this once!!

oh well.

[erict]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

We are going to spend about half of it on the house and decking it out. We are putting the other in savings for eventual retirement later on in life.

Good mind set

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

AYou gotta love marrying into a rich family, they are giving us $750K to get started.

Does she have a sister?

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Does she have a sister?

Yeah but shes in high school, lol. Her brother is the one fronting the cash he owns a casino.

[xneox]

My best advice is don't settle.

Do what others have said...compile a list of needs and wants. Don't even look at anything that doesn't meet all of the needs, and look first at the properties that satisfy the wants as well. You don't want to be in the place for two years wishing you'd held out for the larger garage, or the two-acre lot.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

Yeah but shes in high school, lol. Her brother is the one fronting the cash he owns a casino.

Dang... Why was I born a decade too soon?

That's pretty cool of your brother in law. I hope all the tips here help you guys get a house you'll both love.

[Beta Man]

Your budget, and that much liquid (assets) has made me change my mind!


My new tip....

Buy the biggest fixer-upper in the best neighborhood.....

Run new electrical, and have the place basically gutted and rebuilt to your liking.

Just find a place with good bones..... Since you'll be able to do it all without a mortgage payment etc.... You won't have to worry about loans for the renovations etc.... this is a great opportunity to get a great house that will gain a lot of value.

We bought an absolute dump in a great neighborhood.... we paid 200k less than the neighbors on either side, and put $70k into it so far, and it's already worth more than either of their homes...... best investment we could have ever made. Plus, this way you get all the finishes that you want.....

If you're looking at $200k, but find a house for $100k everything from structural repairs, to all new hardwood flooring, windows, roof, etc. is well within the realm of possibilities. The house will look rough when you get it.... but if you have contractors assess it, and you can see the potential past the current eyesore it'll probably be in.... it's a great move.

[ewsjr]

Originally Posted by Propellarhead9

So I am in the beginning stages of purchasing a house and I was curious if anyone has any tips that I should keep in mind. I am looking to put a theater in the basement of whatever house I get so any input would be helpful. Be it stuff I should look for that could make or break being able to put in a theater and what not.

I was always told that when searching for a house that will have a home theater, always, always look for one room that is at least 25x12. that was the minimum starting point to have decent room for display and good sound. And that's what I did. wouldn't look at anything without a room that size. my realtor thought i was nuts. but i found a great house with a 32x12 family room in the basement with cinder block walls and new dark green carpet that has been turned into the home theater of my dreams. needless to say, when my realtor came over for dinner to see the finished product she was pretty impressed. I have some pics up in the community area if interested.