Similarities and Differences

     Here are some similarities and differences between the two houses: the one I live in now and the one I'm going to live in. I will refer to them as Now and Then.

Similarities at first sight:

    Now and Then were both built around the same time (1968-1970), and they are both brick, or what is called brick veneer. I usually just say brick. They both have wood siding around their tops and over their garage areas. They are both ranch-style one-story houses, and they are both attractive. There is nothing overtly ugly or unattractive about either. When you approach them or see them from the curb, they are nice. They are welcoming. They have good paint and are free of entanglement in ivy or other distractions. 

Differences:

    Now appears smaller when viewed from the curb. It literally looks like a little pillbox house because the rest of the house is behind itself; whereas Then has a front "L" shape with the smaller portion sticking out in the front. You see the entire L.  Then has a two-car garage, but the doors operate independently, whereas Now it has a two-car garage, but only one door. The doors on Now are painted a lighter color; they don't match the house trim, but Then has a darker grey shade for all the trim, including the two garage doors.  Now's driveway is very, very long, made of dirt, grass, and gravel, and sits quite a ways off the street. Then has a normal rather good distance from the street as well, but of course, it's in a neighborhood, so nothing like Now's drive. Then fits four cars easily.

Similarities inside:

    Both houses have nine-foot ceilings, closets in every bedroom, a good-sized kitchen, open and airy. Both have the laundry room in the garage, both have one and 3/4 baths, meaning one of the baths is just a shower, not a tub. Both have original kitchen cabinets, both accommodate a smaller fridge rather than a larger one, and both have their mailbox at the end of the drive, making it easier for the postal service to deliver mail. When I was growing up, we had our mailbox on the porch. Both houses have laminate flooring and carpet throughout, and both receive ample natural light from larger windows.

Differences inside:

    Now has a back door that is hard to open and will need to be replaced. It was one of the first things we said we'd do when we bought the house. In fact, the front door's storm door also needs to be replaced. Then's front door is new, its back doors are new, in fact, they are French doors, and really nice. Now has standard windows, only one layer thick. They fog up with every rain. Then has new windows; that's always a big deal, and I'm very excited to see just how non-foggy they will be.  Then has lighter-colored laminate plank flooring of better quality than the laminate wood-look flooring in Now, which is also darker and shows literally every pawprint imaginable. (We have four dogs and two cats) Then has 4 bedrooms instead of the 3 that Now has. This is a HUGE and wonderful difference for us.

    Literally every appliance is new. Every toilet, every sink, and every faucet in Then is new. Now has a new dishwasher and a new stove, and that's it. All others were either older or original. The sink is new in Now, but it's the cheapest one you can imagine. It doesn't quite fit, and that's so annoying. It was on the list of things to replace, but down the road. Then has a storm shelter built into the garage, and it's not dilapidated like the one at Now is. It will actually be useful.

Similarities outside:

    There really isn't much to say. There are very few similarities between the two. Now has 14.4 acres of land, of which 10 were being taken away by the FHA, which stated it would not lend on land near oil operations. This is why we are moving. The seller won't split the lot.  The front of Now is very long, over 1/2 an acre long, and has several trees lining the way. It has hedges, ground cover, and three large stumps that used to be taller trees, but storms have had their way with them.  The two houses have some trees, some grass, and that's about it.

Differences outside:

    Now has a 1/2 acre front yard, whereas Then has a standard front yard. It's a bit larger than most, considering it's in a neighborhood, but it's not going to host any livestock.  The backyard of Then is good. It's a larger backyard, again considering it is in a neighborhood. It has private fencing, and interestingly, on two sides, it is double-fenced. Now isn't fenced for us; neighbors have some fencing. We'd have to build the entire thing if we were staying. We had temporary fencing up for the dogs and horses, nothing pretty, believe me.

OVERALL:  Now has neighbors, but they are acres away. Then has neighbors immediately to either side and behind us as well. Now is on the north side of town, just outside the area where the new fiber is being laid for the city's new internet connections. Then is smack dab in the middle of town and right where it needs to be for easy access to literally everything. In all, I'm pleased we're moving. I love the solitude, I love the quiet. I love the peacefulness, but it will be nice to have all-new things, all-new paint, and all-new everything. It will be nice to have four bedrooms, so Laura can have her bedroom and office, and I will have mine, like I do now. My bedroom at Then is larger. Laura's bedroom is the same, but she will have an enormous office! She's super thrilled about that.

    We're happy to say we're moving, but we'd be just as happy to say we're allowed to stay. We didn't want to have to move again, but as it turns out, we can't stay. The owner wasn't aware that the FHA wouldn't lend on the entire lot, so he's going to try to find a cash buyer. That is not me. I can't do that. He's probably not going to find one - but that is not my problem. We offered to buy the house and 4.4 acres - he said no. It is what it is... a fresh start.

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