Owning a Place to Live - Let's Compare Affordability Across Countries

[Donegeal]

Walkout basement?

[Kontiki]

Hang on, what did you pay for that Arrian?

[Arrian]

Don,

Yes, from the unfinished (right) side (the basement is roughly 2/5 finished).

Kontiki,

Um... a lot. And since I've put in how much it is as a function of our household income, I'm not sure I really want to say. Edit: then again, I've told lots of people.

$420,000.

second edit: the house is not only newish, but very well constructed (our building inspector was gushing) and on nearly 6 acres of land, with a good chunk (perhaps 1/2 or 2/3 of an acre) fenced. The backyard is, for lack of a better word, perfect. So I think it was worth every penny.

-Arrian

[Pekka]

Nice houses, guys

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Richelieu
I got a 2 bedroom 1400 sqf condo in Gatineau for 145 000$ this summer. Fairly nice place too, just next to the National Capital Commission woods. In Ottawa - 5 mins drive - it would be about 200 000$ for the same thing.

What is the average yearly (post tax, of course) income in your area?

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Arrian
This, too, is an assessor's photo, clearly taken just as the house was completed (2001). The stickers are still on the windows.

Wait, wait... it's wooden?

[Arrian]

Wood frame, with vinyl siding. Obviously the porch is wood, as is the back deck...

-Arrian

[Pekka]

Vet, No, it is actually plastic.

[Arrian]

Actually, I'm pretty sure somebody has made a house out of plastic (or vinyl).

-Arrian

[Donegeal]

Sweet. With those windows down there your wasting alot of great house space.

Mine only has one egressed window. I putting my sifes library there. Adding a nice dark windowless bedroom for me to sleep in during the day. Next to that is going the full bath with built-in vanity and a one person whirlpool bath with a shower surround (might try to make it have dual shower heads). The kitchenette/bar will be a regular kichen minus the range. The big living area will have a large sectional sofa/sleeper, full entertainment center and a pool table. Still will have enough room for storage.

FINISH THAT BASEMENT!!!!

[Pekka]

donegeal, agreed, don't know what the house plan is, but I'd take those windows away and make it a home theater, perfect place for that baby.

[Arrian]

I'm not gonna finish it. The house is gigantic already, and that side has all the mechanicals and whatnot in it. There isn't actually a huge amount of useable space. What is available is largely taken up by my beer pong table... Finish that part, and no more beer pong inside, which means no pong in winter, which would be

Keep in mind that only the two lower windows on the right side are in the basement. The others are in the "sunken" family room (which is a really sweet room - our favorite by a mile). In total, there are 3 windows in the unfinished basement (but oddly, only 1 tiny one in the finished side). Minor detail...

-Arrian

[Donegeal]

Put the theater on the otherside of the basement.

I do plan on someday removing the entertainment center (and one silly metal post ) and adding a large projection screen on a blank white wall that would be about 7' x 10' (2m x 3m).

[Arrian]

Negative. That is the dog's room + wife's computer and filing.

The family room is fine for the "home theatre" such as it is. We love that room and spend lots of time there. The basement pales in comparison. Like I said, it's the dog's room.

-Arrian

[Zoid]

Nice house Arrian! It looks like a East Coast Stephen King Murder She Wrote kinda house. Where is it?