I'm buying a home and they are just so expensive.
I'm an extremely light sleeper so townhouses and condos are just a really bad option for me, I do need a house.
There have been bidding wars on the houses that aren't complete dumps. I don't want to be house poor. I'm feeling very tempted to increase my budget even though that goes against my frugal tendencies.
I don't really have any specific questions. I'm just looking to commiserate, And I'm wondering whether any of you can relate or if you have any surprising insight. Thanks
Posted by DVsKat
10 Comments
Owning is cheaper than renting. Yes there is maintenance and all of that but at the end of the day you’ve got an investment.
although a house is obivously better than a town house you do realize if you were to do a town house or literally any noisy environment you could just you know make your room sound proof?
I’m a light sleeper too. I lived in a townhouse for many years and never heard my neighbors. Soundproofing on townhomes can be very good, especially on newer homes, so I wouldn’t dismiss them.
The way I see it is that we’re frugal, not cheapskates. I don’t save money on dining, groceries, streaming services, travel, cars, etc. because I wanna take money to the grave. As somebody who’s sensitive to noise and a homebody, I went a bit overboard on my home. It’s not ready yet (cookie cutter build), but I highly doubt I’ll regret it. Don’t buy a stupidly large house, but a good location and usable floor plan is worth it to me.
Also a light sleeper who’s lived in and bought an apartment/condo in a VHCOL city. Where I am, standalone homes are just not a thing.
There are ways to manage your sleep quality – white noise machines, ear plugs, eye masks, etc. Sound insulation also varies by building. I have a monthly HOA fee that I pay to the condo association to cover a lot of shared costs (building and roof insurance, water/sewage, trash, snow/lawn maintenance, etc.) that I know would be a lot more expensive as a sole homeowner.
Don’t buy anything with an HOA. Your budget will get completely blown out if they randomly decide to charge you $500/month.
Spend the money on something that doesn’t need a shitload of work. The headache isn’t worth it.
A little counterintuitive, but pay extra towards your principal every month. If being frugal is the goal, you’ll save hundreds of thousands in interest by paying $200-$500 extra per month towards the principal.
Good luck.
I lived in a house that was half a mile from the nearest neighbour, and was kept awake every night by owls.
Could you see if you could get a rental in a complex that you otherwise like to see how it goes? When I went house shopping my choices were a condo that was move in ready or a house that basically needed a new one of everything. At the time I was renting a unit in a big condo complex and issues such as physical orientation (we had windows on one side, and the balcony above overhung our patio, and we were north facing… we NEVER got any sunlight/natural light) and hearing the drama of the HOA, sharing space with other humans who like … let their dogs pee in the elevator made me realize that condo living was not for me. So I sucked it up and bought the house that needed one of everything and I have been VERY happy. But had I NOT had the experience of living in a condo complex, I probably would have been less likely to do it. Just food for thought…maybe see if you can take something for a “test drive” to make sure you are correct it won’t work. I’ve also seen places that are cleverly designed like a duplex so that the rooms where people would make noise are the shared walls (so the living rooms abut each other as a shared wall) and the bedrooms are set over on the outside edge so that those are basically like a single family house with no shared walls.
I’ve lived in a townhome for three years. Never hear a thing. It’s such a quiet place. I’m on a waiting list for a duplex. I need a garage. Cold here. So sad you have so much noise. They separate families, singles, couples living.
Earplugs?