Ferret Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Now house prices have fallen a bit we have started thinking about moving again. Our current house is definitely too small for my business and our race car. We started by deciding what we need. Garage (ideally a double) large garden (to put a studio in) or a room big enough to take a Milli. OK, pretty clear requirements. We don't care how many bedrooms bathrooms or anything else so long as it meets those points. Unfortunately houses only seem to be searchable on how many bedrooms Anyone would think long arming drag racers were rare It looks like we are basically going to have to read the full details of every house that comes up for sale in the right area. I think I will lose the will to live before we find even one possible house Why can't they have a longarm rating on every house? Discovery (just), Lenni, Milli, milli with 14" table Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuiltsbyNini1 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hear! Hear! Now if we can just find a real estate agent to put this together for us..... Nini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Too funny, Ferret. But, I know what you mean. I wanted to move as well (husband refuses to even discuss it) and I was looking for a house with studio possibilities, too. That was my primary, #1 feature. My currect "studio" (I use that term loosely) is too small for 2 people to be in at the same time. I feel like it is a ship's cabin, not a studio. I need something much larger, but I guess I will have to get happy with what I have and just let the other thoughts go. So, I wish you lots of luck finding your dream studio with a house included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 When we moved to Virginia, we bought a lot and had our house built. I made sure I had a room large enough for a machine:D You might want to consider doing some renovation to a house if it has most of what is on your wish list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I would rather do my own renovations, but in the UK the trick will be finding a room big enough. Houses around here have the biggest rooms about 13'x12'. Not even close. Even if you knock two rooms together you have to leave some support where the wall was and that makes the gap too narrow. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltlover03 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Too funny! But I know what you mean. My studio is our "Master Bedroom", the jetted tub in the ensuite holds batting and other stuff, and our king size bed is stuffed into the bigger of 2 small bedrooms barely enough room to walk around. There is a one room house, build circa 1940, that will get a new roof, insulation, windows, doors, new wireing, etc, sometime this year. Hurray! Get all this dust out of my house, get my bedroom back and use my jetted tub for what it was intended. Have fun house hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbigailE Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ok, I'm in real estate so I'm biased. Get a Fantastic agent, explain in detail, show them what you have and what is wrong with it, what needs to change. Then have them preview the property for you with your needs in mind. Saves you time and better chance of getting what you need/want. Also, give them a list of priorities as in you MUST have a garage but a fireplace is optional. Would a basement/cellar work if it had a walk-out? GO with poeple who know and you won't go wrong. Get an experienced agent. Right now every one wants to eat and realtors only eat when they close a deal. They work for you. get them to sign that they are a buyers agent. That way they are in it for you. Lots of luck this is a fun advanture and one that brings great change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbigailE Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Spelling mistqakes galore, gotta wait until the coffee kicks in, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mswings Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Good Luck finding the perfect house. My husband finished our basement for a game room....then we bought the millie. Oops, the only gaming we do now is quilt, Yea!!! The pool table makes a great ironing surface. Hope you find what your looking for. Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was gonna say what Abigail just said. Get yourself a professional agent to do the looking for you. Besides, that's why they get a commission from the house sale... make 'em work for that commission! Maybe to help give the agent an idea, tell them you want a two car garage and a small guest cottage in back. That guest cottage could be your studio and you can have the dragster in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ferret Do you have the land to add on an addition of a 2 car garage with studio overhead, tailored to exactly your needs? sometimes it us better to add on and get exactly what you want then try to find something that may or may not suit you. Five or so years ago, I wanted to buy a new bigger house. My husband did not so we compromised. I got an addition, he got a pool table, I got a hot tub and the kids and grandkids got a large play/game room, all in one big 500 SQ Ft addition. Now I want a larger studio. The new room is not my studio, although it could be if it were not for the pool table, hot tub, etc... it is open to the main part of the house and I don't really want that part of my house in a constant mess of fabric, thread etc.. especially while I have small grandkids who get into everything at Gramma's house. Maybe one day. For now the Finished Room Over Garage (FROG) is my studio and I can lock the door and keep the kids from harm. So there are always alternatives even if you have to purchase a new house and include in it plans for an addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Jeanne, you rock! FROG! Too funny!!! Our house is a 4 bedroom and 2 of them measure about 18X12. I selected the one in the back so folks couldn't see the mess. Well, you guessed it, the mess in now in the front big room also. The actual sewing room is packed so full of machines it is sometimes hard to spread out. So I spread to another room. What a nasty mess. Why am I complaining? I am lucky the Lenni fit:P:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbipatillo Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 who need to share the house with my longarm and his track car. When we talk about adding a detached building I have to keep quiet about how the longarm would fit great under that window. He says thats where the workbench and the drill press will go...*thinking, just keep my mouth shut, I have the majority of the house, let him have this one room* ... Naaa! I could move all my "stuff" out here and you can have the house back. It is just great to hear there are other couples with our brand of obsessions.. Bobbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 My back garden would fit in most of your family rooms Over here estate agents don't help you buy your dream house. Last time I couldn't even get them to stop sending us the details of flats (apartments) when we were only interested in houses. If you are very lucky they will send you properties sort of near your budget. I think in the US things are very different. I guess I should confess, I would love to have a workshop too, I love working on cars and I do feel you need a clean workroom and a dirty one. I love the smell of oil and petrol, most of my customers probably don't. Last time we were house hunting I found what I felt was the perfect house. Double garage and attached huge workshop. Tet turned it down because the house was small Some people just haven't got their priorities straight. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryjo2003 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I moved about 6 months ago. Our house came with a detached "Grannyflat". Basically, it's a separate 1 bedroom house about 650-700 sq. ft. I have my longarm in the livingroom, all my sewing machines and cutting table in the bedroom. I put shelves in the area for a stack washer/dryer and hang quilts in the coat closet and bedroom closet. I have a full kitchen and bath as well. I love it! I can disappear out to my studio, and not have to come in to the house for anything, meals, bathroom, etc. I have a TV and dvd player, so when I'm piecing, I can watch my quilting dvds! If there was room for a bed, I'd just live there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Sylvia It took me weeks of reading the house ads to figure out what a FROG was. I guess it is a SC or southern thing, finally I asked what a FROG was and that was my answer, I spelled it out for Ferret thinking terminology in the UK was surely different as well. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnice Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ferret, I have a friend in the UK whose husband is an architect. I know that they just upgraded their residence. He may be able to help you in your situation. Just email me and I will send you their email address. We (my husband and I) downsized in the house we have presently due to the walk out basement which has become is shop for wood working. (AH the saw dust in the quilts.:P:P) I would love to use that area for my quilt studio but I am reliquished to the guest bedroom. I do make the best with learning to be very compact and organized. There should be a warning sign on the door at times. My kids did not have as messy of rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreadWaggle Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I had not heard the term FROG until I looked at houses in Columbia, SC a couple of years ago. My studio is over out garage too, in the "Bonus" room. In NC, if I put a door on it it would be a bedroom since it has a closet and I would have to upgrade my septic system since mine is only rated for 3 bedrooms. (One would think that they would rate septic systems by bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms) A door would be wonderful, but is not happening anytime soon. I think that it is actually a little easier for us to find what we are looking for in the US. They might look at me weird when I start telling them that I need a room that I can use as a studio and the size of the machine, but the can usually search MLS and get size information for the rooms. We have thought we were moving several times in the past 3 years and had to look at houses in several states. The real estate agents that I have worked with have always been able to find me a house that would work for us. Our criteria are not that extreme, 3-4 bedrooms, studio space, 2 car garage and a space for an office. I am just glad that DH's job has stablized for now and we know that we get to stay here. After growing up in a military family and then DH and I moving several times when we first got married, I am finally establishing roots here. He may have a hard time ever getting me to move out of this house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 You know, you could always relocate to the USA - plenty more space but we'd miss you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 You know I would be considering Scotland first Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 We are looking to move to SC or NC. Both of our kids and of course our grandkiddies all live there. My son in Charlotte area and my daughter in Ft. Mill SC, just across the NC border. Every time we are down there, we take at least a day and drive around looking at houses. We have looked a couple of times with a realtor. I am ALWAYS looking at the outside, to see if there is room in the back for another building ,or if there already is one! Or when we have actually looked at the houses, we are always measuring off the rooms to see if my Gracie will fit! Not easy finding a house that will have the room we need without using the living room! Hope you find what you want, Ferret! linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellyn Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 We combined the two hobbies and built a large two story garage. Corvette and other car stuff in the bottom and studio on top. It is 20 X 37 so plenty of room for both. How fun to hear that you drag race. We raced many years ago too, against the likes of Don Garlits. What a great time we had. Are there a lot of racers in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 I'll send you details of some castles and cow barns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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