Nine of this…

When I signed on with my realtor, she gave me a package of documents to look at. That sheaf of paper included several helpful tips on house-hunting and home-buying, but my favorite was the following:

In order to help narrow the search and focus your criteria, make 2 lists, with the headings Nine of This and None of That. Now put your “must haves” in the Nine of This column, and any items that would be deal-breakers in the None of That column. Being a bit of a fanatical list-maker myself, this exercise appealed to me greatly. Narrowing the list down to 9 items is tricky at first, but it really helps you focus on what’s really important to you, what you can live with and what you can live without.

I didn’t include obvious things in my lists, like “safe neighbourhood” or “a bathroom” or “clean,” as I assume these are things that everyone looks for in a house.

Here are my lists (in no particular order):

Nine of this:

1. 2-3 bedrooms (not less than 2, not more than 3)
2. good flow / open concept (open concept is hard to find in the older homes of St. John’s, so I’ll settle for “good flow,” which is an “I’ll know it when I see it” quality)
3. lots of natural light
4. off-street parking (many downtown properties only have on-street parking, which is a total hassle in the winter)
5. downtown or close to downtown (I don’t want to HAVE TO drive EVERYWHERE)
6. entryway or porch or foyer or vestibule or mudroom (a personal pet peeve is entering a house or apartment directly into a main room (living/kitchen, with no space to hang coats or take off boots)
7. small outdoor space (small being the operative word –  I love to bbq, but I hate to mow)
8. laundry on main level OR a developed basement (I hate the idea of having a space in my home that I don’t want to be in)
9. ample storage space

That doesn’t seem like too much to ask, does it?

And I was pleasantly surprised to note that I had far fewer deal-breakers than I thought I would.

None of that:

1. A yucky/unfinished basement (that I would need to go into regularly)
2. A fixer-upper (major things, like foundation and replacing the plumbing or electrical)
3. Income property (ie, with an apartment)

 

And now, just for fun, a little wish list:

Nice to haves:

1. 1.5-2 bathrooms
2. bunglow / cottage style
3. hard wood
4. large tub with separate shower enclosure
5. double sink in kitchen
6. great view
7. extra parking (for guests)
8. outdoor space off kitchen (as opposed opposed to other rooms. I think this arrangement makes the most sense for entertaining)
9. fire place (esp. gas)
10. curb appeal
11. ensuite bathroom
12. laundry sink in laundry room
13. walk-in closet
14. updated kitchen
15. updated bathroom

So, that’s what I want in a house. So far, I’ve seen 20 and made an offer on one (#19, which as accepted, but ultimately the home inspection revealed that it was unacceptable TO ME). Aside from being a major fixer-upper (which I didn’t know right away) #19 met all the criteria on the lists, and even some from the wish list. So at least I know it can be done! Let’s hope there are more out there.

Once bitten…

So my first attempt at becoming a home-owner crashed and burned. I found a sweet little place that I loved. It had everything I was looking for. It needed a little TLC, but I was ready to sign on the dotted line. I made an offer, and — JOY! — it was accepted! I started thinking about furniture, flooring, new bathtubs… But then the day of the home inspection arrived. Suffice it to say, COMPLETE FAIL. I had to walk away.

I know it was the right decision, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. So, slightly the worse for wear, it’s back to the drawing board. This week the realtor and I will visit some more properties,  and I will be a wiser and warier buyer.

Hopefully.

Obsession of the day: Apartment Therapy

Can’t stop visiting this site. Too much eye candy for words.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

LOVE.

New direction, new look

So, admittedly, I’ve fallen down on the blogging job. I haven’t been keeping this thing up to date, and there are many reasons for that. The main reason, though, is that so much has changed in my personal and professional life over the last few months, that blogging (not to mention website- and portfolio-updating) got moved to the bottom of the to-do list. Not to mention, with all the changes and priority shifts, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be blogging ABOUT for a while.

Here’s a run-down of some of the changes from the past few months:

1. I’ve accepted a full-time job as a graphic artist for a medical school. Which means….
2. I don’t have much time for the freelance stuff. I’m still doing a little with some of my publishing clients, as I have such a soft-spot for typesetting and will certainly miss working on books, but the full-time gig takes up most of my time. Which means…
3. I no longer need to use this blog as a self-promotion tool (let’s call a spade a spade.) But you can still find links to my website and portfolio over here -> (wink). And …
4. As a clock-punching, salary-earner again, I am able to qualify for a mortgage. Which means…
5. House-hunting! My first adventure in real-estate has left me a little battered, but it will only make me stronger (more to come about that). Which means…
6. I have some new obsessions to add to the list. Which means …
7. More and different things to blog about!

And as my life takes a new direction, so too does the blog, so I thought I new look was appropriate. I still plan to chronicle my many obsessions, which, in addition to painting, paper-crafting, print-making, book-making, typography and design, will now include all things real-estate, home renovations, decorating, furniture and entertaining!

Stay tuned…

A new screen printing project!

I have spent the day doing the prep work for a new screen printing project. It’s going to be a 2 colour (actually, 3 colour including the paper!) postcard! I’m going to try photo emulsion for the first time in my own studio, and I’m excited to see the results!

Stay tuned for pictures and final product over the next few days!

Construction ahead: website redesign!

As all designers know, you have to live with something before you hand it over to your client. We tape comps to the wall and look at them for a few days (or hours) and we start to see the flaws or missing pieces. Then we make revisions and we end up with a more refined piece.

Well, the same is true with websites. Having little experience with web sites, and (I’ll admit) being in a bit of a rush, I just got it done and breathed a sigh of relief. Now that I’ve lived it with if for several months, I’m starting to see the flaws, and new ideas are flowing.

So guess what. I’m redesigning! alisoncarr.ca is getting a makeover.

It’s going to take a while, but I’m sure this time the finished product will work much better and be easier to maintain. For the moment, the site is still up and running, to keep my portfolio accessible while I work — and instead of updating it with new material while it’s getting an overhaul, new material can be found here, at paper.scissors.rock! See, up in the banner? The new portfolio link? Go ahead, give it a click.

All new work will be posted here until alisoncarr.ca has been updated, at which point, everything will live together again. So check back often to see the latest stuff and for updates on the redesign!

The Rock rocks!

So I’ve been home in Newfoundland for four whole months now, and it’s been great! I’m gradually settling into a freelance life, and while it certainly takes some getting used to, I’m enjoying it very much. Another thing I’m enjoying very much is the change of pace my new/old home has to offer. Even when things are busy, it’s hard to feel rushed or stressed when you look out the window and see ocean, mountain and wide-open space.  And I’m just hoping that all this rain means a lovely, lush green summer is around the corner!

In the last few months I’ve been recharging, re-organizing and re-evaluating. Inspiration and scope for the imagination are all around, so stay tuned for some updates lots of new work.

It’s good to be home!