Hot Water

That's all it took to get the wallpaper down - HOT freaking WATER! Why didn't someone tell me to try this to begin with. I assumed that the hubby tried a few options before purchasing the chemical stuff, but you know what they say about ASSuming. :-)

So, the bathroom is done. The kitchen is painted...but, turns out I hate the paint DH picked out, so it's getting painted a different color today. Yeah, I'm picky.

We found 2 houses that we really, really, really like! One has everything I want in a house with the exception of no granite counters in the kitchen and funky vinyl flooring in the upstairs full bath...small things. But, the house is 10 years old. Not old by any means in house years...however, when looking at the other house (the BRAND SPANKING NEW, NEVER BEEN LIVED IN HOUSE), it's hard to not be a little bit in awe of the shiny newness. So, I have my list of pros and cons:

House #1 - Pros
- upgraded tile throughout the living area and kitchen
- new light fixtures that I actually like
- large house (approx. 400 sq feet larger than NEW house)
- large yard on corner with walking trail behind it (no back neighbors!)
- Huge deck in back - perfect for cookouts and parties
- Detached garage - something I prefer, but don't have to have
- Garage already has tons of shelves for storage built in
- ceiling fans and 2" blinds throughout
- great paint colors - we thought we'd have to re-do all of that
- several, mature trees & great landscaping
- has a formal dining, study, fireplace and the # of bedrooms I want (we can't seem to find a house with all that in our range)
- Quiet area of subdivision that we like, which has lots of amenities (pool, splash pad, playgrounds, good Elemetary school)

House #1 - Cons
- Formica counters in kitchen and funky backsplash
- Funky bathroom vinyl floor
- Carpet has a few stains (nothing major)
- House is a bit older than other house, so may have some maintenance needing to be done soon (new roof, hot water heater, A/C, etc.)
- Not THE section of the subdivision we wanted to live in, but still a good section

House #2 - Pros
- It's BRAND SPANKING NEW!
- Oversized lot (but still smaller than the house #1)
- Upgraded everything - tile downstairs, hard woods in the dining room, granite counters, awesome cabinets, etc.
- great paint colors
- pretty good landscaping
- has a formal dining, fireplace and the # of bedrooms I want (we can't seem to have a house with all that in our range)
- Quiet area of subdivision that we like that also has a new elementary school

House #2 - Cons
- It's 400 sq feet smaller than house #1
- No study!
- Subdivision is newer, but has fewer ammenities than the one where house #1 is located
- Attached garage (but I can live with that)
- Smaller lot than house #1 with back neighbors

Sooo, considering that the prices are the same (before bargaining)........which would you choose???