...Half a Dozen of the Other.

We're still looking for a rental, and suddenly, by the grace of God, we have two possibilities. Each requires a $30 non-refundable application fee; we probably only have time to apply for one before July 1, and each has it's own pros and cons.

One is a house, and one is a doublewide trailer.

The trailer is larger than the house. It has 3 bedrooms, but huge closets. The master bath has a garden tub - big! It's also in a lake community, so we would have free lake access and you can even see a sliver of blue water from the kitchen window. The kitchen is huge, and is eat-in - our table will fit, no problem, on a hard surface floor. The kids would stay in the same school (one in a different town for sp. ed. son, and the other three at the school they went to last year). It is closer to husband's work, and in the same town we live in now. We can sign a six month lease, which we prefer because we want to buy a house, but can't pull it all together before July 1. This will give us enough time to save up a bigger down payment and look for the perfect place. The kid bathroom is spacious, and the toilet is not right next to the bathtub, so you wouldn't be staring at the porcelain throne while trying to unwind. Did I mention the garden tub? The carpet is not new, and the walls already have nails and such in them. This is a plus when you have 7 kids... if it's already "broken in", we won't have to be responsible for like new condition in order to get our security deposit back.

The house has 4 bedrooms and a fireplace. The yard is shaded and fenced, all the way around. The front porch is nice, and large enough for a couple of chairs; the backyard boasts a patio large enough for a grill and toddler vehicles. The school is the same one my oldest already goes to (where the special ed. program is housed), so all of the children would attend the same building. The carpets are clean, but very, very stained. Again, for us, that's a plus!
The neighborhood has sidewalks and seems like a family place. No one runs a car repair business on their front lawn, unlike our current neighbors.

Each property also has a downside.

The trailer is on a dirt road, with an unpaved driveway, so if we get it, my name will be MUD. Most of the other properties are rentals or summer homes (due to the lake, I'm sure). It is fenced on three sides, so we'd have to construct a barrier of some sort before letting the little kids in the yard. There is no dishwasher. There is lots of cabinet space, but the lower cabinets are weird, with a non-functional half shelf thing going. The fridge opens backwards, and with only three bedrooms, the spacious closets will be taken up with toys, bookshelves, and probably our computer desk. It's a trailer, and we are in hurricane country. Although, at times, I have wicked fantasies about a tornado passing through, picking up all of our clutter treasures, and taking it away forever...

The house costs $200 more per month, and borders the entrance to the subdivision, so all of the traffic in the neighborhood will pass our house - with a chain link fence. I hate living on corners with chain link fences, I am always paranoid that someone will see the children playing in the yard and reach over and snatch one. The 4th bedroom is actually a FROG - finished room over garage, and has a window AC unit since it's not part of the house's ventilation system. In addition, you have to go through the laundry room, off the kitchen to access it; the wall next to the stairs is too short (it's up to my knees) and I wouldn't let the kids up there without an adult because I'd be afraid they'd topple over the short wall into the stairwell ten feet below. Husband dear says he thinks it'd make a great room for Mr. R - the one who has suicidal tendencies when he's not stable and prone to impulsive decisions. I'm thinking...no. Maybe it could be a library or storage. The dining area in the house is carpeted (!!!) and the kitchen is a tiny galley style that lacks a fridge (we'd have to buy one).

So, small kitchen plus appliance purchase and $200 more on one hand; no dishwasher, mud, and not-quite-fenced yard on the other. Any thoughts?

On a side note: I mentioned the lack of dishwasher to husband dear, who responded with the eloquent and thoughful "So?" I mentioned that as it stands, I am perpetually behind in the housework department and that is with running our dishwasher twice a day. His response? "It's not worth $200 a month" (the difference in the cost of the house, and the cost of the trailer. This from a man who desperately wants to purchase super cool front load laundry appliances? (Believe or not, I'm dragging my heels... I'm a cheapskate at heart, and I can't see dropping $1600 on a set when a $500 set will do.)
How much is a dishwasher worth in your households?

Labels: Rants and Raves