Signed for a house !

[svandamme]

just signed the the po on this little thing




i do realize you Ahmerikhuns in general have a master bedroom that's the size of this house, or for you Texans, an outhouse... But over here, prices are high, and the alternative in my budget would be a bigger townhouse(city centre) that haven't been updated since the 50'ies, or smaller townhouses that are updated, but have no yard and parking...

I do want room outside, and buying the bigger ones isn't an option as i would get bogged down with expenses trying to get it modernized, and insulated...


So smaller, is better... 6.5 meter wide, 7.5 meter deep, the house IS tiny, even by Belgian standards but i'm single, don't need much room (why heat and maintain rooms i don't use??)

Also, it comes with planning permission to add 10 meter in the back, the concrete slab is already there, the plot is 6.5 x 55 meters , so even after extending, i'll still have a garden, parking in front, and this here beauty...







And you know what kind of usage that will get, maybe not right away, but there will be something in it that starts with a P and ends with orsche. Oh yes!

The main point of this house, is that it is "done up" , maybe not super modern, but it has a bathroom a kitchen, and it's insulated... fresh electrics and plumbing ...that gas stove will heat the whole house, when i went viewing, it was freezing 5C below, and that single stove did the rest, it was not cold, in fact it was to warm in there...



I can move in, and not spend a cent on refurb, it's all there








It was built in 1923, which makes it one of the earliest rebuilt houses, after the War, i even have a book about the rebuild of this particular village, Boezinge, near Ypres, As it was one of the first to rebuild (Ypres itself was under discussion, Churchil wanted to preserve the ruins as a living monument , Holy Ground for hte Brits). This village was built out of the battlefield, around a priest who sort of steered a community of the early pioneers to return to these wastelands..




The house in question would be located, at 3/5ths from the left, top of the picture...

[Steve F]

Congratulations!I like it

Cheers,Steve

[craigster59]

Congratulations Stijn! It looks comfortable and well maintained. I'm sure the cat will love the yard. Nothing like owning your own home to occupy your weekends. You'll be a regular at Lowe's and Home Depot or whatever home improvement store you guys have in Belgium. Throw a Housewarming Party!

[Dixie]

What dose a house like that cost? (...in USD if you please.)

[Tishabet]

Nice! Congrats on the purchase!

[svandamme]

my budget was 100-150 K euro's, that would be 130-205K USD

You can't really compare, for one thing the Euro is strong at this time, and for another thing, Belgium is a very small and densely populated place.. So you would have to compare to equally densely populated place in the US...

mind you, this is rural area, if you go to the center of Belgium , around the big towns, this place would see the price double, or even triple depending on the location.
In the last ten years, prices doubled
(Holland is even worse, as it's even more densely populated)

For another thing, Belgian houses are brick work, when we get an NorthWestern gail storm coming from the North Sea, with 10-11 beaufort... they don't budge.
The saying goes that Belgians are born with a brick in their stomach.. because we have one of the highest percentage of home ownership , and that we like to build brick houses

[911boost]

Very nice, congrats. I like the looks of the garage, is the door insualted? It is tough to tell. If not, insulate it, that will make a huge difference with helping keep it warmer for you potential p-car.

I don't see a reason to try and compare it to the US at all. There are tons of places that have houses that size and close together here. Contrary to popular belief, we don't all live in mcmansions.

Bill

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by BSiple

Contrary to popular belief, we don't all live in mcmansions.

Bill

I know, just messing with y'all
THe Garage roof is insulated, not sure about the door, didn't check that, house insulation is a priority, garage, not so, at least not at this time..

It will take 2 cars, and leave plenty room for a work bench, and to work on either side... small lift will also work.. There is electricity with seperate fuse box, and plumbing/water...

[911boost]

I know you are.

How high was the ceiling in the garage?

[svandamme]

didn't measure, but i'm guessing about 2 meter at top of the door, add another 20 cm for the lowest part of the room
Few houses here have a garage this size, po was a builder/handyman, he drove his van with gear on top in it, it's big enough for a caravan... that's big enough for me

[Arizona_928]

looks good, but gotta ask what is that yellow goofy thing by the door?

[stomachmonkey]

I can't figure out the property layout.

You have the front view, got it.

The garage is all the way at the back of the property and the door opens to a street/alley behind the house?

The backyard shot is taken from the garage area?

The trees are messin me up because there are none in the front house shot but the back of the house shot looks lush.

Congratulations. Perfect bachelor pad. Enjoy it.

Scott

[svandamme]

fore sale sign from the notary

[stomachmonkey]

So this is from the "back" wall of the garage looking at the house?

The grassy area right in front, I'd pave that and bust out the back wall of the garage for another garage door.

Gives you a ton more work space for toys.




EDIT, wait, that's from the back of the house looking at th back of the garage?

Now I get it.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I can't figure out the property layout.

You have the front view, got it.

The garage is all the way at the back of the property and the door opens to a street/alley behind the house?

The backyard shot is taken from the garage area?

The trees are messin me up because there are none in the front house shot but the back of the house shot looks lush.

Congratulations. Perfect bachelor pad. Enjoy it.

Scott

it's a row house, 6.5 wide, 55 meters deep
the garage is in the back, via a second access way shared with the neighbours..

So it's 2-3 meters front parkign space
7.9 meters house
10 meters concrete slab for extension ( or terras)
23 meters of garden
8.5 meters garage
2-3 meters dive way in front the garage

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

looks good, but gotta ask what is that yellow goofy thing by the door?

I'm thinking "For Sale" sign.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So this is from the "back" wall of the garage looking at the house?

The grassy area right in front, I'd pave that and bust out the back wall of the garage for another garage door.

Gives you a ton more work space for toys.

nope, that's the back side of the house, looking at the garage
i do like a little bit of green, not that i like gardening, but let's face it, all pavement ain't all that either...

[vash]

i like it alot!!!

just about the pefect size for a single dude. what does the bathroom look like?


congrats buddy.

[svandamme]

bath room is the initial beef, along with front door

let me sketch it out
bear with me, i'm celebrating with Grimbergen


So as you can see, it IS small

front view has window door window

The house has a division, between left window and front door

To the left ( as seen looking at the house, from the street) are bathroom /kitchen and staircase 1/3rd
to the right is the living space , 2/3rds

Beef #1
Now the Bathroom is at the street side, not ideal , i better not forget the curtain !

Beef #2
The front door, opens up directly in the living room, not good for privacy, and/or drafts , loosing heat in winter...


Solution
install shower in small under roof room right above B'room

Replace left window by new front door
replace old front door, and right window, by modern tall window, double glazed and all that.
devide old bathroom into crapper room and hallway...

This way i solve both beefs
EG bathroom is private
front door opens up in a hall way instead of main living area

[Jim Richards]

Congrats Stijn! Now to add a stripper pole and the girls to populate it.