We showed up for the duplex showing a bit early, so we took a little walk around the neighborhood. It was very quiet. There's a Dairy Queen and a Thriftway and a Mexican food place and a hardware store within walking distance. And a sleezy motel too! But you can't even see it from where we are, so that's OK.
The lady got there as we were walking back up to the duplex, and she let us in the kitchen door (there's a teensy little driveway that is right next to that door) and we took a look around. I'll just make a list of things that struck me, and I won't put them in any order 'cause it's more confusing that way.
Kitchen:
Love the built-in cabinets and shelves in the kitchen
Paint is chipped quite a bit on the cabinet doors - might need a repaint (they said they'd buy the paint too)
Orange/brown linoleum on the floor, very '70s
Big hole in the wall where a duct goes - maybe for the washer/dryer that they're going to put in for us?
Built-in spice shelves next to the stove
No hood over stove
Washer and dryer in the kitchen (but not yet)
Replace the fridge?
Dining Nook:
There's a dining nook!
Living Room:
Windows on north and east sides
No deadbolt, just chain
Low ceilings
No screens
No windowsills
No blinds (get those replaced?)
Lots of closet space, but ugly closets
No doors on closets?
Access to crawl space above ceiling
Lots of light
Bathroom:
No bathtub
Built-in drawers in corner
TEENSY
Very small medicine cabinet
Frosted window
Very small corner shower
Backyard:
Fence is pretty sad
No door that goes directly into the back yard - have to go around the back side of the yard to get into it
Privacy fence between the two sides of the back yard so we don't have to see the neighbors
Carport butting up to the other side of the fence - so we have a bit of privacy from the house behind us
Bedrooms:
No door on front bedroom (OK because we'd use it for craft/sewing room - but they said they'd put one in)
Built-in drawers (2 across bottom) of each closet
Bigger bedroom in the back (quieter)
Front Yard:
Lilac tree in the corner by the window!
Little tiny porch
Little tiny front yard
A few bushes/trees
Need a lawn mower
Need to keep the grass green in the summer and the weeds pulled
The lady got there as we were walking back up to the duplex, and she let us in the kitchen door (there's a teensy little driveway that is right next to that door) and we took a look around. I'll just make a list of things that struck me, and I won't put them in any order 'cause it's more confusing that way.
Kitchen:
Love the built-in cabinets and shelves in the kitchen
Paint is chipped quite a bit on the cabinet doors - might need a repaint (they said they'd buy the paint too)
Orange/brown linoleum on the floor, very '70s
Big hole in the wall where a duct goes - maybe for the washer/dryer that they're going to put in for us?
Built-in spice shelves next to the stove
No hood over stove
Washer and dryer in the kitchen (but not yet)
Replace the fridge?
Dining Nook:
There's a dining nook!
Living Room:
Windows on north and east sides
No deadbolt, just chain
Low ceilings
No screens
No windowsills
No blinds (get those replaced?)
Lots of closet space, but ugly closets
No doors on closets?
Access to crawl space above ceiling
Lots of light
Bathroom:
No bathtub
Built-in drawers in corner
TEENSY
Very small medicine cabinet
Frosted window
Very small corner shower
Backyard:
Fence is pretty sad
No door that goes directly into the back yard - have to go around the back side of the yard to get into it
Privacy fence between the two sides of the back yard so we don't have to see the neighbors
Carport butting up to the other side of the fence - so we have a bit of privacy from the house behind us
Bedrooms:
No door on front bedroom (OK because we'd use it for craft/sewing room - but they said they'd put one in)
Built-in drawers (2 across bottom) of each closet
Bigger bedroom in the back (quieter)
Front Yard:
Lilac tree in the corner by the window!
Little tiny porch
Little tiny front yard
A few bushes/trees
Need a lawn mower
Need to keep the grass green in the summer and the weeds pulled
Comments
You'd better make sure it's clear what they're going to do as far as repairs/maintenance before you decide on anything. There are lots of nice places out there, and you shouldn't pay for something that is not kept up. I've lived in cheap places and expensive places, and they've always been well maintained, so don't think you have to live with things that aren't nice just to save money. Before you move in they should paint, clean, put on doors where there should be doors, etc. Just my two cents. :)
As far as the bathtub goes, I almost never use the one we have, partly because I'd only want to if it was sparkling clean. My feet can touch soap scum but my behind can't. That is in no way a reflection of how often or how well I clean the bathroom (but more a reflection of the shape of the caulking).