Home Sweet Home, Y'all

4am again. This is becoming a habit.

Well after my offer, a counter offer and a counter-counter offer, the contract is signed. One set of anxieties are over and an entirely new set of anxieties can take its place.

The house.

It is a tiny little brick bungalow. Two bedrooms, one bath. Eat in kitchen. The closets are bigger than I expected. I can stand inside each one and spin around like a maniac. There's a laundry/mud room that provides access to the fenced-in backyard.
 

If anyone who has been to my parent's home in New Jersey, mine is similar in layout and square footage to the first floor.

The layout of this kitchen is weird. There is this circular path around the kitchen, living room and hallway, but there is a strange configurations of cabinets that partially block the passage into the hallway.

None of this is anywhere to scale. 

There is also a peninsula that comes very close to the large frige across from it. The frige pushes out way farther than the cabinets which makes for another awkward space to get into the kitchen area.  

The good thing about the loan that I'm applying for is that I can incorporate renovation costs into my total borrowing amount. So barring any significant repairs that stem from my home inspection, I will invest in changing my kitchen.  

I would remove the peninsula and wall off the entry to the hallway and make a more functional u-shaped kitchen work area. Sink (in blue) on the outer wall with the dishwasher to the left. The range on the right and the fridge across from the sink. A perfect triangular workstation. 

Oh Pinterest how I love you. 

I'm looking at white shaker cabinets, with some glass front ones just because, and a white subway tile backsplash.

For the countertops, I'm thinking dark. Black would make a nice contrast. I am not a granite freak. Instead I would prefer quartz, formica or even a recycled glass countertop.

All my years of watching HGTV may have spoiled me. They make it look all so easy. But I will try to have a more realistic view.

The next step of this home buying process is to get in my home inspector. There are specific things that the home has to have before my lender will give me the money. It has to not fall down on my head and there needs to be energy reducing things going on.

Then I need to give that list to my contractor so he can take that, and all my renovation ideas, and provide a detailed estimate on all the work that will be done.

That will go back to my lender, they will finally perform an appraisal on the property as is and after renovation, and make the decision if they will lend me what I'm asking for.

All that needs to happen before March 9, the end of my due diligence period. Suddenly that seems like it's tomorrow. And its freaking me out.

Closing is set for March 29.

Too. Many. Things. Happening.