Househunting, episode...whatever

[cormac]

I'm putting in an offer on a 2-bedroom, 1.75 bathroom condo in Monrovia. It's got a beautiful living room, dining room and kitchen, a front patio, detached 2-car garage and a substantial amount of built-in shelving. The master suite has a walk-in closet and a 3/4 bathroom large enough to expand into a full. Faux-wood laminate runs through the main hallway and living room, while white tile accents the bathrooms, kitchen and countertops. The entire place is move-in ready, and has only been on the market for a couple days.

There are a couple drawbacks. There's no washer-dryer hookup, so I'd have to use the communal coin-op on the other side of the building (at least until I install a washer/dryer of my own, an option I fully intend to explore). It's a first-story condo in a 2-story building, so I'd have upstairs neighbors. I havent' met them yet, but they have a rather loud bird that they keep on their balcony. It's also across the street from the 210 freeway, but there's a very effective sound wall and I can't hear any road noises from the patio, much less inside. Also, there doesn't seem to be any windows in either of the bedbathrooms. No mildewy smell, though, which means they must have adequate ventilation.

Wish me luck!

EDIT: Bathrooms! No windows in the bathrooms!

Comments

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

Good luck, but don't count on being able to install a washer/dryer in the unit. A lot of condos prohibit that in the CCR's (which you should look at before putting a bid on the property imo).

No windows in the bedrooms? Isn't that a code violation? Or did you mean bathrooms?

[cormac.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I meant bathrooms. I've edited the post.

[dieppe.livejournal.com]

One could get "portable" washer and dryer units, and have it in the .75 bathroom.. or something. Dunno, but yeah it's not impossible.

Can you still look and find one that does have w/d hookups? That kept us from buying in one complex because the sewage pipes were too small, washer and dryer hookups (I just type "hooker"s, dunno why) were forbidden....

Best of luck!

[cormac.livejournal.com]

I've got time to look, but I'm going to thoroughly review the CCRs before escrow opens, to make sure I can do what I want to do.

[the-celestia.livejournal.com]

By code, a bedroom (or any room that might reasonably be used as a sleeping room) must have two exits. This is usually achieved by having one door and one window (one exit must be to the outside, in case of fire...there's even rules as to how far above the floor said exit to the outside can be, to facilitate getting out). I don't know how old this place might be (there *could* be code exceptions for really old buildings)...how far back does Monrovia (shudder) go? You might want to check out whether there's actually no windows in the bedrooms...that's kinda weird. If there really aren't windows in the bedrooms I'd start wondering what else isn't to code.

I know how much you want a home of your own so I wish you the best of luck - but I also wouldn't want you in a firetrap!

[cormac.livejournal.com]

Sorry. Bathrooms.

[the-celestia.livejournal.com]

Oh Good. No windows in Baths not a problem, just need a decent ventilating fan (and to use it). Best of Luck!

[digital-panther.livejournal.com]

Croses fingers and wishes you all the luck in the universe!
Please keep us all posted.
-DP

[cormac.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[gottasing.livejournal.com]

Good luck to you (and your icon is totally freaking me out...)

[just4bonk.livejournal.com]

Yeah. My only objection to condos is the concept of CCRs. Hate hate hate. But other than that, hey, it sounds pretty swank. Oh, and the paper came out just fine. (Although time and a letter grade will tell!)