Invermere, Friday, July 5, 2019

We checked out houses to buy today; five in all. First, we viewed a house owned by a woman who lived in the downstairs of a house built on a hill. She leased the upstairs to tenants with two dogs. The lease is for two years and, in B.C., these leases can not be broken by a new owner. which would mean that the new purchaser would be confined to the lower level. 

The upper had originally been inhabited by the woman's brother who'd since died? moved out? Who knows? The two floors are completely separate. There's no inside staircase connecting them. The upstairs had originally been a log cabin located on a lake and moved to a new foundation which was the downstairs of the house we contemplated purchasing. On the inside, the cabin still looked like a cabin with plywood cupboards in kitchen that overlooked a small living room. Just off the living room was a sunroom that the people were using for a second living space. The lower level consisted of one big room that combined kitchen, dining area and living room. Curiously, the kitchen lacked an oven as did the upper level. While the upper level included two or three bedrooms, the lower had only one.

Upper level kitchen

Upper level sunroom

Lower level room

Other half of room minus small kitchen

Nicola figured the exterior would need a lot of work and money to repair as the cedar siding had discoloured and would require more than a simple paint job. The yard needed landscaping as it had been allowed to grow wild. We'd be paying nearly $400,000 dollars for what was essentially a one bedroom condo. We both figured that it would be a long-term investment we weren't willing to make.

The middle three houses Nicola referred to as cabins, one of a medium size, one small the other large. They're constructed largely of wood on both the exterior and interior of the house. The first house/cabin was located in the town of Windermere built on a lake of the same name just south of Invermere. Life at this cottage must have been almost completely outdoors. The yard was immaculately landscaped with a large rock fountain and at least four seating areas located in various locations. Ferns and cedars and trees surrounded the inside of the surrounding fence creating a Zen like space. Little could be seen outside the green of the yard. 

The kitchen had a large seating area and there were at least four bedrooms located upstairs, in the basement and two single beds in the loft. But the living room was small, hardly large enough for a couch. Instead the owners had arranged four or five small comfy chairs around a small fireplace. Overall, this would have been Nicola's pick if it weren't outside our price range. 

The next cottage was tiny, about 925 square feet of living space with the interior walls consisting entirely of wood. A tiny table with two chairs fit in the kitchen. There was a tiny living room that opened off the kitchen and then two decent sized rooms upstairs. A non-starter for Nicola and me as well.

The next cottage was large, about 1500 square feet but, in Nicola's eyes, still a cottage. The kitchen/living room space was long and narrow with a fireplace at the far end of the room. Like the smaller cottage, all the interior walls were dark wood however large, two-story windows at the front of the house gave light to what might otherwise be a very dim space. A bedroom was located in the loft could be converted into a TV room and there were lots of bedrooms on the main floor, upstairs and downstairs plus another large room in the basement that was being used for playing pingpong. All the furniture and toys such as the kayaks would come with the purchase price. Still a cottage, said Nicola.

Inside of big cabin

Deck from yard

Our last house was located next to a Pan-Abode home  we'd been shown and been very interested on our previous visit to Fairmont. The house faces the edge of a fairway on an 18 hole golf course against a background of mountains. A screened in porch allows the occupants to enjoy the parklike scene. On the other side is the road and on the other side of the road is a pitch and putt golf course, the "gateway drug" proclaimed Gerry, our real estate agent.  A large deck overtop a carport overlooks the valley which stretches in both directions about as far as the eye could see. 

The house was built in 1971 but looks like one from the  sixties. The kitchen and living room have a definite mid-century modern vibe with smooth, handleless mahogany  cupboards in the kitchen which are mimicked throughout the house in the built-in cupboards and closet doors. The wood valance in the living room has a fluorescent accent light behind it that I haven't seen since I was a kid. It also has floor to ceiling windows that afford the same spectacular view as the screen porch. 

Livingroom

Screened in porch

Nicola really liked the mahogany railing down to the basement which has the same minimalist feel as the kitchen. Nicola didn't like the white carpets and she didn't like the raised shelf on the kitchen counter separating it from the dining room. I understand the reason for the raised shelf as it would help hide the mess in the kitchen for those sitting at the table however, I'm sure that will be among the first to go if we move into the house. That and the laminate countertops. 

Dining area with kitchen in the background

Front "study" with view of valley

The downstairs has a large living space that looked largely unused. It also has a floor to ceiling window at one end of the house which is built on a sloping lot. The house has fireplaces, up and down, except the one downstairs had been blocked, perhaps because it wasn't being used. The upstairs fireplace is located in the centre of the house and so could provide a more generalized heating through the winter. 

We were very upbeat upon leaving this showing and so, weren't overly upset when the battery in our trailer died shortly after setting up camp. Nicola wanted to take it into the dealership to have it looked at however I convinced her to let me try the deep-cycle battery we have at home. That way we could determine if the problem is the battery or something else.