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Whoa! Oh, my God!
NARRATOR: Newlywed Colleen is an easy sell.
Oh, my gosh!
Look how big this tub is!
Nina, I want to kiss you on the mouth.
Two things.
One -- The yard isn't nearly as big as we've seen,
and it's also missing a deck.
All right, it better have a comfort-height,
extended-bowl toilet.
So, $365,000 and no basement?
It's a big space. I like it.
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
My name's Colleen Nichols, and this is my husband, Cory,
and we live here in Richmond, Virginia,
with our dog, Campbell.
This way! Good boy!
I am a manager
for a fire-protection and life-safety business.
I'm a counselor with an employee-assistance program,
and I'm also finishing up my graduate work
in community counseling.
Thank you.
COLLEEN: We met my first weekend in college.
I was invited to a party, and I was standing there,
and in walked Cory.
And I said to my roommate, "I'm gonna marry that guy!"
NARRATOR: And she was right. He proposed on graduation day.
Married now for nine months,
they've been renting in downtown Richmond,
but it's not the right fit.
CORY: This location and this area
is just really kind of hip and cool,
but it's not perfect for us.
We're a little more nerdy, and we're a little more laid back.
We go to bed early. We eat dinner early.
We all but knit and pet our cats, pretty much.
And we'd like to get out of the city and move to the suburbs.
How about just two?
Thank you.
NARRATOR: They're targeting large family homes in the $350,000 range.
I really want at least four bedrooms.
We want to start a family.
CORY: And we have a lot of friends who are out of town
and want to come visit,
and we want to be able to give them a bedroom.
Look at those. Peaked roofs -- just like we want.
It's a pretty house.
My dream house is traditional, two-story,
it has a peaked roof, and it has a stone front.
The important selling point to me
is that all the common areas of the home
have crown molding or a chair rail
to kind of tie everything together.
He also wants a large deck.
The most important part of the house for me
is having a space outdoor where we can entertain friends
and enjoy the great weather of Virginia.
Click that. The second one -- third one down.
A basement for me is an important aspect of the home.
I look at it as a dedicated space for myself
and kind of my belongings.
But we're running into roadblocks
because having a basement is expensive.
[ Gasps ] Look at the kitchen!
The most important part for me
is an updated kitchen with an open floor plan.
I come from a big Irish family,
and that's where everyone hangs out when they come over,
so it's very important that we have a large, nice kitchen.
And it doesn't have a third bathroom.
Yeah. So, something to consider.
A complete deal breaker for me
is if it's got round toilets in it.
Toilets need to be comfort-height
and elongated seats.
I'm tall at 6'3",
and using a restroom with a round toilet
is just a difficult challenge.
Uh...What?! [ Chuckles ]
That one's nice.
CORY: Eh, I'm not really a huge fan of the cabinets.
Um, well...
CORY: I am very opinionated.
Colleen is much more of a "walk into a home and say,
'I like this -- Let's buy it.'"
And I'm much more of a, like, "Well, what about this?
"What about that? This is wrong. That's wrong.
We didn't want this. We didn't want that."
We probably would have owned a house five times by now
if it weren't for Cory's nitpicky -- nitpicky personality.
She is kind of the easy sell, and I'm much of a harder sell.
The first home they're seeing is in Chesterfield,
about one hour from Richmond.
COLLEEN: Nina, where the heck are we?
Yeah!
...but this is a great house.
It's got five bedrooms, three full baths,
a little over 3,000 square feet, $350,000.
Okay. So, top of our price range.
Well, I think you're gonna like it.
COLLEEN: I love the way that this house looks from the outside --
the peaked roofs, the brick, everything.
Oh, wow. This is nice.
These windows above the doors -- I really like that.
It's a nice added little architectural bonus.
In the den.
Really? Makes it a really nice, open entry.
Dining room has a lot of nice features --
tray ceiling, chair railing.
I like this room.
You know, a dining room's probably a little under-utilized
for us right now at this stage of our lives,
but certainly something we can grow into.
COLLEEN: Oh, wow.
NINA: Nice, light color.
I do like the light color.
These countertops are smooth stone --
very comparable to granite.
And actually, they're the same price as a granite.
Not crazy about them, but...they're okay.
What I really am stuck on is that
the stainless-steel appliances are not here.
Right. They haven't updated.
Yeah. Definitely, that's what we need.
Is this a first-floor master?
No, it's just a regular bedroom. It does have a full bath.
Kind of gives you a little more privacy.
But it works for somebody who can't do stairs.
Right.
This is a nice deck.
CORY: Yeah, it's a good-sized deck. Looks a little old.
I'm not sure what kind of maintenance
there'd be associated with it.
COLLEEN: We would definitely need to get a fence for Campbell
Yeah.
NINA: It seems very quiet.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah.
Colleen and I are ready to get out of the city and move to the suburbs,
but this house is well beyond what I would call the suburbs.
For me, personally, it's just a little too far out.
All right, this is a cute room.
NINA: Yeah, a nice den. Nice size.
I like the fireplace.
It's kind of a small room, though.
I'm not sure we would be able to fit all our furniture in here.
You know, the whole time we've been doing this process,
I've been thinking I wanted a dramatic staircase,
but I really like this back entry.
NINA: Yeah, it is kind of a neat feature.
Yeah.
Oh, I like this hallway.
It is huge.
CORY: Yeah, this is a great-sized room.
And the bathroom's right here, and it is awesome.
[ Laughs ]
What do you think?
Oh, my gosh!
This is a very big bathroom.
There's even a little place
for the wires for my blow-dryer and everything.
I love that. [ Laughs ]
Yeah, it's a nice little feature.
So, it looks like it's an extended-bowl,
but it's not a comfort-height.
Well, you can put one in. It's easy.
I guess I could.
I wish one would come with the house, though.
I -- I don't know.
And then -- Wait till you see this.
Colleen, this is gonna be huge for you.
[ Chuckles ]
Walk-in, walk-in, walk-in.
This is a good-size closet.
This has got plenty of storage space for us.
Oh, my God! Whoa!
I know.
[ Laughter ]
Is this not great?
I love it.
I don't think I've ever seen a closet quite this big
in all my years of selling real estate.
NARRATOR: Down the hall is an additional bathroom and three bedrooms.
I know.
Yeah.
There's not really much you can do in here.
If you put a bed in here,
it'd pretty much take up all the floor space, so...
I think it's cute.
I could see myself putting in a little office in here.
I mean, it works better for me
because you're a lot bigger than I am.
But besides this, the house has been pretty good.
I really like the master.
That closet is out of this world.
It's a big space. I like it.
Location's not great, and it didn't have a basement.
I don't think Colleen and Cory realize
that a basement is a premium.
It can add $40,000 to the price of a house.
I love this house. I think it's wonderful.
The fact that there's no basement
is slightly disappointing, but I can live without it.
Colleen, again, is sold on another house
that I don't think has any of the checklist items
that I'm personally looking for.
NARRATOR: Now their agent is taking them
to see a brand-new home with all the bells and whistles.
Wow, Nina. This is really new construction.
Yes, it is.
Yeah, too cute.
Too cute?
NARRATOR: 20-somethings Cory and Colleen are ready to give up
their hip condo in downtown Richmond
for a quieter life in the burbs.
Cory and I are old souls in young bodies. We are dorks.
We go to bed early. We eat dinner early.
So it makes sense to finally get to the point
where it's time to look for a home in the suburbs.
I think we're gonna take these,
just the N and the two C's.
Okay, then.
NARRATOR: Working with $350,000,
the first home they saw was in the suburb of Chesterfield.
But it was an hour from the city -- a little too far.
And it didn't have the basement Cory wants.
Now their agent, Nina,
is taking them to see a house in Moseley,
a suburb 30 minutes outside the city.
Wow, Nina. This is really new construction.
Yes, it is. Very new construction.
This is a brand-new neighborhood.
Okay. Is this noise gonna be here forever?
Not forever, but it looks like your neighborhood's
pretty much developed.
It's 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, $365,000.
Oh, over-budget.
Whoa, a little bit, but --
Now, can you negotiate at all on new construction?
Not as much on new construction.
It's a little tight there.
Oh, my gosh!
CORY: Wow, this is a great entranceway.
Really kind of has that "wow" factor
when you come in the front door.
I love it.
This is a nice-size room. The hardwoods are beautiful.
Are they throughout the entire first floor?
Oh, my gosh.
...except for the den.
Now, the dining room has double crown molding,
chair railing, and the tray ceiling is a great feature.
Look at this.
Yeah, the tray ceiling is great and the chandelier, as well.
Yeah.
Whoa!
I knew she was gonna go for this.
Look at this!
CORY: Yeah, she loves it.
And she loves it for a good reason. It's a great kitchen.
I love this kitchen. I love everything about it.
I could see my old soul in this new kitchen. Absolutely.
I love the countertops, the cabinets are wonderful,
tons of storage in this kitchen.
This kitchen does have it all.
Now, Nina, one of the things I'm noticing here --
It's two things.
One -- The yard isn't nearly as big as we've seen,
and it's also missing a deck,
and that was one of my biggest selling points,
was the outdoor living space.
Okay.
And there is a door here,
and I see it's ready for a deck, so --
It is ready, and you've got plenty of room.
That might be something I'm willing to tackle.
Now, this is a very large den.
It really is.
CORY: Yeah, the size of this room is great.
It's got a great fireplace. This is a gas fireplace here?
NINA: It is a gas fireplace.
Okay. And I see the electrical above it.
Is that wired for a television?
Yes.
That's a plus.
That's a huge plus. I love that feature here.
Nina, so this looks like it would be the door to the basement here?
No, I don't think so.
No basement.
So, $365,000, no outdoor living space,
and no basement?
No, it's just a closet.
I have nothing here.
I picked this house for Colleen
because it was everything that Colleen wanted.
There's a lot in this house for Cory,
but he seems to be focusing on the negative.
Here's the master bedroom -- very large.
Beautiful tray ceiling.
It is.
And here's the closet -- walk-in.
COLLEEN: Oh, okay.
Oh, this is a good-size closet.
Yeah.
Very nice.
Yeah, we could probably fit all of our belongings in here.
Oh, you don't have to. There's another one.
There's another walk-in?
Yeah!
So, you can have enough space for all your things.
Wow. That's great.
Okay.
It better have a comfort-height, extended-bowl toilet!
It does, right there.
Okay. So, that's a start.
That's a start. It's a start.
Okay.
I really like the tilework in here.
Right, it brings in the whites and the browns.
It's not as big as I would like,
Right.
NARRATOR: Down the hall are three bedrooms and a full bath.
Cory, I think you're gonna really like this room.
This is awesome.
Oh, my gosh.
I love the recessed lighting, the size of this room.
Yeah, this is a great room.
CORY: Okay.
Yeah, it's a great house.
I would like to really see a house
that looked just like this, but with a basement.
Yeah, well, I'd like to really see a house
that's closer to our price range.
Yeah, it's certainly more than we wanted to spend,
but with all the amenities it has
and how nice the finishes are, it's got to be a contender.
NARRATOR: Now their agent's lined up a less expensive home.
It's a beautiful house.
NINA: Yeah, it is.
[ Doorbell rings ]
Do you want to split one?
No, I want one for myself.
NARRATOR: With a budget of $350,000,
newlyweds Cory and Colleen are trading in the city life
for a house in the Richmond suburbs.
Okay.
COLLEEN: And I'm gonna have the caramel toffee.
NARRATOR: The first place has a great yard
and deluxe master suite,
but there's no basement,
and the house is an hour from the city.
Then they saw a new build that's just a 30-minute drive.
Colleen was dazzled by the kitchen,
but Cory was put off by the small yard
and the high price tag.
Now they're headed to a less-pricey place
40 minutes from Richmond.
COLLEEN: I like that the neighborhood is woodsy.
Yeah. Definitely.
Hey, Nina. How are you doing?
NINA: Hi, Colleen! Hi, Cory!
It's a beautiful house.
Oh, yeah. It is.
5 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, 3,500 square feet.
Perfect.
Okay.
Okay, let's go inside.
Perfect.
All right.
Yeah.
It's not the most inviting entryway.
All right.
Mm-hmm.
Crown molding, chair railing.
Yeah, I like both of those.
NINA: The kitchen's a nice size.
Eh.
Okay, I got to be honest.
I'm not digging that the fact that this island is so --
Why is it in the middle?
I feel like it could be all the way out here.
CORY: Yeah, I could see, you know,
opening up the kitchen a little bit, especially with how big this area is,
I feel claustrophobic.
And the countertops -- Are these laminate?
Yeah, they're laminate.
Probably a granite would be nice in here,
kind of make it pop.
I love it.
Isn't this a nice, big den? Fireplace, mantel.
I love the fireplace.
Yeah, I love the fireplace and the crown molding.
Both are wonderful.
I would like it to be a little more open to the kitchen
and the eating area, but I really do like this room.
It's nice and big, and I think our furniture would fit well in here.
Good.
The backyard is very large.
This is a 1 1/4-acre lot.
Oh, that's very big.
Kind of makes up for the claustrophobic kitchen.
It does, and it's a great entertaining area.
For sure.
We'd like the deck to be a little larger.
This is a little small out here.
Right. That's probably an easy fix for later on.
I know!
Is there a fence around it, though?
It doesn't look like there's a fence.
There isn't a fence, but I guess you could add one.
And a lawnmower would be another issue here
with just the amount of yard that you have.
A lot of privacy.
That'll be your job, buddy.
It would.
I'm just thinking the heat of the summer with a push mower
out here probably would not work, so...
No, I think you would need a little riding one.
Okay.
All hardwood floors in the hallway
and in the master bedroom.
And this is a gorgeous room.
Oh, wow! This is a gorgeous room.
It's really open. I love the light coming in.
I love it.
CORY: It's a really good-size master.
COLLEEN: Look how big this tub is!
Yeah, and it's got a lot of great space,
so it's definitely something we could work with.
And then you have your large master walk-in.
Oh, wow.
Nina, I want to kiss you on the mouth.
Oh, my gosh!
This is about four times what we have now.
What about a toilet?
Toilet's the only thing I didn't see.
Okay, good.
Is it a comfort-height and extended-bowl?
It is. Absolutely.
Oh, my gosh.
NARRATOR: Down the hall are three bedrooms and a full bath.
There's also a third-floor bonus space.
Check this out. Oh, yeah!
COLLEEN: Whoo!
Yes!
Oh, my gosh!
CORY: This is great.
I'm not really sure what Colleen's so excited about.
She's not gonna be spending a lot of time up here,
but this will be perfect for what I'm looking for.
NINA: Man cave?
I think so. I think so.
This would be perfect for just a couch and a TV.
Maybe, like, a mini fridge in the corner would be perfect.
[ Chuckles ] Okay.
Or it could be pink and glittery
and just watch trash reality TV all day.
Yeah, really. [ Chuckles ]
I was thinking a basement,
but this would certainly work as a substitute to a basement.
Well, we might have some other options.
Yes.
COLLEEN: Love it!
Yeah, this is neat.
Is this what counts as the fifth bedroom?
Okay.
Because of the closet.
All right, but this is great.
We were really only looking for one of these bonus areas,
and now we've got kind of two of them
with the attic and this, so that would be really great.
I could have the TV and the couch upstairs,
the pool table down here.
Whatever, whatever, whatever.
Well, this house has been great, I think,
I mean, minus the claustrophobic kitchen.
I love the master bedroom, I love the master bath,
I love that we have the two separate areas
so I can have a glitter room when you can have a sports room.
Yeah. I think this house has a lot that we're looking for.
NARRATOR: Now it's time for Cory and Colleen
to make a decision.
I think I know which one I want.
I think I know which one I want, as well.
NARRATOR: Newlyweds Colleen and Cory are buying their first home
in the Richmond suburbs.
They've seen several properties around their $350,000 budget,
and now they have to choose.
The first one that I want to discuss
would be the country house.
Who would want to come visit us out there?
It was really, really out in the country.
CORY: And also didn't have a basement,
but I will say that master suite
was certainly the selling feature of that house.
But what about the new-construction house?
It was a little over our budget.
Yeah, but I loved the flow of it.
Loved that kitchen -- oh, my gosh!
That kitchen was amazing,
but it didn't have any outdoor living space,
and it didn't have a basement.
It didn't have a basement, but the bonus room is great.
The last would be the basement house.
That house had a basement and the attic.
It had two of those spaces.
Yeah, but do you remember the kitchen?
It was not anything close to what we wanted,
and it was close to the top of our budget anyway,
Right.
Let's just make a decision.
I'm ready to just move forward.
All right.
I think I know which one I want.
I think I know which one I want, as well.
No, you go first.
All right.
Okay, one, two, three.
New construction.
Good! Perfect!
I can't believe we've actually agreed on something.
That really never happens.
Think about that kitchen we're gonna get!
Oh, I'm so excited!
[ Doorbell rings ]
I'm gonna have to stand on a stool.
COLLEEN: We just moved in a few days ago,
so there's still a lot of work to be done.
The list price for this house was $365,000.
We ended up paying $359,000.
I was not overly enthused by going over the budget.
Shocking.
I would've preferred to stick to the $350,000.
But at $359,000, my wife got everything she wants,
[ Chuckles ]
COLLEEN: I can't believe we made this.
What I like most about the house is just the additional space
that we have compared to where we've been previously.
We got very lucky in the fact
that one of my uncles recently sold his home
and was getting rid of furniture,
so we got a lot of it to help fill our house.
The bonus room has been great.
I've spent every day there, pretty much,
since we moved into the house.
It's really an area
where I want to put all of my design touches on it
and really make it feel like kind of my sanctuary.
The elongated, comfort-height toilets
are everything that I always dreamed they would be.
I have thoroughly enjoyed being here and having them.
Hi!
Hello!
Welcome to our home!
The best part about this house for me
is that it just positioned us really well for the future.
COLLEEN: This is a place where we see ourselves staying
for years to come.
We want to grow into it, sure, down the road,
but right now we're just enjoying having
this house that we can entertain our friends and family in.
It's great.