I need vibes for a house we may go see

[Baxter'smybaby]

sending good vibes!

[CaliTerp07]

We have oil heat in our house. It's significantly larger than the one you're looking at renting, but if you want to compare bills I'd be happy to share that info with you. It is expensive...but the rent is so cheap maybe it would make up for it?

[Doberluv]

A wood stove would be great. But you might also be able, with their permission to put in a propane, free standing stove. They just vent out the wall. Or....a couple of these. http://www.bing.com/shopping/delongh...ters&FORM=HURE They're quite efficient. They have oil and sometimes water encased within. And electricity runs these radiant heaters. But there are usually a couple settings and they use relatively low btu's. I'd check them out. I bet there will be something to remedy that oil heat situation. I sure hope you can get this place. If the heating is too much, maybe there's something else you can cut back on. (?) I don't know....but you just gotta get this! Tell Josh I said so. LOL.

[MericoX]

Keep heat down low, and use space heaters.

[Renee750il]

Those heaters Dober's talking about are WONDERFUL, and they aren't expensive to run. They'll keep things at a decent temp while you're gone without running the bill up to astronomical proportions, then you can just use the other heat to kick it up a bit quickly, then let the radiant heaters keep it there.

[darkchild16]

We've used space heaters all winter before because of the same thing. 600 sq ft house and we only had one. It was a oscilatting (sp?) tower fan and it worked GREAT! Heck we use ONE that we got for next to nothing at Walmart (maybe 20 bucks) and it heats all but our bedroom and Savannahs bedroom.

[skittledoo]

thank you so much for the heating suggestions. I'm definitely going to take that into account. Also, Caliterp I'd love to compare your oil expenses if you feel ok sharing. If there are ways to make it work without having to spend a fortune in oil I really really want this place. There's another place a little closer to the area Josh works that we are also looking into, but I don't feel as drawn to that place as I do this one.

The goal we have in mind right now is to find the place that we feel confident in renting for the next few years until we eventually buy. I don't want to keep picking up and moving every year like I have been doing.

[sparks19]

Have you seen the inside of the place yet? Don't get ao sold on the idea that you will settle for anything. Go and see the insIde and the outside for yourselves first and try to be logical and reasonable.

When we were looking for a house we looking for a house after Hannah was born I was desperate to get one that I was willing to settle for just about anything. We looked at a house and I was sure it was THE ONE but after we got to the point of settling it was discovered there were some serious septic issues and now looking back I am so glad we didn't end up in that house. It was WAY small than even the small house we are in now, no fenced in yard, no storage space except for a basement and it was in a flood zone. Since that time we have had three or more incidents of flooding that have hit our area (and the creek that house is on) and we would have been underwater all the time and all the stuff in the basement (any storage stuff) ruined. All because I was emotionally invested in THAT being the place no matter what but God provided us with an out when we were in so deep into negotiations that it wouldn't have been easy to just pull out... the septic ended up being under the legal limits for distance from the house and we got out of it.

So just try to keep a clear head about it and go and look at it very thouroughly before getting set on it

[Renee750il]

You might check into panel heaters, too. I've not used them, but they make sense.

Originally Posted by sparks19

Have you seen the inside of the place yet? Don't get ao sold on the idea that you will settle for anything. Go and see the insIde and the outside for yourselves first and try to be logical and reasonable.

This, this, this. PLEASE do. There are no interior photos of the inside of that house on any site I searched on, and that scares me, because that's typically done intentionally to highlight the land and scenery rather than severe damage to the interior of the home on the property. I've been looking at homes in VA/NC/GA for a few years now and if there's one thing I've seen far too many of, it's homes that are nearly unlivable. Especially rent to own/owner financed homes that could otherwise never qualify for a traditional loan, and the owners know they would spend more than the home was worth to repair and renovate.

ETA: Just for the record, I think the property itself is very nice and I *hope* that the home is just as nice.