It wasn't easy, but we found a house.
Sadly, the house we had put at the top of our list sold the day before we arrived in Ottawa, so we never got a chance to even look inside it. Ah well. It was a split-level house, which I'm not terribly fond of, but it was in a great neighbourhood, and had gorgeous landscaping and a beautiful pool already.
After looking at some 15 houses all over the city, we finally settled on a classic 4-bedroom, two-storey house in the west end, near where Carling and Richmond intersect. It's in an older neighbourhood where modest bungalows are sprinkled in with larger homes all nestled amongst mature trees. Right across from our house there is an entrance to a forested park - yeah! It has easy access to transit and to bike paths (for Steve).
The house is in very good condition, but needs some work in the kitchen. We want to put in a pool (yippee!), and do something with the landscaping out front. We also had a scare when the inspector noted vermiculite insulation in the attic. (Vermiculite is noted for a risk of asbestos.) Fortunately, the vendor had test results that showed the vermiculite is asbestos-free. We still plan to either get rid of it or seal it permanently as it could be an issue if/when we decide to sell the house.
So, come mid-July, you will find us in Ottawa!
The house is in very good condition, but needs some work in the kitchen. We want to put in a pool (yippee!), and do something with the landscaping out front. We also had a scare when the inspector noted vermiculite insulation in the attic. (Vermiculite is noted for a risk of asbestos.) Fortunately, the vendor had test results that showed the vermiculite is asbestos-free. We still plan to either get rid of it or seal it permanently as it could be an issue if/when we decide to sell the house.
So, come mid-July, you will find us in Ottawa!