Eastside Lower Richland Area

[Looking for a New Home]

A few weeks ago the wife and I toured the LR area for new homes. What we found were homes that ranged from 2000-2600 square feet and prices from 200,000-280,000 dollars, in areas where most of ths surrounding homes are not going to fetch that kind of money. These homes were not that will built, their next door neighbors were only 25 feet away, the houses had a lot of wasted space, and were going to be very costly in heating and A/C. This new site wa located at Teague and Toad Rd. We found places that had been damaged and the builder tried to cover it up. Anybody else have or seen this anywhere else. CW

[swampfox]

It's good that you're being careful. In SC builders, contractors, and subcontractors have the upper hand in nearly any kind of dispute. They can put a lien on your house if you don't pay on time, even if you're holding back payment because of a failure to comply with contract on their part.

Lower Richland is the fastest-appreciating part of the Columbia area right now, being the last side of town that is not grossly overdeveloped.

My best advice is that if you're looking at a house to buy, spend the money and get a bonded house inspector AND an attorney. Even the most reputable real estate companies will screw you in a heartbeat.

[cuebald]

Better yet, buy a piece of land and have a house built to your specs.

I have a friend whose brother-in-law tripped and fell from the living room into the shrubbery in the front yard through the wall in one of the Vinyl Villages on the Eastside of Columbia.

Also, think long and hard about a houise built on a slab. Lower Richland has termites you can put a saddle on.

[swampfox]

I got a couple of those termites, in a steel hamster cage, powering a sawmill right now.

And, man, with six legs each those suckers can pull a plow.

[Captain Worley]

Don't buy a house built after 1969 or so. The older the better, to some extent.

[swampfox]

Mine was built in 1972. Has solid spruce doors throughout. The framing is cedar. Lots of cool stuff like that.

First thing I did was to take down the wall between the living room and the den (had to install a steel beam because it was a load-bearing wall) to make one big room, about 16 x 24 feet. Removed ugly shag carpet and refinished the nice oak floor throughout the house.

Got a nice fireplace, glassed-in back porch, big concrete patio with brick wall around it. Big garage/shop 20 x 30 feet in the back yard.

Pink Cadillac. Crushed velvet seats. Thinking of putting in a pool. Servants' quarters. Hot running water. Indoor plumbing. Going to be a real Shangra-La.