To Build or To Re-Build...

That's the current question that we discuss in our free time.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, The Wife and I are planning on packing up and moving in about two years. We're going to take the opportunity to move to Idaho, getting us closer to Seattle (which was our original goal), but still in the general area of the Pacific Northwest.  Recently, we have also been watching a lot of HGTV.  Everyone is buying new houses and renovating their current houses and it's all just so exciting!!! We have no idea what we want to do when we move though.  We plan on renting a house or apartment and living on an extreme budget, while we save for whatever the plan becomes.  There are upsides and downsides to both options, building and renovating.

Building Our Own
Upsides - It can be whatever we want it to be
                  It can be wherever we want it to be (or at least wherever we can find a lot to build on)

Downsides - It's expensive
                       We wouldn't be able to move into it until it's done (obviously)

Buying and Renovating
Upsides - We can watch the transformation take place
                  It can still be basically whatever we want, but the shell is there already
                  We can live in it and renovate a little at a time
                  Might be a little cheaper than building from the ground up
                  
Downsides - It's still expensive
                       We could potentially be living in a giant mess for a while
                       We can only do so much with what already exists in the house

It's a good thing we have a couple of years before we even have to start saving for this venture.  I already know that we will change our mind at least twenty times between now and then... but at least we have HGTV to guide us on our way.