My Country House: Downsizing to Simplicity in Grass Valley, California

Have you ever dreamed of owning a big beautiful house in the country? What are your thoughts right away? Oh it's gorgeous. And I mean there's a donkey. The landscape is absolutely beautiful. And the views, I mean it's amazing. Let's find your country house. This week we are in gorgeous Grass Valley, California searching for the perfect country home for Linda and Jim. Now they're ready to retire and get out of the Bay Area and set roots in gorgeous Grass Valley. Linda has a very specific list. Jim on the other hand, he can go either way. All I know is I have got my work cut out for me. So let's go check out three amazing homes and see what we can find. I'm so nice to meet you in person. A pleasure. Nice to meet you. A pleasure. Before we get started, I want to go over everything on your wish list because I really want to know what it means to live in Grass Valley for y'all. You know we both grew up in the Bay Area and a lot of the towns, the towns that we were in when we were young, were fairly small towns. But over the years they've just gotten busy and crowded. So we decided to kind of get out where it's a little more slower paced, more rural, more nature. Since we had visited Grass Valley in Nevada City, we liked it up here already. So we kind of decided on this area. Yeah, we actually vacationed up here, never thinking we would ever live here. And so when it came time to retire, we thought, oh we need somewhere, you know, more peaceful to live in. So now it'll be kind of like we get to go on vacation, but we don't have to go back home. So our budget is around $650 to $800. I like the $650. She likes the $800. Of course. Welcome to Grass Valley, California in Nevada County, located just an hour northeast of Sacramento. Grass Valley was built on the back of the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. This quaint little town saw a boom in population right around that time as people flooded in from California looking to strike it rich. These days, Grass Valley is known for a much slower pace of life. This quaint little town is lined with historical buildings and is a popular tourist destination on the weekends. Sitting at the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, this darling little town is the perfect spot for our retirees to call home. We're going to see three great houses today, and I'm excited. But I want you to remind me, and it was a three-bedroom, two-bath we're looking for. What other things are you really looking for in a house? We'd like a decent-sized backyard. Are you open to move-in ready? Are you more into a move-in ready? Yeah, definitely. We're looking towards that. If there are a couple of upgrades, not a full reno, but a couple of upgrades, would that be something you'd be interested in? Yeah, that would be nice. A view would be great. A view would be amazing. Who wouldn't love a view? Especially out here. Grass Valley is stunning. Starting here at House 1, what do you think? This is a newer build and a newer development here in Grass Valley. I really like the outside. It's nice. What do you love about it, Linda? Mostly that it's newish. I like the colors. And it's got a craftsman style to it. Craftsman style is big. And the trees in the back, that's great. I was going to see if you noticed that. Thank you, Jim, that you still have a little bit of, you know, that gorgeous country view without having to do a complete renovation, because she is newer. So, would you like to go check out? Oh, yeah. After you. Go ahead. Please. Oh, you angel. Thank you, Jim. Such a gentleman. Look at this open plan. What are we thinking? First impressions, this is a great dining room, living room, kitchen open plan. Talk to me. Yes, I like it. I like it. You've got the updated granite countertops. Yes. Gorgeous range. Yeah. Like the cabinet. There's enough cabinet space, it looks like. Gaston. Yeah. I really like that. It's open concept. Good for hanging out in. Yeah. We could fit our company in there as well. And I like the fireplace in there. I like all the finishes in the kitchen too. That was really great. The countertops were my style. The darker cabinets. Between the two of you, who's the cook? Both of us. Really? Oh, I'm so tickled. Really more you, Jim? Really. Okay. Now, is there a roll to somebody? Okay. Secret safe with me. Why don't y'all go check out the primary bedroom and I'll meet y'all in the backyard. Okay. Sounds good. Awesome. Thank you. Wow. This is a nice room. It's a good size. Yeah. Plenty big for what we have. Fits a king size bed, which is great. Yeah. And oh, look, everything looks so new in here. Great. A nice size too. Nice soaking tub that I would never use. I will. You could. Yeah. Lots of windows. Light. And you can see the trees out there. Yeah. That's great. Speaking of the yard, it'd be nice to step outside and take a look. It's a I mean, come on. We're in Magic Forest, right? It's beautiful. Thank you. Yes. Hopefully, this one checks a big box for you, this outdoor space. Because I know you didn't want a project, but this feels... I like this. This is doable, easy, fun. Manageable? Manageable. Okay. I think it's a perfect size. Love the trees back here. But it's still an empty pallet. I mean, it's, you know, lots to do. And I like gardening, so I don't mind finishing it out. Yeah. All that. Put a nice little garden out there. A little grass. You know, where I'm from in Kentucky, we call this borrowed landscape, where you get to look at it, but don't have to tend to it. Yeah. Just your own personal forest. I know. I got to know what y'all thought of the primary suite. Oh, it was beautiful. Good size. Yeah. Just the right size. Our furniture that we have will fit perfect in there. Oh. So my big question to y'all is what do you think they're asking for this house? Let's see. Around 700 probably. Yeah, I'd go with that too. Around seven. Well. Y'all, we're back with Linda and Jim. We're about to hear the price of house number one. Let's check in with them now to see what they think. What do you think they're asking for this house? Let's see. Around 700 probably. Yeah, I'd go with that too. Around seven. Well. So you'll be happy to know that it is on the market for $620. Wow. Nice. Right? That's a great price. Less than I expected. Jim, I felt the same way, so I'm glad you and I are on the same page. All this move-in ready magic for $620. Yeah. Well, we're not stopping there. I've got two more to show you. Are y'all ready to go check them out? We're ready. Let's go. Okay. So just minutes down the road, I've got house number two. Hopefully, Linda and Jim will find this one even better. We're at house number two, the House of Possibilities. It's a beautiful 1980s quirky stunner. Oh boy. What do you think? It needs work. Yes? I don't like the stairs. Okay. Jim? I like the wood and I like the stone work, so. Okay. Kind of interesting. So you kind of both like the opposite things of each other, right? This is what makes y'all fun, because I like a challenge and I like that you both see different possibilities. Definitely. Two bedrooms, two and a half baths, really open plan. She is a little quirky inside, a little bit of a fixer-upper, but shall we step inside and see if it's the same on the inside? Okay. Okay. Let's go in and take a look. Let's be brave. Be brave. All right, y'all. Wow. Needs a lot of work. It is unique. I too was on team unique. We might as well address the elephant in the room. I mean, elevator in the room, right behind you. I know it was hard to see behind you. That's a little different. Right? It looked like a spaceship to me. It was definitely different. Makes you wonder. Big open space. Love. I love a potbelly stove. I really do, which I feel like has given that wonderful country charm. Yes. You do get this gorgeous view. We are in the mountains. Yeah. I think it's the best thing in this room. The windows. I love that you are keeping an open mind. Is there something about this that really feels like a positive? There's a lot of wood, and I like that kind of wood feel. Okay, y'all. Check out the rest of the house, and I will meet you outside so we can take a look at the view. Okay. Sounds good. Go enjoy it. Oh, this is more updated. It's a good size room. Yeah. Got some great windows, nice view outside. Yeah, got that same view down here. Privacy. Doesn't need a bit of work. Maybe some doors on the closet. That would help. Yeah. Not bad. So, I don't know if I'm up to this much of a project. Hi. Come on. I know. It's beautiful. I mean, views for days. Yes, for views. And look at all this deck space. You've got all this gorgeous outdoor living. Yeah, I like the trees. It's gorgeous. Now, talk to me about that primary bedroom downstairs. What'd you think? Well, it looks like they updated it somewhat. Right. It's day and night from the upstairs. That's a positive. Any downsides? A lot of work. Linda, I do see that. Okay. And how about that spiral staircase? That'd be a bit of a challenge. Yes. That was, to me, probably one of the quirkiest things about it. Definitely. Quirky, yes. I see all the projects on Jim's face. You're ticking boxes. Well, can I ask how much you think this property is? I'm guessing low sixes. Six something. Six something. Mid fives. Mid fives. Just because there's so much to do. Yeah. They're asking $635 for this house. Okay. By the time we would pay for this, we'd have to come up with quite a bit more money to fix it to our liking, for sure. So, that's kind of the downside to it. You seem slightly on the fence, which I understand. We still have one more, so there's a third house to go. Okay, so let's go check out house number three. I know I'm one for one, but I want to see if this might be the winner. Sounds great. We're back in Grass Valley, and after a short trip to house three, we're at our final stop on the hunt for Linda and Jim's new home. Okay, y'all. I hope I redeemed myself with house number three. What do you think? I like the looks of the front. It's got a nice curb appeal to it. Okay, it does. I like it, too. This is a four bedroom, two bath. She was built in 1975. They have definitely updated her, so don't panic. Okay, so let's go check her out on the inside, hopefully you love her just as much. Okay. Wow. What do y'all think? I like it. Very nice. Nice and bright with the windows. It really is, right? Yeah. Trees are right here. The trees are there, too. Yeah. Open plan all the way through, so you've got kitchen, dining, living. I like that it was just open, so you could see the kitchen, the dining room, and the front room. Well, I like the porch. You know, great place to sit on a warm afternoon, kind of watch the world go by. I like the kind of vaulted ceilings with the beams and the wood. On the inside, I didn't see much of anything that needed to be done. It's all about the details for you. He's all about the stone and the wood. I gotcha. They did a really good job of using all the elements to make it feel of the area. It's got that grass valley with an update. Yes, and there's other houses close by, but they're not sued. The trees kind of block the view of the streets. Isn't that nice? It's a natural nature privacy, which we like. So, I'd love for you to go check out the primary, and then I'll meet y'all in the backyard. Okay. All right. Let me know what you think. Okay. I know. I like this. Yeah. And I like what they did for the ceiling. Added a little something special up there. Yeah. Oh, and look at the closet space. There's a lot. Nice view out into the back. I think so. I don't think there's room for a king-size bed in here. Oh, you're right. Yeah. I don't know if I'm too thrilled about the bathroom with doors on both sides. Yeah, I know. That's kind of a downside to the setup here, but it is a nice bathroom. Everything looks nice, freshly redone. Why don't you take a look out in the back? Yeah. Excited to see this yard. Oh, wow. Well, here we are in some more green space. Yeah. It's very nice, and this yard is just gorgeous. There's a lot of room back here. I like that. A lot of room. You've got the hammock back there. You've got the jacuzzi. And then, of course, gorgeous the beginnings of landscaping that I'm sure you could make more magical gem. Yeah, I do like the landscaping they've already done. Yeah, to some degree. Yeah. Jim, what do you see out here? A little bit of work, but not too bad. Okay, that's good. I like that. What did you all think of inside? What did you think of the bedrooms? Enough space for the both of us, I think, in those closets. But the room itself was kind of small, where the bed was, and the whole bathroom setup was a little awkward. I like that it's updated. Yes. That's a big plus. What do you think the price is of this property? I'd guess around $715,000, something like that. $715,000. $710,000. I think about $650,000. Oh, again, I love that y'all don't always land in the same place, but you're so good together. The price of this house is actually $599,000. Wow. Well, so there's something to think about there. Yeah, definitely. And now it's really time to think, because you have three houses to maul over, and I'm excited and nervous that I've actually found you one. Yeah, it's good. Yeah. So it's officially time for us to go think about it, and I can't wait to hear your decisions. We got talking to do. Yes, you do. Linda, get it out of him. He's as tight as a drum over here. I'm trying. So let's catch up a little later, and I can't wait to find out what you decide. Sounds great. Okay. I think it would be almost perfect if it was a one-story. Well, I am hoping Linda and Jim can find a forever home out of these three houses. It's time to give them a little break to think about it, and I'll check back in real soon to see what they've decided. We've given Linda and Jim some time to think about the three unique houses we showed them the other day. Now it's time to find out what their decision is and which one was their favorite. Linda, Jim. Hi. How are y'all? Oh, we're great. How are you? Wonderful. You look rested. You look like you've made decisions. Yes, we have. I'm excited. So let's talk all three houses first. Okay. Number one, first house was that gorgeous, move-in ready Craftsman. What'd you love about it? I liked the whole inside. It was new. I liked the floor plan, too. It was laid out, user-friendly. It was. And that great open plan kitchen, living, dining, yeah. The only thing is the backyard needs to be done. It is a project. Finished, yeah. Those are all very valid. On the second house, I know that wasn't wasn't exactly your cup of tea from the entry. No, it wasn't. Talk to me about the things that you liked about the second house, if you can find some. It had a lot of land. It had a lot of land. Yeah, which you liked. Which was nice, yeah. The house was quirky, isn't it? Quirky, that was one disparate. It was very quirky, yes. It had some great views from the deck, but we would have to redo everything inside. And now that brings us to house three. What were your thoughts on that one? Well, I like the upstairs, except for the bathroom. And it was the only bathroom on that floor. So that does get, yeah, it becomes your guest bath, your primary bath. Everybody's bath. But it too is pretty much move-in ready. So if we have to pick one house to eliminate, what house would it be? Number two. The quirk is gone. No elevators, no work. Fair enough. Okay, so we've got house one, which is that great, gorgeous move-in ready. And we've got that really fun, just kind of a mountain home for house three. So do I ask which house you've chosen? Go ahead. We're choosing number one, the Craftsman. Oh, I love this. Why did you choose it? I loved it from the start. It's, you know, newish, what I was looking for. And I like the neighborhood. I like the trees. And no stairs. No stairs. One-level living is really kind of fantastic. So is this the part where we get to cheers and call the realtor and put in an offer? I think so. Oh, my goodness. Congratulations. Cheers. Thank you. Hi, Trish. We got the house. We're excited. We're all moved in and life is good. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.