Friday, October 12, 2012

31 Days: So, This Is What It Means to Be A Homeowner

I never really dreamed of becoming a homeowner. Sure, I assumed that it came with the territory of growing up and getting married, but I spent most of my dreams on the actual getting married and starting a family part.

We started searching for our first home last summer, and in October of 2011, we bought it. At the time, I was the most excited about the renovations we were getting ready to make and what the final product would look like. I had somehow imagined that once the big stuff was done, we would be good to go, and wouldn't have to worry about house projects for a while.

What I didn't realize was how much of a never-ending cycle home ownership is. We have practically turned this place upside down: replacing all of the flooring, gutting the bathrooms, and painting every surface in the whole place, including all of the new trim. But, that doesn't mean that the dishwasher won't need to be replaced, the HVAC system won't crap out, or the bathroom won't have a lingering musty smell that we can't figure out. 

Home ownership can be grueling and frustrating. But, it can also be rewarding and exciting. There are some weeks (like this one) where I need to remind myself of the positive parts, and the fact that we will continue to learn and grow in this home. Luckily, B is quite the handyman, so we complete a lot of the projects ourselves, but he always, and I mean always, has a project on deck!

This year we will host our first Christmas and celebrate our two year anniversary in this house. I want to start looking at our home as a journey, and an on-going relationship, rather than a short stint along the road of our journey. And, even if we do have to replace our entire HVAC system this year, I'll find a way to get over it.


Home ownership may be much harder than renting, but I am learning to love it.


5 comments:

Rachel said...

Totally agree! We bought our home in July 2009...we've had to replace the water heater, the heat pump/ac unit, the garage door, and the windows. We knew about the windows - but the rest have been 'surprises.' Not to mention painting the trim, replacing all doors, new flooring, and all of the other cosmetic things we've done to make it OURS! Renting sounds pretty nice about now, huh? :)

kourtney said...

This is so true! I was so excited when we moved this summer into our old farmhouse. All of the renovation and decorating ideas flooded my head and I was so excited... until we moved in and started on it. It's only exciting when you can call in Holmes on Holmes or Jeff Lewis to finish it all for you! It's quite a journey with a new 'issue' every other week. My mom keeps reminding me that we need to think of it as another memory in our chapter together instead of a pain in the rear!

Darby Hawley said...

We just signed a contract on our first house last night. This post came at a perfect time to help me remember to focus on the journey! Thank you for posting this Pam!

Angela said...

Home ownership can be both exciting and frustrating...no doubt!!!
We've been in our house since 2006 (Tim 2006 when he bought it) and me apr 2007 when we got married. We've only done a few "updates or decorating" if you will to reflect our style, but mostly repairs and different things for maintenance. I'll be happy when we can start making it reflect our style (which sometimes I still have no idea what that is).

Unknown said...

Agreed.Home renovations and decorations are some times sounds glitchy for us if we wont aware of things to be renovate in best way. When we moved to our home, major problem was planning and schedule, what to do first and which is important.

Regards,
Jack
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