In the 18 months or so before I married Steve and settled into our home, I moved 5 times. Anyone who knows me knows how truly and deeply I despise moving, partly because I am slightly compulsive about being able to find things. I also tend to be somewhat acquisitive and own a ridiculous number of books, neither of which makes moving any more fun.
When the time came for us to look for a home, I was adamant that I didn't want a starter home; I was done moving frequently. I wanted to find a house where we could stay for 30 years or more. After much searching, we found a lovely 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house in an established neighborhood with character and beautiful trees. There was plenty of room for the family we planned.
Over the five years we have been in our home, we have cleared brush and weeds from the back part of our lot, reclaiming the flattest part of our yard, replaced most of the windows, added a bay window, replaced the deck, added a patio beneath the deck, and put in hard wood floors. There is much that we love about our house; we have made it ours. There were times when Steve was unemployed that I thought we would need to move elsewhere for him to find a job, but he eventually found a fantastic job that he loves and is a reasonable commute from where we live.
But lately I have begun to resent our house and yard. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths on half an acre is more than two people and three cats need. The guest room is used maybe twice a year; the other bedrooms even less (other than for storage). There's a lot of extra space to try to keep clean, not to mention heat and cool. Tending the yard and gardens takes quite a bit of time and energy. Having a larger house means that we are called upon to host family gatherings regularly; we do have all that room.
And above all, there is the pain of knowing that it wasn't supposed to be like this. There were supposed to be children in those excess bedrooms, running and playing in the yard. At times, I resent our home and the lack it accentuates. I have begun wondering about downsizing, finding someplace smaller and less expensive, that better fits our status. But I love my house... (You wanna buy it?)
When the time came for us to look for a home, I was adamant that I didn't want a starter home; I was done moving frequently. I wanted to find a house where we could stay for 30 years or more. After much searching, we found a lovely 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house in an established neighborhood with character and beautiful trees. There was plenty of room for the family we planned.
Over the five years we have been in our home, we have cleared brush and weeds from the back part of our lot, reclaiming the flattest part of our yard, replaced most of the windows, added a bay window, replaced the deck, added a patio beneath the deck, and put in hard wood floors. There is much that we love about our house; we have made it ours. There were times when Steve was unemployed that I thought we would need to move elsewhere for him to find a job, but he eventually found a fantastic job that he loves and is a reasonable commute from where we live.
But lately I have begun to resent our house and yard. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths on half an acre is more than two people and three cats need. The guest room is used maybe twice a year; the other bedrooms even less (other than for storage). There's a lot of extra space to try to keep clean, not to mention heat and cool. Tending the yard and gardens takes quite a bit of time and energy. Having a larger house means that we are called upon to host family gatherings regularly; we do have all that room.
And above all, there is the pain of knowing that it wasn't supposed to be like this. There were supposed to be children in those excess bedrooms, running and playing in the yard. At times, I resent our home and the lack it accentuates. I have begun wondering about downsizing, finding someplace smaller and less expensive, that better fits our status. But I love my house... (You wanna buy it?)
My DH and I just moved to a new house in October. It is beatiful but big. I know if kids don't come in 5 to 10 years I would need to move. Praying for you and cannot wait to meet you and see your beautiful house!
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