This weekend marks 1 year in the new house.
Where has the time gone?
I swear, the year it took to build the house didn’t pass this quickly. OK, maybe it didn’t take a year to build the house. It took about 10 months.
But you get my point. Life has not stopped. And that’s how it goes when you own a house. You go, go, go.
Even a new house has its list of chores, from buying new furniture and decor to working with the builder to repair chipped stucco and nail pops. And the list never ends, it grows.
While this isn’t the first house I’ve owned, I’m also older, wiser and more financially stable now, and view home ownership in a whole new light.
So to mark the occasion, I thought it appropriate to share what I’ve learned as a seasoned home owner.
A house does not change who you are. It’s just four walls.
Sure, the house can be new, beautiful, a point of pride. But it doesn’t change your personality, improve your relationships or alter your outlook on life.
You’re still the same person you were the day before you moved in.
A house is an investment. And with that realization comes a greater focus on the economy and the impact on home values.
On a micro level, you never want to become complacent. When something breaks, fix it. When styles change, change with them. And never stop cleaning. All of this work will pay dividends when it comes time to sell.
And you will sell.
A “forever home” is a myth. John and I have had fun putting our mark on the house like turning the front room into a bar room.
But we were careful to pick upgrades and layout options that would appeal to a wider audience.
Because let’s face it, John and I will not be living here forever. The day will come when we hand the keys over to new happy owners.
Designing Goldilocks 