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What does it mean to own a home?

By Home Owner

 

I suppose I should entitle this post: What does it mean to me to own a home?


My thoughts about home ownership have evolved since when I first started this blog many years ago.  Back when we first bought the house we were so young, had so much energy and were amazed at this complicated but wonderful house we now owned.  

A lot of life happens in people's homes.  It is a place where some of your happiest memories are made, and it can be a place where you experience great suffering, which can come in the form of illnesses, and grief.


I think in the early years I didn't really understand what home ownership meant.  You cannot just live in a house.  You have to constantly repair, replace, clean, update and upkeep.  I know we were doing that a great deal in the beginning, but we had a few years when we were busy with having kids, and forgot about it for awhile.  In that timeframe several things went wrong with the house.  We had major plumbing issues and we had issues on the external part of the house and the property.  

The hardest part with having these issues was being unprepared for it .  We should have known it could and would one day happen.  We should have been upkeeping things such that they didn't completely break down.  I don't know if being better prepared is something I should have known to do.  I would like to think I am just 'normal.'

The one redeeming quality in all this, is that my story isn't over.  I am still here in this house, and I have learned from my mistakes and will do better next time.

So what does it mean to own a home?

It means:

  • You need to plan for more than just paying mortgage, taxes and utilities.  You need to financially plan for repairs and updates as part of home ownership.

  • Constant and continuous upkeep to avoid larger expenses and repairs later.

  • Learning how to do many things yourself, and also knowing when to admit projects are beyond your skill, knowledge and comfort level.

  • Learning how to find make connections, get recommendations, hire contractors, get bids, and have others do work on and in your home.

  • Learn from your mistakes.  They are not mistakes, they are learning opportunities.






Comments

  1. lcrenovationSeptember 6, 2021 at 11:54 PM

    Its a wonderful post and very helpful, thanks for all this information. You are including better information regarding this topic in an effective way.Thank you so much.
    House Renovations in Bermondsey

    ReplyDelete

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