Finding a new place to call home is a strange and wonderful task–especially when you’re looking for a home that you’ll be able to call home indefinitely.
Like yoga, house hunting is a practice of self exploration.
Through a long and tedious process of looking into other people’s homes, you discover what’s most important to you in life. Are you more worried about having the best flooring and appliances, having great outdoor space, or being close to town? Are aesthetics more important or functionality? Are you the kind of person loves a project or would you rather have exactly what you wanted from the get-go? If you examine it closely, it can give you some profound insight into the person you are and the life you live.
House hunting is also about balance. You have to balance the perception of who you think you are with who you want to be in life, and how you want others to perceive you. Do you want to be one of those people who pay much more for a home just so you can say live in a particular neighborhood–the upwardly-mobile neighborhood, the artsy-fartsy neighborhood, or the hipster neighborhood–or are you OK with less prestige?
You compromise on some things to set yourself up for the life you want.
It took my husband and I almost a year to find the house we finally (FINALLY!) moved into a month and a half ago. We’re not in a posh neighborhood near a yoga studio (drat!), but we have hardwood floors (so I can happily unroll my mat in any room in the house!), a fenced in backyard where our doggy can run like the wind, and a kitchen that makes me so happy to prepare food it’s OK that our dining out budget has been drastically reduced.
After living in cramped apartments for last decade, I feel incredibly blessed to have a house that with a little elbow grease (and a TON of paint) we can make our own! But I feel even more lucky for the lessons that I’ve learned along the way. I’m sure there will be many, MANY more. 🙂
What a pretty house!
When my husband I bought our house we had already been renting it for 4 years, so we knew all the ins and outs of it. We knew what work had to be done and we already had visions for it.
Ours is a small house on a nice street with easy access to everything ~ it's perfect for us. Several people said to us while we were in the process of buying "Oh what a great starter home!" to which we replied, "oh no, this is our home. No need to start over."
You're right, buying a home is a yoga practice ~ an exploration into what you really require to live comfortably and feel at ease. What space we need to create space in us.
Happy New Home E! ♥♥♥
Babies and houses. Your posts are so cheerful and positive. I'm so glad you found your house and came through the experience sane. When I bought mine my mom threatened to change her phone number. Finding the right place is truly special and you're right. Balance is key. Happy homemaking!!
Its a beautiful house..enjoy your new house =)
That's the ideal house for starting a family. It is in accordance to yoga, as the word came from the root word "Yuj" meaning to join, to unite, or to attach. The idea somehow applies to buying a house. To find the right house, you should not be blown by the wind; think like a serpent and act like a sheep.
I like your mentality. Buying a house can be crazy, especially when you start talking about mortgage. That’s why you mustn’t lose focus and compromise yourself for the sake of saving money. Personally, I’d recommend an expert’s advice, as I believe that experience is equal to accountability. By the way, your house looks really peaceful!
“Finding a new place to call home is a strange and wonderful task–especially when you're looking for a home that you'll be able to call home indefinitely.” – Exactly! It’s my first time to go house hunting and I’m really annoyed with the results as of this moment. But I’m really thankful about your post ‘cause it redirects my desire to own the house. This time, I’ll pursue engaging in mortgage and agents and I hope I can already get the house that I’ll be calling a home.
~~ Sarah Owens