Are you ready for home-ownership?

Our house has been the source of frustration and depression over the last two years. It has also been a great source of creativity and reward.

To be honest, I can't say if we were ready for home ownership. I thought we were. But there have been many challenges that I don't think we were ready for emotionally. I am very thankful that Tom has the knowledge and skills for renovation. And I am glad I have many sources of inspiration. Together, I wish there was a better way to share these skills with each other. Tom has been overwhelmed, we have been restricted financially, and I have been incredibly impatient at times.

Don't feel compelled to make the decision of home ownership without considering what may be motivating you to do so. Our motivations for owning a home were different from one another. Therefore, our expectations were different. All without realizing it because we both agreed it was what we wanted and didn't discuss it beyond that. (Terrible pattern that is present in many aspects of our relationship I might add.)

I am not sure what I might suggest to remediate these troubles. But I'm sure there are great sources for that.

It has been a lesson in patience for sure. Our gains have been small at times, but it has been an awesome feeling that slowly, bit by bit, project by project, there is less to "get done" and more to enjoy about our home.

It's a wonderful feeling, a great sense of accomplishment, to say, "I did that."  I am sure there are other ways to embrace this feeling, but as we contemplated purchasing a home, there was no "better" way to share that together. Our society's culture dictates marriage, home, babies. I may suggest marriage, relationship building, home, relationship, then maybe babies if that is right for you, and again relationship.

I am very thankful that I have continued to use my blog to describe each of these journeys. Each project has been different. Some things we have done together and some things one of us did. I have been able to collect our experience in one place and see that we, together, have gotten a lot done.