The Actual Joys of Homeownership
J and I have had a lot of stress over our condo over the past 9 years, i.e. as long as we've owned it. It's a 125 year old 2-family house that got condo-converted, we were first-time homeowners, our inspector was just okay, etc.
The upshot is that practically all of the money that we've spent on the house has been for significant repairs/improvements to the infrastructure: new roof, chimney rebuild and lining, sealed support columns in the basement with a new poured floor, new electrical meter box, etc. Whoever gets this house next is going to be in pretty good shape, because J and I (and the other owner) paid for the economically rational decisions of 80 years of landlords who came before we decided to live here.
We had all of the not-fun parts of homeownership, and practically none of the fun parts, because all of the money has been spent offstage. Combine that with the "well, you pay a mortgage and you hold a title, but you don't really own the place" no-man's land of a 2-3 unit condo, and it's no small wonder that our relationship with the condo is a little complex. Owning a home is always expensive, but somehow I felt like we were constantly getting the short (and expensive) end of the stick.
It's really the smallest things that help, though.
In preparation for selling the place, we've been running down the list of stuff that must repair/replace before we sell, which included the faucets for all of the sinks. So, we went to the Big Orange Box, picked out some stuff that looked nice and had a highly-recommended plumber (who we'd recommend to anyone) install it. Done and done.
The faucets? They faucet. They look nicer than the old ones, there are no leaks, and, you know... water, hot, cold, etc.
But.
They're a material update to the space, they feel good to use, and I use them multiple times a day. They're an on-stage improvement to the house, as opposed to just impressing an inspector.
It's sad that it's all happening now when we're going to put it on the market, but I think I finally have a glimpse into why owning a home can bring some happiness, and I'll take that.
The upshot is that practically all of the money that we've spent on the house has been for significant repairs/improvements to the infrastructure: new roof, chimney rebuild and lining, sealed support columns in the basement with a new poured floor, new electrical meter box, etc. Whoever gets this house next is going to be in pretty good shape, because J and I (and the other owner) paid for the economically rational decisions of 80 years of landlords who came before we decided to live here.
We had all of the not-fun parts of homeownership, and practically none of the fun parts, because all of the money has been spent offstage. Combine that with the "well, you pay a mortgage and you hold a title, but you don't really own the place" no-man's land of a 2-3 unit condo, and it's no small wonder that our relationship with the condo is a little complex. Owning a home is always expensive, but somehow I felt like we were constantly getting the short (and expensive) end of the stick.
It's really the smallest things that help, though.
In preparation for selling the place, we've been running down the list of stuff that must repair/replace before we sell, which included the faucets for all of the sinks. So, we went to the Big Orange Box, picked out some stuff that looked nice and had a highly-recommended plumber (who we'd recommend to anyone) install it. Done and done.
The faucets? They faucet. They look nicer than the old ones, there are no leaks, and, you know... water, hot, cold, etc.
But.
They're a material update to the space, they feel good to use, and I use them multiple times a day. They're an on-stage improvement to the house, as opposed to just impressing an inspector.
It's sad that it's all happening now when we're going to put it on the market, but I think I finally have a glimpse into why owning a home can bring some happiness, and I'll take that.