Blogiversary, father-daughter dance, and house-hunting woes
My one-year blogiversary (last Friday, March 17) came and went without much ado. It was a busy day, and there was actually a lot to blog about, and I even tried. But Blogger ate my post before I could save it, and after my long day, I was too tired to recreate it.
Leo and Audrey went to a PTO father-daughter luau at her school Saturday night. From all accounts, it sounded like a great success. I helped out the night before at the mother/son dance(part of what I could have blogged about), and if the girls had half as much fun as the boys did, it must have been good.
I am frustrated in our house search. Part of the problem is that Leo and I have somewhat different ideas about what we consider important. He wants a new house because he doesn't want the maintenace issues of an old house. I don't mind old houses, but have no problem with new houses, provided they aren't ugly boxes. Unfortunately, a great deal of the ones we've looked at tend towards the ugly box type that only look reasonably attractive on the front (see the fifth picture down on the link to see what I'm talking about).
If you live in a house like this, please don't be offended by my description. Most of the houses like this have big rooms/square footage, and some have great details on the INSIDE. I feel like an architecture snob calling houses like this ugly, when the truth is I can only positively identify one style of architecture (Gothic Revival, and only because I have a friend who once owned one). But I simply find such houses uninspired and ordinary. When we bought our current house, we knew we would not be in it forever. So I have been waiting for years for a house that would truly be "ours". And if we're going to live in it "forever", I have to love it. I just do.
I've resigned myself to living in a subdivision. Made my peace with that. I'm hoping at least for some mature trees within sight, but am also resigned to the fact that I might have to plant our own and wait 10-20 years to be able to call them "mature".
I do have things I require. The main one is a basement. I am very tornado-phobic, and I have written here before about the annoyance, at best, of our current house's cellar, which we have to go outside to access. I actually first would not even settle for a walk-out basement, but I realized I was seriously limiting my options that way, and also realized that the likely other option, basements with egress windows, would involve some serious leaf shoveling every fall.
I want a decent-sized kitchen, preferably with a true pantry. By pantry, I do not mean a large cabinet soley devoted to foodstuff. I mean at least a closet, preferably one I can walk in. If there is no pantry, then there needs to be an actual laundry room near the kitchen that has room for extra shelving which could serve as my pantry. Also, now that I have been living with our laminate for a month or so, I absolutely require that the kitchen, as well as our main room for eating in (be that a breakfast nook or a dining room), not to mention the bathrooms, NOT have carpet.
I must have two full baths. More than that is not necessary. Our current house has one bathroom. That's one, as in uno, solamente, yige. Not one and a half. ONE. We don't even have teenagers yet, and it's already a problem sometimes.
Something I think I may have been a bit ridiculous about is having at least four bedrooms, perhaps five or four plus an office or bonus room. I know that sounds excessive for a family of four. But my reasoning is this: 1) when the girls are older, they will want separate rooms. They will share for now (at least once Aislinn stops sleeping with us!), but I can respect that as teenagers, they will want more privacy. 2) Leo will need an office, even if he may eventually have an office outside the house. 3) I want a room of my "own". A retreat, a place to be creative, a sanctuary. If numbers 1) and 2) above become reality, but 3) does not, I would be the only person in the family without my own space. I realize this is common for a lot of women today, but I really, really would like my own space if possible. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could be a windowless room in a basement. I just want a space of my own. This is not a "requirement", but it's a pretty big wish.
Very few houses we've seen have all my requirements, plus my big wish. Hilger House did, but it turned out to be way out of our price range. Somewhere out there (beneath the pale moonlight! sorry....) there must be a house that will be just what we need.
Leo and Audrey went to a PTO father-daughter luau at her school Saturday night. From all accounts, it sounded like a great success. I helped out the night before at the mother/son dance(part of what I could have blogged about), and if the girls had half as much fun as the boys did, it must have been good.
I am frustrated in our house search. Part of the problem is that Leo and I have somewhat different ideas about what we consider important. He wants a new house because he doesn't want the maintenace issues of an old house. I don't mind old houses, but have no problem with new houses, provided they aren't ugly boxes. Unfortunately, a great deal of the ones we've looked at tend towards the ugly box type that only look reasonably attractive on the front (see the fifth picture down on the link to see what I'm talking about).
If you live in a house like this, please don't be offended by my description. Most of the houses like this have big rooms/square footage, and some have great details on the INSIDE. I feel like an architecture snob calling houses like this ugly, when the truth is I can only positively identify one style of architecture (Gothic Revival, and only because I have a friend who once owned one). But I simply find such houses uninspired and ordinary. When we bought our current house, we knew we would not be in it forever. So I have been waiting for years for a house that would truly be "ours". And if we're going to live in it "forever", I have to love it. I just do.
I've resigned myself to living in a subdivision. Made my peace with that. I'm hoping at least for some mature trees within sight, but am also resigned to the fact that I might have to plant our own and wait 10-20 years to be able to call them "mature".
I do have things I require. The main one is a basement. I am very tornado-phobic, and I have written here before about the annoyance, at best, of our current house's cellar, which we have to go outside to access. I actually first would not even settle for a walk-out basement, but I realized I was seriously limiting my options that way, and also realized that the likely other option, basements with egress windows, would involve some serious leaf shoveling every fall.
I want a decent-sized kitchen, preferably with a true pantry. By pantry, I do not mean a large cabinet soley devoted to foodstuff. I mean at least a closet, preferably one I can walk in. If there is no pantry, then there needs to be an actual laundry room near the kitchen that has room for extra shelving which could serve as my pantry. Also, now that I have been living with our laminate for a month or so, I absolutely require that the kitchen, as well as our main room for eating in (be that a breakfast nook or a dining room), not to mention the bathrooms, NOT have carpet.
I must have two full baths. More than that is not necessary. Our current house has one bathroom. That's one, as in uno, solamente, yige. Not one and a half. ONE. We don't even have teenagers yet, and it's already a problem sometimes.
Something I think I may have been a bit ridiculous about is having at least four bedrooms, perhaps five or four plus an office or bonus room. I know that sounds excessive for a family of four. But my reasoning is this: 1) when the girls are older, they will want separate rooms. They will share for now (at least once Aislinn stops sleeping with us!), but I can respect that as teenagers, they will want more privacy. 2) Leo will need an office, even if he may eventually have an office outside the house. 3) I want a room of my "own". A retreat, a place to be creative, a sanctuary. If numbers 1) and 2) above become reality, but 3) does not, I would be the only person in the family without my own space. I realize this is common for a lot of women today, but I really, really would like my own space if possible. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could be a windowless room in a basement. I just want a space of my own. This is not a "requirement", but it's a pretty big wish.
Very few houses we've seen have all my requirements, plus my big wish. Hilger House did, but it turned out to be way out of our price range. Somewhere out there (beneath the pale moonlight! sorry....) there must be a house that will be just what we need.
posted by Andrea | 11:50 PM
3 Comments:
Happy blogiversary! Yay for you!
And I totally get your house requirements. And I definitely understand wanting a house with a little character rather than a cookie-cutter one. I hope you find just what you're looking for.
I think the need for teenager privacy (room of her own) should not be a given. It would be nice, but learning to share space and accomodate each other is a part of life. Learning to do this with siblings is a good start.
Actually, there was only a time of about 3 months where I have ever had a room of my own. I went from sister at home to college roomie to husband in an apartment.
I do recognize your need for a space of your own and hobbies. My little corner is great. However, I didn't have it when there were 3 sons at home.
And the basement/tornado shelter is absolutely a must. I've seen what one can do to preserve a family.
Keep looking. But remember that a house is just space and a family makes it a home.
At least you know what you're looking for in a house. It seems like a lot of people just wander around until they either find something they like or get sick of looking.
Happy Blogiversary!
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