My dream for quite a while has been to move out of our little condo where Mr. Jones lived for years before we even met. and into our own house. Space. A backyard. No neighbors that share our walls. You know, that big HOUSE dream. :-)
Well, after a couple of months of perusing houses online, scoping out neighborhoods and more, we've got a little list. We've narrowed the list to just a few. And, tomorrow, we're going to see the very first one on our list.
I'm ecstatic.
I'm hyper.
I'm worried.
I'm nervous.
I'm happy.
I'm afraid.
Now that I know we're going to see one of our (on paper) three favorite houses, it feels different. I can't wait to see if we're right about what we want. I can't wait to buy our first home.
But.... Mr. Jones swung by Home Depot on the way home from grabbing our free Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken sandwiches tonight. And he purchased a "For Sale by Owner" sign. My heart stopped a little. This is by no means a money issue. My in-laws own our condo and graciously let us stay here. We pay all the bills, but it was nice to not have the stress of a mortgage when Mr. Jones didn't have a job. We've been able to save. To have fun. To grow into our space. And now we've outgrown it. We're ready to buy a place that is only ours - ours alone.
I'm ready to start the next phase of our lives, but when he paid for that sign, I died a little inside. This is real. It's starting. It's such a huge thing. I'm scared we will mess up. I'm worried we won't love what we choose. I'm frustrated knowing it could be a long process.
So.... those are my thoughts this Tuesday evening. Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? I love hearing from you guys on major life topics. It makes my night. I've much to tell you. Coupons. Freebies. Chick-Fil-A. Pictures. Surviving bridezilla's wedding weekend. Getting IRB approval for my thesis survey..... all that jazz.
But for tonight, that's all I've got.
XOXO,
Mrs. Jones
Same as I said on Twitter, think about what's most important and BE PICKY.
ReplyDeleteI love our house, but since we cook so much, I should have been more selective about kitchen size. Instead, I just said "it must have a window in the kitchen." And our kitchen is teensy.
I also should have thought through having 3 pets and mostly carpet. Not ideal.
Lots of things when you invest in that place where you know you'll stay... be sure your list is realistic and do NOT be afraid to keep looking till you find exactly what you're looking for. If you don't, you'll end up wishing you did.
That said, owning your own place is amazing. There's this sense of pride that I never had renting, and even when we have to fix things, after it's all said and done, I'm so glad it's our to fix.
Have fun with it, but never settle.
All that advice... not even necessary though. I know you'll be great and get exactly what is perfect for you!!
I have no advice, as I'm not a homeowner. But I am so sick of apartment living and I'm so excited for you!
ReplyDeleteI hope you find your dream home!!!
Dont be in a hurry, look at everything...even stuff you dont like. That helped us solidify what we did like. NEGOTIATE and dont be afraid to walk away. Comer and I set a price that we would walk away at. This was hard for me as I loved the house, but eventually the owner wanted to sell it so they met us. We did start our negotiations a lower, expeciting to come up some. Also, we negotiated in our contract for them to leave the washer, dryer and refridgerator. Lots can be negotiated and just remember that. The house filled up faster than we thought! We have been in it for just over a year and now with baby #1 on the way it seems tight! We plan on staying there for another few years, but be realistic about the space you will need. Lastly, we did all of our budgeting as if we were a one income family. Of course we both work, but we didnt want to be pinched for cash due to a large home mortgage. It has worked great for us and the extra money we have used to upgrade stuff on the house or purchase stuff we otherwise may not have been able to (china hutch, shipping of a baby grand piano, a fence put in, screened porch, etc.) Not saying you have to do it this way as it is the conservative way to go, but the bank people tell you you can afford WAY more than you may be comfortable with (like 1/3 of yalls take home)...that said, we did it only on one and then we went from there. Sorry this got really long really fast! Let me know if you have questions!
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