Owning it
gimme those keys!
After years of renting (approximately 15), I’m getting used to the idea of being in a single family home that we actually own and where we don’t share walls or ceilings/floors. We were the type of tenants landlords could only dream of. We treated each place like our own, notified them right away of any issues that could have turned into bigger (more expensive) issues, and didn’t cause any damage. Now, the freedom of being in a home we own is amazing, as well as an adjustment for daily life.
Such as:
There’s something special about being able to belt out whatever song pops into your head without wondering who can maybe hear how horrible it sounds.
Being able to go up and down stairs a few times without thinking your neighbors might be wondering why you’re on the stairs so much. It’s also nice to not hear anyone else going up/down stairs.
Also music-related: Being able to play music at whatever level and have a dance party without worrying about anyone else caring or seeing..
We can paint walls whatever color we want, whenever we want!
I can’t smell the cuisine our neighbors are cooking and it doesn’t linger in the stairwells for days.
Shopping for home decor/furniture like the perfect bookshelves, that coveted chair next to the fireplace or suitable study tables is much more important now, because it’s going to be around a lot longer, and won’t have to be moved by movers, increasing the risk of damage.
If/when Owen is screaming in the middle of the night, I won’t feel soooo rushed to quiet him in case a neighbor complains/shoots me dirty looks when they see me next.
Not hearing parties in the street at all hours. Although I did think the Diwali celebrations in our Jersey neighborhood were quite beautiful. So, I’m mainly talking about random drunk folk passing through.
Not sharing garage walls with a neighbor who thinks it’s OK to work on their car with lots of stinky fumes in their garage.
Not sharing walls with cigarette smokers.
Those are what I’ve noticed so far…and so far…it’s glorious.