Walking the Talk

Mack and I have been looking at a lot of houses recently in our quest to leave the world of renting behind.  We each have our list of wants/needs that seem relatively harmless and do-able.  Mack wants a room for a man cave and a nice sized yard.  I want a big basement to set up my soap lab and a place to contain all of my DIM (do it myself) projects.  Relatively simple wants.

On this house hunting adventure we have also come to the realization that his idea of a livable house and my idea of a livable house are drastically different.  By livable, I do not necessarily mean square footage, although we have come to the realization that less is more in that aspect.

By "livable" I mean the amount of work that must be done either before we move the first box in and also the amount of work that must be done after we've moved in. I'm entirely comfortable with the idea of a space heater, a grill, and a source of running water. I am also a bit of a visionary when it comes to rooms that need more than a coat of paint. I can see potential in pretty much any house.

Mack's idea of livable leans more toward the "things that I would eventually change but not really in the foreseeable future". He does not want to live in a construction zone for an indeterminable amount of time. The sheer idea of "have to do" seems a daunting aspect while the idea of "want to do" seems much more manageable.

We're learning quite a bit about each other through this whole house hunting adventure. It has definitely opened our eyes to each other's comfort levels and also allowed for a deeper understanding of one another and ourselves in many respects.

I've ascertained and accepted that Mack is never going to have the desire to gut an entire house and/or rewire it.  Not that this is necessarily high on my list of things I want to do, but the idea would not deter me from buying a house.  This is definitely outside of his comfort zone however, and I am learning to accept and even respect this.

Mack has learned that there is very little that would deter me from purchasing a house.  That is, other than the cost factor.  I see a bargain in a fixer upper and the potential for any diamond in the rough.  Then it takes a bit of prodding from my husband to remind me there will be the cost of putting a new roof on within two years and that certain windows are going to need to be replaced immediately.  At that precise moment the light will go out in my eyes and I will start Googling all manner of calculators to determine what a roof may cost for a house.  I've learned a fixer upper may not be economically feasible in the long run.  Mack has now learned to lead with the major repair costs as a deterrent to that light in my eyes.  I need a good smack now and again (figuratively) so it's all good.

Up until the past couple of days, we've been looking at the square footage of a house as the main focal point.  Then we definitely had a palm to face moment when we realized we could have everything we wanted/needed if we thought smaller.  I could still have the charm of an older home with a basement.  He could still have a nice sized yard and a man cave.  We could also have a great roof and upgraded wiring if we were willing to give up a bit of square footage. 

What is the first R in those three R's that appeal to me so much? Reduce!  Aha! Now here is a major opportunity to let that first R come majorly into play.  Seriously, I think it's time to start walking the talk. 

The best part about thinking small?  We've already found a house we both agree on! Stay tuned :)