First of all, I want to say that I love love LOVE having my own home. We’ve been there three months now, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I’m going to gush about it for just a bit so bear with me. Here are some (not all) of the things I love about our house.
The neighborhood. Quiet, well-kept, lots of trees, amazing location. We’re not even a minute from the major freeway that runs across Houston. So even though we’re far west, it doesn’t take much time to get into town.
The yard. We have a pretty corner lot that is already nicely landscaped with a working sprinkler system installed. With the help of our lawn man Gomez (his first name is yet to be determined) and his fat dog who waddles around after him, we keep it looking nice.
Garage. Detached, which was actually one of my top criteria for choosing a house. It’s big enough for our boat and two cars, with wall-to-wall peg board. We have yet to make use of said peg board, but we will!
Floors. Hardwood flooring throughout the front half of the house, and the perfect burber carpet in the hallway and bedrooms.
Layout. Lots of open space in the front, plenty of rooms, with the master bedroom all the way in the back for privacy. I especially like the cute little “nursery,” as we call it, that is attached to the master bedroom, even though right now it’s just my yoga room.
Kitchen. Updated countertops, sink, and appliances with a good amount of counter space.
It really is somewhere I could see myself living potentially for the rest of my life. But I’m new at this, and there are some adjustments. Here are some of the frustrations I’m experiencing that come along with owning a home.
Our continued lack of furniture. We have friends who have a license to buy furniture at cost, so we ordered from them. We are getting a lot of pieces for a good price. Unfortunately, the chairs we want are backordered, and unless we want to pay two freight charges (we don’t) we have to wait until EVERYTHING is in to get ANYTHING. We have been waiting for over a month and still we don’t even have an approximate arrival time. It is getting really old not to have a table of any kind other than TV trays. Also, I don’t feel that I can really start decorating until the furniture gets here and I see how it looks.
Leaky pipes. A few weeks ago we had a leak in our attic. I think I mentioned it – water literally pouring from the ceiling? Yeah. My father-in-law and a friend were able to patch up the leak, but eventually we will need to replace all of the pipes in the attic. Also, we now need to replace the drywall in the bathroom ceiling unless we want a colony of mold growing (we don’t). I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be cheap.
My dog’s newfound chewing habit. Two days ago I came home to find that my dog Cleo (I know it was her) had chewed up the corner of the windowsill in the front room. She and Eddie, David’s dog, usually stick to ripping up trash and scattering it around the house, or chewing holes in the socks he leaves on the floor, so this surprised me. Yesterday, she was at it again and now it is about half chewed. This is not pretty! And also, I have no idea how to fix it. Cayenne pepper? Fake wood and paint? No clue.
Choosing paint colors. I’d really like some new paint on the walls, and yes, I do plan on painting the wood paneling in our living room and the wood cabinets in the kitchen. Some people may not think that’s a good idea, but I like things bright. And we could paint at any time, because we actually have a good bit of money escrowed for paint from the sale of the house. But anytime I try to actually choose colors, I freeze up. What if the colors I choose end up looking horrible on the walls? I get so nervous thinking about it that I don’t do anything. I need a personal design coordinator. Anyone want to apply? I could pay you in Girl Scout Cookies.
Quirks. Every single door to the outside of our house (all four of them) has a different key. To unlock all of these doors from the inside, we have to have a key. Am I wrong, or could this be a fire hazard? Also, random electrical outlets aren’t working, including all of those in the master and hall bathrooms. I am blow-drying my hair in the hallway. I looked for the fuse box, but couldn’t find it. Admittedly, I am lost when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Whew. I think that’s it for now. Overall, the house is great, and I know that eventually we’ll get it fixed up. It’s just hard to learn all the stuff I need to learn about upkeep and repairs and decor. But I’ll get there.
