I feel the need to tell you a little bit about my house. This is because, from the moment I bought it I've felt like I could write a book about all it's quirks and what it has taught me. This is my first home. It is a cottage-style home was built in 1923. It's about 970 square feet, which doesn't include the basement (which is unfinished).
I bought it in 2007. Previously, it had been owned by many families. My paperwork included the original documents from the United States Government when it sold the land to it's first buyer!
The man before me owned the home for 25 years. He raised his family here. My neighbors told me it took him 3 years to migrate all this belongings to his new home before putting it on the market. After selling it to me, he told my neighbors that he had 'seller's remorse'...he loved this house. He tried to keep it in the family by selling it to his son. His son wanted it for free. No dice I guess...and it was put on the market.
It was on the market for 4 months before I bought it.
I need to confess why I went house shopping. I lived in a beautiful apartment in Minnetonka with my boyfriend at the time. I had a psychic reading & she said I needed to buy a house this year (2007) and I needed to do it alone. She emphasized this. She said "make sure you do this alone, this is going to be YOUR home, and make sure you can afford it on your own. Only your name should be on the mortgage". I thought buying a house was no big deal. I shopped with a friend who was a realtor and toured my house about 2 weeks into the process.
I walked it, I loved it. It was so cute, funky and me. I put an offer on it that day. Fast forward 1 mortgage meeting melt-down later (due to realtor errors in paperwork) and I have my first home.
I need to confess why I went house shopping. I lived in a beautiful apartment in Minnetonka with my boyfriend at the time. I had a psychic reading & she said I needed to buy a house this year (2007) and I needed to do it alone. She emphasized this. She said "make sure you do this alone, this is going to be YOUR home, and make sure you can afford it on your own. Only your name should be on the mortgage". I thought buying a house was no big deal. I shopped with a friend who was a realtor and toured my house about 2 weeks into the process.
I walked it, I loved it. It was so cute, funky and me. I put an offer on it that day. Fast forward 1 mortgage meeting melt-down later (due to realtor errors in paperwork) and I have my first home.
My house has quirks:
(hang in there, there's a lot to list...)
-It is almost completely insulated with newspaper.
-Lead paint was used in the patio floor. I fixed it.
-There is no central air. Just a little window unit.
-part of my backyard causes a leak into my basement.
-There is a horse tie-up in my backyard from the olden days.
-The tree in my front yard shades 1/2 of my entire house and 1/3 of the neighbors. It has to be about 100+ years at least.
-Lead paint was used in the patio floor. I fixed it.
-There is no central air. Just a little window unit.
-part of my backyard causes a leak into my basement.
-There is a horse tie-up in my backyard from the olden days.
-The tree in my front yard shades 1/2 of my entire house and 1/3 of the neighbors. It has to be about 100+ years at least.
-there is a sauna in the basement. it was built with the house, it works.
-there is a random room down in the basement, which looks like an old pantry.
-you can microwave something and run another appliance in my kitchen. the circuit blows.
-5/10 the circuit blows when you use the microwave, no matter what else is on. It's terribly annoying/inconvenient. My fingers are always crossed!
-my house is heater by a boiler. old school.
-there is a random room down in the basement, which looks like an old pantry.
-you can microwave something and run another appliance in my kitchen. the circuit blows.
-5/10 the circuit blows when you use the microwave, no matter what else is on. It's terribly annoying/inconvenient. My fingers are always crossed!
-my house is heater by a boiler. old school.
-the boiler goes out each winter. currently, it's leaking. I add water to it every 2 days, and empty a full bucket that it leaks into. the heat is fine when i do these 2 things.
-i hit my head on my bedroom walls daily (see photos)
-i hit my head on my bedroom walls daily (see photos)
-my bedroom stairs are a 90 degree angle with the floor, which are old attic stairs.
each person who has ever taken them says "Wow, I would die on these stairs if I were drunk". Yes, you would.
I've come to learn how to love my house and it's quirks. They make for great stories and they try my patience. I have no patience, so I'm guessing the moments of frustration are lessons.
Because of my house, I've learned to:
-be independent.
-shovel.
-shovel.
-replace front lawn w/ flagstaff rocks that don't need to be watered=less work
-appreciate attached garages -because mines not
-garden
-be a neighbor and appreciate when someone is a good neighbor to me.
-be comfortable being alone
-garden
-be a neighbor and appreciate when someone is a good neighbor to me.
-be comfortable being alone
-make more money... at least enough to cover the amount of my mortgage + bills each month...
-appreciate the value of a home
-appreciate the value of a home
-give advice to others on 1st time home buying...because I made so many mistakes
-appreciate a nice, well-functioning home when I see one.
-value my step-dad Dave who helps me with each repair and idea. Thank God for you Dave!
-appreciate a nice, well-functioning home when I see one.
-value my step-dad Dave who helps me with each repair and idea. Thank God for you Dave!
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