…but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take pride in it.
Last month I admitted to having house envy. It was not one of my finest moments and I was a little embarrassed to admit to it, but it was a very real, honest emotion.
After writing, I kept thinking about our home and all of the wonderful things that I do love about it. My husband and I are proud of our home and all of the improvements we have made to it, many of which we took on ourselves…well maybe a little help from my dad too. We have also paid CASH for every single one of our home-improvements. I am not just talking about re-painting either. In the nine years since we bought our house, we have gutted and installed a brand new kitchen, renovated our full bath, replaced a 35 year old sun room, added a 500 square foot patio, and replaced a dilapidated shed.
After a lot of thought, I realized my problem with house envy wasn’t my home; the problem was me, all of my stuff and the cluttered, piled up spots around our home. We don’t have the space for a mud room, a play room or a second full bathroom, but we have an over-stuffed garage, a piled high basement and a cluttered bathroom. These tough spots might just need to be re-purposed. They just aren’t working out in their current capacity. We need to re-think how we use a particular space.
That brings me to a new series: Tackle That Tough Spot.
That picture is scary, isn’t it?? That is a closet in our basement. Not a very good use of space.
I have identified several ‘tough spots’ in our home that need tackled. Starting next Thursday, January 14th, I will tackle our first tough spot: our garage/mud room/pantry disaster area. I will post before and after pictures of the area and the solutions that we came up with.
We might not live in a 3000+ square foot home and all of the amenities that come with that size, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take pride in our home and all that we have accomplished.
A home can be the biggest expense a family has and we are very blessed to have the home that we do.
Join me next Thursday, January 14th, when I tackle our garage/mud room/pantry disaster and see what transpires.
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This post is linked to:
- Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things
Good luck! My garage looks like your picture, are you sure you weren’t at my house?!? I will be trying to gain and re-purpose our space too! I look forward to seeing your transformations!
i just tackled our basement “tough spot” that was full of stored kids clothes. my schoolroom and playroom are always tough spots in our house. i really need to figure out something…thanks for the encouragement!
From time to time, I have house envy as well. But, as you discovered, for me it is more about having a tranquil home instead of tons of clutter. I am a piler. My goal is find a place of everything and to stop making piles of things that I am not sure where to put.
I love our home and want to enjoy it! So, I will continue to work on decluttering. Thanks for the inspiration!
I sometimes get “house envy” too, but am quickly reminded of the blessings of our home when I keep it neat and clean.
Wow! You have a basement!
🙂
Basements are almost non-existant here, as are attics, crawl spaces, and storage space (most homes here have vaulted ceilings).
I think you’ll find a TON of space and it will be fantastic!
I am also going to declutter. I blogged about it today. You can read about it at gracethattransforms.blogspot.com/2010/01/getting-it-together.html.
I can’t wait to see what you are working on next!