![Kendall On Homeownership](https://thesaltyexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cccd1bee-1f99-42d4-a86a-3d888fdcc195.png?w=720)
Home ownership: It’s a necessary, wonderful, complicated evil and blessing. When Issy and I moved back to the United States we considered the “where” really heavily. Could we afford a house in Seattle? Sure… but that’s about all we could ever and would ever be able to pay for. There would be no savings and bills would be tight. Extras would be non-existent. We could move to Texas (where my husband is from). The cost of living was great. But I hate heat. So, we started thinking. A few years ago my sister and her husband moved to Vermont. I had been once. I REALLY liked it. Being near my sister would be great and the cost of buying a house looked pretty fair. It was a win/win.
Vermont is a lovely place to call home. We love the clean air, the green mountains, the maple (oh, the maple), and the quietness of the state. Unfortunately, we have super high property taxes here in Chittenden County. Chittenden County is home to some of the most populated areas in the state. Thus, the property taxes are highest here. We also live up on a massive ledge that can’t really be broken down to make way for natural gas (a money saver) so instead, we have propane ($$$). Our previous sellers put solar panels on the roof which we love and ultimately save a bit of money while also trying to help the environment. The house was in great condition so outside of painting a few of the rooms to suit our tastes, we haven’t had to worry about many updates or fixes out of the norm. Paradise, right?
Sort of. About 80% paradise. What is really hard for Issy and I is our yard. We are not yard people. We did not own yard tools. If you are buying a home and don’t have yard stuff, be prepared to invest. Sure, some stuff you can get at reasonable prices, but other stuff you do have to be prepared to open the wallet for often and to drop some serious cash. We inherited a beautiful and massively flower packed yard. It’s truly beautiful. But we hate the upkeep. With a 23 month old, I don’t have the time to get out in the yard every day by myself. I also don’t know what I am doing a lot of. I have to keep my phone on me when I am gardening so that I can google everything from what flower I am looking at to how to care for said flower. Also, it’s costly to maintain not just in hours but in acquiring the right tools in which to care for all the plants and maintain the garden so it doesn’t get out of hand. These are the times when I wish I could have the landlord sort the maintenance and care of this stuff. Instead, my husband needs to go buy an electric hedge trimmer this weekend so that we can start taking plants down in preparation for winter… something that will require a babysitter for Rosemary so that both Issy and I can get in the yard together.
It’s the random costs that incur over time that make you miss your renting days. The plumber here, the electrician there, and the general handyman this week. While most fixes tend to be reasonable, it is still a chunk of money out of your budget. The blinds in our bedroom and the dining room need to be replaced. Blinds ain’t cheap y’all. Our roof probably needs to be re-done in about a year or two ($$$$$$$). That scares me. These are the thing about owning a home that stress me out but also make me super determined. I want to care for our house as best as we can. If we put off projects for too long it will end up costing us more in the long term. Being smart about when and how to invest funds for household repairs, issues, and general savings for when sh%# hits the fan is important. It’s also easier said than done.
We don’t have a massive amount of money put away to take care of these things. What we have is a priority list that we try to stay pretty true to. We also have a great network of people that have great recommendations of people and places to go to when things come up. If you are buying a house, I cannot stress how important it is to get references (multiple) from friends and family for a handyman, painter, electrician, plumber, etc. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Make sure you know what the average charges are so that you can do a comparison analysis. In addition, you want people of good character! These people are coming into your home, sometimes often! You need to be able to trust them. Trust is worth everything- including that final bill. If you are able to do a lot of fixes yourself (ves), good for you! I envy that!
Bottom line: I love my house. I love my neighborhood. I love that we are building a home here for more than just three years (the norm for active duty servicemembers and their families- this used to be us). This will be HOME. For at least a while. It’s worth the investment even though sometimes it freaks me out (I am looking at you, property tax bill!). Are you looking for a house? Take your time, be picky, and have some imagination! It’s hard to walk into someone else’s house and envision your life there… imagination is key!