Staying Put

So, after MUCH debate we are about 99% sure we're actually going to....stay in our house and renovate it. This was NOT in my life plan! We bought the house almost 7 years ago, and my plan was to stay for 5 years, then move on to something bigger and better. If you've read this blog before, you'll know that I started to work on fixing up the house in order to sell it. The major stuff (plumbing, electric, new furnace, new water tank, new appliances) we did when we moved in, which I'm thankful about.

My plan for this year was to repaint all of my funky walls to a more stage-friendly neutral, dress up the basement a bit, and generally put a fresh coat of lipstick on my 102 year old house. There are so many little issues in a house that you know need fixing, but you either turn a blind eye to, or just get used to. I was going to fix those, sell the house, and move to a bigger place closer to work. This has been my goal for SEVEN YEARS. I have had brief moments of doubt (see this post) but was really pretty solid on my plan.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I thought about the realities of the market and about finances. (Boooo-urns! Reality is a bitch.) If we were to sell our house, we would definitely make a good deal of money on it. It's value has grown a lot since we purchased it, and it's a sellers market. Which would be great if we didn't need to buy another house. Another house that would be more expensive and in an area that's more highly taxed. Of course I realized this when I was planning my big move, but I was prepared to deal with the expenses.

Recently, though, I started thinking about how great I have it. My husband and I are dual income, no kids, car-free and in a house that we can afford. We're not close to wealthy, but in the long run, we'll be far better off financially if we stay here. Which means I can keep the lifestyle I like ie. working 4 days a week instead of 5, travelling, and spoiling myself and my loved ones.

It was a hard choice to make, as I had to reconcile what I want with what I can comfortably have, but hey, this is like, the second most responsible decision I've ever made! (The first was to stop dating musicians.)

There's a lot more to share, like about how on earth I'm gonna make this place really work for us, and of course I'm scheming away and have come up with lots of ideas, but more on that next time.

Hey, wanna see my bathroom? It's finally done!* (*Wellll, I still need to install the new light fixture.)
But, whoa, is it ever different.

My new bathroom floor (Allure planks, available through special order at Home Depot.)
This colour is called white, but is clearly grey.

All done! My Lillangen sink and upper cabinet are from IKEA.