There was a comment yesterday that we would not want to move with us doing all this work to the house and it got me thinking about the pros and con's of this house and what we will and will not miss when we move. Notice I say when and not if!! When we decided to put the house up for sale it was not a spur of the moment thing but something we thought long and hard about.
We will really miss this house of that there is no doubt, but like with every house it has it's pros and con's. So for fun I thought I would list some of them.
PROS:
The views, they are million dollar views.
The sunsets and sunrises, again priceless.
The wildlife, especially the birds.
The horses in the paddock behind us.
The neighbours, we have such good neighbours that we know we can turn to if we need them.
Not having those neighbours breathing over your shoulder every hour of every day.
The style of house.
The wood fire, nothing better than standing in front of it warming your butt!!
The land, owning 5 acres, never thought we would ever do that.
The layout, it fits our style of living perfectly.
Love the area we live in.
Good commuting for dh.
CON'S:
The wind, we are in such an exposed area that the wind just howls and covers the driveway in snow!
The long driveway, is a pain in the butt to clean off when it snows.
The upkeep of a century home; and there are still more renovations to do.
The oil bill to keep this place heated, especially in the dead of winter. Last month's oil bill over $500 and we only have the thermostat set at 18 oC/64.4 oF.
The delivery charges for the hydro/electricity are crazy, last month we paid close to $90 just for the delivery charges.
Looking after five acres of grass/garden, not a five minute job.
The wood fire, is a dirty dusty thing to have, no matter how careful you are when you clean out the ashes.
The size of the house, we don't need all the rooms, so a smaller house would suit us just fine.
Ill health is the major thing that is driving us to move house. We can live with all the pros and con's; but when the mind is willing but the body ain't it's time to do something about it.
Will we miss this house, absolutely, but there is more to life than constant renovations and working around the house. It's time dh took some time out to relax and if he can maybe take up golf again. He has a problem with his rotator cuff and there could be a tear, an MRI has been ordered, so another reason he has to relax!!
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15 comments:
I feel your pain. I love your house and I would be loath to give it up, but the yard work alone is a killer. I live my house and we have this huge yard and huge 7 car driveway, it is so much work to keep up. Endless work. Now I love to work, but our bodies are wearing down.
I can totally relate, I ove our home but the constant maintenance is a killer. Unfortunately our business is here so the decision to sell would mean relocating our business as well so for now we are staying. But I do dream of a home on a smaller block.
I could have written this...we are dealing with the exact situation!!!!
One difference is that it's my childhood home...huge emotional strings......really hard....
I hear you Gill, Rob and I are getting to be the same way. Since I was struck with illness 5 years ago, I can far from keep up with a house our size. A one floor bungalow like we built in Waterloo would suite me just fine again (not that I like this house from the first place, it was all avail at the time we bought with 11 horses 11 years ago). Something more suitable will give you both more time to enjoy other things now such as your wonderful granddaughters. x
Pros and Cons with every decision, but you got to do what you got to do. I wish we had a smaller house myself, but looks like #1 son will be with us for a long time!
Deb
Gill,
It is nice to do the pro's and con's list. I do that a lot when I have hard decisions to finalize. Sounds as if you have made the right choice at this point in your lives. I do hope your house sells fast. Will you still be looking around close to the area you are in now? Or closer to your daughter and son?
Good luck on finding the perfect home for you and hubby.
That is exactly why we moved eight years ago. We have never lived rurally but the house we were in was getting old -- not quaint, historic old, just old -- and needed a number of things done to it. The neighborhood was disintegrating so we bought a new construction house in a small neighborhood. We pay HOA dues which was new to us but they cut the yards -- something my asthmatic husband really likes. The house is all brick and built for "empty nesters" so it is full of easy care features. Some I don't like so much but it is a trade off. I can understand your need to move. I would like to move closer to our children but I have been told that isn't going to happen so I am happy here in my "garden" home and glad for it. You will be happier not being a slave to home improvement.
I hear you!!!
Jane x
My husband I have bad health, and have greatly downsized. We miss many things but all in all, we know we are much better off now. Hope you find just the right place to allow you some rest and recreation.
I'm at the same point with my house. Same issues too. I have emotional attachments to my house. My first husband and I built this house entirely by hand, OUR OWN HANDS. The trees that gave us the wood came off this land. My second husband died while we were living in this house. He had just finished totally renovating it the summer before he died. But it's too much now. I can't afford to keep it up or heat it anymore.
It sounds like you've definitely made the right choice, Gill! :) Hope buying & selling a home is fast & relatively painless for you!!
Well, you have thought it through so you must be doing the right thing. The upkeep and heating bills really do sound horrendous. But, on the other hand, it truly is a lovely house.
I always say a person knows when it is time to make a change. You'll have some wonderful memories and now you'll be able to make more wonderful memories in a new home. All the best in selling it Gill, it will be ready and waiting for someone else to give it tender loving care just like you and hubby have done all this time. The place looks marvelous.
I hope you didn't think I was being critical when I said I bet you would miss the place. I think with any place there are pros and cons...we just have a little lot and small house, and I wonder how long we will be healthy enough to take care of everything.
The cons, in this case, must outweigh the pros.
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