Mark42
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2003
- Messages
- 9,334
As a kid, my parents went through a few houses by the time I was 11 or so. They have lived in that last house since 1969. It will be a sad day for me and my siblings when they sell and move to a retirement home.
I went through a few houses before the one I live in now. I was fortunate enough to be able to have my current house custom built. I found a builder who did typical colonial houses, and gave him plans for my house. An architect approved the plans, and the house was built. I cut a lot of corners to afford the house, such as sheet vinyl on the kitchen and other floors, carpet everywhere else. Low cost bath fixtures and lighting fixtures throughout. Before the sheet rock went up, I was in the house running cat-5 cable and extra electric circuits and modifying the existing ones after the builder went home, hoping no one would notice, because I couldn't afford the estimates on what I wanted. (if they did notice, they didn't say). This was in 1992. I figured I could upgrade all the cheap stuff later..... (turns out much later.... LOL!)
I still live in that same center hall colonial today. Bathrooms have been made over, even removing the floor tile, counters, sinks, toilet, everything but the tub (which was an area that $$$/quality was specified).
The house has slowly evolved, now all the carpet has been replaced with hard wood flooring on the 1st floor, all vinyl sheet floor is now high grade tile, cheap bath fixtures are now high end products, the basement is finished off and the yard has trees.
My oldest was 6 (now 20) when I married his mother in 1998, and since we had two more children now 7 and 11. This weekend I finished the hard wood floor install on the 1st floor. Jamie helped me move all the furniture and piano back where it belonged before running back to college. Couldn't have done it without his help. He commented how much the house changed since he was a kid. Nice to hear.
Enough of the back ground, now the point of the post....
My 11 year old daughter was watching TV with me and after a real-estate ad played, she asked "why would you ever sell this house, Papi?". I said if work ever moved, or I lost my job, or some other less likely events happened, I would have to sell and buy a less expensive place to live.
She thought about it, and said "You and Mom will always live here." as if that was the end of the conversation. Enough said, I am not ever to sell the house. LOL!
Got me to thinking.... The two youngest have lived in this house their entire life (unlike my childhood) and the oldest has lived here about 2/3rds of his life. They watched project after project change the house. Amber even remembers helping paint walls and helping lay floor tiles even though she was only 5 or 6 at the time. She even knows where she painted and can point out the exact walls if you ask (and she is correct).
I wonder how they will be affected when wife and me decide to move to lower cost living. The kids will be older and in or post college. I just wonder if living in the same home all these years will shake their foundations when Mom and I move.
Can you relate? Have you gone through this scenario already?
Mark.
I went through a few houses before the one I live in now. I was fortunate enough to be able to have my current house custom built. I found a builder who did typical colonial houses, and gave him plans for my house. An architect approved the plans, and the house was built. I cut a lot of corners to afford the house, such as sheet vinyl on the kitchen and other floors, carpet everywhere else. Low cost bath fixtures and lighting fixtures throughout. Before the sheet rock went up, I was in the house running cat-5 cable and extra electric circuits and modifying the existing ones after the builder went home, hoping no one would notice, because I couldn't afford the estimates on what I wanted. (if they did notice, they didn't say). This was in 1992. I figured I could upgrade all the cheap stuff later..... (turns out much later.... LOL!)
I still live in that same center hall colonial today. Bathrooms have been made over, even removing the floor tile, counters, sinks, toilet, everything but the tub (which was an area that $$$/quality was specified).
The house has slowly evolved, now all the carpet has been replaced with hard wood flooring on the 1st floor, all vinyl sheet floor is now high grade tile, cheap bath fixtures are now high end products, the basement is finished off and the yard has trees.
My oldest was 6 (now 20) when I married his mother in 1998, and since we had two more children now 7 and 11. This weekend I finished the hard wood floor install on the 1st floor. Jamie helped me move all the furniture and piano back where it belonged before running back to college. Couldn't have done it without his help. He commented how much the house changed since he was a kid. Nice to hear.
Enough of the back ground, now the point of the post....
My 11 year old daughter was watching TV with me and after a real-estate ad played, she asked "why would you ever sell this house, Papi?". I said if work ever moved, or I lost my job, or some other less likely events happened, I would have to sell and buy a less expensive place to live.
She thought about it, and said "You and Mom will always live here." as if that was the end of the conversation. Enough said, I am not ever to sell the house. LOL!
Got me to thinking.... The two youngest have lived in this house their entire life (unlike my childhood) and the oldest has lived here about 2/3rds of his life. They watched project after project change the house. Amber even remembers helping paint walls and helping lay floor tiles even though she was only 5 or 6 at the time. She even knows where she painted and can point out the exact walls if you ask (and she is correct).
I wonder how they will be affected when wife and me decide to move to lower cost living. The kids will be older and in or post college. I just wonder if living in the same home all these years will shake their foundations when Mom and I move.
Can you relate? Have you gone through this scenario already?
Mark.
