It’s been a little more than three months since I bought my house.
It’s been a lot of work. And a lot of money. I most definitely bought a fixer-upper. I can do some stuff, but some of the stuff that needed fixed is beyond my abilities. So … moola.
But a friend asked me the other day if I was enjoying it. I think when folks ask me about it, I go into my laundry list of projects. And some may come away with the idea that the house is a grind.
I have mixed feelings about that the question. Mostly, I’m existing in the house in the same way I would have in my apartment. Though I never felt empowered to fix the things that bugged me about the apartment. And I never painted, knowing I wouldn’t be there forever and not wanting to have to deal with the hassle of painting it back to beige.
So I’m definitely enjoying the ability to creatively express myself in my new home. Inside I have a lot more room to structure things the way I want. My “living room” is really my workshop. It’s where I do my paid job, but also where I create my arts and crafts. My “guest room” can be that. I put in a Murphy bed so guests can stay. But it’s also my mindfulness room, where I read books, write in my journal, meditate, read tarot, and practice yoga. I also have a “dining room” which can also be used for that, but I tend to like to take my coffee there and read while watching the birds at my feeder outside.
I’m also enjoying my yard. I love sitting outside with a brew and a book. I love my firepit so much. I’ve only used it a couple of times, but I love having it there and knowing I could have a fire any time I like.
I have artsy plans for the yard too. A couple of years ago, I attended a meditation retreat in Sarasota at the Kadampa Meditation Center. It was over a long weekend, and I stayed at the Center for two nights. I’d never done anything like that, and it was wonderful. They had a garden with a walking path. As you walked along the path, you would see little figurines peeking out at you. I loved that idea, and so I’m looking for little friends I can incorporate to my landscape to be a welcome surprise to me and those who see them. I’ve already got a few in the backyard. (I need to get better pictures.)
Admittedly, I’ve also enjoyed being outside and doing yard work. Thus far I removed the front fence that was rotted out. It was a lot of work to pull the thing down and tear it into smaller pieces. I already have an idea for a replacement fence, that will also be away to express my creativity. (I could leave it down, but I like the way it looks with it.)
I also build handrails for my front and back door/steps. My insurance company mandated it. I’m pretty sure I saved money on labor. And I got a couple of cute, artsy pots to act as the anchor by my front door. That was a fun project that I’m proud of.
Soon I’ll build my archery backstop, so I can shoot archery in my backyard. I got pallets to build it. I’m painting it, partially to help protect the wood. But also, because it’s fun. I had some spray paint and regular house/wall paint left over from past projects. It’s been a great way to use that. Definitely some color combinations I wouldn’t necessarily have tried. The below are works in process. The full archery backstop will have two rows each with three pallets, so that it will be eight feet tall. It’ll end up being about the same wide. From some research I did, eight feet tall is the recommendation. I also wanted to go wide, just in case. I live in an urban setting, and I don’t want any arrows to go astray. I might even put a “roof” on it, to keep them from bouncing out.
My chain-link fence is down behind where this will go, so that’s a project I’ll need to do first. I spent part of yesterday cutting the plants out from the fence so it will be easier to push/pull up. A friend should be coming Monday to help me out with that.
I have an arborist coming to take down some dead limbs and Brazilian pepper in my back yard. Since I know what it looks like now, there’s a couple of other Brazilian pepper trees I could take down myself. So that will be a project. I’ll get to use a chainsaw for that! (If you didn’t read that as glee, go back and read it again!) I’ll also likely be planting some things to take the place of the Brazilian pepper.
I was super excited when my new electric mower arrived a few weeks ago. When I moved I wanted a reel mower, and a friend ended up gifting me one. I gave it the old college try for a few months. I can do it, but it was taking me too long. And wearing me out too much. The new mower is saving me a lot of hours. And the reel mower went to the St. Pete Youth Farm!
Along with these, folks have to or will come soon to:
- put a shroud over the duct work leading from the HVAC under the house
- close up the house so critters can’t get in and trap to make sure they are out
- put insulation in the attic
- level out the foundation of the house
- clear out the Brazilian pepper that is hanging over the cable lines in two places, as well as other Brazilian pepper because it sucks, and trim my laurel oak to help it manage its weight distribution better
After all of that is done, I think I can take a break for awhile. And honestly, I’ll have to. The money shall be tighter when those tasks are done. Especially the foundation thing. (I knew about it when I bought it. Mostly it’s normal house settling. I’m just choosing to fix it.)
Anyhoo. I guess with this post, I’m counting my blessings. And trying to explain that when folks ask about my house and start I listing my projects, it’s me being pleased with it. Partially I think it’s a weird question, because I’m just living here. Existing. But when I really think about it, it does feel different than renting somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on it. So I guess I’m exploring that difference that I can’t quite explain. And I’m enjoying building my happy home.