Small House or Big House?: Having a Comfortable Home and an Investment for the Future | LOH #255

Hello, lovely Ladies of Hive! 💖 Hope you're having a wonderful week! ✨

This week's challenge question by @irenenavarroart brings up an interesting potential situation:

1️⃣ You've earned the money to buy a house, and you have two options. The first is a big, beautiful house, but one whose best years are behind it. It needs a lot of repairs and remodeling, and therefore its price is low. The second option is a small house. It's not as beautiful as the previous one, but you don't have to invest time or money in repairs so its price is much higher than the previous one. What do you choose? Are you on the "repair to my liking" team or the "buy everything ready and fast" team?

This question is fantastic because it highlights the essence of our true values. My response is based mostly on our family’s present situation. Our house is situated on a narrow street that separates two cities, in a noisy, flood-prone area. This leads to a lot of problems, such as complicated garbage collection and uneven law enforcement because each city don’t want to meddle with each other’s ordinances. More often, there are lots of vehicles mindlessly parking anywhere along the street and it’s noisy when the vehicles were jamming outside. We used to play badminton outside when I was young, but now, it’s not safe anymore. I really dream of having a place located somewhere peaceful and away from noise, whether it’s big or small.

But if I had to choose, I would definitely go with ‘repair to my liking,’ even though the big, beautiful house requires a lot of effort. Since I have the money for both options, getting the house for cheaper price let me have excess money go for repairs and remodeling.

Even though it's a massive project, it's a great long-term investment. A larger, older home probably occupies a sizable plot of ground, and as we all know, the value of land increases with time. Therefore, purchasing it while it's less expensive is still a win, despite the need for a total makeover.

But the flexibility to personalize is more valuable than the money. My family and I want a home that is genuinely a peaceful and comfortable sanctuary, and I believe that renovating it from the inside out is the best way to do that. I want to redesign it with a clean, minimalist, and beautiful approach, utilizing gray and white for the interior and walls. I want to keep the furniture simple because I find that many things or clutter lead to confusion and distractions. All I want is a place where we can unwind and feel completely at home.

In addition, since I intend to live with my mom, I plan to design a lovely garden and backyard for her so she won’t get bored. It would also be great to include a playground for kids or pets and a pool! 💖

This house is a long-term investment in our happiness and peace of mind, not just a dream house. I really wish I had the resources to fulfill this dream. Who knows, though? Perhaps there will be better opportunities in the future. For the time being, I'll keep saving and working hard until this dream might one day come true. Hope we can all afford our dream house and lot in the near future 🙏