House lust

I've spent the last few weeks oogling local houses for sale. Why? I don't know. Maybe boredom. Maybe indigestion. Definitely some kind of restlessness. Our home really is the perfect home for us right now...with two exceptions. The first is a total first world problem...we'd really like a second bathroom. I know the few generations before us lived with one bathroom, and it wasn't that many generations ago that outhouses and the like were the norm. But I would enjoy being able to use the biffy without a little one deciding they need to use it at the exact same time. Again, I know it's totally a problem of an affluent world. A matter of convenience, not necessity.

Maybe we'll just add a bathroom...

The other issue is the street we live on. When people find out where we live they have one of two responses. Response one: "Oh, the street with no stop signs so you can drive fast." (Sidenote, there are also no sidewalks but lots of pedestrian traffic). Response two: "You live WHERE??" Apparently our neighborhood doesn't have the best reputation. I can honestly say we haven't experienced any "problems", but with a large number of rental units in the area the neighbors can change quickly.

So I think I've let issue #2 get to me way too much. Like I said, we've had no problems, but we also feel the desire to move to a less busy street. And, if I'm honest, a more aesthetically pleasing area. When we bought this house apparently we ignored the #1 rule of real estate...location, location, location.

Our home in 2008. Isn't she cute?

For about two weeks we've been looking at houses. And we have two main things on our list: a second bathroom and a better location. But then as we began to look at home the unspoken expectations came with it: a nice kitchen, a big backyard, a sunroom, plenty of space for all of us to do our own thing...and then I realize how much the conspicuous consumption of our culture has influenced our wants and needs. The average size of family home has grown along with the number of amenities...and so many of them feel like needs. We NEED a bathroom and bedroom for each person. We NEED a three car attached garage. We NEED ample green space outside. We NEED...the only real need is a roof over our head, locks on the door, and a decent heating and cooling system. Everything else falls into want. And trust me, I fall prey to being consumed by a lot of wants.

Even though we know most of our desire to move falls into the "want" category, we decided to put our house up for sale. If it sells, great. We have several houses in mind that would be within our price range (don't worry, we aren't going McMansion just because we are debt free in all other areas). All of them meet our primary objectives...a safer neighborhood and a second potty. Many of them even meet many of our wants. If our house doesn't sell, we really are content to stay here and are blessed beyond measure regardless of where we live. Above all we want a home that is safe and loving for our kids, open and inviting for guests, and a place to make memories. I know all of the important things have a lot more to do with the hearts of the people in the house and not the contents within the four walls or the name of the street outside.

Blessed beyond measure

Last night the four of us were snuggling on the couch watching some cartoon. I had a gloriously content moment of "this is all I need".