I love being a homeowner. Sure, there are definitely downsides (I REALLY miss just being able to call the handyman when something breaks and having it taken care of for me), but owning our house is great because it’s OURS!

When we bought our house, we bought a starter home. We didn’t have a ton of money, and we didn’t want to overextend ourselves, so we figured we’d spend a few years here and then upgrade. But, the economy had other ideas, and a few months after we closed on our house, it and the housing market went downhill.

While we don’t have as much space as we would like (to have a second child), we’re happy with where we are. I hate cleaning, so it’s nice not having a large house to take care of, and we are planning to close in our carport and turn that into a family room/playroom, hopefully within the next year. This is just another benefit to owning our home – we can renovate!

I’m hoping that when we add on, the value of our house will increase so we won’t lose as much as we would now if we tried to sell. I would love to buy a bigger house in the next five years or so or, even better, have a house built for us! The benefit of that? Getting everything we want in a house! I’ve already started my list for house #2 – lots of closets (we have one per bedroom now), an open floor plan, a large kitchen with an island and granite countertops, a separate dining room, three bedrooms, a playroom and a family room. I’d also love a fenced-in backyard, and maybe even a pool!

What are or were your must-haves in a home? Share them with us in the comments!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.