I’m a big fan of Lynn Miller’s Power of Enough book and thoughts. They’re relevant.
Just the other week I walked a friend through our house, describing the many grandiose dreams I have for the place: a balcony in front that wraps around to patio doors on the east side of our second-story guest room, a second-story hallway spanning a breezeway between the house and a two-car garage with a bedroom or studio above, a relocated kitchen, a compacted downstairs bathroom to make way for a coat closet…and I suppose there was more, too, like painted walls and nice floors.
But I’m not so sure those things will be done in the near-sighted future. See, while the depressed housing market made it possible for us to purchase this house, it also very unfortunately caused our previous townhouse investment to turn into spongy, cash-absorbing nothingness that is now–thanks to the goodness of note holders willing to take it all back–not ours to worry about anymore. We may be cashlessened, but at least we’re not stressed.
So I’ve realized something over the past months of projects dreaming: maybe not having cash to make home improvements can be more freeing than frustrating. Many times this summer I relaxed and enjoyed the free projects I could scrounge up–there was no need for my panties getting all in a ball over too little time and too much to do, since I couldn’t do more than freebies.
And besides, isn’t a small house and simple lifestyle my ideal? Do I really want a huge garage? (Well, okay, yes, I do.) But a garage with an additional bedroom above it? (It would be nice…maybe I should rethink this post.)
What I’ll do for now is bump the garage and balcony ideas a few more notches down the priorities list, and focus on making more necessary improvements (that’s where the moved kitchen will come into play, eventually).
After all, tweaking lists doesn’t cost a dime.
