We bought a house and we’re moving in less than a fortnight*.
This evening I realised that living here is almost over. I took the kids for a walk outside and we collected the mail and the washing and watched the birds heading home and I thought about how little I am going to miss this place. Great silhouettes though, it’s got some great silhouettes.
* I’m saying that casually but this will be the first home we have ever owned. As you may have read here, my mother was a single parent for much of my childhood. We lived in poverty and experienced significant housing insecurity during that time. As I grew up a big part of me, in spite of my university education and steady jobs, continued to believe that home ownership was always going to be impossible for me. I don’t wish to sound self-pitying, I know there are worse obstacles to overcome in life and many more worthy goals than home ownership, but I wish to convey how special it feels to think that I will have a home of my own soon.
Last year after a friend’s cocktail party I offered a lift home to one of her guests. When we arrived at his house he asked me if I would get out of the car so he could show me something. I was a little perplexed. We stood on the dark street together in the very early hours of the morning and leaned against my car. And he, drunk and thoughtful, pointing at this plain little house in front of us, told me how proud he was to have recently bought it. It’s not much, he said, I can see that, but I love it because this is my home. I thought immediately, but did not say, you were poor, too, as a child.
You’ve made my heart feel very full, so I can only imagine how you feel. I’m very happy for you all.
Congratulations. I remember for the first 6 months after we bought our little home I smiled each morning just because it was ours. (and best of luck with the move).
Big congratulations Blue Milk! I never thought I would own a home either but I have found it to be a truly special thing. Sometimes I pinch myself when I realise anew that as long as we keep up the mortgage payments (already after two years diminishing a bit compared to rent around here which just keeps rising and rising) we don’t ever have to move from this funny little house that is home if we don’t want to. And we can paint the walls puce, or not, whenever we darn well please.
Congratulations. Reading this gave me goosebumps. I must admit that I hope someday that this may be me.
Congratulations! That’s *very exciting* (it must feel terribly grown-up). And a lovely post, too.
Congratulations on your new home! At 40, I’m not sure we’ll ever own one, but like you – we have found a rental (at last) that I’d miss if we did. Wishing you well on the move.
Congratulations! Your post brought back all the excitement of our first ‘never thought we’d own a home’ flat – it does make life so much better!
Yes, we were poor too, and I remember buying my first home in the 1980s and how that felt. Congrats.
Congratulations!
Congratulations from me too. I haven’t been in your position as I have been fortunate enough to live in family owned homes most of my life. However, when we moved into our new place a year ago it was a relief to think: “Now I won’t have to move again for at least 20 years!”. Need to get on with the renovation though…
Congratulations!! When we bought our first home about a year ago, I cried and cried after the contract was signed. My husband didn’t get it–still doesn’t, to this day–but maybe now I can use your words to explain it to him.
I remember how grown-up and breathless I felt writing out the cheque for the deposit on our first house. So many numbers!
But an even more special moment was when we moved into our next house, which I intend to stay in for the rest of my life. I knew I felt differently about it when I started to plant trees. Planting trees says forever like nothing else can. My roots are down.
That’s thrilling news, congratulations. I hope you have a wonderful time setting up and settling in.
Congratulations Bluemilk. There is nothing like being able bang a nail into the wall to hang a picture exactly where you want to.
Thank you for writing this, congratulations on buying your very own home. I also have that sense that home ownership is beyond me, but your words have given me hope that perhaps that is not true after all. Being poor as a child is an amazing gift though. You no doubt have decades of knowledge, insight and compassion on your peers, but the stress when you are little is a high price to pay.
x
Also, what an awesome feeling to know you are not going to miss what you are leaving that makes the next thing that much sweeter I think
I just want to say congrats. There is something about owning your own home. It means roots and history and shelter from the storm. May you have times of great joy in your new home.
That’s fantastic, congratulations. Like JoleneSG and others above, I hope this this will be me in the future!
My family was decidedly not rich growing up, but my parents bought in the days when property in regional areas was very very cheap and did it on one modest income. It’s awful to grow up, realise you make more than they did, but housing prices are so crazy there is very little chance of buying a house on your own. I long for that feeling of home.
How exciting! Congratulations.
Beautiful post bluemilk. I came from a single parent, public housing, below the poverty line family and I never believed I would own my own home either. I still remember the feeling of both terror and excitement when we bought our first place. It looks like nothing special to most people but after being in it for over 5 years it still makes me smile when I think about how it’s mine (well, it’s the bank’s but you know what I mean!). Huge congratulations to you!
I LOVE your stories here. You often hit the nail right on the head. Thank you again for your darling Feminist Parenting book post (I’ve saved it for book list making) xoxo
Cngratulations. I am thrilled for you and just the smallest bit jealous (I expect we will never own our own home, though I wish and hope that something may happen, somewhere…)
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