Owning an old home and what it taught me

12 years ago today, I became a first time home owner. I counted down the months and days until that old falling apart home was mine. Little did I know just how many lessons that house would teach me.

I no longer own that home, it was more than I or my marriage at the time could certainly handle. That old house took on more water than I care to ever encounter again! I don’t believe the “old’ house was ever very good for my daughter who spent her first 3 years in that home and constantly sick, beyond typical toddler illness’s at that. We sunk thousands of dollars and thousands of hours into that old house but it was never ending and at the right time, we bailed on it.

Yet……..

I wouldn't trade all of those hours of hard work for anything.

If I had purchased a brand new sub division home, I would never have encountered or understood:

·         What lathe and plaster walls are

·         Knob and tube wiring

·         Knowledge that some people are just not cut out for home improvements (you find this out when you tear down walls and see what some people do (or neglect to do!))

·         Probably never would have understood the true importance of a well-functioning sump pump

·         Valued the character of an old house (and of ourselves and each other)

·         Understood the beauty of old tree’s, yet understood the powers of Mother Nature

·         Learned that I love ripping apart things way more than putting them back together…..I don’t have the patience nor the skill to do so, yet follow direction well

·         Love the feeling of sore muscle and aching hands after a hard day’s work (which will never come from sitting behind a desk all day)

·         Appreciate a fully accessible basement and would prefer to never have a “cellar” again

·         A sense of awe at what you may find when digging in your garden, you never know what people may bury over time

·         Value imperfections, especially well-worn wood floors which bare their marks which simply adds to their character and story (much like the scars on our own bodies)

·         Understood that “custom fit” is not an option yet a necessity with old homes, nothing is built to today’s standards and must be made to fit or special order (which also costs a lot more money!)

·         Felt and seen ghost like visions and a certainty that they truly do exist

·         Valued closets and storage, because it completely lacks in older homes and was not needed as it is it today’s world of overabundance of all things

·         Slept in the cold with no upstairs heat vents

·         Lived without air conditioning and appreciate the luxury of it

·         Understood the importance of teaching children how to navigate the narrow/steep staircases at a very young age

·         Responsibility and to expect the absolute unexpected

Some people thought it was crazy to buy that old falling apart home and maybe financially it was not the best decision ever made, however the personal growth and understanding that I learned of myself and the character that I learned of others was worth every bit of it.

Would I do it again….HELL YES…they are a labour of love and a test of patience, much like parenting a toddler. Just when you think it’s tested your limits, you realized just how far you can be pushed and end your days with a sense of accomplishment (and sometimes lots of worry!)