Oh Joy! and Clever are teaming up to show you what it's really like to build a house from the ground up.
It's been a few months since I've given you an update on the construction of our house. We now have walls and doors! Plus, finishes like tile and floors are starting to go in! Here's a mini walk-through video for you . . .
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Video by Jenner Brown
This (almost) 5 year process has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least, so I wanted to share some of the awesome (but also not-so-awesome) things that have happened recently...
Get your hardhats ready! Here's the good, bad, and the ugly of construction so far!
Break-ins. We were given a heads up when we started this project that break-ins are unfortunately very common on construction sites. I was in complete denial because I just believe that most people are good people. But we've unfortunately had a handful of break-ins over the course of this project with the most recent being not too long ago. People mostly steal tools and sell them to pawn shops. Even though it's not a house that we yet live in and so many people are currently working there everyday, it feels completely violating.
Money stress . I have never been so stressed about money in my whole life. Everyone tells me that home ownership changes the game, and they weren't kidding. Being a renter thus far in my adult life has sheltered me from this feeling of knowing the stress of owning property that is yours...plus, all the responsibilities that come with it.
I cry a lot. I'm already a very emotional person, and I cry probably once a week lately. It's a lot of things to manage on top of my regular job, running a business, and life. And there are some days I just want to give up. I truly do try to remind myself that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and my husband has been so amazing is reminding me of that!
It's starting to look like a real house! Once the walls went up, it all started feeling much more real. It was no longer just this pile of dirt that we looked at for years! We are able to walk through and actually see how the space is coming together, where things will go, and where my family will be living.
Having control over where we live and what we do to/for our house. No more broken faucets due to faulty old plumbing or having to wait for a landlord to fix something that always breaks! I've rented for so long that I got used to having to make do with old parts that constantly break. To know that we can fix something or change something on our own feels very freeing.
Seeing all of our hard work pay off. This project has been nothing short of time-consuming and stressful. But when I have a moment to take a deep breath and really take it in, it's pretty incredible to let myself appreciate how hard my husband and I have worked to save and save (and will continue to save) over the course of our adult lives for this forever home for our family.
Check out my posts on Oh Joy! to see a bit more into our personal choices and decisions we made for our family when working with our architects to design the home!
