House Hunting

House hunting

It was just a normal Sunday. I slept in from the late night adventure of watching a friend’s kid the night before. The vibrations of my phone woke me as it skipped across my desk. As I stretched out I found it almost impossible to leave my warm, comfy bed. Once I got up I realized it was already 10 a.m. I wanted to hit the gym before a friend came into town but all I could think about was getting back in bed and sleeping. About 10 minutes later I forced myself to get up and head to the gym.

The day was starting off overcast and cold. By the time I got to the gym I was awake and ready to pump some iron. Today’s workout, chest, legs, and abs. I got in a good half hour workout and my abs were killing me. This new machine (new to me), the one were you grab the bars (shoulder width apart) and crunch down to your knees as them come up. Man that is rough. When I got out of the gym the sun was shinning, the sky was blue, and the chill had blown away. I made it back home where I showered, shaved, and got dressed for the day. At this point my stomach was ready for some food.

My friend was arriving soon, a half hour to be exact, and I was trying to figure out what we could do for the day. When she arrived I still had no idea what we were going to do but all I could think about was food. We headed over to Applebee’s and ate. We decided to do some house hunting.

House hunting is not what I consider the typical 24 year old Sunday outing. It was an interesting afternoon. I felt all grown up looking at houses I can not afford. It felt as though I was on the verge of starting the next chapter in my life, a family. We looked like a young couple ready to find our first home to start a family in. The thought of owning a home has never really appealed to me. I still have that travelers itch and find myself needing to see a part of the world every year, sometimes twice a year. The thought of spending $300,000+ on a house is crazy. Today, however, that thought was not so crazy. For the few hours of house hunting this thought felt real. It really is a trip to be looking at houses and picturing you owning and living in it.

I am sure the real estate agent was thinking, this couple can not be serious buyers. On the other hand, he could be thinking, they just might be the sale I’ve been waiting for. Either way the real estate agent was very nice and provided us with all the information we needed, he even offered to answer any questions we might have.

Walking around the neighborhood, touring the various houses we found ourselves accompanying older couples and their families. Some houses were completely furnished and set up for our viewing; others were bare, only showing the sheet rock and basic layout of the house. Having a house all put together with furniture and laid out really does make a difference, you able to picture yourself living there.

For me, the minute I walk into a house I can tell if it has potential or not. If it is open and bright then it has that homey feeling. For instance I walked into one and I could see straight back to the backyard. The light from the living room on my left was combined with the light shining down from the open staircase above and it just felt like home. The next thing on the check list is bedroom size. I am one who is really picky when it comes to bedroom sizes. I can not stand having a hole in the wall room, which is usually what you find now a days. The bedroom should be big enough to have a queen size bed, dresser, and a few other pieces of furniture all while being able to have room to move around.

It seems as though house hunting is like dating. You see what catches your eye, check it out, and decide what you like and don’t like. Every house is different and just because it looks good on the outside doesn’t mean it will look good on the inside and vice versa. Some houses have the large living rooms with the open kitchen. Others have the small bedrooms with large bathrooms and closets.

After seeing a few houses they all started to blend together and it’s hard to figure out which ones you liked. Just like the dating scene sometimes it takes time before you find the right one.

Happy house hunting….