A House or a Home?

Some people move around for their jobs, mama. Not J. for upgrades. I'm one of those. I consider each of my houses to be home. There is no "or" to it.

I take care of my houses because it's my job to take care of them. If I let something go, it will cost more in the long run to fix it. Fixing a little thing before it becomes a big problem is smart. Knowing that a job change may come through helps M. to keep on top of things too, because a job change often times means selling the house. I also clean out my "stuff" ever so often so that I don't have to move things I don't necessarily need.

I have family members who haven't moved in 40 years. The amount of stuff in their attics and basements is amazing. They, and many older folks who have lived in their homes for decades become unable to pare down, and then when they get sick or pass away, it's the other family members' jobs to go through all of their stuff. I hope not to do that to my family. Moving ever so often helps prevent that, at least in my case.

I am grateful that I can make a house a home, no matter where it is life takes M..

Dawn

Home is wherever my family is. Every house I've lived in is my "home." Maybe it's J. M., but I take care of every place in which I live. You may have grand plans of moving out in a few years, but you never know what might happen. And why wouldn't you take care of the place while you're there? I'm not talking about doing major renovations (if you plan on leaving soon), but little things like keeping the yard neat, etc. IMO, I ALWAYS want to come home to a "home", not J. a "house." No matter how long I plan to be there.

My house is a home that I plan to eventually move out of. It was perfect for my family when we moved in 10 years ago. But life changes and children move out so I'll soon be looking for a place better suited to M. now.

The main way this affects my present home is that I'm starting to give things away, knowing there won't be room for this much stuff in my new smaller house.

For M., it's not important to have a forever home to grow old in. Not on this earth at least!

Considering that you can plan to live in a place and life won't cooperate, you make the home wherever you live, regardless of whether you rent or buy. You can hope to say in a home for 30-40 years, but you can't predict the future. So even though we're renting, it's home.

Military spouse here. I grew up as a military brat, the daughter of a military brat, and so on. I was always taught "a house is a building, a home is a feeling." My house is my home, and when my house changes, it will take some time to adjust and make it my home, but we will. My husband says "Home is where ever you and the kids are." :-) Yeah, he's sweet.

As for how we treat the house now? Well, there are improvements we'd like to make (like tankless water heaters), but will a PCS looming soon, we are working more toward getting the house ready to go on the market. Of course I have the Dream Home ideal in my mind, but sometimes we have to work up to that.

We are soooo in a house, rather then a home. This house was smart. We got it from a guy who wanted it gone, for significantly less then it would sell for now. Our mortgage is less then paying for a one bedroom apartment. It was a smart financial move. It does affect how we "take care of it." I don't mean repairs and keep up. We do all the little things, because we don't want to live in a house in a constant state of repair. Aesthetically, it's not what we prefer. We'd love to completely do over the back yard and one bathroom. However, they are nice. They J. aren't in our style. We decide we don't want to spend all that money on a house we will sell in 5 years, when they are updated fine.

I've considered everywhere I've lived to be my home. From my first apartment (did many improvements, etc. with my own money), to the hose I bought when I was single, to the home we're in now and everything in between.
Everywhere I've lived, I've left it better than when I moved in. Even rentals--I'm a landlords dream.
The house we have now is paid off and it will be "home" likely until we downsize for retirement.
I don't buy into the "fix/repair/make good enough because we won't be here forever" philosophy because you J. never know.
Some of the warmest homes Ive been in have been modest places...but "kept" beautifully.
I don't subscribe to the "tolerate it because its not forever" line of thinking.
I believe that wherever you live, however temporary or modest IS your home--so take care if it LIKE its forever. I think society, as a whole, needs to live in the here & now a bit more. There's too much looking at the next, bigger, better thing that might be down the road.

A house is where you live. A home is where you and your loved ones dwell. Whether we stay at this home or move to a future home it is our home because we are all together here. We take pride in our home J. as we take pride in our family. We do lots of upkeep and maintenence, and are proud of our home.

We treat every place we live in as a home. Who knows what the future will bring...

I believe that a "home" is what you make of it..the feelings you foster in it. Our home is warm,cozy,fun,inviting to all who enter and a peaceful haven from the outside crazy world.

A "home" doesn't need to be a place you live in forever. A "home" can be made anywhere in the world. The smallest shack can feel like a cozy home..the largest mansion can simply feel like a house.

As far I am concerned I am living in my "forever" home. It is the "starter" home we bought 17 years ago. At that time it was big enough, but two kids later it is too small. Even though it is too small now I figure it won't be too many years before my kids move out and it's big enough again! My husband would like a bigger home in the country, but not M.. We are in the perfect location. One block from the elementary school, two blocks from the middle school, three blocks from the high school, one block from the bus stop that would take the kids to the university, two blocks from our church, four playgrounds within six blocks and the very best neighbours ever. We also have stores, bank, restaurants, hospital and doctors offices within easy walking distance. It's a good area to grow old in. Our home is older, built in the sixties, and it seems as though it is an ongoing project. We have done so many renovations over the years (roof, evestroughs, driveway, floors, windows, doors, insulation, sump pit, backwater valve, toilets etc.) and many more to do, it never ends (time to do the roof again already). It isn't the house that makes it a home to M.. It is my family and the neighbourhood.

OMG, it totally make a difference whether you consider your residence a house or a home!

We moved in 12 years ago, with plans to move out w/in 3 years & get our dream farm. And then... life happened. Husband laid offf, then J. contract positions, then the housing market crash.

We have finally realized we will now be here for at least another 5 years (until I finish school for my 2nd career). So now, NOW, we are looking around all the things we haven't done. It truly has been J. the 4 walls keeping us dry...

I'm on Spring Break for a week, looking forward to transforming our House into a Home!

(and of course, still planning on our "dream home" that we will get when I have graduated. That one, we will get in the right location, on the right property, & are willing to modify however needed to make it perfect)

T.

We live in a home and I will likely stay, but who knows for sure.
You can make any place your home, however. J. fix it up nice with things that reveal who you are. Don't turn it into a show place, but a warm place where you can be who you are. That's home.

A home is where you hang your hat.

We live in our home. 38 years. Kids and grand kids all live I. The area. We are here to stay.

we've never considered a house to be J. an investment. but our first little house was definitely a starter home. it was a terrific place in which our boys got to be little, and run in wolfpacks in a safe, fun neighborhood. we loved it.
but i always knew i wanted more land and more privacy. we're in my dream place now and if we grow old here i'll be thrilled.
i never say never, though. if we get an opportunity to live somewhere else wonderful, we might J. take it!
my home is where my husband, my shrines and my cats are.
:) khairete
S.

We live in a home and have made substantial improvements for our enjoyment. (We had our house built 12 years ago but much of it was builder grade so we have replaced the carpets with hardwood, added moulding and built-ins etc). My house though is too big for M. and my husband to grow old in. I have a huge tiled kitchen and morning room floor that I already often find exhausting to clean. The whole back of my house is windows and is also a lot to maintain and our yard while beautifully landscaped is another big annual bill. Additionally, our taxes are too high. Once my girls move out we will definitely downsize in square footage.

Morning

We live in a home. Granted, it doesn't have all the specifications that I would like to have, but it does have many great things about it. I definitely consider it our home and in doing as such, I 've tried to decorate it in such a fashion that feels comfy and inviting.. I don't see us getting new houses and or upgrades as the Bay Area is very experience, in particular , San Francisco. However, even if we could, I think we are the type of people whom once they find a cozy place, we like to stay put.. Don't get M. wrong though, IF I could do a complete re-do in our kitchen, I most definitely would... but for now... I am happy with the ways things are. .

have a super day

My husband & I J. bought a foreclosure last August so this is a 'house' to us. Its gorgeous but we don't plan on retiring here. We will eventually sell it when the time is right.
We're both in our late 40's and I'd really like to see us in our 'home', where we live out the rest of our years. What we have in mind is 2-5 acres with a home right in the middle of it. Thats where I see our family. I'm honestly tired of moving but we're not done yet, we have one more move. :)

I don't consider a starter house to be a "house". I believe your "home" is where you live & create memories, whether it be long or short-term.

A Home is where Love Lives.

Changing homes, whether it be upsizing or downsizing, is based on your own individual needs at the current moment. For example, my Sis & her SO J. bought a home to share with all of their kids. They range in age from 16-25. So, one still in H.S., 2 in college, 1 in the Navy, & 1 flying solo. They wanted a home big enough to plan for grandkids....& they got it..... acreage & all! Wonderful Home!

My Sister's "SIL" is on the opposite end of the spectrum. With both of their girls out of the home, they are looking to downsize. To that end, they bought acreage & are custom-designing their new home.

My end goal would be to have acreage with a home large enough for weekend guests, but small enough for J. us. I'm thinking 3 bedrooms instead of the 4 we have now. But! Then I want Guest Homes: a vintage camper (Airstream, I hope) + a bunkhouse! Fun & funky! & you don't have to clean weekly!

Oh, & I missed one of your questions: how your home looks/care of it. I firmly believe you should always take care of your home, regardless of your future plans. If you let it fall too far into disrepair, then the final outcome financially can be overwhelming. Due to 20+ years of medical expenses, we are in this situation somewhat.

In order to bring the home up to "sellable" condition, we would have to spend a chunk of $$. That amount is actually the difference between the condition of the home as it stands today vs. what the market is bearing in our neighborhood. (sigh) So we could either sell it as a "needing TLC" or be a market comp. Bottom line: the end profit is the same. Soooo, do we want to look like hoosiers who didn't take care of their home OR do we want to be a market comp? (insert eyeroll here) Thank goodness we have almost doubled the equity....or we'd be taking a loss. :)

& always, I want our home to reflect our family.

We have a home. We put money into it, not to turn it over, but to preserve and care for this beautiful old bungalow built in 1922. We joke that we will be here until they take us to the cemetery. We go through seasons of lots of work on the house (this year, for example, had the bathroom revamped, getting kitchen windows that open!, and are having the exterior preserved/painted) and then will rest for a few years and save up more money for future projects.

We love this place. It's not huge or fancy, but it's where our family is, so we want to make it as livable as possible. And when the time comes, it will be in good condition to sell OR our son's inheritance. All depends on what the future holds.

We'll be here forever because we can't afford to move and DH never wants to, so it's a "home" in that sense, but I mostly feel it's a "house" in a practical sense and don't really have sentimental attachment to it.

A house is what you buy a home is what you make it. We have been married for almost 10 years and are living in our 4th place. Plus a 2 month stint when we were first married at his grandmas because he was laid off 30 days before our wedding. plus a 1 month stint at my parents waiting for the first escrow and a 3 month stint back at my parents waiting for the second escrow. We probably will not grow old here. I think our house was getting flipped. or maybe J. refreshed so there are some odd things that we need to do. but it is ours and we are happy. making it ours and feeling it is ours takes some time. and by time I mean actual time as well as money. Sometimes we have the time but not the money and sometimes the money but not the time.

We are living in a house but it is our home because you never know! I am so thankful we've treated it this way because our plan was to move 2 years ago but we will likely be here another two years. We even J. bought an expensive new vanity for a bathroom. Might as well enjoy where you are because there might not be another house.

I live in a house I could sell or grow old in. It doesn't change how I take care of it. I enjoy working on the house to make it mine. I have taken out walls and built new ones. I have taken out flooring, put down new flooring, changed lighting, and painted. I am not so great at plumbing, and I can't texture walls, those are my husbands jobs.

Yes, I live in a HOUSE that we will eventually move out of.... (House, A building for human habitation). We are moving out because of my husband's job.
However, we are going to miss that HOME since we already created a living, a unique environment to which we are attached emotionally. We have been living H. permanently for several years, but home will be there wherever and whenever we go either a castle or a small house in the prairie.

We are now in our home, hopefully our forever home :) A cute little, if we're lucky, maybe 700 sq ft lakehouse w/not much room for M., my husband, 2 girls (9 &15), the cat & dog. Our old house was J. that, 2700 sq ft of walls & space, way to much space, here we are always bumping into eachother, always falling over one another, but surrounded by lots of stuff (lots of stuff) but everyone that comes to visit never wants to leave, the views are beautiful & it feels so cozy & warm. My husband had gotten a huge, huge promotion years ago so we moved from an even smaller house when we only had our youngest to the bigger house b/c he wanted to give us what he thought what we deserved, but we had lived in this same neighborhood for years & it's funny how we made our way back. (His job being eliminated didn't help either, but given all that has been handed us, we'll take things the way they are).

The house we live in now I expect to die in. But the apartment we lived in between our last house and this house was still my home. There were strict limits on what I could do with that home but I did what I could to make it "home". I was raised in the military, moving teaches you how to turn a house into a home - fast. Home is where family and traditions are. I still make my mark as best I can and decorate as quickly and thoroughly as we can to show pictures and the kids' stuff.

The difference now is I have landscaping plans that are five years long! We also have add on plans that go on for years.

We hope (life is funny so I always know things can change) to leave the house to one of our kids as a home for them and a base for us and we plan to hit the road in retirement. A nice class A and the open road is our retirement plan and the kids currently think this is a great plan. (Of course future careers and spouses may change that, in which case we may rent it out.... we'll see)

We live in a rental (but have been offered to purchase it). We love this house. We have been very respectful of the property, yet we don't invest much of our time and certainly not our resources to improvements. Particularly the yard, which is showing the lack of tender loving care (it gets maintinaced by a lawn and yard service). Sure we'll stick a hose on a patch of dying grass, but thats about it. The owners have to sell before Oct. to avoid a capital gains tax. They offered it to us for a below market price as is. We are seeing it will all new eyes. We are thrilled to stay and purchase the home as I am expecting a baby this summer. Yet I think in terms of flipping it more than I do raising my family in it and growing old. While its a great house, big enough, and lots of unique features, its not my dream house. House or home, I don't know yet. But the knowledge that it will soon be mine has changed the way we see it. And I think it time when we do make investments in its improvements, I may feel more attached. But truth be told, they remodeled the kitchens and bathrooms to their taste. Its not my taste and yet its not worth the expense to remodel something that was remodeled within 5 years. Those are a few reasons why I think in terms of flipping rather than staying long term.