Today is my two year anniversary of being a homeowner. Time has definitely flown by pretty fast, and I've also learned a thing or two in the process. If you're a homeowner, you can probably agree with some of the things on my list. If you're a new homeowner, here's what may be in store.

  • Projects take way longer than you think they're going to. My fiance and I started our basement finish project like two years ago. We thought it would take us six months. Boy, were we wrong. We're currently still at the framing stage.
  • Yard work is hard. I absolutely hate picking weeds out of our rock bed. It's probably the chore that I hate the most. Not to mention, they grow so darn fast. And, all of our neighbors have super green grass and pretty rock beds...so, there's a lot of pressure to keep up with them.
  • Housework is hard. It seems like there's always something to do. Whether that's laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen, sweeping the garage, etc...it never ends.
  • Decorating is difficult. I have no style, so staging a room has been one of the most difficult tasks I've had as a homeowner. I have no clue how to put cute things together...
  • Make friends with the neighbors right away. Dave and I made the mistake of not going door to door to introduce ourselves when we first moved in, so we've been labeled the "crabby neighbors." It's not even true!
  • Hanging Christmas lights is scarier than you think. The roof doesn't seem so high up from the ground. Once you get up there...it's a different story. Seriously! If you're smart, you'll leave them up all year.
  • Things break--make sure you've got some savings. Since we've lived at our house we've had to replace the dishwasher, fix the garage door, repair the shower head, add curtains, buy a new lawn mower, get a new snow blower, etc. These are all things you don't think about before you buy a home...or at least, we didn't. Make sure you plan for things to go wrong.

Don't get me wrong, being a homeowner is awesome and you'll definitely enjoy being your own landlord! I wouldn't change home ownership for anything!

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