Joy and Austin 18: 234 Days Since the Wedding and Counting

[Glasgowghirl]

I live in a 1950s terraced house, I found out last year serial killer Peter Manuel worked on the gas mains when all the houses in my area were being built. It has a living room and kitchen downstairs,  no laundry room most older houses here don't, upstairs has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. Our loft is partially floored but was never fully converted into a room and is only used for storage.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

I'd moved 5 times by the time I was 4, dad was in the military when I was born, got discharged and moved to Springdale AR and went to school at UA, "Go Hogs" where we lived until I was 2.5 then he graduated we lived in WI for about 6 months then dad got a job in Des Moines, IA. We moved into a terraced home/Triplex what ever you want to call it, today it would be called a town home in 1974 they were called Triplexes. Then we moved to my current home town just outside of DM where we lived in 1 house for 18 years, my parents built a new house in the early 90's but I'd already moved out, they lived there for 8 years until they divorced in 2000.  I lived 3 different apartments around Des Moines before DH & I bought our 1st little house, we lived there for 7 years and then moved into our current home where we've been for the last 13 years, and probably will for the next 6/7 years.  

[Melbelle]

I've moved 21 times (military brat!) including one international move.  I've lived in duplexes on stilts, trailers, and countless apartments.  But now I'm in what I expect to be my home for the next 15 years to forever.  It's a boring tract home, in a quiet suburb, but we love it and it works perfectly for our family.  We have a walk-out basement, that we're building a rec room in and will eventually finish in full, plus a main and second level.  It's 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2 car garage.  We use one bedroom as an office and previously the other bedroom was a guest room, but now it's the nursery.  Our front door opens directly into our living room.  There's a small tiled area there and a coat closet, so we have a shoe rack in the closet and we take our shoes off there if we come in that door.  However, most of the time we come in and out via our garage, so I also have a rubber mat/low lipped container that I keep in the hallway/laundry area that's just inside the garage to put our shoes and we've hung hooks there for our coats, my purse, and my aprons, since it's a hallway into the kitchen.  

I love hearing about everyone's homes.  It's amazing what different people consider luxuries for their areas.  I've never lived in a home (trailer, duplex, apartment, or house) that didn't have a laundry room in it.  I can't imagine the struggle of having to go somewhere, whether downstairs or to a laundromat, in order to get laundry done.  Does that cause you to own more clothes so you can go longer between trips to do laundry?  

I'd love to have a real mudroom or a laundry room that was large enough and located in the right spot to be a laundry room and mudroom in one.  I'd also love a larger yard, bigger bathrooms, a 3+ car garage, a wrap around porch, an ocean view, and maybe for it to look like those beautiful colonial homes in New England (which would make the wrap around porch a bit weird) but the mudroom is at least a practical wish!    

[Iamtheway]

40 minutes ago, Melbelle said:

Does that cause you to own more clothes so you can go longer between trips to do laundry?  

Living with laundry rooms has always caused me to have lots of underware. Because I’m just so bad at planning to do laundry. And once I realise I really need to there might not be any times. Or the time is really early in the morning and when my alarm rings the option ”buy new underware” almost always win over ”get up”. 

In one way I liked it though because the laundry rooms always had big machines and you could usually do like six loads in your time and then laundry would be done for a while. Now the laundy basket is never empty. 

I have lived in 14 different apartments and 4 different houses in 7 different cities in 3 different countries. And I felt a bit senile while trying to figure this out. 

[WiseGirl]

I have moved multiple times including one international move. I currently live in a condo in the Northeast, USA = expensive. Two floors, crawl space underneath, 1.5 bathrooms also a garage for the car was a must. Open concept or in the case of a condo one big room for living room, a light designating where the dining table goes and a half wall to separate the kitchen. There are three bedrooms; mine, the guest/office/puzzle/workout room, and the dark hole, otherwise known as daughter's room. The door stays closed to that one!  Oh, and dog toys in every room for added decor.

 

[LilMissMetaphor]

I lived for 20 years in the house I'm currently living in, moved to a dorm room for years one and two of uni, rented a basement apartment with a friend in year three, and moved back into dorms for year four.  Then an apartment in Korea, then a bit of international back and forth but ultimately lived with my MIL in Korea, then a motel, then three different apartments (technically four, because we had to switch buildings in the same complex due to ridiculously noisy neighbors), then back here to my childhood home in Canada, where I've been for the past 9 years.  So like 10 moves? If I can math? Which I can't...

[Jana814]

I can't imagine moving all over.  I guess because for myself and most of the people I have known over the years they have not really moved far from where they were raised mostly because they want their kids to be raised in a similar environment that they were raised in. 

[itqitc]

I am 40 and have moved about 13 times, mostly post college moves all career related. 

My grandfather, who is 91 still lives I the first house I ever lived in.  We are not sure which is going to go first him or the house.  He refuses to leave it, so we patch it the best we can so it's safe for him.  He has lived there for over 60 years, built it with his own two hands. 

My next house will be my last house, which is why I want it to be perfect.  Hoping for a 1000 sq cottage close to the sea. I hate moving, but I love change. 

 Back to Joy, she just sounded exhausted and tired in that video.  Renovating is exhausting in itself, I can't image doing it while pregnant. 

[Southern Unicorn]

We moved a lot when I was a kid.  Not a military brat, just a step father who didn't like to work as much as he liked to drink.  The worst year was moving 6 times in 1 year.  I went to 7 different schools that year.  Then my mom finally divorced my step dad & while she worked & could pay rent, whenever she felt "in a funk" she would "change up the scenery" by moving.  We moved around the same basic area, but she never signed longer than a 1 year lease anywhere.  After my 7 schools in 1 year she tried really hard to always keep us in the same school even if we did move every year.  I did have to change schools when she got the divorce.  Over the Thanksgiving break my Junior year in High school.   It royally sucked, but I basically didn't bother to get to know anyone at the new school.  I'm not in a single picture in the yearbook, but my name is & I just stayed friends with everyone from my old school.   I went over there every weekend.  My Sr year, I got into VOE so I could leave after 2 classes, my job was near my old school, so I went there for lunch every day & then to work. 

When I got married, we got into a 3 year routine.  We'd upgrade every 3 years.  Bad apt to a nicer townhouse.  Duplex in a bad area to a duplex in a nice area.  1st real rent house, 2nd bigger nicer rent house & finally bought the house we're in now.  Been here 9 years. 

My house now is ridiculous for 3 adults (my 23 yr old son recently moved back home).  It's 3 stories, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 kitchens, 2 laundry rooms.  My basement is basically a 1 bedroom apt. with its own entrance.  Eventually when my mom can't live alone, she'll have my basement.  When we bought it, my hubby worked nights & I had a teenager.  Hubby had to sleep during the day, but you can't keep a teenager quiet all the time.  We solved that problem by putting an entire floor between them.  The Master bedroom is on the 3rd floor, kiddo is in the basement.  I joke the main floor is mine.  Has the kitchen, laundry room & the old Master bedroom/ now guest room.   But I took over the old master closet & master bathroom for me.  I don't have to share a bathroom with a man!!!!! GREATEST THING EVER!  My house is pink.  It looks like Barbie's dreamhouse.  I have a bridge to get to my front door & 2 white balconies out front off the living room & old master bedroom.  When my mom saw it she called and said "I found your house, it screams you" and it does.   I have a bit of a pink obsession.  

[victoriasponge]

My dream location is an adorable village in the Cotswolds called Broadway my boyfriend’s parents took me to, or the city I grew up just outside (Brighton, south coast). Neither are possible money-wise and are about as expensive as each other, though due to the location of Brighton it’s probably more so. My parents got lucky buying in the 90s.

I’m now thinking that once my two year school placement is done in East Anglia, I’m going to do maternity cover for 6 months or so nearer Birmingham where my boyfriend’s family are. Then spend the rest of the year searching for a place around the Leicester/Nottingham/Derby areas. Cheaper and has an abundance of cute Victorian terraces that I like. Plus he’s training to be a lawyer and I’ll be a primary teacher so we should be able to find jobs.

If Joystin wanna give me a $90k place though... would be grateful. Bit easier than the £900k dream house I found.

[Marly]

On 19-1-2018 at 9:09 PM, Melbelle said:

I love hearing about everyone's homes.  It's amazing what different people consider luxuries for their areas.  I've never lived in a home (trailer, duplex, apartment, or house) that didn't have a laundry room in it.  I can't imagine the struggle of having to go somewhere, whether downstairs or to a laundromat, in order to get laundry done.  Does that cause you to own more clothes so you can go longer between trips to do laundry?  

 

I currently live with my bf in a 3 bedroom appartment, and our washing machine is located in the kitchen. We don't have a dryer so we have to use a clothing rack to dry the laundry, which I have placed our bedroom because besides the living room our bedroom was the only room with enough space to set up the clothing/drying rack, and I don't want my drying underwear in the living room for everyone to see. We have two laundry baskets, one for clothing and one for towels. The one for clothing is in our bedroom, and the one for towels is in the hallway next to the bathroom. (Bathroom is too small for a laundry basket).
The kitchen was the only possible location for the washing machine, because the water connection necessary for the washing machine to function is located there. I would have personally preferred to have the washing machine in or close to the bathroom, but our bathroom is way too small for that (we can't even fit cabinets in there) and doesn't have the suitable water or power connection (probably because it's so small). 
 

[nst]

On 1/20/2018 at 4:22 AM, victoriasponge said:

My dream location is an adorable village in the Cotswolds

now we are talking dream places to live 

Mine Nantucket - the simplicity and happiness and just overall great atmosphere of a small town.  I love that place

and isn't Costwold in the movie The Holiday 

[IntrinsicallyDisordered]

I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's houses!  I grew up in the US in houses that had the front door open into the living room (one had a mudroom around back, we never wore shoes in the house so it was really handy), washer/dryer in creepy basements or needing to go to the laundromat, and one toilet/bathroom for 6 people.  I now live in Belgium and we have 2 toilets for 2 people and it makes me feel insanely well-to-do.  It doesn't even matter that one toilet is at the top of the cellar steps.  2 toilets for 2 people!

Our house is a rowhouse in the crook of a street and everything in it is crooked, like a trapezoid instead of a rectangle.  It's been interesting to furnish and can be a bit of a funhouse (set a ball on the 2nd floor and it'll roll away) but we have a tiny width at the street which means tiny property taxes and a backyard that surprises everyone that sees it - it's the width of our house, plus that of the apartments next door, plus extends back way further than you'd think.  

It has the classic European entryway/hall that is closed off from the rest of the downstairs, a space for a washer and dryer (open plan but the previous owners had coverted the garage into a laundry room, we don't have a car so perfect!)  2 bedrooms and a finished attic filled with bookcases.  The upstairs bathroom is the only thing I dislike and it's difficult to describe. Imagine a very wide hallway connecting the two bedrooms.  The sink is just right there against the wall as you'd walk by, the toilet is in an alcove on one end, and the shower in an alcove on the other.  No doors but we can hang up curtains.  It's just the two of us so privacy is easy but if I could remodel it I would.  I am sometimes temped to put a big fancy bathtub in the spare bedroom 

[victoriasponge]

5 hours ago, nst said:

and isn't Costwold in the movie The Holiday 

I haven't seen it, but possibly. It's, according to Wikipedia, the second largest protected area of land in England, so it's pretty big. Lots of rolling hills and farms and castles and stuff. Very pretty, very English and very expensive. (Think they probably paid someone off to get made an area of Outstanding Beauty to increase their property prices ) I like it for the same reason you like Nantucket, it's simple and friendly.

I don't, however, like walking up hills. My boyfriend's family does. The only thing that made it worth it was the castle at the end.

[Bad Wolf]

8 minutes ago, victoriasponge said:

 

I don't, however, like walking up hills. My boyfriend's family does. The only thing that made it worth it was the castle at the end.

Did you get a cream tea at the castle? Otherwise it definitely wouldn't be worth it.

[victoriasponge]

2 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

Did you get a cream tea at the castle? Otherwise it definitely wouldn't be worth it.

No cream tea, but tea and a five bean chilli? I'm on a diet and scones don't tend to fit in that, sadly. The rest of them did have scones, however. It was pouring rain and was freezing cold. I did not enjoy myself. Oh, and I almost slipped in the mud throwing sticks for the dogs multiple times. I'm not outdoorsy.

[SapphireSlytherin]

3 hours ago, victoriasponge said:

I don't, however, like walking up hills. My boyfriend's family does. The only thing that made it worth it was the castle at the end.

Sounds perfectly dreadful! I'm not outdoorsy, either.

[SilverBeach]

My tri-level house was built in 1959 and opens into a foyer with a coat closet to one side and a divider on the other side where the mail and keys go. The floor is tiled while the rest of the flooring is wood. My prior home had a similar setup. I don't like opening right into the living room with nowhere to hang up guest coats or deal with wet umbrellas and such. I live in a four season messy climate though.

 

[CarrotCake]

When I was a student we usually leased a laundry machine with the whole house. So with 5-10 people we would pay a small monthly fee to have a laundry machine in our student house.

Much easier (and probably same price) as going to a laundromat, which are almost non-existent here (probably because of this). It did require a lot of planning though because the machine was always occupied and you had to make sure you left your basket next to it because if you were just 10minutes late with taking it out, someone would already have put your laundry on the floor to make room for theirs.

Some people did take their laundry to their parents but then you would have to go there at least once every 2 weeks.

 

ETA: now, my machine is in my garage so I have to go through the rain (2 whole steps) to get there. The many times that I thought I could go without shoes but had soaking socks afterwards....

[louisa05]

That's a lot of moving! 
It's always amusing to see these super young Duggar couples buying homes when my spouse and I are still far out from feeling comfortable buying. But then I remember we live in a completely different part of the country, with totally different housing options, lifestyles, and goals.[emoji14] Also, I'll probably miss being able to call building maintenance once we buy! 

Yes, you will

Says the woman paying off the new furnace in our first house.

[SapphireSlytherin]

10 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

 

Yes, you will

Says the woman paying off the new furnace in our first house.

 

We're getting ready to sell our money pit house and we are going to rent for a few years before we retire to the UK. We've already figured out that being able to call building maintenance for furnace/air conditioning/water heater/dishwasher/plumbing issues is going to be FABULOUS. It's also going to save us a TON of money.

Owning a house isn't all it's cracked up to be, sometimes. lol

[Jana814]

In my area their has been an increase of condo communities that are be built. I think the reason for it is people want to live in my area but they don't want to have to be in charge of maintaining the landscape and other stuff. 

[Irishy]

All the shoes on/off talk became redundant in our house once we got our dog and her giant paws. Every day in winter is a battle with mud. 

[Glasgowghirl]

Austin has done a good job so far supporting his growing family, he works hard flipping houses and working at the family camp, he has bought a home for him and Joy and renovated it. Him and Joy will manage fine with or without TLC money. 

[JesSky03]

11 minutes ago, Irishy said:

All the shoes on/off talk became redundant in our house once we got our dog and her giant paws. Every day in winter is a battle with mud. 

On wet/muddy days I make our dog sit right inside the door and I will wipe his paws off with a towel. Having to do that a lot today with this strange winter rainstorm we are having.