There’s something to be said about having something to look forward to. A strange energy of anticipation, even when the something will require a lot of effort to manifest.

We’ve been vaguely interested in the idea of buying a house for a few years now. One of us would bring it up, we’d look at house ads for a while, maybe even go see something that looked interesting, but that would be the end of it. The thought was too big, too stressful for a long time. There were too many other changes in our lives, M switching jobs, me switching roles. But it was a stubborn dream that would keep resurfacing, and maybe that’s how you know it’s worth pursuing.

We’ve loved living in our current apartment. It has a great floor plan for us, it’s compact but there’s a fair amount of space for two people and it’s situated conveniently. The neighbours have by and large been fine, although there have been some exceptions through the years. Mostly we don’t hear them at all. The things we’ve missed the most are a more private yard that we’d actually feel comfortable using, some more storage space and a larger living room we could fit more people in than just ourselves. M has dreamt of a larger shed/workshop where he would have space to maintain our bicycles in warmth. I’ve dreamt of a small gym so I could rekindle my erstwhile passion for moving my body.

The obstacle we’ve run into time and time again is that no one builds houses for people like us, and we’re way too picky for our own good. We want big rooms, both for a shared study and the gym, or at least the ability to combine two rooms if necessary. The kitchen layout is important to get right as well. In our current one, we just get in each other’s way constantly when trying to cook together. We want a small yard that feels private, but often yards are way too big for us and at least somewhat open. Obviously, there is a price range to consider as well, and yet we want a house that is relatively close to the city centre and our work places. Decent public transportation connections would be a definite plus as well, considering we don’t own a car (and don’t want to). Oh, and we don’t want to build from scratch, or work on a fixer-upper. Oh, no.

Recently, we decided it was time to take this house dream a bit more seriously. We had the apartment evaluated by a realtor, talked to our bank about a loan and went to see some more houses. On one weekend, we went to see four, and I had the highest hopes for number three (which turned out to be the least attractive of the bunch, as it happens), but it was number four that ended up captivating me. It was a lovely house, but we’d seen lovely houses before, so it wasn’t just that. As soon as we entered, I had a feeling, and that feeling reminded me a great deal of the feeling I had when we went to see our current apartment for the first time. It felt like a house I could see us living in, and be happy. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but that’s genuinely what it felt like. It had its issues, of course, but I never expected us to find something that would be flawless. As we were leaving, the realtor asked what we thought, and I said I liked it, and M immediately said he wasn’t sold at all. We said our goodbyes and went home.

We talked about it a fair bit in the evening. It was important for me to find out whether he genuinely didn’t like the house, or whether it was more about the whole idea of moving that put him off. He needed some time to think about it, so we slept on it. In the morning he said we should go for it. So we did.

Fast forward a few weeks, in which we figured out what we wanted to offer, made the offer, got a counter offer, accepted that, then got the paperwork and went through it, signed, waited with baited breath to hear back, and then yesterday, the sellers signed. Now we have until December 23rd at 23:59 to change our minds, but I don’t think we will. We’ve made a plan for everything, and that plan includes a lot of practicalities, but also some tangible steps to make our dreams a reality. We’ll receive the keys on the 1st of April. I can’t wait.