Yup, we bought a house! Holy sh*t is right. Even though we closed about three weeks ago, the fact we’re actually homeowners only started to feel real when we went for an inaugural swim in our pool this past weekend.

David and I are so excited, especially because we’re moving into the neighborhood he grew up in and has wanted to own a home in since he went off to college. It’s a safe place where neighbors act neighborly and kids play in the streets, or drive golf carts if they’re lazy.

I’ve loved our house since I first stepped into it during an open house over a year ago. You can’t always explain why you like something, but I could just imagine us and our future children living happily there. It’s full of natural light and you can see the serene pool from almost every room. The house is one story and it’s so very Miami which I find quite  amusing being from the great North and all. The architecture definitely has a modern element to it, and we want the interior to reflect that. I like modern design, however,  I also see our home having some classic elements mixed in, and it absolutely has to feel inviting and cozy, and not austere. David and I are thinking blues, grays and whites, with lots of natural wood pieces to warm up the space.

But as exciting as new home ownership is, it’s also quite overwhelming. There’s a lot we want to do to make our house feel like our home, but our wish list is already surpassing our budget. Swimming in the pool is fun, deciding which updates to nix, isn’t. #Adulting. What’s more, we’ve discovered issues with the house that were unfortunatly missed during our inspection, which is pretty frustrating and means less funds for the good stuff like a Japanese toilet for yours truly.

We’re also realizing not every fix is easy to make, and everything costs way more than we thought. Why? Why? And because we’re a human couple, we don’t always see eye to eye and it’s proven difficult at times. The first week was pretty tense, but we’ve since found our groove and have both made compromises. Communication is key, and maintaining a sense of humor about the whole process is even better.

I’m the de facto general contractor for our small project, and in the span of three weeks It has become my full time job. I’ve been busy with research and getting at least three quotes for every task. Needless to say, I’m already feeling the pressure. It’s going to be a fun and bumpy ride, friends, and I’m going to keep you posted on all of it. Wish me luck.

xoxo

Val