Why we rent.featured
After Jeff and I got married, like most young couples with newly-secure incomes, we assumed we should buy a home and “set down roots.”
While searching for our first home, I remember our realtor pointing out an apartment complex and explaining that she had a lot of clients who chose to live there because “some people just aren’t made for home ownership.” It struck me as odd at the time, but I brushed it off assuming we would never be in that category.
Today, sitting in our two bedroom rental, I am thrilled to admit how wrong I was.
We sold our first home after two and a half years to move closer to family. Assuming that our struggles with home ownership had been merely a mistake in location, we diligently met with a wonderful realtor who found us the perfect lot in the location we wanted by campus. We began working with our talented architect friend to design our “dream home.”
And then Emma was born.
Welcoming new life is a powerful experience and one that has each time emboldened me to take risks. Like walking downstairs one afternoon when Emma was two weeks old and suggesting to Jeff that we take a full year to travel the world.
In wonderful Jeff fashion, he didn’t dismiss my idea as the hormonal ramblings of a sleep-deprived mother of two kids under two, and we seriously considered it for several months.
While we eventually put that dream on temporary hold, it began another powerful conversation about how we wanted to live our lives. Not only the big trips, but day-to-day and at that moment.
We decided that we wanted a life and home with as little maintenance as possible, which for us meant no yard work, no shoveling, no home repair or renovations, and no mortgage.
We have many friends who are home owners and enjoy gardening, yard work, and the pride of investing in their home. Sometimes I wish I found joy in those pursuits. But I don’t. And neither does Jeff. And finally admitting that and taking the steps to move toward a different life that is more authentic to who we are has been liberating.
The life we are building is focused on each other. On people. And experience. And while home ownership may be strongly tied to the way some families live out those priorities, for us it was a distraction from them.
By renting, we have the freedom to let go of the “what ifs” of the rest of our lives and embrace life as it happens.
Building a “forever home” requires predicting how many people will fill that home at any point. And how the space will be used from toddlerhood through adolescence.
Instead, we live in a space that fits our family and needs as they are now. And when those needs change, we have the freedom to move elsewhere with little hassle.
When the day comes that we’re ready for longterm travel, we can plan without the stress of selling a house. And the investment account created by the downpayment we didn’t need can now be used for any number of investments that are more worthwhile.
Every day we walk out our door to a bustling block and wander across the street to a playground full of families. Or stroll to a beautifully groomed campus with almost limitless space for the girls to explore while I sit on a bench far away and enjoy watching their independence grow.
I’m at peace. This life fits us, and I’m so happy we chose it.
