How to Own Your Home (without your home owning you)-Part 2
Part 2 of 4 part series
Family is one of the best things a person can have. But it can also be one of the biggest annoyances. And when you’re buying a house, that blessing or annoyance is something you don’t want to overlook.
I’ll just be frank with this tip. Know how close you can live to your mother-in-law. It’s kind of a joke, but not really. The premise is simply to know where you can actually see yourself living for several years. Do you and your spouse like having one or both sides of the family close by or do you need to be farther away to have privacy, space and live life as you wish?
When my wife and I were first married, we lived about 1 hour from my parents and almost 6 hours from hers. He had both lived even farther so it wasn’t a big deal. And it allowed us to make our life on our own. When we bought our first home, where we live now, it was a little farther from her folks, and a little closer to mine. It was also more in the neighborhood of where my parents traveled on a weekly basis, so the interaction was likely to be more frequent.
We still joke that each family is too close and too far, depending on the day. But we agree that some space is beneficial for everyone.
For some couples, having the in-laws close by is a tremendous blessing. It can mean help around the house, free babysitting, homemade meals and a strong support system.
Other times, the close proximity causes more issues than benefit and can add stressors to the marriage as well as family dynamics long-term. So it’s very important to analyze the long-term situation you might be putting yourself in. Will you benefit from having family nearby or will it cause more conflict and chaos than you can handle?
This same concept applies to picking the neighborhood, city and even state you want to live in. Take time, do your research and make sure you will be happy in that place, in the proximity of what and who is around you, for an extended period of time. Remember, moving is expensive and stressful. Buying and selling houses can be expensive and stressful. And the last thing I want you to do is be stressed because you don’t like where you live.
Think about your family dynamics, think about the city and region you are considering before you make the move. Next week I’m going to discuss the numbers behind buying a house and how to keep yourself from becoming “house poor”.
p.s. But if you’re a “math nerd” and want a sneak peek, click here to schedule a call with me. We’ll get your game plan together 😉