Here are 5 ways to be grateful for your home just as it is. It’s tempting to want bigger and better but is that what you really need?
Our shelter is often one of the things we take for granted.
Having a home to raise a family in, a kitchen to prepare our meals in, a bed to fall asleep in and a laundry to wash our clothes in; these are just some of the benefits of living in a house no matter it’s age or style. A house, whether rented or bought, is something to be grateful for everyday.
However, house envy can get the better of us when we long for a home better than the one we live in.
It’s common to get this feeling when we’ve
- Scrolled through professionally staged homes on Instagram and Pinterest
- Walked through a display home
- Been invited to a friend’s newly built home and it is so fresh and LOVELY
- Watched TV remodeling shows prompting a reality comparison
- Read magazines, online articles, blogs and ‘how to’ websites sharing styled interiors and not the lived in reality
- Become overwhelmed by mess, clutter and house maintenance to keep our home up-to-date
- Outgrown the existing property
House envy is an easy trap to fall into, and I’ve found myself sometimes falling into it easier than others when writing this blog.
But, there are ways to move beyond the envy by practicing gratitude and reminding ourselves of some simple home truths.
A few weeks ago, when my dad took me to get my MRI scan, I was admitted into the scan earlier than expected resulting in some unexpected free time. After the scan, while discussing renovating and building, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and visit the houses we lived in.
Our first stop was my late grandparents’ home. The new owners had painted the exterior a light grey but had done little to the rest of the house.
We also drove past my childhood homes in Algester and Parkinson and finished at a display home.
This unexpected drive around the Southside of Brisbane inspired this post as it was interesting to see how the homes had aged, but also what the new owners had done to maintain the home.
These simple reminders were some of the points I concluded with when stepping through my own home after a busy week at work.
5 Ways to Be Grateful For Your Home Just as it is
1. A professionally staged and styled home will always be different to a lived in home
Staged homes are styled in a way to attract buyers. It’s an advertising tool to present a house in the best light to get the highest bid.
They are also the homes which are used for imagery in online content.
Your home too can by styled professionally, but to live like this daily is a superfluous pressure you need to release. Unless you’re selling your home, don’t compare your home reality to a house no one has lived in yet. It’s a sure fire way to make you feel depressed about your home.
2. New homes will become old homes sooner or later
As dad and I drove past the homes we lived in and the suburban streets which were new housing developments 30 years ago, it was hard to imagine that these homes were once new.
New homes will become older homes sooner or later. Keeping up with maintenance and replacing materials as they deteriorate are all important practices to refresh the façade of the home.
If you’re feeling envious of the new homes propping up in your newsfeed, don’t allow feelings of negativity overwhelm you. Right now your house is doing exactly what it needs to do – provide shelter for you and your family. Anything above this is a bonus!
Making your home more current by replacing old with new are future projects you can plan and budget for.
3. Remember what attracted you to your home in the first place
What attracted you to the home you’re living in at present? Were you drawn to the naturally bright interior from all the windows, or the size of the backyard or open plan living? Its human nature to look beyond the good points and focus on improvements or lacks in a home.
Remembering what drew you to your home in the first place will give perspective and lead to gratefulness.
4. Count the living elements in your home
The walls, floor and roof can make a house, but family makes it a home. Being with those we love are more important than owning the latest furniture or home décor to make our home current.
If you live in a house where there is love and respect by all members in the home, you’re more blessed than you realise.
Not all houses have the same story and if walls could talk, the realities experienced from within some family homes are heartbreaking.
Look beyond the people in your home and consider your pets and even house plants which bring a bit of the outside in. Adding a bit of greenery to your home can freshen up your home instantly.
5. Remind yourself of what your house has allowed you to do in the past and present
Our houses will evolve with us as we expand, grow and change.
There are so many memories a house can allow us to make from family gatherings at Birthdays and Christmas to the personal changes when bringing home your firstborn child or introducing a puppy.
Remembering how the roof we live under has provided a venue for a party or a safe haven for visitors are ways to be grateful for our homes, just as they are.
Minor updates, decluttering and even moving furniture around can improve our living areas immensely and may remove those feelings of underwhelm with our current home.
