Simon and I have always agreed that we want to buy one house. We have never been interested in the concept of 'starter homes', flipping or turning a profit from rising house prices. Instead, we've wanted to model our lives more after the likes of people like my grandparents. They got married young, bought a farm, and have lived there ever since, working to make the farm fit their needs as their family grew.
But when you're looking for a 'forever home', your list of criteria is a bit different. We knew we wanted a single story home, to accommodate our bodies as they age. It would also be tough to keep up with maintaining 1000 m2 of outbuildings and cleaning 300 m2 of house forever.
Apart from the things we knew we needed, we also had something we simply wanted. For instance I really wanted a bathtub - or at least a bathroom big enough that I could eventually squeeze one in.
We also knew we wanted space for roommates or aging parents and family. Our best friend is actually moving with us!
Another thing we wanted was enough land to become more self-sufficient. I've been dreaming of a big kitchen garden for years, whilst Simon is eager to get chickens or ducks for eggs. We didn't get the biggest plot of land out there, but it's enough for a great start, and maybe one day we can buy more land from our future neighbors.
The one we finally decided on is perfect: roomy enough for roommates, small enough that we can manage it ourselves, one story, a huge bathroom with a bathtub for me and only a few kilometers from the nearest town.
The house we ended up buying was originally built in 1890. Over the years a lot of love and hard work has been put into the house, outbuildings and surroundings, and there was a larger renovation back in 1985. What exactly that renovation entailed, I haven't quite figured out yet.
But it certainly is a place with a rich history. It's surrounded by around 1,5 acres of land, that has been nurtured and cared for by the previous owners, who have left us an amazing garden. We want to transform this garden in time, so it's less about the lovely looks and more about nurturing the soil and reaping a bit of the rewards. We're inspired by permaculture and sustainable gardening principles - and we can't wait to figure out exactly how all these parts are going to fit in together.
m2 house
Built in
m2 land
Asking price
Buying a house has been no easy feat for us. We've both had low-paying jobs or been in schooling whilst we've tried to buy a house. Simon has just started a program in banking, and while it pays well compared to other educational paths, it still won't make anyone rich. On the other hand, I only work 30 hours a week, and honestly, I don't bring home much. Enough for us to live comfortably and happily, but not enough to impress the banks. My whole life I've struggled mentally, and it's made it hard for me to keep up with work. It's embarrassing to put out there, but I think honesty is more important than my personal shame.
The thing is, Simon and I couldn't buy this place on our own. We often see people closing on houses so young on social media parroting how they've worked hard to be where they are. And we've worked hard too! And trust me, people have worked even harder than us. But the banks hold the keys to the housing market, and hard work doesn't necessarily pay well.
We've had an insane amount of privilege. My parents helped us.
With our parents and ourselves putting down a combined 20%, as opposed to the law-mandated 5%, we were allowed to take out a mortgage for the remaining 80%.
This was not as a present. We're paying them back, and it is also an official loan. But it simply wouldn't have been possible for us to get a house loan if they didn't put part of the money down. So even if the money isn't a present, the opportunity it provided is. We're forever and eternally grateful, for them helping make our dreams come true. But we're also acutely aware of the privilege that helped 'get us started' on our house buying journey.
Everything is so exciting these days. We're finally getting a huge yard for our best girl, Gimli. We have so many plans and ideas for the future. The list is ever growing, but right now these are our main goals:
Unfortunately, first of all, we need to simply wait. We're not actually moving into the house until 2026, but that means we have lots of time to plan & learn. But we're so close now - and this time it's happening.