Eleven years. That's a pretty long time to live with the same depressing paint color. I admit that the new homeowner/honeymoon phase didn't last long for me. I was pretty sick of my condo after the first few years of living here. I realized I had made a HUGE mistake by becoming a homeowner. Upkeep and maintenance? Not my cup of tea. I wanted to cut my losses and jump ship. And once I discovered that it was going to be pretty impossible for me to sell at a profit, I really stopped caring about the place.
I was one of those lucky fools in 2004. The banks were throwing money at us: "Everybody can buy a house! Sign here, and just agree to this little bit of 'creative financing'. You don't even need a down payment! But in 5 years, your rate is going to change....blahblah fineprint fineprint fineprint". Fortunately, I was able to refinance my interest only loan into a fixed rate loan, unlike a lot of people, who couldn't afford the reality of homeownership once their interest only loan period expired. But now I'm in an "upside down" situation with my mortgage, owing more than the condo is worth. So very common. Ask any of my neighbors. They say property values are on the rise, but I don't exactly live in a posh neighborhood; compound that by the fact that condos are not as desirable as detached single family homes....and well, I've already got 2 strikes against me. Strike 3? Seriously outdated 80s décor and dingy carpet is not going to win over any potential buyers.
So, I felt stuck.
That helpless feeling turned into indifference. For the past 6 or 7 years, I ignored the paint, the carpet, the torn linoleum, and everything else that didn't work for me in this condo. And that's how I always referred to the place: the condo. Not "my home", or even "my house". How can you think of the place you live as a haven from the rest of the world if it's "just a condo"? How could I ever feel relaxed, comfortable, and at peace in a place where no energy or effort was being invested?
I realized it was time to do something.
That's where this blog starts for me. I want to record all my home improvement efforts, not because I think they will inspire or educate anyone. Really I just want to figure out how to make the condo I live in a home that I can love. A few pictures here and there to document my progress and some notes on anything that I learn along the way. So far, I'm about 1 month into the first project, my bathroom. It has certainly been an educational experience for me. More about that and how I prepared for the renovation in the next post.
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