Moments of Musing

Making Our House a Home

Filed Under: home decor, homeowners, New home //

When we stepped foot inside our home, I knew my husband would fall in love with it. Heck, when I looked at the photos, I was taken aback. I needed a bit of convincing due to its distance from NYC but my husband had me sold shortly after seeing it our first time.
I probably will never do a full home tour for privacy reasons but I thought it’d be fun to show you how we’ve decorated the main spaces and what progress we’ve made in making the house our home sweet home.
LIVING ROOM

Before:
After:
KITCHEN

Before:

After:

DINING ROOM

Before:

After:

Married … and Moved in With my Parents

Filed Under: homeowners, house hunting, moving //

Before my husband and I bought our home, we rented an apartment, which I discussed a couple weeks ago. Before that…we lived with my parents in their home. Luckily, they had a semi-separate living space so we had some privacy but we were still in close quarters.

We moved in with them when we moved back to Brooklyn from Chicago the summer of 2015. We planned to save up, which we did, and buy a house. During that time, we were also expecting our first baby and knew we’d have to make a move.

While we eventually did move out and did buy a house, I want to talk about our reasoning and experience living with my parents.

Moving Day, Brooklyn 2015
Our primary reason for moving back with them was to save money. Luckily, we saved quite a lot and that helped us transition to our new apartment and cover expenses related to our baby. As the baby’s arrival approached, I was keen on moving out but my husband wanted to stay a bit longer and save a bit money. Looking back, that would not have been such a bad idea but I am glad we moved into our own space when S was born.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, living with my parents and brother was okay. It was better than okay, actually–it was a pretty neat experience. I hadn’t seen them regularly over the previous couple years because we’d been living in Chicago so it was nice to spend quality time together. However, not having our own kitchen space was a downside and I had a constant nagging feeling of regression. After all, we’d gone from our apartment in a doorman building to my parents’ basement. Of course, I knew it was temporary and we were treated really well so we didn’t have any major qualms.

Ultimately, it was what worked best for our situation and I am grateful my parents were supportive enough to house us. That’s the best thing about the situation — knowing they’re there for us whenever, wherever, and however. I hope I can be as good to my kids as they have been to me, my brother, and my husband.

Would or have you ever moved back with your folks?

When Renting was a Better Option

Filed Under: homeowners, house hunt, renting //

When Tim and I decided we’d like to buy a home a couple years ago, we started the search in Brooklyn and quickly discovered that we were priced out. Of course, my parents wanted us to move close-by to them (see: on their block) but it is next to impossible with our budget and wish list.

Our wish list included: a big, or at least decent-sized, backyard; a kitchen island; maybe a fireplace; a garage; 3+ bedrooms; and 2+ bathrooms. Plus, we didn’t really want to have to do much work to the house. In Brooklyn, that’ll cost you at least $1 million … We looked (very little) in Long Island on our own to no avail.

Therefore, we had to make the decision: do we settle for a co-op (I say settle because it wouldn’t have much of anything on our wish list) or do we move out of the city?

Well, we did not think a coop was our best option at the moment. We had dreams of a house and did not want to let that dream go for the near future. (If we bought a coop, we imagined we’d live in it for a few years or more…) I also did not want to keep looking in Long Island because at the time, it felt too far and overwhelming as I was imagining how much life was going to change with a baby.

We ultimately decided to halt our search and shifted our priorities from owning a home to getting ready to welcome our first baby, S. We decided, for various reasons, that renting was the best option for us at the moment.

Here’s why renting could be your best option, too:

  1. No down payment or closing costs needed
  2. Not as big a commitment as home ownership
  3. It might allow you to save, if even just a little
  4. Less time consuming (and stressful) than house hunting
  5. Rent might cost less than mortgage payments
If you, too, are struggling with making the decision about whether to rent or buy, take a good look at your bank account and figure out when the right time to buy a home will be. It’s not a decision to rush into and you want to be sure to love the home you buy, so if you need to stall time a bit and rent, don’t feel badly! You’re far from alone… In NYC, 51% of housing units are rentals vs. 41% owned.

We Bought a House!

Filed Under: home decor, homeowners, life, New home //

Over the weekend, my husband and I became homeowners and moved into our new home! It honestly still feels like a dream, mostly because it’s a dream come true and partly because. I feel like a mombie (mom+zombie) …


I’ll give a more detailed post eventually but for now, here are a few things that have crossed my mind about our experience:

  • We had SO much help with the move — because of family and friends, it went much smoother than I thought possible. 
  • Reaching this goal together with my husband feels like a pretty big accomplishment — as individuals and for our marriage. I’m pretty darn proud of us. 
  • Moving with a teething toddler and while 5 months pregnant is EXHAUSTING.
  • Getting that in-front-of-house announcement photo during move-in weekend did not happen for us… see above.

  • I imagined closing day to look and feel a lot different. There were still issues on the day of, so my husband and I were stressed and anxious. The moment after becoming “home owners” definitely did not feel as I imagined it to feel… I’d say it took until we got to the house on move-in day for the excitement to really set in.
  • The thought of paying a mortgage is frightening. I was never scared of home ownership until it started becoming a closer and closer reality. Now, I’m worried about homelessness… because it’s a huge responsibility!
  • Seeing our toddler run around shrieking with glee makes this whole experience, process and decision worth it. We did it mostly for him and his little sibling… we want to give them a a place to feel at home. Our apartment was cozy but space was limited. I can see what a difference extra space makes when I see him running around. 


We still have to buy some furniture and fully settle in. In the meantime, any home owner tips I should know?!