A House is Not a Home (Family Friday)

This may shock some people but we don't own our home.  We are renters.  And quite frankly with the current economical climate very happy about it.  We have the obligatory discussion about if it is something we should consider, now we are married with 2.4 children and we always come to the same conclusion -nope not right now.
I believe the right time will come, in the right place, with the right house but that isn't right now.  So for now I love the house we rent.  It has some character but has been nicely fitted out by a landlord that demonstrates good tastes and we are very lucky to have it.  Due to our family circumstances of J1 being in a wheelchair and severely physically disabled we do not have the pick of any house we want.  The chances of finding a perfect adapted house are zero so we work around it.  We have to have either a bungalow or a house that has large enough downstairs space (i.e. multiple reception rooms or a large dining room) so that one of those spaces can be made into a bedroom, large enough to house bedroom furniture and a bucketful of equipment.

Just something else that is not easy as it can be for other families.

So to find something suitable and something that you love as a home is tough.  But we managed it with this house.  We have spent two happy years here.  But children grow.  Children's 'stuff' increases (and believe you me, I am brutal on clear outs) and although we have managed to date, the last month when Hubby has been home 24 hours a day too it has become glaringly clear that we have out grown this house. 

When Hubby first started to venture into these waters I was venomously against the idea.  Not only was the house doing its job for us but it's in a fantastic location, I can walk to the schools, walk to the sea, walk into town, walk to my mum's, walk to the 'Gardens'.  I argued that I would not move anywhere that wouldn't give me and the children, who are here all day and need stimulation the same pleasent quality of life.

But this year, no matter how we try and think about how we could re-arrange our small family area, we do not even have the space for a Christmas tree. 

We have no room for the gifts that Santa will bring.  J1 will only get more and bigger equipment to aid him in life and J2 will only continue to grow and charge around at a more feisty pace.

This coupled with our local Council making some very dubious decisions about what is to happen to the happy seaside town in which we live at the moment has forced me to re-think.  So I am to start detaching myself from this house, and letting in new ideas. 

A new area is in the frame but not too far away that we would need to change J1's school at the moment, and budget permitting a house that gives us more family room, maybe enough space for a (intake of breath) dining table!  Maybe a kitchen big enough to have all my kitchen stuff out of the loft... 

...well maybe not 'that' big, think how long it'd take to clean.  But maybe a living room large enough that we can have a Christmas tree.  Our need for more day to day living space has got to take precedence over my longing to have all amenities within walking distance.  Of course I wouldn't choose something that would harm our quality of life, but I am thinking about being more flexible about what is essential. 

Once I got over my habit of immediately saying 'No' to a new idea (think 'Monica' from Friends) I realised how (hard work it would be, yes) but exciting too.

Finding a new home to fall in love with that fits our new families needs.  Of course coupled with the excitement comes the fear of the aforementioned hard work and the fear of disappointment (experienced once this week already grrrrrrr) but I think of us being able to eat around a dining table together and know it is the right thing to do now.

And whatever happens WE ARE HAVING A REMOVALS COMPANY!  Because we do not want this happening to Hubby again...