Dreaming of a dream house
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- August 8, 2023
- 776
Taller Half and I did build our dream house many years ago but had to leave it behind when we moved.
Houses aren’t travelers. They are locked to their foundations. The first descriptor that comes to mind is “paid for.” But on second thought, a mortgage-less place is no longer a tax deduction — waiting at the end of every amortization schedule is the IRS.
Because a mortgage-free house is too expensive tax-wise, a low-interest-rate mortgage with monthly payments under $100 would be very nice. My dream house would live on a small lot, in a great neighborhood and be exempt from property taxes. Remember, this is a
dream, not reality.
Because our children are grown and on their own, we no longer need a large house with lots of rooms. A small house with large rooms will do just fine as long as the closet ratio is 2-to-1.
An elegant house would not work with our lifestyle. We’d get along well with an unpretentious, good-natured place that welcomes company, pets and a bit of clutter. And our dream place must be surrounded by porches and loaded down with electrical outlets and well-endowed bathrooms. The bathroom fixtures, like the kitchen appliances, should
all be self-cleaning.
Because Taller Half is an incurable pack rat, our dream house must have a junk jail — a room junk may enter but not leave. When full, that room must have special junk-dissolving enzymes that digest the contents.
Our dream house will have a strict no-pest policy. All bugs, spiders and rodents will be forbidden to enter. Last but certainly not least, our dream house will be built to be frugal. The entire place would function well within our budget and have dependable plumbing and wiring and a roof that is impervious to leaks.
It is such fun to dream, isn’t it?