Yep, you heard me. Your girl bought a freaken….
HOUSE
in a
PANDEMIC!
If you would have asked me 3 years ago would I do such a thing, my answer would have been no but here we are. It’s like Minnesota all over again. I knew I would do a masters program but never in a million years thought I would end up in Minnesota for my masters program.
You’re probably wondering how the heck did you get to the point of buying a house, since you were years out from even considering the idea?
Good question!
Let me explain.
My husband and I moved back to Tampa from Minnesota in summer 2019. We moved into an apartment and were pretty set on staying there for two years to save and get accumulated to living in Tampa again. But then a global pandemic, aka the coronavirus, happened in early 2020 that flipped the world and our house plans completely over.
IMPACT OF COVID-19
COVID-19 hit communities hard physically and mentally. Like many people the pandemic had people reflecting on what they wanted from life and how they could get closer to those dreams. We were some of those people.
The early months of the pandemic had two positive effects for us:
- We saved tons of money not going anywhere.
- We earned additional income.
- The housing market became a buyer’s market.
These two things created a climate where my husband and I felt comfortable to take the leap and purchase our first home.
HOUSING PROCESS
The process was seemingly quick for us. Or at least it seems like it looking back at it now. My husband really took the reins on the whole process with our real estate agent and looking for homes. We set a budget, a neighborhood we liked in Tampa Bay, and then homes just started to pop up.
It was fun touring different homes but we both quickly got over it. We were getting a bit nervous because we were running up to the end of our apartment lease and we didn’t want to end up on the streets. Thankfully, surely enough, we found a neighborhood we loved and a home we could picture being ours.
MAKING OUR HOME OURS
A few papers signed, hours of painting (our home’s original color inside was an orange sorbet color, enough said), and moving in our furniture, we are now homeowners! It’s wild to think about and at the same time seven months into this home and it also feels so normal, like we were always homeowners. Good bye apartment living.
Now our next adventure is creating a home that is truly ours and reflects our taste and lifestyle. It’s so much more ground to cover than a two bedroom apartment but I am excited for the challenge. I look forward to sharing bits and pieces of my home with you all. I want to be very intentional on making it as sustainable as we possibly can. I will make sure to incorporate sustainable home decor and support sustainable businesses in every room in our home.
Would love to hear any sustainable home decor businesses recommendations you all have for me!