Home Is Wherever You Are, But...I Still Have "Must-Haves"

Tonight I'm dreaming a little bit. We didn't get the house we put on offer on, which is fine, but now we are back at square one. We are obviously still looking at houses and my hubby is taking a little trip to house hunt in person in a few weeks. We both know our wants and needs and I need to trust my hubby to pick a house for our family without me seeing it in person. He knows what I like and what I want in a house, but let's face it...we don't have the budget for my dream home. Even if we did, we move in a few years anyways. It is so hard!!

Here is my wishlist (realistic)
1. 3-4 bedrooms.
2. 2-3 bathrooms. One in the master is a must.
3. Backyard. Big enough for our firepit, the kids to play, and hopefully a trampoline.
4. Close to shopping. "Close" meaning within 20-30 minutes, 10-15 would be AMAZING!
5. Good neighborhood/schools.

Those are my top 5 realistic "must-haves". I think they are pretty reasonable.

The fun part is "wants" in a house. Here are my unrealistic, dream home wants.

1. Fireplace.
2. Open concept.

Picture from Pinterest

3. Kitchen with a booth. Yes, a booth. I'm obsessed with this idea.

Picture from Pinterest

4. Master bathroom with a huge bathtub and separate shower.

Picture from Pinterest

5. Front porch with swing and a door with a fun color. Don't ask me why. I just love a fun door. Red, yellow, bright blue. I want it. 

Picture from Pinterest

Ok, so my wants aren't going to happen. Especially the pictures I pulled from Pinterest. My hubby is more of a "I want a fixer-upper" house kind of guy. Good because maybe I can get a fun colored door! Good because we can personalize the house to our style...to an extent of course. Bad because it takes time. And energy. And fixing up a house with a hubby who will do 90% of the "fixing up" while working a full-time job with two little kids will be very difficult. I'm pretty sure my husband has more confidence than I do.

Now we just need a house! Easier said than done, but we will get one. We will have to, you know, because we need shelter. Keep your fingers crossed we find a house we can make our "home"!

What are your top needs and wants in a house?