As with most people, our house is the biggest, most expensive, thing we own. It took us a while to find the perfect house and, at the time, I did worry we were being too picky. Now I realize how important a house is, and I am so glad we took the time to find the perfect home for us. So, here are the top 5 things I love about our house.
1) It's location:We're not city people at all. Don't get me wrong, we weren't raised farmers, we were both raised in urban areas, but having moved to the country with my family, and Simon coming from rural Norfolk, we knew we didn't want to live anywhere built up. Dundrod is just perfect for us at the minute. We live in a street of 35 houses, there is a church, a primary school and a playing field. That's all. Walk to the end of our street and you are in open countryside. Absolute perfection.
2) The fireplace:Ok, truth be told, we actually both HATE the fireplace. It was there when we moved in, and we haven't yet replaced it. But, it has an open fire - something which Simon insisted on having in our home. I'm so glad he did! Coming from a gas fire family, having an open fire was a novelty, but it's something I now adore. There is nothing nicer than that crackling sound in winter when we snuggle inside, away from the cold.
3) The "good size rooms"Everyone who has come to our house tells us we have "good size rooms", and it's true. One of our bedrooms is enormous, and the others are all a brilliant size - all of them can easily fit a double bed. It was important to me that our house be our home for 15-20 years, so we need big rooms to shut our angst ridden teenage kids in in years to come! We also need lots of space for when Simon's family come to stay, so this was a must have when we were looking for a house.
4) Our garden:A garden was high up on our list of priorities when looking for a house, and our house has a great one. It's not HUGE, but it's a great size to house two dogs, and have plenty of space for Isabelle to run around in when she is bigger. It also has a long decked area, part of which is dog kennel, and the other part is used for summer dining. Simon spent a lot of time this summer overhauling the garden, and it looks fantastic. The best thing about it? Our back fence is waist height, and we back onto open fields, giving the impression that our garden is enormous. We also often have the cows in the field looking over at us, which gives us that country feel that we love.
Our garden...from the back step
5) The back step:I must have a thing about back steps, as I loved sitting on the back step at my parents' house too. Sometimes, I just like to sit on it, stroke the dog (and now talk to Isabelle) and look out at the open countryside. Something about it just makes me happy and calm.
What is your favorite thing about your house?