Are You The Master Of Your House Or Is Your House The Master Of You?

A house is just a house after all.

They said that one of the factors that kept many Americans unable to find work during the last big recession, was the fact that they were tied to their house. A house that they had put oodles of debt on in order to make it bigger, better and prettier than necessary. Picking up sticks and moving to another city where there might have been work, wasn't possible.

The most beautiful house is just a house after all. A house has four walls and a roof and cannot replace your health, family or well being.

In one of those passing conversations I had the proverbial penny drop for me. Asking an acquaintance how their renovations were coming along, she said that they were finished or close to it. Well, cheerfully I replied how nice it must feel to finally put away those work boots and merely enjoy some down time.

Oh no, it seems that their abode was going to be repaired some more almost like a constant repair loop. By the way, I know their house is a new and perfect one and to be honest, I had a ping of guilt for the fact that we don't spend all our time ( spare or otherwise ) on our house.

While I told her that with us, house repairs were on hold until our budget improved but that we totally loved our living space, I understood an important life lesson.

If your house takes up all your free time and money, it tends to morph from an asset into a liability.

A house should be a lot of things, starting with a sanctuary from the stresses of life to a place that holds all your stuff. But a house shouldn't absorb all your free time and available money.

The adage of Less is more is a perfect fit for a house.

• Less worry.....more time to relax and have a life.
• Less cleaning.....more quality time with family that doesn't involve nagging about errant dirty socks.
• Less money required to keep it in shape....more money available to go on holiday, go dancing, go fishing, or anything that blows your hair back!

Biggi