Buying a house is a commitment. Everyone knows that. But what does it really mean?
It means always trying to save a buck everywhere you spend. It means discovering new problems everywhere you look. It means trips to Home Depot. It means another trip to Home Depot to return the thing you just bought to get the next size up. Most of all, it means learning how to fix stuff and do things yourself.




I never considered myself handy
Growing up, I was an indoorsy kid. I spent my time playing video games and poking around on a computer. My parents were always super handy. If you’ve ever been to their house, you know what I mean. I grew up around a garage full of tools and knowledgable parents but I never so much as picked up a screwdriver in my teens. I just wasn’t interested.
Fast forward to today, Caitlyn and I are the proud owners of a 2 bedroom house built in 1947. Technically, we could try to qualify for the Mills Act if we did a few things to the front of the house.
Ever since we bought the place, our weekends have been filled with fixing the place up and taking care of it. I can say that I’ve been inside, on top and underneath the house. It’s crazy now going to Home Depot, instead of a bunch of random materials, I see a world of possibilities. I can’t unsee it.
Over Spring Break this year, money was a little tight as we are still adjusting to our mortgage payment. This means that there wasn’t a fancy camping vacation planned but instead a week of good old fashioned work around the house.
Lucky for me, both my parents are semi retired now, so they came over to help out and drop some knowledge on our unexperienced brains. The main things we wanted to tackle was expanding the electricity in the garage and removing a root near our back door. The entire garage is a work in progress.



My Dad and I worked on the wiring while my Mom and Caitlyn used a reciprocating saw to tear up the roots. I always admired how my mom never shied away from working with her hands. More recently, she likes to remind me of her latest purchase, a double bevel miter saw which she calls her “big mutha”. Seriously, she’s not afraid to get dirty, ever.
Aside from little tips and tricks that I picked up from my Dad when working with electricity, it was just plain fun to spend time with them. They’ve always be do-it-yourselfers, so it was only natural that they wanted to come over and fix some shit. From the funny sayings that come from my mother to the way that seems to always eavesdrop on her, we were laughing throughout the entire day. I really enjoy hanging out with them and learning what I can from their years of experience. Buying this place wasn’t just purchasing a place to live but a whole new hobby and outlook on how I live and spend money. I think that is home buying’s greatest gift.



Caitlyn and my Mom working on the huge root near the back door. Eventually, we want to pour concrete and wrap the first step around where the root was. My Mom blushes in her yard work glow. She probably spend more time outside than inside at this point.



Soon enough, the garage will take shape and be the little workshop/storage space that we intend. For now, I’ll bask in the warm 4000K glow of our newly installed LED’s.