The perfect home is not one size fits all, it’s what feels perfect to you

Life is short. We deserve to live in a home we love.

But sometimes we can get super hung up on the details of what a particular house has going on. It’s hard to get past the imperfections, to make that final move to put an offer in on a place. There is always a reason to back out of making a big life decision. It’s a reasonable thing to be nervous about making a “bad” decision, the “wrong” decision. I mean, let’s be real, it’s a lot of pressure to make the correct choice—to buy the perfect house.

But here’s the thing though, it ain’t out there. It’s just not. The perfect house is not a real thing, it does not exist. Just like with marriage, or anything else you commit to long term, there are seasons. Seasons where everything is functioning properly and you have enough space and you love the neighbors. But remember, things change. Families change, increase or decrease in space demands or mobility requirements, or preferences and style tastes shift. No house will always be everything we want.

Take some pressure off yourself and remember to be flexible in a realistic way. It will feel good to be less limited and restrictive with your options. Give yourself some space to consider a wider range of possibilities.

Remember to zoom out. If something looks outdated, or if the appliances aren’t your style and the look isn’t your vibe, so much of that can change. It isn’t permanent. Be open minded and try to see maybe what things have potential to turn into. Perfection is subjective. Houses are a result of the lives being lived in them before. But it can be different—it can be yours.

It’s exciting to turn your mindset from a narrow view to a wider lens. Of course, there are things you don’t have to move on—maybe the area you want to live in, or the lot size. But outside of the right neighborhood and some good bones, you’ve got a lot of ability to change the layout, flow, and look of most houses. Of course this stuff costs money, and that can be daunting too. But if all things are awesome except a couple changeable aspects, it can be a worthwhile investment.

We live busy lives out here, with a lot going on at all times. Renovating or repairing things takes time and money, and that’s intimidating. The thought of taking all that on after the whole ordeal of moving is not always appealing.

The point is, this house that’s got everything you want except the weird kitchen shouldn’t be vetoed based on the weird kitchen. There literally might not be an existing domicile that checks all your boxes. The weird kitchen can be made into your perfect one—maybe even more perfect than an acceptable turnkey kitchen might have been, because you design the details.

Things that look like they might not work for you can be turned into cool spaces, could be redesigned into functional or fun spaces that you come to love and enjoy in your home.

The house you live in is a personal choice. The way it looks and the vibe it has are up to you. Step into your cool designer era, because when it comes to your house that you buy with your money, you have the power.

Life is short, and you deserve to live in a house that’s perfect for you. Get excited about being creative and looking past what’s in front of you to what could be.