Member-only story
How to Have the House of your Dreams
Without buying a giant mansion
When I was younger, I believed I was going to live in a giant mansion with actual directional wings. My friends would clearly live in another mansion, attached by a pool, and my parents would live in the west wing where I wouldn’t have to see them unless we really wanted to. We would eat at tables so long you’d only hear the gentle clatter of plates and utensils being used.
A couple of decades later and my square footage desires have changed. The idea that I should have everything I want has not. My dream home now consists of a large acreage, a meadow, a sauna, pool, hot tub, beautiful and functional kitchen, large closet, and library.
I know. A little much, but I’m already halfway there. Without moving or spending a million bucks.
When my husband and I were looking at houses, there were a few things we weren’t willing to take off our list: a bedroom big enough for a king bed, a large closet, a large backyard or land. We kind of got all three of those things. The bedroom is just big enough for a king. The large closet is available to me after converting a bedroom into one. The property is large, though smaller than what we wanted. Unfortunately, budget restrictions toned down our dreams.
