Embracing the Quirks: Navigating the Charms and Surprises of Life in an Old House

An old house has its charms and pitfalls. You have the opportunity to make it your own but with surprises along the way. My husband describes our house as “swiss cheese” because of the little holes and spaces in insulation causing the basement to be a little extra chilly. When we moved in, the smell reminded me of my grandparents' house as a kid which I took as a good omen. When I told my parents this they replied “its old house smell, not specific to your grandparents” …I promptly set about putting out air fresheners. 

The housing market in BC didn’t provide us a lot of options to what we could buy - either a larger townhome or older detached home. We were sick of strata living and figured if we updated our 1st home we could do it again in a detached older home. The extra complication we didn’t account for was caring for two small children which we didn’t have in our first home. As hard as it is to find time to do our updates while managing family time and our day jobs, it has been worth it. I think we would make the same decision all over again (except we’d choose a fixed rate mortgage-thanks for the wild ride Bank of Canada).  

Old house lessons I’ve learned: 

1. A coat of paint goes a long way to feeling better about a room 

2. Air fresheners from amazon are key 

3. Carpet in the basement of an old house is key! Makes it feel and look warmer

4. Having patience- remembering the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day”! I have a huge list things I want to do in my house but keeping in mind that we have a long time to do it and to focus on the things I enjoy

5. Tackle projects one room at a time so it isn’t as overwhelming.

A cozy living room in an old house showcasing character and vintage charm.

If you've just moved into a "fixer upper" it's okay to feel overwhelmed. We were defintely there too, but I can confidently say that after each update I have felt better and better about our choice. A little coat of paint, your own furntiure and artwork, and simple updates go a long way to making a "new old home" feel like yours.

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