Land Lust

When we first moved to our town, I was overjoyed to finally own a home. And the place we purchased was especially nice, having many beautiful gardens and an absolutely magnificent maple tree in the backyard. The lot wasn't big, but it was all that I needed and wanted. And the fact that my husband can walk to work in 10 minutes is a huge bonus, too.

Over the past nine years my husband and I have overseen some pretty big remodeling projects to make the house fit our lifestyle better. And I'd like to think the changes we've made have improved the quality of our old house.

Then I discovered my love of horses. And guess what - my perfect house doesn't seem so perfect anymore.

I want land, lots of land. Okay, maybe not that much, but definitely more than my current .16 acres. I check the real estate ads obsessively now, looking for the perfect lot to build my dream barn, um, I mean house, on. My ideal place is still close to hubby's work - preferably within bicycling distance - and at least 3 acres. I've even picked out some house plans that I think I'd like to build. (I've researched sustainable building and alternative energy sources for home heating for many years -- so wanting to build a house such as the one in the link is nothing new.) Unfortunately, the land around here is not inexpensive anymore. I found my perfect lot - to the tune of $325,000! I'd like to spend that much on the land and the house. Then I'd still be able to possibly build my dream barn....

Complicating the whole issue is the fact that hubby M doesn't want to move. That 10 minute walk to work is extremely important to him, plus he just plain likes our house.

I'm constantly torn by my desire to own our own acreage where we keep our horses, a couple of goats and the random chicken. But our current setup works okay. Sure, I have to drive 20 minutes to go see the horse, but by boarding I gain the freedom to travel and I also benefit from the social aspects of being at a barn with lots of people around.

If only I could find a lot to build my strawbale house that was next door to a place to board the horse, all within walking distance of work.....