Home Sweet Home, tag

There is a video tag going around YouTube, started by Hilary @ 'My So-Called Home' ... I'm enjoying watching all the stories - but just about everyone seems to be an owner!  I've owned homes before, but not in my current situation ... nor do I record videos.  But - I'm a writer :)  So I'm tagging myself and responding to this tag:

Tag Questions:
1. What is your living situation? Do you rent, own your home, live at home, etc  I'm a renter - something my mother said I'd never be able to do, as I'm so noise-sensitive! 

2. What type of house do you live in? (apartment, townhouse, house, tinyhome, etc)  A brick apartment building, where I am 1 of 16

3. Do you live in the city, suburbs, or country?  Country!  

4. How many people live in your home...who do you live with?  Myself and my two cats, Delilah and Big Mama ... which is a complete sea change from when I moved in!  When I first arrived, I had dear CoCo, a Rottie-Beagle mix, who yes was over the weight limit BUT I was given the geriatric dog exception ;D

5. If you own your home, when did you buy it and how old were you when you bought it?
(if you don't own your own home and rent, when did you move to your home)  6. How long have you lived in your home? Right after Thanksgiving four years (plus six months) ago

7. How many bedrooms? 1

8. How many bathrooms? 1

9. What was the selling point for your home? (what sold you on this place) The last time I lived in this area, I was in a house, in a nearby city ... but had visited someone who lived here - so I already knew the layout and the size of the rooms and what furniture would fit, etc.  And then - I'm on the ground floor - not even one single step! - which is exactly what I (and CoCo at that time) require (d) for health reasons!  

10. What is something you love about your home?  The ground floor-ness ... and that it's a short distance to the most immediate-need stores - 4 miles round-trip!  I often say I go in circles ;)  I moved from a city that was so spread out, it was between three counties (!) and 280 miles in size ... and am originally from very congested and getting worse! central NJ, so ...

11. What is something you hate about your home?  I have this belief that especially any older guy should be a perpetual Mr Fixit Handyman, like my beloved Dad was, and so many others of his generation, but this landlord does no maint. whatsoever - he doesn't even like to spend any money on a permanent maint. person OR have safety in place when his own relatives are doing repairs!  This is a big thing for me, as part of the reason I transitioned to a house was I'm not a handyperson!  If he just did maint., these apartments would be fabulous!!!

12. What is a future project you plan on completing in your home? Clearing up my clutter! which is not too difficult to have in an apartment with only four rooms !

13. What is something you changed in your home immediately after moving in? Curtains, and that was a bear!  First of all, I never even heard of an apartment anywhere being rented-out without standard boring venetians OR hardware in place - until I arrived here, that is!  And you can't go into these walls without a drill, which I don't own!  However, being on the ground floor puts me in the "spotlight", especially in the living room ;-  I first went with a spring tension rod, like you use for showers ... but as the living room window gets all the sun, and the windows are wooden, they "grow" and "shrink" ... so, after the curtain crashing down one too many times, I realized that the packing paper is the exact size of the window and thats what I have taped over it, in the living room!  It works, too, because it can be easily removed - and because I have lots of them!

14. What is something you always wanted to do to your home and never get around to? More bookshelves, but in creative spots, like over closet doors.

15. If you had to do it over again would you rent/buy your current home. If not, why not?  This is a complicated question for me, actually ... I regret selling the home I used to own in a nearby city and wish I had held on to that one, at least!  HOWEVER - if I hadn't moved into THIS building, in THIS town, I wouldn't have had the gift of some very special friends who have been life-changing, even, in some aspects #bffs

16. Does your home have any quirks, if so what are they? Do you like those quirks? Why or why not?``Oh, surely! - and some of which are because he does no maint, so - no! I don't like those quirks! That includes a bare concrete bathroom floor! A neighbors common-wall bathroom flooded through, and what was there, OBVIOUSLY!, had to be ripped-up.  In a small bathroom where I sit on the toilet and my knees almost touch the tub, the landlord said I would need to be out of here three days to replace the floor.  I said - no way! - and went and bought throw rugs from the dollar store to try to warm-up the concrete. ... MY FAVORITE QUIRK :  What "sells" these apartments are the extremely long kitchen counter, which gives separation between an open-area living and kitchen area - and tons of room, obviously!  The surprise I like to spring on people when they first move in is - have you found your secret cabinet yet???  On the living room side, there is a cabinet, and as its right up against where the wall L's, most people don't even realize its there, and just put furniture in front of it, and then they're like - OH!  ;)