The Amazing Adventures of Lindsey, House-Hunter Extraordinaire

It is not easy looking for a place to live.

Were in the process of looking for a house to rent, and it is so wearing me out! Ive been fighting feeling frustrated as I look through the listings and see exactly what I want but what we cant afford.

What I want:

• A decent-sized yard (that is my top priority Im willing to deal with small home if I have a nice yard).
• Two or three bedrooms.
• A place not right in town but not too far out either.
• A nice neighborhood that I wont feel uncomfortable taking walks through.

Is that too much to ask? 😉 Well, apparently it is Ive felt like Sherlock Holmes trying to navigate the internet looking for a place that meets all or at least part of that criteria. So far, it has been impossible to find something that isnt an hour away from my husbands work, or isnt another apartment (nooooooooooo!) or a run-down duplex.

Last Saturday we looked at two duplexes and a small house, and I really like the house and really dont like the duplexes. The so-called yard found at each duplex was actually a tiny patio with a broken-down fence and a lot of gravel. One of the duplexes was nicer inside than the apartment we live in now, but I really want a real yard and not a claustrophobic patio. I have a toddler. She needs to run, and she needs to have a place she can explore and enjoy.

Mommy has spoken. 😉

Growing up, we moved around a lot I remember how horrible apartment life was as a kid. And how awesome and freeing living in a house with a yard or in a private country setting was. Its amazing what it does for you and your mood. Or maybe its just me I thrive in a country setting. 🙂

Thats partly why I have such a hard time living in apartments right now Im unhappy in the one we live in now, though it isnt a horrible apartment. Its actually a great setup for someone who has to live in one. We live across from a small park in a nice neighborhood and it has a pool and gym (both of which Ive never touched, haha). So were not desperate to move now, but Im really ready to go. And once my husband was on the same page (that took some pushing, but were finally there!), I really got excited. Now Im hardly able to sleep and Im stalking Craigslist and our newspapers for new listings practically every hour!

Anyway, the house we saw on Saturday is very small, 900 square feet, but it has a huge yard around the front and back of the house. The layout of the house is nicer than our apartment, too (the kitchen is more open). The one major con is that it is on a pretty busy town road, so noisier than where were at now.

One of the pros is that it is right across from Starbucks. 😉

Another of the cons is that the yard is only partially fenced, so I would have to keep an eye on my toddler relentlessly. So really, Im kind of stuck trying to decide if thats what we should go for or if we should wait and see what else is out there. My husband is for it (he sees space for parking his cars, washing them, fixing them up, etc).

And then, of course, the people who show you the house push you to hurry and apply before someone else does so theres some added pressure. lol

Im trying to stay positive through this adventure, and I know that God has something good in mind for us. I just dont want my impatience to hinder any guidance I might have from Him. 🙂 I want to feel a peace about moving, you know?

Heres a verse that just came to mind for me:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5, 6)

Im supposing that when it says In all your ways acknowledge Him, that includes house-hunting. All your ways.

Okay, need to go talk to God about this. 😉

Thanks for listening, guys! If you have any house-hunting tips or stories for me, I would love to hear from you!