I have lived in the same house since I was born, and my parents moved into it back in 1991. It was built in 1979. It's still stable and steady, but there's no doubt that it has issues. Here are some of the struggles you can relate to if you live in an older home.
1. You’ve given up trying to sneak through the house without being heard.
The stealthiest of ninjas can not successfully avoid the creaking.
2. You have fight a never-ending battle against the critters.
Living in an old home is not always pleasant for those with bug phobias. Actually it's terrible. No matter how hard you try, the bugs always find their way in???
3. During a downpour you wonder if your house will spring a new leak… or reopen one that was “fixed.”
The calming sound of a storm is paired with the slightly worrying knowledge of there having to be a spot where water is coming in.
4. You’re not concerned about staining the carpet because it desperately needs to be updated anyway.
"Oops!" *attempts to clean it up* "Ah, oh well."
5. There are random cracks in the walls due to settling, and they kinda make you wonder if your house is falling apart.
"Has this crack always been this big? What if the walls just start crumbling?"
6. Your mailbox is literally decaying.
We actually got a letter from the US postal service saying that if we did not get a new mailbox they would not deliver mail to our residence anymore. I guess our mailman was annoyed.
7. There’s at least one random light switch in your house that has no purpose.
Maybe it used to have a purpose years and years ago, but now it just sits there and makes you wonder.
8. There are specific steps when it comes to opening the front door, and the last one is to put a little shoulder into it.
It takes so much effort to open that you start to question whether or not you have the right key.
9. In the summer it seems as if the house is unable to hold any cold, and in the winter vice versa.
Maybe the insulation needs to be replaced? Or the windows? It doesn't really matter because neither of them are going to be updated anytime soon.
10. Your driveway looks like it was previously a war zone.
It’s definitely seen better days. Ours looks like a cannonball graced the center of it, thanks to years of use and tree roots underneath.
11. When you walk into a room you get flashbacks from all the events that have happened in it.
When you get one you usually feel like Raven Simone having a vision, and you stand there with a blank stare for a minute or so.
12. You have (or had) at least one room with really wacky wallpaper.
If you’re on top of it, it’s already been torn down. We have decorative ducks at the top of our wallpaper in our dining room and random fruit floating on the wallpaper in our kitchen. It gives our house “character.”
13. Or, even better, you have a room with WOOD PANELING!
Nothing says “welcome back to the 60’s!” like wood paneling! Our wood paneling is painted over thank goodness.
All in all, I am thankful for my old home and will miss its quirks when I leave. It has been a very reliable house for my family.
Take care of your things, and they will last a long time!