After graduating from college, I moved into a nearly 200-year-old farmhouse with a few of my friends. The house I live in has been in the landowner's family for generations, and as soon as I walked in, I fell in love. Granted, I grew up in a house very similar to this one, so nostalgia certainly had a part to play. Some might have seen it in its state of filth left by the previous tenant and written it off, but I knew we found our place. If you've never lived in an old house or known someone who does, you might not understand this list, but if you do or you have, you're definitely in for a laugh!
1. You know how to fix things.
Spackle is your best friend, you definitely own a wrench and you got excited about buying your first cordless drill. You might not know how to fix them "correctly," but you can make it work!
2. You appreciate hardwood floors.
Even though you've gotten your fair share of hundred-year-old splinters.
3. "Level" is a relative term.
After a hundred years or so, things tend to settle. Shims to the rescue!
4. Summer means A/C units, and winter means space heaters.
As efficient as those 12-inch-thick walls are for insulation, the windows leave something to be desired.
5. You probably hate plastic siding.
Your old house has such great character with its weather-worn bricks or stones. How could anyone live in such a cookie cutter home? Why would you do this to your house?
6. You understand the term "dust rhino."
This is WAY bigger than a dust bunny.
7. People ask you if your house is haunted...
...especially after they see your basement.
8. You're used to random noises.
It could be the pipes clanging as the heat turns on, some dust settling as an 18-wheeler rolls by, or the door with the broken latch catching a gust of wind. It might have bothered you when you first moved in, but you can sleep through anything now.
9. You wouldn't have it any other way.
As inconvenient it is to live without some of the modern luxuries found in newer homes, you love the history, look, and feel of your house. You can't imagine being anywhere else, and that's the way you like it.
Living in an old house has its quirks and perks! Being surrounded by a testament to hard work and excellent craftsmanship that has withstood the test of time feels like you are truly a part of history.
