If you have ever built a home then you know the crazy amount of options that are available to you. Before I started I watched several of my friends go through the same process. It is easy to go over on your limit, adding one more item here and another here and then a few more square feet. It can get out of control quick. My Husband and I promised ourselves we weren’t going to do that and we didn’t want to blow our budget. Our reasons for building a home were simple and we wanted to stick to that mentality without letting Pinterest or a salesman get in the way. Also, we had a very strict budget and as odd as it sounds, we knew we weren’t building a forever home but a 5-7 year home. We had to be realistic so some things had to give while others would be required.
I didn’t want Rebecca to have Narnia built into her bedroom closet. I wanted land that was enough for her to explore with her own imagination, not something created for her.
We went with less square footage because there are only three of us right now. While we don’t want to live on top of one another we do anyways. It’s called having a kid.
There is no formal dining room or sitting room. We wouldn’t use it anyways. Our time is spent sitting around the bar area right now or piled on one couch.
I don’t need the newest windows. I need windows that keep the bugs, snow and wind out. Windows have a use and I need them to work. Simple. We currently live in a historical building with original windows. I’m quite serious about wanting nature to stay outside where it belongs.
I have a basic guest bath because we dumped the money into the back deck. We are happiest outside and we wanted a covered porch to sit at when it rains, to grill in the summer and to have late night talks on. No more just sitting in our apartment parking lot on the tail gate of the truck. Plus, our guests will only spend 2 minutes in the bathroom and hours on the porch.
My builder suggested this huge laundry room. I cut it in half. Currently our washer and dryer are in the hallway, in a closet, and I don’t know any better.
My builder also fought me on a huge walk in pantry. I’ve had 5 kitchen cabinets for the past nine years. Again, I don’t know the difference. I don’t care if everyone has one. We don’t need it. Standard pantry it is.
We bought a lot no one wanted because of the amount of excavating it would take. $20,000 saved by my husband doing it all and it has the biggest backyard. In turn we have more money to replace the trees we had to remove. I want colors exploding every spring and fall.
We live in a world of who has the biggest and best and who can keep up with the neighbor. We are trying to stay away from that even though people walk through our half built home now making suggestions that we just can’t do on this house. Maybe next time around but for this time we are just happy to have a home.
Through My Mistakes 
SO true – you don’t know any different, so why go THAT big on things you don’t REALLY care about and go big on the things you do – like a deck. I am SO with you. If I am ever lucky enough to build, I will do the very same thing! (home buying, generally, went into it the same way though! Example – I’ve never had a garage, so it wasn’t a dealbreaker, never had one, meh, don’t NEED one. per se!)
The garage was at the top of the husband’s list! Too funny! 1000 sq ft later he better be happy:) It is true though, if you don’t have one you don’t know the difference!