For the last 3 and a half years, our family of 5 have lived in what we call our tiny house. We’ve honestly loved it but we’ve decided it’s time for a change so we’re building a house!
Before I go into more details about the house, I want to explain how we got to this point so here’s a little backstory.
Chris and I lived in Chicago in a one bedroom condo when we first got married. Then came baby #1. We stayed for a little while, but eventually moved to the suburbs to have more space and to be closer to family (aka babysitters). We had a decently spacious house (4 bed, 3 bath). Shortly after having our third son, Chris felt like we should move so we could save more money. Two weeks after that conversation, we had a full price offer and bought a 4-unit house. It looks like a raised ranch from the outside but actually has 4 units in it. We’ve been living in one of the units (2 bed, 1 bath) ever since. Most people thought (and probably still think) we were totally crazy but we were happy and content with our decision. We were able to make money on our house that we sold and having tenants has basically allowed us to live mortgage free since their rent pays for most of our expenses. It was a smart move for us financially and I think our family has gotten closer because of it.
So why move?
Good question. We’ve had many conversations about what the future will look like for us, Lord-willing. Chris and I (and the kids) have all agreed we could live in our tiny house forever and be perfectly content. The extra money we would save would also us to spend that money on traveling which is one of our favorite things to do together. And who wouldn’t want to get out of Chicago during the cold winter months?!
I’ll ask again. Why move?
I’ll actually get around to answering the question this time….We’ve decided to move into a bigger space for two reasons:
Reason #1: We love to host. Having a tiny house has made that challenging and we miss it. We’re excited to have friends and family over again and do more playdates. Thinking further ahead, one day I want to have space for our kids and grandkids to stay with us.
Reason 2: It’s been on our hearts for the last 5ish years to be foster parents. We had started the process but then we moved and child services wouldn’t approve us to get a license because we didn’t have enough space. Moving into a bigger space means we can get licensed and will get to care for a child so deserving unconditional love. We really can’t wait!
Where are you moving?
We’re actually only moving about 5 minutes away from our tiny house. Our kids will be able to go to the same school. We’re also keeping our tiny house as a rental property. Chris is a nurse and I’m a teacher, so the extra income will be nice.
House details
We’re building what we call our “modest farmhouse”. It’s the style of a farmhouse but set in the Chicago suburbs on a small lot. LOL. The building process has already been quite the learning curve but so far we’re enjoying it. I plan to update you on here and on Instagram so feel free to follow along.
https://www.instagram.com/dealsformomsblog/
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