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The 'Burbs
Jun. 13th, 2024 04:43 pmOften when I travel, it's to a city. I stay in the center and don't need a car: public transportation, ride shares, or bicycle rentals provide sufficient mobility. Mostly I just walk. Many attractions are within a reasonable distance.
So when I get back home, I often consider if I might prefer living in a more urban setting. My house in the suburbs is nice but I'm not convinced that it's the best place for a single bachelor. On the plus side, it's quiet, cheap, and big enough for me to work from. Downsides are that it always needs maintenance and it's not a convenient place to go out.
Moving is tempting but also an expensive idea. HOA fees in a building are 6 times what I pay for a house. That is the cost of escaping lawn work, paint, or any of the other multitude of repairs a house requires. Just as thought experiment, I'll concede that the extra fees are worth the cost of maintenance. However, I would also lose out on the extra income I earn from having a renter.
Let's take the experiment even further and disregard (within reason) the financial challenges. Being in a suburban house with a yard grants me the option of having a dog. It's possible to be a pet to live in the city but it doesn't feel like a good fit.
As I'm currently not a pet owner, the window is open for me to make that change but only if I can accept the higher cost. Otherwise, a new dog would solidify my position.
So when I get back home, I often consider if I might prefer living in a more urban setting. My house in the suburbs is nice but I'm not convinced that it's the best place for a single bachelor. On the plus side, it's quiet, cheap, and big enough for me to work from. Downsides are that it always needs maintenance and it's not a convenient place to go out.
Moving is tempting but also an expensive idea. HOA fees in a building are 6 times what I pay for a house. That is the cost of escaping lawn work, paint, or any of the other multitude of repairs a house requires. Just as thought experiment, I'll concede that the extra fees are worth the cost of maintenance. However, I would also lose out on the extra income I earn from having a renter.
Let's take the experiment even further and disregard (within reason) the financial challenges. Being in a suburban house with a yard grants me the option of having a dog. It's possible to be a pet to live in the city but it doesn't feel like a good fit.
As I'm currently not a pet owner, the window is open for me to make that change but only if I can accept the higher cost. Otherwise, a new dog would solidify my position.
