Canada Kate

Too bad, you must miss the space terribly! I admit that I had to take stock of where I plan on living for the next 5+ years before moving forward with this reno. I bought the house new in 2007 and had originally planned to live in it until September 2012 (when my youngest starts university). I was planning on moving closer to downtown at that time; currently I live in the 'burbs. Since 2007, my oldest decided to go to school out of town as her program was not offered in Ottawa (thus incurring a 4 year committment to campus housing that was not previously budgeted for), and the cost of housing in the downtown core is crazy. For $400,000 I can get a 2 bedroom condo in a highrise with monthly condo fees of $500 and annual property taxes approaching $5,000. This doesn't work for me at this stage in my life: right now I have too much stuff to fit into a 2 bedroom condo; I have a dog and need a yard, I love to garden, my daughter lives with me in the summers and during holidays, my son is with me occassionally, I've got to get my kids through university, and I'm only 45! Maybe I'll feel differently when I'm 60, but a condo doesn't suit my lifestyle at this time.

So I had to decide what I wanted to do before making this reno investment, and I thought long and hard about it. So I'm going to be in the 'burbs for at least the next 4 years. Even though my new space is not finished yet, I am already dreading the day when I have to give it up.