Hello everyone, today I am writing about something I used to struggle with immensely being a military spouse -- renting a home and frequently moving. If you have taken a chance to read my about me page, you will know that I am married to an (amazing) Marine. Of course, being a part of a military family means moving around a ton. Additionally, while it's certainly not impossible to purchase your own home, it's sometimes more convenient and affordable to rent. At first, all of this really bothered me. I grew up in the same house from birth until I moved out when I was 18, so I was used to having a "permanent home". So of course, moving around and not owning our home was not something I had necessarily anticipated for my future.
While I am well aware that there are many negative aspects to renting a home (some of which are no equity being built up, limited flexibility in terms of home remodeling, etc.) I have come to realize that there is actually an upside to renting and moving. I think I am able to really appreciate and recognize the positives being that I am a military spouse and I constantly have to deal with unexpected changes and inconvenient situations. It's become a saying in our home "welcome to the military!", when things don't necessarily go our way.
If you have found yourself in a similar situation to me -- you're a renter, you're constantly moving, or a combination of both -- I am here to tell you that there are positives! Here are my three reasons I now love renting and frequent moves!
1. I have come to realize I love change!
To some people, change can be scary. I completely understand that, it was scary to me for a long time. However, when I started thinking about it, I realized that I actually love change because it makes life interesting! As I mentioned, we lived in the same house my entire childhood, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything was always the same. In fact, because I had so many siblings, we were constantly switching up rooms, rearranging furniture and changing things up around the house to accommodate the growing family. Because of that constant shuffling, I grew accustomed to my surroundings being altered every few months or so! Now, if my husband and I are in one home too long, I get sick of it, bored of stale surroundings.
Cue the upside of renting: When you rent, for the most part you have a limited contract and can move whenever it's done. Unlike in a home you own, where you are tied down, when you rent you have the option of freely moving from place to place. So sure, you might get bored of where you're at now, but in only a few months you could have the opportunity to move yet again! Change is a good, fresh thing.
2. New spaces mean new decorative challenges and inspiration!
Especially because rented homes often have rules about remodeling and renovating, decorating can sometimes be a challenge. Whether it's the lack of space or tricky room layouts, when you rent a home you have to be able to work around, or with, the foundation that is already there. Yes, this poses a huge decorative challenge. You cannot necessarily take one home and put it exactly how it was set up into another. However, that has led me to stretch myself creatively and think outside the box with regards to home décor! Not every space can harbor the same décor, so each new rental means a new opportunity to switch it up. While sometimes that can be incredibly scary, it is also extremely liberating knowing that I don't have to remain within the confines of one theme or another for my home. One of my favorite quotes people use all the time for military families (and others who move a lot as well) is "Home is where you make it".
No matter where you go, even if the spaces are different, you can become inspired and make your new house, your home. I've resolved to adding décor on the wall such as quirky galleries, large cork boards, puzzles, you name it! I also decided that if I need a furniture item only for one particular rental that I probably won't want to take with me, to buy it used and upcycle it!
3. I don't hoard things I don't need.
Moving around so often and into rental spaces means that we do not often keep things we don't need. One of my favorite things to do before moving is to take stock of all the things we have as we pack. If we don't need it, if we haven't touched it in a while or if it simply isn't our style anymore, we throw it out. We will never have that "junk garage" or "junk closet" full of things we don't need because we always have to move every few years and go through it all. I love that feeling! Not only does it help us stay organized, it really helps us limit the amount of stuff we have.
Another great thing about only keeping things we need or are very sentimental to us is that the stuff we do have, we use it! For example, there are a few things we are proud to keep "collections" of and we avidly take them from place to place. These are: books, movies and board games. No matter where we go, they shall follow. The best part? Because they aren't being cluttered by other nonsense, we actually use them all.
All in all...
I love change, I like being challenged creatively and I hate clutter! If you have found yourself in a situation similar to my own, I encourage you to be excited about the idea of renting and the prospect of moving to new locations. Just like anything in life, you can choose to be happy or you can choose to be miserable. I choose happiness, and I choose to rent!
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-- Sam, DIY Just Cuz Blog
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