Looking for a new house

So, my wife and I have been looking into buying a new house. We have been living in our “starter home” for over 10 years now. We didn’t intend to be in it this long and with two growing girls we feel like we need to move on and get something a little larger. What are our considerations?

Are you creating an idol in our new house?

We think there is a distinct possibility that we may be looking for a house to provide peace that only God can provide. Although we do want to show more hospitality it is very easy for a new home to consume more of your life than it frees up. I have recently had a conversation with a friend who asked me if it was possible his house had become an idol of sorts. The question is why do we want a new home. We need some more space for our family including more in the ways of storage. We would like some more land in a more rural area partly so we can enjoy some peace and partly to enjoy activities that require more space, like archery and four-wheelers.

How much can we afford?

This is another big question. According to several calculators on the subject we can afford anywhere between 180 and 350k. Which is crazy! I couldn’t imagine making that kind of mortgage payment. We have a budget in place now that allows us to be fairly generous with out money while putting some away. Moving will mean we need to adjust out budget accordingly and we need to understand those changes. So the question is not “What can we afford?” but “How do we want to spend God’s money?”

Should we even move?

This is the question I really don’t want to ask myself. We have some great neighbors and our church has just planted a new congregation in our neighborhood. (after 5 years of driving 25 minutes to church). We could stay in our home and pay it off faster while keeping a lower mortgage payment and keeping more freedom in our budget.

Space is subjective I suppose, we feel cramped, but according to this article living space per person has doubled since 1973. Maybe our culture is just telling us that we need more space.

These are some of the questions that I will be reviewing over the next few months or until we make a decision…

Image by Jan Tik

Looking for a new house