When my wife and I first saw the house that we live in now, we both thought the same thing at the same time.
It was the perfect place for us but it was too expensive and out of our budget range.
Our eyes locked on one another as this message didn’t even need to be articulated. And we tried to pick apart the place on the way home. The HVAC equipment was in need of replacement. The kitchen was outdated and the carpet was some sort of hideous orange swirl throughout the house. But as much as we tried to talk our way out of loving this house, the more we fell in love with it. It took all our money and a big mortgage to make our dream of living here happen. And we did have to replace the heating and cooling equipment along with other necessary renovations. And we were sitting at the absolute limit of our income just to live here. Yet, it was so worth it. But what really made this endeavor possible without constant worry is what we did with the basement. It was mostly finished with sheetrock walls, electricity and plumbing. So we took it the rest of the way to make an apartment we could rent out. When the HVAC professionals were replacing the HVAC unit for the house, we had them install a ductless heat pump in the new apartment. Now, we have a renter who we adore and that rent goes a very long way toward covering the mortgage each month.