3.15.2011

own vs rent: which do you prefer?

*FYI there's a giveaway at the end of this post*

a few days ago, Gary and I were discussing the pros and cons of renting versus owning a home.  while we both agreed that we're perfectly content with renting at the moment, eventually we'd like to own a home again.

one thing we certainly haven't missed is dealing with all the headaches that come with owning a home; endless projects, fix-ups/repairs, maintenance, painting, painting, painting, and so on.  oh, did I mention painting?  they all amount to a great deal of time and money spent.  with renting, if there's ever a problem, we just call up the landlord.  furnace quit working?  call the landlord.  leaky dishwasher?  call the landlord.  toilet plugged?  CALL THE LANDLORD! (okay, kidding. I meant the hubby.) plus, with no projects or yard work to tackle, that leaves every weekend FREE. yeah, baby.    

on the downside, if you ever have the sudden urge to change something-- remove carpet, swap out light fixtures, or paint a wall for that matter-- well then you're pretty much out of luck.  and by golly you better love tan carpet, tan walls, and ugly light fixtures. (uuuurgh.)

speaking of light fixtures, when we first moved in, the only source of light in the living room was one lone ceiling fan.  and if there's anything I can't stand more, it's trying to visit in a dimly lit room.  nice if you want to hide a zit or something, but c'mon, let's shed a little light on the subject!  so I immediately went out and purchased a lamp for behind the couch.  but this isn't your run-of-the-mill lamp, by any means.  this particular one has feelings.
seriously, check it.

somedays its up:


somedays its down:


and somedays it neither up nor down:





























okay, so the lamp doesn't really have feelings, it's called Kids Can't Ever Leave Anything Alone.  Period.  honestly, if I owned this house, I would have SO put in recessed lighting.  like yesterday.

so tell me, would you rather rent or own a home?  are you the project type?  or would you rather just "call the landlord."

simply leave a comment on this post and you'll automatically be entered to win $35 (in the form of a gift code) from CSN stores, good at any of their 200+ online stores. (winner is responsible for any shipping costs.)

-one entry per person.

-contest open through Sunday March 20th, midnight PST.

-winner to be announced Monday morning, or whenever I get around to it ;)

good luck!

-jessica

40 comments:

Denise said...

we are renting at the moment, call the landlord is easy. you echo my thoughts!

sarah goodman said...

i can't handle not being able to change the color of the walls anytime I want so I am TOTALLY NOT a renter type. WE just barely painted the whole inside of our main area and I am SO in love with it and how different it feels...it is grey...and modern and I am SO over the tan that we had and everyone else has.

Joni said...

We much, much prefer to own. We actually own and rent right now - sounds kinda funny, huh? We have renters in our home in Mn (dream renters- they never call us for any problems; we have a 'caretaker' available, but he hasn't had to go do anything there!) We live in a rental here in Finland, but we so miss the freedom of living in our own place, we may end up building a house here since the economy isn't letting us move back in the near future, the way it looks. (And no, that doesn't mean we're selling our house in Mn.) And btw - don't enter my name in your drawing, because I already verified that they don't ship internationally.

I love your blog, by the way!! You're so 'real', with a wonderful twist of humor in there! We'll just have to start calling you Erma!!

loukusa said...

I have never rented so I guess I wouldnt know but I love owning. Love being able to change wall colors (to my hubbys dismay) and bedrooms and closets and fireplaces... the list goes on:)

Sue Hill said...

We haven't rented in 10 years so I guess that means that we prefer to own! I love having our own place and space, especially now that we found our "permanent" house!

Anonymous said...

We own now, but since hubby or I have been in school since Jan. 2007, it would have been nice to have been able to call a landlord for problems that crop up since we're both so busy. Love your blog!
-Kim R

Anonymous said...

I like to own! Our whole house was tan when we bought it and now it's all repainted! I love that I can do that. -natalie m

Ramona Johnson said...

We currently rent, but hope that changes sometime in the future (sometime soon). It has worked out good for us when we went through some difficult financial times. We have been able to paint in the house we live in right now, but of course we are close friends with the owners. Nothing beats being able to do what you want with your own place though! I like not having to deal with the big issues though.

Lisa Karvonen Johnson said...

I rented for years. Have thoroughly enjoying owning a home for the last (almost) 6 years.

Ruth said...

We didn't mind renting while we did...dryer broke...2 days later a brand new one installed! Can't beat that. It did come with stress though. What if the landlord forecloses? What if the landlord doesn't want to renew the lease? Not easy moving frequently. Now we're trying to decide to rent or to own?

Crystal Lee Photography said...

I think there definitely are benifits to both, depending on a persons situation. I love being able to do what I want, when I want...I'm impulsive, so when I want to paint a wall...I want to do it right now.

As I've mentioned before, I REALLY enjoy your blog.

Kelly Massman said...

Owning a home is nice because it's yours (and the banks), but it is VERY expensive to own your own home! We've never made any money on selling a home because of all of the interest and real estate fees and repairs etc...
Thanks for a chance at the giveaway!

Rebecca said...

When we rented, it worked well for us, but we do enjoy owning our home. Just helps us feel a little more "settled". I guess we like growing some roots.

Heather D said...

After owning 2 homes, I'm happy renting. I love the fact that if something major goes wrong (like when the well broke and we had no water) we just call the landlord and they come fix it. Of course, the husband does the minor fixes around here. I like for now not being tied down to a mortgage again.

Erica said...

When we rented we could not WAIT to own... now we own and I like the stability. BUT if you buy before you're ready to be "set" you do regret it somewhat... when we bought our (tiny!) house it was before the market tanked and our plan was to tack on another bedroom and sell it w/in a couple years. Never imagined we'd still be in town w/ 4 kids. But on the whole we're happy to be able to adjust the place to meet our needs and not have a potential move hanging over our heads. Guess we'll be here a few more years... :)

Christy said...

So far owning our own home has been so fun... But I don't know if thats because its our first one :) We only lived in apartments before and I know without a doubt I absolutely detest apartments. But the freedom from maintenance would be nice!

The Photage said...

I love renting and owning...renting because you can live wherever you want affordably, but owning because you have your own private yard!

Jeneric said...

We own a home but I'm wishing more and more we had rented only because of the housing prices. The maintenance does get to be a bit much, if only I would get my butt in gear and do the chores for Eric we would have much more free time.

Brenda said...

Hmmm not sure I guess! We only rented for first few months after married and of course life was all a bed of roses then :) I like to own for the fact that I can change whatever I want whenever I want and I do take advantage of that too! But sometimes I do like the thought of renting especially for the freedom, especially since we are feeling kinda stuck here in this house!

Curtis and Lindsey said...

We own a house and like it so we can make the changes when we decide. My project list is always getting longer before the projects get done.:)

Aaron and Brooke said...

Renting isn't bad if your landlord would answer your phone calls! Someday it would be fun to own a house.

Keilah said...

Hmm, in today's economy, I'd almost rather rent. Find a good landlord who maintains the house as well as lets you paint the walls, and you've got the best of both worlds!!

john*buffy said...

we havent owned a house yet but renting's not bad... sometimes i really do wish i could paint a wall tho! and the cheap tan carpet isn't my fave when it gets dirty sooo easy, but i'm not ready for the headaches of owning.

Anonymous said...

We're like Joni I guess "rent and own" I wish it was one or the other...renting is nice as for us it is cheaper, no projects etc....but I hate the cheap tan carpet too!!! And would love to sell our Big Lake house and buy here. Anyone want to buy? Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

own

Anita K said...

we "own" (or the bank does!) but it sure would be nice to call the landlord for the list of things to be done! in this economy i wish we were renting...

Becca said...

I would have to say own but it sure would be nice to have a "landlord".

Briita said...

Used to think that having a mortgage to eventually own the house free and clear is the way to go. Now in todays market it doesn't always work out so well. If one is renting now, may not be such a bad idea. Plus, no maintenance (except for fixing the kids destructions!)

Dave and Brianna said...

We "own". Had an apt for first yr we were married. I love owning a home. Nice to know we'll have it always, unless you know, we quit paying or something :). But still, Love to do what we want!

Travis and Mary said...

I wouldn't mind having someone else to call when something goes wrong!

Unknown said...

This is too funny! My husband & I were just talking about how thankful we are that we didn't buy a house in Flag when we lived there. We moved with the intention of staying & raising a family. Well, you know how that family thing is going (Yes,I would still take a "few" of your kiddos off your hands ... Rowan included) and now that we're in Colorado I'm hoping we don't move again but I know we're not "settled". We have been lucky with our landlords & they let us paint ... Oh, I happen to like tan carpet. : )

Aaron - Susie said...

We own and it works for us!

deidre said...

We are renting and would love to own! I hate not being able to paint and do little remodels.

Anonymous said...

well we own and I love it ! Denise J

Anonymous said...

We have rented and owned, but prefer to own, especially with kids! Barb W

Kristin said...

right now we are renting. there are pros and cons to both. i echo what you say...but we've got good landlords:) we've been loving the free time!

Pete and Becky said...

I wouldn't do very well renting. I like to paint often. In fact I'm waiting for a break in my studying so I can paint the dining room/hallway/stairway. Good luck with your decision. :)

Caroline said...

I agree with Becca - can we own but have a landlord?? ;)

Anita said...

We pretty much need to own. I have a hubby who needs a project all the time or goes stir crazy ... and I do love to move nail holes around the walls. It would certainly be nice to have a landlord at my beck and call for the big things!

blueberry dreams said...

Own. Although I might feel differently if we were paying on a house that had lost a lot of value. We like the projects, but I have to say that as the family has grown, there's less time to focus on the projects like we used to do! Our one year of renting in between houses was bliss, and we were ready to tackle another. It's so satisfying to see a transformation taking place. This one is our lifer project, a place we will love to stay. Thanks for the refreshing spin on life! Makes me laugh.