This isn’t the first time I’ve had to deal with difficult neighbours. First time I could remember having to deal with them, was in my childhood neighbourhood on the other side of the railroad tracks –literally. Kids two houses over thought it would be nice to come into our back yard and steal our lemons, because it was a family of four brothers, and they outnumbered me. Then, there was the crazy kid next door who would maniacally laugh at us, because he knew there wasn’t much that could be done when he would shovel dirt from his side, and fling it over to us.
Over the years, I’ve lived in “dorms”, had roommates, and while things have been great, and others not so much, they eventually worked out, but I still preferred to live on my own. Nothing like the freedom to do whatever you want, right? Then, there are the neighbours….
So as much as I’d love to live the “dream” and own a home, it’s unaffordable at the moment, and what if I deal with more shitty neighbours? So if I’m going to lead a semi-nomadic life of moving from affordable rent to affordable rent, how can I make this easier on me? What should I take with me, what should I throw away, and should I keep things in storage?
Then I started thinking: “Home: What it’s intended for, vs what we use it for?” I still don’t have an answer on that one. Even after reading this article on home preferences around the world. I mean, OK, yeah, I get it, we all prefer single-family homes, which simply means we’re all living in overcrowded areas. But really, what is a home intended for, and how does it differ from the way we use it?
Well, a home is supposed to be a shelter to the individual and his family. Whether it’s protecting against man-eating predators, the elements, or whatever. So it’s a little part of the world that you can control inside, while it protects you from the outside. Nothing wrong with that unless you live in an area that restricts what sort of modifications you have in your area, in which case, you’d be breaking the law.
So how does it differ from how we use it? As an investment property. We buy houses, because we know OTHERS also have that need for basic shelter, then sell it at a higher price, or rent it out. Or, we take a section that we illegally modify, and rent that out at an exorbitant price. Is there something wrong with this? I can’t say, honestly.
Just some more unfinished thoughts, is all…