House envy

Yes and no . I love my house and am very happy there . But i do get house and garden envy when visiting people who have a gorgeous house and garden . However I wouldn’t want to be them and it does give me ideas for my house and garden

No really. I get very irritated and annoyed at myself for not having the energy to make our home nicer, but the house is enough. We will sell when all the children have gone and buy a small flat.

“Comparison is the thief of joy”.
Very true. Learn to love what you have.

Oh yes.
I envy anyone who has a nice home, not in a hateful or jealous way.
Where I am is growing increasingly shabby, so I'd like enough money to at least make it lovely inside.

So, I'm interested in others' homes, instead.

I understand. When I met my DH, it was with the understanding that he would one day buy his widowed mother's house; it was always his plan. I had no objection, since it is in a good neighbourhood and has a lovely view, but I never really loved the house style.

Over the years (we've lived here now for over 40 years), I have indeed made it my own and it is comfortable, but has no architectural style at all, it's still the same 60's box no matter what.

One of by book group ladies had a house on the same street, a 30's craftsman bungalow. I love that house! Square entry hall with symmetrical rooms on either side, lovely wooden staircase, small kitchen at the back, tiny but charming fireplace in the living room. It's creaky and older, but so homey feeling.

So yes, I get house envy! I dare say there is a difference between envy and jealousy. I see envy as more wistful and jealousy more negative.

We also have friends and relatives with much more posh homes than ours, but no, I don't envy them theirs. They worked hard for them, but they are not my style, so even if I had the money, I would choose a quirky little craftsman over three car garage and pool.

I spent the first nineteen years of my married life envying anyone who had a permanent home full stop, as we moved from one Army quarter to another, some of which were dreadful. When DH retired from the Army and we bought our first permanent home - a small 1930s semi that needed work - having a house of our own (and a mortgage!) was everything we’d dreamed of. We could finally put down roots. We’ve always had friends, and family, with bigger better houses, but they seemed just as happy to be in ours as we were to be in theirs.

Never. Just grateful we have a roof over our heads.
Feel so sorry for young people today that can’t get a leg up the property ladder.

No, house envy of friends homes has never occurred to me. For much the same reason I never envied them their husbands or children.

I always preferred our home, (all of them, regardles of size) my husband, and our children.

I don't really understand that. I really love my home. It's not huge but too big for us unless family arrive.

But, it's our family home and that is what counts.

We live in a small 3 bed terraced house in London which we were very lucky to be able to buy because it was by no means cheap. My older sister also lives in London but in a large semi with a big garden and four beds. She was a headteacher and her husband a solicitor and they only have one son, so they are very well to do. But I don’t envy her at all, I love my little house and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, my sister is a widow now and feels increasingly lonely and stressed in such a big house that she finds hard to maintain.
I would never want a bigger house at my age, especially now that I care for my DH, and keeping the place tidy and clean is much more doable.

With the way it is with the rental market at the moment I am just grateful that I do own my own house it’s only a three bedroom terrace but I love it..
In my area to rent a three bedroom house of Any description is about £1200 a month….