I fully admit I love owning and maintaining a home. Holes in the ceiling and all (it's fascinating to see the guts of construction.) But I am a wee bit of a control freak and always ran into crappy maintenance managers when I rented, so even while I have to make onerous hated phone calls to hire people for the work I cannot or will not do, I get to make the decisions. Even if phone hatred means I still don't have a contractor or roof estimate.

I always have plans that when I actually get to them, the satisfaction of getting it done buoys me for a long time. I'll never not be proud of my banister and the repair and repaint of my iron rails. And yes, even the wall repair and plaster, though I'll never do that again if I can help it. I like projects.

I definitely like owning a home. I don't love maintaining it, but problems can usually be solved by money, which we're lucky enough to have.

I love having my own home, and TCG likes taking care of the yard. I was just saying financially it costs more than you think initially.

I thought I'd love it, but like many other things it exhausts me. I liked the co-op in NY. I would probably like a smaller yard than what I have.

I used to love gardening, but the heat bothers me a lot more now that I am too heavy. Love house projects. I will never forget the first time I sent boyfriend (now DH) to my shed to get something for me. He came back in wonder. "I have never met a girl with so many power tools." It is a big regret that I spend so much time on computer work and not enough on house projects.

I find owning a house really emotionally important, and gardening is practically spiritual.

I was just saying financially it costs more than you think initially.

Totally true.

I find owning a house really emotionally important, and gardening is practically spiritual.

SAME.

Also, like Liese, I really enjoy "my" birds at the feeder and in the water fountain, and "my" bees, and how much the dogs and the cat all enjoy the landscape. It absolutely is a spiritual experience for me. Which lately is becoming a problem - I NEVER want to leave my home to trek down to Palo Alto, and I am getting in later and later and later the days I do come in (today was on telcon at 7, several after that, finally showered and left for the office at 1, got here at 2:15. Will leave at 8).

In owning an old house, I feel like I'm charged with curating something for history, something I value. Which is why total guts make me mad and I love things like Details Deconstruction [link] and its spinoffs. I like stories. Probably part of why Baltimore so suits me-stories are many and complicated and you can fall down the rabbithole following every single thread. And new threads are being born every day.

I find owning a house really emotionally important, and gardening is practically spiritual.

Yessss. I love this time of year when I can watch my plants bloom and bud and see the progress on them each and every day. Also, there is something immensely satisfying about getting my hands in the dirt.

I've never been in a position to own a home, but I love gardening. One of the highlights of my current apartment is the side garden bed that the landlord lets me garden. He's getting some nice perennials and excellent soil development out of the deal, so it's all good.