I have been married now for 15 yrs and have lived in this home we custom built for 10 yrs. The first 5 yrs we lived in a 2 BR, one Bathroom, tiny apt where we shared many precious times. We moved there after getting married in our early twenties. Prior to getting married, we struggled to scrape together $7500 for a down payment on 9 acres of land. While living in that small apt, we payed off they land, saved money, and had our first child, a beautiful baby girl. We also made many special friends. During that time, we also started building a 2400 sq ft home that we contracted ourselves. Not to mention the countless hours my DH and Dad spent plumbing, painting, doing trimwork, etc. We did not see each other much over the yr it took to build our home. When we finally were finished and able to move in I remember the excitement I felt moving the boxes and all the toys from that small apt just a couple of miles from our new home. But once we moved here, I felt isolated. No more neighbors to visit everyday. Only though it was only a couple of miles away, it seemed like 1000 miles, because my life had taken a drastic change. I cried for a couple of months. My DH even offered to sell our home and move back to the apts we loved so much our first 5 yrs together. I knew we had worked and planned so hard for this home to be perfect. We stayed and had a son about 3 yrs after moving to our new home. Now I would never dream of going back to the life I had before, but memories are securely attached in the back of my mind that I will never forget. Our family of 4 would have never made it in the small apt. I find myself now lurking on this website everyday that I discovered while remodeling my kitchen. My husband thinks I am crazy that I spend so much time looking at others visions and dream kitchens. He often makes the comment that I should be thankful for the home we have which will be payed for in just a few years and our kids are still just 8 and 13. I do see things on this website that I love and sometimes even makes me dislike the home I have. I have gained much knowledge on this website, but I also have become more critical of every detail I see. I am glad to read this thread that reminded me to be thankful for the things I do have. I know there are people from all places and walks of life on GW, but you never know what kind of situation they are in. My aunt and her DH have no children and make plenty of money. She has a brother who is basically homeless that moves from motel to motel just to survive. She does help him tremendously, but he lived with her for awhile while she was in the process of remodeling her kitchen. When she got a new frig she cried because it was not what she had envisioned. He just looked at her and said "you can't even be happy with a brand new frig, and I don't even own a frig or place to put one." That opened my eyes to the real world. There are so many people who have lost there life savings in these terrible times we live in. I hope this thread helps everyone on GW realize how thankful we all are to have the homes we live in. I could dream all day of something bigger and better or changed, but I still would not be any happier in life than I am today! Thanks Creekylis for the thread. In time your heart will heal and you will have wonderful memories of your other home!

I fell asleep and missed which house they picked! :( Love that show...

It sounds like there's much more going on here than can be addressed on an internet forum. I do know that some men will drive you nuts & then tell everybody you're crazy, but I can't tell if that's what's happening with the photos & with his former flame or not. I once had a "boyfriend" (ick) who played his ex & me against each other. He was an expert manipulator, & eventually I found myself insanely jealous (not a normal state for me; I had been perfectly self-sufficient before he careened into my orbit-& I eventually became perfectly self-sufficient again, but at the cost of a lot of time, a lot of misery, & the loss of a great deal of myself). & his poor ex was in a much worse place, calling him all the time, begging for "time" with him, leaving notes on my front door. He enjoyed having two women making fools of themselves & wasting their lives fighting over him. I can't tell you what to do, but I will share with you that, if some man called me an "evil witch", I'd take that as a "I don't love you at all & I have no respect for you" statement. which means he or I would have to find another place to live. I wish you the best.

Hmmm let me try out my amateur home staging here..... Houzzers have been hinting at these, and these are the main areas I see: Paint. The heavy paint colors are making buyers think "$$$" or even "remodel" because of the large size and high ceilings. Price. Allow credits for paint, carpet replacement, and anything else dated and expensive to replace--or drop the price. The Loft Space: show buyers what it could be. Put 1 or 2 bookcases in the recessed area, and the chairs on the other side. Or do a makeshift office in the area with a folding table, tablecloth, and chair. The Family Room. De-accessorize the entire downstairs, especially family pics. Buyers will feel like the house is not theirs. Neutral slipcovers can go over the puffy furniture, and it can be rearranged to show off the space. Master Suite: My favorite area in her home, make it spa like. Hang 84-95 inch panel drapes, high to play up the tray ceiling. A white/cream rug near the entrance will give more flair and hide the carpet. Hang 1 large wall art piece over the bed. Add either the puffy chair slipcovered white from downstairs or the white bench from the bathroom. See if there are bigger lamps and night tables in the house. Master bath: the same beautiful off white paint, white towels, remove the bath mats, and maybe 1 orchid on the vanity. A Local Home Staging Company. This house is very large and expensive. If she has the money, a staging company can do this easily in 1 to 2 days, from rearranging to bringing in their own furniture and putting hers in storage. They can also give the home a put together "moneyed" look that fits the clientele. Little Things: small touches can make buyers feel at home, such as refreshments for buyers, light music, artistic/natural/fireplace dvd art on TV's, candles, or adding calming scents. Houzzers, what do you think?