Taylor Sundermeier

From appreciation to gaining equity, homeownership no doubt has plenty of benefits, but what has been my favorite one in two years of ownership? When I bought this duplex, I inherited a tenant upstairs that ended up being incredibly negative and challenging. When she left after 7 painful months, there was an opportunity to have a blank slate and create an entirely new culture in this West Denver abode. What started with sage, ended with a revelation.

 

The timing worked out and I had my dear friend Tess move in upstairs with my older sister, Taylor. Though this was a wild move to have my kin move in upstairs and pay me rent, Tess and Taylor are the epitome of sunshine and absolutely delivered. The last year has had countless moments of giggles, support/care, and not a single late payment. Once you purchase a home, you can't change the location and a fair amount of other things about the space, but you can change how it feels.

 

Shortly after I bought my Tacoma, the worsened gas mileage prompted pain at the pump and made me quickly aware of the phrase "smiles per gallon." With my world revolving around spaces and homes, it made me think, what would the housing equivalent of this be? As we loaded Taylor's Mazda with the last of her belongings, I looked back at the duplex and said, "There's a lot of joy in that house." The name for it quickly became clear: "Joy per sq ft" (JpSF). The metric takes pride of ownership to the next level and begs the question, "What is the aggregate amount of joy in comparison to the size of your home?" More importantly, how is it measured and how do you increase your JpSF?

 

Ways to increase Joy per Sq Ft in your own home:

 

 

Let me know if you have any ideas on the matter and thanks for entertaining me in the creation of another whimsical metric.

 

As I celebrate two years of owning this place, building a culture and deliberately investing financially and emotionally in a space that isn't going away (even if your favorite tenant does) has been my favorite benefit from this experience. It's rare in our adult lives to live with a sibling, it's even more rare to be happy about it. The 17 months I had with my sister living upstairs were truly a joy and will always be something I look back on with immense gratitude.

 

Read on for lifestyle tips, market data and Nate's Top 5 Listings™. See you all soon! Cheers!