Home photos are meant to capture special memories. So grab your smart phone, bring up your photo app, frame the photo you want and shoot. The options of what you do with digital home photos is endless, from emailing them to friends and sharing on Instagram.
Now that everyone has the ability to take photos anywhere, it's scary that the majority of home photographs we find online are magazine quality. Scary because very few people have the time or money to create homes that are picture perfect. That means there aren't many home photos of the houses we live in.
Why Don't We Share Home Photos?
Here's some of the feedback I've gotten from Savvy Homeowner Club members. It's sad that people don't entertain at home because they're not happy with how their homes look. One member said it clearly, “I'd love to be able to entertain, but I'm embarrassed that I don't have time to furnish and decorate the way I would like to.”
- Our houses are “basic boxes” with open kitchen – living room floor plans. There's potential but “need to learn DIY since we don't have much money to fix up our home”.
- I don't love my home, but could if I had the money to do all the things I would like to do … a work-in-progress for 15 years … but spending all of my time and money trying to keep my business going. I would love to be able to entertain, but I am embarrassed that I don't have time to furnish and decorate the way I would like to.
- “Lots and lots of work to do before I can totally love my home.”
Unrealistic Expectations from Magazines & HGTV
What's great about magazines like House Beautiful and TV shows like Love It or List It with Hillary and David? They're full of home photos showing what your home could look like. HGTV also shows how changing your floor plans can create homes that support your family and lifestyle better. The most popular home renovations are open concept kitchens, remodeling or adding bathrooms and surprisingly, many shows include finishing a basement.
The inspiration is good because older homes were smaller (learn what our homes looked like in 1950). Rooms were smaller too a single family house had a living room, kitchen, one bathroom and 2 or 3 bedrooms in less than 1,000 square feet.
What's scary and not so good is these magazines and TV shows create unrealistic expectations. They're designer houses and rooms that cost thousands of dollars, and renovations done in 4 to 6 weeks. That's simply not true. Television renovations happen quickly in the media industry that's used to working 12+ hour days. Budgets are split so in an ideal world, they're telling us what contractor costs would be. Then there are costs not included in their budgets – the designer's time or salary, the highly skilled team of contractors that work together all the time versus a remodeler using sub-contractors. Lastly the furnishings provided at cost or free in exchange for the advertising provided by the shows.
Capturing Family Memories with Home Photos
Our homes are where we live, and where we ought to spend more time which in fact we're doing. It's quite amazing how people are using their homes for activities that once took place elsewhere with – working at home, running businesses from our home, home schooling, caring for older family members (learn about granny pods) at home and so much more.
There are many benefits to spending more time at home, including:
- Eating healthy, family meals at home instead of eating out.
- Spending more family time together talking, learning and playing.
- Entertaining at home instead of going out.
- Saving money by enjoying time at home versus money spent on gas, on eating out and paying for entertainment.
Imagine if you could create a home you love, your children love, one where you're happy entertaining friends. Imagine learning how to decorate with less stuff, less money and less time to clean your home.
You can create this home, one supports your family. You can create a simpler life with time to relax and create memories that I hope you'll capture with home photos, to keep enjoying for years.
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