Why We Love Tinkering With Our Homes

Our homes are often more than just buildings in which we live. They become essential hobbies and distractions in their own right, proving us with countless hours of entertainment – if that's the right word for it.

Most of us are obsessed with tinkering around with our homes. We love the idea that we can make them “just right” for our lifestyle – at least for a while. 

The question for many of us whose houses are our hobby is “why?” Why do we fancy ourselves as residential architects, endlessly playing around with our properties to make them perfect? What's going on here? 

We Find It Fun

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Your house is the place you spend the most time. For that reason, it makes sense to invest a lot of time into your environment. When you add up the number of hours you spend sitting in your living room or eating in your kitchen, it makes sense. 

Playing around with your home, though, is more than a mere utilitarian calculation. It's also a lot of fun. You get to explore your creative side and cook up new and exciting designs. Renovating a living room or bedroom gives you a chance to express a new idea and see how things work out. Plus, if you don't like it, you can just change it again in a few months. 

We Want Status
Properties are also about status. They tell people about the person you are. It's not all about being “number one.” That's just a part of it. It's also about saying something that reflects your personality. Homes aren't just material aspects of the objective world. The way they appear has much to do with our psychologies and character. Often, they are a direct reflection of the contents of our minds.

Status, therefore, is a kind of expression. It tells people who visit where you come from and what you value. For some people, that's their main channel of saying something about themselves. 

We Want More Space
If you live in Europe, you know all about living with less space. City planning and population density mean that you have to make do with less square footage almost permanently. 

However, wanting more space is only natural, especially if you are the kind of person who lives to hoard a lot of their possessions. 

However, getting more space is always a fun challenge and usually involves tinkering about with various aspects of your home. For some people, it means getting a full-blown extension or converting the attic. For others, it's more about looking for creative ways to make do with less or increasing closet space.

In a way, it is a kind of intellectual puzzle – but one that pays off in the real world. Once you find space for clothes, books, and kitchen equipment, it becomes easier to enjoy your property. 

So, in summary, we love tinkering with our homes, but not always for the same reasons. However, it's clear that property is a bugbear for many of us – and that's what makes them so attractive.