The joys of home ownership

Almost always, when people talk about the joys of home ownership, they say the phrase with cynicism. It is almost always followed by a list of problems with said house. Today I am using that phrase truthfully. I've owned my house for almost six months, and here's what I appreciate about it.

1. The time I spend doing dishes is almost zero. Every other day, the magical box turns my dirty dishes into clean ones. And I put my dishes in the dishwasher immediately, so the dishwasher serves as a dirty plate storage device, and the whole kitchen always looks tidy.
2. In the next few years I will have raspberries, figs, and asparagus and I will probably be able to harvest for twenty years. One of the main reasons I bought a house was to have more gardens and to have long-term plantings like fruit trees. A free tip to my friends: starting in 2018, the best time to visit me will be in April and May during Spargelzeit. (The Germans love asparagus so much they have a name for asparagus season.)
3. I'm saving more money every month. Buying a house is not automatically cheaper than renting. I've been careful to not overspend on furnishings and home repair supplies, and my mortgage plus maintenance costs is roughly equivalent to my previous rent. But owning a house meant that I could get a roommate. I've had my first short-term roommate in the house for two months, and so far I love it. The ability to have a roommate and save on housing costs is the other big reason I wanted a house.
4. I have a basement workshop. I hadn't planned on this, but having all the tools arranged on shelves, instead of packed in boxes in my bedroom, makes small repair jobs so much easier. I used to schlep a saw, clamps, wood, and extension cord outside every time I needed to cut something. Now I just hop downstairs to the miter saw and in 30 seconds the job is done.
5. I use the Metro more. Again, proximity to a Metro stop (subway, for those of you not from DC) wasn't a priority for me, since I commute by bike or car. The difference between the 30-minute walk to the stop and my new 10-minute walk means I'm much more willing to take the Metro than a car when going into DC. This is probably a wash financially, but it gives me more flexibility and means that I arrive downtown relaxed from catching up on reading instead of stressed from fighting DC traffic.