The Millennial Dream: How I Became a Homeowner… in Final Fantasy XIV

It is a fact long known that the Great Australian Dream is to buy a house in the belief that doing so leads to a better quality of life. Which, of course, is the ultimate goal for most people. It goes without saying that homeownership should be something that everyone can obtain, as housing is a basic human right. Unfortunately, the market out there is a real struggle; you spend ages searching areas to find a house in a desired location, you have to compromise more than you ever told yourself you would, it’s more expensive than you think, and you’re often fighting with others that want that same house as you. It’s stressful. You put in your bid and hope that yours is the one selected. You hear back. It isn’t, and now you have to start the process all over again.

Welcome to the year 2023 and how difficult it is to crack into the market and buy a home in your area Final Fantasy XIV.

Once I finished the MSQ in FFXIV and continued to do so every patch, there wasn’t much that was keeping me invested. Sure, I could do more than level DRG and occasionally WHM, but that didn’t captivate me. Most recently, I had just finished far too many runs of The Praetorium for a few mounts and that adorable Fat Cat Parasol. And honestly, I figured that alone wasn’t punishment enough. Maybe, I ought to look into the housing situation in-game. So, I did. I thought long and hard about which location I wanted to live in. The appearance, the atmosphere, the vibe. Then I checked out the available plots. Where were they located? And were they close to useful amenities?

Flashbacks to the first ever house that I had put an offer on came to me when I stood in front of a plot of land, the first one I found available, and was open to bids. It had issues, but I was so excited to own a home and it seemed so thrilling. We didn’t have a lot of space, and everything was crammed into boxes. Likewise, my retainers were bursting at the seams. I needed this. I closed my eyes and put in an offer.

Look, I know that each day is 24 hours long. But let me tell you, the period between putting in a bid on a home and finding out whether or not you’re going to become a homeowner really stretches the limit. A three-day stint feels like more of a week-long period. In that time, despite my best efforts, I had started to imagine what owning the home would look like. I’m sure that’s something that everyone does though, right? For me, it was having the space to raise my family and finally unbox my video game collection. For others, it could be fostering all of the neighborhood cats, having a stable for your Chocobo, or being able to display your obscene Amiibo collection.

Time passed and I had the perfect plan. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my home. I read the message and, sadly, it was not meant to be. Better luck next time. So, I decided to compromise a little further. As long as it would meet my basic needs, I would buy it. It would just be a starter home. Obviously, looking back on that thought is laughable as there’s no such thing as a starter home anymore. I put in the offer. Again, I tried not to think about it too much. In fact, I got distracted by other things, and almost left it too late!

When I checked, I was shocked to discover that I was finally a homeowner in the lovely family-friendly Lavender Bed suburbs.

After the dust settled and I was ready to move in, that’s when reality hit me. I’ve got to furnish this thing. The first time you’ve ever moved out of home into your own place, be it an apartment or home that you’re buying or renting, you’ll know the feeling. Now that the previous owner has taken all of their belongings, everything is empty. It’s just a shell, and it’s up to you to fill it. Which is easier said than done!

I looked around me and sought out anything that I could bring with me. My inventory had some lingering furnishings, and my poor retainers even more. I got it all and decorated my house in what I can only describe as ‘first time moving out of home aesthetic’.

Now that the house is decorated in its wacky, barebones ‘Goodwill meets stuff your parents have been wanting to offload for years’ aesthetic, there’s nothing left to do other than sit there and take it all in. You’ve done it, you’ve bought a house. You’ve ticked off one of the big life goals for the average person off of the list. You are one of the lucky ones. You will be in debt for the next few decades, but now you can put a nail in a wall, or get a pet dog without asking. Now you have to make sure that you keep paying a portion of your wage to Yoshi-P so that he doesn’t personally come and kick you out of your home. This, my friends, is the good life.

And if this piece was rather confusing at times because you found it to be a blend of real-world and in-game situations, I have sorry news for you.
There are far too many similarities between buying a home in both situations, and so it was rather too easy to do.
There are more people seeking a home than there are houses to buy.
Everyone wants to place a bid, and so competition is high.
It’ll take multiple attempts, compromise, and a fair bit of cash.
In the end, you’ll probably join other Milennials in waiting for a crash.
But, when you’re finally successful and the house belongs to you,
it will finally feel like it is too good to be true.