There is a difference between those that own a house and those that live in a home. House owners see investment, profit. Home livers feel themselves as stewards, part of a continuum of caretakers for a place for a time in its history.
Not to say one or the other is bad. Nor am I saying they are mutually exclusive. Just to say that one idea/sense usually takes priority over the other and drives the choices one makes about a place.
For instance, if I chose to view the Hague House as simply an owner, it’d be done and back on the market right now. Instead, I’m restoring a home, a place with history and built to house generations (as many of the homes of that time were).
This drives the choices we’re making about it and the time we’re spending on it and, hopefully, we will sell it to folks that will have a similar sense (though we can’t control that, but we can hope). So the money and time become secondary to making it feel like a home. One where they will live for a long time, take appropriate care of, and possibly even hand it down to the next generation.
So, I guess the wrap up thought is this: Are you an owner or a steward? Not just with a house/home but with what you have in general? Because how you view/position yourself will ultimately drive your choices/actions.