The advantages and disadvantages of living in a house that I didn't realize when renting an apartment. That's right. You get a lawn that needs to be mowed regularly.

The lawn. At first, it looked really beautiful. So green, sparkling under the sunlight, like a symbol of the American Dream in an advertisement.

But when you see how fast that grass grows, you quickly realize. The task of mowing, which seemed easy, is actually laborious.

I live in the Seattle-Tacoma area. This place, where it rains quite often, is a paradise for grass to grow.

The sun shines moderately, it rains frequently, and the temperature is mild. So... from the grass's perspective, it must think, "This is totally paradise."

Maybe that's why, if left alone, it can grow thick in just a week, and when it's growing well, it can turn into a camping ground in just two weeks.

So mowing the lawn is not an option but a necessity. The problem is that this task is much more labor-intensive than expected.

Mowing the lawn in the summer is a real workout. Pushing a heavy machine on a hilly yard makes your arm muscles visible.

Your knees are shaking, your back is drenched in sweat... grass clippings get into your shoes, and your pants get stained green. When I go to the store, people think I'm a farmer.

I initially bought a manual push mower. It was cheap and quiet... but I regretted it immensely when I was pushing it in the summer.

So now I use a robotic lawn mower. Just hearing the name makes it feel convenient, right? This little guy moves around the yard like a robot vacuum, mowing the grass effortlessly.

The installation method is surprisingly simple yet annoying; first, you have to bury or lay a 'boundary wire' around the edge of the yard to define the area where the robot will mow. Then, if you set up a charging station, it goes out to work and comes back to recharge on its own.

High-capacity batteries are expensive, but if you have a large yard, you need to invest in an expensive one to cover the battery capacity. What I use is a budget model, so I mow it adequately and then finish up with a trimmer or charge it twice.

I previously tried using one that connects to an electric cord, but using a long extension cord is really stressful. It keeps getting caught and stopping, and I had to backtrack, so I gave it away after a month or two.

You can also hire a company to mow the lawn instead. In the Seattle area, it costs about $150 to $250 a month? If you hire them for the summer for six months, it easily exceeds a thousand dollars. Rather than paying over $200 a month, I'm solving it with a robot I bought for $700.

Mowing the lawn seems like an unexpected habit you acquire while living in a house. No one tells you to do it, but every weekend, your body reacts with, "I need to mow now." Just like washing your hands before a meal. At first, it was annoying and frustrating, but now it has become part of my living rhythm.

Even though it's hard, looking at a neatly trimmed lawn makes me very proud.

For those dreaming of a house, let me say one thing: include a lawn mower in your budget before buying a house. Otherwise, you'll regret it every summer.