I think we've decided that we're going to stabilize our house and then move on.
It's not a bad house; it's rather nice. The lot is nice and the neighborhood is nice. The location is nice. Some rooms we love, some we don't mind, some we just don't know what to do with.
But, the house seems cursed. It's just an endless series of problems. We have never had a day, in the last 18 months, where there wasn't something wrong with the house, something that needs fixing, something that was done wrong and can't be fixed, something that will cost a fortune to correct, etc.. We've never caught up to the existing problems before new ones appear. We've owned houses before, and we know they require maintenance. But none of the other houses utterly consumed us with problems the way this one does. It's exhausting, and we're exhausted.
Mrs has felt like this for many months, but it's just started sinking in for me. I tried to keep a positive attitude, tried to get past this or that, but the house keeps coming up with new ways to torture me. There have been multiple nights when I couldn't sleep because I'd just discovered some new problem that will take hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix, and weeks trying to get the fucking contractors to start and then finish the required work.
We'll probably lose some money on it, but it's a cost we're happy to pay.
A very brave decision but given what you’ve posted – and I’m guessing there is a lot of stuff you haven’t mentioned – it sounds like the right call. Your home is your castle as they say in this neck of the woods, your retreat, somewhere to relax and enjoy. I would be a gibbering wreck by now as even the little snags we had with ours used to keep me awake at night.
F*ck the money. Happiness is more important. When you walk in the door after a crap day at work you need to unwind – not be faced with another crisis.
So chin up Cleek! Maybe buy an older property next?
(guess what I’m buying this weekend? 30 square metres of solid Oak flooring. What could possibly go wrong…)
30 square metres of solid Oak flooring. What could possibly go wrong
come on over, i’ll show you! :)
It’s hard to move on from something you’re so invested in (in many senses), but it will undoubtedly be a net gain when it’s all behind you. Moving sucks, though.
It sounded so cool at the start, to get to design your own house and then live in it (never having had that luxury myself). Sorry it has been such a headache. It almost reminds me of one of those movies, where literally everything that can go wrong, does.
we’ve learned a lot of lessons. hopefully, should we build again, we’ll do a better job of it.
Watch “Mr. Blandings Dream House”. You’ll feel better (I hope!).
i’ll put it in the Netflix queue!
that movie was amazing. despite being made in 48, it’s a perfect illustration of the house-building process: the initial impulse, the fantasy, the over-designing, contractors who are either incompetent at everything or only good at nickel-and-diming, the overruns, the compromises, the former boyfriend (ok, not that). everything except the end was spot on… we didn’t end up with a charming 1940s colonial.