We were thinking of building an extension onto our previous house, but thought better of it in the end. We thought the complexities of it all would stress us out alarmingly - working out exactly what we wanted done, getting planning permission, finding a good builder, putting up with all the disruption, keeping a close eye on the work in progress, and deciding on all the interior fixtures and fittings.
Now it would probably be out of the question anyway as building costs have rocketed and initial estimates of the cost of building work are being so greatly increased that they become unaffordable. People often run out of money half-way through the project and have to take out extra loans.
One thing that delighted us about our current house was that absolutely nothing needed to be done to it, we could just move into a comfortable home and enjoy it. It had already been extended to create a huge kitchen-diner and extra bedrooms.
As for actually building your own house, nothing would have induced us to do something so daunting. Jenny and I are fans of the "Grand Designs" TV programme, in which people build their own houses and invariably run into all sorts of unforeseen and costly problems along the way. What's remarkable is their resilience and determination to keep going in the face of one crisis after another.
No fixer-uppers for us. Give us a ready-to-go every time.
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So the Queen has died and King Charles takes over. A very simple news item, which for some reason calls for voluminous news coverage. You'd think war had been declared or an earthquake had destroyed London or there'd been a nuclear explosion. Oh well, let's see what Charles makes of the job.
When the news reports suggesting she was near the end came out I have to admit to feeling rather glad that we will soon be in Italy for a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteLiz: What a cunning bit of future planning!
DeleteOur first home was 25 years old when we bought it and that was enough to keep us busy and in debt for the next 20 years, needing things like a new roof, new windows, and new driveway! I never had a desire to build new, either. We are slowly updating our current home, which was built in 1991.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: You call 25 years old? Our house was built in 1949 so it's 73 years old - and still very structurally sound.
DeleteWe always say ‘years old’ for any age? Such as my grandchild is 3 years old.
DeleteBijoux: Sorry, I don't quite follow you.
DeleteWe lived in a fixer-upper in our last home in VA which dated to the mid 1900s and while repairs had been done before, it required more updating which also required $$$. Living in an apt now, we do miss many aspects of home ownership especially outdoor space and a front porch. That said, the convenience of closing the door when going away with no worries about house issues is very nice. Also when a repair is needed notifying the management office means we do not have to deal with maintenance contractors directly.
ReplyDeleteAs the the queen’s passing, Nick, I would have to disagree with your comment about this being a “simple” new item. I will agree that many in the past have been those, but this is definitely not in the same category.
Beatrice: Very true about no worries while you're away and someone else doing the maintenance. But like you, one thing we missed when we were flat-dwellers was outdoor space.
DeleteRe the queen's passing, I have to confess I've never been a monarchist. Don't get me started!
Beatrice: Today's Guardian had 29 pages and an editorial on the Queen's death, plus a special 40-page royal supplement. Somewhat over the top.
DeleteDo it yourself (DIY) is what we do. Once I started out building a screened porch. We ended up with a new dining room.
ReplyDeleteMike: I think that's what's called Mission Creep!!
DeleteWe've done plenty of redecorating, including hanging wallpaper in an apartment to get reduced rent, but never actually rehabilitated or expanded a structure.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how Charles will do but I'm sure glad he has Camilla to guide him.
Linda Sand
Linda: Yes, hopefully Camilla will be a steadying influence.
DeleteYes, C & C are problem solvers.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: It remains to be seen if Charles will impress the citizenry.
DeleteWe moved into our current home 30 years ago when it was brand new. I just had to add some grills for safety but, other than that, what we did before we moved in has served us well. We have just had to attend to routine repairs and some repainting work for which we employed outsiders.
ReplyDeleteRamana: So no unwanted stress from long-drawn-out and complicated building work!
DeleteI love old houses with character and have fixed up many of them to my great satisfaction but to each his or her own.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
www: Well, you've always been an adventurous person, so I guess doing up old houses came naturally.
DeleteAny house we ever purchased was quite livable as it was. Had we stayed in our first home as I thought we would the rest of our lives it was one we probably would have expanded. But, we ended up moving about a bit. Later we learned a huge change in the area was made where that house and our acre was and we probably would have had to sell it anyway to make way for a then million dollar homes development 50 years ago. My husband never enjoyed doing fixer-up stuff and even when he was only jobbing occasionally he always said he'd rather play a job (jazz) and hire someone. I was probably more game for that sort of remodel work with a tad bit more experience than he had, but my skills would have been very limited. He had no enthusiasm for it so wouldn't have been pleasant to work with -- he would have been wanting to be doing something else.
ReplyDeleteJoared: I think I would sympathise with your husband not wanting to do any fixer-upper stuff. I'm sure my stress levels would have gone through the roof!
DeleteWe live in a city villa built in 1885. We love it. Concerning the Queen I must say what a fuss about a very old person. Monarchy is really an anachronism . Just ridiculous . Great Britain has enormous economic problems and unbelievable sums of money are spent for these people who produce nothing !
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah. I totally agree with you. The amount spent on the funeral and the coronation could probably buy several new hospitals. Funeral - maybe £10 million. Coronation - maybe £44 million.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the house, unfortunately we did not take that advice though! I think the Queen's death is a huge deal for many people and so Charles' accession may have repercussions we can't guess at yet.
ReplyDeleteJenny: I assume that means you took on a fixer-upper and had no end of trouble? Yes, I'm wondering just how Charles will tackle such a sensitive role.
DeleteWe felt the same way when it was time to buy our house. It's small and we could have afforded a bigger one if we'd gotten a fixer upper, but we were both more than happy to get a smaller house that didn't need anything done to it. I hate the normal projects that have to be done over time, so I can't imagine how miserable I'd be in the chaos of living in a fixer upper.
ReplyDeleteDanielle: And the building work never goes entirely to plan, and usually takes much longer than it's supposed to.
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