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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A House That Won't Be Built

We bought a single storey house on a largish plot of land. I had meant to tear it down and replace it with a larger 2-storey house. I had dreams of an airy house with a high ceiling, filled with light and air. Since I have an overactive imagination, the vision in my head was compelling and seductive. Eyes half closed and body limp, I was pulled towards that vision... and ended up signing on a few dotted lines. Of course, The Husband was also gently encouraging. That man already knew what he wanted to live in 10 years ago - a house.

Now I am back to reality with my feet planted on the ground, eyes wide open and body very un-limp... and I find to my horror that I absolutely retch/vomit/throw up/barf at the idea of having to rebuild a house. A person who buys 5 t-shirts of the same colour, and 24 light fixtures of the same sort, and chooses one fabric for the curtains in the whole apartment... (all because she is trying to save herself another trip to the mall) cannot possibly live through the ordeal of choosing slate, brick, wood, tiles... I realise that this project is going to occupy every waking moment of my life for 1 or 2 years (estimate given by someone who built her own beautiful house).

That is AWFUL!!

Besides, it will simply cost far too much for comfort says the penny-pinching side of Petunia, who is almost never the victim of seductive visions. There is nothing better than money (or the lack thereof) to pop the bubble of a seductive vision. So, we've decided to simply renovate (a prospect that still makes me want to retch) and if we want a 2-storey house, we'll buy one ready-made and save me a trip to an early grave.

5 comments:

Blur Ting said...

Rebuilding is a tedious process. Not just selecting material, you've got tons of meetings with the architect etc.

Think about this. Your kids are going to grow up and one day, it's gonna be just you and hubby. Maybe it is more practical to build an extension like a new study room or something instead of tearing the house down. I do like the old fashioned cosy kind of house compared to the ultra modern ones.

Petunia Lee said...

Yeah... I think that way too. I look at the old structure and feel this sense of loss at the thought of tearing it down. I'm glad someone understands!!

Blur Ting said...

Hi Petunia! I ate some raw gotu kola last night and then my mouth felt sticky the next morning. Is it because of the vegetable?

Petunia Lee said...

Try not to take it raw. This plant readily absorbs bacteria from the soil media. Poach it lightly in the microwave on high for 3 minutes with a bit of water.

Anonymous said...

Well, all the better! I think I like the renovating idea better than rebuilding. It'll give the 'woody-woody-greeny-greeny' (in Di's words) look, which suits us more, you think?