An end in sight?January 31st, 2008 @ 7:01 am
When we built the first house, we moved in very prematurely. We spent three years living there without any painted trim and a master bathroom that wasn’t finished until the day we put the house on the market.
When we started construction on our new house we vowed to not move into it until it was completely finished. Completely. We didn’t want to have any trim pieces to paint. We didn’t want any doors left to be hung. It had to be 100% finished. (Well, except for the deck and yard. That could wait.)
The upstairs of the new house will be 100% completed next week. The tub in the master bathroom is done. The toilets flush. The shower room and vanity area are finished. Babboo’s bathroom has been tiled and the radiators are installed. The King hung the bedroom doors up last night. The carpet installation has been scheduled.
The main floor continues to be a work in progress. The refrigerator is plugged in and running and the range is ready to be installed. The new couches for the front room are being stored in the basement. There are no kitchen cabinets. No tile has been laid. No working toilets on this floor. No doors have been hung.
The washer and dryer in the basement are working and have been used many times. The bathroom is still being tiled. The spare room is being used as a storage for new furniture. The garage (which is half of the basement) is full of tools, saws, siding, paint cans, tile, and nails.
The outside of the house has areas that still need siding. The yards are muddy. The back yard is being held together by a gabion wall. The decking has been purchased, but is nowhere near close to installation.
The new house, it is still under construction.
The King works over there every night (except Friday, when we hang out as a family) and all day on Saturday. His part-time retired dad works there everyday while the rest of us are at work.
For the sake of this post let’s say that I make $100 a month. The King makes $110.
That means we bring in $210 a month. Our bills go as follows:
- Rent - $51
- Daycare - $49
- Mortgage (on the house we tore down, which we have been paying for years!) - $48
- Construction costs (on the house we are building) - $32
- Charitable donations - $20
That only leaves $10 a month for food, clothes, car payment, and anything else that may come up. In case you’re not good at math, $10 is not a lot of money. Especially when you need to buy furniture for a new house. Sheets, beds, curtains, art…all of that, are expensive. Our savings isn’t growing. Babboo’s college and Disneyland funds aren’t where they should be. Our retirement funds haven’t been added to in a while.
Today we’ll be signing another 3-month lease on our one-bedroom downtown Seattle high rise apartment.
The last week in April will be spent packing up our apartment, getting our stuff out of storage (finally!) and moving into our unfinished house.
Not because we want to, but because we have to.
The new house · The first house
Maria
said,
January 31, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Will you have to have any or more inspections by various city/county people?
I have told you this before, but I will say it again, I think it is so freakin cool that you and The King are building your second house together! I am so excited for you to be able to move into it soon. And then you will get to spend more quality time with your family together.
And I know you’re not the greedy type, but if you were to post some sort of online wishlist at Amazon or someplace I bet you could score some awesome housewarming stuff. I’m just sayin…..
Isabel: Yes, there are plenty of more city inspections. But it would be okay for us to move in. We’re far enough along.
And really, we have it all under control-so no wish list is needed. But thanks for the thought!
Keri
said,
January 31, 2008 at 6:14 pm
It is so amazing that you guys are building your own house. What a great legacy and story to tell.
While you’ll be moving in when its not 100% done, at least you can use the $ you save in rent to start decorating and making it feel more like a home.
PS - I heart your boots & Viking range.
Isabel: I got my boots on sale at the Aerosoles outlet. I heart them (and am wearing them today). The Viking was bought years ago when we found it on sale and we couldn’t pass it up. We stored it in the garage at our first house!
Miss Squirrel
said,
January 31, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Wow - how awesome to build a house. I know that charitable donations are very important, but since they are not a fixed, mandatory expense, I wonder if it would give you a bit of breathing room to scale them back for just 3 months and maybe make up the difference by boosting your contribution above your current amount when you’re not paying rent AND mortgage? Just an idea…
Isabel: The King and I would be nowhere without the blessings we have been given. We don’t feel like any of the money we have is “ours”, it is all a gift. For that reason, we give 10% of our earnings back. Which really is a small price to pay. We feel that if we were to not give, we wouldn’t be as blessed.
Kim
said,
January 31, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I love the color blue you used! And your boots! And your Viking range!
And Maria beat me to the wishlist idea. But if you think of something, say, a gift card to the Aerosoles outlet to fill up your new closet?
Just saying….
Liza
said,
January 31, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Yikes, spending more than 60% of your combined income on housing costs (I counted rent, mortgage & construction costs, and rounded down) must be stressful! I’m so happy that you have a light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Even if the light is still being installed the week you moved in — hah.)
Will Babboo’s day care costs drop some around the same time you move? Isn’t he coming up on a birthday associated with slightly reduced day care costs? Ours will only drop $11/week, but that’s frozen pizza and a movie rental, aka a date in our world.
gorillabuns
said,
January 31, 2008 at 7:21 pm
We have lived in a house for seven years and always in the midst of construction. I’ve gotten used to the disarray.
I’m sure you’ll be happier in your home even if there is a lot left to do.
Anth
said,
January 31, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Ouch. Your budget is tight. I know it probably sucks to go back on your word and move into the house while it’s still unfinished, but once you lose that rent payment, think how glorious it will feel! You won’t care that there are no doors on your first floor! You can make a big pile of money like Scrooge McDuck and dive into it!
PS Like everyone else, love the blue & love the boots!
Not the Queen
said,
January 31, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I’m sorry you have to live in an unfinished house again. But the paint color is gorgeous!
Christar
said,
January 31, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Even though it has been a stressful road for your family, it’s so neat you guys built your own house. And hopefully a lot can get done in 3 months! I will be VERY excited to see the house finished. From the few things I have seen, not to mention all your awesome posts about all the awesome~ness to come, I know your house is going to be so rad.
Brittany
said,
January 31, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I’m excited for you to move. I love the blue paint and your boots (and all that other stuff that everyone else has already said… yada, yada, yada).
BUT I think you left a dollar off your charitable donations!! So really you only have $9 left!!!
Danielle
said,
January 31, 2008 at 9:03 pm
That combination of blue and brown = yummy!
I know you’re bummed about moving into an unfinished home…but look at the positives: The King won’t be away from home every night, you won’t have to pay rent, and you get to soak in your finished tub!
heidikins
said,
January 31, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Wow, that definitely is the perfect example of living on a budget! This makes me thing you & The King are even more amazing. And I can’t wait to see finished pictures of your new house! With the blue walls! (love them!) and hopefully the same boots! (love them too!)
Just a little bit longer, and at least you can close the door to your bathroom and try and forget about the rest of the house being not quite finished.
xox
Nic
said,
January 31, 2008 at 9:49 pm
It’s almost here. It’s almost here. It’s almost here.
Rachel
said,
January 31, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I bet The King can get quite a bit accomplished before the end of April! And soon you will be without rent and mortgage and the construction costs will be gone! It will be finished before you know it!
Angela
said,
February 1, 2008 at 12:20 am
I know it’s not the IDEAL moving in time, but still it must be so exciting to be moving into your dream house!! Man, I’m excited FOR you! I cannot wait to see how it all turns out in the end
janet
said,
February 1, 2008 at 2:17 am
Imagine all the money you’ll have in three months when you can delete Rent and Construction Costs!!!!! The end is near!
PS I booked my flights — June 5-9! hurrah!
Loralee
said,
February 1, 2008 at 2:59 am
I hate it when things are that tight and I also hear you on moving in before it’s all done (Because it takes forever to finish it all).
Still, I think that you are making the right decision.
SJ
said,
February 1, 2008 at 5:11 am
It’s very impressive that The King is building your second house with his own hands! I am really excited for you both and can’t wait till you guys finally move in.
Kait
said,
February 1, 2008 at 5:12 am
I know it will suck for a while, but at least it will free up a nice chunk of change! Best of luck in your endeavors to finish the house speedily.
I agree with everyone else - the colours are just gorgeous!
Durga
said,
February 1, 2008 at 12:54 pm
i’m excited that the ‘move in’ is so near.
it’ll be such a relief for u to get out the 1br apartment.
i pray things work out smoothly.
Frema
said,
February 2, 2008 at 5:01 am
First of all, I must comment on the awesomeness of the boots, for they are, indeed, awesome.
Second, I’m so excited that there’s an end date for you guys moving into the new house, even if it’s not quite up to par yet. Hooray for not having to pay rent AND a mortgage!
Laurel
said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I bet that moving in… even to a “not quite finished” place is going to be great. After all, you can always find oodles of small details to “finish.” Might as well enjoy the space–and the savings–sooner.
Chas
said,
February 3, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Wow…daycare is only the equivalent of two bucks cheaper than your very expensive (I’m sure) rent! That is nuts!
In which I convince you that you can travel the world for cheap | hola, isabel
said,
April 15, 2008 at 3:44 pm
[…] In which I convince you that you can travel the world for cheapApril 15th, 2008 @ 7:01 am Back in January I told you how we planned to move into the new house the last weekend in April. This wasn’t because the house was going to be finished in April, but was because we could no longer financially afford to not move into the new house. You may have also heard mention of a three week trip to Europe this coming September. Discussing dire financial restraints and taking a three week trip to Europe do not go hand in hand. […]