The trouble with building is that no matter what you set your budget at, it is super easy to go over it. You think you'll just put in a nicer door, or a central vac, or wider skirting, or taller ceilings and wham, suddenly your budget is blown out of the water.
So this time, to avoid that happening, we're going to go with a building company. Not to say that it can't happen with a building company, but the costs are more obvious once you start adding.
We have always liked Landmark Homes, so we're looking at plans at the moment. The weird thing is that when Rob and I were first married, we went through the Tauranga Landmark Show Home together and have always said that one day we'd like to build one. And here we are, 15 years later, in Tauranga, looking at that very possibility.
We have looked around at existing homes. They are either too old; look too much like a leaky home; on a section that is so small you couldn't turn around in comfort (let alone turn 4 noisy kids out onto it); or too expensive. The one that we really liked here, came with a massive wild bush block, which would be nice, but we don't know if we have the time or energy to take care of it. Plus, it is built on a flat platform beside a steep hill. At the top of that hill is a busy road, that recently had a slip. Natural disasters make you more wary of other natural disasters. Hence our hesitation.
We looked at this house, but we'd like to be able to put a pool in and I don't know if that would be possible on such a sloping section. The layout of the house was pretty cool though - it even had a secret door in the attic with a secret passage down to the garage (2 floors below). Now that appealed to me (the romantic) and my children! Robin - not so much!
This house is beautiful, but too far away from the school and too expensive.
And this house is my dream house! I haven't been to see it because it's too far away, and just looks like it would be too expensive! But if it was the right price I don't think I'd think twice about the distance! LOL!
This house is in the street that we would like to live in. I'm hoping to go and see it with Rob's cousin, soon. Probably too expensive though.
And then we found this section. And fell in love.
We absolutely love the tall oaks on the property. When you have lived without trees for such a long time, trees become important.
And the owners live next door and would be our neighbours and we really like them.
We are still waiting on our house to sell, but we've just switched the agency over to Sue Roberts of Harcourts, who is the real estate agent extroadinnaire for North Canterbury, so we are hopeful! But the owner of this land said that just the day before we contacted them, he said to his wife that they would be willing to hold the section if the buyer was a family from Christchurch. Isn't that nice?
Of course, we are open to buying an existing house if the right one becomes available. But more and more I am warming up to the idea of building.
5 comments :
Thanks for sharing where you are at - I think of you often.
Your dream house is gorgeous, Rach! I know what you mean about trees. Where we are currently living there are no trees near the house, but where we're building, there are beautiful wooded areas. The children have such a wonderful time playing in them, building a tree house, watching the squirrels and birds. Lots of scope for the imagination. Love Pen
The dream house is stunning - in fact most of the houses that you like are pretty nice. Building your own though - albeit a bit of a pain - will be wonderful ultimately :-)
exciting times! my sister has just bought a section in River Oaks and is going to build with Landmark or Signature Homes. love the look of your section with the trees. also, just saw that you wrote the book A Day on Grandads Boat- I bought that a couple of years ago for my step dad who had just finished renovating a beautiful yacht!! I hope you are enjoying Tauranga so far, and look forward to seeing your dollshouse reno as well. You're welcome to come and check out my own anytime! We really should have a tauranga bloggers morning tea sometime- the Christchurcnh bloggers are so good at getting together! From Megan
Hi Megan,
That would be so lovely (to have a get together) - I'm feeling a little lost in Tauranga and a bit homesick for Chch. We have family here though, so really enjoying that. I might need some dollshouse inspiration - trying to decide what to go with at the moment! LOl!
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