ᐅ Dissatisfied with new construction due to other options now available
Created on: 27 Sep 2021 12:51
C
Crossy
I was just about to create a second account for this thread, but in the end, I decided against it. I’m not even sure if this thread belongs in the financing section. The purpose of this thread is not to show off; I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and my dissatisfaction is growing. Maybe some of you have had similar experiences, and I would be interested to know what you did.
I’m unhappy with our house. Not because it has any serious defects. It suits our current life situation, we have enough space, and next spring the garden will finally be finished and look great. Like many others, during the planning and construction phase, we set priorities because of our budget and gave up on some nice extras. Now, nearly 2 years after the financing was completed, our financial situation has changed significantly.
When we arranged the financing, I was just returning to work after my second parental leave, filling in as a temporary replacement during another parental leave. I knew the job was poorly paid (considering the required qualifications), but the overall package worked well, and I was confident I could manage it alongside the children. I always believed I would earn more in the long term and that this was only a transition back to work. Nevertheless, we based our financing on our income at the time because the financial future, even with good prospects, was uncertain. Therefore, we chose a more conservative approach and did not rely on future salary increases or push our budget to the limit.
Now, almost 2 years later, our financial situation looks completely different. I’m still with the same company but no longer in a temporary replacement role—I’m now a department head, and I have increased my working hours to fulfill this leadership position. Meanwhile, my husband has changed employers and was promoted. All in all, our combined income is about $4,000 more per month. And now I am annoyed by all the little things in the house that, in hindsight, wouldn’t have been a problem for us. With an additional $100,000–150,000, our house would be my dream home.
Many things cannot be retrofitted easily or without significant effort. I wish my dissatisfaction would fade over time so I could enjoy our very nice house and our financial freedom, but mentally I am thinking about selling and looking at plots nearby. My husband is bothered by a few things in the house as well but is generally more content and mainly wary of the hassle involved in building a new house.
I’m unhappy with our house. Not because it has any serious defects. It suits our current life situation, we have enough space, and next spring the garden will finally be finished and look great. Like many others, during the planning and construction phase, we set priorities because of our budget and gave up on some nice extras. Now, nearly 2 years after the financing was completed, our financial situation has changed significantly.
When we arranged the financing, I was just returning to work after my second parental leave, filling in as a temporary replacement during another parental leave. I knew the job was poorly paid (considering the required qualifications), but the overall package worked well, and I was confident I could manage it alongside the children. I always believed I would earn more in the long term and that this was only a transition back to work. Nevertheless, we based our financing on our income at the time because the financial future, even with good prospects, was uncertain. Therefore, we chose a more conservative approach and did not rely on future salary increases or push our budget to the limit.
Now, almost 2 years later, our financial situation looks completely different. I’m still with the same company but no longer in a temporary replacement role—I’m now a department head, and I have increased my working hours to fulfill this leadership position. Meanwhile, my husband has changed employers and was promoted. All in all, our combined income is about $4,000 more per month. And now I am annoyed by all the little things in the house that, in hindsight, wouldn’t have been a problem for us. With an additional $100,000–150,000, our house would be my dream home.
Many things cannot be retrofitted easily or without significant effort. I wish my dissatisfaction would fade over time so I could enjoy our very nice house and our financial freedom, but mentally I am thinking about selling and looking at plots nearby. My husband is bothered by a few things in the house as well but is generally more content and mainly wary of the hassle involved in building a new house.
What does "truly wealthy" really mean? I feel quite rich. Sure, having more money in reserve would be more reassuring. But only up to a point—I have very different things on my mind during tough times. It’s more like: if my partner and I were both to have an accident at the same time, what would happen to our child? (You can prepare for this to some extent, and we have done so or are currently in the process of doing so).
I don’t really think in terms of: hopefully there will be enough inheritance available, but rather: will there be people around who can reliably support him in that situation?
If we were to come into significantly more money, there might be a nice greenhouse, or perhaps the electric car a bit earlier. But we won’t move out for a bigger, fancier house. Even though, like many, I’d prefer a detached house with a larger garden. Even though not everything here in the house is perfect. But it’s good—we’ve put so much time and effort into it. I’ve even started to appreciate the pitched ceilings 🙂
I can understand people who want to move to a bigger home—there must be people who strive for more, otherwise certain developments wouldn’t have happened at all. But I also see what some here have already mentioned: the dissatisfaction may not really come from the house itself, but from the circumstances surrounding it. And that dissatisfaction would come along with you into a bigger, better... house as well.
I don’t really think in terms of: hopefully there will be enough inheritance available, but rather: will there be people around who can reliably support him in that situation?
If we were to come into significantly more money, there might be a nice greenhouse, or perhaps the electric car a bit earlier. But we won’t move out for a bigger, fancier house. Even though, like many, I’d prefer a detached house with a larger garden. Even though not everything here in the house is perfect. But it’s good—we’ve put so much time and effort into it. I’ve even started to appreciate the pitched ceilings 🙂
I can understand people who want to move to a bigger home—there must be people who strive for more, otherwise certain developments wouldn’t have happened at all. But I also see what some here have already mentioned: the dissatisfaction may not really come from the house itself, but from the circumstances surrounding it. And that dissatisfaction would come along with you into a bigger, better... house as well.
Müllerin schrieb:
What does "truly wealthy" mean? I feel quite wealthy. Sure, having more money as a backup would be more reassuring. But only to a certain extent – I have completely different concerns during tough times. It’s more like: if my partner and I were both involved in an accident at the same time, what would happen to the child? (You can prepare for this to some extent, and we have done so or are in the process of doing so).
However, I don’t think: hopefully, there will be enough inheritance available for them, but rather: will they have people around who can reliably support them in that situation.
If we were to come into significantly more money, maybe we’d add a nice greenhouse, or get the electric car sooner. But we won’t move out for a bigger, nicer house. Even though like many others, I’d prefer a detached house with a larger garden. Even though not everything in this house is perfect. But it’s good – we have invested so much time and effort into it. I’ve even come to like the sloped ceilings 😉
I can understand people who want to upgrade – there must be people who strive for more, otherwise certain developments wouldn’t have happened. But I also see what some others here have already pointed out: dissatisfaction may not necessarily be caused by the house but by the circumstances around it. And that dissatisfaction would come with you into a bigger, better... house. What does wealthy mean? Wealthy is having a roof over your head and not having to worry about how to pay for the next washing machine breakdown or how to fund your next vacation. Owning a home is a privilege nowadays.
Tom1978 schrieb:
What does rich mean? Rich is when you have a roof over your head and don’t have to worry about how to pay for the next washing machine breakdown or how to afford your next vacation. Owning a home is a privilege nowadays.Friedrich Merz basically shares the same view.P
Pinkiponk29 Sep 2021 08:55Tom1978 schrieb:
Nowadays, you could almost call a detached single-family house a luxury, since only a few people can afford one anymore. In this regard, I’m not sure if that’s really true. So far, and I’m open to learning, I believe that especially with children, it often makes more financial sense to invest in a house rather than bear negative interest rates, capital gains taxes, and inflation losses while also paying very high rent. But maybe I’m mistaken. What certainly helps is if you don’t have many other high material demands, as is the case for me and my husband. (However, my husband’s children are already adults.)
As mentioned, I don’t need to be right and am happy to consider counterarguments.
Tom1978 schrieb:
No offense intended, I know the feeling too. I didn’t assume otherwise. I just thought that the term might scare off the original poster. ;-)
Tom1978 schrieb:
When I was a student, there were times I survived for months on instant pasta meals because I had no money. I really, really appreciate that you haven’t forgotten or repressed those times and can still draw wise conclusions from them.
Schimi179129 Sep 2021 08:57Tom1978 schrieb:
...
As a student, I had times when I lived on instant pasta meals for months because I had no money.
...I "earned" money for the cafeteria by collecting refundable bottles 🙂10 bottles would cover the cost of one hot meal 😀
Pinkiponk schrieb:
In this regard, I am not sure if it is really correct. So far, I have thought—and am happy to learn otherwise—that especially with children, it generally makes more sense to invest money in a house rather than accept negative interest rates, capital gains tax, and losses due to inflation, all while paying very high rent. But maybe I am mistaken. What certainly helps is not having other significant material demands, as is the case with my husband and me. (However, my husband’s children are already adults.)
It is clear that paying off a house is more reasonable and sensible than paying rent for a similar property. The question is, who can still afford to build nowadays. If we hadn’t purchased the land at such a low price four years ago, we would have to pay about €400,000 (approximately $430,000) more today. With a net income of €6,300 (approximately $6,800), building a house would not be conceivable. Plots with even less than half the size (which would also be sufficient) now cost about €200,000 (approximately $215,000) more than ours back then.