Journal - Why Renovate?

A friend of mine just recently posted this question - why renovate so extensively and not sell my house and get a new one?

Answer:

1) Hubby thinks the prices are too sky high now

2) I am still quite happy with the house and it just needs a some work here and there

3) To find an apartment with the amount of floor space is difficult nowadays and we have 2 levels in out apt

4) We think that security is better in an apartment. Yes, yes, we may be wrong but it is still better than having a house. We would have to employ extra maids, gardener and security for the house. Who needs the hassle? Here, we have a Management Team who handles that.

However, I was really disgusted with what I found when we started ripping everything apart. Firstly, we had a lot of mould growing underneath the floorboards in C's room. My friend, S wanted to see it and I have attached the photos now. In addition to that, there are roof leaks which were concealed by the wallpaper. It was quite visible after the wallpaper was torn off.

We have finished ripping all the built-in cabinets today. Guess what we found lurking underneath. All the cockroach droppings and more!!! yikes, maybe this is the reason why C has been unwell and having problems with her nose. She may be allergic to insect faeces and the mould that is growing so rampantly in her room. I must reiterate however that we have never seen a single cockroach in the apartment before. But lo and behold, the evidence is there and cannot be refuted.

Anyway, I am glad that we went ahead with the extensive work and moved out of the apartment to facilitate the work even though it is very costly. The whole apartment looks like a war zone now. I feel a headache coming on when I have to select a colour here, some tiles there. Sigh... It is lots of work and little bit of aggravation but it has to be done for health reasons. Hope this helps S who is thinking of redoing her wardrobe, etc too.