Sweeten the Deal

It has been raining all day and the yard is again a swamp. However, hopefully in a couple of weeks from now, we won't have this kind of problem again, as the yard work begins on Monday. They will put in some hidden drainage pipes along the back and side of the house, and one down the length of the drive, to ensure that the majority of the water is shifted away from where it is currently settling. We will also put in a retaining wall and level some of the ground to make it more usable. It is an expensive project considering that from a looks perspective, it might not make too much of a difference.

Sweet?

Looks aren't everything.

I am hoping that while it isn't cheap, it will improve our outdoor experience here and perhaps make the place more entertainment-friendly in the few months where entertaining is possible. Right now, unless the weather has been good for several days in a row, we can't really do much outside, so I am looking forward to hosting a barbecue or two next spring and summer, and hopefully, well into the autumn. I am also considering building the decking myself, though I am unsure about whether I have the skills required. I think the biggest challenge there will be setting the footings correctly.

It is a funny thing, because I reckon that if I had the money, I would actually do more of it myself, because then I would be able to "screw it up" and pay for help to correct it. Right now though, that isn't an option, so it needs to be done right the first time. But, some people live in a different world to me.

For instance, talking with a colleague who has been with the company a long time and has made very large gains over the years, he is looking to get a new car - to add to his collection. He is looking at a Porsche 911 GT3, but not the latest model, because it is too expensive. However, the actual cost isn't the issue, it is because he will drive it around tracks and doesn't want to feel like he can't crash it. I can only find one used for sale in the country from 2016, and it is 340,000€.

Different world.

That is closing in on the value of my house. But like I was saying to a friend the other day, while I like cars, at the level I am willing to buy, it doesn't really matter what car I drive, as they are all largely the same. The "choice" between them that some people find so compelling to argue over, doesn't really make a difference for me. There are factors of course, like reliability, and service and parts cost, but the looks and even the top-level performance doesn't matter that much, because I will never drive the car in a way that it will matter.

If I had tens of millions, I would of course upgrade my car, though it probably wouldn't go that much further up than what people are buying at in the top of the mid-range, like an Audi e-tron or something like that. Even with those millions in the bank, that would be plenty for me. People are getting into debt to drive them around here.

Not that I have those millions anyway.

So, with the money I do have available, I want to make my life a bit better, and still feel like I am not wasting it on something unnecessary. What we are doing in the garden is an investment that will be largely unseen, but it will make our home lives better and easier, so I think it is worth it. It might even add some value onto the property, because once we get it landscaped a bit and start developing it into usable space, it will be more attractive for average buyers.

Not that we are looking to sell.

At the end of the day, the drainage work will make a difference, but will largely be forgotten, as it is out of sight and therefore out of mind. However, with Smallsteps growing up and starting to play more with her friends now, it would also be nice to have areas where we can have parents of the kids over from the neighborhood and spend time together, grilling with a glass of wine in hand, enjoying the weather when possible.

What I like about houses is that they become a reflection of the tenants and older houses like ours, have pieces of the past carried through and altered to fit the current family. Just like how people grow together or apart, a home grows with the family too, either becoming more valuable, or falling into disrepair. When I was a kid, our home was falling apart, and I don't want the same for my own.

Taraz
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