We had another three hour meeting with our architect and builder this morning. I think it will take a while for my head to stop spinning. The revised plan reflected a lot of what we discussed back in early February but it still needs some major work in the master suite area. The rest of the house looked good except for some minor tweaks. Aaaand the fact that it’s still freakin’ huge. Not sure we can do much about that without compromising design.
Normally, the builder would have enough at this point to at least give a rough estimate of the cost. But this isn’t a normal house, it’s more like four connected houses. So the builder is understandably reticent to provide even a rough, rough estimate. Let’s just say the number I currently have in my head, which is double from my original hope, is now probably at the low end. I’m trying really hard to stay calm until I hear an actual number.
Part of the “problem” is that we don’t have a hard and fast budget. Just a number that I think I can l live with. Which keeps sliding up. If the number starts exceeding my (now greatly expanded) comfort threshold, We need to start crunching some numbers and making some decisions. Our hope/plan to build a (modest) house in Phoenix is already at risk. I would rather give that up than make big compromises on our dream home. Plus, who knows if I’ll be able to handle another new home build after we get through this one.
So I am currently engaged in what my husband calls “pre-worrying.” That is, worrying about something that may or may not turn out to be an actual problem. I’ve turned it into an art form. Part of the problem is that I suffer a bit from bag lady syndrome. I have a deep subconscious fear of ending up destitute. Ridiculous, I know, but there it is. This house marks a significant departure from a relatively modest lifestyle and that scares me.