I work in construction so am OK at DIY and can use plant machinery, which makes things a lot easier. Just under a decade ago, I built my own house here (with specialists for the work that needed obviously). It took me two years as worked at the same time and often offshore, so grafted evenings, weekends and holidays often in -15 degree weather and also constant rain that was actually worse than the cold. We lived in the house for a few years and then I got a message that it was being compulsory purchased for the light rail line development, so was eventually demolished and rock under blasted away, all my work..! I had a lawyer involved to bump up my compensation, which he duly did and I made an ok amount of profit on it, around 250k UK money, if my time, sweat and blood was taken off. However, I often think of the house as it was the precise location I wanted and everything was designed as I wanted, so for me was perfect. I'll never build a house from scratch again as the work involved was huge - the planning and organisation. Plus I don't want to lose out on irreplaceable family time it costs a second time round. Now I hardly do any DIY projects as have my fill at work, but grow some root veg and tomatoes, read books, look after family, mess around with a Korg, hike with my son and daughters, occasionally hunt deer and fish for cod and halibut.
Oh god that's awful, what a pisser that must have been! As if they told you it had to be demolished, as opposed to asking you!
I built it as a 'forever' house, in my 40s, and had been involved in the project for 5 years (had the land for 3 years, did the legal applications etc. and did all the groundwork pre-build). I knew a light rail was being built and it was a kilometre away from my plot, hence my plans, but they re-routed it due to cost, a year after I finished. It was frustrating, but if I am honest, I am not tied to much, outside of family, so wasnt as painful as it sounds, the profit softened the blow and I had already realised that I wanted to be further out in the countryside away from neighbours as I got older. My business got hit by the oil price collapse in 2014 and so offloading it and reducing my house loan actually worked in my favour, so swings and roundabouts..
Learning " Claire de Lune " by Debussy on my piano. Managed to learn halfway through, it's bloody difficult, might have cracked it if the lockdown is still on at Christmas.
