Building our house is more than just a construction project—it is the start of a whole new adventure for us. Join us as we share the very beginning of our journey, from dreaming up our perfect home to breaking ground and taking those exciting first steps.
Hello, my loves!
It’s been a while since I last shared what’s going on in my life, and it’s time to catch up.
I’m currently at one of the most exciting and transformative stages in a person’s life — my partner and I are building our own home yay.
You might be a bit confused, especially if you remember my last similar post — the one about the flat we bought and renovated.
Plot Twist: We Sold the Apartment
And now comes the shocker — we sold that apartment. You’re probably wondering why?!
Let me tell you everything. Or at least, let me start from the beginning — no more teasing.
We’ve started building our house! I’m beyond excited and even happier that I can finally share it with you.
This is the first step in our home construction process.
Get Your Popcorn – Here Comes the Story
In 2022, my partner and I moved back to our hometown, and we’ve been living here ever since.
That same year, we decided to rent out our apartment, and before long, we found a fantastic tenant — a lovely young woman who took great care of the place.
For two years, we searched high and low for an apartment in our hometown — but we never quite found our place.
Eventually, after a lot of searching and growing frustration, we gave up on the apartment idea.
But my partner isn’t one to quit easily.
He started exploring every possible option, including how to build a house instead of buying one.
That’s when the idea of constructing a house from scratch came up, and we began our journey into the home building process.
We spent nearly six months checking out plots around the city.
We were looking for something around 1,000m², very close to the city, with a great view — basically all the key elements when planning your dream home.
Why We Chose to Start From Scratch
That’s when the idea of building a house came to life. We spent about half a year looking at plots around the city.
You might wonder why we were looking at empty plots and not ready-made houses to renovate.
The answer is simple: we have a very clear idea of what we want in terms of layout and size — and we knew we wouldn’t find that in a pre-built home.
We know exactly what kind of yard we want and the ideal dimensions for the house and its rooms.
Finding the Perfect Plot
It all seemed like an impossible dream — until he took me to our place.
He’d found everything we ever dreamed of: a 700m², rectangular plot, with a lake view, just 5 minutes from the city, in a lovely neighborhood.
The plot fronts two streets, offering possibilities I had never even dreamed of.
One of them? Access from both streets — which, as you can imagine, is a massive bonus, especially when it comes to parking or site preparation and land clearing.
Another great thing is the orientation of the plot and the house — it gets morning, midday, and afternoon sun from the east, south, and west at the front, while the back of the house faces north.
But like everything in life, there was a catch.
The house would be close to a main road, which meant noise — precisely what we’d hoped to avoid.
And that brought up another worry: the finances. Budgeting for home construction suddenly felt very real.
I began to pull away from the idea. The cost seemed overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure we could manage it.
But a month went by. The plot was still available. My enthusiasm grew stronger; the dreams became more vivid… and we said, ‘Yes, let’s do this!‘
Goodbye to Our First Home
That’s when we made the difficult decision to sell our apartment to fund the purchase of the house. I don’t want to brush over this part — it was truly difficult for me.
That flat was our first home, our first big project, our shared foundation.
We renovated it together, planned every detail, and poured a great deal of love into it. It was our first taste of custom vs. pre-designed homes.
Even as I write this, my eyes fill with tears and there’s a lump in my throat.
We won’t get to sit on that couch again, watch our favorite shows, drink coffee, or cook dinner there.
But A New Chapter Begins
But the motivation is strong — to create a new base, a bigger one, our new spot for movies, laughter, arguments, delicious food, and lots of love.
After we sold the apartment, I realised something fundamental: it’s not the place that makes a home — it’s the person next to you.
Once we’d both processed this shift in our own ways, we moved forward.
We bought the plot two months after the first viewing (May 2024), and the deal went smoothly.
I remember how we used to visit the empty plot every day, imagining where everything would go.
It felt like we were checking off items from a building your own home checklist.
While our fantasies painted the future, the plot remained empty — with only insects for company.
The Design Phase
And so we moved on to the next step: choosing the right home design.
The part that truly tested my patience.
It’s an expensive stage, and at the same time, the plot just sits there — nothing happening.
We worked with a great team and had frequent meetings with the architect to review progress and tweak things.
It was our crash course in the residential construction process.
To be completely honest, the mountain of folders started giving me anxiety. It felt like the process would never end.
Design and planning took about eight months — the longest eight months of my life! From June 2024 to January 2025.
Understanding building permits and regulations is a task on its own, so we had to educate ourselves what are the appropriate steps, but eventually, we received the building permit and the builder began preparing the site for laying the foundation.
Construction Finally Begins
Site prep included land clearing, and then the digging began.
We could finally see the changes, step by step, bringing us closer to the dream we’d held onto for so long — our place.
Now, when we visit, we can see the boundaries of the future home — and the vision starts to take shape right before our eyes.
I’m thrilled to see so many new homes being built in the neighborhood, including one right next to ours, which belongs to a friend (who will be our future neighbor.)
The House: What It Will Look Like
Here’s a bit about the house itself. It will sit at the back of the plot and have two storeys. (the house at the back belongs to our family friend)
The ground floor will be about 140m² and will include:
- A spacious living room with kitchen
- A large veranda
- A bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom, and toilet
- A storage room
- A laundry room
- A guest toilet
The second floor will be about 100m². and will have:
- Two bedrooms, each with bathroom and toilet
- One walk-in closet
- A home office for quiet work
As for the facade, we’re still deciding, but I think we’ve already settled on the overall style.
We’re going for light colors — white or cream — with wooden elements on the facade and anthracite-colored roof tiles.
The Financial Side
As I already shared, part of the financing for our house comes from selling the apartment.
The rest will come from our savings and a loan.
To be honest, even we didn’t realize what a huge investment building a house really is.
But with full confidence I can say: it’s all worth it when the goal is this meaningful.
What’s Next?
I’m beyond excited for everything that’s coming, and I can’t wait to share the journey with you.
I’ll be posting tons of photos and videos from the construction process on Instagram.
If you’re curious, I’ll be waiting for you there!
This has been part 1 of our guide to building your own home, and I’m just getting started.
Stay tuned for more on our new home construction timeline and all the ups and downs of building a custom home.
