(Not so ) Grand Designs: old Condo In Chiang Mai part 2

October 26, 2015 Babe 0 Comments

So, it’s done! Right…this is the part where I’m supposed to write something useful for people who may be thinking of something similar:

a) it would be easier of you knew the local language, which UH and I embarrasingly don’t despite three lovely years in Thailand;

b) work with someone who does…and can speak your own language…and gets your style;

c) Grand Designs was right, 20% buffer for expected and unexpected additional expenses (leaks, mismatched floor skirting, copious amounts of coffee in between, dinners to unwind, you get my drift);

d) be madly in love with your spouse to deal with tensed discussions over choices of tiles and how much taps cost. Otherwise, have enough influence over him (ply him with cakes, kinky time, more kinky time and a beer, you catch my drift) to see that the right taps are worth the extra bucks;

e) have a very supportive family who supports your (reasonable, unreasonable and plain extravagant) choices, scrutinise every nook and cranny, and will visit 100 times after it rains to make sure the leaks are fixed; and

f) don’t sweat the small stuff, enjoy every moment of it and just know that the exhilaration of your first pad will never be the same…until the next Grand(er) Design.