Our Home

It has been five years since we've had our own house.  For 15 years  prior, we stayed with the  in-laws. Caloy being the youngest of three children,  really wanted to stay with his parents because  he has decided that we will be the ones to take care of them in their twilight years. Also, his parents rely on him for a lot of things both on the home front and in the family businesses.  It was a very convenient arrangement.  We had no major expense so everything that we made, we were able to save.

When the adjacent lot with a shell of a new house was put up for sale, father-in-law bought it. He gave it to us and Caloys' sister.   It was meant to be just one house "pero para hanting magkapatid" and  because the design accommodated  it, a wall was put up right smack in the middle and  was converted  into a duplex. There was only one thing non negotiable, the decision on who will get what side. We on the left, the sister on the right.  Caloy's has to be on the left because it is  nearer to the main house.  This was the in-law's decree.  The house sits on a 441 sq.m. lot.  The total floor area for the  two story building, on  each side is about 160.  It has become  part of the whole 1,323 sq.m compound.

Because only the shell was done, major work still had to be accomplished.  We had a very good team who worked with us.  Architecture  was done by Winston Yao, Interior Design by Gretchen Picache and Feng Shui by Merlina Merton. The 15 years with the in-laws prepared us for the expense in finishing and furnishing our home.  We are thankful that we were able to finish our house according to how we like and envisioned it to be without any stress, anxiety or even drama(as other people would  have had) of sourcing funds!

Our house is relatively small compared to the houses in the neighborhood.  When I was little, living in a very big house, (which is also on the same street as our house now) I realized that cleaning and maintaining one is overwhelming,  I decided that when I will have my own house, it will only be small but it has to be beautiful. Well. this proves that we really have to be mindful of  what we wish for.  It definitely comes true!