The questions you typically get when you have a new house
With the purchase of a house come questions. From the experts who ask you how easily your life insurance was approved (no joke) to distant relatives who ask impertinent questions about how many bedrooms your new abode has. If you're in the middle of this process, consider yourself warned.
“Do you know how much a new bathroom costs?”
Uuuuh, yes. That's why it's not in the house yet, people. I see concrete ciré, I see designer faucets, I see an artistic sink, thick soft towels, and luxury bottles of fragrant soap. Before that, I mainly see a bill that is dangerously close to bankruptcy. But thanks for your further thoughts.
“Aren't you going to renovate first and then move?”
With a stunned head and just about not rolling my eyes. You know what's funny? If you had asked me a week ago when I didn't live there what I wanted to change about the layout of my house from 1918 (!) I would have said very different things than now. You have to get to know it a bit, it turns out. Thank goodness I haven't torn out that fireplace yet. A pleasant surprise.
“Does that cost?”
Actually, I find asking about prices really intimidating, and even then I would do it under the guise of an announcement. May I ask you a cheeky question, that kind of thing. At least then you're prepared for the question about the price tag of this splurge. Just assume that people who buy houses are often broke.
“When can I house-sit for you?”
I found this favorable. It actually means that people like your house more than their own, and you can take that as a compliment.
“And, what are you going to use that one room for?”
As a walk-in closet, people, let that be clear. As a very large walk-in closet.
“Would you really do that?”
After a story about why you're going to renovate/reinvent something. Yes, I would do that, because I just explained it to you with an introduction, arguments, technical drawings, and a conclusion. You can assume that I'm going to do it and that I'm serious.
“When is a dog coming?”
At this point, I sometimes want to burst into tears softly, because even though I now have a house with a large garden near a forest, I spend more hours at the office and I find that unfair to our potential four-legged friend.
“How much is your mortgage interest?”
Little, and you know that too, because it's all over the news. You can look enviously, but the house prices are enough to wake up sweating in the middle of the night, so let me have that little bonus.
Next time I'll make it: the questions you shouldn't ask when someone has a new house. Seems better to me.
