So, I decided that I’d like to build a model railway in my house. Since I live in a fairly small house that’s filled with people and things and I want something better than a tiny little board with a circle of track on it, the most sensible place to build such a thing is in the loft. My loft, however, is a truss loft - which means there’s big ‘W’ structures going through it every couple of feet to support the roof.
This isn’t so great for running a railway though, so I’d need to have the roof structure changed to something else. A quote for this came out at £7,250 + VAT (= \~£8520.00). Which is expensive. At first, I though that it was too expensive. However, as I mulled it over I started realising that it’s not just spending £8,000 on a model railway - it’s spending £8,000 on essentially a new room for the house. It’d give much than just a space for a railway, but a room that can have furniture and people in it. I phoned up Auntie Michele and asked her opinion. She laughed and said that it’d be cheaper to move house! I laughed too, and then we started talking about it.
Two days later, what she said popped back into my head. Would it actually be cheaper to move house? Well, it turns out that it probably would. I currently live in St. Albans, which is currently the most expensive place to live in the UK outside of Central London.
This means I can sell my teeny tiny house and move slightly further north and get a bigger house for the same money. Hell, move 25 miles north and I can buy a four-bedroomed house with a drive and garage! This is appealing. The thought of moving has been in the back of my mind for a while, due to other (secret) plans - but it was scheduled for well into next year. Moving it forward doesn’t really mean much on the grand scale of things - in fact, moving now would be simpler than moving when the top secret plan is underway.
However, one thing worries me. The current economic climate is less than stellar, and I’m not too great on world economy. I think Marcus Brigstocke sums it up fairly well, though: So, if my house gets devalued when I’m trying to sell it, there may be a problem. Then again, any house I’m trying to buy will, in theory, be devalued too. Who knows? I’m going to see a financial advisor tomorrow to see where I stand. Other than that, my mind is fairly made up about moving.
Sure, it’s a big event and I’m really attached to this little house. Yes, it’s small and expensive, but this is my first house and it has a special place in my memories along with my other firsts: kisses, heartbreaks, cars. These are things you remember for life. It’ll hurt to leave. I’m happy here, and tearing myself away will be difficult. However, I’m of the opinion that people who don’t take or make an opportunity to improve their lives because they’re fine where they are are… well, cowards. If I’d have done that, I’d still be working in Jessops. I’d still be pining after some girl I’m friends with but secretly, I adore. Hell, I’d have stayed in Derbyshire! Decisions like that are hard.
The option of staying in your contented little nook is much more appealing than ripping your heart in two in an attempt to make it better. I’ve taken the easy option many times, but on big decisions - especially those that involve others you’re close to - you have to step outside your own selfish views and look at the big picture. My heart tells me that I want to stay here. However, I know myself enough to know that it’s lying - what it actually wants is the status quo - the comforting surround of everything being the same as it was yesterday. I felt this way when I moved from Derbyshire, too - every fibre of my being wanted to stay put, but in my head I knew it’d be better in the long run.
So, what to do? Well, I want a railway, damnit. What else can I do? Today was just a day fading into another \ And that can’t be that a life is for