Max,
Your tale sounds very familiar to me. DW and I bought a fixer upper shortly after our marriage and spent the next 20 years doing a complete makeover. It was waterfront and we got it dirt cheap because it was so needy. Raised three kids there and the building project took much longer as the wife stayed home to raise them which made the budget so much tighter. But that was definitely worth it. I worked a lot of overtime to buy material for the project though that double edged sword took time away from working on the house. We still made time to take the kids boating, fishing and of course camping in our little pop up that we pulled behind the family wagon.
In the end we turned that 15k investment into 215 and used that to build our retirement home now that the kids where gone. We've also upgraded from the pop up to a fiver. 2 of the 3 kids moved out of state which gives us an excuse the use the FW to go and visit them and the grandkids.
Looking back now I am first of all grateful having been born in a place that allowed my family and I to prosper and be free. I am grateful for a wonderful wife and best friend of 48 years and three beautiful children and their spouses and our grandchildren. I am thankful we all are enjoying good health. But most of all I am thankful for a wonderful loving God that made this all happen.
Other than a few minor details I wouldn't change a thing.
Life is Good,
Contentment is a wonderful thing.
