While we were building the house, we’d set aside extra materials, our purchasing mistakes, and crazy ideas “for the barn.” It became a running joke.
For example, the bathroom window I ordered that was too small? No problem, we’ll use it in the barn. A light fixture that didn’t suit the kitchen – save it for the barn! Three leaded glass panels that I was going to put in the loft, but didn’t – they would be great in the barn! We even had an extra air conditioner, though we decided to sell that to a friend.
But it seems that the joke’s on me because it doesn’t look like we will be able to renovate the barn.
I considered the barn as the “rest of the house.” It would cover the parts that we didn’t build into 555 – a second bathroom, guest room, and an office space. And it was important to me to preserve the history of the property by showcasing the beauty of the Kawasaki’s 120 year old cow barn.
However, the rough estimate to fix up the barn they way we’d like it is about 20 million yen ($150,000) – half the cost of 555. And that’s outside our means now.
- We could do it if we wanted to go into debt. But that’s not a smart choice at our age.
- We could do it if one of us took a full-time, high paying job for a few years. But that’s not likely to happen.
- We could if do it I were skilled with DIY & construction. But that’s so not true. I have the spirit but everything I build is janky.
- We could do it if we had cultivated “let’s restore a barn” friends. But that’s not the case; I know lots of people who probably could, but…asking them is *sigh*.
So what happens next? I think there are three options:
- Leave the barn to rot and collapse. It’s on the way already;
- Tear down intentionally and leave the space empty for future options;
- Tear down and construct a prefab structure for the “rest of the house.”
None of these options makes my heart sing. Letting the barn rot feels like watching a slow death. Tearing it down is safest but it would still hurt my heart.
Perhaps it is time for deus ex machina. Or perhaps this post will bring an answer out of the woodwork. Ideas welcome!
