A couple who lived from a pigpen to dream house inspired so many netizens with their story. Many were impressed that they helped each other reach their dreams and are now reaping the fruits of their labor.
Couple Lived from Pigpen to Dream House
Every family dreams of having a house to live in, but not everyone gets to enjoy that dream. Some even live in the streets or like Raymond Soledad, in a pigpen that they cleaned up and converted into a small shack.
According to Raymond, he and his wife started living in that shack when they first started out as a couple.
And though you can say that home is where the heart it, they realized the need to get a real house when the roof of the makeshift house caved in during one particularly rainy night while their child was still a baby.
“Dito kami tumira ng 1 taon hanggang manganak yung misis ko. Isang gabe, madaling araw nun.. umulan ng malakas nasira yung bubong, bumagsak yung insulation na nilagay ko sa yero kasama ang tubig ulan at mga maliit na daga. Naglagay lang ako ng tolda sa bubong para di mabasa yung baby namin,” Raymond narrated.
“Nakakalungkot ang hirap pala mag pamilya ng di kayo handa. Kaya simula nun nangarap kami ng asawa ko na magkaroon ng mas maayos sa matutuluyan para sa anak namin.”
So, he and his wife decided to save up as much of their money as they could to build a house of their own.
He worked at a pest control company owned by his cousin while his wife found a contractual job in the government. Although his wife later lost her job, they managed to continue saving money.
They used their savings of Php250,000 to pay for the downpayment (Php50,000) of the lot he bought from his tita and the rest to start building their house.
To save on labor costs, he would spend his free time and days off in construction work he can manage on his own. They also continued saving up and improving their house, until the house is already the way it is today.
“Kapag walang pasok sa work, ako po mismo ay gumagawa at nag ko construction sa bahay para di po magastos sa bayad ng labor. Pa unti-unti lang po, pag nag ka extra income tinatabe po namin at pag nakaipon saka po namin ulit ipapagawa. Bale halos 2 years po namin ito binuo,” Raymond shared.
Building from Scratch or Buying Ready-Made House?
You can actually save a lot of money if you build from scratch, but you have to make sure that you get everything right:
- Get a building plan with the right permits by hiring an architect or engineer
- Hire the right contractors (always make sure to read reviews)
- Avoid buying substandard materials
- Do a safety check before moving in
