The Art of Compromise

Last night, Rob and I had a very subdued celebration about having our offer accepted on Stockbridge Road with two bottles of Bulmers Pear Cider and a half-hearted row (we were tired) about how he's negative about things which makes it difficult for me to get excited: he was looking at all the bad points of Stockwell Road and I wanted to be pleased that we'd had an offer (and a good one too) on a home in Winchester.

The big problem between us in this whole affair is that he sees a house as a financial investment to make as much money from as possible, whereas I see it as a home. It's Heart vs. Head.

We fight about this constantly: we see a house together and, even if I hate it because, for example, it has bedroom ceilings billowing towards the floor with age, if it has development potential, he'll never ever discount it. But if I see something that I like but he doesn't - usually because it's been finished really well and the most he could possibly do is put up a shower curtain or a mug hook - he won't discuss it. Not in the slightest: I loved this converted chapel. He hated it. End of. He loved this thatched cottage with the most disgusting carbuncle of a 70s extension sticklebricked onto its side; I said Absolutely Not, and yet he STILL brings it up - even though the old lady who lives there won't take less than our top, top budget which would mean living there in sour-milk hell until we either inherited a fortune or I went back on the game ... I caught him with the plans up on the laptop only the other day. Seriously? I said. But ... he said.

I complain (very well), but, in Rob's defence, he helps balance out the romantic in me who'll buy a house because it has nice wallpaper/lampshades/sofas/cat asleep on the bunkbeds. And we've come up with an excellent plan for opening up the downstairs of Stockbridge Road which we can do because he's a structural engineer and knows these things, so I guess his practicality isn't as bad as I make out - although it does make compromising and liking him at the same time rather tricky.

In other new, we've decided not to see Canon Street as Rob has stated: I hate it. And because I always like to make out I'm super nice and the best person in the relationship, I've said okay, we won't see it - but honestly, I didn't want to either: I think I'm slowly falling for Stockwell Road ...

I have a viewing at my flat today. Fingers crossed ...

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