Ah, damn, I'm sorry about that. It's a beautiful house and I'm sure it'll be snapped up, because it's a blank canvas, with everything beautifully fitted and all that's needed is the finishing touches.

Good luck to you, dg. I'm sure someone will recognise its value and will make it a happy home.

Sorry, man. Looks great though. You have good taste (by which I mean similar to mine).

Are those terrazzo floors?

Shit. So sorry about all of it dg.

mullac, the floors are polished concrete - basically just standard concrete ground down progressively to leave a perfectly smooth surface then polished. Looks great, easy to keep clean and also great for sliding on in socks ;-)

Such a lovely house -- I love all the windows, and high ceilings. Modern, but comfortable. A melancholy sale, for sure.

Life is what happens when you're making other plans. :(

I'm so sorry. It's beautiful! You did good work.

It really is a great house. So sorry that it didn't work out, dg.

That house is absolutely beautiful and nicely sited. I know it must be really hard to let go. At the same time, dg, I hope that some of this represents a freedom and new possibilities for you. It seems like it's been hard at times to try to hold everything together.

Awww .. it's a nice house and I'm sorry it didn't work out how you wanted. I offer my sincere hope that better days are ahead for you. ((((((dg))))))

I agree with everyone, it's a great looking place. Alas. Hope the sale goes well and letting it go helps you get things together for the new chapter.

Thanks everyone :-)

It feels a bit selfish and 'first world problem' and I know people here are going through much worse in their life. This house and the conceiving, designing and building of it, though, has been a huge focus in my life for many years now and accepting that it's not going to be finished (by me, anyway) is a huge disappointment to me. But I've more or less accepted that walking away is the best thing for me and that, yes, getting out from under the crushing burden of debt and other stressors it has brought will allow me to move on and re-build my life. I still can't quite imagine how it will feel to be debt-free and without the constant reminder of things left unfinished, but more and more I'm looking forward to finding out.

basically just standard concrete ground down progressively to leave a perfectly smooth surface then polished

I'm not used to seeing polished concrete floors with so much visible aggregate. This is what I'm used to seeing (that's a house my brother remodeled).

Anyway, I really like what you did.

A home that you've designed and built yourself is such a personal and intense creation: it's both an outward extension of your person and and intimate nest. I hope you can remember what an amazing accomplishment it is and be proud of it even though it must be heartwrenching to let it go.

HUGS.

I'm so sorry dg...but I think you're handling it well. It'll be a change, not having the house consume much of your life/habits/concerns, but now you can turn in new directions and new experiences. Hugs to you, in your altered journey!

I had to sell a house that I was restoring in the '90s due to my divorce. It's tough to let go of all the plans you had.

I'm sorry dg, I can see how much care you put into it.

Hugs and warm thoughts. It's a beautiful house--I'm sorry you have to let it go, but I hope through that, you find peace, stability, and room for new big dreams.

Side note: one of the best lessons that recent times has taught me is that it's ok to be upset about the things that upset one, be they first world problems, big scary monster problems, or just tiny, almost imperceptible things that give you sads. There's no need to justify having feelings. :)

Ah, dg, I'm sorry! It does sound like you are in a good place about all the change, at least. I'm hopeful that new directions can be invigorating for you too. I know my road has been bumpy (and continues to be at times) but I've found the new beginning brought wonderful new people and experiences into my life. Email me if you're ever inclined!

Yeah, definitely trying to focus on this as a beginning, not an ending. It's taken me a year (since my ex moved out) to get to the point of letting go, but I'm looking forward to it more and more. The kids are also getting into the idea of moving - my youngest daughter has been looking at rental properties online and has fallen in love with a townhouse that's (just) big enough for us and also has a huge pool and spa and a gym in the complex. I'm torn between the idea of having a relatively small place with that sort of facilities and absolutely no outside maintenance and a larger place with more privacy but still having to mow and garden (not even close to what I have to do now, though). It feels good to be thinking about decisions for the future after living so long in what is really the past.

The agent has added some very cool video footage taken using a drone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0rEZ8WLRLo&feature=youtu.be.

Auction is tomorrow - much stressed about the outcome :-(

The music is bad but the place looks huge. Could you possibly come out on top with this situation?
Cutting the line on a weight that's dragging you down is a relief sometimes unrealized until the lightness of being is felt, but maybe you'll make a profit and a decent credit on your house skills?

So, it's done - house sold at auction for $2k over the reserve. Took 40 minutes to get there, though - the first bid was $130k below the reserve and it crept up in $500 and even $250 increments. We ended up dropping the reserve by $15k so we could declare it 'on the market' and that sped up the bidding a bit until it reached the original reserve and then took about 6 more bids and another 15 minutes to finish up.

The price leaves me debt-free and with a little left over (depending on some negotiation with the ex about what gets paid off with the proceeds) so, while not as good an outcome as I had hoped for, it's OK and lets me move on free and clear to the next part of my life.

Had a massive turn up for the auction - about 60 people, including 8 registered bidders. Filled up the outdoor living area, both living areas and part of the master bedroom with people!