Was it worth it?

We finally agreed on the design (the one I posted before this entry). Benjie, Mama and myself went through several discussions on the details of the design and even had a couple of sessions with Fabian, our contractor. We proceeded to having the design cost estimated by Fabian. When he reverted back to us two weeks later, I was a bit surprised.

While I admit that I am not updated with the running cost of building a home, I was working on certain clear and fair assumptions: labor would be cheaper in the province, design was as simple as a modernist structure can get, and therefore the materials would be relatively cheaper. I had also pegged construction cost at a fair P10,000/sqm., way below Manila standard. The cost was above what I had expected yet Fabian and Benjie reminded me that I should be including the roofdeck in the total cost of the floor area. The roofdeck was something Mama wanted as it has become a fad in the province. Personally, I feel that a roofdeck is good only if you have a great view of the sea or some landscape, which my mom’s neighborhood doesn’t have. But we threw in a roofdeck nevertheless

I stepped up back a bit and reviewed the design: was it worth the cost?