Youll never guess whats been happening with my sister-in-law lately! So, a while ago, while we were busy knocking our house into shape, she was off enjoying herself at a lovely seaside resort, living it up. And now, suddenly, she wants to come and live with us because her side of the house is falling apart and missing all the mod cons! Honestly, its her own fault.
Let me start from the beginningmy husband inherited his grans old house, and it came as a joint inheritance with his sister. The house was already showing its age, but wed always dreamt of fixing it up and living there ourselves. It has two completely separate entrances, so, in theory, two families could share the space without getting on each others nerves. Both sides had the same number of rooms, and the front and back gardens were shared.
When the will was finally sorted, my mother-in-law didnt want anything to do with the houseshes a city person through and through, and made it clear her kids could do what they wanted with it.
My husband and his sisters husband scraped together some cash, managed to mend the roof and reinforce the foundations, but when it came to proper renovations, my sister-in-law, Rachel, just wouldnt have it. She made no secret of the fact that she couldnt be bothered to pour money into what she called a rickety old shack. Her husband just kept his head down, never one for arguments.
Me and my husband, though, were dead keen on moving into the placeits just on the outskirts of town, less than half an hours drive from everything, and frankly, we were fed up with the cramped one-bedroom flat wed been squashed into for years. Building a new home from the ground up would have cost a fortune, so this was our perfect chance.
For Rachel, though, the house was more like a holiday home; she just wanted to use it in the summer, have a few barbecues, chill in the sun you know the type. She told us not to count on her when it came to anything serious.
Over the next four years or so, we completely renovated our side of the house. We did everythingtook out a loan, installed central heating, put in a new bathroom, rewired, replaced the windows, redecorated, the lot. It felt like we never stopped, but honestly, it was worth it to have our dream home.
The whole time, Rachel was off on tripsnever showed any interest in what we were doing, or in the state of her own half. She just floated around enjoying herself. But then she had a baby and ended up on maternity leave.
Thats when the holidays stopped, and the money ran out. Suddenly, she remembered she owned half a house. With a toddler, she couldnt handle being cooped up in a tiny flat all day, and at least there was a garden in the country where the little one could run around.
By then, wed already moved into our half and rented out our old flat. We hadnt touched her side at all, but over the years, it had pretty much rotted away. I honestly dont know how anyone could live thereno heating, not even a proper loo indoors. But she showed up with a suitcase, asked if she could stay with us for a week, and, well, what could I do but let her in?
Her son was a proper handfulnot to mention Rachel herself, who never even tried to accommodate us. She just carried on like she owned the place, acting like we should be grateful to host her. I work from home, so it drove me up the wall. In the end, I went to stay with a friend for a bit. That worked out well for Rachelall the more space for her, and someone to watch her house.
When I did make it back a month latermy mum had gotten ill, so Id looked after her for a bitI genuinely thought Rachel would have packed up by then. But she was still at ours, as if nothing had changed. I asked her when she planned on leaving.
She simply replied, Where else am I supposed to go? Ive got a little one, and were comfortable here.
So I said, Well, tomorrow well take you back into town.
She shrugged and insisted, I dont want to go back to the flat.
I told her, If you havent even bothered to clean up in all this time, this isnt a hotel. Go stay on your side of the house.
She snapped, How can you throw me out? I own this house too!
And I told her, Your house is through that wall over theretry staying in your half.
She tried to get her husband to back her up, but even he agreed shed overstayed her welcome. She stormed off, all offended. Before I knew it, my mother-in-law was ringing me up, completely outraged.
She went, You cant just throw her out, its her property too!
My husband jumped in, Shes free to stay in her own half, shes the owner there.
But then my mother-in-law said, Hows she meant to live there with a child? No heating, toilets outside you couldve taken care of your own sister.
At that, my husband let riptold her how wed offered to do up both sides together, how it wouldve been cheaper for everyone if shed helped out at the beginning. But she refused, so why was it suddenly our problem now?
Eventually, we suggested to Rachel that maybe she should sell her half of the house to my mum. She said shed think about it, but named an absolutely ridiculous priceenough to buy a whole new house in tip-top shape.
So now were barely on speaking terms. My mother-in-law is furious, Rachels always a pain, and when she does come round, she throws wild parties, leaves a mess, and ruins the place. Were finally putting up a proper fence down the middleno more shared garden, no more compromise. Its what Rachel wanted in the first place, anyway.
