My sister-in-law spent her summer holidays at a luxury holiday resort while we were busy renovating our family house, and now she expects to live in comfort.
We offered to invest together with her in fixing up the house, but she brushed off the idea, saying she didnt need it. Now she wants to move in with us because her side of the house doesnt have any proper amenities. Its really her own fault!
The house originally belonged to my husbands grandmother. After she passed away, my husband and his sister inherited it. It was already an old place, but we decided to renovate it and make it our home. The house has two separate entrances, so two families can live there with their own privacy, although the garden and the back were shared. Both halves had the same number of rooms.
The inheritance was sorted out after we were married. Everything went smoothly without any fuss. My mother-in-law declined her share immediately; she preferred the buzz of life in London and didnt want a thing to do with rural living. She just told her son and daughter, You lot do what you want.
My husband, along with my brother-in-law, saved up a bit and started by repairing the roof and reinforcing the foundations. We wanted to continue renovating, but my sister-in-law lost her temper. She refused to spend a penny on what she called that rickety old cottage. Her husband just hung his head and left quietlyhe never argues with her.
My husband and I planned to move into the house ourselves. The village is just a short drive from the town, and as we own a car, the commute is easy. We were so tired of being crammed into our tiny one-bedroom flat, and owning a house had always been our dream, but building one from scratch in England costs a fortune.
Meanwhile, to my sister-in-law, the place was a sort of country getaway. She imagined popping down in summer for barbecues and lazy weekends. She made it clear we shouldnt count on her for anything regarding the renovation.
Within four years, my husband and I had painstakingly restored our half of the house. Of course, we had to take out a loan, but that wasnt what mattered. We installed a proper bathroom, central heating, rewired the place, double-glazed the windows, and even enclosed the balcony. We worked nonstopwe were determined to make our dream a reality.
All the while, my sister-in-law kept jetting off on holidays, showing no interest in what we were doing or in the state of her own half. She simply lived for her own pleasure and didnt concern herself with responsibilities. But everything changed when she had her baby and started maternity leave.
Travel was off the table, and money was suddenly tight. Thats when she remembered her share of the house. Being cooped up with a baby in a small flat isnt easy, but at the countryside house, the little one could run and play outdoors all day.
By then wed already moved into our finished half and were renting out our old flat. We hadnt touched her sidethe way we left it, it was practically falling apart. There was no heating and it was hard to imagine how shed manage. Still, she turned up for a month with a suitcase. She soon started asking to stay with us just for a weekso I let her in.
Her son is a real livewire, and just like his mum: loud, self-centred, and totally oblivious to anyone else. I work from home, so their noise drove me mad. In the end, I went to stay at a friends place while she was awayshe was glad I could house-sit.
Circumstances meant I didnt get back for almost a month. I stayed at my friends for a week, then my own mum fell ill and I had to care for her. I completely forgot about my sister-in-lawsurely shed gone home by now?
Imagine my shock to find her still there, behaving as though the house belonged to her. I asked her when she planned to leave.
Why would I go? Ive got a young child, and were just fine here, she replied breezily.
Well drive you back to London tomorrow, I insisted.
I dont want to go back.
Well, if you havent even bothered to clean your side of the house or make it livable, you cant just treat ours like a hotel.
What right have you got to throw me out? Its my house, too!
Your house is on the other side of that wall. Go stay there.
She tried to get my husband on side, but he stood up for me and told her shed outstayed her welcome. She sulked and went back to London. Just hours later, my mother-in-law started ringing with complaints.
You had no right to throw her outits her property too!
She could stay in her halfshes the only one to blame for letting it go to ruin, my husband replied.
But how could she stay there with a small child, with no heating and the toilet in the garden? You couldve helped your sister.
My husband lost his patience and explained to his mum that wed offered to renovate togetherit would have cost less for everyonebut my sister-in-law refused. Why was everyone blaming us now?
So, we offered her a way out: she could sell us her half of the house. She said yes, but at a price youd pay for a fully renovated home. We werent happy with that option.
Now theres tension and rows nearly every week. My mother-in-laws always offended, and my sister-in-law, Alice, is a nightmare. They seldom visit, thank goodness, but when they do, they cause a commotion, hold loud parties, make a mess, and damage things in the garden.
Weve started putting up a proper fence to separate the property completely. Theres no room for compromise anymore, and its exactly what my sister-in-law wanted.
