My sister-in-law recently spent a lovely holiday at a seaside resort while we were up to our necks renovating, and now she’s insisting on living in proper comfort.
I once suggested that my sister-in-law and I should pool our money to refurbish the house, but she insisted she didn’t need it. Now she’s asking to move in with us because her half of the house has no amenities. Honestly, that’s her own doing.
The house belonged to my wife’s grandmother. After she passed away, my wife and her sister inherited it. It was already quite dilapidated, but we chose to renovate it and make it our home. There are two separate entrances, so it’s possible for two families to live there in peace without crossing paths too much. The front and back gardens are shared, and the rooms are evenly split on both sides.
The inheritance was settled when my wife and I were already married. Everything went smoothly, without any fuss. My mother-in-law wanted nothing to do with the houseshe much prefers her life in London. She simply told her children to do what they liked with it.
My wife and I, and my sister-in-laws husband, chipped in what savings we had to replace the roof and reinforce the old foundations. We wanted to go on with the refurb, but my sister-in-law, Claire, threw a tantrum. She said she would never waste her money on what she called that old chicken shed. Her husband, as always, kept quiet and went along with ithe never argues with her.
Our plan was always to settle in that house. The village isnt far from the city, and we have a car, so the commute wasnt an issue. Frankly, wed had enough of squeezing into a cramped one-bedroom flat. Wed been dreaming of a proper house for years, but building one from scratch would have cost a small fortune.
For Claire, the house was nothing but a holiday cottage. Shed planned to pop down there in summer for barbecues or a bit of a rest. She made it clear we couldnt count on her help.
Over four years, we finished renovating our side of the house. Naturally, we had to take out a loan, but it was worth every penny. We put in a bathroom, sorted the heating, replaced the wiring and windows, and refreshed the conservatory. It was exhausting, at times it felt like round-the-clock graft, but we kept onit was our dream.
Claire, meanwhile, was always off somewhereSpain, Greece, you name itnever interested in what we were doing or what was happening to her share of the house. She lived for her own pleasure without a care in the world. That is, until she had a baby and began maternity leave.
Her globetrotting stopped, and her finances got tight. Only then did she remember she owned half that house. With a toddler, she was desperate for spacea little one needs room to run and play outside.
By then, wed moved in and were renting out our old flat. Her half of the house, untouched for years, had become half-rotted. I cant imagine how she thought she could manage there without heating, but she turned up for what was supposed to be a months holiday, suitcase in tow. Soon, she was asking to stay with us just for a weekwhich, reluctantly, I allowed.
Her son is a lively lad, and shes no quieter herself, with no thought for anyone elses comfort. I work from home, so the chaos drove me round the bend, and I ended up staying with a mate for a bit. As it happened, Claire went away for part of that time, so at least she was chuffed to have someone look after the house.
Life took another turn, and I found myself back home nearly a month later. Id been at my mates for a week, then had to care for my mum whod fallen ill. Honestly, Id put Claire out of my mindI was sure shed left ages ago.
Imagine my surprise to find her still firmly installed in our home. She was acting as though it was her own place. I asked her quite directly how long she planned to stay.
“Where would I go?” she shot back, “I’ve got a small child here, were comfortable.”
“Well, well take you back to town tomorrow,” I replied.
“I dont want to go back to the city.”
“If you couldn’t even manage to tidy up in all this time, youd best go home. This isnt a hotel.”
“Who are you to tell me to leave? This is my house too!”
“Yours is the other side of that wall. Off you go.”
She tried to get her husband to take her side, but even he told her shed outstayed her welcome. Offended, she left in a huff. Just hours later, my mother-in-law was bellowing down the phone:
“You cant throw her out! Its her own house!”
“She could have stayed in her halfas long as she liked,” my wife told her firmly.
“But how can she live there with a child? No heating, outdoor loo You should have looked after your sister.”
My wife, exasperated, finally told her mum the whole storyhow wed offered to handle the renovations together, which would have been cheaper for all. Claire refused, and now everyone blames us for the state of things?
We thought about offering to buy Claires half for my own mum, but she came back with a price so absurd we could have bought a whole new house for less. We werent having that.
Now, tempers are frayed all round. My mother-in-law is forever moaning, and Claire is a thorn in our side. When they do visit, it’s noisy parties, petty squabbles, and damage to the garden.
Weve started building a fence to finally separate our sides. No more compromisesafter all, this is what Claire insisted on.
If theres one thing Ive learnt, its that sometimes, you have to draw a linenot just on the property, but with family, too. If people dont appreciate what they have, thats not your burden to carry.
