Construction of my new home finally began this week, with a new contractor and a new plan. I still cannot afford to build everything at once. The current plan is to build a basic house that will qualify for a certificate of occupancy, move in so I can stop paying rent, and then finish off the details. I will build the garage in 2021.
I considered obtaining a construction loan so I could build everything at once. However, the bank had concerns about my house’s marketability. Specifically, they had issues with the features that make it perfect for a chemically sensitive person. For example, my master bedroom is a small sleeping chamber with room for only my bed and an air filter. There is no closet because clothes on hangars and boxes on shelves attract dust. There is a sliding glass patio door that seals and separates the entryway from the rest of the house, so that if guests arrive with fragrance on their coats or bags the fragrance will not waft through the rest of the house. All of the mechanical systems that might require repair are accessed through an exterior door, so repair technicians don’t bring fragrance into the house. Etc. I think the bank’s assessment was flawed, as there is a huge unmet market for housing that is suitable for chemically sensitive people. That’s why so many chemically sensitive people are reduced to living in cars and tents.
