If only I could draw a straight line, I would have pursued a career in architecture. My inability to build and design edifices had always been my life’s biggest frustration.
But if family members read this revelation now, they would all succumb to a collective heart attack. They always knew that I freeze on my tracks at the sight of numbers. And architecture involves a lot of math.
My dream to become an architect began after college. At age 20, my father instructed me to find a new home for the family since we were downsizing. He was still on provincial assignment and lacked the time to check on real estate properties available in the market back then. My mother was on an extended vacation in the US and wasn’t even aware of my father’s decision to move.
The task of looking for a new home was given to me by default. Never mind if I was the youngest. Two older siblings had already married and the one before me was busy finishing his medical studies.
Not one to shirk from a challenge, I did find a house my father liked – very much, in fact. It was in a subdivision off Katipunan in Quezon City.
Although the structure was new, it had to be renovated to suit our needs. The job of dealing with the architect and contractor fell on my lap once more. My father was secretly pleased that I was learning to take on responsibilities.
And he was also pleasantly surprised that I was beginning to use architectural jargon every time I would give him progress reports about the renovation. To his amazement I could discuss with him the different types of moldings and cornices.
But it was a tough learning experience for me. As early as 7 a.m., I was already in deep discussion with seasoned electricians about panel boards. That also armed me with ammunition that I used when I eventually did battle in the construction of future homes.
Every time I build a house, I always find myself at war with the architect/contractor. The start of any project is usually pleasant. But the relationship between client and contractor begins to get ugly toward completion – if the house gets completed at all.
What happens here is that the contractor is already honeymooning with a new client – with the old one feeling neglected. Another source of conflict between the two parties is when the client is not satisfied with the outcome and refuses to shell out more money. It is at this point when the contractor totally abandons the project.
K Brosas, who recently went to court to sue her contractor, did not really give a lot of details about her house-building horror story. All that she shared was that she had already forked out P7-M and yet after two years, the house she’s having built is only 35 per cent finished.
My heart truly bleeds for her. I can only imagine those sleepless nights she still goes through to this day. Oh, the wounds she must still be licking.
The sad part is that some netizens even question her judgment – why she immediately turned over such huge amount to her contractor and did not stick to progress billing.
The public has to understand that showbiz performers are the most trusting people in the world when it comes to money. Believe it or not, there are a lot of actors who accept projects and begin to shoot without even asking how much they are going to get paid.
Entertainers are easy to hoodwink. And they cannot be blamed. They are often preoccupied with work that they cannot be bothered with anything else.
It is difficult to engage in multi-tasking when you are an on-cam talent because you are often possessed by the character you are currently playing. You even bring that home with you.
I can imagine that K must have been saddled with work when she started her construction in 2019. Her contractor probably took advantage of the situation and merrily took off with the money.
What can K do at this point? It was a good thing she decided to sue the contractor. But the outcome of that may take long.
Maybe she can try going to the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) and have the architect’s license revoked. That’s a faster way to get even.
But while working on her revenge, perhaps she may want to consider resuming the construction of her house. In my assessment of her situation, she didn’t lose the entire P7-M to the contractor since there was already some work done. She probably lost P4-M – max. Of course, that’s still a lot of money thrown away.
However, I believe that she should still continue with the construction and now is a good time to do it, especially since she has a daily noontime show (Lunch Out Loud). And from what I heard, she is also supposed to start working on a new program, also for TV5. At least, she’ll have some money to resume the project.
With the real estate market down at the moment, it’s much more affordable to build a house at this time. The price of cement is actually steady.
But steel is cheap all of a sudden. How did this happen? Well, since there is now little demand for high-rise buildings, those greedy developers already stopped controlling the steel supply. Those who sell steel to the local market therefore have no choice but to offer their products at friendlier prices.
If K ever decides to go on with her house construction, she should really devote a lot of time personally supervising the project. A thrice a week visit to the site is a must to check on the progress.
She’d also be saving a lot of money by buying the materials herself – perhaps even the cement, glass and the steel. Believe me, she’ll learn how to do it and in the end will be glad she did.
The tiles for the floor and the bathrooms are fun to purchase. With my latest house construction, I visited 12 different tile stores – from Monumento to Taguig. It was quite an adventure. There were some frustrating moments, but mostly pleasurable.
The fixtures, she definitely should purchase herself – particularly those that she will be using in her own bathroom. I assure K that she would enjoy the experience of visiting the different home depots we have in the metropolis. Imagine being faced with various selections. It’s really no different from her usual shopping, except that she’s buying hardware this time.
If K is not confident about her skills when it comes to buying tiles and fixtures, the trick there is to request the contractor to accompany her at her every trip. All she has to do is treat the contractor to a good meal after each expedition.
Now, if the contractor is busy, maybe she can visit the store alone and take pictures of the items she fancies. Through the aid of modern technology, she can always consult with her contractor while at the home depot.
Doing the purchasing herself has at least two advantages: 1) She does away with the middleman (the contractor in this case) and save money and 2) She gets to buy items according to her personal style and preference.
K shouldn’t lose heart at this point of her life. She should soldier on and build her dream home.
I’m not one to quote biblical passages, but through experience, I know that K Brosas will get over this dark chapter of her life and will recover ten times whatever she lost to that unscrupulous contractor, whose personal hell home awaits.
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Source: Pinoy Ako News
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