In twenty minutes, a man is coming to my home. He's here to measure up the kitchen, because while the units are lovely and classic enough that they've gone out-of and come back-into fashion, the counter-tops and handles are shabby. I've tried to sand 'em down and re-treat but it's pointless. The man is here to measure everything to give me a quote to replace it. It'll be infinitely cheaper than buying a new kitchen, and better for the environment.

This has been our home for about a decade. But before that, for more than two decades, my wife's family lived here. She grew up here, bar her earlier stint in Cork (aside: I joke that her Dublin time is a lifelong rehab program to ensure she never retains any scraps of her Cork accent). I bought this from my mother in law, who decided to downsize to a house nearby.

But the thought about my neighbour came to mind because I have a few options in my position. I definitely am way up on the odds of loan-to-value, equity on the house, etc. But I've never thought about the economics of this house, because this is our gaff. We grew up in this area. Heck, my wife & I met in the local movie rental shop back when those were a thing. But there's always a question of fix-vs-move.

That's a really strange prelude given the subject of the post, I admit.

But in twenty minutes according to WhatsApp, the man is coming to measure my kitchen. Undoubtedly, I'll spend a bit of money with him to jazz up my kitchen, which will add untold value to the house were I to sell it on.

But I'm not looking to sell.

We're in a fairly classic cul de sac in Dublin's northside. I live in an area that has spent years being gentrified. Here I am, gentry. The area follows fairly basic Sim City rules. It's beside a park. There are a dozen or more schools. Shops, a (albeit private) hospital. Two villages flanking my specific area; one filled with useful shops, banks, etc., the other filled with coffee and art next to the Botanic gardens. I have buses and when my kids are on their deathbed, Dublin will finally have some sort of rail link here no doubt.

Over the years I've put solar panels in, painted the house, re-treated the wooden floors, gotten carpets, paved the drive, put grass in the back garden, got new windows, etc. It's our house, and we treat it as such.

However, my neighbour worries me.

She lives with her mother and 3 kids, born from donors. She doesn't work. Her house is oddly silent given the kids (and a dog!). The window in the front is dirty, and it's where her kids, who as far as I can tell never leave the house save for a rare occasion, perch themselves to observe the world. Much like my first child; my labradoodle. Who at least gets an opportunity to go beyond the window at least once a day for a wander around the aforementioned park, which also features a playground my kids are intimately familiar with.

They don't even go to the shops. The shops come to them. I have no idea what income they have. I know the house was inherited from her granny (who I briefly met when I started dating my wife).

As I get the man to come measure my kitchen, I have a pang of wonderment about whether this is the right thing to do. When those kids are older, will they be an issue? I certainly don't have the time or inclination to look after any of their issues. I'm even on the board of the local youth reach, so I know the answer to many of the issues a poor home situation can bring. I live in eternal optimism, so the man will certainly be jazzing up my kitchen.

And then I wonder, why do they even live in Dublin, adjacent to two towns and lots of transport options? Why not take that bag of equity, sell up and go to the country where you can roam around your bigger house judgement free from societies wankers like me, and continue to have the shops come to you? My mind boggles. Briefly. I'll move on again. But the next upgrade will bring the same questions.

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