Our Budget

It's been a while since I posted about money. We're on the home stretch now so I thought I'd give an update.

Like most every house ever built, I am over budget. There are three main reasons why:

1. The exchange rate to the kronor was a lot worse than my plan at the time I purchased the house. This alone added about 10% to the cost, although I am getting a little of that back now, since the dollar is stronger than I had planned. But the damage has already been done.
2. The helicopter was a significant unplanned expense, which represented about 3% extra on the budget.
3. My two main budgeting underestimations were on the electricity and finishing the bathroom, which combined represent about a 6% overage.

In total, then, you could say that I was about 20% over budget, with half of that due to currency exchange.

Based on the estimates I have from Wille, Janne, and Tommy, I should just about be able to finish off the house with available funds. Paying for our month's holiday this summer, and the new roof in the fall, may require selling off a family jewel or two, but that's a topic for another post!