Every house has a story

 

Every house has a story

Denzil built his first house in his early twenties.

Denzil Jayasinghe
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Let us get this out of the way. Did your parents give you money for your house?

No, they didn’t. But the land was theirs, in fact, my grandmother’s. It was handed to me.

How did you feel about becoming a landowner in your twenties?

I had no notion or value of real estate. My family had small parcels of land and houses everywhere, which my parents and grandparents owned. Nobody talked about them, so I did not think much of them. They were just there, items on the sidelines with no special focus in our family’s core value system.

So, how did you end up building a house at that age?

Even before I started shaving, I got a big break to be in Dubai. Suddenly, I was earning thousands of dollars. My father, a great modeller of kids, knew that my money was best spent on a new house. He got my kid brother and me together he and talked to us about his plans for us.

Then, the land was transferred to me in my name, skipping a generation of ownership. It was written to me directly to avoid the double handling of land registration. Now, with the land in my name, my father influenced me to start building.

Did you think the house was yours then?

No, the land technically belonging to me was not a factor. I thought of it as my parents’ home. But they were visionaries in ensuring that I would get to inherit the land and the two houses there.

What do you mean? Two houses!

It was a large property. At the back of the huge land was our family home, built in the 1940s by my grandfather. That house remained at the back.

You were in Dubai, but your first home was built in Sri Lanka!

I was living in Dubai, but my heart was in Sri Lanka. I knew I wanted to build a home there, where I could put down roots and create memories with my family. It is strange to think that I was dreaming of having many kids at that age.

How did you go about it?

I never intended to construct a house, I had no blueprint. It was not obvious to me. I was guided by my father.

The first step was to sketch out a plan for the house. I worked with my parents and brother to create a design that was perfect for our needs. We wanted a spacious family hall, three cosy bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and two sparkling bathrooms. We also dreamed of having a beautiful garden with a pond,

To bring our vision to life, we turned to Dixon Silva, a talented architect and designer who was the father of my friend Asoka. Dixon was happy to help us create a plan for our dream home. He was generous and did not charge a cent.

Then we found a building supervisor, the best in my hometown.

How did the construction start?

They began by laying the foundation, burying crosses and medals in the soil. The local priest blessed the foundation. I was in Dubai during the construction.

Describe the construction phase.

As the days passed, the structure slowly rose from the ground, brick by brick, under the watchful eye of Raymond, the best building supervisor in the village. Finally, the roof was put in place. I saw progress of it through photos in the post in Dubai.

I wanted to make sure that every detail in the interior design was perfect, so I shipped bathroom fittings, bathtubs, basins, toilets, pantry cupboards, sinks, the cooktop, light fittings, ceiling fans from Dubai, airfreighting them all. It was a long journey, but it was worth it.

Designing a home is a labour of love, and my father, brother, and I poured our hearts into creating the perfect space, supported by my dutiful mother. We spent countless hours writing to each other, sketching out ideas, and taking measurements, all in pursuit of perfection. Back then, there was no instant communication on the phone, so we relied on writing, sketches, and graphics by snail mail to bring our vision to life. It was a true test of our creativity and ingenuity, me from Dubai and my family in Sri Lanka. It was my first ever effort in remote-working.

So how the heck did you go saving for the house?

Wasting money was not in my genes, the money was simply there at the end of every month. I sent all my savings by wire transfer to my father’s account. I didn’t think of the money as mine or my parents’, but just as money that was there for my family.

What sacrifices did you make to meet your saving goal.

I didn’t have to make any sacrifices to save money for my house. I could have spent money on things like cars or parties, but I didn’t want to waste my money. Having my own savings account with a passbook which my mother gave me when I turned eighteen probably influenced that behaviour.

Did you buy or build more homes after your first home?

Yes, I built my second home from the ground up in Sydney. I did this soon after I arrived in Australia as an immigrant, about a decade after buying my first home. I wasn’t afraid to build a house in a brand-new country because I had been introduced to home building and ownership early on. I didn’t know much about Australian construction industry or building standards, but I had enough money saved up from Dubai to venture into it blindly. I built a lovely home for my family for my four kids with plenty of living and play spaces.

In the thirty odd years since then, I have built five homes. I currently live in my fifth home. My grandkids visit me there.

What is your relationship to money like now?

Simple. I never chased money. When I pursued my dreams, money followed me. It gives me simple comforts I need. Money is only a minor aspect of my life.

How did you feel when you completed the house?

When I completed building my house in Sri Lanka, I felt like I had achieved something great. Building a home for my parents and making them happy was one of the greatest joys of my early life. Their house was the best house in our street back then. My parents were proud to live in it.

What’s your advice for people who want to buy their first home?

Get onto it. Nothing is impossible. Live your life. Make it your home.

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