Koreans love convenience. That's why everyone huddles in apartments—a housing type not typically preferred in other countries—despite having certain drawbacks we just have to live with.

Recently, I've suddenly caught the bug for building my own house... I've done some research, and as expected, you win some, you lose some. Honestly, if money were no object, everything's solvable, but personally, I don't want to sink more than 1 billion KRW into a home long-term (right now, my entire net worth is tied up in my house). I'm considering 700 million for the land (Seoul metro area) and 300 million for a wooden house.

1. Forest in the back. But being near a subway station is tough. My wife and I both prefer 'forest-proximate' locations... I'm looking for a lot that has the woods and is walkable to the station, but it's not easy. I either have to give up the view, give up the walk to the station, or move far away from our current lifestyle bubble. Currently looking around Dongcheon Station.

2. Decent empty lots in the Seoul metro area are rare. All the good spots already have houses... Looks like I'll have to buy an old house and either renovate it or tear it down and rebuild. The places with empty lots have bad transport or are lacking something else. I'm not really feeling moving into an already-built house...

3. So, what do I actually like? Until now, I've just adapted to pre-built apartments... If I could choose everything, what would I ask the architect for? I thought about it, but nothing specific comes to mind. - Someone in the family is sensitive to smells, and we cook three meals a day, so ventilation and kitchen airflow are key. - Good sunlight and a view of nature. - I hate the cold, so I want a warm house. - My wife loves gardening, so a garden. That's about it... I've never really thought about the 'space' itself. My recent hobby is working out, but I don't really want a home gym (maybe if I moved to the middle of nowhere...). Of course, this all depends on what kind of land I buy.

I wonder if I should just fully renovate a forest-view apartment (like Raemian East Palace) and move in... but then again, if it's an apartment, shouldn't I just give up everything and go for a place with good transport and appreciation potential? I'm just going in circles.

In the end, it's a trade-off... You win some, you lose some, but since I want a 'perfect pentagon' (maxed-out stats), I can't find an answer.

Well, I'll probably be renting for another 8 years until the kids finish school... but after living in other people's houses for so long, I want to live in my own. Since I'm stuck renting, I can't even replace this rattling 18-year-old fridge or the IKEA table I bought 10 years ago. Just felt like venting.