Ah, the agony, which so many women are painfully familiar with. “I’m going out for a beer.” “One beer?” “One beer.” When you call four hours later, he’s either insisting “one last beer then I’m leaving” or muttering something incoherent. Most often, he’s not answering his phone.
Incessant visits to the local bar have driven a wedge into quite a few relationships. Countless of articles have been written on this issue. It is most certainly one that is hard to resolve because there are two affinities to deal with: the one for booze and the one for company, and the local bar offers both of these.
Addressing the Problem Creatively
So how to dissuade a man from heading to the local boozer every night? Jayne Tapper, a 48-year-old nurse from Newton Abbot, Devon, came up with a creative way: she had a pub built in their own back yard. Clearly the point was not stopping him from drinking, but simply having him around. The aptly-named Doghouse Inn is a cabin-style pub that hosts parties for Paul Tapper and his friends. It only took five months to construct and was more affordable than you can imagine.
Jayne shares she was never able to keep Paul at home before. The 52-year-old engineer was in the pub almost every evening. Now, she proudly tells everyone her husband is “in the doghouse” every day.
All About the Doghouse
Jayne found building their own pub to be the ideal opportunity for her to do what she always wanted. They needed to get the garden levelled either way. The pub took just over £4,000 (just over $5,000) to build, but it was a lucrative investment because Paul won’t be paying for overpriced drinks anymore. In addition, he won’t be wasting money on Ubers to come home.
A friend of the family made a sign for the home pub for them, which features one of their three basset hounds.
In the beginning, the pub truly did live up to its name. Jayne had her work cut out for her. It looked just like a log house. The couple’s three children, Tom, Jack, and Lorren (31, 26, 24) helped and now enjoy the pub in the company of their friends too.
How Much Does Building your own pub Cost?
Construction of the cabin was the most expensive item of the budget: £2,700. The bar cost the family £400 to build and stock. They had an arcade game installed for £650, fridges for £100, and a fire heater for £70 to keep patrons comfortable in unpleasant UK weather. In fact, the fridges were donated too, 100 is the average electric bill.
A friend gifted them materials for insulation of the cabin. Jayne bought a church pew to cover seating for 100. Friends and family gave them a TV and sofa. The pictures, signs, and tankards cost around £50.
Jayne admits she “splurged” on the space invader arcade game, but she doesn’t regret it in the slightest. It is one of the elements that has made the Doghouse Inn the attractive destination it is today. The pub has become her favorite pastime and she’s always finding new things for it. It is much more than a “man cave” for her husband and she spends a lot of time there. The quality of the ambience has come to exceed that of the local pub by far.