In 2011, several months after bagging the fourth runner-up title in the Miss Universe 2010 pageant, Venus Raj returned to her hometown of Bato, Camarines Sur and started building her dream home.
Construction of the bungalow took over a year and a half to complete, which the beauty queen considers an advantage. “Unti-unti lang kasi pag wala kang pera, pahihintuin mo muna yung construction. Pag meron ka naman, ‘tsaka mo siya iapapagpatuloy. No’ng naayos na siya, sabi ko, ‘Okay din naman pala,’” she shares. Aside from being budget-friendly, completing her home in stages allowed for Venus to really think about—and translate—her design plans well. While the major parts of the house have been finished and furnished, Venus humbly says there’s still more work to be done. She is, however, happy that her first home is turning out to be more than what she hoped for.