Usage of conditional なら


Why is 建てる in the result clause in the past tense? The answer from [What is
the correct usage of conditional and
hypothetical?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43604/what-is-the-
correct-usage-of-conditional-and-hypothetical) indicates that it should not be
in the past.

> もしも 私が家を建てたなら
>
> 小さな家を建てたでしょう




This is not "past tense" usage, it is rather more related to **aspect** ( _in
this case whether the speaker considers the action to be complete or
incomplete_ ).

The difference between 建て **た** なら as compared to 建て **る** なら in your example
could be conveyed through the English subjunctive mood like this:

> もしも私が家を建て **た** なら、小さな家を建て **た** でしょう

If I **were to build** a house, I **would build** a small house.

> 私が家を建て **る** なら、小さな家を建て **る** でしょう

If I **build** a house, I' **ll build** a small one.

