I've entered the world of home ownership!

BarbC

BarbC

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I have owned houses before, but never as the sole owner. Two weeks ago, I bought a small 2br/1ba on .27 acres but it's in good shape and the former owner did a lot of smart, energy-efficient upgrades. I've been busy getting the stuff squared away and then tackling the little projects one by one.

As such. it must be said:

Kudos to all you guys out there who gallantly chip away at the household chore list. I never really realized how many different things there are to do just to "maintain" a house, always having taken it for granted that it was magically done.

Having to do both housework and house maintenance, I can attest that house maintenance is the bigger thankless task. :p
 
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If you ever "finish" all those chores, please tell me how you did it! :D I've been struggling with the finish line for years. :)
 
At least you won't ever shovel snow or have the earth move under your feet. Now till May Florida is just about heaven. That spare room will be filled with "relatives" (you never knew you have so many) until the steam heat comes on in May. Joe
 
BarbC said:
Having to do both housework and house maintenance, I can attest that house maintenance is the bigger thankless task. :p
Click to expand...

Welcome back. Would it be possible for you to send this out to all our wives? Thanks.


Just kidding on my part, my wife bought her own chain saw, will get up the ladder and on the roof too, I gotta watch her, she's either fearless or her parents dropped her on her beautiful little head.
 
Barb congrats, having a home of your own is such a wonderful feeling. Now just for fun count the number of trips you make to one of the big box home stores, in the next 60 days.
 
pharmer said:
At least you won't ever shovel snow or have the earth move under your feet. Now till May Florida is just about heaven. That spare room will be filled with "relatives" (you never knew you have so many) until the steam heat comes on in May. Joe
Click to expand...

Did you forget about sink holes, Fl is #1.
 
Good for you Barb. Owning a home is the best thing you can do. Myself, I have had large homes & smaller ones on a small lot & large acreage. Needed the big ones while raising a family & the small ones now. The smaller the better as we age. Much less upkeep. Just make sure you have enough space for your gun safe.
 
Sounds smart to me.....

Efficient, affordable. There are very few downsides to owning a house but maintenance is the biggest pain in the rump. Always more to do. My health went flooey and I couldn't keep up with repairs and now it's costing me even more than it did originally. Best thing to do is get used to doing maintenance constantly. Some people learn to enjoy it.

Sometimes I feel like a bought a 'Money Pit' like Tom Hanks and Shelley Long did in the movie in 1986.
 
Enjoy your home and all the "good work" that comes with it. I remember my first home in upstate NY. While doing yard work one day, an elderly man was walking by and stopped to say "Nice place you got here". I'll never forget that day and it makes it worth while. I was beaming!
 
Congrats on the new digs. There will always be the routine chores inside and out but that's the cost of home ownership. Years ago, my wife and I decided to put money aside from each pay check as a 'maintenance fund'. That money was used to do one large project (or several small ones) each year. It also paid for the unexpected things that happen...water heater, air conditioner, etc. We also have maintenance contracts with plumbers, hvac and termite inspectors. It has helped keep our home in good shape and given us peace of mind. Best of luck in your new home.
 
Great Move!

A home is an investment that keeps on taking: your time, your youth and your money but it's all worth it. As Mike Holmes always says (Holmes on Homes), "do it right the first time."

Keeping a home in a high state of maintenance protects your investment but it does indeed take time and money. With upgrades, much can be done to reduce actual maintenance such as vinyl siding, clad window frames, etc.

One last thought, if you're familiar with the contracting horrors that are the basis of the Mike Homes TV shows, you'll only hire legitimate licensed and bonded contractors with a track record for performance. Also, if you want to save yourself and your next-of-kin miles of red tape and expense, you'll insure that all improvements meet current building codes and that you obtain the necessary permits where necessary.

And now, my real last thought. Most handy homeowners shy away from heavy plumbing. Plumbers must be supervised. Give them a Sawzall (reciprocating saw) and it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. These clowns think nothing of sawing through structural members to get their job done. Never allow them to tunnel or notch through headers, beams or joists.
 
Congratulations on your new home. I've owned homes most of my adult life and did scale back on this last one of ours too. Still lots to do and hope we now have the house in good shape with our repairs and updates the last 13 years.
If it wasn't for our mortgage interest payments and offerings to our Church we'd be hurting badly come tax time. That still is a benefit of home ownership at least.
 
Congratulations Barb. Now you don't have to worry about putting holes in the wall or hanging pictures. Like others said your chores will be never ending. Only problem with Florida is you can't have a basement for your gunroom but going without snow is a plus.
 
Good for you, welcome to the "now what!!??" club! It's your house and you can do to it as darn well please.
 
Congrats and good luck with the place. You do the work, the lender gets the return, such is the biz. Keep your eyes open, take care of what you find and you'll see the worst part of a move is the move. We had boxes sitting a room for two years. I really should have tossed them without even looking.

All the best.
 
Every homeowner needs to rake some leaves......I have an extra piles.....I'll send you some.
 
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