Keeping up a home is expensive, but not as expensive as not keeping up a home!
I bought a condo three years ago and it was in pretty darn good shape. It was built in 1980 and the previous owner had put in new floors, new appliances, and a new furnace. The kitchen and bathrooms are still 1980, but in good working order.
I had the interior painted ($2,000) and that’s all so far. My homeowners association pays for everything on the outside of the condo, so need to do anything there. I figured I should be doing something, but what? You see, this is my first home, so I’m still learning about home ownership responsibilities.
So, I thought maybe I should get the ducts cleaned. I called Coit (a company that cleans stuff in the SF Bay Area) and they quoted me $300 to clean all the ducts, including my dryer vent.
I thought that sounded a bit steep, but when I pulled up one of the floor duct coverings and peered inside, I knew I had to get them cleaned. Good lord, have you ever looked inside one of your ducts? It’s GROSS! And, when winter comes and you turn on your heater, all that crap (dust, dirt, hair, crumbs, etc.) blows up into the room, all over your furniture, food, dishes, etc. It’s really awful! So, I’ll have them come out and do that soon.
I also decided I should get new blinds in the living room (the ones there are pretty cheap and are starting to break). I picked out really nice stuff – not stuff that will break anytime soon and it will cost me $730. They are being installed tomorrow. Yay! I also bought new drapes for $100. This will make a big difference and really freshen up things.
So, it’s expensive to keep up with things, right? But, let me tell you about a friend of mine who has a house in San Francisco and hasn’t kept up with the maintenance. His fence is falling down ($2000), his house is in desperate need to exterior paint (no idea what that will cost him, but a bundle, I’m sure!), interior paint (big house, so probably $3000-$4000), carpets (they have holes in them!), and new appliances (his refrigerator is held together with bungee cords).
He is trying to rent out the extra room right now, and everyone who comes through to look at the place isn’t interested because it’s so shabby. He cannot afford to do all the maintenance, but he can’t attract a renter without it. He has just let this go for way too long and now he’s in a pickle.
So, I’ll choose to keep things up, step by step. That way, I’ll never be hit with a huge bill to bring everything up to snuff.
Signed,
Learning The Ropes
Home Maintenance vs. No Maintenance
August 22nd, 2008 at 03:45 am
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm 1219407255
The little things we do each day can lead us to success or failure. If we brush our teeth on a daily basis we will have healthy teeth. If we don't they will rot. If we save x amount every week and invest it will grow. If we don't we will still have 0 in the future. If we Paint a room a month in six or 7 months our House will be painted.
Start NOW and turn your LIFE around. Put the Slight Edge to use in your Favor because if you don't take control it will control you!
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm 1219409617
August 27th, 2008 at 03:54 am 1219809284