All the Little Things

[spryng]

While this house (it needs a name, I think) is sound structurally, every day we find another little thing that needs to be fixed. We knew we'd have to do some updating to the kitchen (and remove its pink countertops) and we knew the house didn't have a washer/dryer and we knew that everything was bland, bland, bland (white siding, white trim, beige walls, no landscaping to speak of), but then we discovered we also had/have to fix:

- the sliding glass door (it's about to come off)
- the fact that there wasn't even a *vent* for the dryer (got one installed now)
- some of the windows that just randomly close for no reason
- the front door knob, which would twist and twist and twist and never lock
- honestly, all of the locks because this was a rental
- the tub drain
- the garbage disposal (it made a kind of whining noise and then gave up when I tried to use it)
- the kitchen faucet (drip drip drip)

And that's just after living here for three days. Plus, since this was a rental, everything is new but CHEAP, so cheap. It's (mostly) functional for now, but we're going to have to replace a lot of things because a) ugly and b) it's gonna break. I hate cheap shit, it's such a waste of money and resources and it's like, it took this guy effort to buy and install it, so why couldn't he have bought something that wouldn't break after a few uses? Bah.

But the house itself is sound. Dad tested all the electrical and inspected the plumbing and he was very pleased by that job. And I have to keep reminding myself that we'd get the same shit in a rental, only we wouldn't be allowed to fix/change it. Also we're paying waaay less a month than we would for a similar rental.

I know in a few weeks when we've got a lot of this stuff fixed, a lot of the cheap shit replaced, and our stuff unpacked and put away, I'll feel a lot better. But right now I just feel overwhelmed and frazzled - which honestly, I know is typical.

Also when it fucking cools down. No a/c is shit.


Edit to add: Omega. The house's name is now Omega, because it's a vortex of the unknown, an end and a beginning, and we're probably going to perform ritualistic sacrifices here.

Comments

[lantairvlea.livejournal.com]

Just consider it an investment and use the money you're savung on rent to make the repairs. Have fun spiffing up Omega!

[audesapere.livejournal.com]

Do you have a home warranty? Mine paid for replacement locks / a re-keying, and it was really worth it because my house has a ton of doors - even with the warranty "service call" fee ($60) it was like half what the company would have charged, plus, peace of mind in case the sellers or someone who had a key to their house goes crazy and comes back here after managing to scale the fence...and the guy tuned up all the knobs and locks too. then he asked me out. lol. it was great!

[audesapere.livejournal.com]

also, yeah, the longer i stay here in this house that i bought the more i realize my dad was totally right about owning being a big money and time pit. but on the other hand, i'm making $873 a month (estimated) by living here because of Portland's insane, insane, insane market and rents right now. the first few days i was here, it was like, why didn't i just move to Home Depot ? Because apparently that is where I live now. I hate cheap shit too - that was the worst thing about the rental i just got out of.

[spryng.livejournal.com]

That's definitely our mindset, although we have to be careful not to over improve. It's a very small house (823 sqft) and there's only so much we'll ever get for it.

[spryng.livejournal.com]

Hah, man do I know about Home Depot. Although we've got a Menard's here so I can at least switch between the two. Those places are magical.
Yeah, I have to keep reminding myself about the huge difference between rent and mortgage, but it's hard when it's such a hefty chunk of change up front and Lady won't be getting paid until September. It'll all even out, though - and for the better.
The cheap shit just makes me mad. We're keeping it all in a box that will go in the basement until we move again because I can't stand throwing perfectly good new things away, but they're also too shitty to donate.