Today, I replaced a leaky section of irrigation, transplanted a Fishhook Barrel Cactus, drained and flushed the water heater, drained the washing machine, cleaned the bathroom, and my son staked two trees, raked the back yard, and wet-vacuumed the couch. Last week, I tore out some rotted wood at the bottom of an exterior wall and replaced it with various sealants and a trim piece. The week before, our handyman removed our defunct garbage disposal and also installed a sun shade.
A little over a year ago, we replaced our HVAC unit, and a few months after that, we replaced leaking gas pipes. First, we were sweating bullets in triple digits in September with no air conditioning, and then we were freezing in February with no heat or hot water. In between, we remodeled the kitchen. Also in the last few years, we repainted the exterior, repainted the interior, replaced windows, and installed new lighting.
Come to think of it, since we bought this house, we’ve replaced the HVAC unit twice, replaced the water heater twice, repainted the exterior three times, replaced rotted wood all over the place, repainted the interior too many times to remember, remodeled both bathrooms, replaced flooring, added a laundry room, removed doors, added doors, replaced doors, changed up hardware myriad times, replaced the water main and other pipes, planted an replanted, changed up the landscaping, added irrigation, torn down walls, built walls, installed a driveway gate, repaired the gate operator, replaced the gate operator, installed carports and a storage shed, removed concrete, added concrete, stained concrete, added pavers, removed pavers, added other pavers, installed tongue and groove ceiling to our back patio with recessed lighting to replace the fan and the lighting we previously installed, replaced every single appliance (except the microwave of all things)–some multiple times (I think we are on the fourth dishwasher!), added window security bars and security doors, added fencing, added gates, and replaced faucets and showerheads an absurd amount of times. Man that was a long, terrible sentence.
We’ve had our roof worked on professionally umpteenth times, and I’ve been up there myself, too many times. A major overhaul of the roof is overdue. Who knows what else is down the pike?
I’m probably forgetting a bunch of repairs and improvements, but you get the point. Actually, what is the point?
Well, yesterday was our second anniversary of being mortgage free. Houses leak money and eat time, but at least we don’t have mortgage payments these days. No more pissing away thousands of dollars on interest. Also, there’s zero chance of a bank coming to take the shelter we’ve worked to maintain and to improve.
Mi casa no es la casa del banco!
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present