The Joys of Home Ownership

A favorite scene from "The Money Pit". Sometimes feels fitting :)

Calling weather in the mid-40°Fs (~7°C) comfortable seems absurd but that's the hand we've been dealt at the moment. At least it's warm enough to keep things thawing and to start out on some outdoor projects. I even had a tree cutting/trimming crew out this past week (I've got a recommendation if you need it) to take care of a few things including a branch that was significantly deflecting my power line, removal of an overgrown birch and trying to keep a couple of ash trees cleaned up and treated for ash borers as good as possible (although that may ultimately be a lost cause). 

The tree work is one small part of the greater home ownership challenge I've been encountering. It seems it's near time to reset/refresh on most everything to do with the house. Starting with the trees, they seem to have been planted with the notion that they'd stay small-ish. Spruces and oaks were planted way too close to the house and are now impinging on it. Most all of them will need to come down in the not-too-distant future. 

The next big thing is the roof. It's been roofing season in my neighborhood the last couple of years and the comparative appearance and wear at the edges is indicating that mine is not immune. Noting a couple spots in my garage, I may need some re-sheathing work done too. I'm not sure of the best approach on this but it will have to be done soon.

While my roof may be my biggest ticket item, other house essentials such as water heater, furnace and AC are of equivalent vintage. I may try to nurse these along as best I can. I've already had one furnace and one AC repair, albeit several years ago. I think from a cost savings perspective I'm now in that gray area where deliberate replacement may be more cost effective than an emergency service call on an excessively hot or cold day. 

That seems to cover the majority of the coming due "needs". Cosmetically, the house exterior could use some siding repair (darn woodpeckers) and a fresh coat of paint. Landscaping is also in order. Fresh shruberies (not too expensive!) for the side of the house and I'm starting to like the idea of a patio in the backyard. Oh wait! My deck also needs to be re-decked, :-/ . A fair number of the planks have gotten a little smushy. Hopefully the joists will are okay, else some replacement will be needed there as well. 

Making this list, the old cliche "raise the hood and replace everything underneath" seems to fit. There is a part of me that wonders if such suburban life is really what I want. Some, like my nextdoor neighbor seem to enjoy the daily leaf blowing and putzing about the yard. I find it droll. 

Don't get me wrong. There are some things I like. I do enjoy tending a garden. I do enjoy having space to work on things. Sometimes all that needs to get done are overwhelming. It might be time to do some analysis if a move might be a prudent choice. I'll at least hold off until I get the kids grown and off to college. The ironic part there is I'd likely need to do all the replacements as part of any sales agreement. At that point, what's the point? 

I guess the principle of doing nothing, that is giving a decision enough time that it's not "knee-jerk", still holds. For the moment, I'll just enjoy my "joys" of home ownership.