When it rains it’s a torrential downpour with minor coastal flooding
So I’m getting all the trim on my house painted. I’m excited for a few reasons: One, it really needed it, two, my neighbors needed to get their house painted so they got tons of estimates and then when they chose the best and cheapest, I went next door and asked the painters if they would give me an estimate and then do mine next, they said yes,(Boy do I love letting someone else do the pain in the ass research on home improvement things), and finally, I was going to do it myself and was going to start this past weekend but since they were there and their estimate was so cheap I hired them on the spot. “Start as soon as you can!” I tell them!
So yesterday one of my kick-ass neighbors e-mailed me to tell me that the painters had started in on my house. Yippee! Then I got home from work and the painter says, “Uh, we have a problem.” NOT what I want to hear. It appears that a piece of wood over a window on the front of my house is completely rotted and needs to be replaced. No problem! That’s it?
Oh God no! I have two windows in my attic (the only ones that were NOT new) that have completed rotted thru (did I mention that the trim on the house REALLY needed to be painted?!?). He even showed me how easy it was to push the windows, frame and all, right in. Lovely. So now I need two replacement windows.
Now, in the grand scheme of things two, new windows, and a piece of wood being replaced isn’t a big deal. Bu what is the problem is this has NOT been budgeted for. I know, I know, what IS ever budgeted for?!? But, you see, I’m broke. And up until this weekend I was going to paint the trim on the house myself until those lovely paint covered men showed up and said, “Oh no, don’t you get on a ladder, we can do it for next to nothing!”
I should be grateful. I know that had I started scraping the paint I would have noticed the rotten wood and would have completely freaked out. Of course if I had been doing the painting I also would have just slapped some paint on it as if I didn’t know what rotten wood felt like - “Gee, you mean, I shouldn’t be able to put my hand thru this and reach right into my bathroom?” - and I would never have started in on the third floor windows because they’re, duh, too high, I can’t see them anyway and I was going to deal with those next year. Damn those painters for not letting me live in ignorant bliss!
But, the painters are also general contractors and they are going to let me know how much replacement windows cost and will install them for me if I’d like. They’re also replacing the wood over the window too. I guess I should be grateful it isn’t worse. Now if only they would do it all for their original estimate I could still build the patio in the backyard.
Why couldn’t I just have been born independently wealthy? It would have made all of this so much easier to take.
So yesterday one of my kick-ass neighbors e-mailed me to tell me that the painters had started in on my house. Yippee! Then I got home from work and the painter says, “Uh, we have a problem.” NOT what I want to hear. It appears that a piece of wood over a window on the front of my house is completely rotted and needs to be replaced. No problem! That’s it?
Oh God no! I have two windows in my attic (the only ones that were NOT new) that have completed rotted thru (did I mention that the trim on the house REALLY needed to be painted?!?). He even showed me how easy it was to push the windows, frame and all, right in. Lovely. So now I need two replacement windows.
Now, in the grand scheme of things two, new windows, and a piece of wood being replaced isn’t a big deal. Bu what is the problem is this has NOT been budgeted for. I know, I know, what IS ever budgeted for?!? But, you see, I’m broke. And up until this weekend I was going to paint the trim on the house myself until those lovely paint covered men showed up and said, “Oh no, don’t you get on a ladder, we can do it for next to nothing!”
I should be grateful. I know that had I started scraping the paint I would have noticed the rotten wood and would have completely freaked out. Of course if I had been doing the painting I also would have just slapped some paint on it as if I didn’t know what rotten wood felt like - “Gee, you mean, I shouldn’t be able to put my hand thru this and reach right into my bathroom?” - and I would never have started in on the third floor windows because they’re, duh, too high, I can’t see them anyway and I was going to deal with those next year. Damn those painters for not letting me live in ignorant bliss!
But, the painters are also general contractors and they are going to let me know how much replacement windows cost and will install them for me if I’d like. They’re also replacing the wood over the window too. I guess I should be grateful it isn’t worse. Now if only they would do it all for their original estimate I could still build the patio in the backyard.
Why couldn’t I just have been born independently wealthy? It would have made all of this so much easier to take.
posted by E at
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
2 Comments:
That's the "joys of home ownership". At least they only found 2 windows that needed work.
SO true. I want to rent again. There is nothing better than knowing you can call up someone else (landlord) and say, "Uh the (insert item) is broken. Can you fix it?" I dream about those days.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home