My project is now on hold until May 4th. This puts my ETA for move in to November. My son and I went out to the property yesterday as the sun was out. We had a picnic out there and put the plastic back over the dirt piles since they had blown off with a windstorm we had last week. It was so peaceful. I don’t regret buying the property, just wish it wasn’t taking so effing long!
I’ve been renting for 18 months now. Some things I’ve learned as a renter:
- I hate renting – I don’t like my living arrangement being at the whim of someone else. I moved from the last place since the owner planned to sell and having to find a place within 30 days with a child and a dog was risky. The current rental owner is considering selling, however, this time, my lease protects me until my house is done. Even if they sell, the buyer has to honor the lease or they could offer me compensation to move out. So, it’s possible we will have to move a 2nd and 3rd time before moving into our house.
- I don’t like sharing a wall —especially when it wasn’t meant to be two different families living there, meaning sound proofing is minimal. I cannot have a conversation in my current home and expect it to be private. I hear things I shouldn’t hear…..I’ll just leave it at that.
- Cleanliness – Everyone has different expectations. My previous rental, the owner expected me to clean the gutters. This one barely cleaned before I moved in so I ended up cleaning the move out and the move in. I am unable to use the oven because when you turn on self-clean, which I did once, it catches on fire. I won’t use the dishwasher because it’s disgusting and I think it will end up dirtying the dishes more than washing them. Could I clean both, probably, but I have yet to find the motivation to do so, when they were left that way. If you are going to rent, the house should be SPOTLESS, appliances clean, cupboards cleaned, drawers clean. It should be ready to go for the next occupant, not have your dust/dirt/crumbs/etc. everywhere.
- Home maintenance – people don’t maintain their homes. If you’ve owned your home for 10 years, it probably needs painting, updating, and other minor things that go a long way. Touch up the baseboards and other areas that are worn! Take care of your appliances. If door knobs are loose, tighten them up. If doors rub the frame, fix it! If you have to wiggle a kitchen drawer to get it to open or close, FIX IT. If you blew out an electrical outlet and it’s now black because it burnt up, REPLACE IT! If the smoke detector needs batteries, REPLACE THEM. There are youtube videos out there on just about any topic around home maintenance. Or, hire someone. And if all of these are in your home, my opinion is you must fix these BEFORE you rent to someone.
Rant over. I hope everyone is staying healthy and well out there! I’m grateful to have a roof over my head, food and our health.
Carrie's Building Journey 