New House

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in blogging. I've been working, going to school and buying my first house. It seems to take up most of my time doing those three things. I did enjoy the feeling of signing my name numerous times though. Now to get the feeling of bills down. And not just regular bills. I'm talking about the bills that come out of nowhere. Things you have to have. Trash service, lawn care and maintenance, house maintenance, updates and upgrades to my new-old domicile.

So the house thing. I've calculated it up before, how many times I've moved in my life, and it wasn't pretty. About half of those times were when I was younger and my parents took all of the financial burden. But the past few years it was on me. I did live with roommates for a hot minute. And I did live in Iraq for a while. Besides those times, I've moved about a dozen or so times on my own. Moving sucks. A new place is great, it holds new possibilities and new roads to wander down. But when you rent, you are paying another person's mortgage, you throw away cash on down payments, and you can't make it your own. You can paint the walls, but when you leave they need to be back to the original color. You can't extend or expand on the house, the flooring stays the same, and the appliances are usually hideous. You take it as is, for a lack of better wording.

The house I bought is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, a 2 car garage with a huge yard and bad ass back patio. I have a fireplace in the living room and one on my back porch. What?? Yes on my back porch. I'm close to a lake, I've got places to put things, and finally a place to stay at for years and years without having to worry about when I will have to move or where I will move to.

The downside to this.... I had a termite infestation. The living room had this ugly dark brown, wood paneling around the walls. I decided to take it off, and that's when I found the trails. There was drywall up, but the termites had eaten most of the paper from the drywall. They tunnel through concrete and then the gypsum to get to the wood, paper or whatever they want to eat. My heart sank to the bottom of my gut! I did some research and found it usually cost around 10 grand to have this stuff repaired. That was the average people had paid to remove insulation, drywall and framing. Luckily I found a good contractor who is taking care of all the little bastards destruction for a fraction of the "average". Plus I am doing some work as well. Might as well get my "diy" going. I'm hoping in 30 years this place looks awesome. I'll be 63 by that time and will need a place to just come home, relax, and then complain about the world to my neighbors.

There are other downsides, like the amount of bills I pay, grocery shopping, cleaning....etc. But at the end of the day, its mine and I can do what I want to it. If I want to paint the whole house blue and yellow, I can. But, I worry about resale value. So I am making an effort into what should go in the house, and what I would like in a home. I have to feel comfortable and know that at any time someone can come over and feel comfortable. They don't need to live there, just come by and say, "yes, I can crash on this couch and not have to be drunk to do so." What makes you comfy and what makes me comfy may be totally different, but that is okay.

So far I have decided that my living room will have hardwood flooring, a new ceiling fan, a pass through to the kitchen, and a new fan. Colors...... I haven't decided yet. The kitchen, bathrooms, and closets will all have makeovers. The bedrooms will get some new carpet and paint. That's about it for the inside. I plan on adding a privacy fence, metal roof, some landscaping, and maybe 4 goats. Nah, probably not goats, maybe a dog.

GO!