One of the myths of building a new house is that the maintenance is low because it's new. Sure, I suppose it's technically better than owning a 100-year-old house, but it's far from maintenance-free. Our house is now almost 8, and there are definitely things to take care of. The HVAC has been a constant thing, partly because of the dogshit Lennox stuff that was installed by Pulte, and after annual service calls, we replace at least the upstairs system (the downstairs runs a lot less, and wasn't hit by lightning). I've had to replace two GFCI/AFCI breakers. Keeping the tiled shower free of mold has been a constant battle. And the carpet (also dogshit) desperately needs to be replaced, but I tolerate it for some reason.
But when something is relatively easy to fix, it's very satisfying. Replacing the fried thermostat was easy, and when it lights up and the AC comes on, that's a good feeling. When I unclogged the AC condensation line, that was good. Replacing a toilet valve, awesome. Mounting shelves to a masonry wall and drilling a hole through quartz for my glass washer, that was my high point.
I watch a lot of HGTV/Magnolia improvement shows, and I don't think that I could work at that level. The people in the trades have to lean on a ton of experience, none of which I have. Seeing those guys work for both of our houses was super interesting (and probably annoying for them). I admire people who can make things with their hands. That's why I'm obsessed with people like Xyla, Simone and Laura, because they start with an idea, sometimes not even a well-baked idea, and will stuff into existence. That's awesome.
No comments yet.