After Twenty-Three Years, Time For Some Home Maintenance.

 We moved into this brand new, custom-built home on June 1, 2002. That was twenty-two years ago! My oh my, how time flies! The first five years we lived here we put in bamboo flooring, built front, side and back decks, finished the second floor (two bedrooms and a full bathroom with French-styled claw tub!) and did tons of land clearing and landscaping (3.5 total acres, only 2 acres have been cleared. the rest is forest). Now, a simple walk around the home and we figured it is time to tackle some of the necessary upkeep.

The first two remodeling/upkeep we are tacking are our front and side doors. We did the side door first. It needed to be repaired and replaced as soon as possible due to some water intrusion. My husband normally does all the refurbishing himself but this time he hired the expertise of a contractor since hubby's door repair experience was minimal. The contractor charged $800 for the replacement work and hubby subbed as his assistant (another way to save money).  

Our side door originally was fashioned after an old farm door with lots of windows. We always felt that was a security risk because one of the window rows was so close to the doorhandles, all a criminal had to do was break the glass, slip his/her hand in and unlock and open the door. Not a good thing! We installed a door with higher windows, dead lock bolts and a security system.

Viola':

Our front door is next. That door has absolutely NO windows, so it was very dark in the interior entranceway since there was no light coming in. We're replacing it with the same kind of side door, plus a little deck work (hubby's replacing some of the boards that rotted out) deadbolts and a full security camera system. Both these new fangled doors don't need storm doors as they are air tight and block out the cold (and heat) effectively. Another savings! Contractor is still charging us the same $800. We bought both doors from Lowe's ($600 each) and used their free, no fee, 6 month payment payback plan. We're keeping the door colors the same. I am really looking forward to having some sunlight grace my interior entranceway! Finally! We're going to re-sell both doors at either a yard sale or through MarketPlace. Maybe donate them. We don't throw anything away anymore. What we don't need anymore, there is surely someone else who does. Grand total to repair and replace front and side doors (including primer, paint, locks and some parts) an easy $3,000 (before tariffs). Gulp. Add in another $300 for security and you can see why home maintenance is a many, splendid, expensive thing!

My husband and I walked around our home's exterior and interior and made a list of the projects that need to be updated and done. We prioritized what we want to accomplish (and afford) this year. We've got some update interior painting to do, a bit of spackling. Some floor molding needs another coat of paint. Once the new front door is installed I'm considering having our bamboo floors buffed and polished. The wear and tear those poor bamboo panels have endured over these past twenty-three years (two grandkids, three dogs) clearly show their age. They need a little bit of tender loving care. Next year, first thing on that list is replacing some of the floor boards on our back deck. Over the summer, I spend most of my time on the back deck, reading a book, under an umbrella. Some of the boards warped. I just want those replaced. Hubby wants to replace the entire floor of the back deck. We'll see. Funds permitting. 

Like this post? Want to read more? Sign up as a Follower and get my next posts as soon as I hit 'publish'. Comments are most welcome, provided they are respectful and considerate. 

YOU MAY NEED AMAZON RIGHT ABOUT NOW. Want to join Amazon or simply purchase some of the products I use and tout about? Click here for the link. Happy responsible shopping! Please note: I make a small commission if you use my link and make an Amazon purchase.