Keeping a roof over your head...literally

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 01:52 AM

Well, it hurts to do it but here it goes--in the next Wednesday,Monday,Tuesday and the following week or two I will be spending a nice chunk of change.

The trees and bushes are out of control in our huge yard and making problems with the fence and roof

$1000 even on Wednesday

Trees messing with roof

$650 plus the cost of paint and supplies to replace all 1x6 and 1x2 all around outer eaves. The worker will paint the outer eaves he replaces and we are left with the under eaves, carport, and misc wood. Our house is brick.

On a side note the other dude wanted 700 and he wanted to use the back wood for the front.....I don't thinks so AND he was only replacing SOME of it. The guy doing the work is replacing it all.

The money I saved on getting the second guy bought 3 gallons of taupe paint with primer so I am already "up" on savings. I figure 5 gallons paint toatl but we shall see.

Next we have to get gutters which is another reason we need eaves replaced. We also have a leak between the eaves and where the patio cover connects.

Gutters--$1000
Flashing $200

my calculations come to $2850!

There goes my savings account balance! Thank goodness I still have my stimulus check coming so my EF will be in place and safe.

We HAVE to do this or we WILL be stuck needing a new roof. It is exciting to be getting a new paint color on the house after almost 9 years but still.....

**luv-my-lexi** · 06-24-2008, 07:39 AM

You absolutely must do it......roof replacement would cost much more. It is hard for me to do "house" repairs too but in the long run I am always so glad we spent the money on the up-keep. I mean you don't want your house falling down around you~lol. Sounds like you found a good contractor to get the job done.

**jamie79** · 06-24-2008, 07:44 AM

This will be money well spent. A new roof is much more and then if the leak gets worse... well lets not go there

**Jellybeanz** · 06-24-2008, 07:52 AM

Oh I feel for you... funny but we are waiting on estimate to replace all you said above too. Had a guy come look at it this past weekend. Except ours also includes a new tin roof, plus some other stuff and he's estimating on vynal since we have a really old fashioned type house with weird eaves that are a pain in the butt to paint ( and they are rotten now anyway)

I am on pins and needles because I don't know if we have enough saved for all of it. I have no clue what this stuff cost, nor does hubby. LOL

Anyway, good luck and thankfully yours is getting done before you have to go as far as we are. We gotta do something!

Also like you.. I'm painting the rest myself. He said we should go all vynal (Sp? ) and new windows but nooooo.. I am trying to pay a loan against our house to own it in the next five years. So I'll settle for this.

The good part is, your house is going to look awesome once you get it done, and those trees and stuff can't do anymore damage I hope!

Let us know how it all goes. Maybe some pics? LOL

Cheers!

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 11:28 AM

I do agree 100% with ya'll. It is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen and at least doing it now it is costing us less and I also can't discount curb appeal adding value to our house as well.

The fact that we are using cash--no loans, no credit, no payments--helps me deal with it alot...except if I took the cash and added my next cc payment as well as my car payment as I pay extra on both and am ahead a few months on the car it would PAY OFF my credit card!

That hurts because I hate that card!

Oh well if I did pay off the card my $300 a month payment I would be saving would NOT pay for the work AND it would mess up my snowball for almost a year.

Gotta keep rolling that snowball!

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 11:33 AM

Oh, and it is actually 3 different work crews doing the jobs.

The yard people just do yards.

The gutter people don't do wood work and the eaves guy does eaves and floors.

We shopped around. Looked at prices, and went by the vibes we got.

The other eaves guy sounds like a scammer to me. Reusing our old wood???What the heck? Just patching places???

Thanks you NO! I also got the hebie jebies off him and told dh he made me feel uncomfortable......

**Jayne** · 06-24-2008, 11:59 AM

That stinks, but you have to have a roof....you don't want water damage...I feel for you

**Starlight9803** · 06-24-2008, 12:33 PM

It stinks to lay out that much cash at once, but compared to the price of a new roof, you're saving thousands. Absolutely wonderful that you are able to pay with cash as well. No extra debt, and avoiding future problems.

**Momto2Boyz** · 06-24-2008, 12:50 PM

My neighbor is dropping $12,000 today on a new roof!

He has had some water damage in the past, so they are literally ripping off everything down to the rafters to replace everything.

We have a tree coming down next week. So we are dropping $825 (plus a tip for the workers) on tree removal...but, I see it as this...if I take it down before the rest falls on the house, I'll actually be saving myself money!

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 02:20 PM

Dh just called and says he has someone else coming to give us an estimate on the gutters. Maybe I can save a hundred or two or 3 or 5 or.....I am dreaming, dreaming, dreaming lol.

If I can just save a little I can get my fence fixed sooner rather than later. My dog climbs it like a cat so he must be watched like a hawk when he is outside running the back yard. He uses the trees(that are getting cut down tomorrow) to get over with but I want 6 foot chain link.

I would pay good money to have my babies be safe!

Did I mention I need new floors and enegry efficient windows.....sigh

**dcompton** · 06-24-2008, 02:32 PM

I hope you get good bids and have it all over and done with as soon as possible -- a big high fence too.

However, I have to say, and please, I don't mean this at all snarkily, posts like this make me so glad to be a renter. I don't think I could cope, either financially or emotionally, with all the upkeep.

**Dancing Lotus** · 06-24-2008, 02:59 PM

I hate spending money on home repairs. But it beats letting the house crumble.

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by dcompton

I hope you get good bids and have it all over and done with as soon as possible -- a big high fence too.

However, I have to say, and please, I don't mean this at all snarkily, posts like this make me so glad to be a renter. I don't think I could cope, either financially or emotionally, with all the upkeep.

Aww thats ok some are renters and some are buyers. It takes all kinds.

I can certainly understand the feeling of just calling the landlord to fix it and forget it.

I myself pay less than rent for a 3 bedroom 2 bath brick home in a nice neighborhood for $552 and that INCLUDES taxes and insurance. When I make my payments I know it is mine and that is my security blanket.

Maybe if I had paid more attention over the past 8 years I wouldn't be making these repairs....

**Cricketlegs** · 06-24-2008, 03:19 PM

Great News!!!

Dh called and while the guy still has to come out tomorrow he said based on the footage he can gutter in our color(wicker) spout and fix the flashings for $750!

a $350 savings over the other company!

he also said that the fist company has a habit of "having" to fix an addition thing at the tune of $200-$300. heresay yes but do I want to take the chance--nope.

Now I can get my fence or at least the main part where the dog is getting over.

so excited, so excited....