Thrifty Homeowner

Ceiling Fan Nightmare (Again)

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:50:00 +0000

The ceiling fan in my bedroom has been wobbling for quite some time. Since the one in my living room was improperly secured to the joist, I assumed this one probably was, too.

Last weekend I bought a new fan and took down the old one. What I saw still perplexes me: attached to a piece of wood that was affixed between joists is a metal plate that has two long bolts coming out of it. Attached to the bolts was an outlet box, but it was held in place with just two nuts. The fan was then secured with just a couple of screws, with no nuts. I took the outlet box to a couple of stores, and no one there had ever seen such a thing. The worst part is that I cant remove the metal plate! It's bolted in, and I can't figure out how anyone could get to its other side in my attic. So my only recourse is to put the outlet box back up there, and then affix the new fan to it with just a couple ordinary screws, which I don't want to do.

It's very frustrating, and I'm thinking of bringing in someone to look at it. So to install a $50 fan, I may be looking at a total bill of who knows what.

Outdoor Update

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:45:00 +0000

So I did go ahead and get the driveway sealcoated by the company who initially put in my driveway. It looks good, and cost only $100, which after what would have been my costs, is a very fair price I think.

On a sadder note, we experienced quite a long drought in the northeast, and the weather is still very hot and not very wet. That means water restrictions were in place, and half my front lawn looks terrible, and the other half now appears to be dead. Readers will know that last fall i completely seeded my frontyard, and the results were not great at first, but around April/May it looked nice. Now I fear I will have to once again tear up the grass and seed all over again.

Summer Update

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Wondering what I've been up to? Not too much in terms of new projects. I've set up the garden again, and straightened up the yard using my edger. Next week I will have the driveway sealcoated for the first time. I looked into doing it myself, but at around $40 for supplies, a few hours doing the job, and my lack of experience, made me think that having a pro do it for $100 is the way to go. So I hope that turns out well.

Laundry Room Renovation

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:06:00 +0000

After nearly three weeks, my severely outdated laundry has been completely renovated. Here's what I did, and how much it cost:

tore down panelling on walls and removed old cabinets- $0

created a wall to cover exposed pipes- $0

repaired walls and ceiling- $150 (hired someone)

painted walls and ceiling- $60

purchased and installed cabinets- $140

purchases new dryer vent- $30

The entire room was completed for under $400, which I think was good. The professional I hired to smooth out the walls was well worth the money. We now have a much more functional room that is more spacious, has more and better storage, and just looks more inviting. I was also happy to replace the old metal foil dryer vent with a rigid metal one that puts the dryer closer to the wall.

Free Tony's Pizza!

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:20:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony's Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't often do posts like this, but I am a fan of Tony's Pizza, so here it goes:

Tony's Pizza asked me to share with my readers 5 coupons for a free pizza. All you have to do is be one of the first 5 people to email me with your name and physical address, and I'll send you the coupon. The contest starts now! Since Tony's is a good value in my opinion, I thought you'd be interested in this opportunity.

Of course, Ton'ys gave me a few coupons to test out their product. Here's my pitch to get you to try Tony's: I am a big pizza fan in general, and I must say that among the frozen pizzas that are on the low cost end, Tony's really is the best. And I really have tried them all. Cooking them can't be easier, and I think the taste will surprise you. If you did not know better, you might not know you were eating a frozen pizza. I prefer the traditional cheese pizza, but you might like one of their other flavors. When they go on sale, I wish I had a larger freezer so I could stock up.

Good Luck!

Alarm System Completed- Big Savings

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:32:00 +0000

So I'm pretty much done with setting up my alarm system. Here's what transpired:

I decided to NOT go with one of the leading alarm companies, and I also decided to not go with a local firm. In true Thrifty Homeowner spirit, I did it myself! I found that I could purchase my own wireless system and set it up myself. Yes, it did cost me about $500 in total for the hardware (including a $100 rebate), but it makes sense for many reasons:

- Unlike with the companies I looked into, I OWN this equipment and can easily move it to another house in the future
- I pay my monitoring service just $9 a month, much less than the $40 a month charged by the large companies (making my breakeven little more than 1 year)
- My insurance company is looking into how much the system can save me off my premium
- I like setting up things myself, because I now have a greater understanding of how the system works, and can easily add to it over time.

My system consists of 3 door sensors, 3 smoke/temperature detectors, and a carbon monoxide detector. Set up was relatively simple, and I bought many of the components via eBay, which was a big cost savings. I now have greater peace of mind, and am glad I have not been take advantage of by anyone.

Home Security Systems

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:23:00 +0000

I know that I live in a very safe area, but that doesn't mean I'm immune to a possible burglary. Also, I live in an old house, and who knows what's going on with the electrical in the walls. The threat of a fire is what is making me look into a home security system. If a fire broke out while no one is home, before the fire department is notified, it may be too late to salvage the house and, most importantly, my dog.

So I began my search by researching all the large companies in my area. They all seem somewhat similar: low cost for installation, $30-45 per month in monitoring fees. So far, I had one in-home consultation, and thankfully, the salesman was not too pushy and actually left the contract for me to peruse. I have the following issues, which I think might be universal amongst all these security companies:
- Length of contract (the one I have is for three years, and the policy they have if you move is not included in the contract)
- Do the authorities actually come when called by the monitoring station? I'll have to call and check. Also, if it's a false alarm, is there a fine?
- Equipment repairs. The contract I have states all repairs are paid for by me- even though the contract states I do not own the equipment in my house. Does that sound fair to anyone?

I should schedule visits with more security companies, but I'm really hesitant to do so. I hate high-pressure sales, and if they refuse to leave me the contract to read on my own, there's no way I'm signing. So I fear I'll just waste time. Since I'm really primarily concerned with just a fire alarm, I'm also considering looking into local companies that offer monitoring. Maybe they would just install a fire alarm, but I am also going to assume that if the equipment comes free/cheap, I'll have to sign at least a three year deal. I'm not sure what I will do.

Dryer Safety

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:57:00 +0000

I recently read this article about cleaning your dryer vent, and it made me realize a couple of things:

1) I haven't cleaned out the vent in three years, and
2) the vent I have in place is regarded as the riskiest type that could lead to a fire.

Being the paranoid sort I am, I immediately went out to purchase a vent that was at least a step above the foil vent I currently have. I ended up buying a semi-rigid metal vent that has yet to be installed, because I may be reconfiguring the laundry room, thus needing a vent of different size (and possibly upgrading to the recommended heavy metal vent). But I did clean out the existing vent, and even shortened it so that there is much less area for lint to become trapped, which I hope will lessen the threat of fire.

Crown Moulding Part 2

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:51:00 +0000

Overall, the mouldings look good. I had to join the pieces on all four walls, and only on one of them is it noticeable. However, there are gaps on various areas of the walls and ceilings, due to non-square angles and warps in the walls and ceilings. A few areas could be fixed with caulk, but some are just wide, unless I first insert shims or something. I think Ill leave as is.

So was it worth the $80 I spent? Upon first glance, I think it really does make the room seem nicer. Will I get $80 more when I sell the house because of this? I doubt it, but maybe it is a nice touch that makes a potential buyer more comfortable.

Crown Molding

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Since I've been on vacation all week, I figured I'd do something I've been wanting to try: crown molding in my bedroom.

To make it easier, I bought bought corner blocks so I don't need to do any miter cuts, which is very helpful to me because I'm sure the walls are not 90 degrees. To do a room that is 12' x 12', the cost for materials is about $100, which I thought was high. The corner blocks did add almost $30 to the cost.

So far, I've painted the molding. This week I hope to actually attach it all.

"Cash for Caulkers"

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:56:00 +0000

You may have heard about the so-called "Cash for Caulkers" program that is being discussed in Washington now. Though no details have yet been released, it's supposed to give rebates of up to $12,000 to homeowners who make enrgy efficiency upgrades.

I'd love to get some free money and make my home more efficient, but I'm not sure this is the best thing to do right now- asking people to spend money that is not theirs so that a few sectors really reap the financial rewards. Not everyone in the country is a homeowner, but everyone in the country could actually benefit from the upgrades. So I'm undecided. I'll have to see what the details are before deciding if this a smart move and if I can take advantage of it.

I've already read some comments from people hoping that this would be retroactive- because what about the people who got that new roof or new windows last year, and struggled to do so?

10 Easy Ways to Save Money

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:29:00 +0000

As the self-proclaimed Thrifty Homeowner, I'm always on the lookout for ways to save money when it comes anything involving my home. I've compiled a list of 10 quick and cheap ways you can keep more of your hard-earned money (or learn to spend it more wisely).

-Insulate Hot Water Pipes - Doing this should cost you less than $10, and it will lower your fuel bill and increase the speed at which hot water reaches your faucets.
-Research the Value of Your Improvements - Before undertaking that costly upgrade or renovation, take a look at the estimated percentage of costs that can be recouped. You might be surprised at how much or how little you might get in the end.
-Track Your Home's Value - Even though I don't have immediate plans to move, I like to keep track of my house's market value. Though they are not always accurate, these online tools can also help you decide if you really should do that improvement you were thinking about.
-Refinance Your Mortgage - Rates are at or near record lows. As long as your credit score is above 740 or so and you have 20% equity in your home, you shouldn't be paying more than 5.50% for your 30 year mortgage.
-Compost Your Waste - To save money on soil additives, begin collecting your yard and food waste in a covered tub outside your house. In a few months nature will take its course and you'll be able to pull out nutrient-rich matter you can use in your garden or planting beds.
-Replace Your Bulbs with CFLs - Everything you read nowadays stresses that you should change out conventional bulbs for CFLs because of their cost and energy savings. This year, I think most of the CFLs on the market are finally at a point of acceptable cost and quality.
-Use Ceiling Fans in the Winter - Ceiling fans not only help to save energy and costs in the summer, but also when you have your heat on. Set them to spin clockwise and turn them on at a low setting. Hot air rises, so the fans help to push down and circulate that air you paid to have heated.
-Be on the Lookout for Free Stuff - I get my mulch from the town recycling center, trade books at the library, and explore my local Freecycle's site before I purchase many items.
-Consider Renting Equipment Instead of Buying - Break the habit of automatically buying items that will be used once or seldom. If you can't get it for free (see above), look into renting it instead.
-Use a Programmable Thermostat - They cost $40-80, yet they can save you money by automatically turning down the heat or AC when you're out or sleeping.

Fall Update

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:31:00 +0000

If you've been wondering what I've been up to: I haven't been doing much in the home improvement realm lately.

Now that the weather is turning cold here, it's a good time to tackle some indoor projects. But I really have nothing left on my list. What I do need to do is renovate how the house looks on the outside. I plan to use the winter months to plot my plan of attack!

Fall Landscaping

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Here's what I've done outside in the last few weeks:

continued to tend to the emerging lawn
used my new electric edger to define the perimeter along my fence. Nice clean division between grass and mulch now. Looks great.
planted a few perennials, including a daisy, coreopsis, and holly
planted a couple of thujas to replace a couple that died (hoping to create a privacy screen)
dismantled the garden

Soon, sadly, I'll be cleaning up all the annual plantings.

Window Replacement

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:59:00 +0000

It's been on my to-do list for nearly a year, and finally it's done. The window in my bathroom was horribly antiquated and ugly, so it had to go. Unsure if I could replace the window myself, I decided I'd get quotes from local contractors. After sifting through many ads and phone calls and even one scary sales pitch, I found a local company who did the job at a reasonable price. Now all I have to do is put up the trim, and the bathroom will be complete.

Grass Worries

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:57:00 +0000

For those who have been following my grass-growing saga, the news may not be very good. I'd say about only 60% of the lawn has grass coming up in the three weeks since I've seeded. I was really hoping for more density than that. I know that grass can fill in and may take a season to do that, but I'm worried as I see weeds starting to creep in already. I wanted the grass to come in to crowd out those weeds.

Perhaps I should have gone with the sod instead. For a few hundred more dollars I'd have a beautiful lawn already with no weeds.

Yard Is done

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:31:00 +0000

It took me nearly two days to distribute all the dirt that was delivered, but I finally finished it. I got a little too much, but it wasn't a big deal.

After that was done, I fertilized and seeded. I seem to have put down twice as much seed as recommended, but Idont' see how that could hurt. I want to make sure it all takes. Tomorrow I'll play with the sprinkler to see if that will make watering easier.

Costs:
Round-Up: $15
Topsoil: $123
Feritlizer: $8
Seed (used): $25
Total: $171

That's about $800 cheaper than the quotes I got from landscapers, though they would have put down sod. I'll know in a couple weeks if this project went well. it's been a lot of work, so I really hope so.

My Yard is Gone!

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:56:00 +0000

A while ago I wrote about not being sure of what to do to my weed-infested front lawn: sod or seed it.

I decided to seed because of the cost differential and because I felt confident I could do the work myself. Here is where I'm at in the project:

I sprayed the lawn with Round-Up
Two weeks later, I raked up the dead stuff on top
Present time- almost done with using my handheld cultivator to dig into the earth a little and loosen more of the dead stuff to be raked. A rototiller would have been preferred, but tha would have cost money to rent, I'm not sure I can handle it, and I have no way of transporting it to my house
This weekend- if all goes well, I will have topsoil delivered to give a one inch coating and finalize the grading
I will fertilize (using the recommendation from my soil test)
Seed time!

Once I am finished I will tally up my costs.

Garden Update

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Well, finally my tomatoes ripened. I guess because the weather finally became consistently hot around here. I actually had staggered their planting times so that I could maybe have the tomatoes ripen at different times, but the weather foiled me and all are now ready to be eaten.

Mortgage Nuisance

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:36:00 +0000

I found out a couple of weeks ago that my mortgage servicer had been raided by the governemnt and immediately ceased all operations. I only found out about this when I logged into my mortgage account and read a cryptic posting there. I saw no mention of this elsewhere, and this compnay was the twelfth largest servicer in the country.

Finally, yesterday the company released info about what their current mortgage-holders should do with their upcoming payments. Undoubtedly, many of their customers know nothing about this change, and will send their payments to the wrong address, or not have their payment electronically drafted. Let's hope the new servicers do the right thing with waiving late fees.

Automatic Gates

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:18:00 +0000

When I had my fence installed, the company installed a gate that had a pretty flimsy latching mechanism. In the past couple of years, I’ve thought about replacing it. I looked into the usual manual types. In my searches, I discovered something I never knew existed: automatic gates.

Gate openers are what they sound to be: mechanisms that will open the gate via sensor or remote or button. Prices vary depending on what you’re looking to get. A decent gate operator won’t kill your budget, though it may cost more than you had planned to spend, since most undoubtedly did not plan on getting an automatic gate. But if you’re someone who has difficulty opening the gate due to age, disability, or just because you do so much traversing through that area, an automatic gate should be something to consider.

Will a device like this make your home more attractive to potential buyers? I look at it as a nicety, almost like a pool. To some people, a pool is a necessity. To others, it’s nothing but a nuisance. If this is something that makes your life easier, it should get your consideration. A potential buyer being impressed by the automatic gate might be a welcome byproduct.

As with any installation, make sure you feel confident in your skills if you plan on installing it yourself. If you want someone to install it for you, make sure they are familiar with this type of product. I assume most well-established fence contractors will have some experience with this type of mechanism, but call around to find the one that seems to be the most knowledgeable. You might also want to take a walk around your neighborhood and be on the lookout for gate openers. This way not only can you see how they look, but you could also ask the homeowner for a demonstration and reference.

My Sad Garden

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Last year, my garden grew very well. The only thing that didn't go well was that animals were able to crawl underneath by wire fence and get to the tomatoes. This year I outfoxed them by securing the fence into the ground with metal stakes.

However, this year's crop has been puny compared to last year's. I planted pretty much the same things, changing the placement of a couple plants to better maximize sun time. Here's a rundown:

basil- i planted the seeds as I did last year, but nothing came up. I ended up buying small plants which grew very well
toamtoes- i bought small plants like last year. All three grew and developed tomatoes, but only one of them is producing ripe product. The other two have had a couple of ripe ones, but it's as if something went wrong and their development stopped
cucumber- grew better than last year's, but suddenly died. It looked as if it was done producing, though, so maybe that is supposed to happen?
pepper- died before producing
lettuce- another good early showing which yielded a few salads. But, most of it is now dead
squash- the plants are growing well, yet there is nothing to harvest!
eggplant- looks in good shape so far

I prepared the soil before planting, even using my own compost. The only reason I can figure things went wacky is because of the weather we had here. Very few hot days and a lot of rain, and also a lot of days with threats of rain. I think they may have gotten too much water at times, and then not enough when I thought it was going to rain.

"Making Home Affordable" is for Me?

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:06:00 +0000

When Obama’s plan to help homeowners with their mortgages was released in March, I took a look at it and presumed it could not help me- I would not qualify for a restructure, and my mortgage was not backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Or so I thought.

I got a letter a couple of days from my mortgage servicer. In it, they invited me to apply for a refinance even though my house’s value has come down, and they would pay all the associated costs. My rate could go as low as 5% (I’m not sure where they got that from). The Making Home Affordable program made this possible, they said. So I went to that site, and I took the brief test to see if I could qualify for the refinance. It turns out that my loan is held or secured by Freddie Mac, making me eligible. Now, call me naïve, but I still don’t understand what that means, even after researching it. I went to my mortgage servicer’ site to apply online, as they requested I do. The problem is it won’t let me change any of the pre-filled data, so now I fear it will be weeks before anyone gets back to me about how I should proceed. In addition, I have these questions that I can’t find answers to: must I refinance with my orfginal servicer, or can I go elsewhere? Will the rate I receive be a market rate, or derived from some other calculation? I hope it’s not a market rate, because those are the same as my current. I’ll let you know if I ever hear back from my servicer.

When to Undergo Improvements in This Environment

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Gene brought up an interesting point about my previous post. He basically says that if I plan on doing improvements in the future, why not just do them all now so that I have more time to enjoy them, regardless of the current economy.

I understand that logic. But, I never thought values in my area would ever go this low. Every day that they continue to go down, I ask myself "when will this bottom out?" My fear is that if I did the improvements now, even if I stay in the house another five years, I won't be able to recoup all I have invested in it. I don't expect to recoup 100% of any improvement, but I do have a tolerance level. So to make sure I don't waste any more money on a sinking investment, I figure it is best to wait until the market at least begins to show some signs of life.

It might be a different story if I'd planned to be in this house for 10 or more years. That was never my intention, but that may now be the reality, unfortunately.

I'm Getting Depressed

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:29:00 +0000

For the past couple of years, housing prices have been going nowhere but down. But where I live (metro NYC area), we never really saw all that much depreciation. Nothing that no more than a couple of years of average appreciation or inflation couldn't cure. Recently, however, things really seem to have gotten to a pretty scary level. Prices just keep coming down. I had plans to fix my lawn, get a new porch, and maybe change the siding- but I'm holding off now until prices begin creeping up again. I feel that it does not make sense to keep putting money into something whose value is approaching my mortgage balance.

So for the time being, I'm sticking to things that need to get done. All the niceties will have to wait, no matter how disappointing it is.