Thrifty Homeowner

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.

Seed vs. Sod

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:05:00 +0000

I've been occupied lately by trying to decide what to do to my front lawn: seed or sod.

My front lawn right now is nothing but a collection of weeds. It is unsalvageable. So I've priced out doing the job myself and contracting it out, for both seeding and sod.

With the weather warming up, it looks like seed is not a good option until the fall. However, do I want to wait that long to install it, and then wait for it to all fill in? Also, seeds seems to require more water than sod. But it would save about $400.

Sod seems easy to lay, but comes with that pricetag. And if I mess up the watering or get inferior sod, that's quite a loss. But it looks great and will be a better weed barrier than would planting seed. Mainly for that reason, it looks like I will go with sod, as I am afraid of weed reemergence in a year or so if I seeded.

The prep work for either is the same: remove existing grass, add top soil and fertilizer, and grade. Doesn't sound too tough, but I looked into sod cutting machines for rent, and they weigh nearly 400 pounds. I weigh not even half of that. I am concerned about my ability to handle it. And then what do I do with the rolls of weeds? My recycling center won't take them.

I got a couple quotes so far on sod installation, and it is $1000 for the complete job on my 930 square feet. I was hoping to do the job myself and spend only half that, but I am afraid I will run into the troubles I described above. I will also need to rig up a watering system, which will cost arounf $50-100.

Fixing Patio Door

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:32:00 +0000

So I came back from vacation last night to find that the person taking care of our dog broke the lock on our sliding patio door. Today I visited a locksmith and an authorized Andersen retailer and they both told me the same thing- they couldn't fix or get the part.

I called Andersen and found that the part was still under warranty. They couldn't have been more helpful. I should have the new lock next week and they even told me how I could continue locking it until then. It's nice to be able to fix things without having to spend money!

Busy...

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:44:00 +0000

I apologize for my absence- getting married and preparing for a honeymoon will do that. I've also continued working on my yard. So far I've planted most of the garden and put out most of the planters and such.

Lawnmower Conditioning

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Last weekend I got my mower ready. I changed the oil, cleaned the air filter, put gas in it, and charged the starter. All I need to do is either sharpen the blade or buy a replacement (depends on price). I had planned to do that on Sunday, but I forgot it was Easter.

This was the first time I really followed the directions for getting the mower ready, as I only used it a couple times in 2007 when I bought it, and thus felt it wasn't necessary last year. I hope doing these little things extends the life of the mower, because in my past I haven't had much luck with their longevity.

House Search

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 05:50:00 +0000

About once a week I look at online listings of houses for sale. I’m not looking to move right now, but if I see a great deal, I might take it.

I found a house that is located in one of the more upscale areas of my town, and it was listed at only $400,000, about $200,000 less than the average home in that area. It only showed this one photo of the exterior, and it seemed to be owned by a bank. I did some more research on it by looking up the deed and mortgage filings. It was bought for $320,000 in 2004, with a mortgage of $280,000. As the next few years went by and the real estate market went crazy, this house apparently was valued at nearly $700,000, because the owner kept refinancing until he owed $682,000 on it!

Very curious as to whether all this extra cash was put into the house, I made an appointment to take a look at it. The house was evidently added on to, and it now sports a terrible layout. It has only 2 bedrooms and a kitchen with literally no counter space, yet the house is over 2,000 square feet. It has custom cabinets and wainscoting, which is complete overkill. I hope that some of that refi money was used on things other than for the house, because what was spent on it was surely spent foolishly.

Even at the low list price, I did not see how this house would be a good purchase, unless you wanted to try to flip it in five years. I left with a first-hand view of the mortgage crisis going on in this country.

Driveway Landscaping Completed

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:13:00 +0000

First, a couple of apologies for my lack of posts (I've been very busy) and the image's quality (taken with cell phone because my camera is not working).

I'm able to cross something off my spring to-do list: the landscaping beside my driveway. The driveway was completed about six months ago, and since then I have cleaned up the 5-foot wide area next to it (which gave me poison ivy), and planted and finished off the look. Here are the total costs:

fabric weed barrier- $30 (and I have extra)
thuja trees (for eventual privacy)- $60
azaleas (evergreen shrub)- $50
solar lights- $20
mulch- free from local recycling center

So I spent $170, and if all goes well, it will be extremely low maintenance and should cost very little to keep in this condition.

Mouse Update

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:18:00 +0000

So far I've caught two mice. Fortunately, I think I have the problem solved. I bought metal rings that fit around my pipes to cover the holes in the cabinets. I never knew it, but these things are called either scutcheons or flanges, depending on who you talk to. I just need to screw these things down, and then I'll consider myself mouse-proof.

100th Post...and I Have Mice...

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:49:00 +0000

I wish I could celebrate my 100th post with a topic that was a little more pleasant.

A few nights ago, we noticed what looked like mouse excrement in the counter around our kitchen sink. This is the same sink that I had the problem with a couple of months ago. I should have thought about this back when we had that problem- that the combination of moisture underneath the cabinet and the fact that there is no barrier surrounding the holes around the pipes probably makes this an inviting place for a mouse to go. Directly below the sink is my crawlspace, which to me is just about the darkest, creepiest place on the entire planet. It makes me wonder how many more are living down there.

So I went to Lowe’s and stocked up on mouse poison trays and a covered mousetrap (I did not want to see a cute, dead mouse). I initially wanted to trap them humanely, but then realized I’d have no where to legally release them (except in my yard, which wouldn’t make sense).

Yesterday, we caught our first one. I’ll leave it set for the next few nights, and then try to find something to cover up the holes around the pipes. I ended up spending a total of $12 on the supplies. In retrospect, I probably did not need to buy the poison trays, as the trap seemed to work.

Have a Question for Ace's Helpful Hardware Man?

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware's "Helpful Hardware Man," has offered to answer reader questions, especially for us. Post your questions here, and I'll be sure to get them over to Lou!

According to Ace, Lou "is a nationally recognized home do-it-yourself expert who is a master at giving tips on home improvement and home renovations in a way that even the most novice DIY person can follow. He has authored five DIY books, has a call-in radio show with WGN Radio in Chicago called The Mr. Fix-It Show and a nationally syndicated TV program called House Smarts."

Please get in your questions by this Wednesday (3/25).

Why is There So Little Financial Education in Schools?

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:38:00 +0000

As home ownership is a subset of personal finance management, I thought this post would be appropriate for my readers.

Why are classes like home economics and physical education mandatory in most school districts, while a class on managing your finances is not? Such a class could introduce kids to things like saving, balancing a checking account, going to college, buying a home, etc. By the state of the current economy, it looks like many people have not gotten such advice, and many others are not suited to give it, as well.

I know some districts have introduced such classes, but from what I read, changing a curriculum is herculean task in many places. Let's hope it happens.

Can't Wait for Spring!

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:51:00 +0000

In my part of the country, we have great hopes that no more snow will arrive and that mild weather will come soon. Today, actually, I was able to take inventory of my yard and came up with this list of things I want to soon do:

Mulch around the fenceline (I picked up the free mulch at the local recycling center and did it all in two trips today)
Mulch alongside the driveway and in a bed
Clean up the remainder of leaves
Get the garden ready for planting
Plant the garden
Buy plants to line driveway
Fertilize grass

I hope the weather cooperates so I can get this stuff done sooner than later!

Free Instructional Sites

thriftyhomeowner@gmail.com (Thirfty Homeowner) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:55:00 +0000

There are lots of sites on the web that offer tutorials for DIY projects and fixes. I'm sure you have your favorites, as do I. I've been in DIY mode for a few years now, but I only just recently stumbled upon these sites, so I thought you may have missed them as well: Instructables and Fixed4Free.

These sites were helpful to me recently when I couldn't get a tape out of a VCR. I plan to use them in the future the next time I need some assistance.