New Season, New Thoughts

With the onset of spring, comes the thought of exterior house maintenance. Home ownership and I have waged our battles over the course of the past 25 years. I don't know which side is winning because just when I think I'm ahead of the game, regular wear and tear takes its toll and I'm back at the beginning again.

Our interior, main floor renos went so well I am looking outside and seeing all that needs to be done (and should have been done several years ago). Shingles, soffit, fascia and painting. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Simple doesn't necessarily equate to cheap.

We lived here nine years before I bit the bullet and had the exterior of our home painted and replaced the shingles. I remember saying at the time "The next time the house needs to be painted, I'll replace the soffit and fascia. The time after that, I will get maintenance free siding."

Well, it is sixteen years later and it's time to live up to my long overdue promise. Paint with a side order of soffit and fascia please. Oh, and for fun let's just toss in some new shingles. Shingles are actually where we need to begin.

I'm no fool. I know this will trigger more costs, more spending and more updates.

I gazed at our the rusty railing on our front door step and asked my son's opinion. Paint or replace? I was speaking of the railing only. He looked at the doorstep and stated he thought the entire step should be replaced.

One doorstep at a time.

First the shingles. Then the eaves. We will work our way down and see what is left at the end of the money.

I think I will replace our mailbox and house numbers though. Those are additions I can live with.

Spring has sprung and it has unloaded a heavy burden on my budget. As exasperated as I feel at this moment in time, I uttered the words "I'll get the house all fixed up, sell it and retire to a cheaper housing market ".

It's food for thought. But the more the house is updated, the more I like it. I will probably stay. At least until the dawn of a new season.