Don’t worry, there’s no new horribleness since Nadine’s fall. It’s more a general question.
And yes, I know it’s the quickest way to damn yourself. But I was reviewing all the home repairs over the past four and a half years in the house. The list is getting shorter.
Since we moved in, we’ve:
- Put in tile
- Replaced the main house HVAC
- Added HVAC for the guest house
- Replaced the back and guest house roof
- Bought a fridge for the main house
- Bought a range for the guest house
- Replaced all three toilets
- Fixed pipes in the main bathroom and in the guest house kitchen
- Added one bathroom fan and replaced another
- Added insulation and other efficiency upgrades
- Extended the masonry wall
- Replaced the three gate doors
- Replaced two faucets
- Replaced the dishwasher
- Replaced the water heater
- Replaced the garbage disposal
So what does that leave?
Front roof: This needs to get done in the next couple of years. But it shouldn’t cost too much. We paid under $2,000 for the back half of the roof and the guest house roof.
Guest house fridge: Tim’s parents brought it with them, and I think it’s pretty old. But we can find a perfectly good fridge for $500 or less. Not great, but not bad.
Washer and dryer: They’re about nine years old. So they could die at any moment, or they could last another decade. I assume that mid-range units mean a total cost of $1,000 to $1,500. We have $275 in the washer/dryer fund at the moment and are putting in $2.50 for every laundry load.
Cook top/wall oven: These are also pretty old. By the look of ’em, I’d say late ’80s to mid-’90s. I know cook tops are relatively cheap, but wall ovens start at $1,100. Instead, we’ll just cut into the island and put in a range. The wall oven space can be converted to cupboards.
I figure that would be up to $1,200 for the range and the repairs. That’ll hurt to be sure. But honestly, we may try to go without either for awhile. It’s not as though we cook.
Sinks/shower stalls/tubs: There are five sinks, two shower stalls and one tub. I guess something could go wrong. Maybe a crack? I’m not sure how much that would cost. If it’s the tub, we won’t really bother. It barely gets used.
Faucets: There are three faucets that haven’t been replaced. I might actually be able to replace those myself. If not, I guess it would be around $150-200 for a plumber.
Doors: Replacing the front door will be $1,000 or more. I pray that the contractor last year is right, and it’s in great shape. We do need to replace the deadbolts for it and the screen door, but that will be under $75.
The guest house door is ugly but functional. If it did break, it’ll cost $500 or less to replace. Not great, but not bad.
Plumbing: I’m sure stuff could go wrong with the pipes. Deity only knows how much that’d cost.
Car problems: Not technically home repair, but auto repairs can add up. That said, ours is a 2012 and only has 30,300 miles on it. We’re probably safe for a bit. Plus we put $100 a month into a car fund.
Overall, not the worst forecast. I’m not saying we’re safe by any stretch of the imagination, but (and here’s where I jinx myself) it seems like a lot of the bad stuff is behind us. Well, until we get started on double pane windows. After Tim’s teeth, that is.
How are you guys faring on repairs? Is the worst ahead or behind you?
lake livin' says
Well, I know you realize all the old stuff could last for many more years, I think you’re just listing all the future possibilities, right?
Don’t discount fixing the older items if they break rather than replacing the. My washer/dryer set are 10 years old and get a ton of use. I’ve had no issues (knock on wood) than an electrical repair to the washer last year and that cost about $250 – waaaayyyy cheaper than a new, similar washer (it’s a fancy front loader with lots of options).
Re: the roof, do you mean you have two separate roofs on your main house or did you only replace half your roof? I’m confused on that one.
I understand why you’re putting money in the car fund, but given the newness and low mileage of the car as well as how little you all drive, it might make sense to suspend the $100/month contribution and put it towards the teeth. Heck, it might be worth tempting fate and raiding both laundry and car funds and putting it towards Tim’s teeth. But, I understand if that would make you nervous. Just a way to balance the “for sure” with the “eventually down the road.”
Abigail says
True, repairs may help. I’m just always wary, since a lot of places will charge you just to come take a look. And may still tell you that it needs replacing. But we’ll see when the time comes.
We just replaced half the roof, sorry if that was confusing. The back half really needed it. The front still looked pretty good. And we had a limit on how many repairs we could roll into the mortgage.
And yeah, I’m just looking at all the possibilities for the next couple of years. Given that we’re trying to diligently save.
lake livin' says
Since you have a limited social network in Phoenix, which makes it harder to get recommendations from friends, have you thought about joining Angie’s List? We find it so useful to read all the reviews and know that a company can’t buy their way to a good rec. We found our appliance repair person this way and you can find someone that either doesn’t charge a service call fee or charges a low one. And many companies offer discounts to AL members. Also, AL will help mediate if there is a dispute. Plus, the little magazine they send in the mail each month contains all sorts of helpful info.
Abigail says
We joined Angie’s list last spring, when I was looking for contractors to fix the side of the house. It’s been invaluable ever since.
AuntLeesie says
Re. appliances… I agree with Lake Livin’ that repairs often give another few or several years of service, and we’ve also purchased renovated used appliances (like washers and dryers, refrigerator, etc.) for a fraction of the cost of “new”. Appliances nowadays bought new don’t hold up as well as they did when I was a kid and my mom’s lasted 20 years or more. Even if you buy top of the line. Also, the more bells and whistes an appliance has, the more there is to go wrong with it. This from a repair guy we had here. So we always (now) buy very basic models which happen to cost substantially less than those loaded with features. Don’t forget that Home Depot and Lowes offer FREE delivery, set up and removal of the old ones if you’re buying new.
Abigail says
Yeah, I’m wary of too many bells and whistles to be sure. We don’t need too many settings or innovations.
I’ll keep that in mind about Home Depot and Lowe’s. If we can’t find something there, Sears will deliver and remove for free. Not sure about installation.
AuntLeesie says
With proper maintenance, your car should last until you’re at 175k-200k miles without major (expensive) repairs or replacement needed. At the rate your milegae is being used, that could easily mean 10 years or more. Again, I’ve got to agree with Lake Livin’ on putting that $100 per month towards Tim’s teeth, and resuming the car fund after his teeth are done. Provided you’re comfortable with it. You could also halve your appliance fund input until the teeth are done with the knowledge that it’s not likely to cost nearly as much to repair/replace them as you think.
Abigail says
It’s definitely something to think about. But we can always plunder the car or washer/dryer fund when the time comes. For now, we’ll keep the funds intact, I think. But I will ponder it.
AuntLeesie says
Tubs, showers and shower doors don’t need to be replaced unless there are serious problems OR they have to be removed for plumbing issues. I’d definitely keep plumbing in mind if your house is more than 20-30 years old. The house we’re in was built in the 1930s, has old pipes, and we’ve got to get a plumber out on average once a year for one issue or another, and it’s $100 for him to walk through the front door. Unless the faucets stop working entirely, there’s no actual need to replace them. New faucets look nice, of course, but that’s window dressing as it were. The roof IS (and should be) a priority, because water damage (rare in AZ) or dry rot (more likely) can easily triple the cost of replacement when the wood beneath the shingles or tiles has to come out.
Abigail says
Yeah, we wouldn’t replace the faucets unless they were no longer working. We bought one faucet because there wasn’t one in the guest house. We bought the other when one knob stopped working AND the drip became a steady stream that we couldn’t tighten to turn off.
AuntLeesie says
In older houses like ours–again, it was built in the 1930s–electrical issues become a big deal. We rent. The front rooms have had serious electrical issues for years. Only one outlet works in the living room. The kitchen is more of a concern, and I can’t plug anything in with higher voltage than a coffee maker or toaster into outlets without frying the outlet, so (for example) I’ve got to plug the Crock Pot into the bathroom outlet. When I had an electrician out, I asked about cost to rewire the front of the house. If I could find someone to do it (he was dubious, given dry rot under the house where the wiring is), it would cost a few thousand for just the living room and kitchen. Our landlord had the office rewired before we moved in 14 years ago so as to support computer, printer, etc. Since we’ve been here, we cover anything under $200, and if it’s between $200 and $500, we take it off the rent. More than $500 is handled (or not, as the case always is) by him. He’s known for 12 years that the roof leaks, for 10 that the fireplace is disintegrating, and for 8 or more about the wiring.
Abigail says
Electrical! Knew I forgot something. We have several non-working outlets throughout the house. It drives Tim crazy, but we still have plenty that do work. Eventually, we’ll fix them and change them into three-prong ones.
For right now, it’s just not a priority.
Barry @ Moneywehave says
Way too many people underestimate the cost of home maintenance. It’s foolish to think repairs won’t come up or they won’t cost very much.
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Abigail says
Yeah, it can be dangerous. I think these estimates are pretty reasonable, so I’ve girded myself mentally. I’m just hoping that the bigger issues will be polite enough to wait until 2016.
Hey, a girl can dream!
Linda says
I just had my sump pump proactively replaced and a few minor things done. If you own a house, stuff happens. Some things I’ve done since I purchased this brand new house almost 6 years ago have been proactive because the builder used such cheap products. Some repairs have been because of his use of cheap products, like a new garbage disposal.
I replaced a toilet because the one he installed clogged about every 6 weeks. Buying a new one has more than paid for itself as I haven’t had to have a plumber here since.
My washer and dryer are about 12 years old, but it’s just me. Some weeks I don’t even do laundry. Other weeks I do several loads. It has never had heavy use. I won’t buy anything expensive because my now deceased mother bought high quality washer and dryer when she and dad moved to an independent living apartment. I get those when dad leaves the apartment.
Donna Freedman says
I love to hear the sump pump switch on because that means it’s WORKING. But we have a spare pump waiting to be installed, just in case. That’s a thing with my partner, since he’s had water in the basement before.
Our laundry equipment is at least 10 years old as well but we do only about five loads per month and hardly use the dryer at all. Although we’re hoping they’ll last for years more, we too have a laundry fund ($2 in the jar any time we do a wash).
Kitchen appliances are going on 30 years old. We’re gonna drive the until the wheels fall off.
Lisa O says
I have a dryer that is about 14 years old…..it really isn’t used tons. I hang my laundry to dry inside/outside and use the dryer for about 10 minutes per load to make sure that it is dry, soft & wrinkle free. I have a newer washer machine but that is because it was going to cost $350 to fix it (2nd time in 14 years) and my new one was $475. I just replaced a stove that was 14 years old and thought about getting a refrigerator to match but when I saw the price…..I thought no I will wait until this one dies! It is always something……
Abigail says
Indeed it is.
Unfortunately, we use the washing machine a LOT. For health reasons, Tim doesn’t reuse towels, and there are seasons where he’s taking two or three showers a day. He also doesn’t wear clothes more than once for the same reason.
And yeah, the nicer looking fridges are terrifyingly expensive. We got a decent black, no-frills one for about $500 after tax. But a shiny/two-door model will easily run you $1,000 on sale. Eep!
Dawn says
Hot water heater? Furnace?
Also, I just had to fix the springs on my garage door (one of them broke) and replace a light fixture that crapped out. Not expensive, but just things to think about.
Abigail says
We never park in our garage, so I guess that’s one less thing to go wrong.
We don’t have a furnace, and the main house’s HVAC unit is less than 5 years old. I think we’re safe there. We had to replace the hot water heater in early December. So that’s another 8 years’ (minimum) peace of mind.
I was actually able to replace two light fixtures when we moved in. It was surprisingly easy, so let’s hope that luck continues. We have two new ceiling fans in the living and dining rooms, but those were free so I forgot to count those.
If the one in our bedroom goes out, we’ll probably just try to fit a lamp in somewhere until the actual fan dies. But if both go then yeah, that’ll be another $200-300.
MarieMakesCents says
It’s so hard to estimate the cost of improvements. It’s good that you’re thinking ahead and saving.
When we moved into our house, the prior owners had a laundry room with a washer and dryer. What we didn’t realize was that they didn’t have the proper plumbing installed. I’m not sure on how the logistics worked, but they had the washing machine drain into a stand alone sink. So wasn’t going to work for us. We ended up sinking $1000 to get the proper piping run under the house.
Next on the list is fixing almost all of the window slides. They had new double paned windows installed, but for some reason the slides pop out and it becomes a struggle to open or close them. Super frustrating, and I’m guessing won’t be cheap.
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Abigail says
Those are some weird setups! Sorry they ended up costing you so much. It’s amazing how quickly you stop seeing a home and start seeing a series of things waiting to go wrong.
NZ Muse says
I dream of a wall oven. One day…
Houses here don’t tend to have any central heating/cooling so that seems to eliminate some pretty big chunky expenses right there.
We also have a new to us car that’s reasonably new so here’s hoping for trouble free motoring for a bit 🙂
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Abigail says
I don’t like wall ovens. I prefer ranges. Partially because they always seem to back me into things. Not that a range in our kitchen will be much different, but for whatever reason I will like it better.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar says
It’s always good to think ahead. I think our next big expense will be painting the house, hopefully next year. It’s not a necessity, but one side gets pretty faded from the sun and it makes the rest of the house look odd. I really don’t care, but the HOA will be upset if we let it go too long. If we ever move, I’ll make sure there is no HOA!
Abigail says
Oh paint! We’ll need to touch up at some point. The bright blue paint means that chips can show a lot. But it’s tolerable for now.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
Sounds like your list has certainly gotten shorter! I think our list has gotten shorter, but we have a LONG list of renovations we will need to do over the next 5 years, so many things could go wrong (most likely being cost overruns). We have done a few major things and thankfully got the city to pay for them (i.e. re-grading our yard, installing a backflow preventor in the storm drain, forced a contractor to fix an illegal repair they made 4 years ago when the city’s water main broke…..). This Summer Im’ focused on doing some big landscaping changes that will set us up nicely for the future. Our retaining wall is essentially failing so we’ll need to make that top priority. Thankfully I’ve had a ton of time to research it.
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Abigail says
Renovations are definitely on the list, when we’re done putting out fires. But next year we will probably do river rock in the front yard to keep weeds down. We’re right next to a park, so people keep calling the city when it looks even marginally bad. It’ll also cut down on upkeep costs.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
Unreal! People should deal with it. I can’t believe people are actually calling the city. Get a life! River rock will be nice. I just really want to get these big landscaping projects done so we can enjoy our yard and (eventually) free up cash for our indoor home projects.
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Abigail says
Yeah, it’s insane. Especially when our neighbors can be just as bad. We live right next to a park, so the guy the city sent out said it may be that issue. Still, it’s ridiculous.
And a nicely landscaped yard does look lovely. And then you can take the monthly yard maintenance fees and put them to those indoor projects.
Funny about Money says
Wall oven…urk! You can’t use the thing anyway, because the self-cleaning feature in a wall oven overheats and fries. However…anything you can cook in an oven, you can also bake, roast, or broil in a propane grill. I never use the oven anymore; will get it scrubbed out some day in the remote future when the house gets sold, so the NEXT owners can pony up two grand or so to replace a useless double-oven unit.
Unless the front door is rotting, why would you replace it? Paint it, maybe?
My theory is that if you don’t think about the plumbing and you don’ t ever look at it very closely, nothing can go wrong with it. 😉
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Abigail says
That sounds like a pretty good theory to me.
And yeah, we won’t actually replace the door until there’s an unfixable crack or it won’t close properly (all year ’round, it already sticks in the winter).
Jennifer says
It sounds like you have a good idea of potential future expenses and have made a lot of progress with your house since moving in. We no longer own a home, so we shouldn’t have any major unexpected home repairs. However, renters in Switzerland are responsible for more than renters in the U.S. (things like leaky faucets and buying and installing light fixtures are often the renters’ responsibility in our area). So it’s possible we could have something come up.
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Abigail says
Huh, that’s interesting. I never considered the variance in responsibilities among countries. Still, there is a lot of peace of mind for renters that homeowners don’t get. But eventually…
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says
I’ve never dealt with home reno, but I feel this way in life a lot. When things are going well, I’m so terrified that crisis will strike. Feels too good to be true.
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Abigail says
Yeah, it’s a common fear. You just always wonder if you’re in the eye of the hurricane of whether it’s actually passed.
EL @ Moneywatch101 says
That’s an extensive list of things, but most likely you will be prepared if and when they need replacing. A house can be a money pit at times, and that’s why its important to have reserves on hand. Good Luck.
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Abigail says
Thanks. And yes, I know these things will need replacing eventually too.
I think we should have 5-10 years on the back half of the roof and the guest house roof, the guest house range and the fridge, and we’re probably at 8-12 on the water heater and toilets. And another 10-15 for the HVAC units. Hopefully significantly more, but we’ll just have to see.
Christina @ Embracing Simple says
You have made great progress on your house checklist! We have only had a few small repairs that needed to happen since we bought our house 3 years ago….we’ve been very lucky, so I think the worst is unfortunately ahead of us. We will likely need to be replacing our air conditioner soon, which should be a real fun expense. I’m just grateful it didn’t die last summer right when we had a newborn and were paying off that hospital bill.
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Abigail says
Oh yeah, a hot newborn (and big hospital bill) are never good. HVAC costs can be pretty painful. I remember being shocked how much ours cost, though it was rolled into the mortgage.
This was a foreclosed property, and one of the previous owners seems to have fancied himself a DIY guy. We’re just slowly making up for that.
Financial Underdog says
I drive a 20 year old car. Surprisingly, haven’t had any big ticket repairs, mostly routine maintenance, some minor repairs like brakes, new alternator, CV joints. But I’m afraid of the day when it will just blow up on me. So, we’ve put aside $10K on top of our usual emergency fund. Just in case we have to go and buy a new car one day and run it till 300K like this one!
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Abigail says
Oooooh 300,000 miles is awesome! We had a car fund we were putting $300 into a month. Then we were in an accident and had to replace the car. So that drained that. And savings, which is why we’re only putting $100 a month into the car fund for awhile.
Yeah, I’m sure things will start going wrong within the next year or so. But my husband is fastidious about oil changes, and our mechanic is nearby. So between the two, we should be able to nip any nascent issues in the bud.
Punkin Pye says
Home repairs….don’t get me started. Last year we had over $17,000 dollars of unexpected repairs. Then, immediately after new year’s, we had to get a new furnace, a new thermostat, have insulation added, and had the attic floor repaired to the tune of $5700. To be fair, we knew about the attic insulation and the floor for a long time. We paid for the insulation, the floor, and thermostat up front, but all these emergencies have drained our emergency fund so dramatically that for the first time, we are in debt with a home improvement loan.
Now, we have been informed that we need a new roof (although we are just going with a $550 patch for now) and squirrels have chewed through the flashing on our house. The horrible drought we have been through has made the ground shift and the metallic edging on our flowerbeds literally twisted and popped out of the ground. It really looked trashy. Our lawn service trimmed the hedges, pulled the weeds and installed new edging for $375. We desperately need to paint the inside of the house and replace our 16 year old carpet, but every time we are ready to start, another emergency repair or appliance replacement occurs. I know that all homeowners have these kinds of problems, but it feels like we’re cursed.
Abigail says
Exactly true. Abstractly, I know that this stuff is normal; but man it feels like the universe has a grudge against us. Our bill so far is better than yours last year. The total bill so far is about $7,800. Sigh.