Our Old House #1
I watch a lot of the TV show This Old House. Roger Cook, Tom Silva, Richard Trethewey, and Kevin O’Connor have become great friends and advisors, of mine. The show is full of valuable information and DIY tips for homeowners. I have learned so much about every aspect of what can go wrong and the correct way of doing home repairs. Of course, when I share what I have learned with Darrel, he already knows this stuff and has most of the tools that the guys use. The downside is that I have also learned that our home, built in 1930, is not up to the current code standards. Much to Darrel’s dismay, I am horrified by what might be awaiting us because of this.
Now that I am an armchair expert, I am right there when work is being done on our house. Asking questions and trying to see what is going on. I also ask about their training and if they like what they do. I sure do not want anyone working on my house who hates doing that type of work. At times Darrel has to intervene to get me to step aside so that the work can actually be done. You had better believe I am right back checking to see if it would pass the inspection of my buddies at This Old House.
Early one morning, while still in bed, the bathroom light starting flickering. I mean, like scary movie flickering. Where with every flicker some shadowy figure was getting closer. I was hiding under the covers so that it could not get me. Darrel was down-stairs getting coffee and did not hear me calling him. I had to be brave and turn on the nightstand lamp that was inches away from me. Then get up from my comfortable hiding place and turn off the bathroom light. Whew, that was a narrow escape.
Darrel thought the light bulb needed tightening, but that was not the problem. He was still convinced it was nothing major. Not me, I watch This Old House. Since our house is old, I knew it had to be major. I thought they might have to knock down all the walls and ceilings to get to the root of the problem. I asked Darrel if we should cut our losses and sell our house as-is. Mind you, this was before an electrician had been out to assess the situation. I cannot even explain to you the look on Darrel’s face when I asked that. He was looking at me as if the shadowy figure who appears in flickering lights was standing right behind me, and he was giving it the signal to take me away!
Unfortunately, we do not have an electrician on speed dial so we checked around for a referral. The electrician referred to us by a friend had retired. We contacted one of the Licensed Electrical Agencies listed on our State’s website and received several referrals for electrical companies in our area. We called an electrician who came right away. I tried to see what was going on, but our bathroom is small. I could not squeeze in between the electrician and Darrel. I played it cool and remained within earshot of those two. I knew I was right. The age of our house was the cause of the problem. Partly right, that is. Darrel was totally on point. Our antiquated light fixture was not making adequate contact with the modern light bulb Darrel put in there. With a flick of the electrician’s wrist, the problem was solved, no more flickering lights. We also had the electrician upgrade several outlets. That nominal fee was the only charge on our invoice.
Expensive home repairs can really take a bite out of your finances. We were very fortunate that this was not the case for us. Homeowners without funds to cover costs, may go without much needed repairs. There are programs at the government, state, and local levels that provide financial assistance to homeowners who need it and who qualify. Some programs are specifically set up to help older people be able to age in their own homes. For anyone interested, a few of these programs can be found at: USA.gov, Habitat for Humanity’s home repair program, and Section 504 Home Repair.
I still hang out with my friends at This Old House, but I have calmed down a bit when maintenance problems arise. I know I should take Darrel’s lead, chill out, and not assume the worse. I will relax, wait until the professionals make their assessment, and then we can take it from there. After all, I have never seen a challenge that the guys at This Old House could not solve.
Before I end, I have to tell you this. I was in my home office. I sat in my chair, the chair rolled across the floor, with me in it! That room had always been a little wonky, but nothing like this. Yes, I did overreact AGAIN, (oh Lawd the sky is falling,) while Darrel side-eyed my performance. Okay, now deep breaths and repeat after me…even though I watch This Old House and our house is old, when the Structural Engineer comes, we will find out that this is nothing major.
Part two, coming up folks.
Amanda
Photo by Julia Volk from Pexels: Thumbnail Photo by Charlie CT from Pexels
