Single Mom Homeowner Blues
I've sang these blues before but it's been awhile. Sometimes I just hate being a home owner.
Ten years ago I bought my house. It is a 'farm home' mortgage which means that the purchase of the house was easy. No down payment, very low monthly payment, etc.
What I didn't understand then and what I get so frustrated by now - is that the house payment is really the least of your worries when you own a home.
A few years in, the water pump gave out on Thanksgiving day. Two years in a row I ran out of propane over Christmas break. A crazy wind storm pulled my roof vent up, took several sheets of facia off of the edges and blew in a basement window. The garage door has been hard to open for several years, I need new carpet in every room of the house and every single bi-fold closet door had to have been manufactured in hell itself.
And that is just the 'A' list of issues.
Then there's the bizarre doorknob curse. Every doorknob has come loose and refused to stay tight - no matter who installs it or repairs it.
Last night I bolted the front door before I went to bed - this morning when I needed to let the dog out, it would not unlock. Oh the switch moved back and forth - but it wasn't moving the lock and nothing I tried made it work.
The dog cable is shut IN the door and the dog is just about crossing his legs becuase he has to pee and I am in my nightgown having a good old familiar single mom cry on the couch.
I ended up letting him out into the garage to do his business... I know, I know but I didn't know what else to do.
It's moments like that when I feel like such a weakling. I'm overwhelmed and frustrated because something is broke and I don't know what to do.
I know it's not really a single mom issue, it's a 'I'm hopeless with household repairs issue' and that can happen to anybody - but if I weren't a Mom I wouldn't be in this house. I'd be in a nice little air conditioned apartment in a heartbeat.
It's becuase I'm a Mom that I have put up with the house in order to have the yard and the swingset and the basketball hoop and the nice safe country road for bike rides and street hockey.
Count down with me... he's almost 16... just a little more than two years to go and I am so out of here!
Ten years ago I bought my house. It is a 'farm home' mortgage which means that the purchase of the house was easy. No down payment, very low monthly payment, etc.
What I didn't understand then and what I get so frustrated by now - is that the house payment is really the least of your worries when you own a home.
A few years in, the water pump gave out on Thanksgiving day. Two years in a row I ran out of propane over Christmas break. A crazy wind storm pulled my roof vent up, took several sheets of facia off of the edges and blew in a basement window. The garage door has been hard to open for several years, I need new carpet in every room of the house and every single bi-fold closet door had to have been manufactured in hell itself.
And that is just the 'A' list of issues.
Then there's the bizarre doorknob curse. Every doorknob has come loose and refused to stay tight - no matter who installs it or repairs it.
Last night I bolted the front door before I went to bed - this morning when I needed to let the dog out, it would not unlock. Oh the switch moved back and forth - but it wasn't moving the lock and nothing I tried made it work.
The dog cable is shut IN the door and the dog is just about crossing his legs becuase he has to pee and I am in my nightgown having a good old familiar single mom cry on the couch.
I ended up letting him out into the garage to do his business... I know, I know but I didn't know what else to do.
It's moments like that when I feel like such a weakling. I'm overwhelmed and frustrated because something is broke and I don't know what to do.
I know it's not really a single mom issue, it's a 'I'm hopeless with household repairs issue' and that can happen to anybody - but if I weren't a Mom I wouldn't be in this house. I'd be in a nice little air conditioned apartment in a heartbeat.
It's becuase I'm a Mom that I have put up with the house in order to have the yard and the swingset and the basketball hoop and the nice safe country road for bike rides and street hockey.
Count down with me... he's almost 16... just a little more than two years to go and I am so out of here!
posted by Kelly at 2:43 PM
NEW! 
6 Comments:
And it always seems to happen at the worst times! Although I wouldn't trade being a home owner for anything I do understand your frustration.
My fifteen year old was my personal locksmith. He disassembled the bolt and got the door open for me this afternoon. I'm still feeling emotionally tender about it. Isn't that ridiculous?
I'm so sorry Kelly. That must stink. Being at the mercy of repairpeople who know these things. I couldn't fix anything around my house (or car for that matter) if my life depended on it.
Hey- next time dh goes up to Michigan and Windsor to visit the relatives, I'll tell him to stop by and fix you right up. The man can do anything!
My hubby isn't very knowledgeable with home repair so half the time we either have his daddy come up or call a repair man ;)
Oh Kelly I feel you. If it isn't one thing it's another with home ownership. I have to agree with Nell, I wouldn't trade it for anything now.
When I was living on my own I found that I could fix alot of things around the house, but usually it was after a lot of heartache and pain (aka cursing and cuts & bruises). LOL
You do what you have to when you have kids to protect and no money to pay a repair man. This actually made it harder for me to handle when the job was too big & I had to ask for help!
I hear ya Kelly. I'm terrible at anything that has to do with repairing and if it wasn't for my DH I wouldn't know what to do.
When he went out of town a few weeks ago something went wrong with the fuses and boy was I in a panick!
Hang in there, just think of all that equity you're acquiring :-)
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