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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2019 10:36:46 GMT -5
My house was recently weatherized by the local power utility's program for low-income households.
They started actively recruiting qualifying homes in my area with no wood or gas heat options. When I was approached, I told them honestly I was moving soon. They said they don't care because it makes the home use less power for whoever lives here. I asked about the change in value of my house, and they just said people do it all the time and no one cares.
I'd avoided taking "charity" to do this for a long time. But, my mobile home windows were cracking from gas seal failure and you could feel wind inside my house on cold days. My house only has forced-air heat and a $400 bill to keep the house barely above 60 in the winter was the norm. I thought I was going to be here all winter, so I agreed.
Thankfully, there is only a 60 day requirement between the time they do the work and the time I can sell. I didn't plan to sell right now, but escrow will close at least a week past that 60 day requirement so the weatherization is a non-issue.
The new windows they put in aren't the highest end but damn do they keep the house well regulated. I can have my house at 65 now when I go to bed and even when it was 20 outside overnight my house only dropped about 12 degrees.
It's made a huge difference. My power bills are less than 1/2 of what they were before and it's a lot more comfortable in the house even though I don't have a single window covering up at all.
They also installed a new heater because the old one was unsafe. They originally told me it would be 6 weeks to order it. Then, magically, the next day they "found one in the warehouse" and installed it. It clearly has something wrong with it.
When the new thermostat fires it up, it makes a thunk that is so loud you can hear it outside. Once it turns off, it starts cycling on and off every few minutes like it has no tolerance for even a 1/10th of a degree temperature drop.
I asked the installers and the company in charge of the weatherization to come look at it and both refused saying it is new and fine. Thankfully, I am leaving and the growers can fight the battle if they want to. I'll leave the useless warranty info behind...
If my new house has old windows, I will totally replace them. Interestingly, we paid to replace the windows in our previous house just a month or two before moving... Next time I would like to be able to actually enjoy them for a while... lol
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Nov 11, 2019 10:44:05 GMT -5
My city has a weatherization grant program for lower income homeowners. I think it's a great idea. They will pay for windows, doors, siding, roofs, and furnaces. They have a 5 year resale reimbursement requirement, though.
I'm glad you were able to take advantage of the program.
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Nov 11, 2019 13:31:23 GMT -5
When your rent or mortgage payments are low enough and your situation tight enough, it is really easy to miss how cutting down on the drafts can lower your utility bill dramatically. Stop kicking yourself for not realizing how heat-inefficient your dirt-cheap bolt-hole was and how easily it could be made more comfortable. A lot of folks make the same mistake.
The power company that financed most of the improvements didn't choose a 60-day look-back period by accident. They deliberately chose terms that would allow a seller to benefit from the improvements that they had financed because they had a reasonable belief that the housing unit would still be in use and absorbing out-sized amounts of power in the absence of improvements. They choose 60-day terms because those were the terms that maximized the number of housing units that would receive the upgrades.
Don't look back. Don't think too much about what is going to happen to the house after you leave. The utility company placed their bets with quite a bit of knowledge and data at their disposal. Don't cry for them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2019 17:45:07 GMT -5
I'm glad you got the work done,. Think of it as conserving our natural resources since you're now using less gas and electricity. I agree that it doesn't really change the market value. DH and I put in all kinds of insulation and better windows in the last house. We had a ton of people look at it and no one ever asked about utility bills even though I had detailed records. They whined about the outdated light fixtures and the black (rather than stainless steel) appliances.
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Nov 11, 2019 18:27:51 GMT -5
People are foolish, we have never sold a home with outdated heating equipment and not insulated properly and in many or most cases updated wiring. You are right, people will look at something like a chandeler instead of asking questions about efficiency.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Nov 12, 2019 8:45:36 GMT -5
When they are nice and new they may not comment on them, but if you had raggedy, old windows people might notice. I know I would. I wouldn't buy a house with old windows.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2019 10:52:43 GMT -5
I'm glad you got the work done,. Think of it as conserving our natural resources since you're now using less gas and electricity. I agree that it doesn't really change the market value. DH and I put in all kinds of insulation and better windows in the last house. We had a ton of people look at it and no one ever asked about utility bills even though I had detailed records. They whined about the outdated light fixtures and the black (rather than stainless steel) appliances. Apparently, when selling to a company growing illegal weed, all they really do care about is the land. I tried to do the best I could before they did their walk thru to clean up and make things look decent. They were here for an hour. I freaked out wondering WTF they were inspecting all that time. My broker called me and said they spent about 30 seconds walking thru the house and giving it a cursory look, and the rest of the time walking the property looking for greenhouse/garden locations. This kind of sale is actually exactly what I needed for this property. They aren't complaining about the water, the hole in the carpet, the paint, etc... They apparently only care about acquiring enough land to grow enough crops.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2019 10:54:41 GMT -5
The power company that financed most of the improvements didn't choose a 60-day look-back period by accident. They deliberately chose terms that would allow a seller to benefit from the improvements that they had financed because they had a reasonable belief that the housing unit would still be in use and absorbing out-sized amounts of power in the absence of improvements.
(Stupid quote boxes...)
Yes, but they didn't plan for the fact this will be a grow house and use a TON of power. lol
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Nov 12, 2019 10:58:34 GMT -5
The power company that financed most of the improvements didn't choose a 60-day look-back period by accident. They deliberately chose terms that would allow a seller to benefit from the improvements that they had financed because they had a reasonable belief that the housing unit would still be in use and absorbing out-sized amounts of power in the absence of improvements.
(Stupid quote boxes...)
Yes, but they didn't plan for the fact this will be a grow house and use a TON of power. lol Maybe they did. They seem to have installed a defective furnace in a house that won't be needing one soon.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2019 11:14:02 GMT -5
Maybe they did. They seem to have installed a defective furnace in a house that won't be needing one soon. Thank you for my first major laugh of the day. That's awesome. It's so hard, because your first inclination is to make the house clean and nice for the next inhabitant. I have to keep reminding myself no one cares what it looks like when I leave. Most of my neighbors who have sold took their personal stuff and left behind a complete mess. Since I have some really poor neighbors who want stuff I don't, letting them haul things off is a good karma thing and helps them. It also prevents the buyer from complaining about anything. I don't think they would in this case, but I really want this deal to close. It's probably the highest price I would see.
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Nov 12, 2019 11:52:17 GMT -5
If it is any consolation, I spent hours and hours digging up weeds with a dandelion fork at my old home after it had been foreclosed on. I didn't own the place and it eventually sold as a short-sale, but I still wanted to leave it nice. I'm not sure what motivated me to do something so illogical. Part of me didn't want to give my old neighbors a reason to talk about how we had let the house go to hell. Another part of me didn't want to think about what was coming next for me. I'm pretty sure that I wanted to stay busy and at least I understood enough not to spend money on weed and feed.
But mostly I puttered, unable to pack, usually unable to clean (also unwilling to spend money on the cleaning products that would be involved), and unable to bring myself to discard stuff (it also didn't help that the curby was quite small and I didn't want to pay for leaving extra bags of garbage by the curb.)
I'm probably the last person you should be talking to in order to get yourself off this path of procrastination. I know how hard it is to pack when most of your stuff is kinda shoddy but you've also been living skint for so long that you fear getting rid of anything that might come in handy.
All that I can do is suggest that you get yourself to pack up the stuff that you definitely want before your neighbors see it and ask for it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2019 19:25:16 GMT -5
If it is any consolation, I spent hours and hours digging up weeds with a dandelion fork at my old home after it had been foreclosed on. I didn't own the place and it eventually sold as a short-sale, but I still wanted to leave it nice. I'm not sure what motivated me to do something so illogical. Part of me didn't want to give my old neighbors a reason to talk about how we had let the house go to hell. Another part of me didn't want to think about what was coming next for me. I'm pretty sure that I wanted to stay busy and at least I understood enough not to spend money on weed and feed.
But mostly I puttered, unable to pack, usually unable to clean (also unwilling to spend money on the cleaning products that would be involved), and unable to bring myself to discard stuff (it also didn't help that the curby was quite small and I didn't want to pay for leaving extra bags of garbage by the curb.)
I'm probably the last person you should be talking to in order to get yourself off this path of procrastination. I know how hard it is to pack when most of your stuff is kinda shoddy but you've also been living skint for so long that you fear getting rid of anything that might come in handy.
All that I can do is suggest that you get yourself to pack up the stuff that you definitely want before your neighbors see it and ask for it.
I read the bolded sentence and thought you meant actual weed and "feed" like Cheetos. Like one would say they blew money on hookers and blow. lol The guy who lived here before us was an alcoholic who had a thing for shooting up all sorts of "targets" all over the place. After storms, I would find shards of beer bottles, pyrex bowls, and all sorts of other stuff all over the place. I started cleaning it up when I first started losing weight as exercise. I would rake up the glass and other crap out of big sections of the ash. I vowed to leave this piece of land better than I found it. And, I did manage to clean 3 acres and my neighbors probably thought I was on meth... However, at the time, the assumption was the next person who lived here would actually live here and have some reverence for the land like the Indians who inhabited it before us. Not that they would turn it into a grow house and probably make meth in the kitchen on the side... It's hard to turn off that urge to keep my promise to the land to care for it while it belonged to me. It's almost like this little patch of earth has been entrusted to me and I am completely screwing it over. It's kinda hard to explain without sounding like I need to go hug a tree. While I haven't been packing, I have been tossing and tossing and tossing. My trash guy doesn't charge me for all the extra stuff. I've been sending out a large cart plus 4-5 large cans every week. I'm also a regular donater at the thrift store. I've been living skint but with a promise to myself that when the kids moved out and I could have nice things that wouldn't be damaged, left in the yard, etc... I would finally buy what I want. When things broke, I bought something at the thrift store or went without. All that thrift store stuff that's now falling apart, chipped, ugly, etc... is going in the trash or back to the thrift store. Also, since I still have pain when I do too much and have to lift things to pack, into the Uhaul, out of the UHaul, back into a truck, and then into my next house, anything I don't feel is worth all that effort or isn't worth it financially is also getting tossed or donated. While I don't intend to go blow the bank to furnish my new house, I do plan to buy a few things I will need like a recliner, a nice set of cookware, etc... and not feel at all guilty about it.
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Nov 12, 2019 21:37:16 GMT -5
If it is any consolation, I spent hours and hours digging up weeds with a dandelion fork at my old home after it had been foreclosed on. I didn't own the place and it eventually sold as a short-sale, but I still wanted to leave it nice. I'm not sure what motivated me to do something so illogical. Part of me didn't want to give my old neighbors a reason to talk about how we had let the house go to hell. Another part of me didn't want to think about what was coming next for me. I'm pretty sure that I wanted to stay busy and at least I understood enough not to spend money on weed and feed.
But mostly I puttered, unable to pack, usually unable to clean (also unwilling to spend money on the cleaning products that would be involved), and unable to bring myself to discard stuff (it also didn't help that the curby was quite small and I didn't want to pay for leaving extra bags of garbage by the curb.)
I'm probably the last person you should be talking to in order to get yourself off this path of procrastination. I know how hard it is to pack when most of your stuff is kinda shoddy but you've also been living skint for so long that you fear getting rid of anything that might come in handy.
All that I can do is suggest that you get yourself to pack up the stuff that you definitely want before your neighbors see it and ask for it.
I read the bolded sentence and thought you meant actual weed and "feed" like Cheetos. Like one would say they blew money on hookers and blow. lol The guy who lived here before us was an alcoholic who had a thing for shooting up all sorts of "targets" all over the place. After storms, I would find shards of beer bottles, pyrex bowls, and all sorts of other stuff all over the place. I started cleaning it up when I first started losing weight as exercise. I would rake up the glass and other crap out of big sections of the ash. I vowed to leave this piece of land better than I found it. And, I did manage to clean 3 acres and my neighbors probably thought I was on meth... However, at the time, the assumption was the next person who lived here would actually live here and have some reverence for the land like the Indians who inhabited it before us. Not that they would turn it into a grow house and probably make meth in the kitchen on the side... It's hard to turn off that urge to keep my promise to the land to care for it while it belonged to me. It's almost like this little patch of earth has been entrusted to me and I am completely screwing it over. It's kinda hard to explain without sounding like I need to go hug a tree. While I haven't been packing, I have been tossing and tossing and tossing. My trash guy doesn't charge me for all the extra stuff. I've been sending out a large cart plus 4-5 large cans every week. I'm also a regular donater at the thrift store. I've been living skint but with a promise to myself that when the kids moved out and I could have nice things that wouldn't be damaged, left in the yard, etc... I would finally buy what I want. When things broke, I bought something at the thrift store or went without. All that thrift store stuff that's now falling apart, chipped, ugly, etc... is going in the trash or back to the thrift store. Also, since I still have pain when I do too much and have to lift things to pack, into the Uhaul, out of the UHaul, back into a truck, and then into my next house, anything I don't feel is worth all that effort or isn't worth it financially is also getting tossed or donated. While I don't intend to go blow the bank to furnish my new house, I do plan to buy a few things I will need like a recliner, a nice set of cookware, etc... and not feel at all guilty about it. LOL, the weed 'n feed funny was completely unintentional. I wasn't thinking of weed or cheetos when I typed it. Honestly, I wasn't! I kinda wish that I were that phunny, but I'm not.
My experience with weed is almost entirely second-hand, but I am also fifty and feel no need to present myself publicly as some sort of ingenue. I'm old enough to be able to state publicly that I know that grow lamps kick out a ton of heat and notice that my supermarket sells a surprising amount of stoner-chow before and mostly during some surprisingly wholesome holidays.
I'm also not ashamed to describe myself as cheap. I'm a YMer,
We're supposed to be truth-tellers. Isn't that what anonymity is good for?
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Nov 13, 2019 21:14:55 GMT -5
The utility is putting in a request for a rate increase that on average will raise bills $25 a month, I can only imagine what ours will raise. Since they put the new smart meters in most everyones has raised. My guess is they pick up electric that "strayed" before.
We will pay with an electric heater in the garage for my old doggy.
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Nov 13, 2019 21:29:45 GMT -5
haapai: You described my inability to act when we were packing to move to another state. We did get moved and I was in some sort of shock and also home sick. Lost my confidence. I had talked about moving away since I was 10 years old. Then it happened. I am adjusting to my snowbird spot but I still have my other home.
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