4 ms·

What is expensive about its upkeep?

comrade1234 1y ago
In the last ten years: - roof replacement (replaced with metal so hopefully a longer-lived roof) - repaint and repair cabin, garage, shed - replace rotting deck - had to dig out a creek to replace a culvert and did proper landscaping as part of it - redo a big part of the landscaping to redirect water runoff away from the cabin while also installing drain tile - re-level the cabin and a shed where the ground had settled - converted from gas to all-electric (it's only a summer cabin so no need for gas) and so had to upgrade the electric connection (this change wasn't completely necessary but I just didn't like using gas) - replace the pump Coming up: - convert kitchen lighting to led from halogen tubes (ballasts are failing so may as well redo it all) - repair/replace parts of the fireplace outside because it was built with indoor bricks instead of outdoor so it's breaking apart That's just off the top of my head... I have a list of projects but I'm not getting out of my chair to get it :)
- DougN7 1y ago
  It sounds like many of these are going to have long lasting effects. That person that inherits from you will wonder why you thought it was so expensive. Good job :)
- fwipsy 1y ago
  To be fair, many of these are upgrades, not just repairs. Sounds like a lovely property though.
mikewarot 1y ago
Living in the city here... if you don't mow your lawn every week (due to long covid), you end up with a forest of volunteer trees, and a notice from the city. Everything has a maintenance cost, and it can be huge!
comrade1234 1y ago
It's not winterized so it would work as a spring to fall rental. However the land and cabin and neighboring land have been in our family for over 100 years and so there's lots of family-related stuff like artwork, antiques, etc that we'd have to put in storage. Instead I let people in the family use it for free.
- pjc50 1y ago
  Ah, so comparing https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45160374 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45160374 the cabin is actually doing the role of a storage unit. There's something similar going on with my grandmother's house, which my mother is hanging on to but no longer going to use as a holiday home quite so often now she's passed her 80th birthday. It has in it a piano (archetypal item that costs more to move, let alone store, than it's worth) and, yes, a set of china and wedding silverware.
socalgal2 1y ago
Property Tax?

In the last ten years: - roof replacement (replaced with metal so hopefully a longer-lived roof) - repaint and repair cabin, garage, shed - replace rotting deck - had to dig out a creek to replace a culvert and did proper landscaping as part of it - redo a big part of the landscaping to redirect water runoff away from the cabin while also installing drain tile - re-level the cabin and a shed where the ground had settled - converted from gas to all-electric (it's only a summer cabin so no need for gas) and so had to upgrade the electric connection (this change wasn't completely necessary but I just didn't like using gas) - replace the pump Coming up: - convert kitchen lighting to led from halogen tubes (ballasts are failing so may as well redo it all) - repair/replace parts of the fireplace outside because it was built with indoor bricks instead of outdoor so it's breaking apart That's just off the top of my head... I have a list of projects but I'm not getting out of my chair to get it :)

DougN7 1y ago
It sounds like many of these are going to have long lasting effects. That person that inherits from you will wonder why you thought it was so expensive. Good job :)
fwipsy 1y ago
To be fair, many of these are upgrades, not just repairs. Sounds like a lovely property though.

mikewarot 1y ago

Living in the city here... if you don't mow your lawn every week (due to long covid), you end up with a forest of volunteer trees, and a notice from the city. Everything has a maintenance cost, and it can be huge!

comrade1234 1y ago

It's not winterized so it would work as a spring to fall rental. However the land and cabin and neighboring land have been in our family for over 100 years and so there's lots of family-related stuff like artwork, antiques, etc that we'd have to put in storage. Instead I let people in the family use it for free.

pjc50 1y ago
Ah, so comparing https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45160374 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45160374 the cabin is actually doing the role of a storage unit. There's something similar going on with my grandmother's house, which my mother is hanging on to but no longer going to use as a holiday home quite so often now she's passed her 80th birthday. It has in it a piano (archetypal item that costs more to move, let alone store, than it's worth) and, yes, a set of china and wedding silverware.

socalgal2 1y ago

Property Tax?