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Shoring Up the House

Recently, we've been working on getting our house in shape. And, no, that is NOT a metaphor.

We called in RamJet to drive pilings into the ground, so the foundation could be shored up. Cost: $4200. Not cheap, but necessary. We may bring them back again to do the other sides of the house (which are not in bad shape). We'll see.

We are also going to be bringing in people to repair/improve some windows. After the tornado ripped through Rock Hill, we had several windows broken. There is a deal going on now, and we want to take advantage of it - Buy 1, get 1 free. Plus 36 months to pay, same as cash.

If we had planned better, we would have done this before I retired. But, we put off the decision, and have to manage it now.

If you are in the pre-retirement phase, walk around your house (inside and out), and make notes on things you'd like to change/update. Consider:

  • Gutters/roof
  • Taking down aging trees (unbelievably expensive!)
  • Foundations
  • Driveways/sidewalks
  • Insulation
  • Windows
  • Major appliances - are they reaching the end of their life cycle?
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
Better to spend the money BEFORE you retire. It's also easier to get those short-term credit deals while employed.

Most major jobs will have a X number of months same as cash option. Figure out what you can afford each month, and set up automatic payments. The savings can be considerable.

It really doesn't matter whether you plan to age in place, or sell and move elsewhere - these repairs/improvements need to be done. Decide which that will be - stay or go - because you'll want to consider which improvements would pay off in increased sale price, if you do chose to sell.

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