Gripes Of A Property Owner

[poliphilo]

It's only a couple of years since we had one shed roof replaced and the other patched but this winter the wind got under them both and tore off sections of the corrugated plastic sheeting we'd used and now every day I'm picking up strips and splinters that have peeled off overnight.

We should have used heavier-duty material, but- to be honest- we were kicking the problem a short way down the road in the expectation that by the time it had to be dealt with again someone else would be living here.

When you take on property of any kind- land or bricks and mortar or objets d'art- you commit yourself to a never-ending battle against entropy.

Comments

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, this sounds familiar.

But on the flip side, renting isn't a bundle of laughs either. Fighting entropy by proxy isn't much fun.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, I can see that.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

Most boats are built from materials that really don't like water. They should ideally be kept in a dry, temperature-controlled space.

The same goes for most buildings.

I have load-bearing walls made of un-fired bricks, so basically that's just dried mud... If my roof leaks I'll have have a pile of mud! But in a sense I like the fragility of my house; this building only stands if somebody cares for it. Otherwise it returns to the land.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

I've often thought the best place to build a home would be inside an abandoned aircraft hangar.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I'd prefer to build a house inside an industrial-sized greenhouse. Lots of passive solar energy, "outdoor space" where you can sit with your morning coffee every day of the year, low heating bills...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think those in-fired bricks would worry me.

This house is an early 19th century cottage with several bits bolted on. There are cracks in the wall, the roof needs replacing, it's in pressing need of redecoration. We used to say, "Well, it'll last out my mother's time" but her time just keeps on going on and on...

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Home ownership is not for wimps my dad used to say. He also said that you should always go for the best and most lasting repairs one can afford. We have tried to do that but sometimes it doesn't seem worth it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We came down here to look after my mother- and never expected to stay so long. The main idea is to keep the roof on the building for as long as she needs it. Really we should be spending thousands on repairs but doubt that she'd survive the upheaval.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are right. It's not worth inflicting that sort of thing on her.