My old home...

[tommystinson]

Well, since the Members Lounge is the place for all "civil-toned off topic chatter" I figured I could cry about my maintenance intensive home here. Its a lot like the XS: needs lots of money and time that I'll never recoup. LOL! Wisdom gained allows this: New home+old motorcycle=OK Old home+new motorcycle=OK New home+new motorcycle=Well good for you, cause you probably don't know how to fix anything. Old home+old motorcycle=Why God? How have I offended thee? How about some old house stories from fellow XSives?

[dmac82]

New Home-Old motorcycle = Great Life

I feel for ya, I went from an older home that took all my time, no time to restore/ride bike, to a newer two-story (built in 1993) home. Problem is, newer home came with a pool and enough landscaping to bring tears to Martha Stewart's eyes. Not enough money to pay someone to maintain pool and jungle, had to do it myself. Still no time for bike riding/bike maintenance.

They started building new (April this year) homes right behind us and I was able to talk SWMBO into buying one. It is a single story, no pool, one tree home and I hope to keep it just like it is. I've been down the house maintenance road too much, now it's time to ride!!!

Good Luck!

[Pat Kelly]

A year after buying my XS we bought our 1st house. Built in the early 50's. Cinderblock walls on a cement slab. 3 bd 1 ba and there's 6 of us, Wife and me and 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl.
Last summer we started our own addition to the house consisting of a master bed and bath and a rec room. Total of 550 square feet. Wife and I (and her Dad) did all of it. The sole XSception being the linoleum in the bathroom.
Came out pretty nice. Only thing left is grading the backyard so the dirt is no higher than the new slab. Uncle Spot has seen it. I can send a link to my Yahoo photos for a "play by play" of all the work we did.

[UncleSpot]

yeah, I've seen Pat's place; WAY too much work for me...

when my wife and I were looking for a house we settled on a place that was:
1) affordable
2) "ready to move into" (no "fixes" needed...)
3) ...and it wouldn't NEED to be worked on for at least 3-5 yrs

I have an 80 SG and 80 LG parts doner, and the ONLY thing that keeps me from working on the bike is a lack of time... but I find it because the SG is the only transportation I have right now

[LoserShoes]

I live in a 150 year old farm house. It's built about as rugged as the XS. Granite block foundation set right on bedrock, hasn't moved an inch since it was built. Replaced the heating system and updated plumbing. Needs roof now. Worth lots more now then what I paid for it. Some yuppie will pay dearly to live here when I decide to sell.

Steve

[John]

Ain't that the truth!

I have looked at some homes in the Waterville/Fairfield/Winslow area, and the prices were outragous! $150k for some of those older places that are in need of thousands of dollars in repairs, uninsulated, probably need upgraded, effcient heating systems, upgraded storm windows, and some foundation repair. Some that I have seen online, some I personally know, and I sure as hell wouldn't pay more for them than what I paid for my 35 year old house here in Tx. The old house in Fairfield that I grew up in was over 150 years old, and it really needed a major overhaul, or a match. The wiring was old, cloth insulated, and it was run along the outside of the baseboards, and up the outside of the walls to the ceiling lights. Same with the plumbing. The pipes leading to and from the second floor were exposed as they went up the walls. When the house was built, there was no indoor bathroom. There used to be a 'little house behind the big house', but one of the closets for one of the second floor bedrooms was converted to a small bathroom.
I think some of the sellers, or agents must think they are sitting on a gold mine, just because they think they can get top dollar from some big city folks that sell there overpriced shacks in Boston or NYC, and have big bucks to spend on another house in some 'hick' town in Maine or NH or Vermont.

[Street_Rat78]

LoserShoes - Bangor Maine...

How far from Bar Harbor are you?

Been up there once to a nice little B&B previously owned by distant realitives. That was some beautiful country ... and that's saying a lot seeings as I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountians.

[Street_Rat78]

Old Bike + New House = No Money

Sat down with SWMBO this weekend and decided not to buy a house. Instead we are going to buy land and have a log house built. Looking over the figures, it's only going to cost us about $150 more a month on the mortgage and should save a lot more than that on repairs, renovations, heat/AC, and so on.

So, all in all, I'm pretty excited about the prospect.

[tommystinson]

My place is 95 years old, cedar shakes, oak floors-all that good "old house" stuff. It's got hot water radiators for heat, and get this: It has the original boiler. Figure 40% efficient It's gravity fed, and would probably run the next 200 years if anyone could afford it! But with gas prices being what they are, the boiler really needs replacement. Problem is, we need a new roof as well but the "money tree" out back died a long time ago! Maybe Santa will bring shingles and therms for Christmas.

[kf4anm]

solution

100K + with a high ass payment. no life after mortgage is paid or
2500$ trailer house paid in full and all the toys i want.

easy choice, shanty house rules

[LoserShoes]

Basically up here I stay away from Bar Harbor and all the tourists, and head north where there is basically just trees. We have the best section of the Appalation trail about an hour north of here. Can't take the XS on that though.

Steve

[chevy45412001]

kf4anm

i hear you there. Got mine for free.Long story. But lot rent is a killer here,xspecialy you can't do major work on stuff on the driveway.But i like 67 dollar taxes at the end of the year..

[kf4anm]

yup that 80 bucks tax and 369 lot aint to bad. don't feel bad at least you and i not paying 200 a year neighborhood association fees so they can tell you that you can't work on the car in the front yard and what kind of bulb you have to use in the outside light. we are saving up like steet-rat to put on a log home on some propery i have down south.


"shanty house customs" rule!

[prometheus578]

Ten years ago bought the last house on a deadend street, woods on three sides. (didn't really like the layout of the house, but had a two car garage and a two car attached shed)
Now I'm surrounded by $300,000 yuppie mansions! Oooh... just wait till I sell! $$$$
"What's with all the bikes lying around... and those doll heads on stakes in the yard?" "Why are there animal skulls nailed to your fence?" (serves as a warning to other tunnelling moles)
"Hey, Pal... you moved next to me. I didn't move next to you! You don't like my noosed mannequin in the tree and I don't like your lawn flamingoes. I was here first!"

[DeanR]

Tommy, Have to ask about that old "gravity fed" boiler. A friend has big iron radiators that never feel hot (just nicely warm), there is no pump, you never hear anything working, and the house temp always stays just right. He's never figured out how the darn system works. Does this sound similar to yours? And what would a gravity fed water sytem mean?