JULIE GARDNER
  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS

The BIG BLUE TARP!

4/13/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​"Hey Julie," came the email from my System Paver's rep and new BFF, Beth Froelicher,"Would you like to be my guest at the Bay Area Renovation Awards on Wednesday evening? We have a good shot at winning!" 

Beth was referring to the stunning garden project she and her hard-working crew from System Pavers installed last year in my garden here in Oakland (designed by Chris Ford of CFLA). It included not just stone pathways and a new driveway, but a complete outdoor kitchen, a large two-tiered patio with stone columns, and a gas-burning fireplace as well. Even by my standards, it was an ambitious and complicated project, so I was flattered to hear that it had been submitted for an award. (Of course, I want to go! Thank you for thinking of me.) ​

In fact, it turned out so well that I was approached to be a participant for the annual CSL Heart of the Home Tour last spring. And for those of you who have ever been asked and are on the fence, (a gardening reference to be sure, because why not?) there's nothing like inviting a few thousand people to walk through your property that prioritizes those overdue "repairs" quite like a MASSIVE public viewing!

In any case, I was happy to help raise funds for a great cause (see below) and I'm relieved that they asked me LAST year, because THIS year, I've got a BIG blue tarp on my house, covering my wrap-around porch, and I am definitely not alone. I've spied more than a few blue tarps around the neighborhood, so I'm not the only one in emergency mode. (As a short-term "fix," a tarp will do, but as a long-term solution? Not so much.)

It seems that the construction on a section under the porch doesn't slope away from the building as it should. As a result, the rain pools under the deck and sits on the flat surface until it finds a way to escape. Thus, we've developed a pesky leak in my mother-in-law's garden apartment, which has gone from simply irritating to a wet, sloppy mess. Oh, and did I mention, that damage from rain is probably NOT covered by insurance? (That hasn't stopped me from making a claim you understand, just in case.) Ughhh!!!

Of course, it didn't help that I've waited too long to repair the leak, citing the inconvenience to Zee, the added expense, and the upcoming storms as all legitimate reasons for not attacking the problem sooner. (Right???) Which isn't to say that I did nothing, but that the solutions the original contractor devised were merely band-aids and clearly, didn't address the real issues at all, which is incorrect construction and poor water-proofing from the start . . . but that's another story for another day. 

Cut to: a new contractor, ripped-out drywall, soggy insulation, and a dismantled porch while we wait for studs to dry out before we rebuild. (That's no fun at all.)

But beyond my "poor me" pity party, what's my point? 

The point is (grasshopper), that homes - like gardens - aren't static by nature as NATURE has a way of gaining the upper hand. Wind, rain, hail, snow, lightning, underground water, creeping soil, trees, and all manner of "natural" elements can, and DO create havoc on our homes, especially when we have an extended deluge, as we did last week. (Quick, get the buckets and some towels!)

Still, it could be much worse. A month ago, I looked at a "contractor's special" on tour that had so much rot, the roof was essentially gone, as were several of the floor boards and joists below. (It had been leaking for years (!!!), not weeks.) In fact, it was so dangerous, that REALTORS were required to sign a release prior to going inside. In short, left untended, small problems can(and DO!) escalate over time into HUGE expenses and less than ideal living situations.  

So apart from an annual spring cleaning (seriously, throw out or donate all the stuff you no longer use or need! You'll thank me later.), now is a great time to take stock of some of the "deferred maintenance" you've been putting off to create a punch list, AND then, call someone to help you tackle the "To Dos!" (The calling for help is the important part in this scenario.) Listen, if we're willing to have our cars serviced every 10,000 miles or so, shouldn't we do the same for our homes? (Why yes, we should.) 

Unfortunately, our houses don't light up the way our cars do with a bright red "maintenance required!" symbol on the dash board. (That reminds me, I've got to get the truck in for its tune-up.) So it's up to us to be aware of the changes in our home and then to act upon any indications that things might need attention. (Hint: mold IS a red flag, as are bubbling paint, cracks in the walls, clogged gutters, standing water . . . I'm just sayin'.)

According to nearly every online source I researched, homeowners will spend $2,000-$10,000 annually on home maintenance and should save more in a separate bank account for larger ticket items such as new roofs, drainage, windows, and other major repairs that present less often, but will undoubtedly show up at some point in time. In fact, every article recommended saving 1% of your purchase price for repairs on an annual basis! (They couldn't have factored in Bay Area prices into that equation, could they?) Welcome to the world of home ownership.

Remember, homeowners' insurance is for emergencies only, (Don't ask why rain damage doesn't qualify as an emergency; I have no idea.) and certainly, insurance doesn't cover replacing roofs and ongoing replacements/repairs that ALL homes will require over time. . . In any case, I'm taking the experts' advice and opening up an account today so that next year, I hopefully won't have to face this problem again (during tax season, no less), but if I do, I won't wipe out my savings account to pay for it. Honestly, the timing could not have been worse. 

Uhhhh, well yes it could; how 'bout if it had happened last year, one week before the tour? (Okay, that would have been much worse.)

Given that for most of us, our homes represent our single, largest asset, keeping our properties fit and in good working order doesn't just make good sense, it makes GOOD CENTS! (You feel me?)

Oh, BTW, my garden won for best "Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living." (Woo-hoo!) Good thing the voting committee didn't drive by my house today, but relied on last year's tarpless photos instead!  

How can I help you?

(Under the heading of "Misery Loves Company," send me your house horror stories. I'd love to hear them.)
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    Author

    Julie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 670 essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Design
    Drought
    Holiday
    Home Maintenance
    Homes For Sale
    Life
    Market
    Politics
    Renovation

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Piedmont · Oakland · Berkeley
 510.326.0840
julie@juliegardner.com
DRE# 01431765
​COMPASS

  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS