The Joys of Home Ownership - The Money Pit

I was just finishing the firm corporate tax return yesterday when I received a call from Matt, one of the roommates, advising me that there was a sound of running water under the dining room of my house (pictured at left in a nearly 3 year old photo). Having done much of the rehab work myself with my former b/f, I am well acquainted with where all the water lines run and the ONLY section of pipe in the entire house that had not been replaced runs right under the dining room. I rushed back the house – a 5 minute or less drive – and sure enough that pipe had sprung a leak and was spraying water everywhere. Fortunately, (1) the hole in the pipe was not big and (2) the roommates were cool about it all and we filled jugs and pails with water and shut the water off at the meter, turning it on only while we showered this morning (not together for those of you with dirty minds, although they are both really cute).

Most likely the pipe that blew out is as old as the house – circa 1917 – and gave out now that the 1909 vintage city water lines on my street have just been replaced, thereby significantly increasing the water pressure (the street has yet to be repaved and resembles a war zone). Since Old Dominion University is expanding closer towards my street (I am 3 blocks from where new low rise office/research buildings park will be constructed), the city is upgrading all if the infrastructure in the area. It will be nice when it is all done, but until then it sucks.

I much prefer being a homeowner as opposed to renting, but there surely are days when it would be ever so nice to just pick up the telephone and call the maintenance folks and throw the problem into someone else’s lap. Like last month when it was the furnace that decided to have a small part that controls the ignition system/thermostat go out of whack. Sadly, the cost of replacing the part was not in keeping with its diminutive size.