Mrs C and I
will be moving into our new home during the Christmas weekend. We collected the
keys two Fridays ago. As with most things nowadays, the entire process was highly
publicized as the government wanted to make sure we and the greater public knew
of their generosity (especially with next
year being an election year). Step-by-step, we're being introduced to the
subtle intricacies involved with becoming homeowners. Here's the process so far:
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- Attend “key
giving ceremony” held at the new community site. Endure speeches, singing entertainers
and shameless political plugs.
- Four and a
half hours later, finally collect keys.
- Wait for obligatory
photo op (which we thankfully managed to avoid).
- Receive instructions
about having up to one month to be fully moved in and, in the meantime, you can
basically come and go as you please.
- Go check
out the new digs and wonder how the place went from clean and completely
undamaged during the walkthrough to:
- having a portion of the wall which needs to be repainted after a window was replaced (the old window frame was left lying the front yard for an added touch)
- having a broken hinge on the window in the back bedroom
- having a moss-caked kitchen sink
- At this
point make a note of issues to add to the form you received with your package to
list any defects you may find within the first three months.
(It should be noted that, based on feedback from other owners of government-provided housing, following the submitting
of said defects report, one should proceed to initiate repairs one’s self since
the providers of your new home may never actually send someone to repair whatever
is broken.)
- Return some
days later to move some of your stuff in and put curtains up to realize half the
house has been flooded after the shower faucet came partially out of the wall.
- Turn off
water main to house, spend several hours mopping up.
- Finally hang curtains and move
stuff in as initially planned.
- Add broken
shower to the defects form for the sake of formality.
- Start
looking up plumbers since you’ll have to fix this problem yourself.
- Almost faint from
shock as you receive a call informing the work crew will be in the area to
assess what repairs need to be done.
- Take time
off from work, go back to house and meet with contractors, show them everything that’s
broken, exchange numbers and agree to be back again the following day to see
what can be done.
- Take a
second day off, go back to house again, wait, wait, call contractor, find out they are not
going to show because it’s two days before Christmas and the boss can’t
convince the workmen to show up.
- Be told they'll they will come back to get started after New Year's... Sometime after New Year's.
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This is where the list ends for now. Until the shower issue is sorted out, we will have to keep the water main turned off when we're not using the water. So far, owning a home is turning out to be more of an "adventure" than I anticipated.
Whoa. I can relate. Generally speaking though, it's worth it. Plus, it's all good if you have a good bed.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're having all of these issues! If it makes you feel better I had a toadstool growing beside my tub one winter...
ReplyDeleteYIKES! That's not fun. If it helps, my house growing up persistently had a Wasp Nest problem. WASP. NEST. PROBLEM. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. After buying our house, every time it rains, it's a new adventure to track down what's leaking and another phone call to our roofer who could be listed as one of the original builders at this point with all the work he's put into it.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, because it's still better than flushing your money down the rent toilet.
It's well after Christmas now, so I'm hoping you are moved in and repairs have been made! Hopefully you'll show us some pics!! Congratulations :)
ReplyDeleteHate to break this to you. We have lived here 41 years and have spent almost every waking hour getting the place into shape to sell to some other sucker. And loved every minute of it!
ReplyDelete