Everything Comes in Threes?

Last Wednesday we had a homeowner's headache. The washing machine decided to go bonkers and when I researched the symptoms they said that it was a whole washer replacement. Later that night my hubby found out that the kitchen sink faucet was leaking under the counter. Fabulous. After hauling all of the crap that the average person keeps under the kitchen sink and checking the closet on the back of the same wall we found out that it was the faucet not a pipe in the wall. Thank God. Something inside of our Moen faucet broke. Whatever it was that broke it was causing corrosion on the inner parts. As a result we were losing water pressure in the faucet and water was leaking onto the counter.

Thursday I had the plumber and the appliance repair man in. The guy from the appliance repair store told me that the control chip was probably going and he would have to come back with another man to take the stacked dryer off and access the panel in the rear of the washer. He then proceeded to unplug it and plug it back in (which I had don the day before trying to troubleshoot on my own) and the washing machine suddenly cam back. Mike (the appliance guy) said that he wouldn't trust it but we've decided to go with it and see how long it lasts. When it goes we'll replace it then but since it's still working we'll leave it alone...

As for the faucet the plumber (Andy) came by and confirmed our suspicions. He tinkered around a bit and informed me that the cost of parts and labor to fix our corroded fixture would be more than a new faucet. He had brought a Kohler faucet similar to ours and I gave him the go ahead to install it. New faucet in place I was able to wash dishes and it was then that I noticed just how much the corrosion had affected the water pressure. It's amazing. Not only that but Andy informed me that Kohler faucets have a lifetime warranty. If corrosion hits I get a replacement! I like that!

Shopping and Moving!

While on vacation last week my husband and I found out that our bid was accepted on a newly built house! Our new house is on a quiet numbered route that only locals use and overlooks hills of conservation land. It's by far a better buy than the first home we offered on. We are now in the process of shopping. While our new home is mostly finished we get to choose flooring, formica for kitchen counter tops, light fixtures, and appliances. Now the down side with this is that the allowances for all these things are only token amounts. For kitchen appliances we're looking at spending about $3,000-$4,000. A front loading washer and dryer adds an additional three grand. Our flooring allowance includes installation so any dreams of all hardwood floors and tile are busted.

On the upside we get to choose everything so we get to customize our look....the downside is that movers are completely out of the question. Out of the movers I've priced the lowest was $2,200 with the highest being at $2,600. All of that to move out of a 750 square foot condo. That's with us packing and taking all of our furniture apart. That's money that we have decided that we'd rather put towards appliances, lighting, etc. Well more on that later!

Try #2

So I didn't post this last week but my husband and I put an offer on a house. Sadly there was a previous offer that was accepted over ours. We were naturally bummed but we have found another house that is actually located in the same neighborhood and are planning to place an offer on it tonight. A little smaller but better landscaped and larger yard and located on a cul-du-sac which I think is better for kids.

I've been so stressed out searching for a home. It's natural but it doesn't make it any easier. There is a fear that sits on you. Is this the house? Should you make an offer? If you don't make an offer now will the house still be available later? House buying can be really stressful. I have found a few things to ease my own stress.

1. Make lists. They are your friends. We made a list of our minimum requirements, would likes, and ideal house attributes. The candidates with the most checks wins.
2. Don't deny your instinct. If you walk into a house and something just doesn't sit well then most likely that's not the house for you.
3. If you're unsure or if your spouse or you have to talk your partner into a house...it's not likely to be the house for you. 
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY! DON'T SETTLE! A home is long term investment and with any luck you'll be living there for at least 5-10 years. Make sure that it's a home that you are happy with, not settling for!

Vacations & Kisses

YAY! My son came back from his week long vacation with his grandmother and grandfather (on my side) and I'm so happy to have him home again! It was the first time since his birth (he's 15 months now) that he's been away from me for more than a couple of nights. My hubby and my friends have kept me busy during the write-in for my writing group, walks in the park (yep, I'm serious about that), redoing my business website and house hunting. Thank God for all of that or I may have cried myself to sleep every night, I missed him so much! I did get a much needed rest though and my hubby and I got some quality time together to be a couple which we haven't really had since our son was born.

When my mom brought him home yesterday she told me about all his adventures and showed me pictures of him petting a frog and riding in the hay wagon with grandma. He also learned to give kisses while he was away and I can't get enough of them! He give little open-mouthed kisses without any sound. He is so adorable! Tomorrow we're going to my in-law's annual 4th of July BBQ and I hope that he'll be willing to give kisses to his other grandparents too!