New House New Problems

I love our new home. Lots of room for our big family. Out in the country. Lots of room for whatever it is we decide to do when the weather is nice. In the same school district. It felt like home from day one. No awkward first night. Which I have never ever experienced before. It has a little of the old and new qualities about it. There are things that do need help right now.

It's a 118 year old home with some improvement put in place here and there over the years. As well as some not so great improvements as my husband has found out.

Not So Great - Electrical- Outlets that don't work. Wires that are live that shouldn't be. Things from different floors of the house hook up to the same switch on the circuit board. Is that what it's called. Please forgive me if I don't have the right names for these things.

Not So Great- Plumbing- water lines have only one turn off for the hole house.
 
Not So Great- Windows -which had no seal around them or caulking . So some have had water damage and others you can feel wind through the outside of the frames. We have a room that the window was too damaged to have anyone stay in the room over the winter so minus one for now. So my two girls get to share for now. The baby isn't complaining and big sis knows that she hasn't been forgotten. We will fix her room when we can.

Not So Great- Insulation- Since we have been lucky enough to move right as winter hit we are on insulating recon. Off to the store for boxes of the plastic window covering ,caulking, spray foam,  door sealer and what ever else we could think of.

Not So Great- Basement- Huge gap they left around the doors going to the basement. Letting mice and all other kinds of awful creatures into the house. To take care of the creepy crawly critters we called All American Termite and Pest Control Service. We've always gotten the best service from them.

Not So Great- Duct Work- Yes even the ducts are a mess. They are only half metal the other half they used the existing floor above, cracks and all, to shoot the hot air through to the house. Now the basement is nice and warm and the other floors are by some miracle comfortable.

Right now electrical is a big focus for my husband as well as tearing into the make shift office that we have. Which we found that the fiberglass insulation installed was put in backwards. No wonder we had such a draft coming from that room. Oh the joys of home ownership.

For anyone else looking for cost savers for their home I suggest visiting This Old House they have the best list I have come across as of yet. Be sure to scroll the hole page they have many links to visit on the subject of home saving.