Owning a home thrusts you into a constant process of making difficult decisions. When a problem starts, do you fix it yourself or call a professional? Do you repair it or replace it?
At times, that decision is obvious. When I bought this house, I knew the windows would need replacing. None of them were broken, they were just an older model of casement windows that weren’t particularly good at insulating the house. Newer windows are all double-paned, and the frames are meant to last longer. Additionally, the casement windows were a pain to open – I had to remove the screen, unlatch the window, push it open, then put the screen back in.
This summer, my dryer stopped spinning. Looking at the notes from my home inspection (always get one before buying a house!), it stated that the washer and dryer were dated and should be replaced at some point. While I debated between a replacement and repair, I improvised a stand for my clothesline and started air drying my clothes again. The dryer has since been repaired – the belt had broken, which isn’t a terrible expensive repair – and when I had my water softener serviced for the year, that guy commented that you can’t get durable machines like my washer and dryer anymore. That made me feel better about my decision to repair them.
On the other hand, I have a wooden door out the side of my attached garage with a crack in it. And while it’s neat to look at the light shining through it and make Doctor Who references, come winter it will reduce the efficiency of the heater in the garage. The garage is home to my washer, dryer, well pressure tank, full-size freezer, hot water heater, and boiler, plus occasionally my car, so maintaining a proper temperature in the winter is somewhat essential. So that’s on the replacement list.
Meanwhile, the lock on my front door just needed a bit of WD-40 when the key wouldn’t go all the way in. It’s a never-ending process of updating the house, the garden, or both, along with deciding whether to do it yourself or hire a professional.