Home Buying Tips
Lessons From a First-Time Home Buyer: It’s Going to Be a Long Spring
I know that Spring is supposed to be an exciting and beautiful time. Yet, I find that, more and more, it’s the season I dread the most. That’s partially because of what the pollen and other airborne particles do to my allergies — but also because of how the Spring season affects me as a homeowner.
So why am I so down on this blooming season? Here are a few key reasons.
3 Reasons Why I Hate the Springtime as a Homeowner
3 Reasons Why I Hate the Springtime as a Homeowner
Storms
I’ve talked before about how severe weather freaks me out — and how high winds and other elements have already wreaked some havoc on our home. That’s why I’ve been a bit stressed this week as severe weather chances have begun to pop up, with more on the way.
Even when there’s not a threat of high winds, hail, or tornadoes, just the rain itself can do a number on our home. Lately, when it’s rained a lot, we’ve had a mysterious drip appear in our living room (one more issue to add to the “probably should get fixed at some point when we have money” list). As for the outside, it seems to be particularly muddy these days, which I blame on the long-lasting snow we had a few weeks ago. That means each time we take the dog out, we end up having to clean the floors as well. Lastly, heavy rains also get us thinking about the efficiency of our gutter system and whether we might be causing damage to our foundation. Oh, the joys of homeownership, eh?
Lawn Maintenance
Between all of the rain and the warmer temperatures, surely our lawn will be growing in soon. And once it does, it grows remarkably quickly. That means that, within the next couple of weekends or so, it will likely be time to bust out the lawnmower once again. Sigh.
On top of that, it seems that each Spring graces us with a different type of weed or other annoying species that manages to grow even faster and more aggressively than the grass itself! At least we don’t have a homeowners’ association to get on our case about how bad our lawn looks, but it’s no fun nonetheless.
Critters
I’ll admit that I do love watching squirrels play in our backyard, running up and down our tree and along the fence. Similarly, even if I find their droppings annoying, the bunny rabbits that hop around back there are also great. What’s less great are the damn birds.
To be clear, the birds wouldn’t be so bad if they kept to the spaces they belong, like the aforementioned tree. Instead, they’ve started trying to come closer. Occasionally, I can hear them on my roof, which can’t be good. Worst of all, though, is that some have taken to attacking our chimney and managed to punch a couple of holes in the wood. I’m honestly baffled by the progress they’ve made and can only imagine how much it will cost to find a solution.
The moral of the story is that life is not Snow White, and not all critters are as sweet and cute as they may seem.
Springtime should be great. There’s warmer weather, prettier skies, and everything just feels more alive. Alas, for me, Spring also comes with a lot of headaches (sometimes literally) that have only grown worse since I became a homeowner.
Of course, while this time of year has proven challenging for us and our house, it hasn’t been all bad. So, while stuffed-up, waterlogged, tired-of-thunder me may be a bit bitter right now, I’ll still try to focus on all the positive aspects of homeownership… when I’m not shooing away birds.
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