08-15-2011, 05:09 AM
Deborahs post reminded me of a garage sale we went to in the first few months we were here....this was at one of the coastal homes in HPP...one that always looked clean & crisp from the roadway...and even more so up close...every tool in the garage was clean & painted black (even saw blades)... no rust anywhere...
Talking to the homeowner, they said that it wasn't that much maintenance, just wash all of the windows weekly, powerwash the exterior monthly, clean & wax, oil or paint every tool after every use....
So it has a lot to do with perspective.... electricity rate is high, but for us, our total utility bill is electricity & water, we have no heating oil, no heating gas & and we do not need AC in the summer ...so our TOTAL yearly utility bill is the combination of our electric & water (we do have county water)....even with the higher elec. rate & the fact that we pay for water, it is less that our combined utility in IL....and we had a private well in IL, so did not pay for water...)
On the same note, if you look the maintenance of weeding & trimming & cleaning, oiling, waxing & painting as just something you do all the time, it may seem like not much (we are still not totally there...but the neighbors I know that do it, seem to not mind & seem to think it is no big deal ... so maybe it is a zen state of maintenance....)
ETA - one the plus note of maintenance... haven't HAD to shovel any snow since moving here... (did shovel a little once, but that was for fun & did not HAVE to!)
Talking to the homeowner, they said that it wasn't that much maintenance, just wash all of the windows weekly, powerwash the exterior monthly, clean & wax, oil or paint every tool after every use....
So it has a lot to do with perspective.... electricity rate is high, but for us, our total utility bill is electricity & water, we have no heating oil, no heating gas & and we do not need AC in the summer ...so our TOTAL yearly utility bill is the combination of our electric & water (we do have county water)....even with the higher elec. rate & the fact that we pay for water, it is less that our combined utility in IL....and we had a private well in IL, so did not pay for water...)
On the same note, if you look the maintenance of weeding & trimming & cleaning, oiling, waxing & painting as just something you do all the time, it may seem like not much (we are still not totally there...but the neighbors I know that do it, seem to not mind & seem to think it is no big deal ... so maybe it is a zen state of maintenance....)
ETA - one the plus note of maintenance... haven't HAD to shovel any snow since moving here... (did shovel a little once, but that was for fun & did not HAVE to!)