Everyone, Say "Hello!"

Hello House!



Hello beer bottle in the backyard:



Hello, duct taped gutters:





Hello, er...walkway(?):



Hello lawn decor:



Hello wasps!



Hello, "freshly painted walls:" (**cough, hack**)









Hello, garage door opener track that has been jerry-rigged so it's cutting/gouging into the drywall each time the door is opened or closed:



And hello to you, exposed-fiberglass-insulation-in-the-garage-ceiling-that-covers-the-entire-area:



Hello water heater, propped up and tilted on cinder blocks:



Hello light boxes falling away from the ceiling, hanging on by only a few screws:



... a few things I've learned this past week...

*Renting over the internet might not be such a great thing, especially when the property manager posts photos online from THREE TENANTS PAST. Oh my, those photos were downright flattering. Flattering enough to make us want to rent. Surprise, surprise, surprise (go Gomer!) once we arrived.

*While it's wonderful having household goods delivered the day after arriving at one's new home, it's not so great when a painting crew is hired the evening before to peel the paint from the walls (oh yes, they PEELED IT OFF IN SHEETS), patch, mud, sand, and prime, with painting occuring as the moving truck pulls up in the driveway.

*When speaking with the property manager pre-rental, don't just ask "is the garage finished?" Ask things like "Is there exposed fiberglass insulation (rotted in places) hanging from the ceiling?" "Is the garage TALLER THAN MY HUSBAND?" or "DEFINE 'finished.'"

*Make sure to keep receipts (okay, so I already knew this one, but it's worth bringing up for other renters out there) for any and all improvements you have to do to the property, and by gum, make sure you negotiate an agreement that you can write them off of your rent each month.

*My definition of "house in MOVE-IN condition" is obviously different from other peoples'. My definition is better.

*And finally, it's awesome having a great big tattooed Harley Tech/Soldier husband, because when the retired military property manager tells you "Well, you've lived in military housing before, this shouldn't be bad for you at all," SGM Grumpy can growl and assert his impression of what is and isn't acceptable for his family...and oh my, what an impressive scene that is!

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Never fear, dear Readers! While we've had to deal with the not-so-fun elements of moving this past week, we've also met some pretty terrific people too: the painters on the paint crew, our gutter service guy (more on him tomorrow), the DISH installer (he stayed for dinner), and we're looking forward to meeting the air conditioner repairperson sometime today. Oh yes, we're really looking forward to that visit!

*****

It's a few weeks before school starts, so check back in periodically as I'll be posting some helpful tips and ideas about setting up your classroom, making lunch time easier for kindergartners who bring "home" lunch, and any other news from the world of public education!