Sabrina's Adventures

Home Repairs

I have a full unfinished basement and I've noticed over the last 2 weeks that there has been water in my basement. At first, we thought it was from the master bath's toilet but one morning after eating cereal, I noticed this white substance in the water. The milk from my cereal...so then I knew it was from my kitchen sink.

My mom had been having some plumbing problems and found that most plumbers charge around $70/hr. I surely can't afford that, so I went looking in the classifieds and found an ad for a handyman. I called him on Friday night around 7:00 pm and he came out then to find the problem and give an estimate and all for FREE!!! We found the hole in a pipe and he said he would be back on Saturday to fix it for about $40.

He was a really nice man and very professional and did a great job. Everything was fixed and no more leaks. I wanted to share his name and number/email with everyone in case you need a handyman. He said his specialty is remodeling, but he does odd jobs on the side.

The company is Bentley's Handyman Services and his name is Tracy. His number is 423-316-3728. Give him a call if you need any work done, I think you'll be pleased with the service.

It's always nice to find someone willing to you help you and not feel the need to rip you off.

Time for a New Stove

My friend, Cindy, just blogged about her dishwasher leaking and how she had to call Sears to fix it. Luckily, her dishwasher was still under warranty. We talked about how houses can be all about repairs and costly.

Well, I need a new stove. Mine came with my house and it's VERY old. So old; that I can't even date it. It's about 42 inches wide and really nice because it has about a foot of extra space on the side of the burners. Last night, I went to make a taco bake and when I turned it on, I remembered I needed to take out the old liner and put in some new one(aluminum foil). I went to pick up the bottom coil and it pulled away from the back of the stove. There were 2 screws missing and that is why it just laid on the floor of the oven. Anyway, I thought I fixed it enough to use it and as soon as I turned it on, it started smoking.

I don't play around with electrical things and I worry too much about fires; so it's time for me to make that trip to Home Depot and get me a new stove. I got a new refrigerator this past summer so now I'll get a stove to match the stainless steel.

Houses are nice; but costly at times.

New Roof

This is my new roof. You can click on the picture to make it bigger because it was really hard to get a close up of it since my house is pretty high. I think it would really look great if I had black shutters; so that is the next thing I'm going to get for the house.

My plans are next year, new shutters and new windows. That pretty much is all I need for my house to be complete. I'd love a pool and that is something I'm going to work for in the next 2 years.

The roofers did a great job installing the roof and the cleanup was amazing. It only took them 2 days to install. Great job, Home Depot!!!!

Roof in Progress

The roofing crew has been at my house since 8:00 this morning working on my new roof. They left around 6:00 and they have laid half of the shingles of my new roof.

It looks good, so far, but it's not complete with the trimming. They say they will be here at 6:00 in the morning and be finished by 3:00 pm. I can't to see the finished product.

The only thing I don't like about the whole thing is the mess that is in my front and back yard. I just want to go out there and clean up. Plus there are a lot of nails in my driveway on yard. Not a good thing for your car tires.

But anyway; I like having a new roof and improving the value of my house so I will definitely be posting a picture of the new roof.

Good People in the World

There are still good people in the world. Yesterday, I had someone come out about my broken limb and he was really a great guy. He basically had us name our own price and then took lower than what I offered. If anyone needs tree service; let me know and I'll email you his information.

I'm so excited about getting my new roof. I'm getting the Architectural design type and for those who don't know what this is; they create a beautiful, multidimensional effect on your roof. Here's a sample roof to show you what I mean. It really is a beautiful roof. I'm getting it in black.

So, my tree has been cut; my roof will be installed and next is our vacation to Orlando!!!

Always Something

Being a homeowner definitely has it's pros and cons.

Pros
You own your own home
Privacy
Long-term investment

Cons
Repairs
Lawn Care
Repairs

When I bought this house; I knew the roof leaked, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Of the 3 years I've lived here, it has leaked twice. Well, it's that time to get a new roof. I should have a new roof by next weekend.

This morning, I got up, cleaned house and then took Diesel to be groomed. Went to a couple of yard sales and just enjoyed my day off looking forward to this long Memorial Day weekend.

When I got home; Shane had me go to the backyard and see if I noticed anything. This is what I finally saw.

Luckily, it missed my fence and more importantly, it missed my neighbors house. I just had a tree service, that will remain anonymous, come out and give me an estimate to just cut the branch off and haul it off. The estimate was a minimum of $250.

Another company is on their way and I'm hoping that he will be gentle with my pocketbook.

Bedroom Redo

As you know, Ashley has her own room at my house; however, she never sleeps in it. She'll play in it by herself with the door closed, but won't sleep in there by herself.

Well, she said if I got a bunk bed, she would start sleeping in there. So...I got a bunk bed (and I have to say I got a steal on it). Anywho, I got it about 2 weeks ago and have almost gotten her room back to order and finished. Along with the bunk beds, I got her some little storage entertainment centers. She has slept in there with me on the bottom bunk. They are pretty comfortable mattresses and I slept good.

We got her last piece of furniture this week and plan on having a complete room by tomorrow evening for her weekly visit. It looks really great and I hope to have pictures of her new room by this weekend.

Home Decor

I love decorating, whether it be for The Holidays or just adding something special to my house.

A friend of mine, Cindy, just got a house that is being totally renovated. I mean from the outside in. I know she is having fun with it because everyone would love to have their own home to totally decorate. From picking out your flooring to wall color to cabinets to wallpaper and how everything will be laid out.

My house really doesn't have a thing but to just be nice and cozy. I like Iron Wall Decor and have a collage picture frame that is wrought iron.

My mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I really don't need anything but I need to think of something so I went "window" shopping online.

I like Wall hooks for the fact that they are so useful for just about anything. I have a mirror with hooks already in my living room and Shane hangs his hats on them. (except now our stockings are hung)

Even a Welcome sign to hang on my garage would be nice too. Okay mom, I've given you two suggestions but I'm still thinking.......

My Disclosure Policy

Value of my House

I've lived in my house for 2 years now and did a little renovating when I bought it; but not a lot. I do wonder what my house value is now though. When I was 17, I worked for a real estate appraiser for 5 years and know a little about the business. If I had a Fannie Mae Form, I could probably just do my own appraisal. Even after I went to work for my current employer; I still did part-time work for another appraiser, so I still have my knowledge of real estate.

On , you can use this tool for a quick and easy way to find out the essential information on any property in the US.

So, I tried it. I wasn't impressed. It told me the year my house was built and the square footage of it but it said "Unable to determine value". Then it wanted me to get a detailed appraisal, which didn't cost; but it still couldn't determine the value of my house.

I even tried my mom's address and still couldn't determine the value. If you own your own home, please try this and let me know if it works for you. If I get enough comments that say it doesn't work; I may write the company.

NOTE: After I wrote this, I read the FAQ section and it states:

" Why is the estimated value range too low or too high? One explanation of this is that you live in a non-disclosure state. A non-disclosure state means that that state does not allow sales data to be on public record. Therefore, we estimate the sales price using other data indicators. These indicators will not be as accurate of having an actual sales price".

Tennessee was included in the list of Non-disclosure state. So, if you live in TN, it doesn't work for us.

Mortgage Nightmares

Luckily when I bought my house, it was a very smooth transaction. I don't know if because my broker was excellent and I was a first-time home buyer or what exactly it was.

I think one of the most important things that helped me is during my senior year in high school, I worked for a Real Estate Appraiser. I ended up working for him for 5 years and then even when I went to work for my current employer; I still worked part-time for another Real Estate Appraiser. I was very knowledgeable with the entire Mortgage process.

It can be scary though and you need to know what type of questions to ask when applying for a mortgage loan. Personal Home Loan Mortgages protects customer data through SecureTrust, which guarantees compliance with FTC, DoNotCall & Can Spam regulations. They have an extensive mortgage directory and great forums.

I suggest anyone that is buying a home, whether it be your first home or your fifth home; make sure you cover your yourself and are not taken in by mortgage fraud.

Deck Furniture

I had a deck built back in July but haven't bought any deck furniture yet. I don't need a table with an umbrella and I just haven't seen anything that reaches out and grabs me.

We have a gazebo on our deck that is cream color. I'd like to get something that is cream and green if I could. I don't have a garden, but I'd still like to have a nice deck set to enjoy dinner out there on the deck in the spring/summer time or just be able to sit out there and read or just relax while Diesel is out playing.

Hopefully, by next Spring; I'll have a new deck set to enjoy with my family.