Getting Floored

Can you tell which appliance survived?

It's been pretty frustrating since we moved back into our house to see the damage that has been caused by others. This last tenant never paid her rent on time, usually needed harrassed into paying and nearly got evicted twice in the two years she lived there, but she was keeping it clean and tidy. That was our mantra, at least she's taking care of it. Maybe not so much. I guess if you overlook the water heater that leaked unchecked for unknown months and the toilets that are doing the same, then yes, she took great care of it.

The Bohemian and Uncle T assess the damage with the peanut gallery looking on.

In the first week of moving in we had to buy a new refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer. We had all of these things in the house, and had for the 4 years it had been rented. Somehow this one renter single handedly killed them all in the 2 that she lived in it. I have to admit, shopping for brand new appliances, so much fun! As a family of 5 humans and 3 pets living on a youth director's income while I stay at home with the kids, shopping for the big stuff just doesn't happen, ever. My new appliances...gorgeous, the floor around them...ruined by water damage. When the delivery guys moved the old washing machine there was a comically huge bubble of floor underneath it. Not just a bubble in the linoleum, we're talking sub-floor and all!

Now we find ourselves in more new territory, homeowners insurance claims and remodels. Today the flooring people come out to asses the work they're about to do. The insurance adjuster has said it will be new floor covering in the laundry room, boys' bedroom and new wood floors throughout...pretty excited about that! The worry part is that the laundry room and part of the boys' room needs new sub-flooring as well, they laundry room will have its walls cut out from 2ft down, and we'll see what they unearth when they get started...that sounds messy to me!

While all of this should be completely stressing me out, and normally would be throwing me into a complete tizzy, it's not. I'm relaxed, I'm taking it as it comes. I think it's because I just feel like I'm home. I feel like we're finally going to get to stay put for awhile and that all this is an investment in our own house not a house we're fixing up for someone else. Let's see if my zen holds when I start receiving all those credit card bills!