The Complex Emotional Life of a Homeowner

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Clarissa

August 20, 2014

As a beginning homeowner (and a person who never lived in a house before), I’m constantly expecting horrible things to start happening. So, of course, when I heard strange rumbling, I immediately thought, ‘Pipes!’

So I started running around the house like a scared hippopotamus, looking for the source of pipe breakage and not finding it.

Then a rustling sound joined the rumbling.

The scared hippopotamus started running faster and panicking harder.

In the end, it turned out that the rustling and the rumbling were rain and thunder.

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11 responses to “The Complex Emotional Life of a Homeowner”

Homple

August 20, 2014

Right after learning how to open the front door, a new homeowner needs to know where to find and how to operate the main water supply shutoff valve.

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cliff arroyo

August 21, 2014

I guess it’s not a good time to mention the bats and spider monkeys in the walls that (for some reason) US home building regulations require…..

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Ol

August 21, 2014

Yes yes yes yes yes. It has been one year, and my emonitonal life is as complex as in the first week of home-ownership. Now imagine being away 3-4 days a week every week. I can check if I turned the main water valve 3-4 times before I leave for the weekend. I am crazy 🙂

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 21, 2014
  
  What is this main water valve thingy people keep mentioning??
  
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  1. Jonathan Mayhew
    
    August 21, 2014
    
    It shuts off water to the entire house. You should find where it is, probably in the basement. It will have a round dial that you turn clockwise to shut off. If you ever need a plumber s/he will need to find it to shut off water to do work.
    
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el

August 21, 2014

// It shuts off water to the entire house.

If I am right, there must be a thing that shuts off gas to the entire house too.
Ditto about electricity.
Wouldn’t be able to go to sleep w/o knowing where all three are.

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 21, 2014
  
  I don’t think we have gas. But now I’m not sure.
  
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  1. Jonathan Mayhew
    
    August 21, 2014
    
    You should know by what utilities you pay for. Is your stove gas or electric? How about your water heater?
    
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    1. Clarissa
      
      August 21, 2014
      
      The stove is electric. But I keep forgetting about the water heater. I need to ask once again.
      
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Shakti

August 21, 2014

Did your family always rent apartments when you were growing up?
Apropos of nothing:Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Is your house relatively new? If so, you shouldn’t have too many problems. And since the inspection (which you got before you bought the house) turned out to be clean, you should be fine.

Most major problems, in my experience, tend not to be noisy or dramatic.

FYI, you can’t turn off the pipes completely in the winter when you go away. They’ll freeze solid. If your car is inside the garage, you will enjoy the extra time you have in the morning.

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 21, 2014
  
  No, renting was extremely rare and ultra-expensive in the USSR. We had an apartment but it was in a big apartment complex. I’ve never lived in a stand-alone house.
  
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