I arrived home last night after a week-long road trip across the US. I was greeted with wet carpet in the living room by the kitchen and in the adjacent bedroom. I already knew what was waiting for me because a friend of mine came by to check on the cat the previous day and gave me the bad news. He also shut off the main water line to the house to prevent additional flooding.

Next month marks nine years living in my home. I had rented apartments for several years, and one day a flyer showed up on my door asking me why I am paying rent when I could be paying toward my own house. The answer to that question led me to become a new home owner. I built my house in 2010 when the housing market tanked and there was “blood in the streets.” The interest rates were favorable, and President Obama was offering new home buyers an $8,000 tax credit. 

I have no regrets about purchasing my home. Based on recent sales in my neighborhood, my house has appreciated by approximately $100,000. If I continue paying extra on my monthly payment, I can have my house paid off in nine years. Up until now, I have had only two major repairs: replacing the water heater and replacing broken springs on the garage door.

A new home doesn’t last forever, and now it appears I’m transitioning to the next phase where there will be maintenance issues. 

The cause of the latest issue was a defective piece of plastic tubing that is part of the supply line to the refrigerator. The convenience of having water and ice readily available has its price. In this case it was $145 for the repair. That’s just one small piece of the puzzle because the bigger issue is all the water damage around the refrigerator.

The plumber recommended a company that specializes in water damage remediation. They arrived promptly and assessed the damage. They pulled up the carpet and removed the damp padding, removed affected wood trim, and removed the affected drywall one foot from the floor. After spraying some anti-mold agent, they set up fans for drying. For the next few days I will be listening to the non-stop hum and air flow from five fans, two dehumidifiers, and one HEPA air filter. At least my bedroom is far enough away that the noise should not be disruptive to precious sleep.

What does all this cost? In addition to the plumber, I owe $1000 to the insurance company, which is the deductible for my homeowner’s insurance. This is the first claim I have filed on my homeowner’s insurance, so it’s about time I get some value out of that premium I have been paying. Yes insurance can be a pain, but I am definitely happy to have it when I need it. I know the final cost for this project will be several thousand dollars. 

This could have been worse. I am happy that I contacted the right professionals to resolve this issue promptly.