Permission to vent, please.

[usonian]

10. Homes are endless worry to own.

I am a handy person and I worry, mainly because people are so spread out here and help is hard to find.

When I bought the place, all the well gear was exposed to the weather and was just under a tarp. Ants got into the pressure switch, and fried. I had to clean it regularly. And parts froze. So I was constantly checking. It's 500 feet away and about 100 ft. climb back. I had a 2wd pickup and never drove the unpaved incline. I lucked out in getting a contractor to build a well house with heat tapes Christmas week. I fled to my daughter's apartment for the duration of the work and was pretty shaken. I later had a backup generator installed, using the home's propane tank.

Storms would separate ends of gutters from the fascia. I thought I solved it with L-brackets and epoxy but they let go. So this year, I put in big wooden end caps to support those ends and block the wind. Time will tell.

And one evening, the valve on the propane tank started leaking ( This is REALLY serious stuff) and the on-call propane guy came out to tighten it, along with the fire department. They replaced the tank very shortly after.

I have tools at the ready, but only for small things. I brought a lot of power tools with me to do home repair, but needed a home large enough to hold all the tools. Chicken and egg problem.

I should rent at my age, but worry about not feeling in control.

Working on it!