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Monday 4 February 2013

RENT Rant

Yay!  I'm moving! 

In less than two weeks I will be moving from my infamous veal pen in the sky to a way bigger place in a building  not far from where I am currently living.  I am so excited about the extra space and lots of storage.  Currently I have only one storage closet which is always reminds me of the closet in the movie  "Uncle Buck" -- I am terrified to open the door because inevitably a barrage of stuff will come raining down on my head. 

It's not just the space/storage issue, there is also major neighbour issues going on.  To the left is  the neighbour that I affectionately like to call "The Douche Bag" who likes to party until 4am (and I get up for work at 5am).  To the right of me is "The Nutbar", who looks a bit too much like Jamie Crumb (a.k.a. Buffalo Bill) from The Silence of the Lambs for my comfort.   I avoid him at all costs if he is in the hallway because I am afraid he will offer me a choice between a bottle of lotion and a hose.

I have been on the fence about renting vs. owning.  I’ve done both and each option has both pros and cons.  Owing a house is not for me.   The constant exterior care such as shovelling snow and mowing the lawn does not fit with my lifestyle.  There are also unexpected issues such as basement floods, sewage backups, roofing repairs/replacement, etc.  Been there, done that.  No more thanks.

As for condos, the fees are utterly ridiculous.  Starting at $350 per month if you are lucky (on top of your mortgage and taxes) they only cover the very basic of maintenance.  If any major building repairs are required, the invoice is divided and split amongst the condo owners.  There is also the issue of dealing with a condo board – which is comprised of owners in the building who are not property management professionals, who you have to seek approval from to do any sort of renovation.  The newer buildings also have what I refer to as  Stepford Syndrome – your exterior views must be uniform to the other units—therefore your choice of window coverings, etc. are dictated to you.  Sorry, I really don’t want someone dictating how my place should look.

For me, at this point in my life, renting makes more sense.  There is a definite snobbery when it comes to renters.   A home is what you make it.  Owning property does not make you a home – it just makes you a property owner. And there are plenty of condo and house owners who are douche bags like my neighbour – at least I will not be stuck living somewhere until I am able to sell the property.

Over the next year I will be blogging about the cosmetic DIY projects that I have planned for the new place complete with before and after pics.   Look out Home Depot, Rona, Lowes and IKEA.  Here I come!   Stay tuned!


                                     This is why I don't currently bowl.

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