Madeline the Edifying (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zdashamber) wrote2008-12-13 11:18 am
zdashamber) wrote2008-12-13 11:18 am
Daaaamn.
Wow. At least I don't own a house.
Looked at my first water bill this week, and found that it was for $677, at which point I was like Wow, water's going to be pretty expensive... and then I looked some more and found that they said I was using 3,200 gallons a day which um no. Phoned EBMUD and they sent someone to check the meter in case they'd read it wrong; he left a doorhanger yesterday that said "No, the meter was spinning as I watched it, and also now it's up to 5,100 gallons a day. Oh, and here's a nifty booklet and some dye tabs for toilet leak checking."
So now my toilet water is blue, because apparently it only empties about half of the tank when it flushes (is that normal?) and that dye is crazy strong and will take forever to dilute out... But the toilet isn't leaking. Phoned the landlady.
Plumber came today and the upshot is that it's $8,250 to replace the pipes from the meter to the house, since they're all probably about to go out if the first one did; unless they have to tear up 100 feet of concrete driveway, in which case it's $12,500.
Do people with houses have that kind of money sitting around? Is that the sort of thing that's required to have on hand? I've got some money stashed in case of job loss or sudden need for a kiln or car or whatever, but not 8K. Where does that kind of money come from? Credit card, I guess? Or can you tack on small amounts like that to a mortgage? Anything that involves going to a bank for a line of credit or refinance or whatever probably = UR SOL with the credit crunch. Middle class relatives with money?
If I owned the house, I'd probably see if I could do the digging myself just renting a mini backhoe, cut the cost that way... But damn.
Guess it's something to consider while considering leaping on housing deals here. Looks like another year of saving tacked on before the potential housebuying future.
Looked at my first water bill this week, and found that it was for $677, at which point I was like Wow, water's going to be pretty expensive... and then I looked some more and found that they said I was using 3,200 gallons a day which um no. Phoned EBMUD and they sent someone to check the meter in case they'd read it wrong; he left a doorhanger yesterday that said "No, the meter was spinning as I watched it, and also now it's up to 5,100 gallons a day. Oh, and here's a nifty booklet and some dye tabs for toilet leak checking."
So now my toilet water is blue, because apparently it only empties about half of the tank when it flushes (is that normal?) and that dye is crazy strong and will take forever to dilute out... But the toilet isn't leaking. Phoned the landlady.
Plumber came today and the upshot is that it's $8,250 to replace the pipes from the meter to the house, since they're all probably about to go out if the first one did; unless they have to tear up 100 feet of concrete driveway, in which case it's $12,500.
Do people with houses have that kind of money sitting around? Is that the sort of thing that's required to have on hand? I've got some money stashed in case of job loss or sudden need for a kiln or car or whatever, but not 8K. Where does that kind of money come from? Credit card, I guess? Or can you tack on small amounts like that to a mortgage? Anything that involves going to a bank for a line of credit or refinance or whatever probably = UR SOL with the credit crunch. Middle class relatives with money?
If I owned the house, I'd probably see if I could do the digging myself just renting a mini backhoe, cut the cost that way... But damn.
Guess it's something to consider while considering leaping on housing deals here. Looks like another year of saving tacked on before the potential housebuying future.
no subject
Totally random other info just to pad this comment: from what I heard about this situation, the pipes here are galvanized steel from the 40s-ish, and now is the time when they finally rust all the way through. And as a house behind another house, there's a long path with some solid concrete cover between here and the water company's linkup. Because the linkup is on the street side of the sidewalk, one of the plumber guys was saying they'd have to get the work permitted, which usually they'd avoid since it's a pain and $400, but what with having to tear up the sidewalk... Anyway, sounds like a pain in the ass that might not have been considered by, say, me, if I was buying a house. :)
no subject
However, renting means not needing to give a damn.
no subject