Surprises

When buying a house there are always things that need to be fixed.

That's especially true when buying a house that has been foreclosed on. For instance, if you buy a house that was foreclosed, odds are that the power was turned off at some point. When winter comes there will be water in the pipes and that water will freeze causing many leaks.

That's exactly what happened in our mother-in-law. Every pipe had a leak or split. Some had pushed the pipes apart where they had been sweated together. Just in case you don't know, sweating is the term for putting pipes and pop fittings together when using solder. It is by far the cheapest way to go. If you haven't ever done it you should try. There are a ton of videos on YouTube that explain it very well.

Another obstacle is electrical. Things like to be used. My uncle was a mechanic and he always told me that an unused car breaks down faster than a car that is driven every day. The same applies to electrical. The fan that is in the main bathroom stops working randomly and then starts again later. I've seen this happen before when there is corrosion on the contacts. It wasn't used and that spot on the motor has a speck of rust. When the fan just happens to slow down and stop on that spot electricity cannot pass. Luckily a house has wind from doors closing and such to blow the fan a little and get it off of that spot. With time it may stop as the corrosion is worn down. Right now there are bigger problems.

The last unseen hurdle I'll go into today is the barn. The whole thing was not used for a long time and then the bank used drywall screws to close all the doors instead of buying padlocks. One door opens correctly. There are a lot of doors. Both animal exit doors needed the latches to be rehung. One needed to be rehung altogether. Most of the rest need a latch a hinge secured or something similar.

There is a lot to be done still. Next on my list is to find the water turn on for the mobile on the property, fix the fence around the west field, and clear away all the wood and other outside stuff that is piled everywhere there is room outside. Oh! I almost forgot that before all that I need to put in the new insulation, new drywall, and tape/putty the mother-in-law bathroom. If you need me you know where I'll be.

And if you're reading this
Please send help!