Aging affects both humans and their homes
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- January 28, 2025
- 340
We live in a town that has a multitude of older houses. The majority of them are lovely places, and all of them seem to be loved by their owners, which is why they still stand, because owning an old house can be very expensive.
Aging is wearing for houses, just as it is for people. Good homeowners must take care of themselves and their homes.
Our good friends bought a lovely old home many years ago and have been very good and responsible owners of their place. Several years ago they decided to add on to their house and make room for their growing family. The addition almost doubled the size of the
house and included on the first floor an enlarged kitchen and family room. On the basement level, a two-car garage was added. On the second floor, a master bedroom with a bath and a big walk-in closet was added along with a nice-sized laundry room.
The first problem occurred when it was discovered the first floor in the hallway of the new addition wasn’t level with the original floors — by 3 inches. Our friends managed to level out the floors with only a slight dip remaining, which is hardly noticeable.
There were several more problems. The contractor put a window over the sink in the bathroom of the master bedroom. That’s right over the bathroom sink! The pipes in
the addition keep breaking, and the walls were not properly insulated. Plus, the electricity that was supposed to run through the master bedroom didn’t. As a result, the second-floor balcony that was planned to be built off that bedroom wasn’t.
The most expensive problem was an additional cost of $1,000 that hadn’t been included in the initial estimate.
Fortunately, our friends still love their house. They have a history in that place and have managed to deal successfully with every problem that reveals itself. The addition has become well-integrated, and looking at it, all you will see is a big, happy, old place, well
cared for and well loved. I give our friends credit for their patience!