Okay, so we’ve been in the same place for 8 yrs now and it’s been too small since mom moved in. The rent has nearly doubled over the past 2 yrs. Do you know what hasn’t doubled? My income. So it’s been a rough time of it.

I’ve found that I feel caged in. I found that I don’t want to go home, work is my peaceful place. Yeah, I know that’s pretty bad huh? Well, it’s a break from mom and it’s a break from the house. I’ve found that if my mom and I are out scooty-pooting around we are happier and more light-hearted, and we get along better. When we get back into the house… everything seems to evaporate and we get back to disagreeing and being snippy with each other. My son retreats to his room in classic avoidance or he feels the need to be the peacemaker and that isn’t good for anyone. Sometimes he misinterprets what is going on and thinks we are arguing when we are not and his interference just makes things escalate. Bless his heart he tries and he comes from a good place.

Mom’s needs have changed as well. She needs a walk-in shower so she can keep up her hygiene and not be afraid of falling when getting into the tub. The floors are stained concrete, they are very pretty and look like marble, but they are hard and if she falls it will likely cause catastrophic injuries. Her current room is small and she doesn’t have enough room for everything and she keeps rearranging it. This leads to foot injuries, and because she wants to be independent she doesn’t ask for help, bumps and bruises and falls (thankfully her room is carpeted). I’ve helped her rearrange and it looks nice, but after a few days she’s back at it and I don’t have the time or energy to constantly do work that will ultimately be undone. I’m tired.

Speaking of small, by combining the households, there’s more furniture than space and it makes all the rooms smaller. I feel closed in and that my house is constantly a mess, it’s cluttered, busy and it’s stressful. We’ve had to get a storage unit which is an added expense that we really can’t continue to keep.

Our first landlord was very good about fixing things and a very good person. He changed out the air filters for the HVAC every month and kept up pest control. The service was amazing and you felt like he cared about you; I believe that he did. But…

He sold it to someone who raised the rent by $300. When the shingles blew off the roof in a storm in December they didn’t repair it until February. The roof leaked and now there are cracks and stains in the ceiling drywall. When the refrigerator went up, it took them 2 weeks to get us a new one. They stopped pest control and no one was changing the air filters. He then sold it to someone else.

They raised the rent again by $150. I let them know that the kitchen faucet didn’t have enough water pressure to stay on to wash dishes. The pipes made thumping sounds and the water would cut out in the middle of rinsing a dish. The faucet seal had failed, it took them 6 months to come to fix it. The heat shield in the oven keeps dropping open and has caused minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. The faucet is still bubbling water when you turn it on, and the toilet is not level so it rocks when you sit on it. If I’m going to pay that kind of money, I want the service to come with it. You promptly fix anything that goes wrong with it. They still haven’t fixed anything and it’s been over 6 months.

So when they raised the rent another $150, I decided that enough was enough. We are getting out of there. The income in this area does not support $1200 a month for a house much less an 1100 sq ft duplex. I can hear my neighbor going to the bathroom through the walls because they are so thin. (From the sound of it, I think they should see a doctor by the way… ) Anywho!

I found a bigger place, with a fireplace and a walk-in shower for mom. I have enough closet space that I don’t need to pay for storage anymore. It comes with a new washer and dryer so I hope to save money on the newer appliances. It’s in a nice shaded area with lots of old trees and hopefully, that will keep the cooling bill down in the summer and the fireplace will keep the heating bill low too. The floors are grey wood laminate and softer in case mom falls. The only problem with it is there are 4 steps to get mom up to get inside. That’s a big problem and I think we might need to get a temporary ramp made for her.

But when the rent is $325 less and I don’t have to pay $75 for storage (saving me $400 total) we’ll figure out how to get mom inside. We will figure that chit out; yes we will!

An added bonus? I feel like the old house is full of sadness and grief. We moved in right after hubby passed, we were in a dark, depressing, and anxiety-ridden time. So I think this move will close that chapter and we will ultimately be happier with the fresh start in a new place.

Your ~excited to move,
Kaw