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Old 03-29-2016, 02:48 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,298 posts, read 84,311,090 times
Reputation: 114648

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robyn55 View Post
We lived in 2 high rise condos before we built our house (big ones - 350 and 500 units). And had "in house" maintenance that both the association and the owners used (the owners had to pay for whatever services they wanted that weren't part of the "condo maintenance").

I can't see any legal impediment in terms of a contractor who works for an association working for owners too. But there may be practical impediments (e.g., homeowners' jobs are too small).

Most management companies don't want to put together "recommended" lists these days. For anything. Because - if something goes wrong - they fear they might be liable for a bad recommendation. Our HOA has a "for owners" website where homeowners can recommend outfits they have used and liked. "Word of mouth". Robyn
Thanks. I know we aren't supposed to ask our landscaping firm to do work in our individual fenced-in garden areas, for which we are each responsible, but I bought from an elderly couple who let the back go to high weeds, and I paid one of the landscaper guys cash to go back there with his weed whacker.
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Old 03-29-2016, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach FL
14,617 posts, read 21,436,134 times
Reputation: 6794
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
For the person who felt the need to send a snotty anonymous rep comment about my "highfalutin" job and how I should therefore have the ability to pay people to do work for me--FYI, it was a public sector job for a transportation agency. We got great health benefits and a defined pension plan, but we don't get rich. I went to secretarial school and worked my way into management. Went to night school for a while, but never got to finish my degree. I made an OK living despite no college and was able to raise my daughter with minor, sporadic child support and get HER through college.

To make assumptions and judgments based on one's limited knowledge and then send nasty notes is pretty childish. High school immaturity never ends--even, apparently, among the retiree community.

For the rest of you who responded with commiseration and/or great suggestions, thank you all so much! I feel much better now than I did when I wrote the first post!
Someone really wrote you to say that? Holy sh**. I'm not sure I ever got a message like that. Even though I'm clearly not living only on my SS these days.

IMO - unless you're a billionaire with an infinite amount of money - you'll always be doing various projects on various budgets. And you always have to figure out the best ways to use whatever budget you have.

Also - you have to figure out what you can and can't do. When it comes to me and my husband - there is a lot we can't do. OTOH - we happen to be good when it comes to some small detail oriented things. We have some exterior lighting fixtures. Which were far from cheap. Which - like our porch railings - started to peel paint when they were about 10 years old. So we took all of them down. Sanded them. Using sandpaper and a Dremel tool. Not hard work - but tedious. And time-consuming Then we spray-painted them (hung them from a clothes line contraption we designed ourselves for the spray painting). And - 10 years later - they still look great. Guess our paint job was better than the original .

FWIW - I save commiseration for people who have serious diseases. Otherwise - I just try to offer some practical advice when I can. Robyn
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Old 03-29-2016, 04:39 PM
 
Location: Kountze, Texas
1,013 posts, read 1,417,402 times
Reputation: 1276
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
@Robyn - good advice about organization. I sort of have a list. Things I can do myself, then the list of fixes for which I'll need the handyman. Then some medium projects like replacing closet doors. Then there are a few big ticket items, like a new vanity/cabinet/light fixture for the bathroom and new flooring that are for further on down the road.

As I said, I bought this place 5 years ago and did the immediate big-ticket things--new HVAC and windows, which were almost to "urgent" status--but I really had no time to do a lot of other stuff because of the long hours and long commute of my job. When you get up at 5, leave the house at 6, and don't get home until after 7, house maintenance and cleaning is limited to the bare essentials. Now I'm looking not only at fixes but cleaning projects that haven't been done in five years--cleaning closets, straightening/organizing bookshelves, etc.

A list by priority will be helpful.


That's why my house is usually a bit cluttered until the weekend and on Saturdays I'm still exhausted...
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Old 03-29-2016, 05:05 PM
 
1,751 posts, read 1,341,789 times
Reputation: 4386
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
For the person who felt the need to send a snotty anonymous rep comment about my "highfalutin" job and how I should therefore have the ability to pay people to do work for me--FYI, it was a public sector job for a transportation agency. We got great health benefits and a defined pension plan, but we don't get rich. I went to secretarial school and worked my way into management. Went to night school for a while, but never got to finish my degree. I made an OK living despite no college and was able to raise my daughter with minor, sporadic child support and get HER through college.

To make assumptions and judgments based on one's limited knowledge and then send nasty notes is pretty childish. High school immaturity never ends--even, apparently, among the retiree community.

For the rest of you who responded with commiseration and/or great suggestions, thank you all so much! I feel much better now than I did when I wrote the first post!
This just ticks me off no end, and I have a bit of a sailor's mouth on me and I'd like to say something more than "ticks me off".

MQ...you don't own any anon coward an explanation about anything. I get why you did it, but the person who wrote you that disgusting note is one of those "I-think-I-know-everything-about-you-because-I-read-one-of-your-posts" who go around judging participants here (and elsewhere) based upon the shallowest of information. And/or, they're just trying to get your goat...a troll fishing for people they *think* are vulnerable, and see if they can stir stuff up.

Well, heads up, girl, you can report that to a mod, and the mod will investigate (check the faq forum here...I think I read something there about how to report such a thing) and find out who it is. Maybe they'll do something about them.

I mean really.....a rep to take a shot at someone??
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Old 03-29-2016, 06:37 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,298 posts, read 84,311,090 times
Reputation: 114648
Quote:
Originally Posted by House4kids View Post
That's why my house is usually a bit cluttered until the weekend and on Saturdays I'm still exhausted...
That's how I was when working. Some Saturdays I planned to do things but I would just crash. Hope you get to the end of it soon.
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Old 03-29-2016, 08:39 PM
 
Location: Military City, USA.
5,539 posts, read 6,461,494 times
Reputation: 17008
Angry Cowardly Rep Comment

Quote:
Originally Posted by crusinsusan View Post
This just ticks me off no end, and I have a bit of a sailor's mouth on me and I'd like to say something more than "ticks me off".

MQ...you don't own any anon coward an explanation about anything. I get why you did it, but the person who wrote you that disgusting note is one of those "I-think-I-know-everything-about-you-because-I-read-one-of-your-posts" who go around judging participants here (and elsewhere) based upon the shallowest of information. And/or, they're just trying to get your goat...a troll fishing for people they *think* are vulnerable, and see if they can stir stuff up.

Well, heads up, girl, you can report that to a mod, and the mod will investigate (check the faq forum here...I think I read something there about how to report such a thing) and find out who it is. Maybe they'll do something about them.

I mean really.....a rep to take a shot at someone??
Thank you for saying this. I was incensed when I read that MQ got a nasty rep. That is not what the rep feature is for, and a mod needs to be informed about this. Yes, mods can find out who sent it and then hand out any deserved infractions, up to and including banning the poster from CD in some circumstances.

Whoever sent the nasty-gram to Mighty Queen, what is your problem? Regardless of whether or not anyone has an income to pay for outside services, it is one's CHOICE to do or not do. You don't know her financial situation. Why is MQ's thread any concern of yours, anyway? Care to make a post with your name and the reason you sent her a bad rep comment.........? I didn't think so.

MQ, just remember it took years for your home to get to repair "status". It will take time to get each repair completed. I like the list suggestion, as it will be helpful and positive to your emotional well-being when you check off each completed repair. I am in the same boat as you, however, I do have a handyman. He is just so busy we play phone tag. I have learned to call him a month or two in advance and let him know the MONTH I want him to come.

Enjoy your retirement and don't let the stress of anything affect you. You had enough of that during your working years.
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Old 03-29-2016, 09:38 PM
 
Location: I gave up being nice for Lent.
2,505 posts, read 6,311,538 times
Reputation: 5281
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
We have a meeting in April. I am going to ask our management company if having a handyman type list is something she's ever heard of. Of course, by virtue of the fact that it's a condominium, such a list for walls-in work is outside of the association's realm. We have a maintenance contractor for association/common area work, but I believe that contractually they are not permitted to do work for individual owners. Still, we could maybe send out letters to see who might be interested in working out a deal with someone, as individual owners. Hmmm.
I forgot about the maintenance contractor for association/common area work. I can see where they couldn't do work inside for free but why cant they do work inside for pay. The only problem I can see is separation of hours for billing.

I would think a handy person would be a little cheaper than a contractor though. I cant see paying contactor wages for somebody to do small things like rehanging a curtain rod. Theres got to be some retired guys around there who like to stay busy.

I just remembered I read about something called Task Rabbit. I haven't tried them so I cant vouch for it.
https://www.taskrabbit.com/

Ps
I didn't know you was highfalutin. Im not sure if I have a falutin. Is that anything like a whizbang.
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Old 03-30-2016, 06:24 AM
 
4,712 posts, read 4,388,059 times
Reputation: 8451
I just looked at taskrabbit and it seems quite similar to homeadvisor which we have used.
I think some of these do depend on what area who are in so your mileage may vary.The area I am in is kind of between 2 major cities so sometimes finding local is not so easy. If taskrabbit doesn't seem local try homeadvisor. (they are both free and seem to somewhat vet and have reviews).
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Old 03-30-2016, 08:12 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,298 posts, read 84,311,090 times
Reputation: 114648
^^Thank you both for those ideas.

Such smaRt people in the Retirement forum.
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Old 03-30-2016, 03:57 PM
 
556 posts, read 431,048 times
Reputation: 1759
Quote:
Originally Posted by yourown2feet View Post
I learned to paint when I was 14, and my father made me paint the entire house exterior (it was a 1950's one-story house, with corrugated wood shingle exterior). Since then, I've never lived in a house that required exterior paint, but I've painted many interior rooms. Ceilings are the worst, because you have to reach over your head. But walls are not nearly as hard, if you are methodical about taping and cutting-in. "Methodical" is really the watchword for painting, I've found.

To avoid paint drips, I learned 2 things through trial-and-error:

1) If the project will take more than one day, thoroughly clean and dry your brushes, rollers, etc. Even a little residual dampness will thin the paint and make it more prone to dripping.

2) Inspect for drips before the paint has a chance to dry. They are easy to fix while the paint is damp. After partly painting a wall, inspect every inch for drips with a bare-bulb lamp (100-watt equivalent bulb).

Good luck! You can do this.
Actually, most of the professional sites now tell you that you can wrap the roller in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator if you will be painting again later or the next day. It works super and cuts down on clean-up at the end of each day.
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