Is your house also overmaintained?

[camrydriver111]

This is a question for the guys who have pristine daily drivers, constantly changing oil, changing atf every 15 miles, brake fluid fluid flushes ever 2 years, changing coolant and ps every 30k, etc. Changing good parts for preventative maintenance.

Is your house also maintained to the same level?

I used to maintain my car this way, but now I am thinking it might be a waste of time, and I should be putting that effort towards the house or even my career.

My econobox car is only worth 15k and depreciating, spending more time and efford into maintaining it won't give me any monetary benefits.

The house is worth many many hundreds of thousands. When I move and sell, I may be able to get more for the house if I put my effort into that.

I sometimes see disdain towards people who neglect their cars, but maybe this is the smart way to go through life, neglect cars, and focus on other things that are more important than making my base model Camry last 500k miles?

 

[supton]

I neglect everything, including myself, to the same level. Semi rural area, so… no one notices, and thus no one cares.

 

[HemiBenny]

Yes. I maintain my vehicles, home, and lawn/landscaping. I don’t over maintain, but I maintain it all as it should be done.
Anything that is maintained properly should last longer, look better, and make life easier on you. This same principle applies to your physical and mental health as well.

 

[TomYoung]

No. The most important thing is maintaining that car. That’s what it’s all about.

 

[GSCJR]

Yes. I maintain my vehicles, home, and lawn/landscaping. I don’t over maintain.

+1

 

[SC Maintenance]

You need to define over-maintain on a house. Mine didn't come with a schedule.

Do I replace things that aren't 100% worn out before they fail, like paint or the HVAC. Yes.

I change the HVAC filters likely a bit early, and am in the process of replacing all the screens. There 10 years old. The ones on the South side required it. I want the rest to match.

There is no oil to change that I can find.

 

[Astro14]

If you’re focused on your car alone, with no thought to your career, home or financial management and investment, then, yes, you’re a fool.

But “overmaintained” is a specious and nebulous epithet.

If I have all of those financial priorities squared away, and I choose to maintain my car in a way that suits my desires, and my budget, of what business is that to anyone else?

I do take pride in having a reliable, good, used car. Here is the XC, for example, with over 300,000 miles on it. Yes. I take some pride in that car.

Yes, I could write a check for a couple of new Volvos. Or Mercedes.

This is a choice. I could go either way. I offered to buy Mrs. Astro a brand new, loaded, Volvo XC90 last year. Window sticker was $88K.

But she said that she wants to keep this one. Very well, I can make that happen.

I have the important things taken care of, so I am easily able to make a choice that pleases me. Or her.

 

[Pablo]

Nope. Minimal. EPI. Extended Painting Intervals.

Not that there is one thing bad on my house (that I know of), but time and materials are finite. Use good materials and products, let them AIP. Age in Place.

When we sell any three inspectors and a pair of wary buyers will find NOTHING. Oh sure they might have a note or two, but zero gripes or non-compliance.

 

[doitmyself]

but maybe this is the smart way to go through life, neglect cars, and focus on other things that are more important than making my base model Camry last 500k miles?

Yes, but not neglect and not other material possessions. I think the smart thing to do is not be overly OCD (in my case OCPD) about maintaining the materialistic components of one's life. I have witnessed it, and in a some cases lived it, especially my younger years - that uncomfortable feeling that something is not pristine and perfect, and it grates on you to the point of making you anxious and uncomfortable. Why be miserable about these unimportant things when family, friends, spiritual health, and well being are the real priorities? I have seen people overly upset about fingerprints on the vehicle window. People paranoid about a single ant in their home. These preoccupations with maintaining your materialistic belongings perfect interferes with living.

I take care of things reasonably well and generally a bit better than most I associate with. The old phrase "everything in moderation" is mostly good advice. I share this from experience and it is easier to arm chair quarterback the concept vs. actually following through. I wish everyone that suffers from this affliction to get help to learn a more fulfilling lifestyle.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

"You can pay me now, or pay me later".....I think this position can apply equally to houses, cars, lawn equipment etc when it comes to maintenance.

That being said I will tell you that my house overall as compared to other equity and income investments is my worse investment from a return standpoint. I know, I know, we all need a place to live, but even with the rise in home prices across the U.S. when you account what a house consumes in time, insurance, taxes, and maintenance costs, it is not that good of an investment, at least here in the great midwest.

My 30 something son has invested well, and is getting a substantial amount of his taxable income from dividend investments that pay him monthly. He also works at a good job in IT and at this point in his life he has decided to rent in a luxury apartment building. He has many other friends that are doing the same thing. Many of them have chosen to invest the equivalent or more of what they would spend on a house, and they feel they are better off financially (net worth accumulation) vs. buying a house. Plus they currently want a lifestyle that does not include doing the required or optional efforts of home maintenance.

 

[tbm5690]

Yes, and I have multiple spreadsheets to log my work just like I do for the vehicles

Annual house regiment:
-Flush water heater
-Clean A/C condenser
-Pressure wash garage floor
-Pressure wash deck
-Replace RO filters
-Replace HVAC filter

Every few years house regiment:
-Clean dryer vent
-Clean softener brine tank

Annual yard regiment:
-Aerate
-Dethatch
-Overseed
-Fertilize x4
-Irrigation system head adjustment

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

My time is worth more than my cars. The only reasons I do things myself are to make sure it gets done right, make sure I use quality stuff, or avoid particularly exorbitant dealership prices.

 

[Leo99]

I change the HVAC filters now and then. Not much else to do.

 

[doitmyself]

I change the HVAC filters now and then. Not much else to do.

This follows the well-regarded management-by-crises technique I sometimes employ: when something becomes a crises, then I manage it!

 

[Pew]

I change the HVAC filters now and then. Not much else to do.

One time I changed them a day late. I like living on the edge

 

[Leo99]

This follows the well-regarded management-by-crises technique I sometimes employ: when something becomes a crises, then I manage it!

I fix the toilet plumbing when it breaks. I fix the hvac when it breaks or call the professionals if it's above my ability. Don't consider any of that as maintenance.

 

[IndyIan]

This is a question for the guys who have pristine daily drivers, constantly changing oil, changing atf every 15 miles, brake fluid fluid flushes ever 2 years, changing coolant and ps every 30k, etc. Changing good parts for preventative maintenance.

Is your house also maintained to the same level?

I used to maintain my car this way, but now I am thinking it might be a waste of time, and I should be putting that effort towards the house or even my career.

My econobox car is only worth 15k and depreciating, spending more time and efford into maintaining it won't give me any monetary benefits.

The house is worth many many hundreds of thousands. When I move and sell, I may be able to get more for the house if I put my effort into that.

I sometimes see disdain towards people who neglect their cars, but maybe this is the smart way to go through life, neglect cars, and focus on other things that are more important than making my base model Camry last 500k miles?

Yeah, don't miss the important stuff for fixing stuff, like buying an old beater and making it like new again(unless you want to). That said, maintaining something decent usually doesn't take to long. I have quite a bit of time looking at screen that could be spent doing other things!
I do refuse to spend a lot of time on a lawn, its got to be a suitable training surface for the kids and that's it.

 

[spackard]

I do a lot more maintenance on my house than the guy next door to me does to his. We will both have houses that outlasts us.

 

[hrv]

I clean the furnace out once a year and also flush the hot water tank one a year...other items fix as needed....

 

[4WD]

Brick with vinyl soffit - so mostly maintain pool & landscaping