smacky and bucky

Wow, I believe this is the longest I've gone between posts since I started this thing in '04. But I've finally sobered up. (Kidding!) Been super busy with house stuff. Here's the deal: the home inspector walked through the house with the buyers last Thursday. The home inspector's job is supposed to be to point out potential issues that need addressing before the sale can be finalized. I think this guy's job was to nit-pick a bunch of tiny things in the hopes that, rather than address each one, we'd just offer the buyers a fat check to cover all repairs. Unfortunately they didn't plan on me being a secret handyman, so here's how it came down (problem mentioned followed by solution):

(1) Baseboard heat in master bedroom not working: I checked out the baseboards, then went down to the basement and checked the furnace. The valve to the line clearly labeled "Upstairs Master Bedroom" was completely closed. WTF? I turned the valve counter-clockwise, cranked up the heat in that room, and soon it was 78 degrees. Problem solved for free.

(2) Overflow drain in tub leaks, needs new gasket. Bought a new gasket at Home Depot, removed the drain cover, cut out old worn gasket, inserted new gasket, and tightened drain cover. Poured bucket of water into drain to confirm no leak. Problem solved for $1.75.

(3) Downstairs toilet will not flush unless you hold the handle down. Shortened length on chain from handle to flapper. Problem solved for free.

(4) Need new batteries for smoke detectors. Problem solved for $5.00 (batteries are expensive!).

(5) Incorrect thermostat for air conditioner. Need new one. Bought a digital themostat and installed it. This took the longest time, because I had to label all the wires before removing the old one, and wire everything up on the new one. Problem solved for $18.00.

Our realtor's contractor came by the house to check all the work I did and gave it a certified thumbs-up. So no inflated check for unnecessary repairs for the buyers (happy dance for saving at least $500!).

On top of all this, the buyers confirmed that they want the four items of furniture we offered them, so I won't have to rent a truck and haul the stuff to charity, so the house is officially empty now!

We close on December 21, so the 18-month saga will be over before Christmas.