I think I've seen you post before that you started a new business to assist new homeowners (millenials) in managing their home.

I think it's a brilliant idea. Not sure how you structure the management, but there would be a lot of demand for a product that eases owning a home.

I'm at the product development stage and following the lean startup methodology I'm gathering feedback of what the problems are in order to develop the solution for those problems.

I am extremely thankful to everyone that replied. It's incredible insight into the never-ending issues of home ownership. And, mostly proved out my thesis that the tools used for managing the home have not moved much beyond excel spreadsheets.

From here, it is trying to test to see if a home management platform is a "nice to have" or a "need to have". For Millennials especially, I presume it is a "need to have" which is why I'm doing this. I will have the platform ready to launch in the next 90 days, initially with document storage and home layout/inventory. The plan is to quickly follow that up with utility/insurance/re tax/mortgage integrations to bring all of the important financial data into one dashboard. After that, the plan is to build out the services side so homeowners can manage everything from landscaping/housekeeping services all the way to larger renovation projects from within the platform.

We have a fireplace in our bedroom. Hear the little fucker rustling around all the time. Room stinks of musk and/or piss. Already dropped multiple hundreds on wildlife removal (after being turned down by pest control and chimney sweeps) and it’s outsmarting everyone. Pray for me it’s not a female with babies in there.

Google: How to keep animals out of the chimney.

You will see a pretty good selection of caps you can place on the top of the chimney.

It would be a good idea to build a fire first to have the animals exit through the top first before you cap the chimney.

But you would want to cap it very soon after the fire in the fireplace, I would imagine.

Spreadsheet based on age of the house with useful life components for all items plus dates that items need routine maintenance. Something similar to a maintenance handbook that comes with a car. Also, I wish I had some sort of manual that gives easy descriptions of what to look for that could be a problem. For example, we have termites in our front door. Had I known what termite frass looks like or what termite damage in what was once solid wood, I would have discovered the problem far sooner.

entire cemetery, and not just the headstones.

Everything is trying to destroy the house -- the sun, the rain, the snow and ice, the hail, the wind, the animals... Owning a home is a constant battle to stay one step ahead of those things.

Of course I expected repairs to be needed along the way after buying a 32 yr old house, though I was utterly unprepared for the frequency with which things can go wrong. But it is the unpredictability of it all that can be soul crushing. E.g. roof starts leaking the night before a road trip. Spending the first half of the Super Bowl in our crawl space working on the furnace, etc

...or maybe just hang it in your garage:

Every time I turn around, there's something new. And most of the time, it's very minor stuff. Maybe it's a chipmunk hole near the foundation. Maybe it's some new wood rot, or some peeling paint. Maybe a towel bar is starting to come loose. Maybe the faucet is dripping. Maybe the toilet is running very slightly.

It's not that it's big stuff; it's just that it never ends.

Now, I like fixing things. I take pride in being able to do it myself most of the time. But there are times when I just need a break.

I don't have it but I grew up with it and assiduously avoid when buying. It is my number one priority in selecting a house. If you have a dry basement celebrate. Don't believe when people say it doesn't get water. Verify yourself. Look for the signs. Always better to buy one that doesn't have leaks then fix a problem.

Other things I dislike:

* Rising property taxes
* Late falling leaves (Bradford Pears)
* Early falling leaves (Cottonwoods)
* Length of time to grow a tree - buy with them already mostly grown
* Early snow falls
* One car garages, assuming have 2 or more cars
* Need to know how to fix things (more enjoyable if like it and know how)

buyers probably don’t appreciate the associated costs of owning a house. You need more furniture, maybe a lawnmower if you don’t pay a landscaper, outdoor furniture, you have to pay someone to open and close your sprinkler system every year and there are always broken heads to be replaced, appliances don’t last very long today so you will likely have to replace some along the way, renovation costs for kitchens and baths are significant, same with replacing a roof, homeowners insurance and utility costs may be more than anticipated...the list is long and the expenses add up.

ownership.

My father always said count on capital investments (i.e. replace roof, furnace, concrete, appliances, etc) of 1% of purchase price for new and 2% for existing. I bought a 30 year old house (so now 50+) and while not every year its correct over 20 years he was exactly right. About 2% of my purchase price X 20 years has gone to replacing things and the like.

Old homes sell for a premium. People like the old details such as room size, original moldings, parquet floors, etc. and the upgrades such as new kitchens, baths, new windows
and roof, electrical, central air and upgraded heating plant, etc. a young couple can buy such a house and know they will likely not have to put substantial $ into it for many years. With mortgage rates where they are, it makes sense.

things. My 50+ year old trim is better than my sister's that is less than 10 years old.

My MIL lives in a 120+ year old sandstone house and it is SPECTACULAR in terms of room size, ceiling height, the wood walls, wood trim banisters and doors, lead and stained glass in the doors and some windows, etc. No one alive even does this stuff anymore.

P.S. Nothing better than the width of 100+ year old home staircases. Landings with stained glass windows.

they said crazy humans. FYI.

He says it’s personal this time

Well. We have had problems with snakes, rats, mice, bats, gophers, squirrels and (while not a problem) have had a few occasional coyotes in our backyard. Our next door neighbor had one of the local tagged mountain lions end up in her backyard, so I can’t claim that yet. Animals are an ongoing issue.

Jimbo is right. Something always needs fixed. I actually don't mind most of it because it's a small challenge and it feels good to fix. With youtube, you can learn to fix almost anything and in just a few years, I'm pretty handy around the house and rarely need to call.

But those goddamn sprinklers.

There is almost ALWAYS something wrong with them. They're not spraying where you want, they break, they get hit by a kid or lawn mower.

And it's not always clear what the problem is. It's not expensive to fix so I don't want to hire out.

Recommendations: get a yard guy who will fix your sprinklers. Just eat the cost. Or spend some time getting good at them. I refuse to have someone do my lawn; I honestly enjoy it which I know is weird but it's my time to check out for the week. My kids screaming inside? I can't even hear em.

Get a sprinkler box with an app. Game changer. Being able to mess with them and turn them on and off with your phone is a life saver. They won't run when it rains. And if you need to give em more water but you're out of town- no problem.

Excellent gardener, which seems to become an issue anywhere from 3 - 6 months after hiring a new one.

The spray of the sprinklers is a very imprecise mechanical device. It wastes
a lot of water, and is highly inefficient for getting water to the roots of
the grass, where it is needed most.

I am working on an invention of my own that is going to save the free world
from the tyranny of irrigation sprinkler head manufacturers.

The Hopi Indians in Arizona and the Israelis in the Negev desert are my inspiration.

Have to make the monthly payment no matter the financial circumstances.

It's more related to anxiety about financial circumstances changing than the home per se.

The only thing I don't like about owning the home itself is the maintenance. But major issues have been blessedly rare so far.

Moles; squirrels; chipmunks. I don't have enough time in the day to blast or trap all the little monsters trying to destroy various parts of my property.

bastards keep trying to break into the cars. And they never remember to close the damn door when they leave. Somewhere around here I have an airsoft rifle, next spring the fat bastards are going to start associating “opening a car door” with “getting shot in the ass”

Oh, and the question “does a bear shit in the woods?” No, he shits in my driveway.

Asshole.

And on that note, I’m a little tired of moose and elk crap in my yard.

Also, some prick woodpecker woke me up poking holes in my wall this morning. Probably means there’s bugs in there now.

in my backyard. The harmless snakes are gross too, but the rattlers are a big fat no especially since my kids run wild there on a daily basis.

I loved those little guys.

Maintenance/upgrade stuff - painting, replacing carpet, changing that light bulb that's 15 feet off the floor. Dealing with a broken appliance. Power washing your deck or roof.

Stuff you took for granted with a rental but now is your problem. Understanding that if you don't maintain your home you'll have bigger issues and decreased value.

Also, I hate property taxes oh so much.

Like a garage door spring going out at Christmastime. Or a hot water heater that decides to quit on a Friday. These are two examples of things I recommend you leave to a professional. Especially the garage door.

...We've been in our current abode for 26+ years, and have certainly experienced all sorts of home-ownership issues as noted below. Roof replaced once; driveway once; chimney rebuilt; some windows replaced; furnace and AC replaced; carpeting and painting a few times; toilets replaced; washer and dryer and sump pumps and water heater and dishwasher and refrigerator and garage coach lights and probably other things replaced. I do my own lawn care, fertilizing, grub killer, etc., and now on my 3rd gas mower; I clear my own snow, and am now on my 2nd snowthrower (2-stage); and am in my 27th season of tomatoes, chili peppers, and assorted herbs (this year, basil, tarragon, cilantro, and the perennial oregano). Clip the viburnum, witch hazel, flowering crab, redtwig dogwood, forsythia, hydrangea, and yews as needed; clear up a ton of leaves from our maples and, when that's all done, pick up the giant sycamore leaves from our neighbor's late-releasing tree two lots south.

Don't forget paying the property taxes and insurance.

My advice for first-time homebuyers would be these two broad points:

1. You think you're buying a home. "Home" connotes a cozy place with comforts year-round, a pet curled up in the family room, kids frolicking, etc. Stop! You're purchasing a building, for which you will serve as the property manager. Be prepared to manage everything it takes to keep the building that will be your home in good order. Don't worry--many of us have done it.

2. When you apply for financing, realize that you are providing the lender (and mortgage broker, if you're using one) with an opportunity for them to make money. They should not order you around--you need to keep them on their toes. The first time I bought a house I kept waiting for the loan processor to call with updates. Ugh. The second time, I called the processor every morning. "Do you have this and that yet? Have you requested that other thing?" Once a week I'd call the broker or lead contact person for the loan to let them know how anxious we were to get it all done.

At least that is what I have heard.

pool is disqualifying however. Certainly not a weekend/storage home with such a plebeian accessory.

you've pretty much mapped out his future, wouldn't you say? Not much chance he is gonna be a hitman, I think, after that. "Terribly sorry Sir, but I'm going to have to whack you".

First, there is very little maintenance needed. One of the least expensive things in my home to maintain.

We have one in order to transport my son upstairs for bed. He has to be transported by wheelchair. There isn’t any bedroom space on the first floor. The elevator runs to the basement as well. Actually, that is a given in any design.

But other than getting my son up and downstairs, it is amazing how much we use it in day to day life. Just hauling stuff up and downstairs it is a godsend.

And as we get older it is reassuring to know that we aren’t limited by steps. It also lessens the risk of falling on steps carrying stuff between floors or to the basement.

They don’t add all that much to the cost of a new home, likely in the $20,000 to $40,000 range depending on size and level of finish.

With the idea of aging in place, I wouldn’t own a home (other than a single level on a slab) without one. I see all these new 3 or 4 story homes in big cities being built without one. I think that is very short sighted.

I've got three small kids. I don't have time to weed and trim and water and mow with anywhere near the regularity of the rest of my neighborhood. I miss splitting a 40 sqft patch of grass with 3 other units in Chicago.

Was hiring someone to do the mowing. We will get about 3 years of mowing before we would equal the cost of a nice ride on mower, which we would need. Well worth the time I don’t spend worrying about it, nevermind having to maintain a mower.

We try to mow regularly, but sometimes other lawn maintenance tasks fall by the wayside. It doesn't help that I am TERRIBLE with plants. I like to look at nice landscaping, but I can't keep up with which plants need to be pruned regularly, which need extra water, which ones are weeds, etc. I'm the kind of person who has managed to kill multiple succulents, and they can survive in some pretty harsh conditions.

We bought our home about 14 years ago. There was a leak in the roof, ended up having to get half of the roof replaced 3 months into owning the house. 2 years later it was replacing 3 old windows in our living room. 5 years later it was a new retaining wall. 5 years after that it was a new front staircase. A few years ago it was a new hot water heater. Last year it was a new refrigerator. Next on the list, but something we're delaying, is a new back deck (slowly being eaten by carpenter ants). My expectation is to spend $4K-$6K every 5 years or so on something major. In between there are little things (appliances, lawn care, exterminator, etc.).

I don't track or monitor what we spend. It's easy enough to remember the major stuff, and I chalk the other stuff up to "maintenance costs".

Very helpful. Do any of you use any tools to track maintenance items -- either completed or expected soon? For example, do you use a spreadsheet or other tool to know how old the roof/water heater/windows/furnace/anything that might need to be replaced is and use it to replace proactively? Or is it really just moving from one issue to the next so there is no point in planning/mapping? Do you track warranties or do you just assume they aren't worth the paper they're written on because of all the fine print exclusions?

I would love the ability to just scan home maintenance invoices and receipts and just have them filed away for future reference by category, and also have the ability to run reports to track spending habits over the course of years.

And, as you mention, just putting things on "timers" to alert you when you are likely to face major repairs in the coming year or if it's time to paint or do other non-routine maintenance.

Folder system set up in duplicates. One by year and then by month for all receipts and another by appliance, system or item with sub folders by year and then more sub folders by month. It’s a pain in the rear end. In my Excel document, I have both locations of the invoices listed as well as the contact information, cost, date of service and what I thought of the work done for each item. Another thing that has helped is scanning in all of our insurance documents, home warranty docs (another excel page of home warranty repairs with providers that I actually liked to request again because the ones provided typically are terrible or aren’t certified to work on our brand of appliances), appliance warranty info with dates of expiration, an excel doc of links to all manuals from the manufacturers websites, I could go on for days. I am very organized about all of this with our current house, but it takes a lot of time. I wish there was an easy computer program for this.

I'd love to pick your brain about your system. You sound like the ideal early adopter.

At the risk of pushing potential competitors, take a look at the Centriq app or HomeZada. Centriq seems to match your system a little better.

Can be reached at 312-766-7677 or gregoryamorrissey@gmail.com. According to your profile, we actually graduated together.

• Click here for link at https://mycentriq.com

Any work done on the house goes there. 1) if something needs to be referenced it is in a single spot, 2) when the house is sold beginning purchase price+any permanent expenditures = increased basis. If the sales price -purchase price ends up being near the tax-free profit limit, proof of permanent expenditures are worth their weight in gold. Even better if it is a corporate relo. We recovered a decent chunk of change during a relo as the company reimbursed a certain amount of loss, and all our receipts pushed the basis up past the selling price.

I do I keep a small note pad in the garage. It's easy to forget stuff over a long winter and we have a pretty busy yard. Last year, I made a note to use more Sevin on our roses and they looked great this year. I also write down little tips and reminders about how to better manage (Pruning, watering, bug attacks) our plants and yard.

1. I do not use any tools to track. For appliances it's have them repaired or replaced when they don't work. For maintenance on the house, do it when it looks like it needs to be done. Also note if you buy a "used house" you likely don't know the true age of the roof, water heater, furnace, etc.

2. I do track warranties although the stuff that goes bad seems to occur after the warranty period.

3. For the minor maintenance I can do, well, my wife keeps track of that whether I want her to or not.

Others have noted, and I second, that there is general maintenance such as lawn and garden care, snow plowing, etc. But the continuous repair and replacement of stuff which is unexpected and can not be planned for or scheduled. It seems like we live with some sort of carpenters, painters, plumbers, or electricians all summer, every summer. It is all very expensive, time consuming, and frustrating/stressful.

In addition to that there is also the matter of restricting your options to move. If you live in an area, especially a large city, where there is a very active real estate market and increasing home prices it may not be all that much of an issue. It is always an added cost and effort to move. But if you are in a smaller community such as mine where houses can sit on the market for years and prices don’t increase to cover the costs of selling, you are effectively locked in to your home.

That is fine if you make the right choice in buying the home and love your neighborhood and nothing changes is your life or career. But you are definitely giving up a lot of flexibility by buying.

There are many advantages of ownership and we will likely continue to own for the rest of our lives. But it is important to understand just how much you are paying for those benefits. It is fare more than the listed price of the house.

My husband handles almost everything related to our house, so that works mostly fine as is, but I'm pretty oblivious to most of it and if something happened, I'm not sure I'd even know where to start with figuring out what I should be doing.

I suppose I should make him write up a bunch of notes - our furnace is ABC model, it requires DEF filters to be replaced every X months. If it needs servicing, call XYZ company. That would help, but I'm not even sure I know all the things I'd want those details on.

--Annoying neighbors who lack taste or neglect their yard is a big pet -peeve. I know that it's fashionable to hate HOAs , but nobody want to live next to the neighbor with the RV or Shit all over their yard.

--keep things as neutral and classic as possible.

--Don't get caught up in the BS nonsense that marketing or friends push . If your house is moderately updated, it's fine.

--Always buy something that you can easily sell.

enforce the rules. Homeowners who never read the rules and keep doing their own thing. renters who are not told there is an HOA and therefore do their own thing as well.

The success of an HOA is solely dependent on the dedication of the HOA board and the Architectural Board. We have had several turnovers in ours over the almost 30 years. WIfe has been on the "good" ones. They do not have to be heavy handed gestapos in their management of the HOA but at least enforce rules when there is a major disregard.

Oldest son just moved and is again in an HOA community and several neighbors ignore HOA rules as well as city codes, etc.

Beyond just normal maintenance like lawn care, cleaning, and general upkeep, I think most first time homeowners underestimate just how constantly they'll have to dish out for repairs or to replace key components of the house.

Even things like painting has to happen more frequently and is pricier than most expect.

It always seems like there's some major project that needs to be addressed, whether it's replacing a failed HVAC, water heater, or other appliance, or things like garage doors that age, roofs, sidewalk and driveway repairs, etc.

It's an endless list of things that are always in need of attention.

All of this is before even considering renovations and updates to keep things looking in style.

I love having my own home even with all of the hassle and cost, but even with the tax breaks on mortgage interest and equity accumulation, I'd imagine it's a toss-up as to whether renting is the more economical choice in the long run.

Renovating things and making them better generally makes me happy, despite the cost. Replacing something, where I spend a truckload of money to have a house that basically stays exactly the same, is a bitter pillow to swallow.

Necessary upkeep is fine. A water heater that busted its ass for 12 years deserves to be replaced.

Renovating a perfectly functional space pisses me off. We've done a lot of it. Friends always ask how I like the new bathroom/countertops/trimwork and my answer is the same - It's as good as it was before, I guess.

ass that crop up. I don't mind some of the average every day or weekly stuff that you've built into your schedule that needs to get done - like mowing the lawn or something like that. It is that little crap that pops up and throws the entire schedule out of whack or something that needs to be fixed but it is too small to hire someone but too unusual or prominent that you can't just superglue or duct tape.

Most tasks take me twice as long as I expect and I accomplish about half of what I intend to complete.

The drip drip drip of repairs, small and large, I am faced with every year.

My house is about 100 years old. So I live with the cumulative choices of owners past. Some were conscientious about maintenance and quality work, and others most certainly were not.

This summer / fall I will have major work done outside because the 'hardscape' (stairs, retaining walls, etc.) is falling apart. That is not hyperbole.

And when you think, 'phew, that will hold it for a while' something else breaks and the cycle repeats.

And finding decent contractors/handymen to take on the small-ish projects that you don't feel comfortable with can be equally as challenging.

But a lot depends on your house, location of property, etc.

They can be crushing.

I bought an old house in 2007 and it needed a lot of work. It still does, even though we have done a lot of work.

The recent cost of painting my house and guesthouse was shocking.

I am betting that this answer will be your number one, or maybe number two behind property taxes.

I include in this category things such as water heaters, the roof, drainage issues, etc. This stuff all costs a lot of money but doesn't increase the value or enjoyment of the house like a new bathroom would.

week. Seems I need one of those because they built the house at a lower elevation than the leach field. At least it wasn’t another $2000 well pump. Or 25k to replace the deck that rotted out a couple years ago. Re-doing the fence section that was damaged by the same tree I cut down that did most of the demolition work on the deck is going to be another several hundred (though I think we should put that off a while and leave the redneck halfass job up for a bit until money’s a little more free). New roof? Yeah, that’s expensive (three years ago). Repacking a driveway? Expensive...(last year) Dealing with a prick lying propane delivery guy who doesn’t want to drive down the asphalt driveway in winter because it’s a little icy? An incredible headache, but didn’t actually cost money in the end.

leaking water into my living room Wednesday night in a thunderstorm.

Now I need new French doors, and I've got warped floorboards. It was lots of fun going up on a ladder to nail a tarp to the house in the driving rain to shunt some of that water away from the doors.

It's going to cost me a couple grand to fix all this I expect. Good times.

a giant bulge of water formed behind the paint in our dining area. My husband sliced open the paint to control how fast the water came in. Before we could repair the walls and repaint, we had to figure how the water got there in the first place because it wasn't the roof leaking.

Not fun times.

All the water overwhelmed the gutters and backed up under the shingles. My husband had to put some metal thing on the roof to redirect the water. Problem solved.

Since buying our first house.

The rule? Everything costs $1500.

was in line with the price of the other sorts of jobs you can find there.

My Queen Anne Victorian looked beautiful at Christmas time but there was always something breaking, leaking or just throwing money out of the chimney, windows, etc.

I pay far less every month in rent/utilities on my apt than I did when I had a mortgage/property tax bill and would find problems in my house every month. Many of those problems were pricey.

I don't think I'd want to be a homeowner again.

is a potential adventure.

My house was built in the 1880s. Built well considering but there is always something new to deal with

There's always something to fix or replace, and none of it ends up being cheap.

Regular maintenance can be sort of a pain and there are likely systems or things you've never thought about that will require regular service every 1/2/3 years. Many of these can be specific to your home and you may not even know they exist unless the seller/builder told you about them or it breaks and the service person discovers it and tells you about it.

And some projects can easily snowball. "Hey, I want to replace these skylights" suddenly turns into "no one will replace skylights in a roof older than 15 years, so here comes a new roof, and, oh, may as well replace the gutters while you're doing the roof", and so on.

As I’ll be the person to whom you’re catering.