Actually, I’m not sure on the $3000 being completely accurate but I wouldn’t doubt it. What is the cost of siding a house these days? My house is small, approximately 790 square feet but even if it were to cost $2000 (totally guessing on both numbers), that’s 2k that I really don’t have to give away like that. Instead, I spent roughly $34 each for two gallons of paint, a few dollars for a tube of paintable exterior caulking, and a few dollars for rollers and brushes. The "hired" help is free as far as cash goes but I’m told I’ll have to pay in kisses. And, poor man, since our schedules are so completely incompatible to even seeing each other, that’s what he’ll have to settle for. The schedule thing is frustrating because it does not lend itself to family life. We would love to get the kids together more often, get us all together more often, do things as a family - the family we want to become - but nine times out of 10 it seems that if I have a night off, he’s working, or vice versa. He and I get more opportunities to see each other (but not many) than the kids do but that’s because we sometimes have days off together during the week while the kids are in school. B sees my boyfriend so much more than I see E, my boyfriend’s daughter, because B is only in school every other day this year. I’m digressing though. Back to the spending to save.

This is my house. The back of it. My very own, bought-it-myself, goal-achieved house.

Yes, that is how the sky colour was straight out of the camera. Matches my recycling box.

I really dislike that colour of siding. The house was built in 1950 or 1952 and the siding, while not as old as the house, makes it look tired. It was a pale, pale green to begin with but it’s faded even paler and just looks old and worn out. It doesn’t help that I associate this shade to old homes because of one particular area in town with older houses in the colour. I dislike the colour of the siding and all the scuffs on it however I do not have a few thousand dollars to give to someone to install new siding for me. And, equally important to me, I do not plan to be living in this house for many more years. A few years, maybe, yes, but not more than that. When my boyfriend and I marry, this house will be sold. Due to the market at the time that I purchased this house (in July 2007), I paid nearly twice for it than the girl that I bought it from did only a few years previous. It is still very much a buyer’s market two years later. The roof may need to be done before I sell but beyond that I cannot afford to put money into a house that will not benefit from it in a sale. Already the basement has been re-done, the kitchen expanded and re-arranged, and soon the upper level will have new floor coverings. The bathroom is also on the agenda as it is completely tiled and ugly and tiny and I think it would do it a world of good to see some drywall and paint, especially considering it is the only bathroom in the house. There are many other things that I would like to do - build a deck above that brick patio, re-do the eavestroughing and soffits, replace the weeping tile, re-surface the driveway, and put new ceiling tile throughout the downstairs, to name just a few, but it’s not feasible to do all of that.

Siding, however, I can do. The siding is in pretty fair shape so it’s just a colour change that is needed.

Not new siding, mind you, just a new colour. Paint, to be exact. A couple of weeks ago I was moaning about how I should just paint it instead of replacing it and was told that you could not paint vinyl siding.  Then, a few nights later at work, I was talking with one of the guys and he mentioned that he had painted his house last summer and it did wonders for the house and it’s held up just fine. I took myself over to Home Depot, picked up the same kind of paint he used (which mentions vinyl and siding on the label, among other surfaces), and so far we have one coat on the back of the house, not including the porch. It looks amazing! What a difference! Today took a little longer to get started on painting that I had hoped but we pressure-washed the house, did a bit of caulking, and unfastened a few downspouts. Tomorrow we will paint, hopefully, at least the two side walls of the house. Once everything is done, we will put on a second coat as well as paint as least some of the white trim to brighten it up; the trim around the newest windows should still be okay. I cannot wait to see the house completed. I’m amazed at how much it changes the look and takes years off its appearance just with the little bit we’ve done already.

So, we’ll see how it goes. If it completely flops, then I’m only out the $100, and if it works I’ve saved myself thousands. That’s a crazy good deal if you ask me.