Oct 05 2009
Lawnlords
My landlords showed the house yesterday, even though it’s a total mess. Boxes are everywhere, and things to be packed or sorted or otherwise disposed of are piled up all over the place, making it seem even smaller than it already is. I haven’t been particularly diligent about housekeeping in the face of chaos, either, so it’s going to take a remarkably imaginative potential renter to see the potential. Given all the potential buyers on HGTV shows who can’t look past ugly furniture (which will leave with the sellers), lurid paint jobs (which can easily be changed) or shag carpeting (ditto), it seems a waste of time all the way around, but who am I to say?
One thing I need to tell them is that the water bill is now insane. I am using three times as much water as I did this time last year: 9,700 gallons vs. 3,400, and I’m appalled. Not just because of the increased cost, but because of the horrifying waste of resources in an almost perpetually drought-ridden state. Having a lawn where it doesn’t rain nine months of the year is just wrong.
To add insult to injury, the lawn looks like complete shit, Ferris. In keeping with their lame ideas of maintenance*, they just seeded the dead-looking parts and added the sprinkler, instead of tearing out the whole thing, grading it properly, and re-seeding it. Now it’s just clumpy, with several different kinds and textures of grass, liberally sprinkled with weeds, and still has dead blotches. Honestly, it would look better if they just paved it over. Needless to say, they disregarded my plea for replacing the whole mess with native plants and drought-toleramt ground cover.
I finally emailed her earlier in the week and asked her as nicely as I could to let me know when she was showing the house and when she was planning to stop by. I’ve had it with the surprise attacks. So she did tell me she was coming yesterday and is stopping by today, though no time was specified.
It was unnerving to wait around while she showed the house to people. I had to be there to make sure the cats didn’t get outside, but I kind of didn’t know what to do with myself as total strangers peered in my closets and judged my lack of housekeeping expertise. I wish I could move right now!
*None of the kitchen cupboards close properly, because the hinges are too big; none of the doors other than the front and back close; the bathtub taps don’t work; the doorbell doesn’t work; some of the windows don’t open…
5 Responses to “Lawnlords”
Aren’t there laws that suggest you have so much notification before they can show the place?
Is your water bill so high because the owners are watering the grass. That shouldn’t be at your cost?
Yes, it’s because of watering the lawn. Probably not worth making a fuss over it when I’m moving in a couple of weeks. but I feel the new tenants should be aware that they will be facing a huge water bill every two months. Or have the landlords help to pay for it. Grr.
And they are supposed to give 24 hours’ notice when they’re coming over. Imagine!
You’ve been & are being too soft with these landlords of yours…..they are getting away with much too much. Glad you are moving, but feel for the next people moving in…..
jx
With all the defaults, cupboard doors, bathtub taps, doorbells, windows not opening and them showing up without notice and you’re worried about what they are going to say, forget about what they think of the mess Suzy, you’re getting ready to move, just get out of there to a brand new world of peace and quiet.