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Thread: Housing cost -all in

  1. #11
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    4 years ago we spent 12k on supplies and 5k for a helper for DH to do our backyard. The Astro-turf was 5k alone. That did include half the price of the fence on one side of the yard. It includes pavers and we had a ugly cement block wall separating the patio from the yard. We ended up cementing faux rock over it and now it’s really pretty. Our yard is now beautiful but I was shocked how much it cost. We did it over a 3 year period.

  2. #12
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    Our monthly costs are about $780., but I didn't include maintenance /improvements because those are so variable. We replaced our furnace this year, but it should really be amortized over many years and I'm just not up for that degree of accounting!
    My figure includes property taxes, water, oil, land phone, internet and cell, electric, and gas. We don't have a mortgage and don't pay for any TV or streaming services.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    My rent alone is $934.

  4. #14
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    We are in a high cost of living area (I think Boston is a lot higher than Columbus), but our abode is very humble and we bought our house a long time ago. So I do think we are fortunate to have pretty low housing costs.

  5. #15
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I have been to Boston twice and love it. Both times we went 4 days early as our cruise left from there.

  6. #16
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    Thanks for sharing everyone! We're doing VERY well considering that our $1200/m covers 2 homes all-in.

    Rosa, I didn't include the majors either as we have a large fund set aside for that. We did a new roof 4y ago on the cabin and we replaced the furnace/AC in our city home early 2017. Each was near $12k. If it's over $1k I consider it a major.

    If I amortized the furnace over it's expected life of 12 years, it would be $80/m. The metal roof at the cabin will go 40+ years so it's $25/m.

  7. #17
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Oh, man, I don't want to list this. I'm going to get thrown back in the dog house again.. but keep in mind that I AM SELLING my house in NJ in the spring.

    Mortgage (includes taxes and insurance): 2736 + 1331 = 3967
    Electricity: 170 + 150 = 320
    Snow Removal: None: DIY
    Cell Phone: 250 (for DH and I but I write it off my portion as a business expense)
    Internet/cable/TV: 234 + 128 = 362 (offset by BIL payments of $350)
    Water & Sewer: $60 (NJ)
    Trash: Included in taxes in NJ, we bring our own garbage and recycling to the transfer station in VT: costs about $16/month
    Wood (cabin heat): We bought two cords: cost $150/cord = $300 for the year (would be supplemented by electric heat), $25/month

    TOTAL: $4644

    NOW, if I sell the house in NJ and put all the funds into paying off the mortgage up here, it will be: $835 + whatever the snow removal charges are.

    If I get an off-season rental for 3-4 winter months, of course, that would get added on.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  8. #18
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    Kind of guessing here--currently, and will go way up if we buy something out of state in addition:

    Mortgage-0
    electric, landline, and phone: 200
    propane heat: 150
    taxes and homeowners insurance: 200
    garbage: 27
    water: 0
    snow removal: 0
    maintainance: maybe 200 a month average? This not counting big projects like new roof or new appliance, and it probably should, but mower gas, hay bales for insulation, paint, cleaning, fix it stuff?? a real guess here
    cell phone: not counting here because of landline

    Total per month: 777? ish

    Thus my terror about taking on a mortgage! But if we could buy in maine without mortgage and sell here, could probably do something similar, although col is more out there.

    Catherine, I worry that two cords might not be enough if you stay there this winter, I know we burned more than that in upstate NY. Our electric supplemental heat was horrendously expensive. I remember burning wood and still having heating bills of 200 a month. But we were not well insulated, I guess. OUr house was bigger too, which makes it harder to heat, although not very big--1400 square feet I think.

  9. #19
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    Wow Catherine no wonder you can’t afford to retire there. Your internet, tv, etc is double ours not to mention taxes, etc. You should definitely have some moving sales and make some money. We started to hold sales 2 years in advance when my mom was downsizing to a apartment.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Gardenarian's Avatar
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    Those New Jersey taxes are steep!
    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” -- Gandalf

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