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31 Days: Do What You've Been Putting Off



The photo above is of my new roof. It has sat atop my house since January. It should have been there a lot longer but I keep putting it off and putting it off. I knew that it was going to be a big project because I had two layers of shingles on my house and state law did not allow a third to be added so the old layers had to be removed. And because my house was built in 1930, it did not have traditional decking, it had wood shingles nailed directly onto the joist of the roof. Those would have to come off as well. A roofer had told me once that it would cost $10,000 to do the whole project. I could think of so many other things I would like to spend that much money on. So, I decided to pray for rain. And wind. And hail. My hope was to be able to make an insurance claim and have at least some of the cost covered.

Finally a hail storm hit. I may have shrieked with joy when I went outside and found shingles on my porch. I called my insurance agent and received a check but I still waited 6 months, right up until my deadline to complete the work, to take action. I dreaded the time it would take to get estimates, I dreaded paying the $2000 deductible, and I dreaded the chance that it would rain into my house while it sat without a roof.

When push came to shove, I was forced to get those estimates. It was only a couple of hours spent away from work and I ended up going with the company that was recommended by a co-worker and the owner was a dream to work with. Yes, that $2000 disappearing from my savings was a bit painful but I had borrowed extra when I refinanced my house so thankfully, I did not have to live on ramen noodles to cover the expense. And, due to the efficiency of the crew working on my house, my attic was not exposed to the elements for any amount of time or inclement weather. My vintage stuffed Alf doll was none the worse for wear.

What is worse for wear is a wall in my house. Rain was leaking in behind the fireplace. It wasn't a waterfall but a quiet trickle that I could only hear in the silence of fast forwarding my DVR. A quiet trickle of water that has stained the plaster on my living room wall and left me wondering what evils lurk behind that wall. If I had only taken action sooner, at the first sign of trouble, I might have avoided the expense of repairing the wall.

Was it noisy in my house for several days? Yes. Do I still have debris of old shingles in my attic? Yes. But today, when it absolutely poured and the wind knocked down power lines, I knew that everything was dry at my house and that peace of mind left me scratching my head as to why I put off that new roof for so long.

Do what you've been putting off. My guess is, it won't be as bad as you think it's going to be. Just like in the case of me getting a new roof, it might be a pain in the neck for a short amount of time but the benefits outweigh that discomfort. You will feel so much better when that worry is off your shoulders.

Do What You've Been Putting Off!


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