2muchyarn

2muchyarn t1_je9557q wrote

I used a jigsaw. I wet down the cut to help reduce the dust and wore a mask. I had to buy a better jigsaw than the one I had, but the accuracy of the cuts and speed made it well worth it.

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2muchyarn t1_j5a8afd wrote

I just had surgery done by spectrum. They do have other locations. Any chance they could get you in sooner at one of those?

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2muchyarn t1_j1qamxe wrote

Our power did not go out until Sunday morning (and then only for a little over an hour, but it was right as we were getting ready for the day) and we discovered how woefully prepared we are in the water department. Looking at getting and filling 55 gallon tanks in the basement that we can use to fill buckets for flushing toilets and washing. We do have a filter if we need to filter this stored water for drinking. We have never had a well before so we needed this reminder of what we need to do. So grateful it was not a long-term loss of power like so many others have/are experiencing. On the bright side, we have a good amount of food storage and a wood stove and wood pile. Getting to know the Maine way of living!

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2muchyarn t1_iyll0re wrote

I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Some houses seem to just suck all the funds right and left. Your immediate need is to stay warm and have hot water. I am assuming you have a boiler? First, any chance you can go back to the previous oil company and they will deliver? Second can you install a wood burning stove? We are heating our house mostly with wood this year.

After you have made it through the winter I would suggest a thorough inspection of the house and its systems to determine exactly what is needed and what order of importance. We have used an inspection company that provided 3 separate inspections of a house we were considering buying. The information was very helpful in the negotiations. We also found a restoration contractor who seems to speak to these old houses and helped us understand ours a lot better. These resources helped us form a plan of attack for our house.

Then work from that point on improving. Maybe 1 or 2 major projects a year for a few years. Can you do some of the work yourselves? That can stretch the budget. If it is too much for you to do, you may want to look at selling and get out of there. You may also be able to get some decent financing for some or all of the repairs so you can get at least the very important stuff done without feeling so restricted in the budget. Some companies may offer financing such as heat pumps and/or solar. If you have equity in the house maybe a HELOC would be favorable. This may help get some of the work done so you are comfortable in your home.

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2muchyarn t1_iyhca7o wrote

We moved here from Las Vegas a few years ago. Maine is a very different lifestyle as well as climate. I also love the 4 seasons and cold. We are still learning how to live here. You need to figure out what you want to do for work unless you are willing to take anything. The north tends to be less populated and longer drives between what is populated. If you are looking to really get away it is perfect. If you want places to hang out and meet other young people, you may want to look around a bit before making a choice. I would recommend outside of Bangor or Southern Maine.

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2muchyarn t1_ixqfo0j wrote

Was that the paper or the advertisers? I would think so many retail businesses have websites that can be quite costly that print advertising isn't bringing in enough business to justify the expense any more.

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