TheNcredibleEgg
04-11-2012, 12:17 PM
Ok, here is the hypothetical. You are given a house for 4 years with a possible option for another 4 years. No rent due, but the terms of the lease are that you are responsible for all repairs and upkeep on the house while you live there. Oh, and you also are task with taking care a bunch of children that will always live there. And it's those kids will decide if you get the second four year option.
You agree fully to the terms.
Now, upon moving in, you find the house in a state of total disrepair. The foundation is crumbling. Holes in the walls. Paint peeling. Leaky roof. Needs all new plumbing and electrical. The yard is a mess. Weeds growing waist high. Dust and dirt everywhere. Termites, bedbugs, cockroaches, mice - all matter of pestilence seem to be around.
So you call several contractors and get some opinions. They tell you the house basically needs a total structural fix from the ground up or else it will eventually collapse and be unlivable. You have the skills and knowhow to do the work yourself (though you will need your children to help) but it's going to be a major hardship on you and them. It's basically going to take the whole four years to finish the job. You will have time for absolutely nothing else. It sucks, but those are the realities.
You ask if there are any other options.
Well, some of your friends suggest that maybe, just maybe, since you are only going to be there the four years (eight max) that the collapse might not happen that soon. And you might be able to kick the figurative can for your stay. You still would have to do a little to spruce things up. Perhaps put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Cover the holes with some pictures. Put down some throw rugs over all the dirt. Sweep everything else under the beds. Put out some bug traps. You know, put some lipstick on the pig. Make the house just livable enough so the kids won't get suspicious about the real underlying mess, tricking them into believing the house is in decent shape, but leave all the real work for the next tenant. This won't take up much of your time and you will be free to do other things.
That thought kinda appeals to you. Afterall, you didn't make the mess. Why should you have do the clean-up? Especially since the kids are going to hate you for making them suffer through all the work. Plus all the money spent for the fix means money that they cannot spend on other goodies. Like the last tenant let them do. The one that made most of the mess. Not to mention - the kids are the ones who hold the option on the second 4 year - so they might kick you out if you make them clean-up.
So, now, what do you decide?
Choice A : The backbreaking and time-consuming structural but permanent fix.
Choice B: The easy, superficial albeit temporary fix.
You agree fully to the terms.
Now, upon moving in, you find the house in a state of total disrepair. The foundation is crumbling. Holes in the walls. Paint peeling. Leaky roof. Needs all new plumbing and electrical. The yard is a mess. Weeds growing waist high. Dust and dirt everywhere. Termites, bedbugs, cockroaches, mice - all matter of pestilence seem to be around.
So you call several contractors and get some opinions. They tell you the house basically needs a total structural fix from the ground up or else it will eventually collapse and be unlivable. You have the skills and knowhow to do the work yourself (though you will need your children to help) but it's going to be a major hardship on you and them. It's basically going to take the whole four years to finish the job. You will have time for absolutely nothing else. It sucks, but those are the realities.
You ask if there are any other options.
Well, some of your friends suggest that maybe, just maybe, since you are only going to be there the four years (eight max) that the collapse might not happen that soon. And you might be able to kick the figurative can for your stay. You still would have to do a little to spruce things up. Perhaps put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Cover the holes with some pictures. Put down some throw rugs over all the dirt. Sweep everything else under the beds. Put out some bug traps. You know, put some lipstick on the pig. Make the house just livable enough so the kids won't get suspicious about the real underlying mess, tricking them into believing the house is in decent shape, but leave all the real work for the next tenant. This won't take up much of your time and you will be free to do other things.
That thought kinda appeals to you. Afterall, you didn't make the mess. Why should you have do the clean-up? Especially since the kids are going to hate you for making them suffer through all the work. Plus all the money spent for the fix means money that they cannot spend on other goodies. Like the last tenant let them do. The one that made most of the mess. Not to mention - the kids are the ones who hold the option on the second 4 year - so they might kick you out if you make them clean-up.
So, now, what do you decide?
Choice A : The backbreaking and time-consuming structural but permanent fix.
Choice B: The easy, superficial albeit temporary fix.