Are you thinking of buying a home? If so, you need to be prepared for the challenges that come with homeownership. It’s not for the faint of heart! Owning a home is a huge responsibility, and it can be challenging to keep up with all the required maintenance and repairs.

One of the biggest challenges that come with homeownership is the maintenance and repairs that are required. Every home needs regular upkeep to stay in good condition. This can be a challenge for some people, especially if they need to get used to dealing with home repairs. The average home improvement spending was $10,341 in 2021, a 25% increase from 2020. In 2021, spending on emergency repairs increased by 42%. The average repair cost is $2,231, with an average of 2.2 projects per household, says Better Homes & Gardens. This cost is expected to increase to $3,600 in 2022.

What I found interesting about the increased cost is that it is attributed to the added stress on home systems from people being indoors more. Elon might not be a bad guy at all. Returning to work is the next best form of home maintenance and preservation.

I thought I dodged the bullet when I decided to buy a new construction rather than an older home. Boy was I wrong! Let me tell the story of that one shitty day in my life as a homeowner.

It started two days prior. I mean, if I had closely paid attention, the warning signs were there. My toilet was flushing kind of slower. However, I was not too concerned as long as what was put there slowly disappeared down the abyss. By the second day, my toilet started gurgling when I took a shower or ran the faucet for a long time. On day three, while brushing my teeth, I heard that dreadful gurgling sound again. The sound was so loud that I ran to the toilet to ensure it was not overflowing. Surprisingly the toilet was fine, but I could still hear the gurgling noise.

I followed the sound, which led me to the shower. What I saw will forever traumatize me. All the sewage waste was backing up into my shower. And I mean all of it. Sink water, toilet water, toilet paper, poop, I mean everything. It’s been weeks since the entire shitstorm, and I still shudder thinking about it.

When I was a renter, my first call would have been to the management company. As a homeowner, I was the management company. Between trying to isolate the plumbing and not having it spread to the tubs or other sinks, I had to make numerous calls to get an emergency plumber to my home (By the way, it took 8 hours). I will spare you all the dirty details. The repair was quick but costly. The cleanup took hours, about two gallons of bleach and all my bath towels. Despite sanitizing the shower repeatedly for days, I am still paranoid, and to this very day, I do not set foot in that shower without shower shoes on. Yes, I am scarred for life!

My saving grace and what protected my bank account was that my home was still under warranty, and therefore the builder covered the cost. Although I am not convinced, I was told that construction debris was the cause for the clog and resulting shitshow.

There are a few things that you can do to make this process more manageable if you are not under a home warranty. Set up an emergency home repair fund for when shit hits the fan or shower. First, you can create a budget for home repairs and maintenance. This will help you keep track of your expenses and ensure you’re not spending too much on repairs. You can also join a home repair club or group, which can provide support and resources when dealing with home repairs.

Overall, homeownership is a huge responsibility. There are a lot of challenges that come with it, but there are also a lot of rewards. I am proud of my home and have achieved the American dream of homeownership. However, while the memory of “shitmageddon” is fresh, I will still think of homeownership as ghetto.