This would be less shocking if I didn't know better. But unfortunately I do. Just last month at my old place, my total for power and water was less than $50/mon for Usage. I complained once when my old water company would charge a $6/mon billing fee. The new company charges $25/mon in fees for water alone. The best part is my actual water usage was $2.76 for the month of April. So I'm paying 10x that amount for the privilege.
I'm calling it my town's dirty open secret.
So, now this house is costing me an extra $900/yr in fees. That's a lot. There goes my bank bonuses for the year.
It's just odd because 80 miles down the road (where I used to live), I wasn't being charged these fees for the same service. And this is a poorer community by half (based on median income). It's perplexing.
Add to my drama the following...
A verbal job offer.
So Big Pharma finally extended an offer to me. I started this application with them in January, so that's a 4-month turnaround. Wow, good thing I was gainfully employed or that would have been an even more heart wrenching experience.
It's a 20% bump in base salary (from $100k to $120k), but I imagine I'll be doing more than 20% more work, especially given our currently low call volume.
When you factor in the increased cost of living +/- keeping my current residence, the potential to save is about the same. In 2021 is when I'd really start to see the difference because their bonus target is twice what mine currently is.
The dilemma.
I don't want to sell my house. I don't really want to rent my house (because... stranger cooties). The reason I don't want to sell my house is because it's the best deal I could get for my budget and it'll fit in my death plan budget as well. I don't love it here, but as long as I'm not given a reason to fear for my safety or have to deal with too much nuisance, I'm fine staying here until my death date.
The ideal scenario
I get to make Big Pharma Money and work remotely in my current home.
Other scenarios - House
- Keep house vacant for 6 months.
- Keep house vacant and rent Big Pharma apartment for 6 months.
- Rent house for 6 months.
- Rent house for 2-3 years.
- Sell house.
Other scenarios - Job
- Accept new job offer.
- Don't accept new job offer, i.e. keep current job.
- Accept new job offer and attempt to move to remote in 6 months.
- Accept new job offer and actively seek remote work over the next 6 months.
Thoughts
Well 6 months is about as far down the line as my mind can process right now. Since my goal is to keep my house and not let it to strangers, I think the option that seems the most actionable would be to Accept new job offer + Rent Big Pharma apartment for 6 months.
Options, stream of consciousness....
That part (accepting the offer and renting new apartment for six months) seems easy because the new job pays more money and I'll need somewhere to live. It's pragmatic. As far as what to do with my house during the interim, I don't want to leave it completely vacant; but I don't really want to rent it out to strangers either (again, cooties). The whole point of getting a new build was to not have to think about other people living there.
For now, I'll go with the thought of keeping the house for the 6 months, probably not with a renter; I can come back one week a month and work remotely, maybe even squeeze 2 WFH weeks together...ooo, I like that plan.
The six months can act like a probationary period for both owning a house from afar and the new job.
If the job works out, then look toward making the move to Big Pharma permanent for the next 2-3 years. If that's the plan, then it would make sense to try to rent the house for 2-3 years, likely with a property management company. After I give notice at new job to commence Death Date, I can decide if I can repaint or recarpet the house or sage for cooties if the price is right. Or, there maybe other affordable options.
If the new job doesn't work out, the house is my safety net. I can concentrate more on remote call center work and sail along to my death date.
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