Breaking Up With Your House. When Is It Time?

By Melissa Borgerding

THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Ginger Kotz’s relationship was on a steady decline. She loved her 50-year-old house in Chicago, but the constant maintenance and expense were holding her back. Looking towards the future, she knew that things were not going to get any easier.

It was time to move on.

 “I loved my house,” says Ginger. “I thought I would be in it for the rest of my life. I thought it was all paid for with nothing to worry about. Well, not so.” As Ginger’s house got older, the problems got bigger and more expensive. Soon, she felt overwhelmed.

She’s not alone. Nearly 600 of Ginger’s Chicagoland neighbors, who never dreamed they would leave their houses, have decided to move to Sedgebrook. One reason is maintenance.

“The things I had to worry about taking care of in my house, I don’t have to worry about anymore,” says Kay Stucka of Mundelein. Kay’s house sat on a fiveand- a-half acre property near the water—a lovely view, but a pain to keep up.

Like Kay, Ginger felt like she was working too hard for her house. At Sedgebrook, a full-time maintenance team works for her. Should her brand new washing machine, dishwasher, or any of the other appliances that come standard in each apartment home ever need repair, she knows exactly who to call. She also knows that the response will be professional and prompt.

“If my dryer goes out, I don’t have to worry about replacing it. When it snows, I don’t have to go outside and shovel. It’s taken care of.”

Ginger is relieved that she no longer has to flip through the phone book searching for repairmen, or pay $300 just to have a plumber examine a leaky sink. “It’s worth it to have peace of mind and a little less stress in my life.”