Lights out and locks.

I just cant bring myself to talk about the subject at hand, so here's a bit of distraction.

The lights are left on 24/7.

The house behind our back fence has been an AirBnB/short-term rental property for as long as we've lived here (about four years). Mostly, it's been just fine. There were a few parties around last New Year's Eve that got a bit shout-y, but beyond that the lodgers have been quiet. 

Last month we noticed home renovations going on. Then, more recently, the room that had been used as an office by the last guests was staged as a bedroom. My guess is that Covid may have thinned out the bookings for this home and the owner doesn't quite have the 'cash cow' that he once had, so he wants out. A quick check on an online real estate company's website shows that this house is, indeed, now on the market. 

This property, like all in the immediate neighborhood, was purpose-built as a single family dwelling. It had been converted into two units some years ago. Although the property boasts two mailing addresses, it is listed online as one unit. The listing reads, in part, as follows: 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom at 2,360 square feet. The asking price is near 1.4 million dollars. In San Francisco, by law one cannot convert a two-unit building into a one-unit dwelling. Given that one of our San Francisco Supervisors did just that nearly 20 years ago and seems to have gotten away with it means that the law isn't always followed and penalties would seem weak. 

I selfishly hope that this property sells soon as its lights are left on all day and night. And with no window treatments, the light beaming from the home can be a bit of a nuisance. I wonder if home stagers feel curtains make a home look small? 

***

Since lockdown began I have seen many-a moving truck in San Francisco. Job loss and WFH arrangements have meant that more people are leaving SF than they are arriving to the city. A recent dip in rental prices would seem to support this idea. We thought we might take advantage in the rental property surplus and move house. however, after seeing one too many shoddy flats, we might just stay put after all. Look at the facade of the four unit building below. Built probably sometime in the 1890s/early 20th century, it has all the charm one could want in a building. Entering the flat, however, was an exercise in how to remove all homely touches in the worst way possible. Take a look at the 'lock' on the back door in the photo below. Would it have killed the owner to put an actual lock where the screwdriver currently is? Also the sort of mudroom in which the photo was taken was a right mess. File this one under: Pretty on the Outside.