Do you use a spreadsheet, notes on your phone, a binder, or just try to remember everything?
Also, when you bought your house, was there anything you really wish the previous owner had told you about repairs, maintenance, appliances, etc.?
Curious what everyone does here?
What do you consider for couples when the two people basically want different beds? Like one person might want something softer and more contouring while the other wants firmer support. Add in different sleeping positions, one person sleeping hot and different preferences for motion and choosing one mattress can become a pretty annoying compromise.
I have looking at mattresses that let each side adjust firmness independently and honestly that seems like one of the more practical uses of mattress technology for couples. Being able to customize each side without having to compromise sounds pretty appealing especially when your preferences are almost the opposite. Has that flexibility actually made a noticeable difference and has it held up well over the years?
First Time Home Owner here. I want to install a electric range in my kitchen but because I could only get a center unit, there isn't a good way to route the duct and exhaust vent. I can't route it to the side and routing it to the back is more expensive plus the duct would be visible inside the house. The only is is to add the vent in the front but now its too visible. Would the vent being visible from the front decrease the value of my home if I ever go to sell it even though I'm adding something the home didn't have initially? I added some example pictures. Please give me some advice, should I do this? I cook quite a bit so don't like the oil and smell staying in the house but also don't want to hurt the resell value.
got a bathroom and an office that face straight onto the street and it’s been annoying me non stop. curtains make the rooms feel dark and closed in, but without them you feel like everyone walking by can see inside.
been thinking that switchable glass might actually fix it.
does this type of glass hold up okay long term or does it start acting up after a while?
how big of a job is the install usually?
There are always a few things that seem easy to put off until they suddenly aren’t.
For me, filters and the little preventative stuff are the easiest things to lose track of because nothing feels urgent until there’s a problem.
What’s one maintenance item you ignored, forgot about, or didn’t even know you were supposed to do until it caused an issue?
[effacé]
New homeowner here, any advice appreciated.
Hi everyone, just got a new stainless steel sink and it’s already scratched. Anyone have any ideas on how I can fix it? Thanks!
Two weeks ago, a fairly new BMW showed up on the curb in front of my house. Ok... I mean, I don't own the street.
Thing is it hasn't moved at all since then, and it's rear end bumper is so badly mangled that it is inside the trunk.
I'm not in a great part of town. A lot of folks have cars with dents and missing bumpers. But we've never seen this one before, and the neighbors don't seem to know whose car it is either.
At this point the street sweepers have gone around it twice, and I'm kind of wishing it wasn't right there.
Sometimes you only discover the real character of a property after you’ve lived in it for a while.
It might be something to do with insulation, heating, plumbing, damp, ventilation, noise, storage, or simply a detail you didn’t think to look at beforehand.
What’s one thing you wish you had checked before moving in, and what would you pay more attention to next time?
Almost three years ago my husband and I excitedly bought our first home, a new build from Centex. It’s a complete lemon and Centex has been nothing but a nightmare to work with. I BEG you to please think twice before purchasing a Centex home if you want to feel good about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a place that is supposed to be your sanctuary.
One of many issues we are having is peeling flooring. It started within 4 months of closing. I was talked into waiting to have the flooring fixed at the end of my warranty period. I was naive and thought that made sense at the time - if any more planks peeled up, they’d have to come back anyway. Well now I understand this was a ploy to get me out of the warranty period. Their “repairs” failed almost immediately, but they’re doubling down on being out of the one year warranty. This is the quality Centex wants to stand by. You should know this before considering making one of the biggest purchases of your life with this company.
Will be shopping around for new flooring for my brand new house. If you go Centex, expect to have to put money into fixing things you wouldn’t expect to have to deal with in a new home.
Things like:
-Boiler servicing
-Insurance renewals
-Appliance warranties
-MOT dates
Is there a better way to keep track of everything?
Pretty simple theres a couch on my roof and I no longer wish it to be there. Looking to get this done fast because certain people are pissed of and I get it but they are over reacting and they wont shut up about the couch until I take care of this.
Hey so I close tomorrow on a home I had bought, I believe it was a rental situation where the tenants smoked in the home (I mean they definitely did). They painted the walls, the kitchen looks good, all around the house is in good shape structurally and all the important components like furnace and roof are fairly new. The cigarette smell is definitely still in the carpet. I am unsure about the walls (they look clean).
What would be your advice on methods to get rid of the smell in the carpet? I know theres a chance it won’t get rid of it totally, the plan is to eventually rip out the carpet and redo the hardwood underneath but for now, the carpet has to stay. I read up on carpet bombing, pretreatments. It seems a little overwhelming I just want to try a method that would potentially work the best on the smell.
One of the biggest questions homeowners ask: is it time to repair or replace?
Repair if:
Replace if:
Cost reality:
Pro tip: Sometimes "one repair" turns into three within a year. We always give homeowners the honest call—don't upsell something that can be patched.
i’ve owned my house long enough to realize that some of the things i assumed were just "normal house stuff" were actually warning signs.
the biggest ones so far:
the toilet would randomly run for a few seconds. thought nothing of it. turned out the flapper was going bad.
one room always felt colder than the rest. figured that was just how the house was. turns out there was barely any insulation in part of the attic above it.
the bathroom fan sounded like a lawn mower but still worked, so i ignored it. eventually found out the vent was barely moving any air.
there was a small gap around one exterior door that i kept meaning to fix. after a while i realized how much cold air was coming through it.
none of these looked like emergencies. that's probably why i kept putting them off.
what's the "this is probably fine" thing you ignored that ended up being an actual problem?
I have an unfinished basement with a ton of exposed copper pipes running from my mechanical room to the bathrooms above. I was thinking of buying those foam tube sleeves to insulate all the lines. Does this actually make a noticeable difference in how fast the tap heats up, or is the energy saving so minimal that it’s not worth the weekend project?
Hello, I’m a new homeowner and I recently noticed a crack on my door. The first picture is one side and the second is the other side. This house was built in 1996, inspector didn’t mention any foundation issues. The door is still able to close but I’m just wondering who I need to call for repairs?
Found cracks/opening on the exterior foundation wall hidden behind a membrane. No cracks inside the basement. Filled the voids on the outside with hydraulic and anchoring cement. Might parge above grade next year. Should I still be concerned and call a structural engineer?