CAG home owner topic. Buying or selling a home? Have a maintance issue? Help is here!

[Pookymeister]

I think you can buy basins or something to put the washer in. Won't stop a huge amount of water, but could help if something small happened.

 

[Friend of Sonic]

I too did that (well, it's a small tray, which will at least help catch small washer related leaks, not sure if there's a giant bucket of some kind I can put it in, that would catch more water)

I did some research and apparently you can buy a 150 dollar gizmo that keeps a read on water pressure and kills the water line if it hits a certain threshold. That might be a reasonable investment. I totally would pay someone to put hookups in my garage, but I'm not even sure if that's possible.

 

[crowbb]

I JUST had a guy down last week to install 2 outdoor sockets and with parts, including the price of the special weather resistant closing outdoor sockets he charged me $150.00. One he just installed on the wall outside the box, but the other he had to run on the other side of the house out the back. I'm in NJ which is usually on the expensive side of things. Of course, this is the husband of someone I know through work and while he is licensed, he doesn't do it as a regular job anymore so I assume he is not charging a high rate.

[quote name='ajh2298']Okay first thing is first I will not mess with electrical stuff. I am beyond afraid of getting shocked.

So I want to have a few more outlet installed in my unfinished basement one for a chest freezer and a couple of more for my game room stuff once I decide to finish my basement. Right now I have a TV set up in the one corner for my son to play Wii and I would like to my it into a little home theater with another 360 and Blu-ray player hooked up to it. Right now I am running a extension cord up through the celling joists from the one lighting fixture. How much do you think it will cost to have a electrician come in and do this. I do have a couple of empty spots still left in the breaker box, and everything as far as that goes is newer and up to date.

Thanks,
Anthony[/QUOTE]

 

[crowbb]

You guys aren't the only ones. Right now my basement has a full sized dedicated arcade machine that runs a lot of stuff. I've done the floor, walls, and ceiling. Did all the work myself with the help of my father to save on labor. Drywall is dirt cheap if you do it yourself as is Pergo flooring. I've been accumulating other things for it as well but until my roommate/tenant moves out, it will be half-used as storage. Eventually when he goes I will put in a bar style sit down arcade machine as well and a pool table. I may turn the fishtank built into the wall between the finished basement and the laundry room into a fridge/bar area as well. I'm not much of a drinker, but cold beverages on hand in the game room is always a good thing.

[quote name='Pookymeister']My basement has been in the works for 13 months [/QUOTE]

 

[Javery]

Well if there is space he could run it from the breaker box, then. Bottom line, it's not at all a difficult thing for them to do, it would just come down to the time/cost of running the new cable.

Agreed. They will tap into the wires in the ceiling that feed the rest of the house and put the outlets wherever you want them. A couple hundred dollars would be my guess too.

In other news, my addition is (sort of) finishing up this week. Final inspection is tomorrow. We still have to paint the exterior of the house and garage as well as paint the entire interior (including 27 windows and 18 doors - ugh). I'm going to hire someone to do outside but I'm sucking it up and painting the interior myself. We came in pretty much on budget which was great but it took WAY longer than it should have. My contractor also didn't really finish - he is moving and closing up his business so he didn't get to replace the basement stairs or install some built-ins that were on the plans. We have to figure out a credit (we haven't made the final payment yet) but I'm pretty annoyed that it has come to this (he did do a good job overall though).

Things we didn't budget for and didn't really think about that we have to do within the next year are the driveway (including pouring a concrete slab in the garage) and all of the landscaping - my yard (front and back) has almost no grass and is just mud and rocks. My basement theater/game room will likely be after those things so I'm guessing I'm 2 years away at least. I'm just glad we finally have a decent sized house to live in and I can move out of the attic.

 

[Javery]

So the house passed final inspection which is good... but the contractor didn't actually finish which is bad.  As a "compromise" I decided to withhold $10,000 from his final payment and this is on top of the $5,000 punchlist payment that we will owe him once we are satisfied 100%.  We are supposed to have 30 days to put a list together that he will fix for the last $5K.  That's not happening since he closed his business so it is on us to find other guys to finish the job.  I think $15K will cover everything but I'm pretty annoyed - it's just more legwork for me.  The conversation was uncomfortable too since I don't particularly like confrontations.  I'm very happy with everything else though.

 

[Mr Unoriginal]

Glad to hear you're in the final stretch.  My advice would be to get the rest of the stuff done ASAP.  It's really easy to sit on small repairs that should get done, but you just never get around to it.

 

[Javery]

Yeah - we have people coming out to the house next week to bid on the remaining stuff.  I'm hoping by the end of July at the absolute latest everything will be 100% finished (other than the painting, which I will be doing slowly over time).

 

[ajh2298]

Another stupid question.

In our kitchen on our back storm/screen door we have no screen inserts both spots are filled in with the glass panels in their frames. Is there a way to get panels containing screens made up when you dont even have the frames for them? I know if you have the frames you can get missing or broken screens replaced or repaired but is anything I can do in this case other than buying a whole new screen door?

 

[Access_Denied]

I don't need help, but I do have some wicked good advice.

About 2 years ago, our septic started to get a little backed up. The ground was always really moist when it should have been completely dry. Well, we've been in the house 10 years and haven't had it pumped (stupid move!), so we decided to pump it. I dug up the cover and the guy came by and pumped it. At the last minute, he decided to grab his shovel and poke around. Turns out we had another tank next to the one we knew about (both 500 gallon tanks). So he pumped them both and went about his way.

Fast forward to now. The septic is screwed up and it's time to dig. The distribution box is broken, a line collapsed, it's plugged ... we have no idea. So we just dig. After a week of digging on and off, we uncover 2 more tanks (that's 4 people) that needed to be pumped. So we had the guys come by and pump them and shove a camera in the lines. All clear. What the hell? Oh wait a minute, looks like we have another tank! (Yes, for a total of 5.) The guy lifts the lid to pump it and it's full.

Now let me explain how full. (Those with weak stomachs, leave now.) A septic tank is supposed to be mostly liquid. The solids decompose and dissolve and get eaten by bacteria. It should basically be sewage water. How full was ours? There was no water. Wait, let me finish. There was NO water. It was packed so full and tightly that you could actually stand on the top of it. It's a 1000 gallon tank that was packed SOLID with poop. Our guess was that it hand't been pumped in 30 years or so.

Moral of the story? Pump your septic tank yearly. Also, make sure you know how many damn tanks you have. :/

I don't know how many of you CAGs are on a septic, but if you are, take care of that shit.

 

[MSI Magus]

My wife just got a new position and her employer is offering to pay for all of our moving fees. When I say all moving fees I mean even things like realtor fees from selling our home and buying a new one. This leaves me with a lot of different questions then many people have when moving. Do I tell either realtor that we are on a short time frame(start the job in December)or do we hide that fact? Do you inform them that our employer is paying for most of the fees or does that make them less likely to work to get the price down?

Anyone ever been in a similar situation or have realtor experience here? I am sure I will have some other house questions too. Our last home was a crappy $36k starter home but with her employer having such a generous moving policy we are trying to be smart and really pick something with value that we love

 

[EvilIA]

I don't need help, but I do have some wicked good advice.

About 2 years ago, our septic started to get a little backed up. The ground was always really moist when it should have been completely dry. Well, we've been in the house 10 years and haven't had it pumped (stupid move!), so we decided to pump it. I dug up the cover and the guy came by and pumped it. At the last minute, he decided to grab his shovel and poke around. Turns out we had another tank next to the one we knew about (both 500 gallon tanks). So he pumped them both and went about his way.

Fast forward to now. The septic is screwed up and it's time to dig. The distribution box is broken, a line collapsed, it's plugged ... we have no idea. So we just dig. After a week of digging on and off, we uncover 2 more tanks (that's 4 people) that needed to be pumped. So we had the guys come by and pump them and shove a camera in the lines. All clear. What the hell? Oh wait a minute, looks like we have another tank! (Yes, for a total of 5.) The guy lifts the lid to pump it and it's full.

Now let me explain how full. (Those with weak stomachs, leave now.) A septic tank is supposed to be mostly liquid. The solids decompose and dissolve and get eaten by bacteria. It should basically be sewage water. How full was ours? There was no water. Wait, let me finish. There was NO water. It was packed so full and tightly that you could actually stand on the top of it. It's a 1000 gallon tank that was packed SOLID with poop. Our guess was that it hand't been pumped in 30 years or so.

Moral of the story? Pump your septic tank yearly. Also, make sure you know how many damn tanks you have. :/

I don't know how many of you CAGs are on a septic, but if you are, take care of that shit.

There is a formula, but it depends on the size of your tank. But it's at least every two years. There are two tanks, a solid storage tank and a grey water tank. There is pipes between the two and baffles. The baffles keep the solids out of the gray tank. I bet that you filled the one tank and it got pushed down and into the other tank and destroyed the system.

Just a FYI for those on septic and might not know better, but powered detergent and cooking grease are you worst enemies. I had powder and grease clog the input pipe to the solid chamber and backup the system.

I was given good advice by the pumper man, there is supposed to be a filter basket, a mesh of some sort that goes into the drain tube that goes from the gray tank to the leech field. Clean that sucker every 6 months.Take it out and hose it down then put it back. Also check the condition of the input tube from house into the solid septic tank, make sure that it is clean and water flows freely (flush a toilet or two at the same time). If you do that you will be ahead of the majority of issues.

 

[Dead of Knight]

I am SO ing glad we're sewer and don't have to deal with a septic tank.  I remember it was a pain in the ass for my parents while I was growing up. :lol:

And @ having 5 septic tanks.

 

[Pookymeister]

Eww poopy.

Basement is *almost* drywalled. Maybe it will actually finish this summer

 

[ToddManG]

My wife just got a new position and her employer is offering to pay for all of our moving fees. When I say all moving fees I mean even things like realtor fees from selling our home and buying a new one. This leaves me with a lot of different questions then many people have when moving. Do I tell either realtor that we are on a short time frame(start the job in December)or do we hide that fact? Do you inform them that our employer is paying for most of the fees or does that make them less likely to work to get the price down?

Anyone ever been in a similar situation or have realtor experience here? I am sure I will have some other house questions too. Our last home was a crappy $36k starter home but with her employer having such a generous moving policy we are trying to be smart and really pick something with value that we love

I wouldn't bother to tell them who's paying for what. Your buying agent just wants you to pick a house quickly so they get paid without doing too much work, and your selling agent might try to talk you into accepting a slightly lower offer with the excuse "since you'll get paid back for the fees it's really more!" (again, for them it's the quick turnaround time more than the split of a few K). You shouldn't have any realtor fees from buying your new home unless her company counts your closing costs which would be awesome and save you anywhere from 2-6 thousand dollars. Personally I'd consider July-Dec a long timeframe when it comes to looking for a house. I bought my latest house after a 4 month search and that felt like torture. If you still haven't found anything you like after a couple of months I'd tell them that you're on a timeline and maybe think about expanding your search criteria. Depending on where you're moving to a lot of markets dry out in the fall/winter so you may not see a lot of new homes popping up if you take a while to decide. Good luck!

Just another note - it'll probably take about a month from the time your offer is accepted until you're able to close so keep that in mind with your schedule

 

[slowdive21]

Well, I have been in my place since November. I found out the first place I bid on had somehow been sold without being back on the market. It sold for $60,000. I'm a little pissed because I offered $62,000 for it in october. I guess I can take some pleasure in knowing they had to pay property taxes, assessments, electric, etc and ended up taking less than my offer. They probably lost about $7,000 by turning me down. I could have used the extra space though.

 

[Zoglog]

Well, I have been in my place since November. I found out the first place I bid on had somehow been sold without being back on the market. It sold for $60,000. I'm a little pissed because I offered $62,000 for it in october. I guess I can take some pleasure in knowing they had to pay property taxes, assessments, electric, etc and ended up taking less than my offer. They probably lost about $7,000 by turning me down. I could have used the extra space though.

Wow jelly.... in LA you can't buy anything for that amount. 2 brdroom 1000 sq ft Condos in West LA go for $400,000 at least.

Anyone have any recommendations for covering a car port? Getting tired of putting my car cover on every other week.

 

[Dead of Knight]

Well, I have been in my place since November. I found out the first place I bid on had somehow been sold without being back on the market. It sold for $60,000. I'm a little pissed because I offered $62,000 for it in october. I guess I can take some pleasure in knowing they had to pay property taxes, assessments, electric, etc and ended up taking less than my offer. They probably lost about $7,000 by turning me down. I could have used the extra space though.

Yeah reminds me of the place we had a P&S on before we found our house. They found a ton of things wrong with the inspection so we wanted them to go down a few thousand on the price, which was more than reasonable since the repairs would have been in the five figures at least, probably in the $20k+ range. They tried to play chicken with us so we walked. Turns out it sold for $15k less than our drop dead offer. Epic fail.

 

[slowdive21]

Wow jelly.... in LA you can't buy anything for that amount. 2 brdroom 1000 sq ft Condos in West LA go for $400,000 at least.

Anyone have any recommendations for covering a car port? Getting tired of putting my car cover on every other week.

yeah I ended up buying a 1 br 2nd floor unit for 38,000. It last sold for $105,000. Im happy with it, but I could really use a larger place.

 

[MSI Magus]

I wouldn't bother to tell them who's paying for what. Your buying agent just wants you to pick a house quickly so they get paid without doing too much work, and your selling agent might try to talk you into accepting a slightly lower offer with the excuse "since you'll get paid back for the fees it's really more!" (again, for them it's the quick turnaround time more than the split of a few K). You shouldn't have any realtor fees from buying your new home unless her company counts your closing costs which would be awesome and save you anywhere from 2-6 thousand dollars. Personally I'd consider July-Dec a long timeframe when it comes to looking for a house. I bought my latest house after a 4 month search and that felt like torture. If you still haven't found anything you like after a couple of months I'd tell them that you're on a timeline and maybe think about expanding your search criteria. Depending on where you're moving to a lot of markets dry out in the fall/winter so you may not see a lot of new homes popping up if you take a while to decide. Good luck!

Just another note - it'll probably take about a month from the time your offer is accepted until you're able to close so keep that in mind with your schedule

Thanks for the respose, and actually they are paying for all the closing fees as well. Pretty much the only thing this whole move we have to pay for is insurance/mortgage. They even pay for gas and wear and tear on our vehicle just for driving from Toledo to Lansing to house hunt I agree that since the buying agent wants us to pick a house quickly we probably dont need to give her further incentive to rush! The reminder that it can take a month to close settles an argument too. My wife kept insisting on our last house closing in like a week where I would have swore it was much longer! The reminder on the season is really helpfull too. I was hoping that maybe prices dropped a bit in the colder half of the year. Few houses that are out of our price range we are really keeping an eye on the next few months.

Another quick question. I think most of our house is in "move in condition" but our 3 dogs have trashed our living room carpet. Most of the rest of the house(including the carpet)is fine, but their nails have caught and ripped up the carpet in the living room in a few spots and stained it in a few others. I am guessing its probably best if possible to replace the carpet before selling since its a small room and small project? Especially since its in the living room which will be peoples first impression? Then again its a crappy little $36k starter home, might be better to just sell as is

 

[MSI Magus]

Another quick question. I know every market is different, every house is different and every situation is different. But have houses been staying on the market forever and a half like before? I keep reading the market is picking up but still really limping along. Just trying to figure out how long to play uninterested in a few dream homes that feel pretty cheap. I imagine its still safe to play possum for a month or two in general?

BTW Dead of Knight, you lived in condos and hated them correct? Pretty sure from when I was active here awhile back I recall you and a few others really ragging on condos and saying they are never the way to go.

 

[Mako1215]

I hate switching jobs. I could have had a house at a 3% interest rate if I had stayed at my old job :/ but it's more money, and better for when I go back to school. New the interest in my area is climbing back up to 5%. O well it was worth since I can most likly get rid of the damn PMI.

 

[Dead of Knight]

Another quick question. I know every market is different, every house is different and every situation is different. But have houses been staying on the market forever and a half like before? I keep reading the market is picking up but still really limping along. Just trying to figure out how long to play uninterested in a few dream homes that feel pretty cheap. I imagine its still safe to play possum for a month or two in general?

BTW Dead of Knight, you lived in condos and hated them correct? Pretty sure from when I was active here awhile back I recall you and a few others really ragging on condos and saying they are never the way to go.

No, never lived in a condo. They do suck ass though.

 

[Pookymeister]

I lived in a condo for a couple years. It's just like an apartment, so the pros and cons of that - except you can renovate.

 

[dmaul1114]

I've been in a condo for the past 3 years.  I just rent one a friend bought and then moved overseas for work though.

As the above says, just pros and cons.

The one I'm in is a 30 story high rise (on on the 21st floor) so it's built pretty solidly so the sound proofing is decent (though could be better).

I live alone, so I don't need a ton of space so the 900 whatever square feet is just about right (1 bedroom with a den I use as an office). 

The main perk is the location.  Right in the middle of midtown Atlanta, which is the best part of the city.  A block from Piedmont Park which is a great place to run and has a lot of concerts and festivals.  Tons of great bars and restaurants within a few blocks, museums, art galleries etc.

I'd eventually prefer a house (and will most be moving into one in January when I move in with my girlfriend as she has dogs and needs a fenced in yard etc.) so I can have a yard, blast my home theater etc. But it's been great living in the city and being able to walk to so much stuff.  I wouldn't want a condo in the suburbs or anything though as then you just have the drawbacks without the benefit of being in an awesome location with tons to do at your doorstep.

 

[Pookymeister]

Just finished getting most of the house painted.

Gave the dude a check and said "Thanks"

 

[Zoglog]

condo depends on the size and the HOA. However there is a typical inherent risk. I have numerous stories from co-workers where someone else's crap has screwed up crap in their unit. And of course you have to deal with shared walls.

This is the main reason I chose not to live in the West LA area. Some of the new construction like on sawtelle was nice but at $400k for a 1000 sq ft condo? no thanks.

Though since I was shopping those condos are up to 500-600k now. Amazing what a couple of years can do to a frothy market

 

[tylerh1701]

What goes on in replacing a kitchen sink?  I have a big white porcelain 2 basin one that I really hate, it's shattered a few glasses already.  I feel like a nice newer looking one (I assume they're made of metal) would look way better in my house and be more forgiving on my dishes.

Is that a major process?  And if I was to have a plumber/handyman do it, how much do you think that would run?

Also, I live in a condo (well I guess the proper term is townhouse) and only share one side wall with a neighbor and I love it.  The only issue I'd have with condos is if I had someone living above me.  My HOA fees are a little high but I also love that they do all my lawn watering and maintenance, snow shoveling, and roofing (I got a brand new roof this year!)

 

[slowdive21]

What goes on in replacing a kitchen sink? I have a big white porcelain 2 basin one that I really hate, it's shattered a few glasses already. I feel like a nice newer looking one (I assume they're made of metal) would look way better in my house and be more forgiving on my dishes.

Is that a major process? And if I was to have a plumber/handyman do it, how much do you think that would run?

Also, I live in a condo (well I guess the proper term is townhouse) and only share one side wall with a neighbor and I love it. The only issue I'd have with condos is if I had someone living above me. My HOA fees are a little high but I also love that they do all my lawn watering and maintenance, snow shoveling, and roofing (I got a brand new roof this year!)

It depends on your area. I had a vanity top and faucet put in my bathroom as well as a kitchen faucet and it was $150. I doubt it will be that cheap everywhere. I would think about $150-$175 is the going rate for a kitchen sink/faucet combo. If you call a few places they can give an estimate. There are youtube videos for it. The main advantage of having a plumber do it is s/he can look for cracks in the pipes or replace the feeds if they are old, etc.

----

Yeah I didn't want to buy a condo, but most of you know the story. I had a lot of cash, no job, and it was cheaper than renting. I couldnt afford a house, so this place was a steal at $38,000. The best thing are the assessments. They are $121 /month and they include water, lawn, garbage...basically the only things you pay for are electric and any type of cable/phone/internet. I'm pretty conscious of my electric use and my bill is typically $60 /month (except when I have to run my air or heat a lot). Insurance is about $58 month for car and condo. I got comcast basic internet for 14.99 month for 1yr and I bought my modem to avoid the $7 /month rental fee. Taxes are high here, so they average out at $125/month. On average my expense is $385 month to live here. I plan on recouping my initial investment, so I am not counting the purchase price. In theory the rent estimate for this place is $900/month because of location and the schools (Zillow says it is higher). The main downside is I cant rent it out to anyone but family, the upside is my neighbors are owners, so they are considerate of their neighbors.

 

[kill3r7]

What goes on in replacing a kitchen sink? I have a big white porcelain 2 basin one that I really hate, it's shattered a few glasses already. I feel like a nice newer looking one (I assume they're made of metal) would look way better in my house and be more forgiving on my dishes.

Is that a major process? And if I was to have a plumber/handyman do it, how much do you think that would run?

Also, I live in a condo (well I guess the proper term is townhouse) and only share one side wall with a neighbor and I love it. The only issue I'd have with condos is if I had someone living above me. My HOA fees are a little high but I also love that they do all my lawn watering and maintenance, snow shoveling, and roofing (I got a brand new roof this year!)

Replacing a sink is one of the easiest DIY projects. It's really simple and only takes about an hour (depending on your setup). I would also recommend buying a new faucet as well. Just make sure to buy a similar style/shape sink as your current one so you don't have to fool around with the counter.

 

[tylerh1701]

Thanks for the info guys.  I look into doing it myself a little bit, my mom is actually pretty handy around the house so I'll see what she thinks as well.

I actually bought my condo because the houses I liked were just a bit out of my price range as well.  I got my condo for $126K and all the houses in the area I was looking at were probably in the $170K-$190K and I just didn't want to be stretched that thin from month to month.

 

[kill3r7]

Thanks for the info guys. I look into doing it myself a little bit, my mom is actually pretty handy around the house so I'll see what she thinks as well.

I actually bought my condo because the houses I liked were just a bit out of my price range as well. I got my condo for $126K and all the houses in the area I was looking at were probably in the $170K-$190K and I just didn't want to be stretched that thin from month to month.

Let me know if you decide to do it yourself because I have a couple of good DIY books (pdf) which I can email to you. It goes without saying that youtube is always an incredible resource especially if you are a visual person.

How to Replace a Kitchen Sink

 

[tylerh1701]

Thanks!

 

[slowdive21]

The only thing I would add, is make sure you know where the main water line is in your townhome. I would cut that too, incase the valves break under the sink. It all depends on age and use. It's just an extra precaution if you are doing it yourself. My stuff was 25+ years old, so that is why I had a plumber do it. Plus I needed him to move a copper water pipe.

 

[ajh2298]

Another stupid question.

In our kitchen on our back storm/screen door we have no screen inserts both spots are filled in with the glass panels in their frames. Is there a way to get panels containing screens made up when you dont even have the frames for them? I know if you have the frames you can get missing or broken screens replaced or repaired but is anything I can do in this case other than buying a whole new screen door?

Just bumping this looking for a little help. I asked at Lowes the other day and nobody got the gist of what I was asking.

 

[kill3r7]

Just bumping this looking for a little help. I asked at Lowes the other day and nobody got the gist of what I was asking.

If I understand your question correctly, you should be able to pop out the glass panels and replace one or both panels with a screen. The door should have been designed in such a way as to accommodate both. All you need to do is buy a replacement screen panel (leave about 1 inch extra on all sides) and install new spline. Alternatively, you can replace the entire door.

If you could post a picture I might be better able to answer your question.

 

[ajh2298]

If I understand your question correctly, you should be able to pop out the glass panels and replace one or both panels with a screen. The door should have been designed in such a way as to accommodate both. All you need to do is buy a replacement screen panel (leave about 1 inch extra on all sides) and install new spline. Alternatively, you can replace the entire door.

If you could post a picture I might be better able to answer your question.

I was also told the frames for the glass panels were different than the frames that take the screens. I only have frames with the glass in them no frames at all for the screens. So there is no screen to replace I need both the screen and the frames to put them in.

 

[kill3r7]

I was also told the frames for the glass panels were different than the frames that take the screens. I only have frames with the glass in them no frames at all for the screens. So there is no screen to replace I need both the screen and the frames to put them in.

Do yourself a favor and pop out one of the glass panels. If the track behind the glass is flush (flat) then you are SOL. If there is a groove there you are okay. I don't know what else to tell you.

 

[tylerh1701]

I have water coming in my basement through a drain in my floor.  Nothing in my basement (washing machine/water heater) is leaking, and I don't see water coming in anywhere else, like cracks in the floor of the unfinished room.  Just the drain, which is totally backed up and I'm having to go down every 30 minutes or so and mop up so that the water doesn't spread onto anything beside the linoleum floor.

Any ideas?

 

[Javery]

I have water coming in my basement through a drain in my floor. Nothing in my basement (washing machine/water heater) is leaking, and I don't see water coming in anywhere else, like cracks in the floor of the unfinished room. Just the drain, which is totally backed up and I'm having to go down every 30 minutes or so and mop up so that the water doesn't spread onto anything beside the linoleum floor.

Any ideas?

I would try snaking the drain. If that doesn't work, call a plumber - sooner rather than later based on your description of what is going on down there.

 

[slowdive21]

I have water coming in my basement through a drain in my floor. Nothing in my basement (washing machine/water heater) is leaking, and I don't see water coming in anywhere else, like cracks in the floor of the unfinished room. Just the drain, which is totally backed up and I'm having to go down every 30 minutes or so and mop up so that the water doesn't spread onto anything beside the linoleum floor.

Any ideas?

If you are hooked up to city sewers, they are probably backing up. It could be a city problem, but most likely if they find the problem going from the street to your house, they will say it is the homeowners responsibility. It could cost a lot of money if it is a broken pipe. If you had a lot of rain, then it is probably the city sewers being at a higher level...Do you smell 'sewer gas'? Phosphorous or stink? Either way a plumber sooner than later is the way to go.

 

[tylerh1701]

Thanks guys.  I don't smell hardly anything.  The water is the tiniest bit dingy, but for the most part it is clean and clear.

I've actually been running a small hose from my Central Air system down that drain.  How much water (condensation) does a central air system create on a daily basis?  I thought it was next to none, but maybe I'm mistaken?

Anyways, I've moved that hose over to it's own separate bucket for drainage and I'll be monitoring both for the next couple hours to test myself and see how much water that A/C unit is creating.  Maybe that is the entire problem...

If that's not the problem, I'll call a plumber tomorrow morning to check it out.  I don't have a snake or anything to do it myself. Do plumbers general charge a fee to come out and check things out.  I've only owned my own place for about a year, and I've never had to call one before.

 

[tylerh1701]

So yeah, moving the A/C drainage tube out of the drain worked.  The water in the drain is going down and the pan I put the tube in was nearly filled.

I had no idea that central air systems created so much condensation and water.  Haha I feel kind of stupid for not checking this out first.  Oh well.

 

[kill3r7]

So yeah, moving the A/C drainage tube out of the drain worked. The water in the drain is going down and the pan I put the tube in was nearly filled.

I had no idea that central air systems created so much condensation and water. Haha I feel kind of stupid for not checking this out first. Oh well.

You should consider getting a dehumidifier. It makes a world of difference.

 

[MSI Magus]

Debating how much to low ball on a house and hoping to get some opinions! We have to move in by December so normally I would not think of lowballing too much. However.....

1. Unless we pull a miracle and sell our current house in a month the most we qualify for is $80k and thats with tapping our 401k, this house is $90k.

2. Its got faaaaaaaar more land and privacy then anything normally in our price range. I hate people and love my dogs, so this houses location and space is a dream come true.

3. Its been on the market for well over a year.

We think the main reason its likely so cheap and been up so long is likely a mix of the horribly ugly/retro interior and the fact that a lot of people probably dont want a cemetery in their back yard(the highway and golfcourse might turn some off too). The house looks to be in pretty good shape with some updates in the last 5ish years. The porch starting to slope over 5-20 years looks to be the next big issue that would arise. The realtor says to put out an offer of $70k which I think is a respectable first offer given how long its been on the market, but I am wondering if we can get away with $65 or $67. Just dont want to sour any possible deal by insulting the home owners with an extreme low ball. 

Link to the house

http://www.trulia.com/property/3094762668-3112-E-Mount-Hope-Ave-Lansing-MI-48910

 

[MSI Magus]

You should consider getting a dehumidifier. It makes a world of difference.

Ill second this, my wife and I got one and it worked wonders.

 

[Mako1215]

Debating how much to low ball on a house and hoping to get some opinions! We have to move in by December so normally I would not think of lowballing too much. However.....

1. Unless we pull a miracle and sell our current house in a month the most we qualify for is $80k and thats with tapping our 401k, this house is $90k.

2. Its got faaaaaaaar more land and privacy then anything normally in our price range. I hate people and love my dogs, so this houses location and space is a dream come true.

3. Its been on the market for well over a year.


We think the main reason its likely so cheap and been up so long is likely a mix of the horribly ugly/retro interior and the fact that a lot of people probably dont want a cemetery in their back yard(the highway and golfcourse might turn some off too). The house looks to be in pretty good shape with some updates in the last 5ish years. The porch starting to slope over 5-20 years looks to be the next big issue that would arise. The realtor says to put out an offer of $70k which I think is a respectable first offer given how long its been on the market, but I am wondering if we can get away with $65 or $67. Just dont want to sour any possible deal by insulting the home owners with an extreme low ball.

Link to the house

http://www.trulia.com/property/3094762668-3112-E-Mount-Hope-Ave-Lansing-MI-48910



I would go for the possible price you feel comfortable with.

That's one thing I don't get is why people get so offended when it comes to selling a home and price offers.

With the cemetery and a full house redesign needed I would say 65k is a fair starting point. Chances are they won't go for it.

 

[MSI Magus]

I would go for the possible price you feel comfortable with.

That's one thing I don't get is why people get so offended when it comes to selling a home and price offers.

With the cemetery and a full house redesign needed I would say 65k is a fair starting point. Chances are they won't go for it.

Yeah I by no means expect them to accept anywhere near that. I just hope starting lowball we can maybe settle a bit lower eventually. $75k is the max id honestly want to pay and thats $15k below asking. I also forgot to mention that there are no bathtubs in the house at all, just showers. That is again a big deal to some people(I know I feel like giving up baths is giving up a lot!). Actually part of the only reasons I am ok with the house not having baths is because its enough property to put in a pond(or at least a decent pool)eventually.

 

[tylerh1701]

You should consider getting a dehumidifier. It makes a world of difference.

Kind of on the opposite side of that, does anyone have any experience with portable evaporative coolers? I've been looking into getting one for my main living area since my Central Air doesn't do a very good job (guy I had come out checked everything, says it's just an air flow issue which would require more ducting and air intakes, not a cheap job).

Anyways, I've been looking into something similar to this, I'm just curious if they work well and if they honestly can cool a 300 sq foot room as advertised. I live in Salt Lake City, UT, and generally our humidity is fairly low, except August can sometimes get a bit humid. But my old house had a swamp cooler and I LOVED it compared to my central air. I'd install a window unit if I could but they are banned by my HOA.

 

[tylerh1701]

Debating how much to low ball on a house and hoping to get some opinions! We have to move in by December so normally I would not think of lowballing too much. However.....

1. Unless we pull a miracle and sell our current house in a month the most we qualify for is $80k and thats with tapping our 401k, this house is $90k.

2. Its got faaaaaaaar more land and privacy then anything normally in our price range. I hate people and love my dogs, so this houses location and space is a dream come true.

3. Its been on the market for well over a year.

We think the main reason its likely so cheap and been up so long is likely a mix of the horribly ugly/retro interior and the fact that a lot of people probably dont want a cemetery in their back yard(the highway and golfcourse might turn some off too). The house looks to be in pretty good shape with some updates in the last 5ish years. The porch starting to slope over 5-20 years looks to be the next big issue that would arise. The realtor says to put out an offer of $70k which I think is a respectable first offer given how long its been on the market, but I am wondering if we can get away with $65 or $67. Just dont want to sour any possible deal by insulting the home owners with an extreme low ball.

Link to the house

http://www.trulia.com/property/3094762668-3112-E-Mount-Hope-Ave-Lansing-MI-48910

I don't think the interior looks all that bad, but maybe I just don't have very good taste haha.

As for your offer, I wish I could give you better insight. I'm like you, I'd be concerned about offending the seller and I'd probably do $70 or $69 like my realtor said.