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

The house hunting continues... this is my blog of house hunting.

House #1 Built 1924. Right next to an apt. complex, so no resale value. Huge living room, but the basement (like all 1920s homes) is small, like a dungeon, and unfinishable. The driveway would take 3+ hours to blow out. No thanks. Asking $149K

House #2 "Your Junk Dealer Next Door" Right across the street from the railroad tracks. Garage is in the worst shape possible and needs major work. Small yard. Beat up shed in the back. Interior was pretty good, updated cheaply. Nice living room. Super-small bathroom with barely enough room to walk in. The neighbor next door was like a redneck with junk on the side of his house and a couch in the front yard (with 3 inches of snow). Side of the house needs work. Asking $149K

House #3 "The Garbage Pail Kid house" Totally trashed. Needs new kitchen, new carpet, tons of painting. The kids room had garbage pail kid stickers all over the back of the door. (WTF? Garbage pail kids were out in the 80s - weren't they?). Had lots of potential and a cool layout, but you would need to put 40-50K to get it up to speed. No thankies. Asking 115K

House #4 "The Shalom house" When you walked up to this house, the first thing you notice is a rainbow-colored door knocker with the word "SHALOM" on it. You know you're in St. Jewish Park. Split-level, tucked-under garage. 1500 sq. ft. Next door to a presbyterian church. Stairs going up to the living room and to the basement needed refinishing. Small kitchen has shelves with 60-70s glass on them. Stove was 40 years old and needs replacement. Deck outside probably needs replacing (hard to confirm with snow). 3 bedrooms on the same floor. For some reason, it has 2 thermostats, 1 doesn't work. Walk out to a large yard that doesn't face houses, but a communal garden. Bathroom door has some breakage on it like someone put their head through it. I really liked this house and would be interested in making an offer. If I'd buy the house, the "SHALOM" knocker would stay there, even though I'm not jewish. Short Sale. Asking $149K

House #5 "The Jazz Girl's House" 2 bedrooms on the main floor, with a guest bedroom upstairs. Decent sized living room, and a nice game room downstairs with a small bar, and the possiblity of putting a bathroom down there. Lots of storage space. Decent dining room. Comes with small dishwasher. 1 block from Bus and post office, so if I want to see an art house film, I could take the bus and not fight parking and traffic. Post office is 1 block away so I wouldn't have to wait till Sat. to do ebaying. Another short sale, the jazz singer girl is underwater who owns it. It's been on the market for almost a year, and I doubt they would go down in price. Asking $164K
 
Oops, I mispelled a word there. Please keep correcting the mispelled words in my posts. I'm sure it is the best use of your time, especially since it makes you cool.

Pressure washing can actually cause damage, (especially to exposed wood) as commented on earlier in this thread. It can chip paint and harm screens. I used to live in S. Florida, and never needed to pressure wash my house, although I did pressure wash my dock about once a year. Also it is not a small amount of effort. To do it, and do it right, would take hours of hard work. My guess is most homes could use that hard work somewhere else. I have no clue what this pollen coating people are talking about is, but maybe it is an issue in your area.
 
I can sympathize with the pollen issue for sure. I live in Atlanta, the screened in balcony on my apartment last spring had literally around an eighth of an inch of pollen on everything when I finally cleaned it. I had two dustpans of green pollen.

This year I live in a highrise and don't have as many trees around, as well as being 21 floor up so I should not ger nearly as much. Just have a tiny balcony vs the huge one at my prior place.
 
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[quote name='dmaul1114']I can sympathize with the pollen issue for sure. I live in Atlanta, the screened in balcony on my apartment last spring had literally around an eight of an inch of pollen on everything when I finally cleaned it. I had two dustpans of green pollen.

This year I live in a highrise and don't have as many trees around, as well as being 21 floor up so I should not ger nearly as much. Just have a tiny balcony vs the huge one at my prior place.[/QUOTE]

Just another reason to say fuck the south ;) Is there anything actually nice about living down there? I guess you guys do not get snow, thats kind of nice...
 
[quote name='pittpizza']I have no clue what this pollen coating people are talking about is, but maybe it is an issue in your area.[/QUOTE]

Here is an example of it. Though, in my area it is more dusty looking.
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[quote name='javeryh']I can wash my hands while taking a shit in the downstairs bathroom (3'x5' room). It's just too small.[/QUOTE]

Be honest. This was a selling point when you bought the place.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Just another reason to say fuck the south ;) Is there anything actually nice about living down there? I guess you guys do not get snow, thats kind of nice...[/QUOTE]

We get some snow, but not much. Had a storm that dumped 5" of snow and some ice on top if it in mid January--got me out of a week of work as it canceled the first week of the semester at my university.

But yeah, as a region the south sucks. I like Atlanta as a city, but other wise the region sucks. Hot as balls in the summer, tons of pollen which is bad for allergies in the spring. Fall and winter are ok though as there aren't too many days that get below 40 degrees.
 
[quote name='pittpizza']

Pressure washing can actually cause damage, (especially to exposed wood) as commented on earlier in this thread. It can chip paint and harm screens. I used to live in S. Florida, and never needed to pressure wash my house, although I did pressure wash my dock about once a year. Also it is not a small amount of effort. To do it, and do it right, would take hours of hard work. My guess is most homes could use that hard work somewhere else. I have no clue what this pollen coating people are talking about is, but maybe it is an issue in your area.[/QUOTE]

Sure it can, especially if you do it wrong. I've seen many decks ruined by people using the wrong tip on a pressure washer. You obviously don't want to use it on brick. Wood is fine, if you use a low pressure tip and are careful. As far as "hours of hard work", that's debatable. I can wash my entire house in less than 3 hours. As soon as it the pollen works up around here, I'll take a pic and show you what it's like. It covers everything that is exposed to the outside elements with this nasty yellow dust. It's a regional thing.

[quote name='dmaul1114']We get some snow, but not much. Had a storm that dumped 5" of snow and some ice on top if it in mid January--got me out of a week of work as it canceled the first week of the semester at my university.

But yeah, as a region the south sucks. I like Atlanta as a city, but other wise the region sucks. Hot as balls in the summer, tons of pollen which is bad for allergies in the spring. Fall and winter are ok though as there aren't too many days that get below 40 degrees.[/QUOTE]

I, too, am not very happy about living in the south. It's hot as fuck from May-September. We have three seasons. Hot, scorching hot with humidity, and fall. I really like Atlanta and would actually move there, but that's not an option for me right this minute.
[quote name='MSI Magus']Just another reason to say fuck the south ;) Is there anything actually nice about living down there? I guess you guys do not get snow, thats kind of nice...[/QUOTE]

Some of the "nice" things are the low cost of living and the relative availability of jobs, depending on your profession. Other than that, no, there isn't too much that is great. Some of the historical areas are fantastic IMO, but people's mindsets are largely set in the 1950's. It really depends on which part of the south you're in. Near the coast is great. Stuck in the middle of the armpit of the south? Not so much...
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']I really like Atlanta and would actually move there, but that's not an option for me right this minute.[/quote]

Yeah, as I said I do really like the city. It's a young and pretty liberal city, so I don't feel so much like I am in the deep south. And I live in the city and seldom go outside of it, so that helps with that illusion as well!

Plenty to do, lots of good restaurants etc.

Some of the "nice" things are the low cost of living...
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Yes, that's a huge plus. I can live in a nice part of the city for about the same as it cost to live in a decent area in the suburbs 30+ minutes outside of DC where I was before. Restaurants etc. tend to be cheaper as well.
 
So the second basement inspector just came by and had quite a different take then the Everdry people. He basically said that it is a good idea to get this basement work done and he recommends doing so within the next year or two, but he recommends doing so to prevent long term damage, molding and just to keep the resale value of the house up. He said that yes over 20 years our basement wall and foundation will take some damage, but that it is not at risk of falling apart and certainly not so in the next few years. He also said he only saw visible mold on a single spot and most of the other stuff that the everdry guy was pointing out was not mold but minerals of varying types.

Not sure what we are going to do, his estimate ran about $8,000 and then we would have to take a loan out so that brings it up to around $9,000-9,3000. Its a lot of money for something that is not vital right this second, but at the same time I do not want to wait too long and I doubt that its gonna get any cheaper ;(
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']So the second basement inspector just came by and had quite a different take then the Everdry people. He basically said that it is a good idea to get this basement work done and he recommends doing so within the next year or two, but he recommends doing so to prevent long term damage, molding and just to keep the resale value of the house up. He said that yes over 20 years our basement wall and foundation will take some damage, but that it is not at risk of falling apart and certainly not so in the next few years. He also said he only saw visible mold on a single spot and most of the other stuff that the everdry guy was pointing out was not mold but minerals of varying types.

Not sure what we are going to do, his estimate ran about $8,000 and then we would have to take a loan out so that brings it up to around $9,000-9,3000. Its a lot of money for something that is not vital right this second, but at the same time I do not want to wait too long and I doubt that its gonna get any cheaper ;([/QUOTE]
You could try and put the work off for just a year, and save up what you can so that if you have to take out a loan it won't be as large (if that is an issue). It's really up to you as to what you feel most comfortable with. Personally if I was that concerned about waiting, I would just bite the bullet and try to do it as soon as possible even if it cost me an extra $1,000-$1,200 to do it right now. Piece of mind is valuable sometimes.
 
[quote name='pjb16']You could try and put the work off for just a year, and save up what you can so that if you have to take out a loan it won't be as large (if that is an issue). It's really up to you as to what you feel most comfortable with. Personally if I was that concerned about waiting, I would just bite the bullet and try to do it as soon as possible even if it cost me an extra $1,000-$1,200 to do it right now. Piece of mind is valuable sometimes.[/QUOTE]

Heh I agree. We spent $300 on the warranty on our TV when we got a big 58" HDTV and I said even just the piece of mind it gives is worth it if we never use it. I told my wife the same thing about the basement the other day...id gladly pay a few grand to know our foundation is sound and we will never have to deal with water again.

One of the few things I did not like about this second company was that they guarantee the work on the walls they put in place and that you will not have water related issues(well outside one or two beyond their control like an electrical storm killing the sump pump)but no guarantee on the foundation work.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Heh I agree. We spent $300 on the warranty on our TV when we got a big 58" HDTV and I said even just the piece of mind it gives is worth it if we never use it. I told my wife the same thing about the basement the other day...id gladly pay a few grand to know our foundation is sound and we will never have to deal with water again.

One of the few things I did not like about this second company was that they guarantee the work on the walls they put in place and that you will not have water related issues(well outside one or two beyond their control like an electrical storm killing the sump pump)but no guarantee on the foundation work.[/QUOTE]
I've never investigated getting foundation work done, but that wouldn't make me feel very good if I heard it (unless I found out that was a commonality among companies).
 
He claimbed that everdry was lying about covering foundation work and said that you will not find a bussiness that will gurantee foundation work. No clue if it was true or not, but the guy was really nice and did not come across as smarmy. The everdry came across as a salesman, was high pressure and I could see BS in some of his tactics. This second guy works for the basement repair company, but in his free time buys houses cheap and rents them out after fixing them up. While here he actually showed me a few things we should look in to four our house/my wife's allergies that were in no way related to his job.
 
Ok here is a question for you guys. We generally keep our hot water heater down at about notch 5 or 6 out of 10. It keeps the water luke warm which is good enough for us and saves quite a bit on the gas bill. However as I recently mentioned we found out my wife is allergic to a crap ton of stuff including food mold and dust mites. This means we need to start washing our dishes in hotter water and it def means we need to clean her brand new allergen pillows and sheets every other week or so in really hot water.

My question is that traditional wisdom states it is cheaper to keep your heater at 1 setting then turn it up and down and up and down. However I am wondering if its not a daily thing and instead just once a week we turn it up, will it be cheaper? Meaning if we kept it on notch 5 or 6 all week and then turned it up to 8 on Saturday to do chores then back down to 5, do you think it would save money?
 
[quote name='2DMention']The house hunting continues... this is my blog of house hunting.[/QUOTE]

House #4 makes us neighbors and I've been in house #5! I didn't know she had money troubles right now but I've known Aimee as a tertiary friend for years.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Ok here is a question for you guys. We generally keep our hot water heater down at about notch 5 or 6 out of 10. It keeps the water luke warm which is good enough for us and saves quite a bit on the gas bill. However as I recently mentioned we found out my wife is allergic to a crap ton of stuff including food mold and dust mites. This means we need to start washing our dishes in hotter water and it def means we need to clean her brand new allergen pillows and sheets every other week or so in really hot water.

My question is that traditional wisdom states it is cheaper to keep your heater at 1 setting then turn it up and down and up and down. However I am wondering if its not a daily thing and instead just once a week we turn it up, will it be cheaper? Meaning if we kept it on notch 5 or 6 all week and then turned it up to 8 on Saturday to do chores then back down to 5, do you think it would save money?[/QUOTE]

Yes, it would be cheaper to keep it on 5 or 6 per week and then turn it up just one day that you really need it. It's just like heat/AC. Turn it where you want it when you're home, and then then let it either get warmer/colder when you aren't there.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']Yes, it would be cheaper to keep it on 5 or 6 per week and then turn it up just one day that you really need it. It's just like heat/AC. Turn it where you want it when you're home, and then then let it either get warmer/colder when you aren't there.[/QUOTE]

Thats what I thought. We have family constantly insisting we not do that, but they did the same with our heat which after a few months of testing leaving it at 1 temp vs turning it up and down as needed we found them to be wrong. I imagine with the water heater if you changed temp every day it would be worse, but once a week seems smart.
 
[quote name='Javery']Is the difference in expenses really that noticeable? Seems like a big hassle.[/QUOTE]

For this one thing? No. But when you take that we do the same with our heating/cooling, that we unplug all of electronics right after we use them and do a bunch of other small stuff it all adds up. People give us crap all the time for the way we live, but meanwhile our electric bill is $40-$60 a month where most people around here pay $100-$200 and our gas bill is $40-$100 where most people pay $200+. All these small things add up.
 
[quote name='Javery']Is the difference in expenses really that noticeable? Seems like a big hassle.[/QUOTE]

It's not a huge jaw dropping number, but my energy bill is consistently $50-$60 bucks cheaper then my sister and her husband (both of us have ranch style homes within ~50 sq feet of each other). Over the course of the year, that adds up. And you can always just get a programmable thermostat that drops the temp when you leave for work, and warms the house by the time you get home, and then drops it when you sleep. It's simple to install, and you'll definitely see your bills go down.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']It's not a huge jaw dropping number, but my energy bill is consistently $50-$60 bucks cheaper then my sister and her husband (both of us have ranch style homes within ~50 sq feet of each other). Over the course of the year, that adds up. And you can always just get a programmable thermostat that drops the temp when you leave for work, and warms the house by the time you get home, and then drops it when you sleep. It's simple to install, and you'll definitely see your bills go down.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. As I said everyone gives us shit for the way we do things....yet my parent in laws came to us asking to borrow money. They give us more crap then anyone, but whenever we are paying double or mortgage every month and contributing 15% of our income to retirement and still saving money...and this is all on a single middle class income(I do not work)we must be doing something right. Heh well till about 4 years from now...then student loans come due and we will need a new car to boot....thats gonna wipe us!
 
With the thermostat you have to be careful not to drop it too much while gone or you'll spend more heating/cooling it back to where you like it when home than if you just left it in your normal temp. It's like driving. You use more gas in the city as your stopping and getting back up to speed than you do going the same speed constantly. Just play around with it and find what works to save money. I just put mine 2 degrees from where Imlike it when I leave. Programming isn't feasible for me as I don't work a set schedule, work from home some days etc.

Water heater I'd never bother with. Besides I save money on that stuff by living in a small and well insulated condo. I'll spend $50 or so a month on electric in the winter as it doesn't get really cold all that often in Atlanta, and $80-90in the summer when it's hot as he'll as I hate the heat and will crank the AC at 72 or73 when it's blazing hot.
 
House #4 makes us neighbors and I've been in house #5! I didn't know she had money troubles right now but I've known Aimee as a tertiary friend for years.
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House #4 got an offer in a week. It was the perfect house for me in my price range. I moved very slow then and still didn't know if I wanted to live there or not, so I missed out. Aimees house has been dropped $5000 and got two offers, but both are short sales where lots of stuff can happen. I like both houses, but I will continue searching.

Is Aimee hot? How old? I'm curious. She looks pretty good on her business card.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']With the thermostat you have to be careful not to drop it too much while gone or you'll spend more heating/cooling it back to where you like it when home than if you just left it in your normal temp. It's like driving. You use more gas in the city as your stopping and getting back up to speed than you do going the same speed constantly. Just play around with it and find what works to save money. I just put mine 2 degrees from where Imlike it when I leave. Programming isn't feasible for me as I don't work a set schedule, work from home some days etc.

Water heater I'd never bother with. Besides I save money on that stuff by living in a small and well insulated condo. I'll spend $50 or so a month on electric in the winter as it doesn't get really cold all that often in Atlanta, and $80-90in the summer when it's hot as he'll as I hate the heat and will crank the AC at 72 or73 when it's blazing hot.[/QUOTE]

Again I found this not to be true, but for me its probally because I do not keep our house so warm that you can walk around in a Tshirt and shorts like most spoiled first world people do ;) We keep our heat at 58-60 depending on how cold we feel and then drop it to 52-54 at night or when we leave the house. For us its not that big a deal and does save money since really it does not take that long to reheat the house. Again most people keep their thermostat up at 70-80+ which means a lot more reheating. We also keep our grates closed outside the room we are in and our bedroom.
 
Yeah, that's probably it. I'm not on a limited income so I can afford the luxury of keeping things comfortable. I keep it around 72 in the winter and 74 or so in the summer. When I leave I turn it up or down a couple degrees. I don't bother it at night and just leave it at my usual temperature.

If I had a big drafty place--like one place I lived in grad school--I'd be more limited with it as the bill would be a lot higher. But when it's not been higher than $85 any month since I've lived here I don't feel any need to try to save some more as saving $20 or whatever isn't worth being less comfortable to me.

I got a advanced degrees and work hard so I can afford to live comfortably and not have to scrap and scrimp to make ends meet. But I feel for those who don't have that luxury.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, that's probably it. I'm not on a limited income so I can afford the luxury of keeping things comfortable. I keep it around 72 in the winter and 74 or so in the summer. When I leave I turn it up or down a couple degrees. I don't bother it at night and just leave it at my usual temperature.

If I had a big drafty place--like one place I lived in grad school--I'd be more limited with it as the bill would be a lot higher. But when it's not been higher than $85 any month since I've lived here I don't feel any need to try to save some more as saving $20 or whatever isn't worth being less comfortable to me.

I got a advanced degrees and work hard so I can afford to live comfortably and not have to scrap and scrimp to make ends meet. But I feel for those who don't have that luxury.[/QUOTE]

It's not so much that we are on a limited income, I mean hell if we are paying double our mortgage and 15% to retirement we could just divert a few bucks back to bills if need be. Its more that it seems like a waste of money and if we put a hoodie on and keep slippers on its perfectly comfortable. During summer I am with you though. In the past I suffered through a few summers, but since we got a pug we have had to keep the house at a cooler temp during the summer(pugs overheat easily which aggravates their breathing problems) and I am VERY thankful for it ;) I do not think I could go back to sweltering through 95 degree ohio summer days heh.
 
[quote name='2DMention']House #4 got an offer in a week. It was the perfect house for me in my price range. I moved very slow then and still didn't know if I wanted to live there or not, so I missed out. Aimees house has been dropped $5000 and got two offers, but both are short sales where lots of stuff can happen. I like both houses, but I will continue searching.

Is Aimee hot? How old? I'm curious. She looks pretty good on her business card.[/QUOTE]

Bummer.
She's alright, not really my type. Late 30's to early 40's would be my guess on her age. She's more friend of a friend of a friend and we bump into each other in social circles.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']It's not so much that we are on a limited income, I mean hell if we are paying double our mortgage and 15% to retirement we could just divert a few bucks back to bills if need be. Its more that it seems like a waste of money and if we put a hoodie on and keep slippers on its perfectly comfortable. During summer I am with you though. In the past I suffered through a few summers, but since we got a pug we have had to keep the house at a cooler temp during the summer(pugs overheat easily which aggravates their breathing problems) and I am VERY thankful for it ;) I do not think I could go back to sweltering through 95 degree ohio summer days heh.[/QUOTE]


Yeah, I just can't stand being hot or cold, so it's one area I care more about comfort than frugality! But like I said, it doesn't get very cold in Atlanta anyway. Jan-Feb will have some 20-30 degree days, but it's mostly highs in the 40s, lows in the 30s and my place is really well insulated (and get's a lot of heat rising from the 20 stories below it I suppose) and seldom gets below 70 on those kind of days. So that's why I can keep the thermostat at 73 or so and only pay $50 a month or so in the winter.

Summer is a different story as the place does heat up into the 80s pretty quickly when it's in the 80s or 90s outside--which is most of the summer--we've already had a few days in the mid 80s in late march and some coming up this weekend. So the bill jumps to $80-85 in summer months to keep it around 73 or 74 when home.
 
Put an offer on a house in St. Louis Park near the Miracle Mile. It was my price range, a little smaller (Total 1200 Sq. ft.), but the taxes and cost of heating/cooling would be much more manageable. There's a laundry list of piddley shit the city needs us to get done before I can sleep in the house (It was a foreclosure bank owned), but my Dad can help me with that. Stuff like some minor electrical stuff, remove or paint the fence. The basement is like a fucking dungeon and I will be redoing it. The Bathroom and the kitchen have been remodeled, and the living room floors need waxing/rebuffing.

I took a risk and put a low offer. If I would have went up a little more, I would have probably gotten that and won't have to go back and forth. The thing that sucks is the closing would fall around when I'm leaving for a vacation that I arranged 6 months ago.

If this goes through, and I get it, I wouldn't have to drive more than 10 miles to get ANYWHERE, that's a far cry from a 15 mile drive to do anything I'm used to now. Work would be a 16 mile drive both ways rather than 84 miles.

Another good thing about this one is that it has a sun room and the payments per month are much less than rent.
 
[quote name='2DMention']Put an offer on a house in St. Louis Park near the Miracle Mile. It was my price range, a little smaller (Total 1200 Sq. ft.), but the taxes and cost of heating/cooling would be much more manageable. There's a laundry list of piddley shit the city needs us to get done before I can sleep in the house (It was a foreclosure bank owned), but my Dad can help me with that. Stuff like some minor electrical stuff, remove or paint the fence. The basement is like a fucking dungeon and I will be redoing it. The Bathroom and the kitchen have been remodeled, and the living room floors need waxing/rebuffing.

I took a risk and put a low offer. If I would have went up a little more, I would have probably gotten that and won't have to go back and forth. The thing that sucks is the closing would fall around when I'm leaving for a vacation that I arranged 6 months ago.

If this goes through, and I get it, I wouldn't have to drive more than 10 miles to get ANYWHERE, that's a far cry from a 15 mile drive to do anything I'm used to now. Work would be a 16 mile drive both ways rather than 84 miles.

Another good thing about this one is that it has a sun room and the payments per month are much less than rent.[/QUOTE]

Going low to start isn't a bad idea if you are the only person interested in the property. I actually got my house for about $5,000 less than what the person originally wanted for it but they got 2 offers and mine was the better of the 2.
 
[quote name='cdeener']Going low to start isn't a bad idea if you are the only person interested in the property. I actually got my house for about $5,000 less than what the person originally wanted for it but they got 2 offers and mine was the better of the 2.[/QUOTE]

That's what I was banking on. The house has been on the market for 5 days from the bank (who knows how long during the short sale, etc.)

According to both agents, there are no other offers on it, so that's why I lowballed a little bit.
 
Maintenance question:

How hard is it to replace a bathroom fan/light fixture?

If I buy a replacement unit that's the same size, is it just a matter of popping out the old one and connecting wires for the lighting and to power the fan? Or is there more to it?
 
[quote name='kodave']Maintenance question:

How hard is it to replace a bathroom fan/light fixture?

If I buy a replacement unit that's the same size, is it just a matter of popping out the old one and connecting wires for the lighting and to power the fan? Or is there more to it?[/QUOTE]

It *should* be that simple - but it just depends on your house (and if it's an old house things get quirky.) I'd suggest turning off your breaker/fuse for that room and investigate the light/fan a bit - just to see how it's connected. I'd also suggest taking some photos of it connected if it's funky in any way (more than two wires I would consider a bit funky.) Try and get an exact replacement if possible - but sometimes it isn't - so you may need to do a little research.

I put a fan/light in my nursery where there was just a light. I found out it was chained up with the other lights in the adjoining rooms and ended up having to get out the multimeter and fiddle for a while to get the right combination - because the freakin' wires weren't color-coded correctly (old house - wish I'd taken some pics of the wiring before I disconnected it all - now I know!) I also just replaced a fan motor for a through-wall kitchen exhaust fan - the fan/motor company didn't even exist anymore so I had to do some research and find a suitable replacement motor - no problem once I found what I needed!
 
[quote name='2DMention']That's what I was banking on. The house has been on the market for 5 days from the bank (who knows how long during the short sale, etc.)

According to both agents, there are no other offers on it, so that's why I lowballed a little bit.[/QUOTE]

Good luck and I hope you get the lowball price! We offered lowish on our house and the lady took it (had only been on the market less than two weeks) We also did a walkthrough right before buying and ended up asking for another 1k off for flooring replacement and we got that too!
 
Yeah, a fan should be just that easy. Just get the right size, and wire it up the same.

But as bordjon noted some can be a bit funky. The one in the bathroom at my girlfriend's place is an odd size, I couldn't find one to fit locally so I ended up just cleaning the old one up and keeping it for now. It still works fine, it was just super dirty.
 
I'm in need of help on a pretty big project coming up.

We bought our house in 2010 and now that we've settled everything inside the house it's time to start on the outside. The backyard is an absolute disaster. Holes everywhere from where the previous owners dog tore it up and we also have holes that we know came from moles and some smaller holes we think may be from snakes or mice? I ran over a snake when mowing last week and I've seen at least 2 more while out there. Haven't seen any mice around but I've heard it's possible.

So, getting to my question, I'll break it into a few parts. (I live in Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock for regional plant/grass purposes)

I think we're pretty much going to till up the whole yard. There are so many holes that filling them just doesn't make sense. Our backyard is pretty much covered in Clover also so we're just thinking a fresh start will do some good. We've got a standard tiller but a family member has some sort of attachment for a 4 wheeler that you can just ride around and do it that way. Anyone had any experience with one of these? I'd never even heard of them.

Secondly, when it comes to grass is there a specific type I should look for? I've read that Zoysia or Fescue are the best choices for Arkansas but I know they also sell Bermuda at the local Home Depot. We've also got that TruGreen option with the spray on stuff.

I'd also like to know how to get rid of the snakes. We've got a little Maltese that loves to run around outside but we don't want her out there while we're not at home and getting bit by a snake. Is there something that will keep them out but not be harmful to the dog?

Last, if I go with putting grass in myself should I go with just getting the sod squares or should I go with the grass seed? I figure the seed should be significantly cheaper but also significantly more work.

If anyone is a lawn freak and has some suggestions or tips or answers I'd appreciate it.
 
[quote name='Butchered']I'm in need of help on a pretty big project coming up.

We bought our house in 2010 and now that we've settled everything inside the house it's time to start on the outside. The backyard is an absolute disaster. Holes everywhere from where the previous owners dog tore it up and we also have holes that we know came from moles and some smaller holes we think may be from snakes or mice? I ran over a snake when mowing last week and I've seen at least 2 more while out there. Haven't seen any mice around but I've heard it's possible.

So, getting to my question, I'll break it into a few parts. (I live in Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock for regional plant/grass purposes)

I think we're pretty much going to till up the whole yard. There are so many holes that filling them just doesn't make sense. Our backyard is pretty much covered in Clover also so we're just thinking a fresh start will do some good. We've got a standard tiller but a family member has some sort of attachment for a 4 wheeler that you can just ride around and do it that way. Anyone had any experience with one of these? I'd never even heard of them.

Secondly, when it comes to grass is there a specific type I should look for? I've read that Zoysia or Fescue are the best choices for Arkansas but I know they also sell Bermuda at the local Home Depot. We've also got that TruGreen option with the spray on stuff.

I'd also like to know how to get rid of the snakes. We've got a little Maltese that loves to run around outside but we don't want her out there while we're not at home and getting bit by a snake. Is there something that will keep them out but not be harmful to the dog?

Last, if I go with putting grass in myself should I go with just getting the sod squares or should I go with the grass seed? I figure the seed should be significantly cheaper but also significantly more work.

If anyone is a lawn freak and has some suggestions or tips or answers I'd appreciate it.[/QUOTE]

Go here and ask your lawn question. They have good answers typically.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/lawns/

You'll find that zoysia is very slow to regrow if it's been hit by any damage or disease.

If you're going to resod your entire yard, you might as well make sure it's level while you're doing it. See about renting a bobcat or having it done professionally. The money you spend now on this will save you in the long run if you have any sort of drainage problems. My yard slants down hill slightly and over the years all of the rain runoff is starting to wear down the yard along one of my fences. If I was resodding personally, I would check my french drains (or install new ones), check any sprinkler lines for damage, then resod. There's no way I would put down grass seed. Far too many issues can come up (such as the grass just flat out not growing). You'd be surprised how cheap huge pallets of sod are directly delivered to you...
 
[quote name='bordjon']Good luck and I hope you get the lowball price! We offered lowish on our house and the lady took it (had only been on the market less than two weeks) We also did a walkthrough right before buying and ended up asking for another 1k off for flooring replacement and we got that too![/QUOTE]

We got $5k off the price, but I think I could have lowballed a little more and got like another 1.5K off maybe. Or they might've outright rejected it.

They're de-winterizing it and we're doing an inspection before buying, even though the city already did. We've got 7 days after they de-winterize and then another day to respond or re-negotiate.
 
Nowadays, people are aware on their Home Facilities.
Every rug has unique qualities that must be considered before cleaning. The local rug cleaning professionals at Oriental Rug Care NY take into consideration a number of factors when deciding how best to clean your rug. Factors that must be considered include the age of the rug, the color or colors of the rug, who manufactured it, and what type of rug it is. The weaves, fibers and dyes used in a simple and inexpensive area rug are very different from those used in an expensive antique Oriental rug. The local rug cleaning professionals at Oriental Rug Care NY will analyze your rug in order to determine what methods will most effectively clean and renew the beauty of your rug.
 
Posted in the OTT thread, but the bank pushed out the closing another month and I couldn't be happier. It won't fall on or around my vacation now. They pushed it out more to give them more time to do the title work.

Those banks got you by the balls. They can push it out all they want, but for every day YOU push it out, they charge you $100.

Kinda sux I'll be moving in the beginning of the hot summer. I was expecting the process from the time of putting in the offer to moving in to be 3 months, so I was close - it'll be 2 months.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, a fan should be just that easy. Just get the right size, and wire it up the same.

But as bordjon noted some can be a bit funky. The one in the bathroom at my girlfriend's place is an odd size, I couldn't find one to fit locally so I ended up just cleaning the old one up and keeping it for now. It still works fine, it was just super dirty.[/QUOTE]


That basically just happened to me. I basically measured the grill cover (possibly a stupid idea). Went to Home Depot, their closest matching fan's grill was maybe an inch or so bigger than mine, but I figured that the actual installation box was the same uniform size since the smallest boxes were all 9x9 even if the grills varied a bit.

Bought the fan, got home, and... nope. My installation box is like half an inch smaller than the seemingly standard 9x9 at Home Depot. I don't have access to the roof and there is no attic in my condo ceiling. I have no idea how I would have wired an entirely new box into place since I have no access above the ceiling. (I was hoping just to swap out the fan portion.)

Instead I cleaned as much dust and other shit out of the fan as I could. Cleaned a million dead bugs out of the light unit. Replaced the light bulb. So far the fan isn't making its usually crapping out noise. Hopefully it hangs in there for a while longer and ventilates the bathroom better now that its not jammed with dust and other crap.
 
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Ok. Motherfucking woodpeckers!
Seriously, I've had enough and nobody is willing to get rid of them for me. Unfortunately, I have one incredibly nosy neighbor and the birds are on the front of the house. I could just put a tackypad over the hole (like a glue trap for a rat basically) and they get stuck to the thing and peck each other to death in a fight for food. Also, there's a nest in the wall and the little shits wake me up without fail at 5:15am every morning, nearly two hours earlier than I need to wake up.

This aggression shall not stand.
 
[quote name='nasum']Ok. Motherfucking woodpeckers!
Seriously, I've had enough and nobody is willing to get rid of them for me. Unfortunately, I have one incredibly nosy neighbor and the birds are on the front of the house. I could just put a tackypad over the hole (like a glue trap for a rat basically) and they get stuck to the thing and peck each other to death in a fight for food. Also, there's a nest in the wall and the little shits wake me up without fail at 5:15am every morning, nearly two hours earlier than I need to wake up.

This aggression shall not stand.[/QUOTE]

Tried a bird scarer yet? My parents managed to get rid of a really persistent woodpecker with one, although it hadn't made a nest yet. Otherwise if you can manage to get a cat up there.....

http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Scare-Balloon-With-Clip/dp/B001WP71WC

http://www.amazon.com/Bird-X-SE-PAC...2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1306868276&sr=1-2
 
So we have decided to try and spend just a bit and make the house feel more like home. We may not like the place, but we can make it in to something we kind of like at least! Part of this process is going to be getting the before mentioned basement fixed the second we have the money. After that though there are two things we want to get done but have no clue how to do/what to do. Hopefully someone here can help.

1. We both preffer hardwood floors, the dogs trash the carpeting and my wife is allergic to dust. As a result we want to rip out the carpeting and get some decent hardwood floors. Whats the best way to go about doing this without breaking the bank? A friend of ours wanted to do this and after ripping up his carpeting found he already had really nice hardwood flooring that just needed a buffing. I am guessing most people are not this lucky? Also while shopping at costco we saw these weird hardwood floor panels. They were like premade/cut pieces of nice hardwood flooring with a sticky adhesive on the botton that you remove then just stick the board to your existing floor. Anyone have a clue if this is a route worth considering or if those things are cheap and not advisable?

2. I have always liked trees. I like the look, I like sitting out in the shade and I like that the shade keeps your house cool meaning there are more days you can keep things open vs running the AC. I saw a documentary recently where it talked about how we have genetically engineered trees that grow in just 3 years. I did quick google search and it turns out these trees are already on the market and they can ship them to you for as cheap as like $50(including tree cost!) . We have a normal tree that was planted years ago and is still only as tall as me planted in the front yard that I think I will rip up and plant one of these.

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/ClevelandPear.htm

I figure it looks gorgous, grows at a fair rate and shouldnt damage my house or piss off my neighbors too much. In the back though I want to plant something much bigger, but I dont want to take up my whole back yard nor do I want to plant it too close and have it damage my house. Our yard is about 52-55 feet or so long and about 35-50 wide. We have a garage sitting in the back part that takes up a solid quarter of that yard though. The garage has a space beside it thats probally about 10 feet wide about about 20 feet long. I was thinking back in that far back spot would be a great place to plant a tree and I was hoping I could plant this one.


http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/EmpressTree.htm

Any thoughts? Anything I should know? Any help at all is greatly appreciated!
 
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Heh I wondered if anyone would end up buying one. I mean its amazing to think that for less then $100 you can have a gorgous tree that will grow to full height in just a few years. It really makes me wish we had a big yard, id put up a dozen of the damn things to block my home from view and shade everything. Jealous that as it is that second tree is probably too big for us......
 
We ripped out carpet in our three bedrooms (rest of the house was hardwood and tile) and put down hardwood. It's an engineered hardwood (sorta in between a solid hardwood and a laminate) and even says it can be refinished (I don't exactly believe that claim - maybe one time with light sanding...) We got it all at 75% off because one Lowe's had it at that price - they even called around and found us as many boxes as we needed from stores that didn't have it at that price. We did the three bedrooms for under 1k. We did all the labor ourselves. It was "floated" over concrete slab - where you put down a foam underlayment stuff and piece together the planks over the top of it. These planks were tongue in groove style where we just used wood glue and a mallet and this plastic piece that came with the wood to fit them all together. Wasn't really too bad but I managed to smash my thumb halfway through the last room - guess I was tired - man it was nasty. We used a miter saw (essential) and at the time a little angled hand saw for the door jambs but one of those multi-saw things (I've got a harbor freight one now) would have been nice! Just my experience with installing hardwood on the cheap.
 
[quote name='bordjon']We ripped out carpet in our three bedrooms (rest of the house was hardwood and tile) and put down hardwood. It's an engineered hardwood (sorta in between a solid hardwood and a laminate) and even says it can be refinished (I don't exactly believe that claim - maybe one time with light sanding...) We got it all at 75% off because one Lowe's had it at that price - they even called around and found us as many boxes as we needed from stores that didn't have it at that price. We did the three bedrooms for under 1k. We did all the labor ourselves. It was "floated" over concrete slab - where you put down a foam underlayment stuff and piece together the planks over the top of it. These planks were tongue in groove style where we just used wood glue and a mallet and this plastic piece that came with the wood to fit them all together. Wasn't really too bad but I managed to smash my thumb halfway through the last room - guess I was tired - man it was nasty. We used a miter saw (essential) and at the time a little angled hand saw for the door jambs but one of those multi-saw things (I've got a harbor freight one now) would have been nice! Just my experience with installing hardwood on the cheap.[/QUOTE]

Man if we could get it done for $1k id get it done ASAP!
 
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