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Person that owns that house is creepily scooting through the walls and peeping out from portraits above fireplaces. Zoinks.
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Jul 20, 2017 21:05
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As an aside, that "creek" is a manmade drainage or irrigation channel full of cattle pasture runoff, it is not a nice water feature.
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Jul 20, 2017 21:07
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Leperflesh posted:I would guess that a person who owns a house that valuable might not do his own mowing. poo poo it is in the same spot in both photos.
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Jul 20, 2017 21:14
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Leperflesh posted:I would guess that a person who owns a house that valuable might not do his own mowing. I am going to guess that mowing his own lawn would be far too reasonable for whoever owns that house. I suspect that he probably spends his time covered in wax pretending to be a mannequin in the bathroom or something.
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Jul 20, 2017 21:35
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Why would you have a mannequin on a lawn mower in your backyard? 
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Jul 20, 2017 21:53
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Enfys posted:Why would you have a mannequin on a lawn mower in your backyard? This sounds like a win for HOAs to me.
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Jul 20, 2017 21:59
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How big of a deal is aluminum wiring? We are looking at a house built in the late 60s which still has it. The owner is willing to have it replaced with copper but I'm sure it won't be a complete overhaul. Online articles are conflicting from 'no biggie' to 'uninsurable'.
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Jul 21, 2017 00:50
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baquerd posted:Feeling like redecorating? Consider child mannequins bolted to the ceilings! Of course, you can keep your other mannequins on the ground too, in every single floor and room. So the square footage is a factor but that house looks like it's in the middle of loving nowhere. Is super long distance exurb property in Texas really that valuable?
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Jul 21, 2017 01:23
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Is it worth taking up peel-and-stick faux hardwood vinyl before putting real hardwood/pergo down?
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Jul 21, 2017 01:27
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howdoesishotweb posted:How big of a deal is aluminum wiring? We are looking at a house built in the late 60s which still has it. The owner is willing to have it replaced with copper but I'm sure it won't be a complete overhaul. Online articles are conflicting from 'no biggie' to 'uninsurable'. My stove wiring caught fire from the 48 year old aluminum wiring and every other 220V run was in equally bad shape. Aluminum has greater thermal expansion than copper and its corrosion is not conductive, which leads to old wiring on the heavier lines to become liabilities. My insurance covered the fire, but immediately dropped any coverage for future fires caused by the other runs.
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Jul 21, 2017 01:32
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Buca di Bepis posted:So the square footage is a factor but that house looks like it's in the middle of loving nowhere. Is super long distance exurb property in Texas really that valuable? It has a stream of cow poop and fertilizer running through the back yard. I think we know the cause of the owners mental illness.
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Jul 21, 2017 02:39
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howdoesishotweb posted:How big of a deal is aluminum wiring? We are looking at a house built in the late 60s which still has it. The owner is willing to have it replaced with copper but I'm sure it won't be a complete overhaul. Online articles are conflicting from 'no biggie' to 'uninsurable'. I would have them do a whole home rewire. That should get you to all modern niceties like ground, copper, gfci/afci, breakers that actually work, etc.
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Jul 21, 2017 04:27
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howdoesishotweb posted:How big of a deal is aluminum wiring? We are looking at a house built in the late 60s which still has it. The owner is willing to have it replaced with copper but I'm sure it won't be a complete overhaul. Online articles are conflicting from 'no biggie' to 'uninsurable'. Are the walls drywall, plaster over lathe, what? It can be a total bitch (and expensive) to replace depending on the house. I'd ask for replacement. And make sure it's done by an electrician per code and not some half-assed copper pigtail at the outlet bullshit that homeowners have been known to do in years past. Unless the current owner finds a complete dummy offering all cash he/she is probably going to have trouble selling the house regardless (because this is a red flag to underwriters and insurers), so insist on it. Otherwise find a place that doesn't have this problem, or factor your own costs to replace it in your bid.
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Jul 21, 2017 04:49
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Ixian posted:factor your own costs to replace it in your bid. This is what I'd do, personally. Find a contractor you like, get a quote from them, and ask for the quote amount to be cut from the house bid. You have far more of an incentive than the seller does to make sure the job is done properly.
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Jul 21, 2017 04:57
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Different insurers have different policies on aluminum wiring. Find out what yours is. Aluminum isn't the instant "no go" that knob and tube is, but it's got a lot of safety issues not present in copper, so you'll probably pay a lot more if you can get insured at all. It's more likely to break than bend, it is more likely to arc if the bare wire is exposed anywhere, and if some dummy tries to connect it to copper without using the correct goop the connection will corrode and eventually (probably) cause a fire. I wouldn't let the seller replace it if it were me, since they have every incentive to fake it with new outlets and tails tied to old wiring. That, of course, would make the house more dangerous. Fun!
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Jul 21, 2017 05:09
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I'm pretty sure something died in the walls in one of my bedrooms. Smells like rotting death and I've checked everywhere within the room.
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Jul 21, 2017 05:18
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Tricky Ed posted:Different insurers have different policies on aluminum wiring. Find out what yours is. Aluminum isn't the instant "no go" that knob and tube is, but it's got a lot of safety issues not present in copper, so you'll probably pay a lot more if you can get insured at all. Exactly. Copper pigtails were, and are, common in older houses with homeowners looking for the cheap way out, and copper to aluminum connections are a pain to do correctly and easy to gently caress up. Requires special tools and doesn't really address the underlying potential problems. Best bet, assuming the OP otherwise likes the house, is to get a true estimate from an electrician and factor that in to the bid. Otherwise the current homeowner, who is not going to give a single gently caress once they move out and will also be completely off the hook, is going to go for the easiest, quickest, and cheapest route. This may mean the OP won't get the house - other gullible buyers not being in short supply - but if that is the case, count it as a bullet dodged and move on. I would not screw around where electric is involved (closely followed by foundation, and plumbing).
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Jul 21, 2017 05:33
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Ixian posted:Best bet, assuming the OP otherwise likes the house, is to get a true estimate from an electrician and factor that in to the bid... This may mean the OP won't get the house - other gullible buyers not being in short supply - but if that is the case, count it as a bullet dodged and move on. I would not screw around where electric is involved (closely followed by foundation, and plumbing). If we were to pursue the house that would be our plan. I don't trust anyone else to fix it properly when there's no incentive. The house is actually back on the market because the previous offer walked away due to the wiring, despite offering to negotiate it into the bid. So the sellers are aware how big of a deal it is now. We have a low threshold to walk away, so we're looking at a bunch of other properties today. It's our first house, nothing can go wrong rite guys 
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Jul 21, 2017 12:48
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You probably don't have this option but I just filter out all houses older then 2009. That seems to be the point in my city that they hired real building inspectors for new construction and fired the guys you just bribe with a day old doughnut and a fifty.
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Jul 21, 2017 14:57
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That is an extremely market dependent strategy. If you did that near me, you would only see $800k+ homes or townhomes.
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Jul 21, 2017 15:26
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howdoesishotweb posted:If we were to pursue the house that would be our plan. I don't trust anyone else to fix it properly when there's no incentive. The house is actually back on the market because the previous offer walked away due to the wiring, despite offering to negotiate it into the bid. So the sellers are aware how big of a deal it is now. What's the square footage? I'd guess around 8-10k for a 2000sqf house, ballpark, for wiring (and switches, etc). Labor is the biggest part, of course, and some walls are almost certainly going to have to be opened up so there's repair for those, lot of cleanup, etc. If the panel needs to be upgraded as well, to a 100-200amp, add maybe a couple grand. I'm guessing it will need to be but it's possible that was already done. That's not terrible and will increase the value of the house overall, make it safer, and easier/cheaper to insure. Is it otherwise in good shape? How old is the roof?
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Jul 21, 2017 15:57
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To quote myself from the wood working thread (should probably have been posted here):Rnr posted:Currently constructing a 7m x 7m double car port. It's kinda nerve wrecking being the master of the build when I don't have expertise in any field involved, but I try my best. Yesterday evening I was drawing lines on the posts with a self levelling laser, to mark the floor level and then the roof height: Anyways, with the help of my brother and two friends, I got the two 11,5x33,3x700 cm beams mounted (turned out 4 men was the minimum required to lift it in place) and we even mounted all the roof trusses and most of the rafters. Everything looks great and level, so I'm very happy now  
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Jul 22, 2017 22:42
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I just met the owners of the house next to mine and they are Stone Cold Crazy. The issue is bamboo: there's a thicket of it on the property line. Without weekly raking, my side yard will get completely covered in bamboo leaves. It also spreads under the fence--you whack it down to the ground and it's 3 feet high again before you know it. The main bulk of the bamboo is probably 25 feet tall on their side. It's jumped the sidewalk and is starting to colonize the city strip and the rest of their yard too. The owners' father died back in January and since then the house has been unoccupied. They finally came over to do some yard work and I asked them about cutting it down (best option) or back (so I can put in a new fence). My boyfriend and the fellow they have watching the house would gladly do the work for free. Their response: - They're "not ready to make a decision on this yet" - They only saw one shoot on my side of the fence, so it must not be that much of a problem (because we just whacked it back) - The bamboo is a clumping type, not a spreading type (lol) - "it's just such a huge project, we're taking things one at a time" ...despite two people volunteering to do the work for them, and for free - I'm allowed to whack back the stuff on my side of the fence (no poo poo, thanks for your "permission") The house is a dump with a yard full of invasive weeds. I got the impression they're dealing with their grief by keeping the house exactly as their dad had it. Objectively, cutting back the bamboo to put in a new fence will raise their property values, but they don't plan on renting or selling it. Any advice? I know there's probably no way I can get my way over a bunch of loons sentimental over bamboo.
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Jul 30, 2017 01:03
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Hydronium posted:bamboo. That's a tough situation, but it might be worth calling your local code/zoning office. A lot of municipalities have ordinances against bamboo for precisely the reasons you're running into. Also, I don't think you can really get rid of the stuff by just cutting back. You pretty much have to tear it out. If it's ultimately a lost cause, you can always put in a buried barrier on your side to keep it from getting out of hand on your side of the fence.
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Jul 30, 2017 01:26
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Sick of home warranty never fixing anything - dishwasher is running terribly yet again. Replacement brand recommendations? Currently have a 15 year old KitchenAid.
mastershakeman fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Jul 30, 2017 |
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Jul 30, 2017 01:30
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Hydronium posted:bamboo. Yeah there's no getting rid of that poo poo. My house had a clump of it and a year and a half after digging it up I keep finding shoots managing to come back. Everything I've read says I'll be finding it and killing it for the next five years until it finally starves itself. Unless you can get your local municipality to put pressure on them, the best option is going to be cutting it back to your property line and driving an impermeable barrier between the bamboo and your yard. Thankfully bamboo rarely seeds, so if you can cut it back and contain it it won't spread any farther.
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Jul 30, 2017 02:18
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mastershakeman posted:Sick of home warranty never fixing anything - dishwasher is running terribly yet again. Replacement brand recommendations? Currently have a 15 year old KitchenAid. What's your budget? We picked up a KitchenAid 354ESS during the last Black Friday sale, and love it so far. It's so quiet it's hard to tell when it's actually running.
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Jul 30, 2017 02:25
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mastershakeman posted:Sick of home warranty never fixing anything - dishwasher is running terribly yet again. Replacement brand recommendations? Currently have a 15 year old KitchenAid. fancy bosch is nice and quiet
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Jul 30, 2017 04:06
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Hydronium posted:The issue is bamboo: I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but you are hosed: Bamboo is the rear end in a top hat of the plant kingdom. It will grow nearly anywhere that doesn't get frost, and some places that does, and will grow up, through, around, and inside of just about anything. It will destroy fences, sidewalks, foundations, pools, anything at all in its quest to turn sunlight into glucose and annoyance. A friend SUPRISE. The bamboo not only subsumed and destroyed the concrete patio pad, but now lives entirely encased in the concrete rubble remnants. It's like armored bamboo. That which can never die and everything. gently caress bamboo forever and ever. China should rent out panda bears to exterminate that poo poo.
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Jul 30, 2017 05:06
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I live in Chicago, so my clump has survived multiple hard frosts. And everything I read indicated that pouring concrete over it is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
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Jul 30, 2017 05:16
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MrYenko posted:A friend My first reaction to this was "How?", but on reflection, it makes sense. Plants can continue to grow even without sunlight, so long as their energy reserves (in the roots and so on) hold out. And plants can absolutely ruin rocks and concrete if they feel like it. So by pouring concrete, sure you deprive the bamboo of any future energy, but you haven't stopped it, just slowed it down. You'd have to have kept it covered until its reserves ran out and it starved to death if you wanted to kill it. My parents' neighbors planted a bamboo "privacy screen" against their fence, and once a year I have to come by and help them whack back massive amounts of bamboo that are hanging over the fence and obstructing their walkways. This year my dad just dosed the entire stand with glyphosphate; we'll see if that helps.
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Jul 30, 2017 05:32
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It won't.
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Jul 30, 2017 05:35
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Ugh, I have experience with bamboo. My dad has been waging war against a massive patch for the past 15 years. I was hoping an aggressive digging/mowing regimen would at least control it from spreading further into my yard and dropping leaves everywhere. At least I'd want to cut it down for long enough to get that new fence in. My city (Portland OR) doesn't have anything other than a general ordinance requiring properties to be in "good repair"... I'll give them a call to see if anything can be done but I'm sure the answer will be no. There's also a bunch of dead trees on the property line and a 6' wall of blackberries. I can't even imagine the fight they're going to put up about that. Boyfriend brought up a good point--looking at the house, it seems like the father might have been some sort of hoarder. He apparently raised poodles in there for years and years and the interior is still damaged from it. Their irrational reaction to simple landscaping problems seems like it might be informed by that. The guy tending to the house says they won't even let him trim the bushes blocking the front windows.
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Jul 30, 2017 05:45
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Here are some decent control tips http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/weeds/hgic2320.html 1: dig up the top 12" of soil to remove active roots 2: an 18" barrier should impede progress 3: glyphosate applied properly and over time should kill stragglers More glyphosate tips: http://www.roundup.com/smg/goART3/Howto/how-to-get-rid-of-bamboo/27800029
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Jul 30, 2017 19:16
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Hydronium posted:Ugh, I have experience with bamboo. My dad has been waging war against a massive patch for the past 15 years. I was hoping an aggressive digging/mowing regimen would at least control it from spreading further into my yard and dropping leaves everywhere. At least I'd want to cut it down for long enough to get that new fence in. I would take it easy, and work on establishing a good relationship first. Probably your neighbors are overwhelmed and don't want to deal with things, and that may persist but it may not. Give them a little while, and then try suggesting things in as non-confrontational manner as possible. Maybe they're still dealing with the death of the father, maybe there's fights within the family over what to do with the home, I dunno. They're just not ready to deal with things yet, and that includes changes requested by a neighbor even if they don't cost anything. If you can't get any progress or traction in six months, that's the point where you maybe start escalating the pressure.
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Jul 30, 2017 19:29
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Leperflesh posted:I would take it easy, and work on establishing a good relationship first. Probably your neighbors are overwhelmed and don't want to deal with things, and that may persist but it may not. Give them a little while, and then try suggesting things in as non-confrontational manner as possible. Maybe they're still dealing with the death of the father, maybe there's fights within the family over what to do with the home, I dunno. They're just not ready to deal with things yet, and that includes changes requested by a neighbor even if they don't cost anything. This right here. They are likely grieving and even more likely this home is stuck in probate and it's ugly. Those "owners" (hint, they are not - the estate still owns it) are only some of the "owners" and are afraid to do a drat thing right now because there is too much drama.
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Jul 30, 2017 19:54
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I need help identifying some wires that are on the outside of my house. The house is from 1951, and I think they might be landline wires (I hope so, I'd really like to get rid of them). Can anyone tell me what they are? And if they are telephone wires, how to I figure out who to call to have them removed? Thanks! Box on wall one wire connects to:  Wires heading from the house to the telephone pole (or electrical pole, I guess): 
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Jul 31, 2017 00:27
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Pipistrelle posted:I need help identifying some wires that are on the outside of my house. The house is from 1951, and I think they might be landline wires (I hope so, I'd really like to get rid of them). Can anyone tell me what they are? And if they are telephone wires, how to I figure out who to call to have them removed? Thanks! Sure looks like telco to me. Open the box and find out! There are two screws there, one you can open at will as it's your side of the demarc, the other is the telco side of the demarc which you will use a different tool to open.
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Jul 31, 2017 00:52
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H110Hawk posted:Sure looks like telco to me. Open the box and find out! There are two screws there, one you can open at will as it's your side of the demarc, the other is the telco side of the demarc which you will use a different tool to open. I opened it but honestly I don't know what I'm looking for, and there's no identifying information on who owns it. Do I call around? Talk to the city and see if there's an easement and find out who owns it that way? Thanks, it's my first house and I'm still learning a lot.
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Jul 31, 2017 01:11
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Is there really any issue with cutting out all the wires and removing the boxes yourself? I have a whole rat's nest of telephone and alarm system wiring on the backside of my house that I want to remove.
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Jul 31, 2017 01:36
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