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Glue the hot dog back in
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Jun 25, 2023 13:53
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I'm 37 years old and I just completed the purchase of my first house! I'm excited to be a future participant in this thread. Nice little 1970s three bedroom built on a big rock on a part of the country that is only like fifteen minutes from the actual city, and is down the road from a private beach on a wonderful lake that we have access to. Clearly one of those houses that started small and had a bunch of expansions added on over the years, with varying levels of quality. It's got a garage that doesn't have any walls, which I guess makes it a carport, but the carport does have an attic so mostly it's just kinda weird. Overall it seems to be in good condition, heating system and electrical all seems fine. There are a few things that definitely need some work - the well has work that's already scheduled for next month, the kitchen sink and more important one of the extensions are mostly being held by 2x4a someone proper under there, but thanks to the solid stone foundation the shoddy work in some parts actually seems to be holding up just fine and I'm sure I won't have to worry about any surprise disasters on that front for at least a few years. Also the ladder to the attic is very much not safe to use, but I'm sure whatever is wrong up there can wait until it gets fixed. Full and proper move in won't be until next month, although I've made a couple trips at this point to drop stuff off and check things out. Can't wait to actually start making it mine. I have so many plans!
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Jun 26, 2023 18:04
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GlyphGryph posted:Can't wait to actually start making it mine. I have so many plans! Famous last words. You're going to fit right in.
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Jun 26, 2023 18:06
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quote:Also the ladder to the attic is very much not safe to use, but I'm sure whatever is wrong up there can wait until it gets fixed. Also famous last words.
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Jun 26, 2023 18:17
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quote:Overall it seems to be in good condition, heating system and electrical all seems fine. More of those famous last words. Congratulations! Home ownership is great and you'll get the joke soon enough. I was in the same boat as you, 37 when I bought my first house 2 years ago. Don't worry, you'll have more projects than you know what to do with before you know it. Verman fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Jun 26, 2023 |
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Jun 26, 2023 18:27
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GlyphGryph posted:I'm excited to be a future participant in this thread.  How many independent quotes do folks typically get for big ticket items? I got four for the main line replacement which is happening Wednesday btw. Currently working on a roof replacement, four people lined up to come this week. Wondering if I should try a couple more.
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Jun 26, 2023 18:34
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We got 5 different quotes for our tree work ($15k-26k). Thats the only big ticket item so far in our house although I suspect we're going to need a new furnace this year.
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Jun 26, 2023 18:38
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Is it still the go to advice of getting a roofer to give the non insurance cash quote? Wild that roof and medical care work the same way!
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Jun 26, 2023 18:50
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raggedphoto posted:Pretty much this, I love seeing the new building technics and equipment but the average homeowner can't justify the cost of windows custom made in Europe. The new modular homes that are being built can be net-zero and a little more affordable than a custom built house, if I was building a new home I'd probably go that route. It's surprising how far you can get toward high performance without going all-in with Zola windows or whatever. Zip-R insulated sheathing, tape everything well, keep your subs on a leash with their hole-saws, lower-end HRV, good midrange windows like Marvin Elevate, and you're 80% of the way there. Check out the Pretty Good House book, it's a solid read.
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Jun 26, 2023 19:31
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Well, the three keys they gave us open one and a half of the houses five doors, so I guess my starting project is gonna be changing the locks.
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Jun 26, 2023 19:33
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GlyphGryph posted:Well, the three keys they gave us open one and a half of the houses five doors, so I guess my starting project is gonna be changing the locks. It should be anyway. Realistically the chances of someone who you don't want having access having the old keys is very small, but new locks are cheap relative to the price of a house and it's nice to know that the only people with a copy are you.
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Jun 26, 2023 19:36
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Verman posted:I was in the same boat as you, 37 when I bought my first house 2 years ago. Don't worry, you'll have more projects than you know what to do with before you know it. You're not a real homeowner until you have a shelf in the garage with the parts for multiple incomplete projects that you haven't started yet apart from purchasing. 
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Jun 26, 2023 19:40
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Or tools from projects that you'll never use again but it was cheaper to buy the tool and diy than to hire it out. You keep the tool because one day, you just never know, you may need it again.
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Jun 26, 2023 19:50
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Cyrano4747 posted:It should be anyway. Absolutely. We had a locksmith scheduled for the day after closing. And the only reason we waited that long was because we didn't know what time the deed would be recorded the day of closing. Pretty sure it was less than $300 to rekey 8 locks and add a deadbolt to a door that didn't have one. Can't remember the exact number, but it was less than $500 for sure. Dirt cheap for peace of mind, and to have 1 key that opened any lock. (edit: thinking about it, I think the estimate was $250, but it was an extra $100 to add the deadbolt because the locksmith is the one who noticed one door didn't have one). Cyrano4747 posted:Realistically the chances of someone who you don't want having access having the old keys is very small, but new locks are cheap relative to the price of a house and it's nice to know that the only people with a copy are you. The chances of someone doing something nefarious with an old key is low, sure, but the chance of the seller handing over all the old keys is pretty close to zero. You never know how many neighbors/relatives/psycho exes they've given keys to over the years. Chances are that someone somewhere has a key, and that's 1 person too many for me. And there are always dipshit POs who think that they still have the right to the property... "whoops I forgot my widget in the attic, I'll just let myself in and grab it." OP when you get your locks changed, have the locksmith make more spare keys made than you think you'll need. Copies are poo poo, and this is your chance to have proper keys cut by a proper locksmith. I mean, you can do it later properly, but they're cheap and the locksmith will be there so just get a pile and keep them somewhere safe. Pretty sure we only had like 5 or 7 made and I wish I had more. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Jun 26, 2023 |
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Jun 26, 2023 19:55
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Changing your own locks is also pretty easy, assuming that you've got standard hardware. YMMV if it's some kind of custom stuff or more difficult than a standard door knob and dead bolt arrangement.
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Jun 26, 2023 19:57
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If you've got different locks with different keys, it wouldn't surprise me if they're different brands. In which case you're probably wanna go and buy all new locks and have the store rekey them all to be the same. If they're all the same brand but use different keys then yeah a locksmith should be able to easily get them all to be the same key. On a completely unrelated note, typing this out reminded me that I need to find a lock smith with a physical location that I can bring something into, and apparently some of them near me do have offices. Another victory!
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Jun 26, 2023 20:07
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Sloppy posted:It's surprising how far you can get toward high performance without going all-in with Zola windows or whatever. Zip-R insulated sheathing, tape everything well, keep your subs on a leash with their hole-saws, lower-end HRV, good midrange windows like Marvin Elevate, and you're 80% of the way there. Check out the Pretty Good House book, it's a solid read. Thanks, Pretty Good House has been on my list to read for awhile. Still working on the decades of neglect our house went through before I can start on cool things like an HRV, exterior insulation/new siding and windows.. the list goes on. I just spent most of the weekend prepping a single window for exterior paint, the trim had rotted away in places and all the caulking was toast. Thank god for oscillating multi-tools.
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Jun 26, 2023 20:18
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Cyrano4747 posted:Changing your own locks is also pretty easy, assuming that you've got standard hardware. YMMV if it's some kind of custom stuff or more difficult than a standard door knob and dead bolt arrangement. This. I've slowly replaced the locks in our house with keyed alike cylinders over time so that six keys are now down to two. Three if you count a side gate that I've been waiting to get a euro cylinder padlock body for. Anti-snap cylinders are incredibly cheap and take minutes to change out assuming you've reasonably modern door hardware. Last one to switch is a deadbolt using a lever lock that is a century old. For that I'll need a locksmith.
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Jun 26, 2023 22:33
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Sundae posted:You're not a real homeowner until you have a shelf in the garage with the parts for multiple incomplete projects that you haven't started yet apart from purchasing. Goddamn it. I've got sprinklers a plenty, salvaged designer tile, aluminum housing for strip lights, cat 6 and the jacks etc. The biggest offender was the toilet I got for my master bath in early 2022 that will be set in July (hopefully). Verman posted:Or tools from projects that you'll never use again but it was cheaper to buy the tool and diy than to hire it out. You keep the tool because one day, you just never know, you may need it again. I swear though, the day you use that tool a second time or loan it to a friend is so vindicating, it's worth it. My newest item added to this collection is a hopper for wall texturing. It's going to be a long time before I need it again. The lowest point in your diy life will be the day you buy a one time tool and take it home, use it, put it away and discover one you already had.
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Jun 26, 2023 23:01
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I'll give a go at changing them all myself this weekend, I think. I spent a few hours at the house getting some stuff unloaded and going for a walk around the neighbourhood , and gained some valuable information. Positives: The beach and community center both seem lovely and well maintained. I met a few neighbours on my walk, was offered beers and conversation, had a beer and talked with with some folks, so a good start there. I also learned the house has WAY more outlets than I expected, most of them were apparently well hidden behind furniture and stuff. So that's convenient at least. Negatives: I learned that apparently there isn't trash service here. I wasn't aware that thinking about trash service was even, like... A thing I need to worry about? I can apparently pay $45 a month for private collection or take it down to the dump myself, it's like ten minutes away. Also, and this is the main reason I'm posting right now - the basement smells incredibly musty now. There wasn't any detectable odour the previous times I visited the house, so this is an unpleasant surprise. It's really quite bad. How... Bad a sign is that? Are we talking "just throw a dehumidifier up and it will be fine" or something closer to "oh poo poo you walls are full of mold that's needs to be taken care of ASAP! Sundae posted:You're not a real homeowner until you have a shelf in the garage with the parts for multiple incomplete projects that you haven't started yet apart from purchasing. Verman posted:Or tools from projects that you'll never use again but it was cheaper to buy the tool and diy than to hire it out. You keep the tool because one day, you just never know, you may need it again. Wait, was I supposed to wait until I owned a house to start doing that stuff? That's describes a not insignificant amount of the stuff I have to move (even after getting rid of three quarters to avoid having to)... I am starting from a position of having more projects than I know what to do with - at least now Ill have a proper space to work on them! Just need to get that space all set up nice, now... Well, I'm sure I can do a lot better there now at least GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 23:13 on Jun 26, 2023 |
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Jun 26, 2023 23:07
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My sds max demolition hammer is probably my most unexpectedly good "one time" tool purchase. I bought it used and had to buy a handle it was missing, but I've torn down two well houses, drilled countless masonry holes, and lent it out to friends and coworkers for various jobs and gotten additional bits for it as payment from them.
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Jun 26, 2023 23:13
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Verman posted:Or tools from projects that you'll never use again but it was cheaper to buy the tool and diy than to hire it out. You keep the tool because one day, you just never know, you may need it again. I started with way more tools than I'll ever have any reasonable use for since my dad was a GC (who did all his own sub-trades as well) before he passed. On the plus side it's nice whenever I need something unusual because I'm almost guaranteed to find it. Last time was a hammer drill. "Hmm, I bet there's one out there somewhere" and there sure was. Flooring nailer? A whole bunch of clamps? Tin snips? Yup.
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Jun 27, 2023 00:04
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GlyphGryph posted:Also, and this is the main reason I'm posting right now - the basement smells incredibly musty now. There wasn't any detectable odour the previous times I visited the house, so this is an unpleasant surprise. It's really quite bad. How... Bad a sign is that? Are we talking "just throw a dehumidifier up and it will be fine" or something closer to "oh poo poo you walls are full of mold that's needs to be taken care of ASAP! It's probably the former. An unoccupied house can start smelling stale really fast, especially if the basement is a little damp. Get a good dehumidifier and let it run a few days before you start to worry too much.
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Jun 27, 2023 00:26
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Yeah disuse can be the cause of all sorts of problems Our realtor noted a "pungent hydrogen sulphide" smell coming from the bathroom Turned out the hot water hadn't been run for at least a month. Every day for about a week i'd run the sinks + showers at full hot for 5-10 min. Smell went away. Previous owner hosed off to arizona a couple days after we went into contract
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Jun 27, 2023 01:11
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raggedphoto posted:cool things like an HRV, exterior insulation/new siding and windows.. the list goes on. We got an HRV with a heat pump. Our first month with it (may) we had no extra power consumption compared to last year. Been using the cooling function a lot the past few weeks though, so it's going to be interesting seeing this months consumption.
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Jun 27, 2023 14:22
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I paid $2k to have a bunch of trees trimmed yesterday and after watching them work, I am definitely DIYing that next time. Most of the business end of the job was done with a telescoping pole saw. Looks like a very nice one costs a couple hundred bucks at most. A small chainsaw was used for some of the bigger branches. Even accounting for buying one plus all of the associated PPE still rings up to well under $2k. Note there was not any technical work dropping big trees or large branches around power lines, fences or structures. I'd still hire that out if it becomes necessary in the future. The most impressive part was the woodchipper they brought. That thing chewed up some 10" branches without flinching. Our local rental place rents those for $250/day.
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Jun 27, 2023 14:27
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spf3million posted:I paid $2k to have a bunch of trees trimmed yesterday and after watching them work, I am definitely DIYing that next time. Most of the business end of the job was done with a telescoping pole saw. Looks like a very nice one costs a couple hundred bucks at most. A small chainsaw was used for some of the bigger branches. Even accounting for buying one plus all of the associated PPE still rings up to well under $2k. Note there was not any technical work dropping big trees or large branches around power lines, fences or structures. I'd still hire that out if it becomes necessary in the future. You’re paying for their insurance coverage
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Jun 27, 2023 14:38
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Upgrade posted:You’re paying for their insurance coverage
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Jun 27, 2023 14:40
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What are you going to do with all the wood chips? Haul to the dump?
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Jun 27, 2023 15:22
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nwin posted:What are you going to do with all the wood chips? Haul to the dump? Do what all my neighbors do: Cut the limbs, put them in a huge pile in one corner of your tiny lot, and let them sit for years and years
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Jun 27, 2023 15:26
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They make good mulch - you can buy bags of it even!
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Jun 27, 2023 15:26
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nwin posted:What are you going to do with all the wood chips? Haul to the dump? Just take a pocket full every time you leave the house and subtly scatter it as you walk around.
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Jun 27, 2023 15:28
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nwin posted:What are you going to do with all the wood chips? Haul to the dump? And let someone else eat them? No way, those chips are mine!
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Jun 27, 2023 15:50
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spf3million posted:I paid $2k to have a bunch of trees trimmed yesterday and after watching them work, I am definitely DIYing that next time. Most of the business end of the job was done with a telescoping pole saw. Looks like a very nice one costs a couple hundred bucks at most. A small chainsaw was used for some of the bigger branches. Even accounting for buying one plus all of the associated PPE still rings up to well under $2k. Note there was not any technical work dropping big trees or large branches around power lines, fences or structures. I'd still hire that out if it becomes necessary in the future. I have an apple tree that I enjoy trimming. It's very old, it was overgrown when I moved in. I hacked about a third of the growth back the first year. Had a bumper crop of apples. I did the same for the next few years, I'm still trying to shape it properly. It's easy to climb, I can get up about 15-20 feet or so and reach anything with my electric chainsaw and polesaw. I have so much fun picking and choosing and cutting. Then I drag my rear end on cutting up all the debris, bundling sticks, raking, cutting the larger branches into firewood. Next time I'm hiring a pro. The rest of my trees are too tall for me to climb or reach from the ground even with a polesaw on a ladder which is too unsafe for me to do anyway. So I have to hire a pro for them.
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Jun 27, 2023 15:58
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We’re finally making progress on two projects we’ve been talking about doing since we moved two years ago: painting the exterior of the house and a revamp of the electrical. We live on a hill close-ish to the Oregon coast so we get a fair amount of weather and moisture. The PO decided to just continuously paint over any spots that peeled which just looks awful at this point. I’m very excited to have someone power wash and strip it down before painting. The electrical system in the house is a loving nightmare and we’ve struggled to find someone who even wants the job to redo it. The previous previous owner was a local cannery magnate who would have his staff electrician do whatever weird poo poo he asked but only on top of the existing electrical. This means we have a bundle of fun stuff like: - a switch in the guest room that turns off all the downstairs lights. - an old fuse panel with a fused neutral that inspires an “oh, I’ve never actually seen one of those” in any electrician who sees it - a classic double throw knife switch - a power meter inside the garage that baffled the power company - 4 different panels of varying sizes and types to consult whenever your trip a breaker/fuse - knob and tube in the upper level And as a bonus, it’s only a 75 amp service via an underground line that’s not on any power company maps. We’re going to rip out the knob and tube, consolidate to a single, modern panel, upgrade the service to 200 amp and move the meter to the outside of the house. I am very excited for it to be done.
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Jun 27, 2023 15:59
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GlyphGryph posted:Also, and this is the main reason I'm posting right now - the basement smells incredibly musty now. There wasn't any detectable odour the previous times I visited the house, so this is an unpleasant surprise. It's really quite bad. How... Bad a sign is that? Are we talking "just throw a dehumidifier up and it will be fine" or something closer to "oh poo poo you walls are full of mold that's needs to be taken care of ASAP! Is the washer down there? They often have a little puddle of water in them from the last little bit of water in the hose draining back in when the pump cuts off, and that can cause them to get musty fast if they don't get used regularly. Run a maximum size load on the hottest setting with two cups of white vinegar in the drum to help fix it.
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Jun 27, 2023 16:25
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distortion park posted:They make good mulch - you can buy bags of it even! StormDrain posted:I have an apple tree that I enjoy trimming. It's very old, it was overgrown when I moved in. I hacked about a third of the growth back the first year. Had a bumper crop of apples. I did the same for the next few years, I'm still trying to shape it properly. It's easy to climb, I can get up about 15-20 feet or so and reach anything with my electric chainsaw and polesaw. New water mainline is going in today and tomorrow. They poor guy they assigned to cut the cement is using an angle grinder 
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Jun 27, 2023 16:55
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How do you cut 6" of concrete with an angle grinder? I'm imagining some space balls-esque giant rear end angle grinder like them combing the sands.
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Jun 27, 2023 17:12
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What would one use to fill a 2” hole in wood flooring/subflooring? PO wired a baseboard heater through the floor instead of through the wall, and I am now left with a hole that goes straight down into the crawl space of my house. Hole is right by an exterior wall and will fluctuate in temperature a good amount.
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Jun 27, 2023 18:14
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| # ? May 8, 2024 08:57 |
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GlyphGryph posted:I'm sure I won't have to worry about any surprise disasters on that front for at least a few years. 
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Jun 27, 2023 18:22
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