djimbe wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 1:05 pm

penningtron wrote: Before I start calling a bunch of places in the upcoming weeks maybe someone here would know..

We have a raised deck (3 or 4 ft above ground) with lots of rotting spots. Would it cost more to have it re-decked (railing too) over the existing footprint, or just do away with it altogether and go with a slightly expanded paved porch at ground level? The second option would also require steps/railing from the backdoor to the ground.

I'm really hoping the concrete option will be a lot cheaper because I'm sick of wood deck maintenance and we get no benefit out of it being raised (ie. no good view of anything)

Check your zoning if you pour concrete. Where I live, it's considered "permanent" and changes the square footage of "permanent structure" on which you're taxed. It's why folks with long driveways like mine (it's 800 feet long) go with asphalt because it's not considered permanent.

We got rid of our decks a number of years ago and use hardscaping and I'd never look back. Also, It wasn't too expensive to lay in a few yards of limestone and a few yards of pea gravel and put fancy flags embedded in the pea gravel. The price of synthetic deck boards will make your eyes water.

Trex (and similar) pricing is almost in line with lumber right now. Because of this, we are using it to replace our front porch/stairs. Because fuck maintenance.

I've got a crappy old garage with wood siding that is falling apart due to termites/rot - garage was fumigated as part of our house, so termites are gone and I want to replace the exterior with OSB, tyvex and siding. Looking at engineered wood to keep the same look & feel, also because I can cut it easier/cleaner than cement board - any bad experiences there/better suggestions? I'm in San Diego with 280 days of sun, about 10 days of rain a year

On the precipice of joining the Homeowners club. Anyone have things they wish they'd known or done before purchasing their first home/moved in?

Inspection came back mostly good. Have some local compliance stuff to resolve after we've closed, and this thread has driven home the advice my Dad gave me about getting sewer access cleaned out regularly.

hellaskeletons wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:20 am On the precipice of joining the Homeowners club.

Congrats!

hellaskeletons wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:20 am Anyone have things they wish they'd known or done before purchasing their first home/moved in?

This

hellaskeletons wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:20 am getting sewer access cleaned out regularly.

Also: double, triple, quadruple-check all plumbing, above and beyond what is done in a routine inspection. Fill the tubs, sinks, etc. all of the way full and make sure the drains do not leak at all. Had a bad experience with this in the first house I purchased. Second floor bathroom tub had a crack in the drainpipe that didn't become apparent unless there was a significant rush of water through the drain. It did become apparent after we bathed in that tub for the first time as it leaked all down the kitchen wall and into the basement.

Make sure you try to budget for any/all appliances to need significant repair or replacement within the first 3 months to 2 years after you buy, even if they're "brand new".

tallchris wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:44 pm Make sure you try to budget for any/all appliances to need significant repair or replacement within the first 3 months to 2 years after you buy, even if they're "brand new".

If it is a brand new or remodel situation, I would look into home warranty type plans. Yeah.. brand new stuff tends to shit the bed a lot faster than 10-25 yr old systems that have been maintained alright, and those plans can pay for themselves quickly.

If you suspect the dryer is on its way out, look into thorough cleaning videos on YT. Soooo much cat hair.. but now it works great.

If it's Chicago, I'd look for any indicators of basement leaks. There aren't many inexpensive solutions beyond making sure the gutters and spouts are doing their job, but it's worth being aware of if you have plans of doing anything in the basement beyond laundry and (elevated) storage. You might as well buy a shop vac and dehumidifier in advance..

Along with plumbing stuff, I find that inspectors are pretty weak on electrical stuff. I later discovered nearly half the house was wired in reverse polarity, which seems like something they'd easily find.

I hope your place doesn't need significant renovation, because anything contractor related is a super pain in the ass right now. I'm 2 months into addressing the ^porch thing I noted above and not getting anywhere with it (unless we go with a guy who quoted us double what we expected). One company straight up said "yeah we'd be happy to do this.. in 2023.."

Good luck! I have a pretty love/hate relationship with home ownership, but that first night you go to sleep without hearing people come up/down the stairs late at night, or other shit involving same building neighbors, is pretty dreamy.

TylerDeadPine wrote: I've got a crappy old garage with wood siding that is falling apart due to termites/rot - garage was fumigated as part of our house, so termites are gone and I want to replace the exterior with OSB, tyvex and siding. Looking at engineered wood to keep the same look & feel, also because I can cut it easier/cleaner than cement board - any bad experiences there/better suggestions? I'm in San Diego with 280 days of sun, about 10 days of rain a year

By engineered do you mean something like this:
https://truexterior.com/truexterior-siding-and-trim/

I have some rotting trim boards at my place that I'm replacing and considered something like this. The pros around here call it "Boral" which I think is the parent company. Anyway, I went with a a finger jointed pine called Windsor One, but I'd be curious to hear how this works for you if you use it.

I used PVC trim in a couple places but our temperatures here swing over 100 degrees in the course of a year and it's incredibly unstable. Wouldn't recommend that unless it's short lengths.

Even if you do an inspection and find that there is some leaky plumbing or a minor to moderate basement leak or what have you, the way the market is right now I really don't see a seller moving a whole lot to rectify or bring the price down. It's still pretty much a seller's market. Plan to have to fix stuff. Lots of stuff. Sooner or later, that's how it's gonna be. Absolutely DO get an inspection. The guy we used was awesome. He didn't catch every little thing, but he did catch that the foundation was literally crumbling away to nothing on the place we almost bought. It didn't look bad at all, but then he almost absentmindedly pushed on a cement wall with a screwdriver and it just sunk in right up to the handle. Dodged a bullet with that one and it was worth every penny of the inspection price to find that out and get the fuck out of that deal.

But no matter what your house is like, it's almost a guarantee that you're going to be dealing with sinks/tubs/faucets/drains/p traps, etc. off the bat. Replacing outlets, switches, light fixtures. Be prepared to get your hands dirty. To fix things, or at least address things, on your own. To replace thermostats and glow bars and flush valves. That's home ownership. It's fucking awesome that it's yours, and it kinda sucks at the same time because it's a lot of responsibility. But the more you can do yourself, and the more you can troubleshoot yourself, the better. Youtube is an incredible home repair and DIY tool. As long as it's not something that you might feel unsafe attempting, just go for it. Get right in there. Some contractors are good people, but generally they suck, what they charge is criminal, and so many of them do a shit job anyway. Learn it all. Learn everything. Tile, landscaping, woodworking, flooring, doors and locksets, fix your appliances. It's not rocket science, and you can figure it out as you go along. It's knowledge you'll have forever and you'll save a shitload of money and feel way more in control of the home you own.

penningtron wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 1:00 pm If it is a brand new or remodel situation, I would look into home warranty type plans.

+1

But also make sure you read the fine print of everything that is and is not covered by the home warranty. The aforementioned plumbing issue we had was not.

Ergh that damn old house. There was always like 12 things broken with it at any given time. Leaky basement. Frickin' rodents. At least no cockroaches. We sold that one and moved into a new house 6 years ago.

I was just reminded of how much money we lost on that old home as we bought it right before the housing/financial crisis in 2008. I can't help but think we might be on the precipice of something similar happening. Might want to keep that possibility in mind.

7 years in now and this is the shit I would do different:

Lot of people have mentioned it already, but plumbing. Check your main, your stack, sink lines. Pay to have a plumber look, put a camera down the lines. Ask if they have been jetted or augured recently, we have ours done yearly thanks to a big oak tree. Check the main water shut of valve, see if it is more "modern" or the wheel. You want the more modern lever one. Check all the valves under the sinks and the toilets, turn the off and on see how they feel. REALLY look for any trace of water damage or leakage. A good plumber is worth their weight in gold, my friend is a plumber and it has saved my ass $$$$$$$$$$$. Really take the time to research and find a good plumber (local facebook groups are pretty good for that, local places who have been in the neighborhood forever are great starting points)

Find out if you have a a combined sewer system in your town. If you don't, yay! If you do, get all of your downspouts out of the ground, put extenders on and get water away from your foundation. Gutters, get good gutters if you are in an area that rains. I was getting seepage in my basement, cleared right up as soon as I got deep gutters and big fat downspouts (that are about 10 feet away from my foundation). Also, clean your gutters as often as needed.

If you have a basement really look for water damage there especially if you have a finished basement. If you are planning to have sort of entertainment/play space in the basement, a dehumidifier is worth the money. My town is notorious for basement flooding, so a sump pump, french drain, or some flood mitigation system is important (all my music stuff is in the basement and I STILL put everything on risers).

I wish we would have paid to have the hardwood floors redone before we moved in. "Oh we will do it in a year or two" NO YOU WONT, I am not moving all that furniture so they can do that and put up with the awful smell.

I wish we would have paid to have painters just paint all the ceilings, living room, bedrooms, and main bath. I hate painting. Yeah I can save a few bucks and do an ok job myself, but fuck having a painter do it is like paying for movers, night and day experience.

Change all the outlets, covers, switches, right away. It feels great and clean. Get all new locks.

If you have central air/heat. Pay to have it looked at every year.

3 months after I moved in, squirrels chewed their way through the vents on the roof and got into my attic. If you have nice trees have them trimmed so those little tree rats aren't tempted to take up residence in your attic.

It's worth checking the insulation situation, having that updated is not sexy, but really pays off in the cold/hot times.

Having a home is the best of times it is the blurst of times.