• You've discovered RedGuides 📕 an EverQuest multi-boxing community 🛡️🧙🗡️. We want you to play several EQ characters at once, come join us and say hello! 👋
  • IS THIS SITE UGLY? Change the look. To dismiss this notice, click the X --->

IRL - Home Owner (1 Viewer)

Joined
Oct 5, 2012
RedCents
2,264¢
Been mostly away the last few weeks because I just closed on a house. Wife, kids, and I got to enjoy the thrill of slaving away over boxes filling them with all our worldly possessions then loading then onto a truck to unload and unpack again.

That would have been ideal, anyway. What it really meant was everyone was at the new house ooing and ahhing while I packed, loaded, and unloaded for 40 hours over two days, cleaned the old apartment so we could get our deposit back, then just pass out in the new bedroom for what felt like a whole day.

Got a whole new office at the top of the house, have a basement now, a big backyard that is in desperate need of work (eventually), and an ever growing lost of things we need to buy because we never had to worry about them in the past as a renter. Did you know lawn mowers are really expensive, like holy cow.

All that aside though, super excited and happy for my family and I. we still got a lot of unpacking and sorting to do, but I did get a few things set up in the new office:


IMG20220706190018.jpg

IMG20220706185954.jpg

IMG20220706185914.jpg

IMG20220706185825.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG20220706190018.jpg
    IMG20220706190018.jpg
    2.2 MB · Views: 2
  • IMG20220706185825.jpg
    IMG20220706185825.jpg
    1.9 MB · Views: 2
  • IMG20220706185914.jpg
    IMG20220706185914.jpg
    2.5 MB · Views: 2
  • IMG20220706185954.jpg
    IMG20220706185954.jpg
    2.5 MB · Views: 2
Congrats! I was kind of in the same boat last year, I got an Home Depot credit card so I could get another mower that was large enough for our yard.
 
Congrats! I was kind of in the same boat last year, I got an Home Depot credit card so I could get another mower that was large enough for our yard.

It feels like my new frequently visited store is Lowe's
I guess I need to set up an account to get a military/veteran discount from now on. Wish I had known that before spending like $900 there already.
 
Home ownership is awesome! Congrats!

I bought a lawnmower last summer, paid $500 just for the seat!

It's funny looking back to when I was a kid or teenager and I would mow our lawn with a push mower. I treated it poorly I am sure, didn't care what I ran over. Spinny blades go WAAAAAAAA.
Now a very basic looking push mower is about $500.
Guess I'll wait til the fall and see if things get cheaper going into winter. The previous owners put a bunch of carpet in the back yard, I guess since the owners before them had let it just grow out of control. So the big swathes of carpet were to kill off some of it.
It's weird, but this whole experience is too.
 
Oh the joys of dealing with the misgivings of prior owners!
Its a struggle when first moving into a new place. Everyone is excited and the HOA wants you to have the best place in the neighborhood (I'm a country bumpkin, self-exiled to where I belong).

Hang in there and be patient with the new purchases.
I find great deals on Craig's List or FB Marketplace... or on trash day. I cannot believe folks will throw a mower away just because the pull cord broke. My neighbor gave me a nearly new Honda mower because it "smoked". I checked the oil... it was over-filled. Drained some of it, works great now. Get to know your neighbors. Many times they have hand-me-downs.

And if you think a push mower is $$... just wait till you get into gardening. New tillers are out of sight!
 
I don’t want to alarm you but your wall is orange.

1.) Now that you’ve filed your change of address you will receive some marketing in the mail from Lowe’s and Home Depot with discount coupons. One of them is like 20% off everything. It’s worth it to wait for that and use it.

2.) Depending on how large your lawn is, if you can get a push mower— Ryobi has a line of swappable mowers. They have multi tools like a weed eater, leaf blower, drill, and many other things that run off of the Ryobi One battery and swap out with attachements. I’ve found these to be worth it for most jobs.

3.) Home ownership is way more stressful than renting because every problem is your problem. But think of every improvement like leveling up. And keep your receipts for any improvements you do, these are useful forever.

4.) Congratulations!
 
It's funny looking back to when I was a kid or teenager and I would mow our lawn with a push mower. I treated it poorly I am sure, didn't care what I ran over. Spinny blades go WAAAAAAAA.
Now a very basic looking push mower is about $500.
Guess I'll wait til the fall and see if things get cheaper going into winter. The previous owners put a bunch of carpet in the back yard, I guess since the owners before them had let it just grow out of control. So the big swathes of carpet were to kill off some of it.
It's weird, but this whole experience is too.

I can't believe someone would pay $500 for a push mower, buy maybe they didn't grow up pushing rusty ones. How much to cover the lawn with rocks?
 
what @allandallis235 said about looking for second hand items rings so true ... another owners trash can be your treasure if you know what your looking for ... than you can enjoy the money you saved by hiring someone to move that nasty carpet aka rodent home in your back yard 🤢
 
I don’t want to alarm you but your wall is orange.

1.) Now that you’ve filed your change of address you will receive some marketing in the mail from Lowe’s and Home Depot with discount coupons. One of them is like 20% off everything. It’s worth it to wait for that and use it.

2.) Depending on how large your lawn is, if you can get a push mower— Ryobi has a line of swappable mowers. They have multi tools like a weed eater, leaf blower, drill, and many other things that run off of the Ryobi One battery and swap out with attachements. I’ve found these to be worth it for most jobs.

3.) Home ownership is way more stressful than renting because every problem is your problem. But think of every improvement like leveling up. And keep your receipts for any improvements you do, these are useful forever.

4.) Congratulations!

Once we moved in I found a few problems right out the gate, that allegedly worked before we moved in.
Toilet needed a replacement stopper, so had to get a kit for that and replace all those innards. Top was also loose(ish) before I took it apart and replaced things. Now it's all working and stable.
Our first day here we found out it's all permit parking, so wife got a ticket. Permits are like $5/year for each car, with proof of residence. So that was fun.
We had a notice on the door because the front of house grass was long and obstructed the sidewalk, so had to weed whack that all down before "they" came back.

It's been an eventful beginning, but all things I didn't really know how to handle until now. So very much like leveling up IRL.
Still need to get some small tube for our refrigerator to hook up it's water/ice feature and to replace the dishwasher drain valve, because when we ran it they previous owner must have had a wine glass or something inside and it broke. So the drain was blocked by glass and (i think) burned out the drain valve. I can kind hear it working, but it's struggling to get the water out from the bottom of the machine.

Either way, it's like a real life version of entering Crushbone for the first time at level 5-6, only to have someone bringing a train to the zone line.
 
Congratulations and welcome to the rest of your life!

There are times I wish to god I was still renting, but there's no substitute for being able to do whatever you want with your house.

Good luck and make friends with a plumber...and an electrician...and a painter (that pro equipment makes things sooo much easier), and a roofer (because...heights), and...
 
Congratulations and welcome to the rest of your life!

There are times I wish to god I was still renting, but there's no substitute for being able to do whatever you want with your house.

Good luck and make friends with a plumber...and an electrician...and a painter (that pro equipment makes things sooo much easier), and a roofer (because...heights), and...

I have definitely realized the desire to have a pocket plumber and electrician is real.
All I have thought about it how I want more outlets for my office, if it's possible to separate rooms to their own breaker, if it's possible to allow more things to be plugged in safely (wife and I tripped a breaker when running an AC in her office and mine at the same time), and other wacky stuff related to that.

My kids like to get each other riled up and they start getting loud. When we were renting my wife would often tell them to quiet down, neighbors are trying to sleep, its late, etc etc.
It's nice being able to just let them wear each other out now, I don't mind kids being kids. Be loud, run around (safely, away from the stairs), enjoy being kids while you can!
 
My kids like to get each other riled up and they start getting loud. When we were renting my wife would often tell them to quiet down, neighbors are trying to sleep, its late, etc etc.
It's nice being able to just let them wear each other out now, I don't mind kids being kids. Be loud, run around (safely, away from the stairs), enjoy being kids while you can!
This.
 
Once we moved in I found a few problems right out the gate, that allegedly worked before we moved in.
Toilet needed a replacement stopper, so had to get a kit for that and replace all those innards. Top was also loose(ish) before I took it apart and replaced things. Now it's all working and stable.
Our first day here we found out it's all permit parking, so wife got a ticket. Permits are like $5/year for each car, with proof of residence. So that was fun.
We had a notice on the door because the front of house grass was long and obstructed the sidewalk, so had to weed whack that all down before "they" came back.

It's been an eventful beginning, but all things I didn't really know how to handle until now. So very much like leveling up IRL.
Still need to get some small tube for our refrigerator to hook up it's water/ice feature and to replace the dishwasher drain valve, because when we ran it they previous owner must have had a wine glass or something inside and it broke. So the drain was blocked by glass and (i think) burned out the drain valve. I can kind hear it working, but it's struggling to get the water out from the bottom of the machine.

Either way, it's like a real life version of entering Crushbone for the first time at level 5-6, only to have someone bringing a train to the zone line.
in regards to you dishwasher if the previous residents didn't scrape their dishes i would bet that the drain filter is plugged up with food/bones etc that and too much powdered detergent can build up and plug the filter.
 
It feels like my new frequently visited store is Lowe's
I guess I need to set up an account to get a military/veteran discount from now on. Wish I had known that before spending like $900 there already.

I know Home Depot used to do a 10% in store Vet discount. Also, unless you need a lawn tractor because the yard is super huge, consider some of the newer outdoor power tools from Ego, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Ryobi, etc. I slowly converted to cordless tools and will never go pack.

Be well. Happy home owning.
 
Wait a minute, this isn't $500!

CR052K15-Reel_Mower


I always called these push mowers, but I guess that's something else entirely.
 
Wait a minute, this isn't $500!

CR052K15-Reel_Mower


I always called these push mowers, but I guess that's something else entirely.
i usually hear them as "Reel" mowers or "Real" mowers

push mower would be anything without a seat.

I have a greenworks battery mower i really like (batteries can swap into other greenworks stuff)
 
I'm thinking back to when people tried to correct me. I assumed they were complimenting my usage of a REAL mower
 
[...] Did you know lawn mowers are really expensive, like holy cow. [...]
Congrats! Get yourself a (Fiskars) reel mower and cancel the gym membership or make the kids mow. It's nice being able to mow after sundown or early as heck in the morning and not worrying about noise. You'll still be batwinging it, but at least you will be slightly less hot & sweaty.

Now that you're not a renter, you'll be excited to discover the amount of time and money you need to spend storing and maintaining your stuff!

Some unsolicited tips for ya:
  • Make sure you know where your water cutoff valve is before you need to know where it is! Make sure to show the rest of the fam. Might as well test it now. You probably have a shutoff box w/ a valve below the frost line near the street and may have a valve where the waterline comes into your house (normally in your garage at the water heater)
  • Dryer vents need to be cleaned and cleaning frequency varies with your vent diameter and length - can be a fire hazard
  • Bathroom fans need to be cleaned - can be a fire hazard
  • Water heaters leak at EOL; a battery or plugin leak sensor can be a lifesaver. Once you replace yours or it's newer, look at replacing the anode rods, which are sacrificial elements that save the rest of the tank from galvanic corrosion, on a schedule
  • Despite low WAF, keep some fire extinguishers in EASY, in-reach spots in the kitchen, garage, and anywhere else you have a heat-source
  • Smoke detectors have a ~10yr life; make sure you check and replace/set a calendar reminder
  • If you have a multi-story home, you can get compact, expandable fire escape ladders for second story rooms - personally having those would give me a ton of peace of mind
  • Depending on electrical code at the time of your house's building, GFCIs will lead you on a merry journey; for example, in our first house, the GFCI in the guest bathroom was downstream of our master bath - almost got a shock when I went to change that outlet after turning off the mbath breaker, but checked with a NCVT before working on it, noting a live circuit
  • On that note, assume your breaker box diagram was written by a drunken clown and can't be trusted
  • Your AC return has a filter - write down the size now in a maintenance workbook and buy a box of filters. Change them on schedule as filters are cheaper than HVAC replacements. The furnace/condenser unit may also have a filter at the blower, so check to make sure you don't miss that
  • Check your hose bibs to see if they're leak proof. If you get long, freezing spells in the winter, get insulated bib covers on your next trip to the home improvement store so you have them when the cold weather hits. Also disconnect your hoses before then
 
Last edited:
Congrats! Get yourself a (Fiskars) reel mower and cancel the gym membership or make the kids mow. It's nice being able to mow after sundown or early as heck in the morning and not worrying about noise. You'll still be batwinging it, but at least you will be slightly less hot & sweaty.

Now that you're not a renter, you'll be excited to discover the amount of time and money you need to spend storing and maintaining your stuff!



Is that on the street? HOA/POA?

Some unsolicited tips for ya:
  • Make sure you know where your water cutoff valve is before you need to know where it is! Make sure to show the rest of the fam
  • Dryer vents need to be cleaned and cleaning frequency varies with your vent diameter and length - can be a fire hazard
  • Bathroom fans need to be cleaned - can be a fire hazard
  • Water heaters leak at EOL; a battery or plugin leak sensor can be a lifesaver
  • Despite low WAF, keep some fire extinguishers in EASY, in-reach spots in the kitchen, garage, and anywhere else you have a heat-source
  • Smoke detectors have a ~10yr life; make sure you check and replace/set a calendar reminder
  • Depending on the age of your house, GFCI trips will lead you on a merry journey (for example, in our first house, the GFCI in the guest bathroom was downstream of our master bath)
  • On that note, assume your breaker box diagram is wrong
this is the redcentiest post i've seen in a long while

this is a very good list <3
 
Wait a minute, this isn't $500!

CR052K15-Reel_Mower


I always called these push mowers, but I guess that's something else entirely.

Oh my goodness. I haven’t seen one of those since I was a kid.

Be well. Happy hydrating.
 
thats so awesome Slade. congrats.

Ohh. and ya the problems really can suck lol. but knowing every cent u pay towards your own home from anything u fix, to upgrade to the mortgage itself.. thats all yours. and you are paying yourself to live there monthly. down the road... when stuff finally breaks thru to the mostly good times, still... ALL YOURS. best investment ever. congrats
 
That's awesome, I'm glad you're enjoying the new house and office, I can't wait to eventually get a house of my own, keep us updated, especially on that big backyard :)...
 
Gratz!

NAIL that picture to the wall, here and there and here etc. Your not renting so you can put all the pictures up you want.:woop:



Have you started on your outside Christmas lights yet? Come on man, its almost Halloween!
 
Congrats! Get yourself a (Fiskars) reel mower and cancel the gym membership or make the kids mow. It's nice being able to mow after sundown or early as heck in the morning and not worrying about noise. You'll still be batwinging it, but at least you will be slightly less hot & sweaty.

Now that you're not a renter, you'll be excited to discover the amount of time and money you need to spend storing and maintaining your stuff!

Some unsolicited tips for ya:
  • Make sure you know where your water cutoff valve is before you need to know where it is! Make sure to show the rest of the fam. Might as well test it now. You probably have a shutoff box w/ a valve below the frost line near the street and may have a valve where the waterline comes into your house (normally in your garage at the water heater)
  • Dryer vents need to be cleaned and cleaning frequency varies with your vent diameter and length - can be a fire hazard
  • Bathroom fans need to be cleaned - can be a fire hazard
  • Water heaters leak at EOL; a battery or plugin leak sensor can be a lifesaver. Once you replace yours or it's newer, look at replacing the anode rods, which are sacrificial elements that save the rest of the tank from galvanic corrosion, on a schedule
  • Despite low WAF, keep some fire extinguishers in EASY, in-reach spots in the kitchen, garage, and anywhere else you have a heat-source
  • Smoke detectors have a ~10yr life; make sure you check and replace/set a calendar reminder
  • If you have a multi-story home, you can get compact, expandable fire escape ladders for second story rooms - personally having those would give me a ton of peace of mind
  • Depending on electrical code at the time of your house's building, GFCIs will lead you on a merry journey; for example, in our first house, the GFCI in the guest bathroom was downstream of our master bath - almost got a shock when I went to change that outlet after turning off the mbath breaker, but checked with a NCVT before working on it, noting a live circuit
  • On that note, assume your breaker box diagram was written by a drunken clown and can't be trusted
  • Your AC return has a filter - write down the size now in a maintenance workbook and buy a box of filters. Change them on schedule as filters are cheaper than HVAC replacements. The furnace/condenser unit may also have a filter at the blower, so check to make sure you don't miss that
  • Check your hose bibs to see if they're leak proof. If you get long, freezing spells in the winter, get insulated bib covers on your next trip to the home improvement store so you have them when the cold weather hits. Also disconnect your hoses before then

I always appreciate a good list of things to know. Thank you for this!

Luckily I already know where the main water shut off is, from when we fixed the toilet.
Dryer vents/tubes are all new, but we got a brush that attaches to our drill that spins and pulls dust/ lint build up from those kinda tubes.
Never thought about the bathroom fans honestly, now it's all I can think about lol.
We got a deal with ADT through the VA. They gave us $1800 of security stuff + installation, then an additional $1000 for anything extra we would want installed for free. Costs $45/mo, but reduces our home owners insurance by $20, so it's a net $25 expense I am happy to pay. It includes smoke detectors and monitoring as well as the cameras, window sensors, and all that business. Feel so safe.
Our breaker box is definitely the big next project. We tripped a breaker with an AC we turned on, and when I went down to look inside it was completely blank. Nothing was documented at all. So.... yeah

I don't even know what hose bibs are, but I do have an outdoor hose.
 
Gratz!

NAIL that picture to the wall, here and there and here etc. Your not renting so you can put all the pictures up you want.:woop:



Have you started on your outside Christmas lights yet? Come on man, its almost Halloween!

I have SO many posters and pictures that need to be hung up, but previously I had such a small space I had to pick and choose what I wanted up.
I got a small collection of Funko POP figures people got me once, then continued to get me because they saw I had a few and thought I collected them. I dont have the heart to get rid of most, and some I even did buy for myself eventually.
I need to get a thin wall shelf for them.
The pictures need frames. Posters need frames.
I do have a nice set of canvas pictures my friend got me for Christmas last year I can't wait to hang, bunch of The Straw Hats from One Piece in a nice collection.

I haven't done any decorating yet, but we have totes full of Christmas stuff my wife can't wait to set out lol. Don't tempt her!
 
I always appreciate a good list of things to know. Thank you for this!

Luckily I already know where the main water shut off is, from when we fixed the toilet.
Dryer vents/tubes are all new, but we got a brush that attaches to our drill that spins and pulls dust/ lint build up from those kinda tubes.
Never thought about the bathroom fans honestly, now it's all I can think about lol.
We got a deal with ADT through the VA. They gave us $1800 of security stuff + installation, then an additional $1000 for anything extra we would want installed for free. Costs $45/mo, but reduces our home owners insurance by $20, so it's a net $25 expense I am happy to pay. It includes smoke detectors and monitoring as well as the cameras, window sensors, and all that business. Feel so safe.
Our breaker box is definitely the big next project. We tripped a breaker with an AC we turned on, and when I went down to look inside it was completely blank. Nothing was documented at all. So.... yeah

I don't even know what hose bibs are, but I do have an outdoor hose.

Oh I am too late. You already signed the contract with ADT. I had them for years until they were well over $50. I switched to Simpli Safe a year or two ago for $25 per month with the monitoring and reduction on home owners insurance. Had ADT for close to 30-years and slowly watch them raise the monthly rate. When the day is done there is no right or wrong choice. A person needs to be happy with his or her provider and the rate needs to fit intro the budget.

Be well. Happy gaming (once the house chores are done :p)

Oh I just remembered one other thing. Consider getting a dish and avoid cable, especially if it is Comcast, like the plague. Was on the phone all day today between talking to someone in the Philippines and then someone in India. Nothing against those countries but how the hell are you going to correct service issues caused by your service crews in the area the past two weeks when you are in Asia?

Out Sourcing 101.

</rant off>

Be well. Happy non-cable viewing. :)

This is what I meant by push mower. Gotta push it, but it does have battery/gas for spinning blade:

View attachment 40735

I suppose the name does say Walk Behind though.


Have you considered the Ryobi? $30 less. Larger battery capacity 6Ah vs 4 Ah. Bothe are brushless. On the downside the Ryobi is 20" and the Greenworks is 22". FYI the Greenworks is not gas powered. Both are 3 in 1 meaning they can mulch, bag, or side discharge.

Both are solid. I guess the question would be is which battery platform you might want to invest into based upon other tools available for later purchase - i.e. line trimmer, hedge trimmer, leaf blower, etc , etc.

Not sure how I could shrink the snippet. I used window+shift+S and then just did a paste. Sorry for any breach of etiquette.

Be well. Happy mowing.

1657249961367.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
another TV cheat worth noting is a jailbroke firestick . less than 50$ (CDN) and can be done in about ten mins. picked up three of em for the tvs in my place and never looked back ... can do it all on your own or a lot of people will sign u p with someone who keeps it updated daily for a small monthly fee . (i pay 25$ CDN per month) never missed a UFC PPV yet =)
 
First, congratulations on the home!

As a tech savvy guy, I'll suggest a Google account/email address for your house.

I take pictures of receipts and contracts and just email them to the house email, I have a maintenance log in Google sheets for that account for annual maintenance. It's come in ridiculously handy over the years to remember how old things are, or to track down a receipt quickly rather than dig through piles of paper.

When things start to age, having the exact model number easily accessible is really handy. Especially when I'm already standing in home Depot and can't remember what size the filters are.

Best of luck!
 
First, congratulations on the home!

As a tech savvy guy, I'll suggest a Google account/email address for your house.

I take pictures of receipts and contracts and just email them to the house email, I have a maintenance log in Google sheets for that account for annual maintenance. It's come in ridiculously handy over the years to remember how old things are, or to track down a receipt quickly rather than dig through piles of paper.

When things start to age, having the exact model number easily accessible is really handy. Especially when I'm already standing in home Depot and can't remember what size the filters are.

Best of luck!

No offense, but Google is the worst when it comes to personal privacy.

Here is a good third party source for privacy protection Information. It is totally supported through donations so no corporate bias.

https://restoreprivacy.com/
 
Last edited:
It feels like my new frequently visited store is Lowe's
I guess I need to set up an account to get a military/veteran discount from now on. Wish I had known that before spending like $900 there already.
I bought my house at the end of 2018. Lowes was right around the corner from me and Home Depot less than a mile away. Needed a bunch of stuff for the new home so I applied for a Lowes CC. I had an 810 credit score and a 0 balance on all of my cards. They turned me down, twice and now apply once a year and still get turned down. I applied to home depot and was instantly approved. So I do all my shopping at Home Depot. I estimate they have lost about $5,000 worth of sales since then.

I dont know what Lowes has against me.
 
Been mostly away the last few weeks because I just closed on a house. Wife, kids, and I got to enjoy the thrill of slaving away over boxes filling them with all our worldly possessions then loading then onto a truck to unload and unpack again.

That would have been ideal, anyway. What it really meant was everyone was at the new house ooing and ahhing while I packed, loaded, and unloaded for 40 hours over two days, cleaned the old apartment so we could get our deposit back, then just pass out in the new bedroom for what felt like a whole day.

Got a whole new office at the top of the house, have a basement now, a big backyard that is in desperate need of work (eventually), and an ever growing lost of things we need to buy because we never had to worry about them in the past as a renter. Did you know lawn mowers are really expensive, like holy cow.

All that aside though, super excited and happy for my family and I. we still got a lot of unpacking and sorting to do, but I did get a few things set up in the new office:


View attachment 40712

View attachment 40713

View attachment 40714

View attachment 40715
Congrats Slade!
 
IRL - Home Owner

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top