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bhill99
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RE: Color combos that oddly please the brain
Totally get this. I used to think neutrals were the only way to go because, you know, resale value and all that. But after living through one gray winter in our new place, I started craving something with more life. We e...
RE: Need advice on replacing an old leaky roof
Yeah, I learned that the hard way on my last place. Thought the decking was fine until we started getting weird creaks and then a leak right by the chimney. Ended up ripping up new shingles just to patch it. Not worth cu...
RE: Weighing the pros and cons of switching to a 15-year mortgage
I get what you’re saying about the forced discipline. When we built our place, we debated the 15-year vs 30-year for weeks. Ended up going with the 15 because, like you said, “you can’t ‘unspend’ money you blew on stuff ...
RE: HOW DO YOU REALLY SAVE WATER AT HOME? QUICK POLL
HOW DO YOU REALLY SAVE WATER AT HOME? QUICK POLL Honestly, I'm still figuring out the whole water-saving thing. I just moved into my first place and thought I was doing pretty good - shorter showers, turning off the tap...
RE: Why does every outlet in my house need to be GFCI now?
I totally get what you mean about older appliances. I just moved into a new build and every single outlet in the kitchen and bathrooms is GFCI now. It’s kind of wild - my toaster tripped one the first week and I thought ...
RE: How do you handle surprise costs without wrecking your finances?
HOW DO YOU HANDLE SURPRISE COSTS WITHOUT WRECKING YOUR FINANCES? Honestly, I did exactly that. I put a small chunk aside labeled “random upgrades” and it saved me when I fell in love with a backsplash way over budget....
RE: Digging into property easements - anyone else find online tools confusing?
Yeah, had a similar thing happen to me - online maps made it look like I had clear boundaries, but when I got the survey done, turns out my neighbor's driveway actually crossed slightly onto my property. Glad I double-ch...
RE: Brick veneer or real brick walls - worth the extra hassle?
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the real brick appeal - it's hard to beat that genuine look and feel. But honestly, your story about mold and dampness is exactly why we decided to go with veneer for our place. As...
RE: Looking for affordable land - any hidden gems?
Good point about local recommendations, they've definitely saved me from some sketchy contractors. But speaking of hidden gems, has anyone had luck finding affordable land near state or national forests? I've heard mixed...
RE: Finally upgraded my living room lights - anyone else tried smart bulbs?
Haha, your purple club scene mishap sounds exactly like something I'd do. First time I set mine up, I accidentally made our bedroom look like a horror movie set - way too red, way too dim. Took me a minute to figure out ...
RE: Navigating disagreements with subcontractors without losing your cool
That's a good point about sketching things out - I hadn't thought of that. I've found myself getting frustrated when subcontractors nod along but then later we realize we're picturing totally different things. Maybe I sh...
RE: Thinking about tapping into home equity - good idea or risky move?
We just finished building our first custom home, and honestly, I get what you're saying. We splurged on a big covered patio with an outdoor kitchen - definitely not the most practical choice financially, but man, we use ...
RE: Backup plans - are you a careful planner or winging it?
I'm with you on the construction timelines thing. When we were building our house, I started out thinking I'd just roll with whatever came up - big mistake. Learned pretty quickly that if you don't have a solid backup pl...
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