Finally out of an apartment and into a small home (with some property).
What are some things I should know, learn, buy, etc?
Rentoid Enlightenment
Finally out of an apartment and into a small home (with some property).
What are some things I should know, learn, buy, etc?
Learn everything.
Next thread.
I'll try!
That's legit.
It's definitely like a "death by a thousand papercuts" (but with money for repairs) with the little things I'm starting to notice already. But yeah, much appreciated. Big picture stuff.
As a former rentoid, the hardest thing to learn is to turn off the "frick everything up" switch and turn on the "take care of your own property switch"
I went decades treating scumlord apartments like absolute trash. Touching walls, dinging corners, putting excess weight on cabinet doors, spilling water/soda/beer on hardwood floors and not cleaning it up, letting drains fill to the brim with hair and slow down to a trickle, not leaving the exhaust fan on after a shower to increase mold production, heavily cycling the HVAC, etc
Now that you own your own property, you'll want to not do these things. It might take some readjusting, but you have to remember that you're the owner now, not someone that is trying to frick over the owner.
absolute goblin
Nice job making the next tenant have to deal with your shit while the owner doesn't give a flying frick
landcels seething
grow up
Dude if you did this in one of my properties you would be in the worst trouble of your life.
>not touching walls
This one has been hard for me for forever. I have spots were I prop my feet up or some shit that is discolored in every place I have ever been in.
Can't the walls just be washed?
No really. The oils in your skin react with the paint and usually the amount of force or chemicals needed to get the oils out fricks the paint anyways
What the frick is the point of walls if you can't use them for touching?
To keep the air you want in and to hang stuff. Walls fricking suck
Not all paints are equal. Keep hands away from perfect matte walls.
I had no clue I was even doing it until I bought and moved out of my rental, moved the desk away to reveal a giant nasty ass foot stain... oops
>Touching walls
What?
Invest in a good multimeter and learn how to test a circuit on YouTube while following along. When changing outlets don't backstab, take the time to use the screws.
When glueing pvc sand first and make a quarter turn to make sure the glue gets full coverage. Best practice is not run water through it until it sets which can take a full day.
Buy a good drill and impact driver but know when to use hand tools. Buy some kroil for stuck or rusted bolts.
Had picked up a multimeter not too long ago but haven't had a lot of use case for it -- yet. Going to create a playlist to explore it some more.
I plan on getting a few more tools, namely an impact driver, but haven't run into anything big atm that the normal drill hasn't handled yet.
New water heater, luckily.
And, did get detectors + 2 little fire extinguishers (first place with gas heating so just trying to play it ultra safe)
thanks!
+1 on the multimeter. My life changed greatly the day I learned what electricity was.
>New water heater, luckily.
Drain it once a year anyway.
drain your water heater
replace your smoke detectors and get a CO detector if you don't have one
Set a calendar event/alarm for all the maintenance stuff and actually do it.
Forgetting to change your furnace filter for too long can cost you 4 figures for a new furnace.
Check/change anode in your water heater to prevent corrosion.
If you have a septic system, learn where everything is and how to take care of it.
Know where your gas/water shut offs are, both inside and outside the house.
Keep the perimeter of the house clear of excessive debris, they will clog vents and cause problems.
You will accumulate tools naturally over time. Better to have a small emergency fund for repairs than a stack of tools that haven't been used yet.
Corded tools generally have longer lives because batteries will die. Cordless tools lock you into just one brand because batteries are expensive.
Everything else will come with time.
Thanks!
And 100% -- I remember reading something like "the most expensive tool you own is the one you never use" and so I'm trying to be (mostly) strategic with what I pick up.
I'll try to setup auto reminders about some of the usual maintenance stuff, with so much going on all the time it's easy to forget
I’ve been trying to keep a list of reminders too like anon said. AC condensate drain is one I learned real early, I fricked my kitchen cieling up the day I was moving in because the drain was clogged a bit and I had the AC down to 68 with the doors open a bunch. I just ordered some tablets to toss in the condensate pan that are supposed to be enzymes and shit good for a month.
Keep a stack of AC filters around, they’re half the price at Home Depot if you buy 4+ at a time. You probably don’t need the most expensive filters either because they can strain the blower motor.
Keep a list of “to do’s” and a list of shit you did with the date. Keep receipts and manuals organized.
Definitely know where all your water shutoffs are and electrical and gas if you have it, and make sure the shit is frozen shut.
2 other random things I did after buying the house, #1 was a fireproof and waterproof safe, #2 I ended up with a Blink security system because they’re so damn cheap and easy these days.
Oh, and you changed your locks, right?
Build yourself a workbench too!
Thanks a bunch!
We tend to thrift a lot so whenever I see filters that fit I'll try to grab them here and there. Though maybe starting out get a couple from the store so there isn't a huge gap between replacing them and finding them.
A while back I actually did buy one of those fireproof document sleeves. It's pretty neat. I think like $15 and good enough to hold like birth certificate, passport, etc. Though I would really like something bigger for family photos and other heirloom items.
I'm on it!
Right now my office desk is the biggest heaviest fricker of a door on top of foldable sawhorses haha. There's a Habitat Restore not far from here with tons and tons of building supplies and wares, a workbench and some custom shelves are my first project once we finish getting everything sorted and in its place.
>Check/change anode
Hmmm. Where is this usually?
On the top of the water heater.
Tbqhwy, I don’t know how many people really change them, they just count water heaters as another consumable that amounts to a ~$1000 bill every 15 years.
Look for the model # on your water heater and find a manual online, it will probably give you info on that. If you end up changing it, ask a friend who owns an impact wrench.
>On the top
Sonofab***h you're right. I thought that was a cap for a bypass pipe or something.
Thanks!
Owning is to difficult for the average goy. Please sell to BlackRock™ immediately to avoid the hardships that come with home ownership.
idk im still in the rent race, but congrats!! gl making your house.a home c: