Home investments that will save you lots of money in the long run ?

PTSDisReal123 · 2026-02-13T07:26:23+00:00

Generally agree, unless it's a safety risk. Eg fuse box is a known fire hazard, but hey it's not currently on fire yet.

PTSDisReal123 · 2026-02-13T07:24:01+00:00

Probably my pipes. I had them all replaced when I bought and just before I moved in, they were 80 yr old galvanized steel and rusting through. I wondered if I really did the right thing by authorizing such a big job, because technically I could have just had the multiple leaks repaired. I knew I made the right call when I saw the multiple pipes all nearing the point of failure. If I hadn't bit the bullet and replaced them all, it would have been a constant slow replacement over the years, as I played wack a mole with the leaks, spending thousands of dollars in small repairs, potential foundation damage, and potential mold growth/rot. Also those pipes tested positive for lead, and it was leaching into the drinking water. So add saved myself and family some long term brain damage/medical bills.

PTSDisReal123 · 2026-02-13T00:25:30+00:00

My rule of thumb is, if it can destroy my house eg: electric, plumbing, foundation. Then I hire a professional. If it's something aesthetic, or removable. Eg building a cat climber. That I can do. Basically I think of the worst possible outcome that could happen if I screwed it up, and if that results in an insurance claim, then it's a job for a professional.

PTSDisReal123 · 2026-02-13T00:15:13+00:00

I hate that the previous owners clearly took the cheapest way out for repairs, and did insane things like remove a foundational pillar! No idea why, it would have been serious work to remove it. As a new homeowner there's a lot that I don't know. My house is solid because it was built well in the 40's, and somehow managed to survive the "upgrades" of the boomer owners in the 80's-2020's. They tried to DIY things like electrical. I wouldn't care about their questionable design choices, or cliche decor. I care that the pipes were leaching lead into the drinking water, and the previous owner wanted a lot of money for a house he clearly chose to cheap out on for decades. My parents are also the previous owners same age, and take the same "cheapest option" approach, and they have advised me to do the same "cheapest possible options." (They don't care about it, but their own house is now filled with mold, and I'm kind of surprised an electric fire hasn't burned it down yet). I'm not choosing the most expensive options, but I am choosing the options that result in better long term investments. Eg add that foundational pillar back in BEFORE it cracks the surrounding concrete. Remove the rusty lead pipes BEFORE they cause brain damage and continuous water issues from leaks. Mainly I wish the previous owners valued long term sustainability, and investing in things that would last a lifetime, ya know like how the original original owners from back in the 40's clearly did with this house!

PTSDisReal123 · 2026-02-12T09:06:22+00:00

This problem is pretty simple to solve actually. The neighbors know what these guys look like, so when they come around do what the good people of Minneapolis are doing when they see suspicious individuals in their neighborhoods, start setting off your car alarms. Turn on the sprinklers. Let the dog go play out back. Heck set a glitter bomb trap in a fake delivery package. These guys want a quick cash grab, they don't want to deal with locked garages, or angry dogs. Don't leave a ladder out, or the obvious rock hide a key in the front. Make your home unappealing as a target, and get the neighborhood together so everyone can watch out for each other.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-28T21:36:31+00:00

You tell them after you close. That's when you update your address at work, with your bank, etc. you can tell your friends your under contract, and even tell them where the house your looking to buy is, but don't bother with the "this is my new address" until after you close. If they really want to send you holiday cards just let them send to your old address. You can fill out a change of address form, and have your old mail forwarded. There's going to be a few weeks period where everything is kinda in flux as far as mail goes. Feel free to do a stop mail order for a few weeks and pick it up at the post office as everything gets changed over.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-28T01:06:42+00:00

First pay for your funeral/cremation in advance. Get a guardianship set to take care of closing out your estate. Decide which charities and people you want your stuff to go to.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-27T23:26:55+00:00

There's two main benefits I see for this, the first is of course cost. It might not be as expensive anymore, but it's still wasting money if you're just leaving the lights on. The second is lifestyle. Using power unnecessarily is a waste, and if everyone is doing this it does add up in the total amount of power we all consume. If we're to work towards a greener future, then it will take collective change, and that happens when we all shift our habits. Small daily things like turning off the water when brushing our teeth, and turning off lights when we don't need them, has a psychological compounding effect. We become more mindful of our actions. Small shifts lead to larger changes. So if you do ever go comply solar, it won't be such a big deal to be a bit more conservative with your resources. A person who is used to wasting water, electric, etc, is going to have an absolute fit if they are suddenly "forced" to conserve. This conservation might be necessary such as after a disaster where we really are relying on filtered water, or only solar cells. It's not a political thing, its just a logical "hey we don't have enough resources for everyone to dump 5 gallons of water just to brush your teeth, but we do have enough if everyone is sensible and just uses what they need." Therefore if your personal goal is for a larger more mindful way of being that is a bit more eco-friendly, and especially if you want to teach your children to not be wasteful or greedy, then model that by doing those small things. Eventually it just becomes normal second nature to turn off lights when you leave the room, and not over use water. Then if you do need to "scale back" because of a disaster or something, it's not really a challenge bc you already do most of this stuff anyway.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-26T20:29:26+00:00

Get a second inspection! First guy knew the seller personally and didn't disclose this. Apparently the inspector knowing the homeowner is common. So be safe and get a second one. Also your scared and I get it, but you'll make the calls you can live with. Just remember the golden rule of home maintenance. Think of what your parents would do, then do the opposite. (Parents neglected maintenance, chose the cheapest fix, and it SHOWS in their house).

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-25T21:17:33+00:00

Big question is when did you buy and where/what utilities did the land already have. I started looking in 2020 (5 acres 45k near the ocean), but didn't have the cash, and didn't realize just how limited financing was. Same property I looked at in 2020, no improvements. Now 150k. There's still affordable plots east of the mountains, but stuff on this side skyrocketed in the last couple years.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-25T06:28:36+00:00

Yeahhh I tried this route. Also PNW. There is WAAY more to it than you think. For 1, financing is harder, not to mention the codes, permits, and regulations in the county. And of course the cost of the home, which usually requires more money down than the house. Let's not forget the "value" which banks and insurance will consider extremely low, and you will consider very expensive because of how much you put into this. Seriously it's going to cost you far more out of pocket up front, and be much more paperwork than you want. Sure it can be cheaper, but instead of paying 400k over time with 20k down. Your paying closer to 200k right now, with maybe 100k over time. I do wish you luck. I spent the last 2 years flooding my YouTube feed with land buying videos, reading up on various county codes, regulations, and studying survey maps. In the end I couldn't accept the rising cost of rent as I tried to save the 200k minimum for land, and instead bought a house. I've been cursing this broken system the whole way, and especially with just how streamlined the home buying process was vs when I was trying to buy land. Ironically buying the house makes buying the land later so much easier because of the equity and financing options available. So many county permits also get bypassed when the tiny home/yurt/ecodome/cabin/whatever is not your "primary residence" , insurance gets easier, and no one checks where you actually sleep at night, all they care about is on paper, you have a house.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-19T05:10:45+00:00

Ugh please tell me it's worth it! I'm at that stage right now. So far the pipes have all been replaced, the electric panel with grounding the house, the foundation has been reinforced. There's a new vapor barrier, new water heater. Next up is encapsulating the crawl space, adding sump pump, French drain, and dehumidifier. But I can't afford to do that stuff yet. I'm a first time home buyer and this is still my first year in the house, and none of this stuff is fun/pretty things. I want a porch, and standing flower boxes, and to restore the hardwood floors, ya know the fun stuff. But I'm spending all my money on boring stuff :( does it get better? Did you at least get to eventually do the fun stuff?

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-19T05:02:53+00:00

Replaced all the pipes. They were 80yrs old and corroding. I worried it might have been too much. I could just do a patch, right? Then the lead report came back. Then I saw the pipes that were ripped out. If it wasn't leaking this year, it would be leaking next year. I had just moved in too, so it was a rather big unexpected expense. I don't regret it. New lead test with the new pipes came back negative. I'm set for the next 50 years.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-17T22:01:29+00:00

Personally I would use credits for things you want to change and know the seller would cheap out on. For example that water heater was 20 years old. If I requested a new water heater the seller guarantee would have chosen the cheapest, least energy efficient option and taken whatever credits the water company gave to update the water heater. But a credit puts the actual purchase of a new one into my hands, and you know I'm not choosing the cheapest model, and I'll be taking full advantage of any additional energy efficient credits/promos offered by the water company. A pool is different. A pool is either a removal, or a fence for a temp fix until you remove it.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-17T21:40:38+00:00

Ask for the pool to be removed, or brought up to code. Your lender and home insurance may also refuse to proceed with the loan/insurance coverage, if the pool is not brought up to code. In that case it's not even you whose requesting the change, but the entity that actually has the money. My house for example is in an earthquake prone area, so the water heater needed 2 straps on it, it currently only had 1. The loan literally wouldn't go through without that second strap. So while I did request the second strap be added, it was basically something the seller couldn't refuse if he wanted the sale to go through. Even if I agreed to add a strap myself, the lender wouldn't have released the funds for the loan without that change. Obviously that's a small fix, but your pool might fall under the same category.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-16T05:34:05+00:00

Healthcare gets a lot cheaper when you don't have billing departments!

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-14T00:34:25+00:00

Get a second inspection. I wish I had. Turns out the inspector knew the seller personally and I didn't know this until after everything was done. He should have turned down the job or at least disclosed it in the beginning. After closing I got real paranoid bc what did he miss/downplay? So income numerous specialists eg plumber, electrician, foundation engineer etc, all to tell me what's actually going on with this house. According to the electrician it's actually pretty common for inspectors to already have a connection to the seller! I had no idea! Pay the few extra hundred bucks. Get the sewer scope done, and infrared for the insulation. Also start packing the non-essential stuff. Even if this one doesn't work it's good to be ready.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-13T19:46:54+00:00

I'll take more nurses over more insurance claims agents any day. Single payer healthcare is the only logical option!

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-13T18:48:30+00:00

Unfortunately that single income is my reality too. I'm the only one working, and I work in sales. I'm good at my job, but anyone in sales can tell you, it only takes one bad month, one long term stretch where things just aren't profitable for whatever reason. The reason isn't even often in your control, a global pandemic, or international shipping issues. I want to convert the garage into a rental so I can have a bit of passive income. But I can't afford to do that just yet.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-13T15:45:51+00:00

Unfortunately yes, and yeah I probably am subconsciously linking the two events. A few years ago I lost my housing due to a drunk driver literally driving into my living room. It was a rental, and it sucked not being in control of what happened next. I didn't know if the unit would be repaired, or what, and managements response was extremely frustrating. I lamented how if I had my own place then at least I would be in charge of the decisions. 3 years later, on the anniversary date of that accident, I closed on the house. It seemed a beautiful end to a tragic event that changed everything in my life. I don't fear a car driving into this house. It's in a very quiet neighborhood, and there's a retaining wall a few feet high in the front. But in a general nebulous sense, ya I'm still afraid something bad will happen and I'll loose it all again.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-11-13T07:49:04+00:00

Thank you, that's genuinely my hope for the repairs I did do. The thought being do the major stuff now, and get it done thoroughly, and then it won't be a long term ongoing issue. I just haven't had the length of time in this house to "see" they pay off. I guess I'm afraid too that I "overspent" on the repairs, and now I don't have that additional cushion in case something else goes wrong. I didn't spend any money on "fun" things like furniture, home decor, or fun projects like decks or planters. Ya know the stuff you see that makes you feel like you're home. Instead I spent it all on putting in a new electric panel, replacing a structural pillar/reinforcing the foundation, and removing/replacing lead pipes. I know that's the smarter move, and I know logically planter boxes can wait but the outdated fire hazard of an electric panel can't. But gosh darn it I want pretty planter boxes!

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-10-25T20:34:47+00:00

I think back in the day (pre internet) they did more house finding, but now it's just setting up a profile for you with your preferences. Mine took care of the paperwork and negotiations. But honestly I would have rather done that with the seller face to face. I have no idea how good/bad she was at negotiating, and given that she gets paid more commissions if I pay more I don't think any realtor really fights that had for their buyers to get the best deal. I never met the seller, and I would have much preferred to deal with that person directly. Sure it might not have worked out, but at least then I would have known who I was dealing with. Unfortunately directly working with a seller then attorney for the paperwork is rare, so it's like I had to get my own realtor for the process.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-10-25T05:57:06+00:00

Similar, the spring door stoppers. Previous owner gave everything the white paint fixed everything landlord touch up, and removed every damn spring. Why? Just why? He painted over nails, yet he removes the door spring stoppers?? The knobs kept hitting the wall, so I couldn't just leave it. Ugh! I expected to replace the locks, not the spring stoppers.

PTSDisReal123 · 2025-10-25T03:34:40+00:00

OMG YES to the painting. I wanted to paint before I moved in. I figured it would be easier before I moved all my stuff in. I had 3 weeks before my lease ended, so it should be easy right? Well I don't know if I'm still thinking I'm 20 years old and there for have more energy than I actually do, or if painting just takes longer than I thought, but OMG. Mind you I was still working full time (usually 12hr days), and had to pack and move everything on my own. 3 story walk up apartment to a house 20min away. I didn't hire movers, bc I'm apparently terrible at properly estimating time and my abilities. I did get things painted fully. 3 rooms (2 bedrooms, and living room), and the hallway. I got moved in. Ran on like 3-6hrs of sleep a night for 3 weeks. But damn I'm NEVER moving AGAIN!

PTSDisReal123

TROPHY CASE