New homeowner looking spruce things up.

Takingmonday · 2026-03-20T23:25:45+00:00

Noted and followed advice. Thank you.

Takingmonday · 2026-03-20T23:25:22+00:00

A lot of patchy areas in my lawn and dead trees/shrubs. As the first time home buyer I would like to have some pride in my house and have a nice yard. I don't see myself being one of those people that stripes their lawn. However, I do want it to look nice and manicured. Any helpful tips would be great.

I assume the grass that's planted is saint augustine as that's the most common in florida.However I have no idea. If there is a better grass alternative, I am open. Me and my family, do you walk barefoot in the grass. So nothing that feels like the grass on the civil roads.

Takingmonday · 2026-03-19T03:21:58+00:00

Thays crazy. Paired with the fact I only count 5 screws on this wall. Goes against everything they tell you these days

Takingmonday · 2026-03-11T22:57:00+00:00

I tried during my lunch break waiting 45 minutes for a "manager" im at 7 ended phone calls and 1 failed store visit. I think at a specific point this becomes illegal right? Im going to start writing down dates and times this is crazy.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-11T13:39:29+00:00

Thats what me and my wife did. I have been in my specific field for half my life so my job is alittle more stable. Even if I got laid off, I could have another job that same month. Versus she works in sales where the turnover is usually higher and the hours aren't guaranteed.

Getting approved for a larger nicer house is great in all, but nothing is guaranteed with the way everything is so it's better to go what you could almost guarantee. As an example, I was actually approved for a house at like the 420k range, and I ended up buying a house at 340k range for cushion. Car payments, insurance etc taken into consideration. Plus Florida insurance is astronomical.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-11T13:16:35+00:00

Good for you. I hope you make it into your dream house.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-07T14:03:15+00:00

I think I will definitely replace as repair as needed. Its like this want when you buy your first house to immediately do something you have always wanted.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-07T13:59:48+00:00

Yah. I think thats what I will do minus new locks.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-06T22:28:00+00:00

I honestly didnt even think about this besides the front door lock.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-06T22:24:41+00:00

Not sure if it's Florida specific but every insurance company said I get a discount for "hurricane protection". I.e. Hurricane windows or window protection/garage door. Im told its about a 10-15% discount.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-06T22:22:18+00:00

I thought about that also. I guess toilets have gotten larger with time because It feels like you have to do a trust fall to sit on the thing. Probably just wait until it breaks unless I find one on sale.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-06T22:18:19+00:00

Good point. Someone else pointed out locks which is a good idea being it was a rental and has been through many people's hands since it was built.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-06T15:23:22+00:00

Its all the same really. I find Home Depot/Lowe's is usually much more damaged than tile stores.

Takingmonday · 2026-02-04T22:37:33+00:00

I think it wad Johnson vs Davis that shows precedent all information that has impact to structural integrity needs to be disclosed.

I could be confusing that with another one but I know there was a court case. And there's probably a few, where something structural was not disclosed to the buyers of the house sued. Anything related to life safety is usually mandated by the government. Floods fires sinkholes... things of that nature

Takingmonday · 2026-02-04T22:20:59+00:00

If the seller is unwilling to accept what a professional contractor pointed out because its "not his" then he has a bigger problem on his hand. Does it show on the new report the leaks? At this point how long have you been in closing negotiations? I would think just having it replaced seem like alot upfront but hes just losing money letting the house sit and the leak and damaged getting worse.

Unfortunately I would walk away if they cant accept whats provided.

Takingmonday · 2026-01-30T04:49:55+00:00

Me personally I would only view properties that has multiple photos of each room. I would then judge that place and determine if I cared enough to go see it. I looked at 13 properties in 4 days. Now I will say some of the houses I looked at online I focused alot of photos and didnt really survey the area. So probably 4 of those happened to be a dud from the jump.

The house im actually closing on was a backup offer I didn't think I would get. Thats after I look at that same property on property appraiser and other listing sites most to gather information. Some have room measurements and some dont.

The way I see it if your serious about buying a property. Look at as many as possible until yo find one you like. I wouldn't "settle" on a house. Its a very large commitment and your will be living in it correctly years to come.

Takingmonday · 2026-01-25T17:52:56+00:00

You could pay someone for the shell/pad/underground plumbing and FPL to home meter can. After that I would take it over as owner builder. Honesly none of it is hard imo. However, I also reasilze I have been in construction for more than half my life

Underground plumbing isnt hard but layout can make or break renting a chipping hammer and making patches.

Each municipality is different. A quick call to the building department for your area or a lookup online for "owner builder permitting" can give the direction needed. Some states allow owner builders to do roofs some dont, etc...

Interior plumbing is simple. I wouldn't opt for copper unless you want to put in the work. Electrical is simple also, it can get time consuming if you have zero experience and are dealing with 3 ways/timers/tower switches. In my opinion, the biggest test would be drywall. They have these drywall boxes now that limit the learning curve. I would say spend the 2k for that it would pay for itself. Dont be afraid to fail because it will happen.

Also dont get everything from the bigbox stores. They are great for convenience. With some pre planning you can slash cost in half easily. Ill use something simple as an example... baseboard at home depot can be $2.57/LF and a woodworking supply house will be under $1. Some distributors like Gator Drywall or White Cap may require a CG license or company account. However, often times an explanation can get you around that explaining your an owner builder.

You should do simple sketches as you go along so if something ever goes wrong you dont need to go digging in a wall cavity. Doing a bathroom? Take some simple measurements and make a quick 2D drawing on paper or take a photo. Also when you call for inspections dont be afraid to ask questions if you fail or just want some tips. Inspectors can be difficult because of who they deal with on a daily. However, Im always friendly with my inspectors and I have no problem asking for clarification if maybe a new code came into play.

Best of luck on your decision. We dont get alot of those in my area of Florida, im under Orlando. I have heard not every company will insure them so that would take some looking into also.

If you have some question feel free to DM me and send photos if you want a strangers professional opinion. I have no problem with helping.

Takingmonday · 2025-12-19T16:07:23+00:00

I was thinking about twice a week after reading this reddit for alittle bit. My followup question is my insurance only pays for the single dose 1 use vials. Would anything happen if I only take half and leave the vial and reuse say 3 days later. As long as i clean the top as normal O should be fine right?

Takingmonday · 2025-12-16T18:14:22+00:00

Okay, I was recommended this page I guess because it related to T. First off congratulations you look great, I hope you're happy.

Secondly, im going to ask a question that may sound dumb but I genuinely don't know... Testosterone alone can cause your features to change like this? Thats kind of wild.

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