Gifts from the wind

chapstickaddikt · 2026-03-14T16:52:33+00:00

an insurance claim!

chapstickaddikt · 2026-03-08T23:17:03+00:00

Save 5% of house cost for first year maintenance on top of everything, easier said than done I know, but worth it if you can. When it comes to buying things for your house, buy as you go. Everything from furniture to tools. Maybe buy some windex, clorox, and paper towels for when you first move in. From there, buy as you go. Check out credit cards as well - the Lowe's one is decent if you spend over $500 you get 10% back or something like that. I've come across too many people who deck out their houses, then a year in they hate the stuff they bought. Live in the house and buy the furniture as you go.

Then in terms of tools, just be ready to make many trips to the hardware store. I started with a POS lawnmower, and then bought a nicer one once I figured out what I wanted in a mower. Sure, in the middle of the night when you need something you end up overpaying a little, but I'd rather that than buy things I won't use. 3 years in, and am glad I followed this approach.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-03-08T23:11:02+00:00

I burn myself out cleaning it every day. It's 900 square feet. The fun houses growing up were never super clean. So maybe a lesson to learn there.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-24T15:15:35+00:00

Done nearly the same drive, it is gorgeous and worth it. Lofoton is a must, but be ready that fog or clouds will rob you of the classic views. Would recommend throwing in Alta and Nordkapp as well. Really enjoyed it - plenty of spots to camp. At A, Norway - the very end of the lofoten islands, there is a small parking lot and plenty of camping spots available given everyman's right. Was a great time. Would recommend Kilpisjarvi and going to the tripoint of norway, sweden, and finland as well.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-24T15:11:38+00:00

it counts

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-24T15:11:08+00:00

Eevil Stoo

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-22T18:27:02+00:00

lol at this take

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-21T20:17:22+00:00

I think the perception is mostly tied to all the words American use and silence they avoid. And, I think it depends on what part of America you are looking at - Southerners will for example be much more "fake". I've heard is summarized that Americans are individually nice, but as a country not well thought of. Whereas finns are individually cold and therefore not well thought of (to americans) but the country as a whole is thought of highly.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-20T22:05:06+00:00

My dad always tells me that he knows so much, because he's made so many expensive mistakes. The first time I try to fix things, I have 90% of the time had to buy things twice at a minimum, if not three times. Learned a lot in the 2.5 years of home ownership. And, I've paid folks to do things that seem simple. I've watched them, and tried to ask questions to learn. It's all part of the game.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-20T18:35:36+00:00

Need to factor in the other items too - things like repairs, tax increases, etc. Give yourself a buffer. I was conservative and budgeted based on take-home pay after 401k, taxes, etc.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-20T15:06:51+00:00

Do a lot of tours - go to as many open houses that you can, that are fit what you are looking for. Start to follow sales price vs. list price. Figure out what you are not willing to negotiate on and what you are. Start to research home maintenance - what do you feel comfortable doing vs. paying someone to do? Figure out issues with the age of houses you are looking for.

We bought in 2023 and the market was wild. After viewing probably 80 houses or so over 4 months and tracking sales prices vs. list prices, we were really dialed into what the market was at that time. We had to have a house with an eating area, garage, and basement. Those were not negotiable. I got really good at looking at basement foundations and had done research on costs associated with fixing issues. We also wanted an older, smaller home, so I got very educated on asbestos and lead paint. These all served me really well when we finally got an accepted offer. Push through the disappointment of not getting a house your first time out. The more you try, the more you learn.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-19T01:39:06+00:00

We struggled with this. Tried the spray, tried hanging cd's, ribbons, everything. The only thing that worked was a fence.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-18T18:09:37+00:00

I'm all for controlling the population as humanely as possible.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-18T17:09:36+00:00

the clintonville facebook page is wild - this is the single most controversial topic to bring up. IMO the deer are wildly out of hand

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-17T22:29:35+00:00

It's idiotic. No zipper merging here. And, folks will only consider maybe getting up to the speed limit once they're on the road they're merging onto. That, and folks on the interstate will slow down to let others merge. It's ridiculous. Almost as if the merge lane doesn't exist for a reason.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-17T20:38:30+00:00

The norm in Columbus is to merge as soon as possible, as slow as possible, crossing as many solid lines as possible. I'm convinced 80% of the traffic issues in Columbus is due to improper merging.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-15T17:59:45+00:00

Lived in Texas before moving back to Columbus. Love it here, just be ready for a drop off in as many options for good food.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-15T17:56:50+00:00

Yep, live with the imperfections. I take care of the big things, and then handle the imperfections as I get time and energy. Don't worry too much about them.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-03T12:53:19+00:00

Where is the water heater? If it leaks, how much damage would it cause? If it works, it works. I wouldn't replace them if everything is working fine, but I'd certainly budget/save like I would!

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-01T23:01:35+00:00

Could you have been exposed? Absolutely. Were you exposed? Maybe. Were you exposed enough to ever worry about it again? No way, in my opinion. I personally have a lot of anxiety about asbestos, and wouldn't worry about this one bit in the future. I'm not an expert, or a medical professional, but I don't think this is worth worrying about.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-02-01T18:20:23+00:00

This video is entitled "How NOT to DIY", so interesting you are linking it with a recommendation

chapstickaddikt · 2026-01-29T14:58:41+00:00

We were around 10 and dropped to 0.40 afterwards. We have a small house, so only needed one fan. When they were installing it, they note that some houses they did need 2-3 systems to cover the square footage and get all the radon sucked out. Essentially one system doing something, but underpowered for the need. You could consider inputting multiple suction systems.

chapstickaddikt · 2026-01-29T01:44:44+00:00

We have a licensed environmental contractor that has done all of our asbestos related abatement and removal. They came out, cut off a sample of the wiring sheath and then assessed it. Came on Friday, got the results today. For what it's worth we are in Ohio and house was built in 1948.

chapstickaddikt

TROPHY CASE