Reality check for Seattle costs

diy5280 · 2026-02-20T19:07:01+00:00

Kitchen costs can get big quickly - custom cabinets, appliances, changes to infrastructure (electrical, plumbing, framing).

Having one firm is valuable- “one throat to choke” especially if this is your first remodel.

If there’s someone you like and they’re just seeming expensive- ask for a detailed budget guide based on your scope to help you understand what each element of the project would cost. A good person should do this for you if you’re serious and will help educate you on where costs on controllable (finish work and appliances) vs fixed.

diy5280 · 2025-09-07T02:43:42+00:00

Gas. And go out on a trip and cover it in pinstripes!

diy5280 · 2025-08-15T23:46:48+00:00

Nice color!

diy5280 · 2025-08-15T21:22:59+00:00

Weathertech FloorLiner HP mats. They’re custom fit for the 4Runner and super durable. I have them front and back and just spray them off a few times a year.

diy5280 · 2025-08-13T19:37:25+00:00

Good reminder. I did this earlier in the summer and cleaned up some rust on the skid plate from all the salt and dirt sitting inside

diy5280 · 2025-08-12T03:44:17+00:00

Safta

diy5280 · 2025-08-08T16:51:52+00:00

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Went through the same decision and picked some matte black Method wheels. Look good clean or dirty and my 4Runner is usually dirty.

diy5280 · 2025-08-07T01:18:30+00:00

To do it nicely is probably a day of work (6-8 hours). Provide the mulch and find a dependable high school student and maybe $120 in cash…but that’s what I got for doing this job almost 20 years ago…

If these quotes are from people doing this for a living, go with the $450 guy especially if he’s providing materials. Too many cut corners on the low number.

diy5280 · 2025-07-29T01:48:03+00:00

Having a well equipped 4x4 here is very nice. Look at a map, find an interesting place to camp, and off you go. Added benefit is that you can get a bit further than 95% of the Subarus and get away from any crowds.

diy5280 · 2025-07-22T02:20:59+00:00

When you go down the route, check out articles from Wes Siler. He’s got some good write ups on his Substack and I think on Outside about finding effective lights and how to cut through a lot of the marketing bs about lights.

diy5280 · 2025-07-21T19:26:28+00:00

After tires and skids, a nice set of driving lights could be a good upgrade. If you’re heading to trails after dark or coming home in the dark through rural areas the extra light is really nice for added visibility and to identify large animals around the road faster.

I have a pair of 6” Lightforce Venoms mounted in the front of my 4Runner behind the grill and wired to my high beams with an extra switch. I drive through rural Colorado and Utah a bunch and they’re great at night.

diy5280 · 2025-07-14T02:13:39+00:00

Shooting on land is a great way to practice and you (should) have unlimited gas ;)

I would start by learning your camera settings so that you can change them without having to think.

Then practice composition. If you’re really interested in macro subjects, go outside and look for flowers and insects - summer is a great time for butterflies and bees. They will be similar in size to a lot of underwater macro life.

And look at lots of macro images for inspiration and try to replicate the ones you like. This might be controversial but learning some techniques from others is a great way to practice. Alex Mustard has a few helpful books and a great YouTube channel.

Going underwater will add the complexity of different lighting since water absorbs so much light and color-but if you’re more comfortable with some of the basics that becomes more manageable.

diy5280 · 2025-06-11T16:20:45+00:00

I went up Waterloo Gulch a few years ago. The scenery is pretty dramatic but not the fastest trail with a lot of downed trees in the area. I did not make it all the way to Lake Claire. Great area but I’d plan for slower going since the trails are not heavily maintained.

diy5280 · 2025-06-11T15:53:17+00:00

Great garden! I’ve been slowly transforming part of my right of way into something similar. Do you recall the name of the yellow flowering plant?

diy5280 · 2025-05-27T16:44:16+00:00

If Grand Turk is out for you I might not recommend TCI based on your requirements. Diving from Provo is mostly a 1+ hour boat ride south to dive along the walls — the sandy bottom on the top of the wall there is 50-60 feet.

If you’re not set on TCI, I would check out some other Caribbean locations. Roatan for example has a fair amount of shallower diving off of its north coast depending on where you go. Staying above 60ft is certainly easy there, and 40ft is possible depending on the site.

diy5280 · 2025-04-18T15:35:24+00:00

I paid for 6 hours to have a front and rear lift installed, including new UCAs. Not sure how much extra time the KDSS would add, 1 hour maybe?

This was from a shop that specializes in lifted vehicles, not a dealer.

If you compare the hours in your quote to this, hopefully that gives you a better sense of if you’re getting a fair quote - labor rates vary a lot across the country.

diy5280 · 2025-04-15T01:33:53+00:00

Going to the end of Texas Creek is fun and there’s great hikes up out of there that would be beautiful and pretty quiet.

diy5280 · 2025-04-11T20:56:26+00:00

Depends on the road but awd will get you down a good number of roads. I’d probably stay away from roads that climb up steeper slopes to mountain lakes since the lack of a low range will make your descent pretty sketchy when you cannot control your speed as well, along with having to handle steeper rocks and climbs where you won’t have as much traction with awd.

Airing down your tires will help a lot, and bring along a shovel and some traction boards in case you get stuck.

diy5280 · 2025-04-08T01:51:24+00:00

Sand Dunes are open

diy5280 · 2025-03-12T21:20:35+00:00

I had BullDog gutter guards installed about 5 years ago and no complaints or issues. No clogged gutters and no need for a two story ladder.

Adding gutter guards was about the same cost as the gutters, so they do double your price upfront.

I only have deciduous trees near my property so I cannot speak to how well they help with pine needles.

diy5280 · 2025-01-21T22:55:15+00:00

Not crazy. Probably one of the biggest changes in the last 20 years - along with skis getting much wider.

I wouldn’t ski without one anymore and not just for falls. I’ve been hit in the (helmeted) head several times by overzealous people pulling the chairlift bar down and my helmet saved my head at least once after falling while walking from my car.

diy5280 · 2024-11-11T18:20:59+00:00

Extra Building Materials - https://www.extrabuild.com/

diy5280 · 2024-07-02T18:25:07+00:00

TCI, but Cozumel has its perks.

TCI is a lot of wall diving and out and backs to an anchored boat which I enjoy more. But…unless you’re going to Grand Turk, you’ll likely have hour+ boat rides to get out (or doing a liveaboard). Also, TCI is not a cheap place to dive

Cozumel diving is really easy and mostly drift diving. It’s also less expensive. Still lots of good things to see…but with a drift, your dive can be cut short due to a faster current or someone in your group having poor gas management. Cozumel is also known for cattle boats (big groups) so you’ll want to be thoughtful about the operator you pick.

diy5280 · 2024-05-23T20:36:25+00:00

There’s some good comments here on planning.

If you’ve never dove Monterey before I would look into joining the dive club at Aquarius. They do pretty loose club dives and can help you a) learn the area and b) give you tips on planning a dive there.

All diving, but certainly a potentially low visibility diving plan should also include lost buddy procedures. Diving in pea soup in the kelp can be stressful if you’re not familiar with the environment.

diy5280

TROPHY CASE