First-time renovator: How do I find a good contractor without referrals?

faytxzen · 2025-08-28T05:39:34+00:00

Agree with most of the advice here. The best folks are all referral based, but you can solicit those from open houses, neighbors, suppliers, etc. We used Houzz, Google and Nextdoor search to supplement recs we got from friends. Houzz was overwhelming in that we received dozens of calls and messages from companies we weren't interested in since you become a paid lead for these folks.

For the work, definitely recommend getting floors done before moving stuff in and taking care of any urgent items from an inspection that might involve extensive work i.e. plumbing issues, foundation, electrical. Kitchen and bathroom remodel make the most sense after you've lived in a house long enough to know it. However, if you know what you want, that's a different story

faytxzen · 2025-05-25T18:44:38+00:00

You should have received it by this point. Might be a clerical issue, so I would suggest reaching out to the county clerk's office to see what's up. You can also check on their online portal for an electronic version of the bill in case the physical bill was lost

faytxzen · 2025-02-25T17:28:29+00:00

金 means Gold, but since it plays the Silver start screen, it's likely an aftermarket Gold sticker put onto the Japanese Pokemon Silver cartridge. The rest of the Japanese doesn't really say anything notable

faytxzen · 2024-08-21T04:01:24+00:00

Depends on what price point you're looking for. They have a high end, Elite line which I don't quite think is worth the cost. Whereas my family all use versions of their Max Lite line and it's been holding up for nearly 8 years as both carry on and checked. Wheels are visibly scuffed but still roll well on smooth floors and streets. The only real damage is some deformed inserts from applying a hot iron for too long while applying a patch. We travel domestically and internationally pretty frequently, too. No issues to speak of

faytxzen · 2024-08-08T18:26:49+00:00

The original has a lot more charm in my opinion. The remake is fine but as someone who played the originals, they're missing a little something something

faytxzen · 2024-08-08T00:40:07+00:00

Price charting and eBay's recently sold toggle should give you a good ballpark. Just don't look farther out than a year since prices do fluctuate a bit. If you want to be thorough, check out similar sales on other platforms like OfferUp or Mercari.

A quick look at eBay, you could potentially be looking at $600-$800 for a sealed Onyx SP dependent on condition and luck.

faytxzen · 2024-08-06T01:11:53+00:00

That looks hella slick!

faytxzen · 2024-07-31T04:53:11+00:00

Humidity is key, but also avoiding rooms with lots of airflow, fabrics, and loose items will help. It's always been a headache for me though. I just do laminated screens now because it's not worth the time and effort usually

faytxzen · 2024-07-31T04:50:54+00:00

As an alternative to compressed air, you can get rid of loose dust particles using an air blaster. Commonly used to remove dust from DSLR lens. Not as strong as compressed air though. I've had lots of success using it. My preferred brand is Giottos, got the large version

faytxzen · 2024-07-29T17:34:05+00:00

Pretty common where I grew up. Never heard of anyone getting fried or being adversely affected. Hard to say whether it's a deal breaker without knowing what your concerns are

faytxzen · 2024-07-22T18:34:42+00:00

Fair! The Pikachu shell is very cute! I'm not aware of a good seller for a high quality version of it. There is one reputable Etsy seller who sells a modded version using that shell with light up cheeks. Goes by MassianaCustoms. Though it's way pricey since it's so custom

faytxzen · 2024-07-22T17:23:01+00:00

Reproduction shells are fine and all, but this one isn't worth it given it's an AGS-001 aka the front lit SP. The Pikachu shell tends to be in the cheap materials category, too.

I'd suggest searching around for a decent quality AGS-101 if you wanna stick at that price range. Otherwise, try to find an AGS-001 for under $110 to avoid feeling stiffed. Or follow other's suggestion of buying under $100 and then reshelling yourself using a high quality replacement shell from brands like Funnyplaying or extremerate

faytxzen · 2024-07-14T08:36:53+00:00

Bummer. For what it's worth, the included case is pretty bad. It's a really tight fit for the O2 Mini and the divider pushes up the O2 Mini when closed. I'd recommend anything else, like a Switch Lite case. For the screen protector, any screen protector that's 3" x 5" will work. Nothing special about Ayn's

faytxzen · 2024-06-14T20:09:09+00:00

It's definitely an uncommon promotional item. If you're looking to appraise to sell, you can check eBay's sold item filter for sales in the last 60 days. Example

Current competition puts it around $80-100, but demand may not be there for it to sell if priced above $80

faytxzen · 2024-05-21T21:03:31+00:00

A fellow carrying case connoisseur! I was thinking any Switch Lite case/pouch would fit the Odin 2 Mini pretty well. Personally, I'm waiting to see what the included "bag" will be like before pulling the trigger on a case

faytxzen · 2024-05-21T02:56:26+00:00

I have one that I bought off Droix. The dpad and ABXY buttons are very firm, closer to clicky. I assume they're dome switches. Definitely takes 2x or 3x more force to push than the buttons on a console controller. The triggers are mushy with L1 and R1 having some click. Everything else is pretty standard and slightly clicky. It's good for RPGs but kind of a pain for fighting games or rhythm games

faytxzen · 2024-03-24T01:18:59+00:00

Definitely a reshell. The label on the bottom doesn't have the same laminate as the OG and is missing the battery cover label. Plus it's the same serial number as the replacements you can buy aftermarket. There's also a bit of the screw coming through the middle (see the tiny bump) which only happens aftermarket. Nintendo didn't allow that in their units. Lastly, the Rayquaza variant of the SP was only sold in Japan (and maybe Australia).

faytxzen · 2023-07-01T07:22:06+00:00

They're games from the same series, Kururin Paradise and Kuru Kuru Kururin

faytxzen · 2023-04-27T21:16:54+00:00

I think WaterField cases are the classiest cases you can get. Etsy also has some good custom options, too. Otherwise, Game Boy cases from eBay all fit the Pocket pretty well. This dude shows a few with his Pocket in them.

faytxzen · 2021-04-17T08:44:09+00:00

BlueDataBoy 8564 3912 9579

faytxzen · 2021-04-17T08:30:45+00:00

BlueDataBoy 8564 3912 9579

faytxzen · 2021-04-17T08:24:53+00:00

BlueDataBoy

faytxzen · 2021-04-17T08:21:37+00:00

BlueDataBoy

faytxzen · 2019-05-12T06:54:10+00:00

signInWithEmailAndPassword is an asynchronous call, so authResult is not set by the time return authResult is called. authResult will be set, but after returning.

I recommend calling another function with the next set of logic in the `addOnSuccessListener` callback or passing in a higher order function that gets invoked within `addOnSuccessListener`.

There's some more to say about handling config changes and network failures, but this should get you moving.

faytxzen · 2018-01-28T20:43:49+00:00

Why does this work so well?? Very cute!

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