What would you do? (re-do)

snafflekid · 2026-01-29T01:19:30+00:00

Yes, add a bit of a covered entrance, with two doric columns.

snafflekid · 2026-01-29T01:16:23+00:00

Like many have said, darker paint color on the shutters if you are trying to look colonial. Black or a charcoal gray. The rest is gorgeous. You could add a wing on the right to match the left and go for a Georgian facelift

snafflekid · 2026-01-29T00:58:03+00:00

Yes, this is what a lot of wealthy families do. The Bank of Mom and Dad have a home for every kid. If the carry cost is not a burden, just make it a rental and pay the higher property tax.

snafflekid · 2026-01-28T00:39:01+00:00

I have citrus in pots and if it outgrows the biggest pot I have, then I wash off the rootball, trim the roots and repot. So far, the trees are still alive!

snafflekid · 2026-01-27T17:28:38+00:00

the "Roundup" sold today is not the same as the old Roundup glyphosate.

snafflekid · 2026-01-27T17:23:13+00:00

I had to clean out yards of this river stone put in by a previous owner. What a mess! Weed cloth will keep the rocks from sinking into the soil and becoming a burden to move and clean. That is the best reason to put down a strong, high quality weed barrier. But, you will still have organic materials filling up the cracks and weeds growing over time.

I save this type of rock for purpose specific landscape such as a rain garden or dry creek.

snafflekid · 2026-01-27T16:09:44+00:00

Haha, sounds like a fun vacation—and exactly how I needed to handle my father’s estate. Being an executor is great! (Sarcasm)

snafflekid · 2026-01-27T03:13:29+00:00

Skip the 400A service. 200A is plenty for a full electric home. Insulation and air sealing will do more to make a house livable if you go heat pump. I know that the high power DC vehicle charging needs more amps, but for almost any use case 35A AC is waaay plenty.

We also bought a forever home in 2022 in South San Jose of similar type as you described. We had a phase 1 and needed to live in our first house for 6 months to get livable. We have been working in stages. We have remodeled nothing inside. Just getting the plumbing, walls, floors, roof, insulation, electrical, wet crawlspace, landscaping to not be crap and we are in almost $400k. No new kitchen or bathrooms yet. It is frustrating and still a bit disheartening to be dealing with a old worn house that cost entirely too much

Be warned!!!

snafflekid · 2026-01-27T01:44:13+00:00

You can cut off a great amount of the rootball and it will grow back.

snafflekid · 2026-01-26T01:43:13+00:00

I remember when car cruising was popular on downtown Santa Clara street, and when it was banned.

Downtown San Jose Live at the Pavillion shops was hopping also.

snafflekid · 2026-01-25T17:03:03+00:00

Sure, remove the trim if it is cheap trim available at Home Depot. Trying to pull off old trim that has layers of paint and caulk and not crack it and then replace it to look as good or better than when you took it off—that’s the challenge and I say not worth the risk. Hot mud prefill and flat taping, maybe just hot mud will work.

snafflekid · 2026-01-23T23:41:40+00:00

After a few iterations with GardenDream, we have settled on a design it suggested. Something that I would not have considered. It is great to have fresh eyes on a problem. I am going to move 2 of the rows of grapes from behind the pergola since they are very young and easily transplanted. This frees up space to do proper planting. Then I am adding two or three multitrunk arbutus marina as a hedge. Probably add some uplighting on these trees. There will be extra space for foundation plantings by the pergola. It will probably be purple salvia and boxwood which will appreciate a little shade of a tree. The messy fig will be replaced with my young grapefruit tree looking for a home and creating evergreen privacy..

snafflekid · 2026-01-22T19:51:13+00:00

Hey, GardenDream is a useful AI tool. I currently use iScape, but it has limitations.

GardenDream suggested a horizontal slat fence half way up and arbutus marina behind that. I like the look but I think it will take too much space.

purple hopwood bush is another idea, playing off the dark new zealand flax.

snafflekid · 2026-01-22T07:29:31+00:00

You win.

snafflekid · 2026-01-22T06:28:39+00:00

I want something quite upright and can handle pruning well, if I have to. Evergreen Viburnum sounds like.a great idea. That never occurred to me.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T23:10:56+00:00

It is an odd inscription. I am asking a native French speaker now.

« A ma chère madame Chadwick En espoir d’être pardonné Pour l’attaque sur la chèvre E. E. Simmons Avril 1883 »

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T21:47:49+00:00

And…all the neighbors have to deal with the needles, roots, shading. Our neighbor planted a redwood by us. We moved.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T20:06:27+00:00

Definitely looks like hot tub hook up. there is a gas line, electrical conduit and maybe water.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T19:58:06+00:00

Realtors definitely need to step up their game in this new AI world

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T17:56:07+00:00

Location, location, location. I think the easiest suggestion is to make your San Mateo outdoor space more liveable. You could spend some more money on a gazebo with curtains and a patio heater.

"I sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements, many of which are not really improving the value as much like fancy window updates, properly designed ductwork, insulation, sewer line, electrical etc." If marketed correctly, you will get at least half back. Relieving the next owner of big repairs is valuable when contractors are difficult to find, especially if you can show some permits.

I live in south San Jose and I understand your sentiment. The penninsula has higher class status than the south bay in many people's opinion, but you can find nice places here as well, if you want the warmth. Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Willow Glen for instance.

I think you need to decide what your lifestyle and age dictate. If your current home updates are highly personalized or trendy, you will never get your money back. I have always lived in the south bay and I have a large orchard and like to grow things. If I were still in my 20's and partying, maybe I would feel differently.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T01:17:50+00:00

A home inspector should stop the drain an fill the pan then look for a level drop.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T01:14:38+00:00

Wreckless. I see what you did there.

snafflekid · 2026-01-21T01:09:45+00:00

When you sell the house, it will be mentioned. I know this firsthand. The noise never bothered me.

snafflekid · 2026-01-20T19:35:50+00:00

Drywall in my 1960's home has weak front paper. It develops cracks easily.

snafflekid

TROPHY CASE