FlipperToolbox

Hey everyone! So, I’ve got this split level house with two toilets, one on each floor. And wouldn’t you know it, both of them decided to stop flushing properly around the same time. It’s like they’re in cahoots or something! My DIY plumbing experience is pretty limited – mostly just swapping out a flapper here and there. I did recently replace the fill valve on the upstairs toilet, but the problem started soon after.

Now, when I flush either toilet, they don’t fully empty and do that satisfying whooshing and suction thing that clears everything out. Sure, the waste eventually goes away after some extra flushing, but the bowl never quite empties out. I’ve tried tweaking the water fill level, adjusting the chain length on the flapper, and even poured vinegar down the overflow to clear out any gunk in those tiny water jets along the rim.

I’ve gone full-on detective mode, using a scrubber brush and a paper clip on the rim jets, snaking and plunging each toilet – but nothing seems to be working. I even did the good ol’ bucket test, which surprisingly showed that both toilets flushed normally that way. Just today, I took off the bottom toilet to inspect it, and everything looked clean. I ran a 25ft auger down the floor flange, but no resistance or gunk there either.

I poured a bucket of water down the floor hole and had my son flush the top toilet to check for backups – all clear. So, my last hunch is that maybe the venting is blocked somehow. I haven’t heard any gurgling from sinks or tubs, but my two-story house makes it tricky for me to check the venting on the roof. Heights and I aren’t the best of friends, you know?

My father-in-law mentioned something about an outside cleanout, but I’ve never noticed one in the ten years I’ve lived here. Plus, there are no trees around to blame tree roots for the issue. So, I’m kind of at a loss here. Should I keep trying DIY fixes, or is it time to bite the bullet and call in a plumber? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, folks.

So, I moved into this place, right? And like six months later, I notice this weird brown stain under the roof that’s trickling down to a window below. At first, I just assumed it was raindrops bouncing off the roof and onto the wall, especially with that whole roof edge overlapping situation going on. So, I cleaned it up, thinking that was the end of it. But lo and behold, six months later, that pesky stain is back! This time, though, I took a closer look, and let me tell you, some strange stuff is going down.

There’s this brown, oil-like smudge on the edge of the roof right by the house wall, and down below, near this small gap, it seems like liquid is oozing out from there too. What the heck, right? Inside the house, everything seems normal. I even knocked on the wall, and it sounded pretty solid. But here’s the kicker: the attic part above that area is so low at the roof edge that I can’t see or reach anything up there. Talk about frustrating!

I’m scratching my head over this mystery. What could be causing this strange brown smudge and liquid seepage? I’m starting to think I might have to bust a hole from the outside just to get a better look at what’s going on up there. Have any of you experienced something like this before? If you have any ideas or suggestions, please send them my way before I go all DIY on this situation!

Hey, so we’re thinking about selling our home that was a real fixer-upper when we bought it for $150k. We still owe $120k on it, but the estimated value now is around $220k. We were planning to do a few updates before selling, like replacing our ancient metal-framed windows that are falling apart and super inefficient. The front and back doors are also in rough shape, with wonky frames and gaps, so they needed replacing too.

One thing on our list was adding a backsplash in the kitchen to give it a more finished look. And then there’s the entryway accent wall we wanted to put up to cover the burnt siding from when the previous owners used to grill on the porch. We figured it would be a simpler fix than redoing the whole house’s siding.

We got some advice from a realtor who basically said, “Don’t bother with those updates, let the next owner deal with it.” They thought the return on investment wouldn’t be worth the money we put into those fixes. But we felt like these updates were pretty important to make the house look its best before selling.

We asked for opinions from others, and it seems like people are divided on what we should do. Some say go for it and others agree with the realtor’s advice. Our house has come a long way since we first bought it, and most things are looking good and functioning well now. We only have one bathroom left to renovate for cosmetic purposes, but overall, the house is safe and livable.

I plan to tackle most of the repairs myself, but for the accent wall and window replacements, we’ll hire someone else. Despite the differing opinions, we’re still not sure what to do. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, we’d love to hear them!

So, my fiancé and I are in the middle of a house shuffle – selling our current place and hunting for a new one. The catch? We need the cash from our sale to cover the closing costs on the new pad. We thought about diving into HELOCs and bridge loans, but it just wasn’t the smartest move for us financially. We toyed with the idea of linking the sale and purchase together, but that was messing with our offers. So, we made the call to sell first to avoid that pesky contingency.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit wild. Renting seemed like an option, but in our neck of the woods, it’s a pricey and tricky ordeal, especially with our two cats and two huge dogs. After some brainstorming, we landed on crashing with my folks for a bit. They’re sweet enough to clear out my old digs, and we’ll park our stuff in storage until we snag our next spot.

I can’t help but wonder – has anyone else been down this road? Any regrets taking this leap? I’m torn between feeling super grateful for my parents’ support – it’s a money-saver and solves our pet problems – and bracing myself for the upcoming living situation. The house is already packed with three adults, two cats, and two dogs, and now we’re about to squeeze ourselves and our furballs in. It’s gonna be cozy, to say the least.

My biggest worry? Rushing into a house we’re not head over heels for just to speed up our exit. We’re keeping a running tally of what we’re after in our next home to avoid this scenario, but the thought still nags at me.

So, here’s the deal: I bought this house three years ago when I was living out of state. My Dad and brother were all about owning rather than renting, but I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea. They helped me out with the down payment and closing costs, and I ended up snagging a 2-bedroom home for $274k. Since then, I’ve put in some serious work – new countertops, flooring, a vinyl fence, electric upgrades, you name it. The place is looking pretty snazzy now, if I do say so myself.

But here’s the kicker: according to the realtor who sold me the place, I might not be able to sell it for much more than what I paid. She’s all about the comps and the market, but I think my upgrades really set my house apart from those she’s comparing it to. I’ve been toying with the idea of selling the place myself or ditching the buyer’s agent fees and shooting for around $305-310k. I mean, the place feels way more modern now than when I first bought it.

Still, I can’t shake this feeling of being stuck. I’ve always dreamed of living in a different city, the one I had my eye on even back in school. But here I am, feeling trapped in this 2-bedroom house. It’s not that I think moving to my dream city will solve all my problems, but at least I’d be where I want to be.

I’ve thought about heading back to my home state, but I wanted to give this city a shot first. Now, I’m at a crossroads. Do I list the house for what I think it’s worth and see what happens, or do I explore the rental route? Honestly, I’m not sure what my next move should be.

So, check it out, my partner and I recently copped this semi-detached crib that’s decked out with 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. It was built back in ’98 and all, but get this – there’s technically a fourth bedroom hanging out over the garage. The thing is, it’s like a hot mess in terms of temperature control, so it’s basically unusable. The weird part is, the previous owners were crashing in there like it was a legit bedroom, even though it was sold to us as a 3-bedroom spot. I’m scratching my head over why that went down like that.

Now, we’re thinking of getting our renovation game on to sort out the whole climate control situation so we can turn that funky room into a proper fourth bedroom. But here’s the kicker – we’re not planning to stay in this place forever. Our whole hood is filled with these twin homes that are all 3 beds and 1.5 baths. I’m low-key wondering if potential buyers looking for a 4-bed setup might be turned off by the fact that we only got one full bathroom and no master suite situation going on.

I’m trying to figure out if it’s even worth it to invest in making that fourth room legit, you know? Like, will it actually boost the value of our pad enough to make up for the cost of the renovation? It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, especially since we’re not in it for the long haul. But hey, it could be a sweet move if it pays off in the end.

I mean, who wouldn’t want that extra bedroom space, right? But then again, if most of the homes in the area are rocking the same 3-bed setup, maybe folks looking for more bedrooms might not even be checking out our spot. And let’s not forget about the whole bathroom situation – having only one full bath might be a deal-breaker for some buyers who are all about that ensuite life.

At the end of the day, I guess it comes down to weighing the pros and cons. Is it worth the time, money, and effort to make this fourth bedroom happen, considering our short-term stay and the market trends in the neighborhood? Will potential buyers dig the idea of a 4-bed setup even if it’s a bit out of the norm for the area? Who knows, man. It’s all part of the homeownership adventure, I suppose.

So, the deal is that I’m closing on this house on Monday, and I finally got my hands on the final Closing Disclosure after a long day at work. Everything seems to be in order, except for one tiny detail—my realtor’s commission. It’s set at 3%, with the seller covering 2.5% as agreed upon in the home purchase contract. This leaves me responsible for only 0.5% of the sale price, which amounts to $1,775 for a home priced at $355,000. But hold up, the Closing Disclosure shows the commission as $2,175, not $1,775 as I expected. Naturally, I reached out to my realtor for an explanation.

He mentions something about an administrative fee that accounts for the extra $400, but here’s the kicker—my buyer’s agent agreement clearly states a 3% commission without any mention of additional charges. Can you believe that? So, I’m contemplating whether I should push to have that extra $400 removed from the commission. What do you guys think?

*UPDATE* Hey, just dropping a quick note to share how things panned out. After seeking advice from you awesome folks, I decided to have a chat with my realtor. We revisited our contract and, what do you know, he admitted he forgot to include those pesky admin fees in the Buyer’s Agent Agreement. Well, well, well. Long story short, those fees are supposed to be nixed. As a result, my cash-to-close amount has now been adjusted to a sweet $497.06. Win-win situation, right? Thanks for all the guidance, folks!

So my technician went rogue today and surprised me with a Midea unit instead of the Mitsubishi one we had agreed on last month. He claimed that in 2026, the distributor program for Mitsubishi was causing chaos for local technicians with high markups and delays. He decided to switch to Midea without consulting me first. The installation looks good, and he insists that Midea is a top-tier original brand manufacturer that designs and builds its own systems, unlike some cheap knock-offs. But I’m still mad that he made this big call for my house just because he was frustrated with the supply chain issues.

I’m torn between firing him on the spot or understanding if contractors are really moving away from traditional distributor networks because of this mess. It’s wild how one decision can stir up so much drama in the HVAC world. I mean, I get that he’s trying to do what’s best for my property, but man, communication is key, right? It’s not cool to make major decisions without looping me in, even if it’s for a seemingly valid reason.

I’m wondering if this is a trend among contractors now – taking matters into their own hands when they feel let down by the distributors. It’s like a rebellion against the old ways of doing things, and I’m caught in the middle of it. On one hand, I appreciate his initiative and dedication to getting the job done despite the hurdles. On the other hand, I can’t shake off the feeling that my input and preferences should have been respected.

I guess this situation is a wake-up call for me to be more involved in the decisions regarding my property. It’s easy to trust the professionals we hire and let them do their thing, but this incident has taught me that I need to stay informed and have open communication with them. Who knows what other surprises might pop up if I’m not paying attention, right?

At the end of the day, I want what’s best for my home, and maybe this unexpected twist with the HVAC unit is a blessing in disguise. It’s forcing me to rethink how I approach these projects and ensure that my voice is heard throughout the process. So yeah, I may not be firing my tech just yet, but you bet I’ll be having a serious chat with him about boundaries and the importance of keeping me in the loop. Let’s hope this little hiccup leads to a smoother road ahead.

Hey everyone, I’m in the process of building a house in northern Sweden, and I’m seriously thinking about going for mechanically polished concrete flooring throughout the entire house, even in the kitchen and bathroom. Since we have underfloor heating all over, cold floors won’t be a problem. I have a few burning questions about this choice:

First off, how does mechanically polished concrete hold up over time? I’m really curious to know what it actually looks like after 2-3 years of being used on a daily basis. I want to make sure it can withstand the wear and tear of everyday life.

Next, I’m wondering if it’s easy to scratch. With a dog and kids running around, durability is a big concern for me. I need something that can handle a bit of roughhousing without showing too much wear and tear.

Moving on to the bathroom and shower area, I’m concerned about water absorption. Does the concrete absorb water if it’s left on the surface for an extended period? I want to make sure that the flooring won’t be damaged by water exposure, especially in the wettest areas of the house.

Another important factor for me is maintenance. I’ve heard that mechanically polished concrete, unlike grind and seal finishes, doesn’t require resealing at all. I’m curious to know if this holds true in real-life scenarios. I’m looking for a flooring option that is low maintenance and hassle-free in the long run.

Lastly, I’d love to hear from those who have experience with this type of flooring. Would you choose mechanically polished concrete again, or would you opt for a different flooring option? I’m specifically looking for a flooring solution that demands zero maintenance once it’s installed. That’s the main reason I’m considering mechanically polished concrete over other concrete finishes.

Any insights, whether positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. I’m eager to gather as much information as possible before making a final decision on the flooring for my new home. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and advice!

Hey there, fellow realtors on Reddit! I recently found myself in a bit of a pickle with my husband and his sister, who are looking to sell their late mother’s home in a 55+ community. Now, let me tell you, it’s been quite an emotional rollercoaster since their mom bought the place just over a year ago, only to sadly pass away shortly after. And now, they’re faced with the challenge of selling the house.

I’m no real estate guru, that’s for sure, but I’m doing my best to lend a hand by seeking out some extra advice that might help them out. From what I gather, the realtor they’re working with seems to think the house is priced right, and they’re putting in the effort to advertise it as much as possible. Although, I can’t say I’ve noticed a whole lot of advertising for this particular property compared to others I’ve seen while house hunting myself.

To make matters worse, the HOA in their community isn’t allowing any street signs for open houses, which definitely isn’t doing them any favors. And to top it off, the house next door, which looks a tad fancier, was listed for the same price and got snatched up in just two weeks. And get this – their place is already one of the cheapest in the neighborhood. To make matters worse, it seems like there’s suddenly a flood of listings in the area, which isn’t exactly helping their cause.

I’m wondering if any of you fine folks have any insights on whether the price is right for the market or if there are any major red flags in the listing that need addressing. It’s a tough situation to navigate, so any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Thanks a bunch for all the feedback, everyone! It seems like the general consensus on the pricing and the realtor is pretty consistent, so I’ll be sure to pass this valuable info along to my husband and his sister.