First-Time Homeowners Share The Most Important Things They Didn't Even Know They Needed
The first time we strike out on our own, we're 100% guaranteed to be shocked by all the little things we need but didn't ever think to buy. We're looking at you, garbage cans! That shock is only multiplied when we purchase our own home. Congrats! Everything is now completely your problem. Hope you remembered to get everything you needed! Pro Tip: You didn't. Brace yourself. Because we love you, we're going to share the answers one Reddit user (who is a total unnamed hero for any first time home buyers) got when they asked:
The Unsung Hero Of Home Repairs
[rebelmouse-image 18349358 is_animated_gif=An item I never see listed but I use a lot. A big container of zip ties.
Money!
[rebelmouse-image 18348989 is_animated_gif=Honestly about 10 thousand dollars
Because that first few months is going to be very expensive as there isn't "one" thing you need but about 200
If you lived in an apartment you might not have things like ladders, lawn mowers and such
Shockingly Useful
[rebelmouse-image 18349359 is_animated_gif=A voltage pen! Old houses can have weird wiring and sometimes you just want to know if that old plug in works. Save yourself the zap. These things are cheap and handy.
Yes, we did have a home inspection! But once the papers are signed and the warranty expires, you are on your own. And Murphy's Law dictates that is the exact time for stuff to get weird.
Projectile Puke Cleaner
[rebelmouse-image 18349360 is_animated_gif=You have 8 grand worth of carpet? Buy the $300 carpet cleaner so you dont live on a dirty rag
Everyone really needs a shop vac at some point and will be happy you own when you need it. Shop vacs should come with every baby
First time your baby projectile pukes across the whole house you will understand.
Please Have A Plunger.
[rebelmouse-image 18349361 is_animated_gif=A toilet plunger. Until you know your new homes plumbing... look out.
You Don't Think About It Until You Need It
[rebelmouse-image 18349362 is_animated_gif=A fire extinguisher.
Stud Finder
[rebelmouse-image 18349365 is_animated_gif=I was hanging something at my boyfriend's place and asked if he had a stud finder. "Well, of course, but I don't see how my mirror is gonna help right now."
Keeper.
But Do We Need A Tarp?
[rebelmouse-image 18349366 is_animated_gif=A tarp.
Extremely underrated.
Got a big pile of leaves in the front that you wanna move to the back? Slide it around on a tarp.
Did your grill cover blow away in the storm last night? Cover it with a tarp.
Have a broken screen panel on your screened in porch from the same storm? Hang that tarp.
Need a drop cloth while you paint your kitchen? You get yourself a tarp.
Need to catch branches on the ground while your prune your trees? Get a bucket.
JUST KIDDING GET A TARP.
One Key To Rule Them All
[rebelmouse-image 18349367 is_animated_gif=One key. Have all your door locks set to the same key.
When my wife and I first bought our house, I told her the same thing. The first couple of days after we closed, we planned to paint and replace all the door knobs and deadbolts. The house had 3 different keys: one for the knobs, one for the deadbolts, and one for the detached garage. On the day of closing, I changed them all with matching knobs and deadbolts so they all used one key.
Come a few days after closing and we get a knock on the door. It's the previous homeowner with a box full of a few things that they didn't realize they had packed: the owner's manuals for all the appliances, a little hook tool to open and close the flue, and about a half dozen keys to the doors. As soon as they left, I turned to my wife and said "and this is why we changed the locks."
An Air What?
[rebelmouse-image 18349368 is_animated_gif=This took me 7 years to discover: An Air Comb
This thing is simply a stick with some holes drilled in it, and you attach it to an air compressor.
What would you need this for? Well, my old house was built in 1969. It had a 17 year old HVAC system, which did not perform very well. I hired 5-6 different HVAC contractors to come out and diagnose the issues, and each one told me something different. The problem was that the system could not keep up with the weather - hot days were hot inside, cold days were cold inside. We bought a window AC to help in summer, and oil filled electric radiators to help in winter.
The system ran 24x7 most days, and during the summer we were lucky to see temps in the high 70's indoors, it was more like 84 - 88 degrees. In the winter, well, we were freezing. It was like it wasn't even on.
And of course, my electric bills were expensive - $300 to $700 a month. It was killing me. None of my neighbors had bills as high as we did. All their homes were comfy, too.
Finally, by accident, I discovered the issue when I was changing my HVAC filter. There was a big piece of ... crap on the filter. It was black and made of dust and dirt. I stuck my camera into my air handler and took a picture of the A-coil (evaporator coils) and discovered they were coated almost completely with dust.
I bought the air comb, used my compressor and blew the coils clean, and suddenly it was like I had a brand new HVAC system. The house would cool down in an hour. We could set it to any temp we wanted and be comfy. Our usage dropped by well over 60%, and my electric bills dropped well over 50%.
All because of a $20 tool.
Good Guy Seller
[rebelmouse-image 18349369 is_animated_gif=When I sold my house I gave the buyer measurements of all the windows and all warranty paperwork (roof, furnace, windows etc). I also provided a list of all house quirks.
Example: our garage opener sensor was askew ever so slightly so when you pulled in on the right side spot you had to aim the opener to the left - this may sound stupid but it will save them a sh*t ton of aggravation.
Another example: we had lovebirds nest in our front hedges - they would come every year and lay eggs. When that happens they get VERY defensive of their space which made our front door pretty much unusable. We didn't mind, but they might, so we left information on who to call to relocate them (a local nature center will come and do it for free!)
We also provided our garden and plant information - we had a pretty decent garden and nice little flower arrangements. We also provided the name of our landscaper, handyman, roofer, the kid's number to call to shovel snow in the winter, plumber, furnace people, oil company we used and other oil companies in the area for bids.
i tried to provide everything I was not provided when we bought the house.
The Notebook
[rebelmouse-image 18349370 is_animated_gif=A notebook for house repairs and reno'ing. As the years go by, it can be really hard to track all the things you do, and when you did them. Was there a one year warranty on that window replacement, or two year? When did the furnace get serviced last? We're currently dealing with a huge tunneling under our yard with the City due to drain issues, and also had work done 7 years ago. Trying to remember what and where the City and plumber dug/did back then, is causing some issues now. Take notes new home owners of Reddit, lots of notes!
This Answer Became A Painting Tutorial
[rebelmouse-image 18349371 is_animated_gif=Get a decent brush, like a Corona Excalibur and learn how to cut in really well. Learning how to cut in will save your HOURS trying to tape everything perfectly. If you spill paint let it dry a couple hours before cleaning it, especially on carpets. One little dot of paint on a carpet is easy to cut off with a razor blade, a big smear of paint in the carpet is impossible to get out.
Take the time to prep the walls, skim coating with joint compound if necessary, you will see every imperfection through the paint, don't think it will cover it up. Fill holes, and prime water stains.
Paint ceilings first, then trim, then walls.
Edit: if you do decide tape is the way for you, get the green tape, not the blue tape. Paint and peel the tape right away, don't load up a lot of paint in the corner or it will drip once you peel the tape up. The green tape (Frog Tape) has a chemical reaction when paint hits the edge of it and foams up to keep paint from wicking underneath. Also, buy new tape every time you paint, don't use that roll you've had sitting around for a year..
Also, if you have wallpaper on the walls that's bubbling, do not paint over it. You need to remove it or your walls will continue to look like shit. WP Chomp is magic for that. Once the paper is off you need to clean the crap out of the walls to remove any residual glue. Then you will want to skim coat to even the walls out, then prime, then paint. This will take you a few days if not a couple weeks, do not expect to paint in an afternoon. Prep is at least 75% of the job, the painting part is the easy past...
No Pressure
[rebelmouse-image 18349372 is_animated_gif=Water-key. It's the little key you use to open the tiny manhole cover that connects your house's water to the city line. When you get that open, you can disconnect your house from water pressure. I've been able to fix a lot of things with that off.
"I Haven't Felt This Good About My Butthole..."
[rebelmouse-image 18349374 is_animated_gif=A bidet, I now think using paper is unhygienic and kinda gross. I haven't felt this good about my butthole ever. A bidet is just so good.
Stagehands Will Already Have One... Or Ten.
[rebelmouse-image 18349375 is_animated_gif=I bought a leatherman first week after buying my house. It lived at my hip and saved me many dozen trips to the toolbox for a quick adjustment or tightening of bolts or screws or cutting something. I used to think swiss army knives were the shit, but then I realized you could have one with a set of pliers built in.
We Love Lamp
[rebelmouse-image 18349376 is_animated_gif=A headlamp. Invaluable for hands free spot lighting during repairs, painting, etc. Couldn't believe how much we used it or how glad we would be to have it
Insulate Like You Mean It
[rebelmouse-image 18349378 is_animated_gif=Extra insulation. When we had our home inspected the inspector told us that the insulation we had was adequate, but in a few years new regulation would require more if we wanted to sell the house. I contacted a company that would blow in insulation on top of what we already had. When he asked how much I wanted to put, I said put as much as will fit.
It ended up costing us more than $800 but since we live in the deep south, I thought this was a good investment.
Years later we had to replace our air conditioner. When the employee asked how much we pay for electricity for the hottest part of the year, I said conservatively about $100 a month. He looked at me in shock and said a house this size should run $200 to $300 during those months. He didn't really believe me until he went into the attic. He said he has never seen so much insulation in a house before.
That investment paid for itself in the first couple of years.
"... And Both Of My Stupid F*cking Cats."
[rebelmouse-image 18349379 is_animated_gif=Sticky traps for insects. When I first moved in I found an old sticky trap behind the washer. It was a bit dusty so I threw it out. A month or so later I started seeing spiders everywhere in the house. It was so bad that I would update my weekly spider count on a dry erase board. Finally I bought a shit ton of sticky traps and out them all over the floor in the laundry room. To date I've caught numerous spiders, a couple flies, and both of my stupid f*cking cats.
Think Of The Beers!
[rebelmouse-image 18349380 is_animated_gif=Best thing I've had while being a homeowner is an extra fridge in the garage. Expanded cold storage is extremely useful. Beer, bottled water, frozen meat, extra ice, etc.
H/T: Reddit
Don't be alarmed: There are some terrible corporations out there (looking at you, Nestle) but there are also some great brands that are selling decent products.
I know, surprising, right? Maybe we've all just gotten used to brands selling things of questionable quality that when we stumble across something worthwhile it stuns us.
Hold on tight when you find a brand deserving of your loyalty!
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor spwf asked the online community,
"What brand(s) do you swear by and why?"
"Their cast iron pans..."
"Lodge. Their cast iron pans are super durable and can last a lifetime."
StillForest989
Not just a lifetime. Your Lodge cast iron will outlive you, if (and even if you don’t) take care of it. Even if they get rusty they can be resurfaced. And damn is it satisfying to resurface a forgotten cast iron pan.
Asics, specifically the Gel-Nimbus series. I've suffered from joint pain and unbearable plantar fasciitis from a relatively young age... These shoes are life savers. Very pricey and I don't love the look of tennis shoes of any type but nevertheless I will praise these shoes to the end of days. Hopefully, I will always be able to afford them once a year.
Glad to hear you've found some much-needed relief!
"Warranty and service..."
"Victorinox. Excellent pocket knives, multi tools and their kitchen knives are probably the best ones you can get under 100 USD. Warranty and service is top notch."
CharacterComb3039
Anyone who cooks, but can't afford or doesn't want to invest in a professional-grade chef's knife should get a Victorinox. They aren't nearly as good as a top tier professional chef's knife, but they are night and day compared with everything else in their price range.
"This one brand..."
"This one brand of granola bars called Sunbelt Bakery. Every other granola bar brand is so dry I can't eat them anymore."
[deleted]
Yes, these are so good! An excellent choice.
"Very comfortable."
"Dickies. High quality pants. They're meant to be work pants so they're pretty durable and breathe well. Very comfortable."
GargantuanCake
"High quality" is right. Those pants last forever.
"It helps clean..."
"Dawn dishsoap. It helps clean dishes and it's great when one of my kids has an accident and I have to wash their clothes. Sometimes leaves a small stain but no smell. It has saved so many outfits."
[deleted]
Fantastic – it sounds like you should be their salesperson.
"They don't use..."
"New Balance. They don't use slave labor to make shoes."
Tink2013
They are comfortable and fit well.
I personally still don't like the aesthetics of many of their shoes, but still recommend them to people who want a good shoe.
"They are a retailer..."
"REI. Stand behind everything in their store. They are a retailer but you can beat something up they sell and they give you a full refund."
bigturkey1738
Many people use them for shoes, for camping gear... all kinds of stuff. They're very reliable.
"I wear my Timberland boots..."
"I wear my Timberland boots almost every day, I’ve had them for almost ten years, and they’re still just about as sturdy as they were the day I bought them."
RedWestern
These shoes tend to last forever. "Durable" is the perfect word.
"One large bottle..."
"Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. One large bottle lasts me about a year and I use it for everything. No toxic BS in them like pretty much every other soap and they smell fantastic."
"Also when I say everything I really mean it. All purpose cleaner, dish soap, body wash, shampoo, carpet extractor wash, dog shampoo, it’s called 18 in 1 for a reason."
drumkid74
If you're interested in the story behind the company, the documentary Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox might be right up your alley.
See? Not all brands are terrible. After reading about some of these, it might be time to change of your buying habits.
Have some suggestions of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
You know what would be great?
If society could just stop with arbitrary dress codes. If you're not working with the public, why should you have to dress up so much? If you're a police officer, then it makes sense that you'd wear a uniform that identifies you as a police officer. If you're Ted from IT who sits in the backroom all day, I really don't see why you have to come in every day in a suit and tie.
Let's just toss them out, shall we?
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor Levels2ThisBrush asked the online community,
"What should be socially acceptable but isn't?"
"Leaving the office..."
"Leaving the office whenever you've finished your tasks for the day."
misringuette
This is why I'm so glad remote work is the new office.
"And yet, I get it!"
"Taking off sick from work, WITHOUT giving an invasive reason. I supervise a small team and so I see all the OOO emails, and for gods sake I want people to PLEASE not feel the need to explain in detail what kind of diarrhea is afflicting them, or how bad their period cramps are, or how much bad sushi they ate the night before. Just say “I’m under the weather, I won’t be online today.”"
"And yet, I get it! I do it too! I feel guilty or like I’ll be looked at with suspicion if my reason for taking off isn’t sufficiently debilitating enough!"
"But… we need to stop this. As a manager I don’t care, I don’t THINK the people above me who are also on these emails care… let’s just all agree to take sick days without any details from now on!"
imnotwallaceshawn
I do not miss my retail days where I had to organise someone to cover me and beg on bended knee.
"Cashiers or workers who don’t need to be standing all day not having a stool or chair."
Lavatories
Another thing I do not miss from my retail days. Having to stand for hours and hours only to come home with my feet killing me was not fun.
"Prices on apartments..."
"Prices on apartments and their respectable reasons for such price directly on their websites or advertising without the need for a tour or any secrecy."
Spiceinvader3124
I always assume if I have to ask the price I probably can’t afford it.
"Being quiet..."
"Being quiet/not wanting to engage in conversation all the time."
[deleted]
In Finland, if somebody tries to talk to you, they are probably a tourist.
"Choosing not to..."
"Choosing not to have toxic family members in your life."
[deleted]
It feels very liberating once you accept that you don't have to put up with it.
"Employees..."
"Employees calling customers out in public for being a**holes."
gameboy1001
Absolutely. Many customers get away with treating employees horribly because they know they can do it without any pushback... most of the time.
"The fact that I sometimes..."
"The fact that I sometimes need to take my insulin in public. No, Karen, I am not doing drugs, I need to live."
blubberwinx
You’re getting that sweet sweet insulin high… the high of being not-dead.
"Afternoon naps."
"Afternoon naps. I’m on team nap. Give me 25 minutes to charge up and I’ll give you back 3 hours of high quality work. Everyone wins. Plus I go home with extra energy instead of dead tired."
Governmentwatchlist
Short naps don't work for me. I can't do a 25 min recharge. When I take a nap it needs to be like a solid 2 hours
"Speak up!"
"Salary transparency. For some reason, in the US, there’s a taboo or stigma around discussing one’s salary. This should be done openly and freely, with zero embarrassment or judgment. The only winners from avoiding these conversations are the corporations that are able to pay people differently for the same roles. Speak up!"
Jumping_Bear
The "for some reason" you're referring to is simply propaganda on behalf of corporations.
It's evident that something's got to change around here, and we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
As much as many of us don't like to disrupt the status quo, there is only so much time a person can tolerate a miserable situation before things become so unbearable that they ultimately have to peace out.
For some people, it takes a while for them to reach a breaking point. Eventually, there comes a time when they realize their self-worth is more important than continuing to please others who don't appreciate them for the sake of keeping up with appearances.
Curious to hear from people whose patience ran thin and made a strong decision, Reddit Prestigious-Order-62 asked:
"What made you say 'f'k this sh*t im out?'"
The unwarranted reprimanding was something that was never mentioned in the initial job description.
Feeling Criminal
"In the late 90’s."
"One time I got pulled into the Security office at a Department store I worked at. They accused me of constantly using the sales day coupons for people that didn’t present one (we always kept an extra copy at each register). I had watched my own department boss do it many times so I assumed it was okay. We didn’t even collect the coupons to be counted for the cash office, we just chucked them after use."
"They claimed I lost the store hundreds of dollars and had been watching me 'for months' do this awful, unforgivable crime for people spending 90 bucks on already bloated price designer jeans. I’m sure the occasional 10% discount was just devastating. 🙄""I got this huge lecture of how I was LITERALLY stealing from the store and they COULD call the police but would give me a chance to work off the damage. I couldn’t believe how criminal I was made to feel over it. The best part when they called my boss in who pretended to have never done it before to save her own a**."
"I asked if they were firing me. They said 'Yes and No. You will be let go, but you can choose to work off the damages so we don’t take you to court.' I told them I will just quit and asked for my last check. They said they will deduct what I owe from my last check. And I said 'Well then you need to show me all the footage and prove that I was stealing.' They wouldn’t produce footage, finally called the cops, and when the cops arrived, they were just as confused and called it an internal problem and advised them that this was overblown. I think they felt sorry for me. So finally upper management came in and just said 'just issue the last check, I will sign it here.' So much drama over so stupid a thing."
"It was sad because that actual day my Mom and daughter had come to the mall to meet me for lunch and I had to explain I just was forced to quit that job and was never allowed in that store again like I was some awful jerk."
"It was nice a few short years later, the entire chain bankrupted."
– Munich11
Power Trip
"A coworker waited until we were in front of a large group of people to start 'disciplining' me for something 'wrong' I did (I took my lunch 15 mins late to help another coworker) when she wasn’t even my supervisor. Applied for a job transfer the next day and couldn’t be happier where I am now."
– _shes_a_jar
Abusive Boss
"I had a piece of sh*t of a boss. He'd praise you in private but berate you in public. In front of coworkers and customers. Always about stuff that didn't matter."
"He'd also happily break company policy to side with customers after you spent an hour telling a customer you can't give them stuff for free, for example. Any time he was around, everything was miserable."
"My only regret is that I wasn't there to see him marched out by corporate when he got fired, because I had gone on to a better job by then."
– redisforever
Human Punching Bag
"I used to work in a Kitchen at a pub, it was grim work, but I had freinds there and had worked there for 3 years, So it wasn't too bad."
"One Christmas season we were being absolutely pumped, full out functions and busy services. My boss at the time was very stressed and fair enough, We were busy, We were all working overtime and full out. He used any excuse to completely blow up and absolutely scream at me for little to no reason, essentially him yelling at me was his stress relief. But fine, whatever, kitchens are rough places, no appolagies or anything, move on."
"I then go away for 3 weeks over the Christmas holidays and spend the time road tripping around the country having an amazing time."
"First shift back, not pleased being back, he makes a snarky comment."
"F'k this, Im out."
– Freddy54323
Even though these employees weren't chewed out in front of co-workers, the low salary without room for negotiation made them not wanting to stick around for much longer.
You Only Get One Job
"They cut my hours so I had to get a second job. 3 days before I was supposed to start said second job, my manager at the main job told me that I couldn't get this second job because I had main job first and I needed to make it my priority. That's when I said f'k you and left. I didn't even give a notice, I literally just sent an email saying I wouldn't be coming in the next day, grabbed my sh*t and went home."
– ginger_princess2009
Meager Wage
"I used to work Retail and after 7 years at the company, I found out I was only making 50 cents more an hour than someone who just started yesterday. I understood if they couldn't pay me more and asked for a good schedule. 7-3 or 8-4 every day and the same two days off every week. I didn't even ask for weekends off."
"I was told that they couldn't give me a good schedule so I quit."
– maybeashly
Situations weren't much different outside the work place. Social dilemmas prompted these Redditors to say, "nope."
Rude Reception
"Went to a pub because a friend kept asking. When I got there, he was with a group of people I didn't know, so I introduced myself and got the next round. As I come back with the tray, I hear them saying something along the lines of 'why is that b*tch still here? I thought she was just supposed to drop off a bicycle?' 'Ya, we don't want her to come to <this other town with more pubs> and now she is drinking with us?' 'She's so dumb' *proceeds to imitate and ridicule me as I was actively listening and nodding when I was having a conversation with my friend."
"Gave the beer to random people and walked right out after saying good evening to my friend and briefly explaining I did not appreciate being tricked into being a bicycle taxi for people who hate me directly after meeting me."
– ILikeLamas678
A Shocking Incident
"I was on my boat fishing for bass. I casted out my line and watched the lure hit the water but the line just floated in the air. Lightning and thunder crashed and the line fell to the water. F'k this sh*t, I'm out."
– fsh4fun051
Femme Fatale
"She lined my bed with broken glass put the blankets over it and I dove on in lol."
"Edit: She was violent/crazy and on drugs, was like the 20th attack I took and that made me really think lol."
– MyLifeForAuir1Ally For The Ex
"I found nudes of his ex (from ten years ago) that I’d previously asked him twice to get rid of tucked in a pair of MY socks. Our couples counselor asked why he’d kept them and he said, 'You know. In case I ever needed to blackmail her.' He said it like it was a perfectly normal and reasonable thing to plan to do. The therapist and I locked eyes and I noped the f'k out of there and moved out."
– Previous_Mood_3251
Most of these Redditors realized leaving their situation was better than dealing with the consequences of sticking around.
The latter is never a good option. Why remain in a scenario you know is already going to consume your soul?
The lesson for today is–Don't be miserable. Your sanity is worth saving.
Besides, you would never know that something better awaits if you just don't get the F out.As we enter into the summer months, people now have to decide whether or not they want their morning coffee to be hot or iced.
Lucky for them, it's delicious either way.
One could make an argument that foods that are equally delicious hot or cold are perhaps the best, or at least the most reliable.
And this can include foods which are not customarily sold both hot and cold (cold pizza anyone?).
Redditor NectarineOther4989 was curious to hear which foods people enjoy either hot or cold, leading them to ask:
"What is something that tastes good both hot and cold?"
Fresh out of the oven, or the next day!
"Cookies."- SuvenPan
Chocolate withstands all temperatrues
"Brownies."- Reasonable-Software2
Can't go wrong with fruit and pastry
"Pie."
"Apple pie."- Hak_Saw5000
This doesn't only apply to food
"Revenge."- pushthestartbutton
Let the flavor develop
"Banana bread."
"2 totally different flavors depending on warm vs cold from fridge."- nonkowledge
So many to choose from!
"Sandwiches."- Designer-Usual1691
A matter of textural preference
"Cheese, ya fools."- eat_dontpray_love
Under a hot greek sun, or during a cold winter's eve.
"Spanakopita."- mrsxpando
While there's no better smell than a batch of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, those eating them the next day likely aren't missing out either.