Home improvement & recent purchases that improved your life

[PharmDBro2017]

1. Share ideas about additions to/fixing up homes (doesn't have to be DIY, though). Example: I'm considering adding a screened in back porch to the back yard patio. Also curious about any other additions that may have brought you & family joy, or increased the value of your home?

2. Share about items purchased recently that you feel have improved your life and brought you joy, that others might be interested in. I was hoping to get opinions on a decent grill, $200-300 range if anyone had suggestions? One thing that has improved my life would be the Audible app though, I'm really enjoying listening to books on the way to work.

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[spacecowgirl]

Remodeling our kitchen has brought untold joy. We did not DIY because that would have brought untold divorce

 

[lord999]

Dashcams on cars and outdoor security cameras around the house. Finally caught those kids vandalizing my house over Christmas as they knew not to trip the inside system but have done around 15k to my exterior in the last year (with the contractor bills). Parents signed the check last month with that and then some to avoid us pressing charges and ruining their chances for Penn.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Dashcams on cars and outdoor security cameras around the house. Finally caught those kids vandalizing my house over Christmas as they knew not to trip the inside system but have done around 15k to my exterior in the last year (with the contractor bills). Parents signed the check last month with that and then some to avoid us pressing charges and ruining their chances for Penn.

Wow, what did these kids do exactly? Glad you caught them.

I have a security system but opted out of the security cameras.... I've only wished I had them one time when an idiot drove throw a corner of my yard.

Remodeling our kitchen has brought untold joy. We did not DIY because that would have brought untold divorce

Considering this down the road. From what I've read it doesn't always pay off when you sell the home though? Did you use home depot or lowes?

 

[pezdispenser]

QHD (2560 x 1440 resolution) LED monitor. I got a 25" Dell U2518D for $250 on a swivel arm that I plug my laptop into. Improves productivity a lot because you can have a web browser on half the screen, and another web page, spreadsheet, PDF, etc on the other half. Most web pages are only optimized to display around 1280 pixels wide anyway, otherwise reading 20" from left to right is literally a pain in the neck. It just did my taxes completely on the screen.

Android Auto, Apple Car Play or native Android car stereo. I upgraded my 2012 model year car which didn't even have a screen with a native Android stereo. So now it has Android Auto or you can just run whatever app you want directly on the unit.

Instead of taking my cars to a dealer or mechanic, I spend the money on tools to DIY like a floor jack, air compressor, impact wrench, etc. It usually still works out cheaper and I know I'm not getting ripped off or having unnecessary services pushed on me. Oh I do have a dashcam, which is how I know what goes on at the dealer... There are lots of DIY videos on YouTube and car forums.

Smart home devices. Honestly I don't think these are good value, but I just get them for fun.
- security cameras. I have a $200 made in China 1080p x 4 cam wifi system with night vision. Caught the neighbor kids breaking into cars.
- alarm system
- smart thermostat
- garage door opener
- electronic deadbolts
- motion activated lights in my staircase and hallway

 

[owlegrad]

I do like my smart WiFi thermometer. Love turning down the air before I get home. I also like my smart lock but honestly it can be more trouble than it is worth when it doesn’t connect to my phone fast enough. The concept is greater than the reality.

Currently remodeling master shower. Huge hassle but it looks great. I also touched up the paint in that bathroom and think it looks great.

 

[lord999]

Wow, what did these kids do exactly? Glad you caught them.

I have a security system but opted out of the security cameras.... I've only wished I had them one time when an idiot drove throw a corner of my yard.

Two teens, 17 and 16, so their mental faculties were there, just no ethical compass. Repeatedly stoned our greenhouse, breaking glass, and killed everything inside in the MN winter (replacing glass gets expensive and I did not realize that some of those plants were really that valuable either), flooded the yard by turning on the water and letting it run for two days straight (city utilities came over while we were out of town to fix it as they had thought a pipe burst). Got them on tape doing both in February during the snowdown.

The "and then some" are for the things that we can't prove in court that caused us to install the video feed in the first place, but have the invoices for from the contractor repairs. As well, my wife's incandescence about her greenhouse (rehabilitation is her Spring project this year) factored into it. What the police could prove in court would give them felony counts which my wife honestly had thought would be fitting. She was insistent we should sue the parents for the damages, get the kids with felony counts, and basically force them to sell out of the community. Their house is now unoccupied and is on the market, and we were paid a substantial premium over the base compensation to not take them to court, and there were arrangements made with the ADA to defer prosecution hiring my wife's friend to represent them. The only reason why I talked my wife out of it was avoiding a potential future Funny Games situation with them. I'm fine with two of the three although my wife was wanted those kids to suffer (I'm more interested in karmic payback, because I expect them to be the same horrible people as adults).

I'm sure those kids will make for good hedge fund executives someday. Daddy is a Chase Private Client executive, and the rotten apples didn't fall far from the tree.

 

[BMBiology]

Two teens, 17 and 16, so their mental faculties were there, just no ethical compass. Repeatedly stoned our greenhouse, breaking glass, and killed everything inside in the MN winter (replacing glass gets expensive and I did not realize that some of those plants were really that valuable either), flooded the yard by turning on the water and letting it run for two days straight (city utilities came over while we were out of town to fix it as they had thought a pipe burst). Got them on tape doing both in February during the snowdown.

The "and then some" are for the things that we can't prove in court that caused us to install the video feed in the first place, but have the invoices for from the contractor repairs. As well, my wife's incandescence about her greenhouse (rehabilitation is her Spring project this year) factored into it. What the police could prove in court would give them felony counts which my wife honestly had thought would be fitting. She was insistent we should sue the parents for the damages, get the kids with felony counts, and basically force them to sell out of the community. Their house is now unoccupied and is on the market, and we were paid a substantial premium over the base compensation to not take them to court, and there were arrangements made with the ADA to defer prosecution hiring my wife's friend to represent them. The only reason why I talked my wife out of it was avoiding a potential future Funny Games situation with them. I'm fine with two of the three although my wife was wanted those kids to suffer (I'm more interested in karmic payback, because I expect them to be the same horrible people as adults).

I'm sure those kids will make for good hedge fund executives someday. Daddy is a Chase Private Client executive, and the rotten apples didn't fall far from the tree.

You can still post the video on YouTube!

 

[lord999]

You can still post the video on YouTube!

Nope, part of the terms prohibited disclosure not pursuant to a law enforcement or official action (so, even if Penn asks us for the video, we can't comply, but if USMA/USNA or someone from OPM wants it, we can). There are tracked copies at Iron Mountain ICB in case they violate their side of the agreement. We do still retain possession of the evidence which we will destroy once the final condition of "And then some" that involve rebuilding are completed in June.

 

[JustFillIt]

I installed a new heat pump and furnace in my home last year. I did it myself and spent 6k all together. It was a great investment and nothing is better than clean cool air in the home.

 

[BMBiology]

Nope, part of the terms prohibited disclosure not pursuant to a law enforcement or official action (so, even if Penn asks us for the video, we can't comply, but if USMA/USNA or someone from OPM wants it, we can). There are tracked copies at Iron Mountain ICB in case they violate their side of the agreement. We do still retain possession of the evidence which we will destroy once the final condition of "And then some" that involve rebuilding are completed in June.

I am sure they will do it again. Maybe not to you but to other people. Getting slapped on the hand doesn’t teach them anything.

 

[Momus]

Considering this down the road. From what I've read it doesn't always pay off when you sell the home though? Did you use home depot or lowes?

No need to limit yourself to HD or Lowe's, they sub contract everything and use the same contractor you find on your own. Get multiple bids but don't pick the cheapest one, they usually cut corners.

 

[Momus]

Got top of the line Linksys EA9500 router. I now get the max speed I paid for $45 for 200 mbps/sec download on WIFI.

Installed engineered vinyl plank flooring, waterproof, cheap but looks and feels great.

 

[lord999]

I am sure they will do it again. Maybe not to you but to other people. Getting slapped on the hand doesn’t teach them anything.

Of course, that's what karmic payback is all about. I don't want to help them or their parents. I want them to remain the incompetent psychopath wannabes that they are and hopefully they do something big and bad enough. One of the few things I've "learned" in adult education is that behavior is more or less set by the early teens. Sure, sometimes, there is a shock to the system that sets them straight, but normally it takes them hitting rock bottom before they'll attempt to change. Can't fix them, don't care enough about society to remove them as a threat. If the parents have the means to subsidize their behavior, so be it.

And, honestly, short of a Funny Games scenario, they can vandalize my house as much as they want with due compensation as it'll give my wife reasons to stick around at home for a change and a reason to be irritated with someone else whose not me. I'm going to milk this for what it's worth through summer. It's given my household a measure of peace and coziness that we've not had in the past five years.

I was personally hoping that they would move up and vandalize the little old Russian couple who are our neighbors. Those neighbors are a nice enough bunch, but I think those two kids vandalizing that house will get some Russian Mafiya tough guys dismembering them joint by joint as that couple happens to be in the know with the entire community. Private vigilantism works so much better than public justice. Too bad they're moving away.

 

[lord999]

Got top of the line Linksys EA9500 router. I now get the max speed I paid for $45 for 200 mbps/sec download on WIFI.

Installed engineered vinyl plank flooring, waterproof, cheap but looks and feels great.

Stopped renting the neighbor's wifi, guess you're moving up in the world? Or did you overpay for a router when a solid repeater would do?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Got top of the line Linksys EA9500 router. I now get the max speed I paid for $45 for 200 mbps/sec download on WIFI.

Webpass?

 

[Momus]

Webpass?

Spectrum XD

Stopped renting the neighbor's wifi, guess you're moving up in the world? Or did you overpay for a router when a solid repeater would do?

Got it on sale for $99

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Been enjoying a home theatre made on a budget (got the 5.1 surround sound/receiver from step dad), cheap Amazon screen +$150 projector has been awesome. Takes Game of Thrones/UFC to all new levels on a 120inch screen.

 

[RxPreceptor]

Slowly but surely investing in some home gym equipment. Tougher than I imagined initially aiming for versatility (good balance of weights, calisthenics/body weight exercises/suspension stuff, cardio stuff, etc.), space concerns, rearrangement, low maintenance, & quality equipment. Lots of decision fatigue/opportunity cost, so little space ><

 

[mentos]

A Nest thermostat was one of the best housewarming gifts we received. It's nice to warm up the house before you get there, or turn it down if you forget when you leave. I'm not handy at all and it was easy to install.

 

[rxmommy7]

We are remodeling a 125 year old home and little of it actually brings us joy any more, but the SunSpace sunroom I’d recommend to anyone. Better than a screened in porch because the windows will trap a bit of heat and you can use it when it’s cooler. We sit out there in February sometimes. No bugs, no wind, just perfect. We plan to install a built in grill sometime, but can’t get subs to finish the job so it’s all at a standstill.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Considering this down the road. From what I've read it doesn't always pay off when you sell the home though? Did you use home depot or lowes?

Neither - we know local contractors (small town). In fact it was my BFF's HS boyfriend that did it. We really didn't care about resale - that's for HGTV and 2003. Not worth much consideration these days. We did it because it made our house more livable and enjoyable every single day. It was a pretty spectacular change that I appreciate constantly. While I'm sure our value is better because of it, we were so upside at the time (thank you 2008 crash) it was not a consideration.

I priced out lots of options and a Big Box store is not the best. Find a local crew that has relationships with cabinet companies or kitchen design companies. We ended up paying 1/3 of our original quotes because of the leverage our contractor had.

 

[rxmommy7]

A kitchen remodel is one of the things that will usually add to resale value, I’m sure it’s highly dependent on your market. We’ve done 2 kitchen remodels and I would never consider cabinets from a big box store. Go with quality cabinets and you’ll never regret that.

Neither - we know local contractors (small town). In fact it was my BFF's HS boyfriend that did it. We really didn't care about resale - that's for HGTV and 2003. Not worth much consideration these days. We did it because it made our house more livable and enjoyable every single day. It was a pretty spectacular change that I appreciate constantly. While I'm sure our value is better because of it, we were so upside at the time (thank you 2008 crash) it was not a consideration.

I priced out lots of options and a Big Box store is not the best. Find a local crew that has relationships with cabinet companies or kitchen design companies. We ended up paying 1/3 of our original quotes because of the leverage our contractor had.

 

[confettiflyer]

Japanese bidet added to every toilet. No more late winter night **** sessions and getting shocked awake with a cold seat.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Japanese bidet added to every toilet. No more late winter night **** sessions and getting shocked awake with a cold seat.

But at what cost?

No one has a grill recommendation for <$300 range?

 

[NITRAS]

Got a sous vide Joul, which is awesome. Had to get a new food saver.

Added a pergola to our back porch. Just set the lights up on a WiFi outlet, so no more trudging to the side of the house to turn on.

What do you want to do with the grill. I really love my Kamado grill, but not cheap.

 

[radio frequency]

I haven’t fixed up our home, but I’m hoping to hire out some landscaping work in the coming years. I don’t garden, but it would be excellent to have some plants around in the summertime. We might even spend some time outdoors.

As far as purchases I’ve loved, my favorites of the past year or so include an Instant Pot and AirPods. We use the Instant Pot at least three times a week; it makes it super easy to throw together delicious meals on late notice or late planning. AirPods just are magic to the ears. You open them up, put them on, and it’s like living in a movie with your own soundtrack. Highly recommend.

 

[mentos]

But at what cost?

No one has a grill recommendation for <$300 range?

Those cheap grills from Lowe's and Home Depot will rust out after a couple of years. Better to get a nice used one in that price range.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

I recently acquired a bottle of George T Stagg, and my life is at least 1 point higher.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Spectrum XD

Getting 430mbps via LAN and 250mbps via wifi with Webpass for the same price... one benefit of condo living

 

[confettiflyer]

Getting 430mbps via LAN and 250mbps via wifi with Webpass for the same price... one benefit of condo living

Gigabit fiber optic sonnnnnnnnnn

 

[Modest_anteater]

Of course, that's what karmic payback is all about. I don't want to help them or their parents. I want them to remain the incompetent psychopath wannabes that they are and hopefully they do something big and bad enough. One of the few things I've "learned" in adult education is that behavior is more or less set by the early teens. Sure, sometimes, there is a shock to the system that sets them straight, but normally it takes them hitting rock bottom before they'll attempt to change. Can't fix them, don't care enough about society to remove them as a threat. If the parents have the means to subsidize their behavior, so be it.

And, honestly, short of a Funny Games scenario, they can vandalize my house as much as they want with due compensation as it'll give my wife reasons to stick around at home for a change and a reason to be irritated with someone else whose not me. I'm going to milk this for what it's worth through summer. It's given my household a measure of peace and coziness that we've not had in the past five years.

I was personally hoping that they would move up and vandalize the little old Russian couple who are our neighbors. Those neighbors are a nice enough bunch, but I think those two kids vandalizing that house will get some Russian Mafiya tough guys dismembering them joint by joint as that couple happens to be in the know with the entire community. Private vigilantism works so much better than public justice. Too bad they're moving away.

karama always wins in the end. The universe can be far more cruel than you can be. There is always a bigger fish. I took relief when I found out a guy that robbed me 12 years ago recently died from DKA

 

[Modest_anteater]

Japanese bidet added to every toilet. No more late winter night **** sessions and getting shocked awake with a cold seat.

heated water feels good too and wiping is barbarically ineffective

 

[lane one]

karama always wins in the end. The universe can be far more cruel than you can be. There is always a bigger fish. I took relief when I found out a guy that robbed me more than ten years ago recently died from DKA acidosis.

DKA is bad enough...but DKAA? Terrifying

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Getting boujee - whos got silk or bamboo sheets here? Send me some recommendations

 

[NITRAS]

Getting boujee - whos got silk or bamboo sheets here? Send me some recommendations

Bamboo? Is that really a thing? Do I need to know about it?

 

[RxPreceptor]

Getting boujee - whos got silk or bamboo sheets here? Send me some recommendations

Well, since toilet paper became the new gold, have you tried bamboo toilet paper? Something about bamboo toilet paper just screams Boojee!

 

[wazoodog]

Been enjoying a home theatre made on a budget (got the 5.1 surround sound/receiver from step dad), cheap Amazon screen +$150 projector has been awesome. Takes Game of Thrones/UFC to all new levels on a 120inch screen.

Do you mind sharing which screen and which projector?

 

[mentos]

But at what cost?

No one has a grill recommendation for <$300 range?

Did you ever find a grill? I snagged a Weber Spirit II 3 burner for $330ish on clearance at Target around August 2019. Should last a lifetime.

Home improvements we've done:

Wooden floors - no more old gross carpet or cold hard tile

Windows - Harvey was half the price of Anderson and they are great.

Tankless boiler/hot water heater - replaced an old clunky boiler and storage tank. This looks cool but requires more maintenance, I sometimes wonder if a traditional boiler and storage tank would have been better.

Mini splits w/heat pump - There was no cooling before so it's really nice in summer. We can also use our sunroom in the winter.

Stone paver patio with wall - old wooden patio was rotting and had rodents living underneath. Guests love eating outside and sitting on the wall.

Irrigation - no more watering the lawn by hand. App lets you control it with your phone.

Electrical - upgraded panel to 200amp. Had some smaller stuff done like exterior outlets added, and motion detector spotlights.

Smart locks - nice to enter and leave without a key.

New garage door - old one didn't have a keypad. App lets you open and close and see history.

Paint - had the entire interior painted and it looks amazing.

We're not big fans of our kitchen, but it was redone 9 years ago so it's not worth renovating it again. Would have gone with lighter colors, added an island and had gas stove vs electric.

Water softener and reverse osmosis filtering system - we feel safer drinking our water now and the softener is good for appliances. Our town has hard water.

Stuff we want to do later:
-Renovate bathrooms
-Replace wood burning fireplace with gas
-Add a stone paver fire pit in backyard
-Add EV charger if we get one
-Was considering solar panels but it's not worth it for us.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Bamboo? Is that really a thing? Do I need to know about it?

Yes, and not too badly priced. Supposedly best at keeping cool temperatures.

Do you mind sharing which screen and which projector?

Here's the 1st projector. It did it's job - not fantastic, fan was loud, but it got the job done and showed me what low end projectors are link. The lower end you have, you better darken your room as much as possible. A year or two later, after doing some learning about projectors, I bought the Optoma HD143x and god dang is it sweet. Worth the $. Wow SDN won't let me post amazon links - here are the names to search on amazon.

1st projector:

QKK 2021 Upgraded 6500Lumens Mini Projector, Full HD 1080P & 200" Display Supported, Portable Movie Projector Compatible with Phone, TV Stick, PS4, HDMI, AV, Dual USB [Tripod Included]​

2nd projector (can't find the 143x anymore, just 146x).

Optoma HD146X High Performance Projector for Movies & Gaming | Bright 3600 Lumens | DLP Single Chip Design | Enhanced Gaming Mode 16ms Response Time​

Current screen (still my 1st):

Mdbebbron 120 inch Projection Screen 16:9 HD Foldable Anti-Crease Portable Projector Movies Screen for Home Theater Outdoor Indoor Support Double Sided Projection​

Screen has been surprisingly great for the price, however I am ready to upgrade to this:

STR-169120 Silver Ticket 120" Diagonal 16:9 4K Ultra HD Ready HDTV (6 Piece Fixed Frame) Projector Screen White Material​

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Did you ever find a grill? I snagged a Weber Spirit II 3 burner for $330ish on clearance at Target around August 2019. Should last a lifetime.

Home improvements we've done:

Wooden floors - no more old gross carpet or cold hard tile

Windows - Harvey was half the price of Anderson and they are great.

Tankless boiler/hot water heater - replaced an old clunky boiler and storage tank. This looks cool but requires more maintenance, I sometimes wonder if a traditional boiler and storage tank would have been better.

Mini splits w/heat pump - There was no cooling before so it's really nice in summer. We can also use our sunroom in the winter.

Stone paver patio with wall - old wooden patio was rotting and had rodents living underneath. Guests love eating outside and sitting on the wall.

Irrigation - no more watering the lawn by hand. App lets you control it with your phone.

Electrical - upgraded panel to 200amp. Had some smaller stuff done like exterior outlets added, and motion detector spotlights.

Smart locks - nice to enter and leave without a key.

New garage door - old one didn't have a keypad. App lets you open and close and see history.

Paint - had the entire interior painted and it looks amazing.

We're not big fans of our kitchen, but it was redone 9 years ago so it's not worth renovating it again. Would have gone with lighter colors, added an island and had gas stove vs electric.

Water softener and reverse osmosis filtering system - we feel safer drinking our water now and the softener is good for appliances. Our town has hard water.

Stuff we want to do later:
-Renovate bathrooms
-Replace wood burning fireplace with gas
-Add a stone paver fire pit in backyard
-Add EV charger if we get one
-Was considering solar panels but it's not worth it for us.

Those are some great improvements, congrats.

Grill - ended up getting a Char-Broil for 200-300 range. It does good, but I hear Webers are best (next time....). Either way, I'm grilling bomb steaks/filets/chicken every week. Good meal prep food.

 

[mentos]

Those are some great improvements, congrats.

Grill - ended up getting a Char-Broil for 200-300 range. It does good, but I hear Webers are best (next time....). Either way, I'm grilling bomb steaks/filets/chicken every week. Good meal prep food.

I had a Charbroil but it didn't last long, both the inside and outside rusted badly. Make sure you get a cover. I'll let you know if I see any sales for Weber. My friend lives in a yuppy neighborhood and he's gotten 3 Webers from the curb for free. All he did was replace the grates inside and they were good as new.

 

[owlegrad]

Bamboo? Is that really a thing? Do I need to know about it?

I have some bamboo underwear and they are by far my favorite pairs to wear.

I haven’t sprung for bamboo sheets yet but maybe one day.

I like microfiber as well.

 

[owlegrad]

Did you ever find a grill? I snagged a Weber Spirit II 3 burner for $330ish on clearance at Target around August 2019. Should last a lifetime.

Home improvements we've done:

Wooden floors - no more old gross carpet or cold hard tile

Windows - Harvey was half the price of Anderson and they are great.

Tankless boiler/hot water heater - replaced an old clunky boiler and storage tank. This looks cool but requires more maintenance, I sometimes wonder if a traditional boiler and storage tank would have been better.

Mini splits w/heat pump - There was no cooling before so it's really nice in summer. We can also use our sunroom in the winter.

Stone paver patio with wall - old wooden patio was rotting and had rodents living underneath. Guests love eating outside and sitting on the wall.

Irrigation - no more watering the lawn by hand. App lets you control it with your phone.

Electrical - upgraded panel to 200amp. Had some smaller stuff done like exterior outlets added, and motion detector spotlights.

Smart locks - nice to enter and leave without a key.

New garage door - old one didn't have a keypad. App lets you open and close and see history.

Paint - had the entire interior painted and it looks amazing.

We're not big fans of our kitchen, but it was redone 9 years ago so it's not worth renovating it again. Would have gone with lighter colors, added an island and had gas stove vs electric.

Water softener and reverse osmosis filtering system - we feel safer drinking our water now and the softener is good for appliances. Our town has hard water.

Stuff we want to do later:
-Renovate bathrooms
-Replace wood burning fireplace with gas
-Add a stone paver fire pit in backyard
-Add EV charger if we get one
-Was considering solar panels but it's not worth it for us.

I have a water softener as well but am quite certain it is a ripoff. Oh well, live and learn.

I almost sprang for the tankless hot water heater but decided for the volume of water I use it didn’t make sense. I got a hybrid hot water heater instead and so far so good. Very energy efficient.

I love smart locks and smart garage door opener. Usually I find those types of upgrades to be questionable but I don’t regret them at all. Even something as simple as a motion actives light in the garage has become like one of my favorite features of my home, lol

 

[NITRAS]

I have a water softener as well but am quite certain it is a ripoff. Oh well, live and learn.

I almost sprang for the tankless hot water heater but decided for the volume of water I use it didn’t make sense. I got a hybrid hot water heater instead and so far so good. Very energy efficient.

I love smart locks and smart garage door opener. Usually I find those types of upgrades to be questionable but I don’t regret them at all. Even something as simple as a motion actives light in the garage has become like one of my favorite features of my home, lol

I love this, too. Really peaked my interest in home automation. I’m not there, but am working my way slowly. I want to replace my light switches with WiFi enabled ones. I actually just got smart locks, but I won’t be able to install them till next week.

 

[confettiflyer]

I have a water softener as well but am quite certain it is a ripoff. Oh well, live and learn.

I almost sprang for the tankless hot water heater but decided for the volume of water I use it didn’t make sense. I got a hybrid hot water heater instead and so far so good. Very energy efficient.

I love smart locks and smart garage door opener. Usually I find those types of upgrades to be questionable but I don’t regret them at all. Even something as simple as a motion actives light in the garage has become like one of my favorite features of my home, lol

Did you test your water before and after softener? I had to tweak my settings to get the correct softness, I was getting hard water stains before the softener and now they don’t ever happen for me.

I have an on demand water heater and the soft water keeps that from clogging up. I only have to descale every two years, if that.

But if your water was okay without a softener, then yah, kind of a rip off.

 

[mentos]

I have a water softener as well but am quite certain it is a ripoff. Oh well, live and learn.

I almost sprang for the tankless hot water heater but decided for the volume of water I use it didn’t make sense. I got a hybrid hot water heater instead and so far so good. Very energy efficient.

I love smart locks and smart garage door opener. Usually I find those types of upgrades to be questionable but I don’t regret them at all. Even something as simple as a motion actives light in the garage has become like one of my favorite features of my home, lol

Does your water feel slimy? That tells me the water softener is working, it's a noticable difference.

I didn't think smart locks were a big deal at first either but now I love them too. My neighbor left for Memorial Day weekend and forgot to lock his front door. It was a deadbolt with no lock on the bottom, so you can't lock it from the outside. I didn't have a spare key so he had to call another neighbor to have them come and lock it. If only he had a smart lock.

 

[mentos]

I have an on demand water heater and the soft water keeps that from clogging up. I only have to descale every two years, if that.

I'll have to ask my plumber. I heard many horror stories of people skipping the yearly maintenance and had to replace the entire water heater within 5-7 years.

 

[confettiflyer]

I'll have to ask my plumber. I heard many horror stories of people skipping the yearly maintenance and had to replace the entire water heater within 5-7 years.

Yeah, it really depends on how hard your incoming water is.

I always want to DIY the descaling, (the pump and tubing are like $100), but my HVAC company only charges me $72 to descale and inspect the unit, and I bring them out semi-annually for heating/AC inspection/tune up anyway.

 

[lord999]

Those are some great improvements, congrats.

Grill - ended up getting a Char-Broil for 200-300 range. It does good, but I hear Webers are best (next time....). Either way, I'm grilling bomb steaks/filets/chicken every week. Good meal prep food.

You're fine with Char-Broil. The zone control is better on them. Weber's tend to last longer, but that's now debatable with the Chinese made ones coming out now. Enjoy the flavor!

This year, all the restaurants going out of business with awesome equipment were a bonanza for buying. Bought an Imperial ICRA-1 for $800 including delivery, water and gas line run, and setup from a distressed out-of-business restaurant. 100k BTU stir-fry, here I come!

Replaced the range with a commercial as well, and that was rather expensive.

(Note: if you buy commercial kitchen equipment, you have to redo your home insurance policy as your fire risk changes considerably. Well worth it for a good meal.)