Same here, learned this lesson the hard way with a rental property. Passive vents worked fine until tenants complained about moisture after a heavy storm season. Installed a small fan—problem solved. Sometimes cheaping out ends up costing more later...
"Sometimes cheaping out ends up costing more later..."
Couldn't agree more with this. Had a similar experience flipping a house last year. Thought I'd save some cash by skipping proper waterproofing in the basement—big mistake. First heavy rain, and I was dealing with puddles and unhappy potential buyers. Ended up tearing out drywall, sealing everything properly, and repainting...lesson learned.
But hey, these hiccups are part of the journey. Each time something like this happens, you get smarter and your projects get better. Sounds like you handled it perfectly with the fan solution—quick thinking! Keep at it, every fix is another tool in your belt for next time.
Been there myself with the waterproofing issue—it's one of those things you don't fully appreciate until you're ankle-deep in trouble. Had a similar "shortcut" moment when I decided to reuse old locks on a rental property to save a few bucks. Seemed fine at first, but sure enough, got a frantic call from tenants locked out at midnight because the old lock jammed. Ended up paying emergency locksmith fees, replacing all the locks anyway, and apologizing profusely to some very tired renters.
You're right though, these setbacks teach us more than smooth sailing ever could. Now I always budget a little extra for quality hardware and double-check everything before handing over keys. Glad your fan solution worked out—quick thinking like that saves the day more often than you'd think.
"Ended up paying emergency locksmith fees, replacing all the locks anyway, and apologizing profusely to some very tired renters."
Been close to that myself—lesson learned the hard way. Curious though, anyone tried those smart locks yet? Wondering if they're worth the extra upfront cost or just another headache waiting to happen...
Curious though, anyone tried those smart locks yet? Wondering if they're worth the extra upfront cost or just another headache waiting to happen...
I've been eyeing those smart locks myself, but honestly, I'm still on the fence. My neighbor installed one last summer and swears by it—no more midnight locksmith calls—but then again, he's also the guy whose Wi-Fi randomly drops out every other week. I'd probably end up locked out anyway, just digitally this time. Plus, I'm not sure I trust myself to keep batteries fresh... knowing me, they'd die at exactly the wrong moment. Anyone else had better luck?
