Totally agree, swapping out hardware is such a low-effort, high-impact move. I did the same thing—painted the cabinets (took way longer than I thought...

I hear you on the drawings—they wanted “site plans” and “elevations” from me too, and I’m just out here trying to save a few bucks doing it myself. I ...

I’ve wondered the same thing, honestly. I tried a solar-powered camera last winter and the battery tanked way faster in the cold. Locks probably sip l...

We had a similar “just replace the fixtures” plan, but yeah, once we opened up the walls it was like a time capsule of questionable 70s wiring and plu...

Tweaking the fan settings is a game changer, honestly. I tried the “leave the door open” trick too, but with kids in the house, that lasted about a we...

Totally get where you’re coming from with the “secret rules” thing. It’s like every department is playing a different board game and nobody bothered t...

Honestly, I totally get what you mean about tenants messing with smart bulbs. I’ve had a few go missing or swapped back to regular ones, which isn’t i...

I’ve actually tried painting my louvered doors, but honestly, it was more trouble than it was worth. The slats are a pain to cover evenly and I swear ...

I've had mixed luck with UV sealants myself. Prep definitely matters—last year I rushed the sanding and cleaning step (lesson learned, lol), and the s...

Switching to louvered doors made a huge difference for us too. Our place isn't Victorian, but it's older and came with these heavy solid doors that lo...

Did something similar with pallet wood on my ceiling a while back—definitely second the HT stamp advice. I skipped LEDs though, went with some cheap f...

That's interesting, I hadn't really thought about grime buildup affecting efficiency that noticeably. I usually stick to twice a year because it seeme...