I’ve noticed inspectors definitely get more nitpicky with older houses. It’s like they expect to find hidden problems, so they look harder. When I sta...

I hear you on the “scary-looking” stuff—half the time it’s just old repairs or weird DIY jobs from previous owners. I’m with you on drawing the line a...

I get wanting to keep the original vibe, but honestly, sometimes you just have to roll with what the HOA throws at you. If rainbow gutters are non-neg...

I get where you’re coming from, but after my first permit runaround, I’m not risking it with just phone pics. Maybe it’s overkill, but here’s how it p...

Mixing a smart lock with an old door is trickier than I expected. I tried installing one on my 1950s front door—ended up having to chisel out more woo...

I totally get what you mean about resale—my partner was set on this funky patterned tile, and I kept thinking, “Is this gonna scare off buyers down th...

That’s wild about the “marine-grade” stuff— I’m running into similar issues trying to figure out where to put my money. I keep hearing mixed advice on...

I’m with you on the photos—wish I’d started that sooner. When I did my bathroom, I thought receipts would be enough, but the city wanted diagrams and ...

I feel this. I installed a smart lock last month thinking it'd simplify things, but the first firmware update bricked it completely. Ended up spending...

Totally agree with this. When I first started renovating, I thought specialized cleaners were just marketing hype, but after dealing with streaky floo...

Yeah, sealing up interior drafts can definitely help even things out, but like mentioned, you gotta be careful not to go overboard. When I first start...

Had a similar experience when renovating my kitchen. Inspector flagged the venting setup for my range hood—seemed overly picky at first since I'd foll...