What are your next major purchases?

[Kraken]

A very appealing house just came onto the market in Dalton, MA, adjacent to Pittsfield. This could be the one -- very nice house at a fair price in a location I like, right on the border between urban and rural. Going to drive out there tomorrow for their open house (and drive back afterward because (1) I don't want to pay for a motel room and (2) I don't want to be driving back on the Sunday after the holiday...six hours on the road, yikes).

[Punisher]

Tell them you need to test drive the house and spend the night there just to make sure it isn't haunted...

[Exodor]

And then the new mortgage comes in about $2,500 a month more than our income can cover, so we'd have to rely on retirement money again to cover that gap until we sell our old house. That shouldn''t be more than a few months, but we'd be cash-poor for that duration.

In this market you can't count on selling your old house quickly.

Ours has been on the market since late September. Quickly had a buyer who walked away the day after we accepted their offer. A month went by with nothing until we got two offers at the same time. Accepted one and they walked away after the inspection came back which found mold in the attic and elevated levels of radon.

So now it's off the market while we spend money we don't really have to address those issues before we list it again during the worst time of the year for home sales in the middle of the worst market for sellers that I can remember.

At least the rat problem in the new house seems to be resolved?

[Kraken]

Tell them you need to test drive the house and spend the night there just to make sure it isn't haunted...

Funny story, we were able to do that at one house that doubled as an airbnb while it was for sale. Despite its ideal location it had a couple of deal-breaking problems and is still on the market. If we hadn't stayed there we wouldn't have known about minor things like the toilet that runs for a minute every hour or the freezer door that pops open every time you open or close the fridge or the wonky light switches in the living room.

Our trip tomorrow is in doubt now. They won't show the house unless we bring our buyer's agent, who's almost surely not going to be available on 24 hours notice on a holiday weekend (she hasn't answered our text/email yet). If we show up without her, they'll show us the house and assign us an agent who would get the commission if we buy. That would be awfully unfair to the woman whom we've worked with for the past year. So unless there's a way around that, it looks like we'll have to wait until next weekend, in the unlikely event that it's still on the market.

This house is much bigger than we need and the property tax is correspondingly big, and it isn't air conditioned so we'd have to add mini-splits or buy a few window units. But everything else about it is really appealing.

[Kraken]

And then the new mortgage comes in about $2,500 a month more than our income can cover, so we'd have to rely on retirement money again to cover that gap until we sell our old house. That shouldn''t be more than a few months, but we'd be cash-poor for that duration.

In this market you can't count on selling your old house quickly.

Our realtor thinks otherwise, because we have a small starter home (of the sort that hasn't been built in decades) in a very desirable location, and there's a huge housing shortage here. And because it needs a lot of updating it will be priced as a fixer-upper.

It's entirely possible that we'll run into the same kind of problems you did, though.

[Jaymon]

I am considering a new water heater. the one I have has not failed,,,yet.

but its 8 years old, and I have not performed regular maintenance on it. I was not aware it needed regular flushing and such,I have no idea the state of the intake pipe inside. And I know we want one with a larger capacity. SOMEBODY in my house likes to take baths. So the water heater is getting plenty of usage.

[coopasonic]

I am considering a new water heater. the one I have has not failed,,,yet.

but its 8 years old, and I have not performed regular maintenance on it. I was not aware it needed regular flushing and such,I have no idea the state of the intake pipe inside. And I know we want one with a larger capacity. SOMEBODY in my house likes to take baths. So the water heater is getting plenty of usage.

I will regret making this post (can I knock on wood virtually?) but ours is 15 years old and shows no signs of failing. Also, water heater maintenance? Pilot light has gone out a few times over those 15 years but no biggie.

[Carpet_pissr]

Yeah, I only learned about the annual flushing thing a few years ago….on mine at least, it’s just me going upstairs, opening a closet door on the landing, and lifting and holding a pin on top of the unit for a few minutes. IIRC. I haven’t done it in 2 years. :/

Great nudge for me to do this TODAY.

[Brian]

If the bank says yes, then I'll be dropping $26k on a new bathroom.

We have been planning this upgrade almost since we bought the house 23 years ago.

Unfortunately, it entails knocking out and then building a new wall as well as digging out the concrete to set new plumbing. Not to mention all the additional drywall and electrical work.

A nice, new shower and heated floors will be a welcome addition tho.

[em2nought]

I think I've drained water heaters about six times in my life starting in the late 90s, and I've never noticed much sediment at all come from the tanks. Most of those tanks it had probably been quite a few years since they were drained if ever. Maybe I've just been lucky to live in areas with good water all those years.

The water heater I bought last year had the heater setting a bit too low, so bumped that up five degrees or so. I'd maybe try that if I was running out of hot water too soon.

[Carpet_pissr]

If the bank says yes, then I'll be dropping $26k on a new bathroom.

We have been planning this upgrade almost since we bought the house 23 years ago.

Unfortunately, it entails knocking out and then building a new wall as well as digging out the concrete to set new plumbing. Not to mention all the additional drywall and electrical work.

A nice, new shower and heated floors will be a welcome addition tho.

More deets if you don’t mind. Wife has been bugging me to re-do our master bath for years.

I remember one of my architect buddies coming to my house for the first time and looking at our master bath and saying, ‘wow your builder really cheaped out in here!’ (I had asked him to look at it since the wife had been asking about upgrading shower and bath).

Was hoping to squeak by with $6-$8K, but not sure that’s doable these days.

Our issue is mainly that the shower is just one of those cheap, contractor-grade, one piece poly units, which really stands out considering the rest of the bathroom is nice, and spacious.

Bath could use replacing as well, though if it were up to me, I would just kill the bathtub and make the rebuilt shower huge (tub is next to shower).

[Anonymous Bosch]

Yeah, I only learned about the annual flushing thing a few years ago….on mine at least, it’s just me going upstairs, opening a closet door on the landing, and lifting and holding a pin on top of the unit for a few minutes. IIRC. I haven’t done it in 2 years. :/

Great nudge for me to do this TODAY.

I think I've drained water heaters about six times in my life starting in the late 90s, and I've never noticed much sediment at all come from the tanks. Most of those tanks it had probably been quite a few years since they were drained if ever. Maybe I've just been lucky to live in areas with good water all those years.

The water heater I bought last year had the heater setting a bit too low, so bumped that up five degrees or so. I'd maybe try that if I was running out of hot water too soon.

It's also prudent to change out the anode rod in your hot water tank every two to five years, depending on water quality of your particular locale (the harder your water, the more frequently your anode rod will need replacement). Because it's the anode rod that's specifically designed to prevent your water tank from corroding, so this tends to be the greatest factor as to how long your water heater will last before suffering a catastrophic blow-out. The most commonly-used magnesium alloy anode rods tend to be less expensive and have a shorter life span, as they're specifically designed to be sacrificial, i.e. its job is get eaten away and deteriorated by your incoming water supply, to keep it from attacking the water heater itself, which is what will ultimately cause it to fail. So, after a few years the anode rod will inevitably end up looking like this, and cease doing its job:



However, a superior option to changing out and replacing your water heater's anode rod every few years is to upgrade to a powered anode rod instead, which includes a full twenty-year warranty. You can see this demonstrated and explained in the video below:

[Daehawk]

Seems I have to get a tablet before I wanted to or before I can. If thats makes any sense.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Seems I have to get a tablet before I wanted to or before I can. If thats makes any sense.

[Blackhawk]

Why do you have to?

[Brian]

If the bank says yes, then I'll be dropping $26k on a new bathroom.

We have been planning this upgrade almost since we bought the house 23 years ago.

Unfortunately, it entails knocking out and then building a new wall as well as digging out the concrete to set new plumbing. Not to mention all the additional drywall and electrical work.

A nice, new shower and heated floors will be a welcome addition tho.

More deets if you don’t mind. Wife has been bugging me to re-do our master bath for years.

For additional context, we redid the upstairs bathroom about eight years ago. I replaced the floor and tiled it myself along with installing the toilet, vanity, sink, mirror, and various shelves and towel racks and painted the walls.

We contracted out the tub, shower, hand rails, shower wall tiling, and light fixtures.
All in with labor and material we came in around $8000

This new project for the basement bathroom is going to be a lot more intensive and I'm not doing any of the work myself (bad knees. getting both knees total replacement surgeries in January and June of next year).

To make room for the shower, they will have to demo the wall between the bathroom and den and create the space for the shower then place the new wall in its new location.
The concrete floor will need to be excavated to run new plumbing and drainage.
Almost the entire bathroom will need to be rewired and we will likely replace the washer/dryer set that's there now.
A new drop ceiling and all new lighting will be installed.
New vanity and sink will be installed.
Once the underfloor work is completed, a new floor will be poured and then a heated floor system will be installed and new tile overlayed.
The shower will be faux marble with a glass wall/door. (I'm a lecherous old bastard and want to watch my wife shower. )
The shower will also have a bench style seat and recessed nook for shampoo, etc. and enough room for two adults.
The remaining walls will be freshly painted.

So a lot of work is going into this particular project and the price tag reflects it.


Edit: The demo, new wall, floor excavation with associated plumbing and new pour, and all electrical work will be done by one contractor and that part of the bid is $16,000

The rest of it, shower floor, drain, glass, and tile, then heated floor, vanity, sink, mirror, (will reuse existing toilet), and sundry is the other contractor and that bit is $10,000

Both of these bids each have built in allowances of about $2000 for overages and material changes.

I'm asking the bank for $30k. Our realtor says this should add about $40k in value (coupled with some other changes we have made since we talked with her about possibly listing)

Current equity in our home is roughly $150,000

[Carpet_pissr]

Seems I have to get a tablet before I wanted to or before I can. If thats makes any sense.

Literal LOL

[em2nought]

Yeah, I only learned about the annual flushing thing a few years ago….on mine at least, it’s just me going upstairs, opening a closet door on the landing, and lifting and holding a pin on top of the unit for a few minutes. IIRC. I haven’t done it in 2 years. :/

Great nudge for me to do this TODAY.

The water heater I bought last year had the heater setting a bit too low, so bumped that up five degrees or so. I'd maybe try that if I was running out of hot water too soon.

It's also prudent to change out the anode rod in your hot water tank every two to five years

Safety first: I should have mentioned it's prudent to turn the breaker to the water heater off before turning the thermostats up. There are usually two thermostats in two separate entry panels on the water heater.

[Carpet_pissr]

Edit: The demo, new wall, floor excavation with associated plumbing and new pour, and all electrical work will be done by one contractor and that part of the bid is $16,000
The rest of it, shower floor, drain, glass, and tile, then heated floor, vanity, sink, mirror, (will reuse existing toilet), and sundry is the other contractor and that bit is $10,000

Very helpful, thanks for going to the trouble of breaking that out. Specifically, this above is what I was wondering about. I was trying to fathom how the price difference was so large between what I am expecting, and what you are doing, but I am not going to be completely taking the room back to the studs (and floor!) like you (or like it sounds like). That is a massive project, like you said, wow! Pics when it's finished!

Of course geography makes a difference in price, as does which way the wind is blowing a certain day, how much work X contractor currently has, etc. But your $10K sounds about right, and since I won't be adding a heated floor (and could easily keep the existing vanity, though might be nice to upgrade), I'm thinking around $6-8K. I wonder how much of that $10K quote is the heated floor part.

[Isgrimnur]

New rigs for myself and the wife.

i7-14700K and GeForce RTX™ 4060

[Montag]

Apparently ~ $4k for an emergency vet bill for a blocked urinary tract for my cat.

[em2nought]

If I was spending that much money on a bathroom, I'd be thinking of adding a bidet. If not a bidet, then at least one of those bidet seats on the existing toilet. A bidet toilet seat would pay for itself in toilet paper savings. I also really like those new wall hugging/less deep vanities for making the bathroom even more spacious.

[Punisher]

If I was spending that much money on a bathroom, I'd be thinking of adding a bidet. If not a bidet, then at least one of those bidet seats on the existing toilet. A bidet toilet seat would pay for itself in toilet paper savings. I also really like those new wall hugging/less deep vanities for making the bathroom even more spacious.

I've been thinking about that but would REALLY need to test drive one first to make sure that it actually cleaned well and also that it dried well.

[em2nought]

If I was spending that much money on a bathroom, I'd be thinking of adding a bidet. If not a bidet, then at least one of those bidet seats on the existing toilet. A bidet toilet seat would pay for itself in toilet paper savings. I also really like those new wall hugging/less deep vanities for making the bathroom even more spacious.

I've been thinking about that but would REALLY need to test drive one first to make sure that it actually cleaned well and also that it dried well.

I bought a bidet attachment at Walmart a few years ago on clearance for $10. Installed it at my friends house, it was good quality, and it worked really well. I'd have one on mine right if the basic one came in "biscuit", and I wasn't planning on moving. "Luxe Bidet". It was an attachment that went under the existing seat which I did have to replace with a different seat because it just wouldn't work with the existing seat.

[Brian]

I wonder how much of that $10K quote is the heated floor part.

I had them update the original quote with the heated floor and it only added $1,000.

Keep in mind that some cost was already built in to the quote so I'm not sure how accurate the $1k part is on its own.

RE: Bidets. We have one of the Luxe, under seat style, bidets on the toilet upstairs. We got it right before the ridiculous toilet paper wars during the Covid times so it really saved us a lot of headaches.

For the new bathroom, and not included in the quote, I've been looking at some of the high-end toilets with built in bidets. One of the big benefits of the new toilet/bidet combos is an in-tank water heater. The add on ones simply tap into the water supply for the toilet and that's some cold water there buddy. With the high-end toilet/bidet combos that warm water is going to be a pleasant bonus.

Now, the price difference is pretty hefty. You can add one of the under-seat units to an existing toilet for $35-50 and they are super easy to set up.
The toilet/bidet combos that I'm looking at start at $500 so it's a pretty big leap.

[JCC]

I have 2 bidet seats in my house. Every time I have to do my #2 business on a bidet-less toilet is now a nightmare. They are cheap and easy to install. It's a shame American homes don't put electric outlets near/around the toilet, because I would love a heated one. As is, for most of the year, the one in my (upstairs) master bath usually has warm water, but not during this time of year. Once you learn how to "relax" yourself when you use it, it's amazing how much less you use toilet paper (mainly just to make sure you are clean and for drying).

[disarm]

I wonder how much of that $10K quote is the heated floor part.

I had them update the original quote with the heated floor and it only added $1,000.

Keep in mind that some cost was already built in to the quote so I'm not sure how accurate the $1k part is on its own.

We have a heated floor in our master bathroom and it's actually a pretty inexpensive addition if you have the floor ripped out anyway. All they have to do is lay out the electric heating mat, run power to the floor and thermostat, and cover it with new tile. I think it was only an $800 expense when we built our house nine years ago and it's been worth every penny.

[TheMix]

Just installed a bidet. We got a "mid-range" one that replaces the seat. It has a heated seat, heated water, and a blow dryer. But the latter isn't too useful. I did have to run an extension cord to an outlet. We got it for $150 off from CostCo. It's normally in the $400-500 range. Apparently if you want one that actually heats the water consistently (one complaint of this one is that it's a bit hit-or-miss) and actually dries, you have to jump to the $1000+ range. The bad part is that we have a very slow leak from the old connection hose. I think I'm going to have to get a replacement for that.

Also dropped the cash for some dental work. Going with Invisalign to see if I can get my teeth into better positions, and thus not have issues as I get older. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to get "used" to wearing them. But braces seemed even worse. That was $6k+.

The last major purchase on the horizon is a new vehicle. I keep putting off getting the ball rolling. I need to work on that.

If we can find a decent plumbing outfit, I'd like to look into getting a whole house humidifier. We recently discovered that the one we thought got installed (and we paid for) when we built the addition did not, in fact, actually ever get installed.

[Anonymous Bosch]

If I was spending that much money on a bathroom, I'd be thinking of adding a bidet. If not a bidet, then at least one of those bidet seats on the existing toilet. A bidet toilet seat would pay for itself in toilet paper savings. I also really like those new wall hugging/less deep vanities for making the bathroom even more spacious.

Just installed a bidet. We got a "mid-range" one that replaces the seat. It has a heated seat, heated water, and a blow dryer. But the latter isn't too useful. I did have to run an extension cord to an outlet. We got it for $150 off from CostCo. It's normally in the $400-500 range. Apparently if you want one that actually heats the water consistently (one complaint of this one is that it's a bit hit-or-miss) and actually dries, you have to jump to the $1000+ range. The bad part is that we have a very slow leak from the old connection hose. I think I'm going to have to get a replacement for that.

[Carpet_pissr]

Slightly amusing bidet anecdote: The first time I visited my wife's parents' house in Portugal, I noticed they had a bidet (separate unit, next to toilet), and I commented on it. This was 20 years ago, so the ol memory banks are tough to access properly, but the reaction was something to the effect of "oh, that's not a bidet, that's where you wash your feet".

MY reaction, in keeping with my prickly, smart ass personality was "the hell it's not! I know a bidet when I see one, and THAT is a bidet!"

Some background/context: Portuguese are notoriously weird about feet and dirty feet in particular. At first I thought this "clean feet" thing (and the "foot cleaning device") was familial and particular to my wife's family, but nay, it appears to be a widespread cultural phenomenon. Probably related to the Moorish influence.

Still unclear if they knew it was a bidet, and simply chose to use it as a "foot washer" (which I found hilarious of course), or literally thought the thing was installed and designed for washing feet.

One day I will ask about the bidet/not a bidet kerfuffle in order to resolve the mystery, but that day is not today.

[Kraken]

The last major purchase on the horizon is a new vehicle. I keep putting off getting the ball rolling. I need to work on that.

That's high on our list, too, but since we're also shopping for a new house buying a car now would be a *bit* much. OTOH, I want to replace the Honda before it shits the bed, but where we're going to live will affect what kind of vehicle we need. We should at least come up with 2-3 vehicles that are contenders, in case our hand is forced. Preliminary opinion is that plug-in electrics aren't quite there yet so we'll probably opt for a hybrid instead.

[TheMix]

The last major purchase on the horizon is a new vehicle. I keep putting off getting the ball rolling. I need to work on that.

That's high on our list, too, but since we're also shopping for a new house buying a car now would be a *bit* much. OTOH, I want to replace the Honda before it shits the bed, but where we're going to live will affect what kind of vehicle we need. We should at least come up with 2-3 vehicles that are contenders, in case our hand is forced. Preliminary opinion is that plug-in electrics aren't quite there yet so we'll probably opt for a hybrid instead.

My 1998 F150 is... well, not in great shape. I mean, it looks pretty good for it's age, but the last time I took it in, they came back with ~$3k worth of work that it needs/should get.

[coopasonic]

The last major purchase on the horizon is a new vehicle. I keep putting off getting the ball rolling. I need to work on that.

That's high on our list, too, but since we're also shopping for a new house buying a car now would be a *bit* much. OTOH, I want to replace the Honda before it shits the bed, but where we're going to live will affect what kind of vehicle we need. We should at least come up with 2-3 vehicles that are contenders, in case our hand is forced. Preliminary opinion is that plug-in electrics aren't quite there yet so we'll probably opt for a hybrid instead.

My 1998 F150 is... well, not in great shape. I mean, it looks pretty good for it's age, but the last time I took it in, they came back with ~$3k worth of work that it needs/should get.

If it makes you feel better, since 1998 I've spent ~260k on daily driver vehicles (not counting anything for my wife). I think 3k in repairs sounds pretty good.

[LordMortis]

The last major purchase on the horizon is a new vehicle. I keep putting off getting the ball rolling. I need to work on that.

That's high on our list, too, but since we're also shopping for a new house buying a car now would be a *bit* much. OTOH, I want to replace the Honda before it shits the bed, but where we're going to live will affect what kind of vehicle we need. We should at least come up with 2-3 vehicles that are contenders, in case our hand is forced. Preliminary opinion is that plug-in electrics aren't quite there yet so we'll probably opt for a hybrid instead.

My 1998 F150 is... well, not in great shape. I mean, it looks pretty good for it's age, but the last time I took it in, they came back with ~$3k worth of work that it needs/should get.

If it makes you feel better, since 1998 I've spent ~260k on daily driver vehicles (not counting anything for my wife). I think 3k in repairs sounds pretty good.

Since 1998, I bought two new cars for total cost of $26,000. The first I put maybe $3000 in maintenance/repairs total before I thought it was too unreliable to fix. The current one, I've probably put close $8000 in maintenance/repairs and I'd say it's too reliable to fix but now $1500 repairs seem much more reasonable than they did in 2008, given the price of cars. I'm due for another and the price of cars is scary. The $13,000 new car with a new car warranty of 98 and 2008 are things of the distant past.

[Kraken]

The $13,000 new car with a new car warranty of 98 and 2008 are things of the distant past.

We paid $15,000 in cash for our 2010 Honda in 2011 because they had an unwanted car on the lot and because I did my homework and didn't let the salesman rush me. Nobody else wanted last year's Fit with a standard transmission and I was ready to walk if they didn't meet my price. I'm quite sure that's the last new car we'll ever buy in cash. And I probably won't negotiate the next one with a salesman, at least not in a F2F, "let me talk to my manager" situation -- I'm good at negotiating, but does anyone still buy a car while sitting in a salesman's cubicle?

[Daehawk]

His manager has managers.

[Kraken]

Yet somehow we manage.

[coopasonic]

I'm good at negotiating, but does anyone still buy a car while sitting in a salesman's cubicle?

Only a majority of new and used car sales in the United States. You can start by email or a web form, transition to text and you'll still end up in the same room talking about the extended warranty, fabric protection and maintenance plan.

[LordMortis]

I'm good at negotiating, but does anyone still buy a car while sitting in a salesman's cubicle?

Only a majority of new and used car sales in the United States. You can start by email or a web form, transition to text and you'll still end up in the same room talking about the extended warranty, fabric protection and maintenance plan.

Etched glass and extra special superduper undercoating that you must take and pay for as an add on. It comes on every vehicle as a paid a for extra.

[telcta]

Yeah, but I'm sayin', that TruCoat, you don't get it and you get oxidization problems. It'll cost you a heck of lot more'n five hundred