The Home Ownership Thread

[double00]

my neighbor has a persimmon he was complaining they are too brittle to climb for pruning

was that a crepe myrtle i saw in the bunch ? we planted a bunch as an aerial hedge

 

[ValidusLA]

my neighbor has a persimmon he was complaining they are too brittle to climb for pruning

was that a crepe myrtle i saw in the bunch ? we planted a bunch as an aerial hedge

They are extremely brittle. Not so good when a giant male black bear decides he wants persimmons.

Plus this will be 2 years in a row I don't get any damn persimmons.

Yes, multi trunk dynamite crepe myrtle. Dynamite has a bright red flower and a reddish leaf tinge. I have a spot in the yard I wanted some dark leaf color, and had a thundercloud plum there. But uh....deer really like plum leaves and branches apparently.....so that died. Nothing eats myrtle.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

TLDR - I hate @beargonefishing .

That is just so rude.

 

[ValidusLA]

Changing people's quotes is lame.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Like I would ever use the word "lame"

 

[Fueco]

Like I would ever use the word "lame"

 

[RSS]

We have put improvements (the wants ... including furnishings) on hold awaiting the outcome of the 2024 election. We may spruce up (finishes) the house as the election approaches in the event we feel the desire to put it up for sale. We are thinking Europe may be in our future if things go "South".

 

[otc]

I have to imagine that the modular, and pre-built technology has come a long way since then. I’ve always wondered why it hasn’t caught on a lot more. Maybe it has in areas other than Metro Detroit where there is some actual population growth?

Everything I've read seems to say that it still just isn't cost competitive with site-built homes. You still have to do all of the site prep, you still have to buy roughly the same amount of materials, you have to deliver and crane in everything...and until recently, most of your generic construction labor was pretty cheap so its not like there were huge savings to doing it off site. Nobody seems big enough to be truly hitting economies of scale from building in a factory (and most clients ponying up for this work want customized designs, so its not like you can simply assembly-line it).

I do think you might get some quality benefits from building them in that sort of setting, but you also get some restrictions on what you can and can't do.

End result is most people go with the cheaper option...especially since most homes aren't built by the eventual resident.

edit: one place where I do think this looks more interesting is Accessory Dwelling Units. They seem to be growing in popularity (thanks AirBNB?) and zoning permissiveness and a lot of the prefab/modular companies are putting out offerings. Since those are smaller, less complex, and can probably sit on simple foundations (they are basically manufactured homes with a shorter footprint and nicer looking...), that might give some of these firms enough legs to build some economies of scale.

 

[double00]

the furnace tech just left , for funzies i asked him what the hottest temp he'd seen people running their house at . he told me he's seen 84 degrees whoa

 

[NorCal]

A trespasser stopped by the house and took a snooze today. Decided to let him off w a warning.

View attachment 1694780

Death is the only option. cooltrucker is far to comfortable.

 

[Fueco]

We have put improvements (the wants ... including furnishings) on hold awaiting the outcome of the 2024 election. We may spruce up (finishes) the house as the election approaches in the event we feel the desire to put it up for sale. We are thinking Europe may be in our future if things go "South".

Same. Though we very well could end up in coastal British Columbia.

 

[Van Veen]

My caulk's all clogged up.

2nd tube like this.

 

[brokencycle]

That’s a pretty ****** situation.

On a related note: When we were out trick-or-treating last night my 5-year-old asked why one house had a portable toilet in the driveway. I told her it was for trick-or-treaters who needed to make a pit stop and she suddenly decided that she needed to use the bathroom (we kept her out of it)



I actually made that suggestion but she turned her nose up at it. That’s when I downgraded the idea to a singlewide.

About 20 years ago, my oldest brother “built” his own house. It was a 2-story modular home that looks like any other suburban colonial at the time. He had the basement dug and poured and then all the walls were pre-made at a factory and trucked in. He used a crane he rented and lifted them all into place and basically built it like a LEGO set. IIRC, the walls had the wiring, ductwork, and insulation already in them. All he had to do on the interior After he put in windows was drywall and paint. Seemed pretty much ideal for somebody who had a little bit of skill and didn’t want to mess around with contractors. 20 years later everything seems to have held up really well (probably a lot more solid than the million dollar “luxury” sh!tbox they put up next to me a few years ago).

I have to imagine that the modular, and pre-built technology has come a long way since then. I’ve always wondered why it hasn’t caught on a lot more. Maybe it has in areas other than Metro Detroit where there is some actual population growth?

I think the reason is that it gets advertised as a way to save money and for the most part it is more expensive slightly.

 

[HRoi]

My caulk's all clogged up.

View attachment 1695922

2nd tube like this.

Reported for showing us pictures of your caulk

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Reported for showing us pictures of your *Unimpressive* caulk