All Forum Posts by: Kathleen Leary

Maybe he DID glue them down. The boards can't move if that's the case, either. You'll have to do some detective work. Not likely if you did a total rehab, but if there's moisture coming up through the subfloor, there's another thing to look at.

I'm going to go mop my kitchen floor now! I'm not the world's greatest housekeeper (that's an understatement!) & have an amazing tolerance for grubbiness in my own home, but that's TOO MUCH even by my very lax standards. Ugh. Maybe I'll clean the bathroom, too.

A lot of towns/cities have a paint recycling program. They collect, strain & mix the leftover colors & then residents (or whoever) can have it free or super-cheap. It usually ends up a weird "greige" color, but it's perfect for painting outbuildings, garages, etc. Check around - it may take some digging to find it, but chances are good you can find such a program.

I buy TONS of paint from Habitat ReStore, too. Walmart, HD, Lowe's, etc. have half-price returns - Monday is the day to check on those. People paint on the weekend & take the stuff back they don't use/like.

Wow - only the Boomers listed a library & that was #25. In our tiny town, the library is a pretty hoppin' place for kids, teens AND adults. Guess it depends on what else is available.

I have a similar problem - there are two bedrooms upstairs, but you have to walk through the first to get to the second. Both are fine in terms of egress, closet, etc. but it's a VERY small house & there's no practical way to change the layout. In realistic terms, it's a bedroom, but to a real estate agent or appraiser, it probably isn't. Potato, po-tah-to. In your case, I would not call the basement a "bedroom" of any sort, due to the lack of egress. It could be a media room, playroom, tornado shelter, gigantic walk-in closet, "bonus room," etc. If there's a fire & somebody's sleeping in there, you do not want that on your head!

You have no obligation at all to do any checking on prospective tenants. Actually, it would be great if you didn't - that way, you'll have all the deadbeats in YOUR rentals & the "fact checkers" won't!

Get rid of it. Pad, too. If it stinks of smoke/tobacco, you're immediately alienating 80% of potential renters. Yes, it's an expense, but non-smokers (for the most part) won't rent a property like that. If it would sit vacant for two months waiting for a smoker to rent it, you've probably paid for your new carpet.

You can wash blinds - either put them in the bathtub or the driveway & go at them with an ammonia-based cleaner & the hose - it may not be worth the effort, though.

I've been through this myself - house with 20 years of non-stop smoking. UGH!

Another consideration - tile is cold. Women don't like cold feet. Women choose what house to buy.

Tile's great in kitchens, halls, etc. but if you put it in a bathroom (especially at your $$ price point), you might consider adding radiant heating underneath. It would be a definite plus in your offering.

Laminate: in a house in that price range, put in hardwood. Regardless of what it initially looks like, laminate seems like you're cheaping out on the finishes.

All tenants over 18 go on the lease. As Gail pointed out, if one leaves, the other is responsible for the total amount.

As for the dog, my major concern would be peeing on the floor during the day when the owners are at work. As the owner of an elderly, incontinent large dog, I know what I'm talking about!

If you could rectify the dog issue, they sound okay.

Always! I am in the "swap" camp, just because I seem to have acquired a bunch of extra locksets. I have gold & silver ones, so I can match whatever's needed. Don't forget Habitat ReStore - sometimes you can pick up a keyed set for a few bucks.