'You will NEVER complete a project with a single visit to a home store': Homeowner shares the unfortunate 'unwritten rules' of house ownership that no one talks about

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 16, 2023 3:00 PM EST

Homeowners had some sage advice to offer to the Reddit community about what it's like dealing with nosy neighbors, property issues, and going to the hardware store 857 times for a single project. For many people, switching from renting to owning a home can seem like a major upgrade. You have more space, maybe you have a lawn and some friendly neighbors, and you can have parties and barbecues whenever you feel like it. 

What's the catch? Well, owning a home means you have to care for the house in all sorts of ways. One Redditor shared their great advice under the question "What unwritten rules do you learn only AFTER becoming a home owner?" From the replies, it's clear that home ownership isn't always all it's cracked up to be. 

From there, check out this article about a Karen and her kiddies who demanded access to a hotel pool, ignoring the rules the whole time. 

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  • 01
    Rectangle - Part- Everything the previous owners DIY'd was stupid and ridiculous and poorly done. Everything I DIY is great and the next homeowner will be impressed with the quality of my work.
    via Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/r/HomeImprovement Posted by u/ParaDescartar123 =93 35 What unwritten rules do you learn only AFTER becoming a home owner?
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 03
    Font - I have some. This is mostly suburbs living. Rural and city will have their own. 1. Your neighbors will magically become arborists as soon as you trim more than 10% of any tree on your property. You will finally have a conversation with that neighbor that hasn't bothered to do more than wave at you, and will offer tons of advice about what you CAN'T do with YOUR tree on YOUR property because of the major impact to them, or the neighborhood, or the city, or global climate change. They will
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 04
    Font - 2) If a fence is in fair to good condition, then your neighbor will claim it belongs to them. If the fence is in major disrepair or has recently fallen, your neighbor will disavow all knowledge of how and when the fence was erected or who owns it. When you explain to them that based on the way it was constructed and city code (posts on their side, flat side facing out), it would have been installed by them or by a previous owner. They will say, "Says who?" When you tell them that it was 3
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 05
    Font - 3) Every project you undertake will require that you uncover at least one additional project that needs to be addressed before the original project can be completed or create a new one by you breaking something while you were working on the original project. 4) You will NEVER complete a project with a single visit to a home store (see item 3 above). 5) If you borrow a tool from a neighbor, and it works amazingly, after the project is completed, you will go out and buy that tool. It will s
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 06
    Font - MaxSupernova Any project will be 90% completed in a normal amount of time. The final finishing touches will take at least a year, and you will be unable to find at least a third of the things you originally purchased to do the finishing touches and will be forced to rebuy them. Corollary: you will find them shortly after you finish the project.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 07
    Font - uslashuname Yes, the trim I took off a year ago with the nails sticking up. It was in the middle of the floor to remind me! for 6 months? For a year if need be, the trim isn't in yet is it?
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 08
    Font - Asphalt_outlaw And to add to that, if I said I'm going to do it, it'll get done! There's no need to remind me every three months!
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 09
    Font - Cpap4roosters Just because I have a workshop in the basement, a barn also with a couple of workbenches and storage, does not mean the living room is not a perfectly good place for a tool belt. You never know when you may need something.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 10
    Font - Part- Everything the previous owners DIY'd was stupid and ridiculous and poorly done. Everything I DIY is great and the next homeowner will be impressed with the quality of my work.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 11
    Human body - Stunning_Orange6857 Previous owners are also color blind.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 12
    Font - CoyotePuncher Sometimes I think this and I wonder if I'm just biased and blind to my own work, or if I'm just as much of a hack. Then I remember that when I moved in all of the doors had to be slammed shut and the lights down stairs all went out if you ran the microwave upstairs. Considering those are no longer problems, I must be slightly less of a hack.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 13
    Font - RazedbyRobots Take water seriously inside and out. That means leaks, roofs, drainage, bad grading, excess humidity in crawl space. If you plan on being there a while bite the bullet and knock it out.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 14
    Rectangle - moaiii 52 37 The list is never finished. Never. So take weekends off now and again and spend it with the ones you are making a home for. 1.9k Share
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 15
    Hair - diverareyouok The closer your house is to a Home Depot, the easier your life will be.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 16
    Human body - mmazing The previous homeowner is always that did shoddy work. an a
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 17
    Font - x_samsquantch_x Once you realize how much things cost or how hard they are to DIY, you start to empathize with the last guy. You still hate him, though.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 18
    Font - SnowSlider3050 This- in the past many homeowners operated with a "whatever works" mentality. Thus patchwork and bandaid style fixes. 28 Share skydreamer303 I refuse to believe using a drywall anchor for the towel racks and hand towel racks was too hard. Who screws directly into dry wall??
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 19
    Font - rfuree11 "Patrick" is a swear word in our house. My wife knows if she hears "F Patrick" to give me space for a few minutes. 792 Share arothmanmusic "Jesus Christ, Glenn! How could you paint AROUND THE FURNITURE?!?"
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 20
    Font - [deleted] I know the names of the two previous owners of my house, Ed, the guy who fully gut renovated the house, and did very good quality work, never cut corners. Then there is Peter, the second owner, who did everything in the most shoddy, "wtf, why would you do this!" manner. My wife immediately knows how a project is going dependent on how many "Ed, my man!" or "f Peter, mother f!" get thrown around during it lol. Everything Peter touched turns into an ordeal.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 21
    Mammal - SocialIssuesAhoy Also: the previous owner will ALWAYS lie, downplay, and cover up the negatives of the house when they're selling it.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 22
    Head - ferse_r_vadu There are no perfect 90° angles in your house. Not one.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 23
    Font - huskers2468 The "major issues" you see at the beginning, might not be that major in the end. Give yourself a few months in the house before deciding what to do, unless it's an actual hazard. My dad came out this past week, and basically just brushed off half of what I was concerned about. My parents have a nice suburban home, so it was surprising that so many things are, "welp that's home ownership."
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 24
    Human body - DataDiictodons That's how five years later I still don't have a bathroom door that closes all the way
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 25
    Font - EthosPathos Legos Everyone starts off a perfectionist, but over the years your standards will diminish.
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 26
    Font - mmmmrrrr6789 The house knows when you have money. Usually near the exact amount. My mom puts money away and gets a "Christmas club" check every November for around $2000- 2500. This year the furnace needs repair. $2100
    via r/HomeImprovement
  • 27
    Font - the_real_grinningdog Never throw out left over timber. Tradesman will never turn up on time. Some tradesmen will be worse than doing it yourself. Never install new/replacement plumbing without fitting an isolator for next time. And, judging by my very first house, your next door neighbour will be a middle-aged bloke with a pony tail who looks like an unwashed serial killer, never leaves the house but apparently has a never ending supply of wood that he saws up all day.
    via r/HomeImprovement

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