Cross-posted in r/legaladvice- any helpful input about your experience is appreciated.

I just moved from a condo with a small-med sized master closet into a ranch house with the same size closet, however laid out differently. The previous closet had wooden poles with a wooden shelf above it. Perfect. Loved it.

Just moved into this new house and this closet has the white metal type shelves and there are dividers every 8-10 inches and I find it to be most annoying as I can’t move the clothes very far and they get stuck.

I would like one that is either wire (without the dividers) or wood, whichever is cheaper, lower as I can hardly reach that top shelf. I’m 5’1” and the closet is a pain unless I keep a step stool in there. I would like 2 layers of wire or wooden shelves. I know the old shelves would have to be removed to add the new ones but does anyone know how I should go about that? Home Depot? I have a handyman but he is EXPENSIVE and I cannot afford $8-10,000 for a closet. Can you please tell me where to start or who I should contact? I literally hate the closet. Thank you. Not sure where to post this.

Water heater makes rattling noise that sounds like rocks or pebbles shifting when you turn on hot water. Have recently flushed it to address sediment. It's otherwise heating water effectively, and no leaks. Any other possibilities? Time to replace?

Hi, I have a fruit tree in my front yard that isn’t overreaching to any public areas. There has been someone who came a while ago to pick the fruit without notice but my camera didn’t catch it. Today, another person (isn’t sure if the first time was them) had come. The picking habits were identical to last time, so assuming that it is that person had come and picked everything again.

Do you guys have any recommendations for trespassing because I don’t have a fence around the area, given that it’s a relatively small area. I don’t have a no trespassing sign but just ordered one, and planning to get a fence around the area. I don’t intend on making any neighbor relationship bad in fear of any retaliation, but it’s upsetting me that it’s constantly happening and they do a whole 360 to pick everything ripe off my tree.

I’m also considering of getting a better and high resolution camera for the sake of catching this person because the one I currently am using is the Ring camera which isn’t very clear and doesn’t catch everything. If there are any good camera recommendations, please let me know. Thank you in advance!

I already use a single slow cooker pretty regularly, especially when we have people over, but the second dish usually ends up being kept warm in a saucepan or casserole dish.

Lately I’ve been wondering whether a double cooker is actually useful enough to justify giving up more cabinet space. One of the options I looked at was a sunvivi two-crock setup, mainly because it seems like it could make small gatherings and holiday side dishes a little easier.

What I can’t tell is whether this is one of those appliances that sounds convenient in theory but mostly sits around the rest of the year.

For homeowners who cook for family or host even occasionally, did moving from one crock to two make a noticeable difference? If it was worth it for you, what situations made the extra crock genuinely useful?

For starters, neighbors are not bad but this is moreso something I am unsure how to manage. I live in a wooded area and while other houses are somewhat close, they’re generally spread apart with decent privacy.

I had a wooded parcel nextdoor I didn’t think could be developed, but a few years ago, a house was built. The builders were complete assholes and disrespectful so I already had a bad taste in my mouth. Fast forward, the neighbors are a family with kids. Friendly but we don’t engage much. I still try to be cordial and have helped with a few things - shovel snow, fallen branch, etc .

The house has a good bit of land but was built right on the property line on a slope (I’m uphill) so when I look outside, I’m staring into the living room. The windows are often open and I can see the TV, people walking around, etc. They turn in pretty early and I feel awkward whenever I get home late at night on a gravel driveway (noise) and have my headlights shine into their house, I shut the car door, etc. I also feel weird whenever I have a friends over and we’re quietly around the campfire, playing soft music, etc. I feel like I’m the one who’s bothering.

With the way the house is angled, it’s awkward when I’m in my front yard or get in my car. I feel like I’m in their living room. I have a right to do whatever in my own property but it’s awkward. For example, if I’m having sex with a partner and the windows are open, it’s close to them, and I feel weird with there being kids. Or I’m walking around my woods after dark, I feel weird like I’m a creepy guy, a couple yards away from my neighbor’s house. Or not wearing a shirt outside, etc.

I accepted it’s their land and I’m not rude or standoffish, but I really don’t want to have to interact at all because I moved here for privacy and quiet. They generally keep to themselves and they’re not loud or anything but sometimes it is frustrating when you wake up expecting birds and nature but sometimes hear kids screaming or a weedwacker. I feel like you can’t go out in my front yard because you have to acknowledge. Or one of their pets randomly comes in my yard. I built a privacy fence and planted trees on my own dime, but it’s gonna take time to grow in and it’s still very awkward with the juxtaposition of the house. It’s also different now when their HVAC unit is on constantly and it’s hard to sit on my front porch and enjoy nature when you hear the drone in the background. What am I gonna do, tell them not to run it?

I want to extend the fence and plant more trees for more privacy, but I also don’t wanna come across as being a jerk or unfriendly. I basically want to not have to see the house (within reason.) I’m just trying to find a balance of having privacy and being comfortable in my own space yet also not come across as a jerk or like I don’t want them there. But at the end of the day, I’d rather just be left alone and live my life.

TLDR - how do I adjust/balance to a very awkwardly positioned house built next-door that severely limits my privacy yet also not come across as a jerk or recluse? They are friendly and not crappy neighbors, I just rather not have any at all.

My toddler moved the handle on the stove without me noticing for about 3 minutes. I’ve aired the house out and I can’t smell it anymore but can I use the stove now?

They turned on the filtered water before leaving, letting it overflow from the cup onto the counter and then down onto the floor; this caused a leak in the roof of the floor below. I was furious, but there was nothing I could do.

Hi, I live in the PNW, I noticed a couple days ago on the backside of my roof, I have a bunch of quarter size to a half dollar size moss patches. The front side is completely clean, which is why I didn’t notice it sooner. The way my house is positioned you don’t really see the backside of the roof. Which is why I didn’t catch this sooner. What is the best way to remove this DYI. Wish I could have a company come out. Just not in the cards right now.

my current rugs are getting old and i have been wanting to refresh the look of the house for a while now. i want something that feels lighter and more modern but still comfortable and practical for everyday use. i have kids and pets so durability and easy cleaning are important to me, and i prefer neutral or soft tones that work with most of my furniture.

i came across rug love while looking online and i really like their range of modern and boho styles. they seem to have good options for hallway runners that can be cut to size, which would be perfect for my long corridors, and their plush or hard-wearing designs look like they would hold up well.

i am mainly looking for a few larger area rugs for the living areas plus some runners. has anyone here recently bought new rugs and found good quality ones that are actually worth the money? what styles or materials have worked best for you in a busy household? any recommendations on where to look or what to avoid?

Just bought a house about 4 months ago and have been doing small remos. Recently we've been hit with heavy rain in central NC recently and noticed our dining room floor buckling. I thought it could be due to the humidity but with the bamboo flooring being 41 years I feel like it would have happened a while ago. Our only option is replacing them and just this morning it occurred to me the only thing we've added was internet. I checked the box on the side of the building and i find this opening. Do you guys recomend calling the insurance company or the internet people first?

I am a first-generation immigrant. My wife and I got married this past March, and together we work at least six days a week.
Early last year, through years of sacrifice, discipline, and relentless hard work, we bought our very first home—a modest two-family house. To us, homeownership wasn’t a luxury. In our culture, if you want to build a future in a new country, you first need a place to call your own.
In a city as expensive as New York, buying a home came at an enormous cost. Every dollar was carefully budgeted. We skipped vacations, worked long hours, and gave up countless comforts. We believed that if we worked hard enough and played by the rules, we could build a stable life.
Then reality hit.
As first-time landlords, we relied on the advice of our real estate agent. We were told that renting to a family with stable jobs and children would be the safest choice—that they would be responsible and reliable tenants.
Eight months later, they stopped paying rent.
Our dream was simple: get married, buy a home, and start a family. We’re both in our 30s now, while many of our friends—even those younger than us—already have children.
But today, we’re afraid to take that next step.
If my wife becomes pregnant and has to take time away from work, we may no longer be able to keep up with our mortgage payments. We both have to continue working simply to stay afloat. Instead of planning for a nursery, we’re worrying about whether we’ll be able to keep the roof over our own heads.
Every night, I come home, look upstairs, and see the lights on. I hear footsteps overhead. They continue living in our home without paying rent, while we—the people who worked tirelessly to buy this house—struggle every month to meet our obligations.
How is that fair?
We’re not a large corporation. We’re not wealthy investors. We’re just an ordinary immigrant couple trying to build a life through honest work.
If we have a child now, we risk falling behind on our mortgage and losing everything we’ve worked for. If we wait too long, we may lose the opportunity to become parents.
No family should have to make that choice.
This isn’t just about one tenant or one landlord. It’s about a system that leaves ordinary working families carrying impossible burdens while providing few timely remedies when things go wrong.
We came to America believing in the American Dream—the idea that hard work, responsibility, and perseverance would lead to a better life.
We still want to believe that.
But today, I can’t help asking:
New York… what happened to you?
How are ordinary families supposed to achieve the American Dream when simply doing the right thing no longer feels like enough?
New York, what happened to you?

Precious owner left a satellite dish. I want to remove it. Is it ok to remove and if so, what I should prepare for my roof?

Hi everyone,

My family and I are relocating from Florida to Alabama. We've found a new construction we like, but the reviews online are mixed. I'd like to do my own due diligence and make a fact-based decision. What due diligence steps can I take to evaluate whether the home is being built well and to assess the overall quality of the builder's work?

I've been trying to stay on top of routine home maintenance, and it's surprising how many small issues can turn into expensive repairs or even safety hazards if they're ignored for too long. I recently read an article from McNeese & Trotsky that mentioned how seemingly minor property hazards, like broken steps, loose railings, or uneven walkways, can sometimes lead to serious injuries. It made me realize that regular maintenance isn't just about protecting your home, but also about keeping family members and visitors safe.

For experienced homeowners, what's one maintenance task you think people put off too often? Has there ever been a small repair you ignored that later became a much bigger problem

Hi r/homeowner!

I'm a first time home buyer and need some ideas for the following:

• How do you currently track appliance warranties and home repair receipts?
• Do you keep home documents organized somewhere? If so, where? (in office, closet, etc. can be general)
• What's your biggest frustration with how you manage it now?
• Have you been in a situation where it cost you time or money?
• Is there a paid tool you use?

Anything helps. I don't know where to start with these things!

Thank you in advance.

I thought I'd finally solved an ant problem in my kitchen.

I sprayed around the windows, sealed a couple of small gaps I found, set out ant bait, and even followed a few DIY tips I found online. For almost a week, I didn't see a single ant.

Then they showed up again, this time using a completely different route.

That made me realize I was probably only blocking the ants I could see instead of dealing with whatever was attracting them or where the colony actually was.I eventually scheduled an inspection with AMPM Exterminators. They arrived within the scheduled time window, found the actual source of the infestation, treated the problem, and explained where the ants were getting in and how to help prevent them from returning. The whole process was professional and much more thorough than the DIY methods I had tried.

For those of you who've successfully gotten rid of ants, what finally worked? Was it just better bait, finding the entry point, or something else I'm overlooking?

House I bought has these on the windows but no blinds. Anyone know what kind of blinds these should work for?