this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2024
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So you buy a nice two shelf bookcase but it's wobbly and you know it won't hold much. I've recently gotten one and my solution was to put L-brackets on it. After installing about 8 of these brackets at the cojoining parts of the shelving, it is now completely stable and ready for use.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

For younger or newer renters, I highly recommend the book Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust

It covers so many things I wish I knew when I first moved out on my own, and probably would have saved me some serious money over the years.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

UK experience:

  • Open all your windows to air out for at least 20mins every day. If the place is prone to damp, twice a day. This includes days its sub-zero outside
  • Cheap rugs in strategic high traffic places protect shit carpets
  • If the landlord supplied it, the landlord fixes it
  • Get a windup torch for when the power goes out (it will)
  • Massive electric blankets to wrap up in rather than having the heating on 24/7
  • Charity shops for cutlery, glasses, mugs, plates. cooking utensils etc. Just make sure to clean them well before using.
  • Heavy thermal curtains in front of external facing doors and between rooms (if open plan).
  • Make sure you know exactly where elec/gas/water meters are, make a note of their reg. no. and take regular readings.
  • Get storage solutions that stack high rather than wide.
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago
  • 2 min rule, if you notice something and it takes less then 2 min; do it now
  • if you rent, pretty much all of the appliances are your landlords problem
  • Keep inside temp at least 60F 15C to prevent pipes from freezing/bursting. Disconnect hoses in winter. Sprinklers need to be flushed
  • your water heater has a dial on it for more/less heat
  • be sure to air the place out every once in a while
  • bug spray is well worth the money
  • learn to use molly bolts / plaster
  • pay for tradesmen, but water line valves and breakers should be common knowledge
  • be sure to replace your air filter, it can cause blocking. Don't close too many vents
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Get one of those little hair drain catchers for your tub and save yourself a plumber visit. Even if you are like me and ensure to do the hair wookie on the shower wall and pull loose strands out of the drain, it will still collect and last weekend my tub wouldn't drain, and my sociopath landlords sent someone to snake it out, and it was mostly just dog hair.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do not do any plumbing or electrical work yourself unless you are a plumber or an electrician respectively.

Consequences for mistakes can be extremely costly and/or deadly. If you rent, it's your landlord's responsibility to get that stuff handled. If you own, just pay the tradesmen to do it right.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I disagree. You probably shouldn't rewire your house yourself but changing out an outlet/switch or installing a water softener are extremely easy tasks that would not be worth hiring a contractor for. There's quite a lot you can safely do on your own as long as you educate yourself and triple check everything.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I agree. There are tons of resources out there that will tell you how to do it and typically they come with plenty of comments from other people telling why the particular example is wrong. From there you should be able to piece together a lot of the common mistakes, and understand how not to make them. If you can't understand the why to any of them, perhaps it isn't something you should be trying yourself.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Exactly. Replacing a light fixture, installing an outdoor floodlight, replacing a kitchen tap, replacing a shower mixer......all really easy tasks I've learnt from YouTube videos and are perfectly safe.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A robot vaccum is good for apartments and noisy neighbors below. Just get a dumb one with a remote and no camera.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I love our roomba, we got one that emptied itself so all I have to do is empty the bag once every month or so. Makes keeping the house tidy so much easier. It's great for the dog too, we just set the roomba off when the house is empty and come back to clean carpets. I hate hoovering though so mileage may vary.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 week ago

Keep shoes at the entrance as much as possible, and don’t walk around your house in them.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Here's an unpopular one that will have people huffing and puffing with righteous indignation.

Go vegan.

Your food will keep three times as long and you will not even need a refrigerator. I speak with 20 years of experience of living mostly solo in small apartments. Not having to deal with highly perishable and pathogenic food at home is a major convenience.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

And it's cheaper. I'm not full vegan nor vegetarian, but pared way down on red meat especially due to cost.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Veggies are not immune to spoiling nor pathogens. What is your diet made of besides legumes and beans?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Grainy things, quinoa, oats, nuts of varied types, dried fruits. Things in jars. Sometimes prepared salads that I buy the same day.

Eggs. Because I am not actually vegan! But it's the only exception at home. And I also eat out a bit, and sometimes even eat meat!

None of this invalidates my point: domestic veganism is a way to simplify one's life, ethical issues completely apart.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Do you have any tips for keeping lettuce and other leaves such as spinach form spoiling too quick ?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

If you're buying packaged stuff, buy it in the hard plastic containers, not the soft plastic bags. The hard plastic protects it much better during transit, and can easily last a week for me before getting soggy and gross.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Lettuce is hard admittedly. Personally I don't eat it. It's mostly water, not very nutritious, and also a pretty good vector for pesticides given the edible surface area.

Spinach should keep for 2 or 3 days. Do as they did before refrigeration: put it in a dark, dry, cool (low) place. Shop regularly in small quantities - people alone in apartments tend to be in big cities where this is possible.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

This is an awesome reason to go vegetarian holy shit.

All the reasons I've heard have mostly been issues of morality and some ecology.

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