So I bought a foreclosure. I’ve lived there for 4 months of hell and... I’m a complete novice. A few friends seeing that I bought a foreclosure bought them too. Now I get text messages asking how to fix stuff and how to avoid 30 trips a day to Lowe’s. I live very very remotely (2 hours from a Lowe’s or Home Depot). So I now reply to my friends with my steps to avoiding all that:

1: YouTube: Don’t YouTube “how to fix”, look up how whatever your fixing actually functions. Getting a 101 before you try trouble shooting helps me to no end. After that I look up videos on “How to troubleshoot”. That way I can identify any possible problems.

2: Check your tools: Nothing hurts worse that having a nice saws all then finding out mid project you need a different blade. Just like when I used to backpack I lay everything out and make sure it’s all functioning and proper.

3: Draw pictures, take photos, measure and make a list. Measure every bolt, nut, valve, wire, pipe, spacer, wood. Literally everything on what you’re trying to fix. I even try to draw flow charts of what goes where and why.

4: Go to the store and buy EVERYTHING at once. If you’re working on something that’s older when you start dismantling you’ll find jerry rigs, shortcuts and pieces that don’t fit on once you take them off. Always have a spare. You can return it all later so it’s better to have 2 trips then 5.

5: Contractor: I have never heard no from a contractor when I ask them to come double check my work if they’re in the area. I always offer a hundred bucks and a six pack for their time. This has saved me thousands in “You’ve done a really good job but...You missed this”. You’re paying for their experience, thank them.9/10 times they have the pieces in their truck and give me 2nd hand parts from other jobs at a discount.

This is what I copy and paste to friends who ask me how I’ve managed to fix so much. What they don’t see if that in the 4 months I’ve lived there I’ve only had heat for 2 months, I’ve lost water 4 times and a few jobs I had to give up on and suffer till summer (it’s been -20F up here).

Also, if you buy a foreclosure make sure there was never a pissed off squatter in it. Those guys have SUPER ingenious in ways to fuck you over.

Side note: Any electricians who can give me resources on how to map out a line w/o tearing all the drywall up it would be appreciated. If you ever come to Vermont there’s a 6 pack waiting for you.