Outside is really plain and the placement of the windows is odd, but could probably be perked up easily with shutters, window boxes, small things overall.
Is it the picture or was there something weird with the brick between the windows upstairs? Like a skinny rectangle?
The pictures are misleading as to size. Notice how the windows are distorted in some pictures.
We did a lot of work on our houses ourselves and I can honestly say dh is as good as a contractor when he takes on a project (he doesn't do it if he can't do it right). That said, I'm wary of other people's repairs bc people over estimate their own abilities. Get a good inspection, ask a lot of questions about how they put down the tile to make sure it was done correctly.
Love the hardwoods.
Are the bedroom walls in the master textured?
Why is the tv in such a weird spot?
I really like it, very cute. Well staged, so keep that in mind. They have it staged - will your stuff fit?
Thank you for this! I have a lot of the same questions...my sister went to see this for me tonight to see if it was as good as the photos since photos are very misleading.
There IS something between the windows upstairs and that's on a lot of houses in town---the neighbors have them too. I have no idea what it is. If anyone out there knows about houses, I'd love to know what it is.
I agree the outside needs sprucing---I need to add shutters for sure. The door is pretty new so I don't know if I'd want to change it, but maybe something with the porch. I was thinking navy blue and gray for the porch and shutters, maybe. I just don't like the little front stoop.
The bedrooms are decent-sized in real life, they living room is very small. On the listing, there's a big long list of what they did and, on the surface, it appears very well done. Full inspection for sure.
I will ask my sister about the textured walls and why the TV is in a weird spot. I think we'd have to mount it over the fireplace (if possible---I know that can be bad for the TV).
I hardly own any furniture. My living room furniture might be a tight squeeze, but other than that, I don't own much at all.
Those are amazing sized bedrooms. And I love the hardwood.
I dont get what the square of tile is in the corner of the living room photo. It isnt the kitchen (different tile) and does the dining room attach to the living room? It is a smallish living space, but I think it is functional. Only you know what else is out there.
Overall, if that house cam up here in the neighbourhood I like, .i would investigate further.
No advice on renos, I have no clue.
It makes a square downstairs and upstairs. You come in on that little tiled area (I think that's to protect the wood...I've seen that in a few homes here).
To the left is the dining room, that goes into the kitchen at the back of the house. The basement steps are in the kitchen and the basement goes out to the garage too.
It is a cute area, good schools, not a bad suburb.
My family went to see it and I have a few concerns. A LOT of work has been done to the house, I just wish it was a little bit bigger.
1. Does anyone have a ballpark at all on finishing a basement with bathroom? I'd say it's maybe a 500 sq foot basement.
2. Any tips or advice or befores/afters on the outside to add a little dimension/depth/interest? I'd like to make it look a little more homey and less flat.
I will admit to the OP that as a wedding photographer, this is something we constantly worry about---living up to the customer's idea of our reputation. It's so hard. It keeps me up at night.
I try to be really clear with my policies to avoid any issues like this.
OP, if you can get permission from the original photographer to have an album made, I can put you in touch with people that will do it...
If you want to PM me the name, I can also reach out to them and just ask them if they would be okay with it too. It doesn't hurt to ask.
I probably don't offer the kind of albums you are looking for (I don't have a vintage style at all) but I know many ppl that do and can put you in touch with them. PM me if you need some help.
I just told people I like being in my home because it has so many good memories for me and that it helps to be surrounded by my husband's belongings (and in your case, that I am blocking out what happened there).
What about repainting and redecorating, maybe swapping a few rooms around?
I'd probably take a few additional weeks off work---I did not have that option, but would have if I could have.
"Sam" is a pseudonym (name has been changed to protect someone who doesn't deserve to be protected). A couple of knotties on my local used Sam before I came on board, but I was the only Sam bride during my knot tenure. Sam never advertised on The Knot, but enjoyed enough positive word-of-mouth on blogs and Weddingbee (at least one blogger bee used Sam) that there was no need.
While Sam has more than 20 reviews on WeddingWire - all dating from before my wedding, and all overwhelmingly positive, though one mentions communication issues - the business has an F from the BBB, based on two reviews. (However, the local BBB doesn't publish details of the complaints, so both cases only state "problems with product and service" - and Sam did not cooperate with one of the cases, which seems to have been filed during the mysterious hiatus.) Both these reviews were filed after my wedding. (I feel like experience - the No. 1 reason why I hired Sam - turned out to be a liability. Sam probably was burned out by the time my wedding came around and did shoddier-than-usual work.)
Sam had an artist's attitude, so I figured the B/W conversions were typical artist dickery. But a lot of these B/W photos are my only record of details - many of which were DIY and featured color - from the wedding. Sam also did not work with a shot list or consult with us before the wedding - Sam just showed up and shot - but I didn't think that was out of line, because I trusted someone who's shot more than 300 weddings to gravitate toward decor and details. Thankfully, the videographer got those details.
All we're really owed are the costs and labor for the retouching, and I don't know what the going rate for quality work is. We haven't really sat down and determined how many photos we'd need work on, either - it's been a while and life got in the way. Sam probably should have been more specific on the contract, because when I think of "unlimited retouching," I think of Photoshopping things out and adding tints (at our first meeting, Sam pointed out photos where trash cans were edited out). No, the contract doesn't mention anything about proofs (whether for review or for posterity). I probably should have asked, but even my knottie education didn't teach me what a photographer contract should state.
I had called Sam repeatedly, but I always got voicemail, and I never received a call back. Facebook - especially now that the page is back - seems to be the best means of contact, since at least I know for sure that Sam checks it (that's where the latest work gets posted). Sam is back to shooting and posting weddings, but not 50+ per year. A lot of current work seems to be editorial, so maybe Sam is transitioning out of the wedding business. (Still, I am tempted to write that critical review to warn prospective couples; my husband tells me to let it go.)
As for last year's disappearance, Sam could have posted "I am taking a hiatus" on the website and left it at that - no need to explain why. Now, the business has an F from the BBB.
I did expect a lot from Sam, and I was seduced by the pretty, vintage-y pictures on the site and blog (at the time I booked, no one else in my area - at least in my budget - was doing them). I certainly didn't expect a shoot-and-burn job, and I was disappointed most of the photos came back with basic processing - I put up with a lot of bullshit for that?
As for going forward… I don't really want to go the DIY album route. I got a coupon for Lulu after writing reviews (for other vendors) on WeddingWire, and made a photobook. When I got it back, I saw that the processing was inconsistent between images - that's why I wanted a professional album (preferably done by Sam). Maybe we should just go without an album. *shrug*
Thanks again!
I can't help take offense a little at what you said...I know I'm overly sensitive to my profession because I care that much about it. I put my heart and soul into this job.
There was another post here a few weeks ago about someone feeling like their photography was not a good deal because they were offering digital negatives for $400 instead of the poster's preferred price, $200.
Then I read about "artist dickery" in your post. I don't know if that's an actual term or not...I take that to mean when an artist is doing something you don't like or controlling the images? Sometimes the client does not know better than us but thinks they do. It's a fine line to walk.
Also, you imply he may have been burnt out by your wedding day...burnout is definitely possible, the same as any other job. I work very hard to maintain my excitement week after week, but not all weddings are created equal, and it's difficult to explain that to brides as well.
The poor customer service, there's not a good excuse for that.
Are you sure you didn't miss an announcement where he "disappeared" for a time? I ask because I have made several announcements on my business page and yet ppl still don't always pay attention and read them.
I work my butt off 80 hours a week in this field--I'm sorry if this comes off as defensive.
Did you see a full wedding prior to booking? I always recommend that so you can see an example of the types of editing.
At this point, I'd let it go. I might contact Sam once last time and ask to make an album somewhere else.
Not all consumer labs are created equal as far as books. A photobook isn't equal to an album, and I know Zookie, My Publisher, and a few others might be decent consumer lines for you to explore.
I'm in Florida and I think having power to the unit is important because of mold. If you don't have power for just a few days, my unit gets mold.
Honestly, I feel for the OP. She's working for a cheapo landlord and is in a bad position. I also feel like the distance you are from this property isn't great either.
Disclaimer: I'm a wedding photographer and therefore biased. I'm not a lawyer.
I'm not touching this situation as told with a ten foot pole. I think there was miscommunication on all sides.
I think the OP has very high expectations from her wedding photographer, rightly or wrongly. Some posters here saying that you should get all images in color or that he has your money...I'm not sure if they are correct. It depends on the specifics of your agreement.
In my business, you do not get everything in color, and if I understand correctly, you have everything in your hands that was included in the package, right? You just might want to purchase albums and they have not been paid for yet?
As far as suing, consult an attorney.
As far as "Would another photographer make an album with images and can you lift video stills?" That all depends...
As a photographer, I would NOT without express written permission from the original photographer. Do you need the video stills? They usually are expensive to get and time consuming and only used as a last resort for a major equipment malfunction.
However, you can make your own album if your contract and reprint release permits that--I don't know the details of your arrangement, obviously.
I'm a professional photographer. I'd hire the professional myself. I'm also a homebuyer and if the photos are bad, we can't even take the time to go see it!
I think your parents comments are in line with how many people will think out here. I don't actually agree with them, but I think a lot of people when looking to buy will filter out THs so I think there is a cap on how much it would increase in value. Personally, I think they are a great choice and like you said you can get something that is of better quality.
Most of the homes in the area are old and have been run hard. I rarely see homes in listings that don't need a ton of work. And again with the age of homes the heating expense is a huge one. I would never look at a TH and compare it to a SFH of the same price and think that the SFH is a better value.
I would buy the type of home that suits you now. If a TH and not having a yard and projects is what you want don't let anyone push you into taking on more. Just depends what living situation you are looking for and what you want to do in your free time.
Yes, this is how I feel.
I wanted either one of two things: an old house with character or a newer, less maintenance place. I don't particularly want a 1950's or 60's style rancher in a further out suburb that doesn't have great schools and needs work. But, that's what I can afford.
The great older houses with character are generally in rougher, older areas in my price range. The newer stuff is further out but less maintenance costs.
I love talking with fellow Pittsburghers and I appreciate you weighing in and helping me with your opinions on the area.
Would you mind sharing, very loosely, what you think of the areas I posted above? Or would you recommend the community/part of town in which you live (unless it's something way out of my price range, i.e. Shadyside, Fox Chapel, Summerset, etc) Those are gorgeous little areas though.
I remember hearing one time that, in the early 1900's, mail was delivered two times a day in some places (this was on some historical home tour I took).
Now we're down to not even once a day. I would have preferred a mid-week cut day, like Wednesday. So it would be two days on, one day off, three days on, one day off.
We've been looking for a rental since Jan. 1, for a March 15-April 1 move-in, and it seems we're just now finding rentals looking for March 1 move-ins.
I think a month seems right.
Yes, me too...I am still open to the idea of renting and want to start my lease April 1st, and I'm going to be looking the last week of February if I don't find a home to buy.
I'm in the Pittsburgh area, and we're currently renting a townhouse while we build. My parents balked at townhouses too (although agreed that it was better than an apartment), but I grew up on a farm in a town without townhouses.
I do think they are harder to sell, but if your intent is to rent it out in the future, I think that they're easy to rent. When we were looking, there was definitely a shortage of rentals in the area (we also have a large dog which caused some issues).
Our particular townhouse was built in the 80's and tiny for a family of 4 with a large dog, but I have friends who recently built a townhouse and it's very large and nice. We haven't had any issues with the HOA--but our landlord deals with all of that. With that said, many of the developments in this area, townhouses or single family homes have HOA's so looking for a single family home won't necessarily solve that problem.
The townhouse isn't for us long term (we're building on 10 acres, so obviously we like our space), but I think it would be a great option for people looking for easy maintainance who don't require their own dedicated outdoor space for something like a large dog or an abundance of extra parking.
Hey, a fellow Pittsburgher!
I was curious as to where you are building and your opinion on neighborhoods.
My number 1 choices right now (based on school districts for rental/resale and property taxes) are, in this order: Norwin, Franklin Regional, Jefferson Hills, Bethel, South Park, Elizabeth.
Do you have any opinion on those areas? Or are you more in the Cranberry corridor?
Are you the owner of this property? Are people trespassing? Otherwise I don't understand what the problem is.
I feel like I'm missing something. Is the complaint here really that people you perceive to be poor are living in your neighborhood?
I think the issue isn't poor people---it's that they are sitting outside (a large group) half the night, and that it's a genuine crowding issue in the neighborhood (like what if all these people have cars?) And that they may be taxing the water/utility lines?
I am really relaxed and loose and don't get upset about anything really, but I can't say I'd like this kind of situation in my neighborhood if the driveway was being used as a social area, I owned a rental, etc.
I'd be concerned about the possibility (please don't flame me) of any of these people being registered sex offenders, as you occasionally hear of some people not registering their address.
And I don't know if the homeless issue bothers me so much as just so many people in general cramming in to a home. I wouldn't love a family of 12 moving in to a 3 bedroom home either, even if it was a mom, dad, and ten kids, as I'd worry about noise, people being everywhere, etc.
I'd also be concerned about how all these ppl are supporting themselves. Looking for work or working, great, but if they are possibly doing some shady things, that could hurt the neighborhood as well, especially if several of them are home during the day and bored. (Idle hands and all that...) I also would not want to be approached for money in my own neighborhood, but the OP has not indicated they are asking, but just a thought.
I hope no one takes offense to this. I am really relaxed about homes and guests, I think crowding into a house is just a pet peeve of mine
I have a business and it took me about 3 years to get a little footing on what to do in certain situations. Start developing a manual with how you will handle each situation.
That said, you treat people how you want to be treated. I know this is a business, and you can't afford to lose money. But you can also make sure you are doing what you can to fix problems and be kind. I get that this is a rental in a bad area (as you said) and it took a long time to rent it, so be thankful for the clients.
If this is an inexpensive rental, you may have to readjust your thinking in that $200 worth of groceries is a lot of money to these folks. Some ppl have to be annoying and call all the time because to them, this is a major deal.
Also, why are you telling them you are replacing the fridge with a six month old one? Are you buying a comparable one? Or do they have a brand new stainless side by side now and you're replacing it with a dented small white one?
Here's what I would do in the name of customer service--I'd do a lot of things that don't really cost any money.
First, sympathize with them. It's super inconvenient to not have a fridge.
Secondly, get them one as fast as possible and keep them informed as much as possible.
Thirdly, brainstorm solutions with them. You could have offered for them to bring their groceries to the office fridge or heck, to your home fridge, or even told them that you will be happy to reimburse the cost of ice and a cooler. Or said "Our policy is to reimburse perishables--please just provide a photocopy of the receipt and I will get you that money off your next rent" or I would have apologized and dropped off a few gift cards for local restaurants while their power is out or brought them dinner.
Little tiny things can really help diffuse a bad customer situation.
In a few neighborhoods, the only thing I can afford there is a townhome.
I think a townhome would be easier to rent out in the future, especially if it's in a good school district. However, it may be harder to sell it in the future. I am undecided what I want to do in, say 8-10 years.
I'm not in town, so I had my parents look at a few of the places to narrow things down.
They live in Pittsburgh. While they liked the one place, they can't fathom paying X for a townhouse when it is basically like an apartment to them, you have someone telling you what to do with your exterior/yard, it's attached to ppl, it's basically like an apartment, no basement/attic, etc.
"For X, you can get a real house" is sort of their sentiment.
But X is a house that needs work. Plus a townhouse has less maintenance and less utilities because it's smaller.
I don't see a townhouse as "lesser" but rather a choice--smaller but possibly higher end for the quality.
Could this thought be coming from a generation where row houses were not something particularly desirable---they carried a "packed in rental" connotation? There are not a ton of TH's in Pittsburgh (especially in the older suburbs) but the ones that are there are much newer. Could it be regional?
Or is this a thought I really haven't entertained---that townhouses are looked upon as lesser/lower class/not as desirable for many people? (That would affect resale/rental and I'd want to know upfront)
I'm currently in an area with MUCH more newer construction and my late husband and I often talked about buying one, so I kind of am clinging to what he liked too. At first, when he mentioned it years ago, I was unsure, but he pointed out the advantages to me a few years ago and I started to see the townhouses as great for our lifestyle and a good starter place.
I'd recommend a gently used Canon Rebel. Anything from the T1i, T2i, T3i, T4i...all are fine. It doesn't need to be this year's model-they change very little.
And don't buy the lens with it, buy a 50mm 1.8 lens for $100. Also get it used.
I'm a full-time photographer and if you need more help, just let me know and I'll be glad to link some info!
As a fellow young widow (what a sh*tty ass club that no one wants to be in), there's so much going on with emotions and feelings with everyone in the family. People say stupid crap. Heck, I've said stupid crap to ppl that probably made no sense or was hurtful.
My family is not great with money either, hence why I've been on MM since 2004. No one has asked me for a dime. I have not offered a dime.
The best advice I found for fellow widows is, when asked about life insurance, to say, simply: "There was some life insurance."
It lets people who care about you know that you aren't going to be on public assistance anytime soon, but you also didn't get a huge amount to just waste away.
I have done nothing with any life insurance that I've received. I waited 8 months to even apply. I will not talk about life insurance money to people aside from MM (and my financial advisor).
In general, I love the house, but things I think are weird:
1. In the purple bathroom, you'd totally need a window covering as the window is seriously RIGHT there showing everyone you are on the toilet. 2. Updating/paint needed in some of the rooms (like the tree in the bathroom) 3. What's with the dorm-fridge in the eat-in kitchen?
I'm so paranoid about auto-debiting, too, I'm glad I'm not the only one.
I think my issue is paying myself. Like getting on a system where I actually pay myself at regular intervals so I have money going into the checking account. I have money coming in, it's just not like a 9-5 where they put in your check at the bank and then they have already taken out taxes, retirement, and insurance---those are three additional bills I have to pay.
So I need to get myself set up with moving money regularly over as a "paycheck" for me.
I shouldn't be so confused about this---we didn't mingle any money until we were married, and so four years ago, I was the bill payer. But that was in a different state, totally different accounts then, and I had a traditional job, so it was so much simpler.
Does your bank have online bill pay? We use that for 90% of our bills. It's free, and once you set it up it's only one log-in and you don't need to know the account numbers.
I don't think it has the ability to do all of the bills like I want it to. Do all of your bills integrate with it? That would be great if I could get this!
I know exactly when each and every bill is due. I am extremely organized in that regard.
I just really procrastinate and hate to do it. I think it comes from the following "reasons":
1. I have to be really, really careful with my money and time when I'm going to pay each thing, move money, and check accounts prior 2. There's so many log-ins for all the bills and some involve actually mailing checks old school style..and while I'm on the checking account, the checks don't have my name on them. So that's a huge hassle. And some checks have to be dropped off (aka rent and car insurance). I loathe anyplace, like my new health insurance, where you can't just call it in or do it online---hello, it's 2013? I'm actually considering switching companies over this minor issue. 3. I just hate to part with the money. I'm down to the last dollars on my husband's last check and I'm getting scared about starting to pull from savings every month. 4. My husband used to do this part of things.
I write down that bills are due on the 31st when they're really not due until the 3rd or so to give me extra time, and I still paid late once.
I went to take my rent over yesterday (ON the first when it's due instead of much earlier like I used to when my husband was alive) and they were closed already. It says "late fee will be waived if paid in full by the third day at 5pm following the due date" so I'm hoping Monday will be okay--I put it in the lockbox but no one works all weekend.
It makes me sad because I hope I'm not wrecking my perfect credit by paying late (it was only one day late on a charge card).
I'm really hard on myself---I know it's because I'm depressed. It's so hard to get started on everyday tasks. I can't just write "pay bills" because there are literally like 12+ bills and log ins for all. I can't get started. I have to write out each step to get myself moving and not get overwhelmed like I do when i look at the huge list of things to be done. Is that weird? Anyone else have any tips on how to get through stuff faster and not get so defeated?
I'm going to beef up my checking account to give me more cushion so I can stop having to check it so much--hoping that will take away some stress.
My H just had this same issue. He brought it in to a local computer shop who charged him $75 I think to fix it. If you are comfortable enough, you really just need to open the computer, take out the motherboard, and solder the port to the board. We attempted this before bringing it in but couldn't get it exactly right.
We've had the same problem with a couple laptops in our family; luckily DH has been able to solder them back in place. Kwynn, if you have a soldering iron, you might be able to find instructions online. Or maybe you know a geek you can bribe with beer or coffee.
It's $200 here to get the motherboard or DC jack replaced because of the labor.
I don't know anything about soldering. My DH was a computer engineer and he used to do stuff like that and he sometimes would heat parts up in the oven.
I feel bad asking any of our computer friends to fix it because I've asked for so much help this past year.
I feel confident tackling it myself (watching YouTube etc for instructions) but do I need to buy a new motherboard? And where do I buy soldering iron?
Also, is this a 6+ hour job? I don't have that much time. I'm worried I'll make it so much worse...
My husband took his own life in April. There was an autopsy as well, as in almost all suicides.
I don't know your father-in-law's manner of death, but my husband's was very tragic and violent. I had to make the arrangements and there were members of my husband's family that wanted to view his body.
I wanted them to have that closure, but I was unsure what to do. I spoke to the kind lady at the medical examiner's office and she gave me her honest opinion of the body.
Then the funeral home, once they had my husband there, also told me what was possible.
In the end, no one was able to view him due to the condition after his violent death and then being at the medical examiner and having a full autopsy. By the time I made arrangements, it was already 3-4 days past when he had passed on. I sometimes cry about that, that I didn't get to see him, but it was a decision that had to be made fast and it's so incredibly painful.
So you know what, I don't know that I did the right thing in regards to viewing.
I understand that, horrifically, there are photos of my husband in the police report if I ever want to see his body, if I ever have that doubt and just have to see to make sure it's really him, you know.
In some ways, not knowing is worse than knowing because I imagine it to be so, so terrible and I sometimes wonder if it would have been better had I seen him.
I'm no help on this--I just feel so badly for you and am keeping you and your family in my thoughts.
Months ago, I had a lady on an airplane dump a coffee on my leg and bag. It was an accident, and it hurt--I got burned and embarrassed myself by shouting.
Anyway, she didn't offer to pay for my laptop, and it works anyway, or it did, up until last week.
Now, the power outlet stopped working. It's not the cord, and it's not the battery---it's like the connection where the cord goes, I believe. You can fix it yourself, but it's a lot of work (and time I don't have right now), and it's too expensive for me to have someone fix it.
I should just buy another laptop, but it's not in the budget, especially for how little I use this one. I use this during client meetings to show my work (since I can't meet clients at home right now) and at weddings to show their images from the day, so I use it like 1-2 hours a week. I also conduct Skype meetings with it.
Also, it's freaking sentimental because my husband gave me this laptop. He could have fixed it because he could fix anything with computers.
Anyway, it WILL run off the battery---it just can't charge the battery anymore.
Is there anything out there that can charge a battery externally from a laptop? Like a charging station?
I would just buy another battery and have them charged and ready to go all the time, and that would be a cheap solution and keep it out of the landfill.
I really dislike when ppl are chronically *early* and feel like they must not get that much done in a day if they are always making plans to be so early all the time.
i.e. We have a 2pm meeting scheduled and you're there waiting for me when I arrive at 1:20 to set up. It makes *me* feel late and you're super early.
I will sometimes say "We said 2, right?" just to be sure.
Also, like a phone meeting I will call you at 6pm for, at 5:40, I get my phone and gather my paperwork and then you call me...I feel like it was just to beat me to the punch and make me look bad
I've NEVER late to work ever ever. I leave very, very early.
But personal stuff, sometimes. I know it's so bad. I'm trying to improve.