Landlording Archives

Cheap closet doors

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording June 21, 2017March 6, 2018baseboard

It’s not uncommon for fixer-upper houses to be missing closet doors, or have irreparable closet doors. I’m not sure why people beat up on their closet doors, but it seems to happen. I do know a legal bedroom has to have a closet with a door. If you need to fix a missing or busted door fast and cheap, here’s just the thing. I’m happy to share what I do when I need cheap closet doors.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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How long do roofs last on houses?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording May 24, 2017March 17, 2018extra money

How long do roofs last on houses? That’s an important question to ask when you’re buying a house, and an important thing to keep in mind if you own your home. A safe assumption is 20 years, though it varies depending on the roof type.

Your roof, air conditioner, and furnace are the big three expenses for a home. The roof lasts the longest of the three, but is also the most expensive.

Dave Farquhar

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How many properties can one person manage?

Dave Farquhar Landlording May 23, 2017August 1, 2017

How many properties can one person manage varies. It depends on your personality, whether you have a day job, and what your day job is. That said, I can give you some guidelines.

It may not be a hard question to answer. If you’re asking the question, there are really only two reasons. Either you are probably just starting out, or you’re close to your limit.

Dave Farquhar

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Water seepage in basement: Five fixes

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording May 16, 2017November 19, 2018caulk, leaks

It’s not uncommon for water seepage to happen at random places in basements, sometimes even in the middle of the floor. And the first thought that comes into most people’s heads is a sump pump, which is an expensive proposition. Here are five fixes for water seepage in basement or basement water seepage to try first.

It’s possible that the problem does call for a sump pump. But before going to that expense, there are a number of things you can do that cost little or nothing. You should do those things anyway because the sump pump will work better when you do.

Dave Farquhar

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Wire a bathroom fan and light on one switch

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording January 17, 2017May 14, 2023

Sometimes you need to wire a bathroom fan and light on one switch. Code often requires a fan in bathrooms these days, but you may only have one switch. Or maybe you have two switches but just want one switch to run both. Fortunately it’s easy to do. Here’s how.

Dave Farquhar

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Repair a large hole in drywall

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording December 6, 2016February 3, 2022red wire

When I changed the cheap bar-style light fixture in my bathroom to something a little nicer, I found something weird other than a red wire. I also found a 5-inch by 2 1/2-inch hole in the wall behind the old fixture a few inches from the electrical box. It’s a good thing I know how to repair a large hole in drywall.

All it takes to fix a big hole in the wall is a scrap of drywall larger than the hole, a ruler, a utility knife, a pencil, some wood glue or regular white glue, and some Gorilla Glue.

Dave Farquhar

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Replace a ceiling light fixture

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording November 25, 2016October 11, 2019red wire

It’s not hard to replace a ceiling light fixture once you know how everything goes together. Even if you’ve never installed one before, you can do this.

Dave Farquhar

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When adhesives won’t stick

Dave Farquhar Landlording November 22, 2016September 2, 2017super glue

What do you do when adhesives won’t stick? Generally speaking, there are three or four things that interfere with glue, tape, or other adhesives sticking.

Dave Farquhar

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Add an outlet to a light switch line

Dave Farquhar Landlording November 15, 2016April 22, 2017home depot

For any number of reasons, a lot of rooms, especially bathrooms, don’t have enough electrical outlets. Those rooms probably do have light switches, though, and that’s good news. It’s possible to add an outlet to a light switch line. The better news is there’s usually more than one way to do it. Here are some options.

Dave Farquhar

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Wire a ceiling fan with light to one switch

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording October 14, 2016March 13, 2021curtains, home improvement, red wire, thermal curtains

People frequently wire a ceiling fan with a light to two light switches. That way they can control the fan with one switch and the light with the other. But what if the room has only one switch and you have to wire a ceiling fan with light to one switch? You can still do it. You just have to know what to do with the fan’s red or blue wire.

Dave Farquhar

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