Toilet bowl reviews

One of the things we wanted to change in our new house is the toilet. Let me tell you, it is one of the hardest things to decide on. There are so many brands and styles out there with prices ranging from $70-$400. Your best bet is to just go to Home Depot and pick the one you like. I think they have the best choices and the best prices. Another option is Lowes.

We originally went to the low flow Toto model. We purchased it from Pacific Sales for $300 each. We like this model because their are 2 different flush options. But the installation was really complicated. It involved drilling into the cement, so we decided to return it. We then purchased the low flow Kohler Wellworth model. This ran for $158 at HD. Installation was a snap. We like this model because of the oval shape and the height (at about 14 inches). They also have a round opening for less $. I like this model because it had everything included with the bowl: the seat cover, wax ring, so you do not have to buy anything else.

The best part was that the Be Water Wise website was offering a rebate for this. You have to be in a certain city, and our city qualified. They offerred $150 cash back each for these, so we ended up paying about $43 (tax included) for 2 new bowls. This is a great deal. With the money saved we can now afford to get some nice Elkay sinks. Check out their website to see if your city and water company qualifies for this.

With a low flow toilet, you are saving water. It uses about 1.2 gallons of water per flush (compared to 1.6 on a standard toilet). I have had no problems with the flushing on ours. It flushed everything on the first try. Many cities also have programs where they will give you a free toilet in exchange for your old one. From what I heard these are the cheaper low flows and may have problems flushing. It is better to buy one you like and get a rebate for it.

Termite damage

Being a real estate agent, we have seen many homes in the Southern California area. The one thing we noticed in many is termite damage. Most of the homes here are made of wood. And with the weather here, it is the perfect recipe for termites. I wonder if you can make a home out of metal or steel? You have seen many metal buildings around, but why not for a house? I know the costs are probably not practical, but it is something to consider.

You won’t have to worry about termite damage or other conditions like dry rot. Your home is pretty much solid, so you won’t have to worry about natural disasters like earthquakes.

Making your home energy efficient

With our new home my wife was very energy efficient in updating in. Our first update was the windows. We replaced all the windows with double pane panels. This helps keep out noise, and most importantly the cold during winter months and heat during summertime.

The second thing was we added solar tubes to the bathroom. These let in bright sunlight during the daytime, so we do not have to turn on the lights when we go in the bathroom. We have no windows in there, so lights are a necessity.

The best part is that they are offering at $1500 federal tax credit on all these items. You get 30% back on your tax return, up to $1500. So if there are any energy auditing folks out there, you can take a look at our house.

Pros/Cons owning a pool

I am getting excited about moving to our new place. One reason is that I do not have to take care of our pool anymore. We have a lot of trees and vegetation near our pool, and every week I have to take out the pond skimmer to clean up all the leaves that has fallen in the pool.

Don’t take me wrong. I love having the pool. It is really convenient if Brandon or Anna want to go for a swim, and we do not have to drive out to do so. And once we are done we can just go in for a shower in our own bathroom.

With our new home we have to drive to go to the pool, but it is worth it with the money we save from the electricity bill and the pool man.

Door repairs for the new home

This past week I went by our local Lowes to look for some door hardware for our garage door and French doors. For the garage door I am looking for a kick stop. The door is easily opened and shut by the wind. A stop will keep it opened without having to use a rock to hold it open. The cost for a door stop is about $5. I also repaired the latch for the garage door. It was not locking correctly.
The French door bottom lock is broken. I am looking for a latch so I can lock it from the bottom as well. I was not able to find anything I really liked, so I may check out Home Depot this weekend as well.

Working on the new home

The thing that is keeping my wife and I busy right now is the new house. My wife has been busy on the phone making appointments for some remodel work for the house. She has been coordinating with contractors for a bathroom remodel, new windows, skylights, and a water filter.

I have been busy with work. I have taken some days off to go drive the family down to Irvine to meet up with these contractors. We currently have someone working on the bathroom. Next week our windows will be done too.

With all this work, I have not been exercising at all. After everything is done with the house and move, I can look into a quick weight loss program for all the junk food I have been eating during this time.

Real estate career in Irvine

When we move to Irvine, and when my son starts going to school, my wife plans to start working again. She has done real estate for the past 5 years, and she wants to get back into it full time. There are many people trying to sell and buy in the Irvine area, so there is business. All she has to do is about 5 transactions a year and that is more than enough money for us. Think about it. Say she does a transaction for a $500K home. She will earn $12,500 on commission from it. And if you multiply that by 5, it is $62,500.

To start the her business she may need to print some promotional calenders or something like that to get her name out. Once she does a few transactions, referrals should also start coming in.

Buying stuff for the house

This past week, I went shopping for some tiny items for the house. The house is missing the garage door opener remotes, so I went online to purchase those. I find that buying them online is a lot cheaper than buying it at Home Depot or Lowes. Plus they ship it right to your house.

Another thing we looked at is an electronical thermostat. We again checked Lowes and Home Depot. Prices for them range from $25-$100. I also checked online, but the prices were similar. Lowes is having a promotion this week. All programmable thermostats are 20% off, but it is only online online. And if you buy online from them, you have to pay $8.50 in shipping, so that makes it not worth it.

We ended up getting the $25 model from HD. It is also programmable. We will see how it works.  Now I will be looking at an electric lawn mower and a ladder.