What r/homeowners keeps coming back to
Complaints raised here by more than one person. One-off posts are not included.
411 recurring problems · 1121 threads read · read since September 2026 · Reddit
Raised more than once here
Most people first.
- 128How do I identify if these bugs are bed bugs?“My country doesn't have a culture of professional pest control services. Pretty much a DIY situation, I looked up to the internet on methods of pest control, first protected the essentials and food and then sprayed pesticide all over the place but damm these bugs are tough, What could be a permanent solution or prevention?”
- 126How to fix a leaking water pipe in a tight space“Now, years later, the caulking breaks, and water seeps down and stays in the foam between the flashing and the deck board.”
- 114Should I pay for appliance repair or fix it myself?“I just bought this house and under the sink is damaged on both sides of the sink from water. One side is clearly the garbage disposal.”
- 113How do I know if a contractor quote is fair?“My mother recently noticed a few cracks in the foundation for her home. Fearful the house would come down crumbling she got some people to take a look and they said it would be $10k in total to repair.”
- 112How to get rid of creeping weeds without breaking roots“Every year the weeds come up in my driveway like this in thick mats. No amount of weed killer or fire seems to make a difference.”
- 111How to handle a bad contractor who won't fix poor work“It looks way different from his video.”
- 99How to identify a weird bug found in the house“had a similar scare at my place last spring, found them all over the clover patch by the shed”
- 91How to decide whether to invest excess savings or keep them in an HYSA“I have an escrow surplus of $3,300 this year and am worried next year I may have a shortage. Asking for advice on what to do or possibly some clarification.”
- 79How to find reliable contractors who actually show up“The problem is all the guys who say they'll show up and never do. Or the guys who finish half the job and never come back.”
- 69Why are contractor and window replacement quotes so absurdly high?“half a dozen $25k quotes because "whole door gotta be replaced, bud". after dozens of calls, finding a GC, and carpenter, got a guy who did fantastic work for $1.2k.”
- 57How to remove a stripped recessed retaining screw“I can't seem to figure out what type of screw is used to bolt them to the wall (as they've been painted over, tried paint remover and I still can't figure it out).”
- 55How to choose between different HVAC replacement quotes“I'm trying to decide between: Lennox Elite Heat Pump, Model #EL18KSLV-036... and BOSCH Variable Capacity Heat Pump, Model #BOVB-36RTB-M20S”
- 48Water keeps getting in the house during heavy rain“Ever since the 2nd or 3rd (out of five) year we have lived here, we have dealt with water issues when it has rained hard enough at our back door on the ground floor, front door on the ground floor, and also with our garage with water getting in under the garage doors as our driveway slopes down from the street to our garage doors.”
- 47How to know which replacement part code to buy“Looking for the name or what kind of siding this is? Can’t find it on the Home Depot or Menards websites. starting to rot.”
- 45How to get dried paint stripper off hardwood floors“What is the best way to get the remaining old paint off this trim? Or do I just embrace the character and start painting?”
- 44How to tell if a damaged roof needs replacing before winter“This roof is supposed to be only 10 years old, but the ridge seems to be in rough shape. Do we need to replace it at this time?”
- 44How to get rid of tiny flying bugs coming out of wooden furniture“I made the mistake of leaving food trash in the kitchen can overnight. In the morning, I have fruit flies.”
- 43How to clear a clogged AC condensate drain line“I discovered a leak coming from outside my house on the roof. Should I call a plumber or is there any way it could be fixed?”
- 43How to find replacement parts for discontinued hardware“This is on a basement storm window from the 60's. Window installs from the outside and this part on the inside turns against a small peg on the frame and pulls the window in tight. Where can I get these?”
- 42How to get a stuck bathtub stopper cap off“I know they have hard water, and it's an older home. Other than that info, I am ignorant as to what caused this rock hard build-up.”
What this forum worries about more than the rest
How much more often a topic shows up here than across every forum we read.
structural engineering14.6×neighborhood issues14.6×water pooling14.6×window replacement14.6×