c/atlanta-homeowners

Remember when you could just call the city water department and get a person?

My water bill in the Morningside area jumped to $300 last summer and the online portal was no help. I finally drove down to the City Hall East office on Ponce and waited an hour, but the clerk found a meter reading error from three months back. Has anyone else had luck fixing a big bill by just showing up in person lately?

My neighbor in Decatur swore by this one gutter cleaning trick

He told me to use a leaf blower from the roof instead of a ladder and scoop, said it cut his time in half. I tried it last fall on my two-story in Kirkwood and it worked way faster than expected, maybe 45 minutes total. The key was starting at the far end and working toward the downspout so everything had a clear path out. Anyone else got a better method for dealing with all these pine needles?

Tried to fix a small roof leak myself and ended up with a much bigger problem

I noticed a damp spot in my attic over in East Atlanta Village after the last big rain. I bought some sealant from the hardware store and went up there, thinking I could just patch it. I must have done it wrong, because the next storm sent water pouring down my bedroom wall. The repair bill is now over $1,200. Has anyone else had a DIY fix go this badly? I need a good roofer recommendation.

Just spent $400 on a gutter guard system for my house in Decatur and I'm already seeing a difference.

Hot take: choosing a new roof over a kitchen reno was the best call I made this year

I had $25,000 saved and the choice was clear: a full kitchen gut job or replacing our 20-year-old roof in Decatur. We picked the roof. It cost $18,500 and took a crew four days. Two months later, we had the worst hail storm I've seen in a decade. Our new asphalt shingles held up perfectly, while three neighbors had serious leaks. My cabinets are still ugly, but my attic is dry. Anyone else face a similar 'boring but necessary' vs. 'fun' upgrade choice with their home budget?

My water bill hit $180 last month and I finally found the leak

I live in a 1950s bungalow in East Atlanta and my bill is usually around $50. I checked the meter while nothing was running and the little red triangle was spinning like crazy. It turned out to be a slow drip from the toilet fill valve that had been going for weeks. Has anyone else had a sneaky leak that cost them a bunch before they caught it?

Just realized my property tax bill is based on a value from 3 years ago

Got my new assessment notice last week and saw they're still using the 2021 market value, which is way lower than what my house in Grant Park would sell for now. Anyone else in Fulton County see this lag and know if it's normal?

Had to choose between fixing my old AC unit or getting a whole new system. Picked the new one and my power bill dropped $150 last month.

I know everyone says the BeltLine raised property values, but my street in Adair Park got way worse after it was finished 2 years ago.

I used to think a rain barrel was just a yard decoration

My neighbor in Decatur convinced me to try one last spring, and it caught over 200 gallons from just my garage roof. I used it all summer to water my vegetable garden and my water bill dropped by about $30 a month. Now I'm looking at getting a second one. Has anyone else had luck linking multiple barrels together?

Rant: My basement flooded for the third time this year, but a $15 fix from a hardware store actually held up

After the last big rain in East Atlanta, I had another inch of water in my basement. I was ready to call a foundation company for a quote that would probably be thousands. Instead, I grabbed a tube of hydraulic cement from the Ace on Moreland Avenue and spent an hour sealing the hairline crack in the wall where it was coming in. That was four months ago, and we've had some serious storms since then, but the floor has stayed completely dry. I'm honestly shocked something so cheap worked. Has anyone else found a simple patch for a basement leak that actually lasted more than a season?

My brother-in-law from Marietta swore by this one landscaper for drainage, and I should have listened

My neighbor swore by this local tree guy in Decatur for years

I was sure he was just getting a friend discount, but my big oak dropped a limb on the fence last month. Called him out, and he charged me $400 less than the big company quote, cleaned up every twig, and even fixed a loose board on the fence. He showed me exactly where the rot started and why the other limbs were safe. Anyone have a good person for fixing gutters after a job like this?

I thought my old oak tree was a goner after the storm last month

The big branch that came down looked bad, so I called a tree service for a quote to cut it all down. They wanted $2,800. My neighbor, who's lived here in Grant Park for 30 years, told me to call a certified arborist first. The arborist came out, charged me $150 for a look, and said the tree was healthy and could be saved with some careful pruning for about $600. I went with his plan and the tree looks great now. Has anyone else saved a tree they thought was dead?

TIL my old way of dealing with leaf piles was a total rookie move

I used to just bag them and put them on the curb, but after a huge pile from my oak tree in Decatur blew back all over my yard last fall, I bought a $150 mulcher. Now I just turn the leaves into mulch for my flower beds. Anyone else find a better way to handle the Atlanta leaf drop?

Serious question, did anyone else have to pick between a new roof or a new HVAC unit?

My 20-year-old AC in my Grant Park bungalow died in July, and the inspection also showed the roof had maybe 2 years left. I had $15,000 saved for home stuff. I could replace the whole HVAC system for about $12,000, or do the roof for $10,500. I went with the roof because a leak would cause way more damage, and I figured I could tough out the heat with window units for a year. It was the right call, but sweating through last August was brutal. Anyone in a similar spot have tips for saving up for the next big repair?

I used to think a basic mower was fine for my yard in Decatur, but a wet spring changed my routine completely.

My water heater decided to quit on a Tuesday morning in Decatur

I was in the basement (well, the crawlspace really) checking on a weird noise when I saw a small puddle under the old 40-gallon unit. It was a slow drip from the pressure relief valve, but the tank was over 12 years old. I called a local plumber from East Atlanta, and he confirmed it was on its last legs. The whole replacement, including haul-away, cost me $1,200 and took about 4 hours. Has anyone else had to deal with a surprise water heater failure, and what did that run you?

The great squirrel war of 2023 on my Decatur street

I used to just toss a few peanuts in the yard to watch the squirrels. Last fall, one figured out how to pry the lid off my big green trash can. After three failed attempts with bungee cords, I bought a specific 'squirrel-proof' latch for $22. Now my weekly routine involves checking that latch like a security guard. Anyone else have a backyard pest that forced a complete system change?

Going against the grain on those 'instant' lawn services

Everyone in my Grant Park neighborhood swears by the liquid aeration and overseeding trucks, but after paying $350 last fall, my Bermuda just came back patchier. I think the soil got too compacted from the heavy equipment. Has anyone else had better luck with just doing it yourself with a core aerator?

TIL that pressure washing my own driveway in Decatur was a bigger mistake than I thought

I figured I'd save the $300 quote, but the cheap rental unit etched the concrete and now I'm looking at a $2k repair. Has anyone else had a DIY project go this wrong?

I thought a $500 tree service was a rip-off until my neighbor's oak fell

My big oak in the backyard had a dead limb, and I almost skipped the inspection to save cash. After the storm last month, my neighbor's similar tree came down and caused over ten grand in damage to their fence and shed. How do you decide when a tree needs to come down versus just a trim?

Fix and Flow vs Peach State Plumbing for a water heater replacement?

Need to replace my old water heater before it completely dies. I got quotes from both Fix and Flow and Peach State Plumbing. The prices are pretty close, but I want to make sure I go with someone reliable. Anyone have experience with either of these companies in the metro Atlanta area?