Navigating the intricate process of buying a home in Ohio can be both exciting and overwhelming. Among the crucial steps that potential homeowners must undertake, a comprehensive home inspection is one of the most important. In this Redfin article, we asked some of the top Ohio home inspectors for their best tips for homebuyers navigating the process. So whether you’re considering buying a home in Columbus or a house in Cleveland – keep reading so you can make informed decisions and embark on your homeownership journey with confidence.
Why should you get a home inspection in Ohio?
Getting a home inspection in Ohio is essential for uncovering potential issues that might not be visible during a casual walkthrough. It provides crucial insights into the overall condition of the property, enabling you to make informed decisions and negotiate effectively before finalizing a home purchase. By identifying potential problems early on, you can avoid costly surprises and ensure a smoother transition into your new Ohio home.
Michael Hazlett of Clarity Property Inspections recommends getting a home inspection even if the home is brand new. “You absolutely should have any newly purchased house inspected, even if it’s brand new,” says Michael.“We find significant issues even in new construction.”
Dan Schuerman of Schuerman Inspections adds, “With market pressures continuing to make it difficult for Ohio buyers to secure an accepted offer, many have chosen to waive the home inspection process to gain the advantage against multiple offers. This practice can lead to problems after the purchase.”
What specialized inspections should Ohio buyers consider?
“Most inspectors offer a general home inspection. This includes the most visible items in the home,” says Steven Mathis of Gold Star Inspections. “From checking the electrical panel to checking the plumbing for leaks.”
However, aside from the standard home inspection, specific situations might demand specialized inspections. If issues are suspected during the general inspection, your inspector might propose a specialized assessment.
Jim Wendle of JW Property Inspection recommends that homebuyers always get inspections for termites and radon.
“Another great idea is to have the sewer pipe evaluated with a sewer camera, especially if it’s an older home, since it’s one of the costliest systems to repair or replace,” adds Michael Hazlett of Clarity Property Inspections.
Are home inspections required in Ohio?
While they aren’t necessarily required, it’s advisable that all homebuyers get one for financial and safety reasons.
“Are home inspections required? No, but they should be,” says Todd Engle of Good Eye Home Inspections. “Too many consumers are getting homes without inspections, causing safety and harm to them and their families. I understand the need and desire for a home, but waiving home inspections should never be considered. There are too many health and safety issues that we find lurking in homes that need to be addressed by the seller.”
How much does a home inspection cost in Ohio?
The cost of a home inspection in Ohio can vary depending on factors such as the size of the property, its location, and the complexity of the inspection. On average, a standard home inspection in Ohio ranges from $200 to $500. However, this price can change based on additional services or specialized inspections that may be required, such as radon testing, mold assessment, or termite inspection. It’s advisable to contact local home inspection companies to get accurate quotes tailored to your specific needs.
Can you sell a house in Ohio without an inspection?
Indeed, in Ohio, there’s no legal obligation for a formal inspection before selling a house. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize that numerous buyers in the state typically anticipate or ask for an inspection during due diligence. Choosing a pre-sale inspection before listing your home can offer insights into its condition, enabling you to proactively tackle any concerns and showcase the property more positively to potential buyers.
Expert advice for Maryland homebuyers
“Water is the enemy of your home, as it causes almost all the damage, says Chris Stout of CBS Home Inspection. “Water can cause issues with mold, wood-destroying insects, premature deterioration of building materials, and plumbing leaks. Maintaining proper grading and watershed around the exterior of a home and keeping all exterior cellulose-based materials and entry points into the home properly sealed will help prolong the life of your home.”
Ohio home inspections: the bottom line
No matter how old or new a house is, it’s important to identify issues that might otherwise cost thousands of dollars to fix down the road. An Ohio home inspection will do exactly that, saving money down the road and giving you one less thing to worry about.
Telling your own girlfriend that you won’t host a work even at her place because her home decor is bad?
It must be BAD.
But did this guy go too far by saying that to his GF?
Let’s see what’s going on here…
“I’ve (M32) been with my girlfriend (F29) for over a year now. She’s smart, funny, a bit quirky, and has a serious job with a good salary.
We have a great time together and generally get along very well. The only thing is her choice in home ‘decor’ is bizarre, to put it frankly, and not something you think a normal, grown adult would be into.
Her apartment is definitely a reflection of herself and interests. Not in the best way though.
My girlfriend has wall dedicated to animation in one room of her apartment, like Futurama pieces and etchings of some weird triangle guy. Then there’s the wall of framed preserved insects in another room. But not insects like butterflies or moths. Instead she displays tarantulas, beetles, and large stick insects.
Her bathroom has a subtle theme of the ocean-pretty common. But instead of starfish or shells, she has a little anglerfish nightlight, a small vampiric squid painting, and then a framed diagram of what apparently is a Goblin Shark right by the toilet.
I would say a majority of her home decor and furnishings are okay. The apartment itself is very modern and sleek. It’s just the random decor and juvenile-ish themes like cartoons, insects, and bizarre ocean creatures, is off putting.
This is where I might be the AH. I avoid bringing people over to her place, especially people from my job, because of how juvenile it looks. Everyone’s impressed when they see the high rise, but that quickly fades once you enter. The one time I brought a work colleague over they ended up telling me after that they found her insect wall terrifying. I work in finance and appearances and first impressions are important.
My office will hold casual gatherings where we get together for a few drinks, good food, and we rotate hosts. And this time, it’s my turn. The problem is my place is under some construction and not an ideal place to be right now, so I’ve been staying with my girlfriend.
My girlfriend suggested that we host my colleagues here since she has the space and thinks it’ll be fun. I told her I planned on skipping my rotation and seeing if the next person would be okay with hosting early.
She kept pressing on why I didn’t want them over here, so I finally said it’s because her home decor is strange and not something a grown woman would have, and also that her insect wall horrified the one colleague that did come over.
My girlfriend got mad and said at the end of the day, it’s not my space and these things bring her joy. She also said that she is indeed an adult woman, which is exactly why her apartment is decorated in such a manner.
I love my girlfriend, I do. And it’s okay to have different interests. But does an adult really need to decorate with them besides a few things here and there? I mean, my own mother asked if my girlfriend was autistic after she saw the entire apartment for the first time.
So Reddit, AITA for telling my girlfriend her home decor is the reason I won’t host a work gathering at her place?”
Here’s what Reddit users had to say about this.
This reader said this guy is an a**hole and they don’t think any of this stuff is childish.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Another Reddit user agreed that this guy is an a**hole.
Photo Credit: Reddit
And one individual agreed and said that adults are allowed to have interests!
Photo Credit: Reddit
My opinion… who has work get togethers at their homes anymore?
Are you feeling down and out because of your single status? Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be that way! This blog post is here to help turn things around by providing a list of the top 20 reasons why you’re single. Get ready for some laughs as we take an honest look at what might be keeping you from finding love. From considering yourself “too picky” to being too shy to put yourself out there, we address all the most common dating woes—plus offer up some invaluable advice on how to fix them! So if you want your happily ever after: read on!
1. You’re A Hermit
One user posted, “I’m basically a hermit.”
Another user responded saying, “No drama, and the remote is f-ing mine.”
One user also affirmed, “Same, plus people [are generally terrible], so looking for companionship is also like sticking hands in a needle stack looking for a piece of hair.”
2. People Are Too Dramatic
One Redditor also shared, “I have no energy for anything; people are draining and complicated.”
Another user replied, “Are you me? This is exactly how I feel. I get off work, and the last thing I want to do is have to deal with someone else.”
One Redditor added, “This is kinda one of the reasons I am not into any relationships with anyone. People are way too empty without any content, not interesting or serious about relationships, and many are also way too manipulative.”
3. You Have Nothing to Offer
“I don’t have anything women want that better guys can’t provide,” one user added to the thread.
Another Redditor replied, “I’ve thought about this a lot.”
One user commented, “Dude, statistically better guys are already taken by a subset of girls. There should be plenty left on your level field. That is the problem with the girls: 90% of girls are after 10% of “better guys.” but once reality settles in, they will go after you as well.”
“Objectively speaking, though, no woman on earth is going to go for a disabled guy like me. They’ll be with me despite, not inclusive of, my disability. This has been my lived experience, to use an overused phrase, lol. They have a subconscious feeling of superiority that comes out in small ways. It’s a long f-ing story that would take too much time in a comment, but trust me here,” another commenter added.
However, one user commented, “I was married to a fine man for 26 years before death parted us. He had a disability that he was born with. I never thought of him as less than or disabled. He was simply my love. My person. We loved each other well and truly and had a family. It can happen.”
4. Too Many Fish in the Sea
One user asked, “Have you actually seen the dating pool?! …There’s not enough chlorine in the world.”
Another user responded, “Lots of insects getting in the water…”
One commenter added, “Frogs in the filter.”
5. You Always Feel Odd
One user explained, “The whole dating thing makes me just feel odd. I’m tired of everybody and the red or green flags. The arguments and all, I don’t want to deal with it. I’d rather be single.”
The OP of the thread commented, “Been cheated on. It made me scared to date again, I dated again, and some other stuff happened, and let’s say I’m now socially awkward and can’t talk to women anymore. Although I find it tiring, I’m trying my best not to lose hope.”
Another commenter added, “The red flag feels like canceling culture but for dating—one wrong move and you’re done.”
6. Haven’t Met the Right One
One Redditor explained, “I honestly don’t know. A year and a half ago, I could have answered this quickly since I’d stay at home moping, just hoping someone would come calling. Well, of course, that wasn’t going to happen, so a year or so ago, I made myself get out, meet new people, befriend them, all the things you’re supposed to do.
“It didn’t work. People saw my kindness as a vessel to take advantage of and use me. I understood why doing nothing netted negative results. I don’t understand why doing the right thing also nets negative results. It makes no damn sense, it hurts, it’s made me cynical and depressed, and I don’t know what to do now.”
Another user commented, “Just keep being genuinely kind, start keeping boundaries, and it’ll weed out the bad people. You’ll meet someone eventually. Just take it slow.”
One commenter added, “Don’t close yourself off from other people. Also, be assertive and don’t let people take advantage of you. You don’t have to sacrifice your own needs to make people like you. Real friends are your friends because they enjoy your company, not because they gain materially from your presence. Yes, maybe someone you don’t let take advantage of you will not want anything to do with you, but that just means they were never going to be a true friend anyway.”
“I totally agree with what has been said here above; take a moment for yourself and establish some boundaries, some things you won’t accept being said or made, and get back in it. You might not find someone at first, but it’s fun and gets better,” concluded another person.
7. You Don’t Meet Enough People
One user posted, “I just don’t meet enough people now that I’m over 30.”
Another user stated, “Was married in my 30s and now divorced in my early 40s. It doesn’t get any better, friend. Everyone has a family.”
One user commented, “This exact thing. Married for 15 years, and the guys available are all weird to me. Better alone than with someone that doesn’t fit again.”
Another user answered, “I hope this will never be me. I’m already socially awkward due to my last relationship.”
8. You Just Don’t Like People
Another user shared, “I hate people.”
One user replied, “Bingo!”
One person confirmed, “So true. If you hope to receive unconditional love in your life, get a dog. Dogs are better than people anyhow.”
9. Scared to Date
One user shared, “Recovering from a divorce, I want a solid relationship; I’m also scared to re-enter the dating world.”
Another user replied, “Same here, dating looks scary in this landscape, and it’s okay to be happy on your own.”
“But I’m not happy on my own. I’m miserable. And to add insult to injury (and tangibility to metaphysical), I can’t afford … Anything as a result of only having one income. No house. No vacations. No enjoying the single life. Just a pointless, lonely ‘grind…’ More like a ‘skid.’ And it’s not like I just came out of the gate yesterday, either. I’m tired, boss,” the first user added.
10. You Like Your Freedom
One user shared, “I like the freedom.”
Another user responded, “I feel this so much.”
“Same. Enjoying independence!” exclaimed another Redditor.
11. You Don’t Think People Deserve You
A user shared, “Because 99.9% of the people in this world don’t deserve me.”
Another user replied, “Someone out there for you. Happy cake day, pal.”
12. Your Mom Said No
One Redditor posted, “My mom said no.”
Another user replied, “When I was a teen, my parents didn’t let me date. When I was 18, they still didn’t. But ofc I still dated secretly, and to this day, all of my past relationships were secret. They still believe I have never had a date.”
However, one commenter asked, “Did you try asking out anyone else?”
13. You Don’t Like the Dating World
One user explained, “I have no tolerance for what dating has become. I’m just old enough to remember when standing someone up on a date made you a piece of [crap]. Male or female. Now it’s called ghosting, and not only is it expected. We actually blame the person who got ghosted and says they must have done something wrong. I’m a Xennial who mostly sides with millennials over boomers. But you really f-ed up making ghosting socially acceptable.”
Another commenter replied, “I also don’t understand why people ghost. Even my friends, they ghost me. And it makes me think that I’m a boring person because I am always the one who gets ghosted. If my friends ghost me, what about a potential SO? And it gives me trauma to open up with anyone fully because it feels like they’re toying with me. So, maybe this is how my life is. No matter how hard I try, they just don’t care, and they always leave me in the end without even saying goodbye or telling me my faults.”
14. No One Seems Interested
One Redditor shared, “No one seems interested enough to get to know me. I don’t really have many opportunities to meet people. I work full-time 2nd shift, and I work every other weekend. I don’t have any friends either ’cause I didn’t keep in touch with any childhood friends.”
Another user added, “Didn’t keep in touch either. Recently I found an old friend on FB, added them, and they added me; I tagged them in a post, and then, for some reason, blocked me. [It’s terrible]. No clue why.”
One user answered, “Might I suggest, don’t tag people. It shows up on all their friends’ feeds. It might be what they deem inappropriate or something they don’t want to be attributed to. Instead, share a private message. Then, it gives you a chance to start a private conversion as well.”
The OP responded, “Yeah. I sent them a dm and got no response. And I posted a picture of my elementary school yearbook with all my classmates in it, and bam. Who knows why…”
15. Taking Care of Family
One Redditor posted, “I am 31, divorced, living with my 76-year-old dad. I take care of him; he has cancer and Parkinson’s. I don’t have much of a life right now. I am okay with that. I don’t know how much more time I have with my dad, and I am just focusing on taking care of him.
“I have been taking care of my ex-husband (multiple injuries at work and cancer), my ex-in-laws, my eldest brother, my mom, and one aunt. After this, I am taking care of myself. I’ll probably be single for a while after he passes too.”
Another user replied, “I understand. I’m looking forward to spending my energy on myself.”
16. Not Great at Talking To Women
“I’m not great at approaching women, and all the women I’d consider in the friend group I’m in have boyfriends. I get matches on dating apps, but nothing ever comes out of those; the conversation never escalates into anything interesting. I think I’m also a unique person that’s gonna have a more challenging time finding a match—I’m already a person with only a few friends. My personality is not going to be a match with everyone.”, exclaimed one user.
17. You Have Trust Issues
“B/c I have trust issues,” one user shared.
Another user replied, “Same…mental illness and baggage and being betrayed.”
One user agreed, “Same.”
18. Not Ready to Commit
One Redditor posted, “Few reasons: I married at 20. She left me 13 months later after five years into the relationship where she had family drama and moved in with me my senior year before high school, which complicated a lot of things since I was basically married at that point. She was emotionally abusive and left me for a coworker she told me not to worry about. A month after she left, she moved in with him in a new apartment, and once our divorce was final, she announced she was three months pregnant and remarried two days after what would’ve been our 2nd anniversary and not even a year after she left me.
“After my year-long [promiscuous] phase, I realized I didn’t want to be that way and once again attempted a relationship. For nearly a year, I was in on-again, off-again situations with someone I did fall for hard. In the end, she kept using me as a placeholder every time she and her abusive ex would break up. In the end, she just told me she was using me and felt guilty, and I was essentially a placeholder for her, hoping that her ex would get help. And I’ve still yet to recover from that.
“I’m stuck in this weird middle of wanting something intimate and to have someone I can call my person, and also wanting my isolation and freedom, which is a very confusing state of mind. Dating is hard and exhausting. No matter how many dates I go on with however many people, something just isn’t clicking for me or my dates. I haven’t found my person yet, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I will. I’ll continue trying, but I accept that being single is okay.”
Another user replied, “I really feel with you on this point. I keep missing the intimacy of a partner. However, I am not ready for the responsibility and commitment of a relationship. I am not a big fan of hookup culture; due to past relationships, I need to feel safe with my sexual partners.”
19. Not Loving Yourself
One Redditor commented, “I don’t love myself; therefore, I cannot love someone else.”
Another user added, “I hate that line. Of course, you can love someone else. Yeah, one should work on themselves, and if they don’t, their relationship may falter—but the idea you cannot love someone else is pure horsesh-t.”
Another person replied, “You can hate yourself But you love your friends, your family… You love gaming, art, music… And someone else can love you to death, even with your ‘flaw’ of hating yourself, and if they really love you, they’ll want nothing but the best for you, so they’ll try to cheer you up. Who came up with that line?”
One commenter said, “Emphasis on try. Abstract ideas like gaming, art, music, etc., are not the same as people. People get tired of trying to help someone who isn’t helping themselves. People will try and try, but eventually, people will distance themselves from you if you’re not making an effort/progress, and it’s not because they don’t love you, but it’s because 1. They most likely can’t stand to see you in a sh-tty state because they care so much, and 2. Nobody can make you love yourself; you literally have to find that within yourself. The best people can do is try and point you in the right direction or give you an idea. The rest is up to us.
“Sidenote: You guys do know there’s a difference between love and sympathy, right…? No shame in taking what you can get, but it’s important not to confuse the 2.”
One user added, “You can’t properly love someone else if you don’t love yourself. Then you end up putting a ton of pressure on your partner because all of your attention/needs are being put solely on them instead of yourself. It’s easy for your partner to literally become your whole world and reason for living which can lead to losing yourself in them when you don’t love yourself. The moral of the story is you’re asking for dependency issues getting into a relationship without loving yourself; trust me, it’s why I’m single now after 3 of the best years of my life…”
20. You’ve Never Been on a Date
One Redditor shared, “I’ve been single my whole life. Never been on a date. I’m not the prettiest, but I know I still have worth, and I know what I want to do in life and won’t settle.”
Another user replied, “Not so much difference. Sometimes, I want to know how it feels to go on a date, but no one has ever asked me out, or I have asked them because I am not attracted to my guy friends. It’s fine, though. Just keep on believing that one day it’ll be my time to experience it or not, considering I’m getting older and it’s just so hard to find someone I want to be with; even if I’ve found this person, it wouldn’t be sure that they wanted to be with me.”
Do you agree with the list above? Share your thoughts and leave a comment!
Source: Reddit.
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Are you feeling down and out because of your single status? Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be that way! This blog post is here to help turn things around by providing a list of the top 20 reasons why you’re single. Get ready for some laughs as we take an honest look at what might be keeping you from finding love. From considering yourself “too picky” to being too shy to put yourself out there, we address all the most common dating woes—plus offer up some invaluable advice on how to fix them! So if you want your happily ever after: read on!
1. You’re A Hermit
One user posted, “I’m basically a hermit.”
Another user responded saying, “No drama, and the remote is f-ing mine.”
One user also affirmed, “Same, plus people [are generally terrible], so looking for companionship is also like sticking hands in a needle stack looking for a piece of hair.”
2. People Are Too Dramatic
One Redditor also shared, “I have no energy for anything; people are draining and complicated.”
Another user replied, “Are you me? This is exactly how I feel. I get off work, and the last thing I want to do is have to deal with someone else.”
One Redditor added, “This is kinda one of the reasons I am not into any relationships with anyone. People are way too empty without any content, not interesting or serious about relationships, and many are also way too manipulative.”
3. You Have Nothing to Offer
“I don’t have anything women want that better guys can’t provide,” one user added to the thread.
Another Redditor replied, “I’ve thought about this a lot.”
One user commented, “Dude, statistically better guys are already taken by a subset of girls. There should be plenty left on your level field. That is the problem with the girls: 90% of girls are after 10% of “better guys.” but once reality settles in, they will go after you as well.”
“Objectively speaking, though, no woman on earth is going to go for a disabled guy like me. They’ll be with me despite, not inclusive of, my disability. This has been my lived experience, to use an overused phrase, lol. They have a subconscious feeling of superiority that comes out in small ways. It’s a long f-ing story that would take too much time in a comment, but trust me here,” another commenter added.
However, one user commented, “I was married to a fine man for 26 years before death parted us. He had a disability that he was born with. I never thought of him as less than or disabled. He was simply my love. My person. We loved each other well and truly and had a family. It can happen.”
4. Too Many Fish in the Sea
One user asked, “Have you actually seen the dating pool?! …There’s not enough chlorine in the world.”
Another user responded, “Lots of insects getting in the water…”
One commenter added, “Frogs in the filter.”
5. You Always Feel Odd
One user explained, “The whole dating thing makes me just feel odd. I’m tired of everybody and the red or green flags. The arguments and all, I don’t want to deal with it. I’d rather be single.”
The OP of the thread commented, “Been cheated on. It made me scared to date again, I dated again, and some other stuff happened, and let’s say I’m now socially awkward and can’t talk to women anymore. Although I find it tiring, I’m trying my best not to lose hope.”
Another commenter added, “The red flag feels like canceling culture but for dating—one wrong move and you’re done.”
6. Haven’t Met the Right One
One Redditor explained, “I honestly don’t know. A year and a half ago, I could have answered this quickly since I’d stay at home moping, just hoping someone would come calling. Well, of course, that wasn’t going to happen, so a year or so ago, I made myself get out, meet new people, befriend them, all the things you’re supposed to do.
“It didn’t work. People saw my kindness as a vessel to take advantage of and use me. I understood why doing nothing netted negative results. I don’t understand why doing the right thing also nets negative results. It makes no damn sense, it hurts, it’s made me cynical and depressed, and I don’t know what to do now.”
Another user commented, “Just keep being genuinely kind, start keeping boundaries, and it’ll weed out the bad people. You’ll meet someone eventually. Just take it slow.”
One commenter added, “Don’t close yourself off from other people. Also, be assertive and don’t let people take advantage of you. You don’t have to sacrifice your own needs to make people like you. Real friends are your friends because they enjoy your company, not because they gain materially from your presence. Yes, maybe someone you don’t let take advantage of you will not want anything to do with you, but that just means they were never going to be a true friend anyway.”
“I totally agree with what has been said here above; take a moment for yourself and establish some boundaries, some things you won’t accept being said or made, and get back in it. You might not find someone at first, but it’s fun and gets better,” concluded another person.
7. You Don’t Meet Enough People
One user posted, “I just don’t meet enough people now that I’m over 30.”
Another user stated, “Was married in my 30s and now divorced in my early 40s. It doesn’t get any better, friend. Everyone has a family.”
One user commented, “This exact thing. Married for 15 years, and the guys available are all weird to me. Better alone than with someone that doesn’t fit again.”
Another user answered, “I hope this will never be me. I’m already socially awkward due to my last relationship.”
8. You Just Don’t Like People
Another user shared, “I hate people.”
One user replied, “Bingo!”
One person confirmed, “So true. If you hope to receive unconditional love in your life, get a dog. Dogs are better than people anyhow.”
9. Scared to Date
One user shared, “Recovering from a divorce, I want a solid relationship; I’m also scared to re-enter the dating world.”
Another user replied, “Same here, dating looks scary in this landscape, and it’s okay to be happy on your own.”
“But I’m not happy on my own. I’m miserable. And to add insult to injury (and tangibility to metaphysical), I can’t afford … Anything as a result of only having one income. No house. No vacations. No enjoying the single life. Just a pointless, lonely ‘grind…’ More like a ‘skid.’ And it’s not like I just came out of the gate yesterday, either. I’m tired, boss,” the first user added.
10. You Like Your Freedom
One user shared, “I like the freedom.”
Another user responded, “I feel this so much.”
“Same. Enjoying independence!” exclaimed another Redditor.
11. You Don’t Think People Deserve You
A user shared, “Because 99.9% of the people in this world don’t deserve me.”
Another user replied, “Someone out there for you. Happy cake day, pal.”
12. Your Mom Said No
One Redditor posted, “My mom said no.”
Another user replied, “When I was a teen, my parents didn’t let me date. When I was 18, they still didn’t. But ofc I still dated secretly, and to this day, all of my past relationships were secret. They still believe I have never had a date.”
However, one commenter asked, “Did you try asking out anyone else?”
13. You Don’t Like the Dating World
One user explained, “I have no tolerance for what dating has become. I’m just old enough to remember when standing someone up on a date made you a piece of [crap]. Male or female. Now it’s called ghosting, and not only is it expected. We actually blame the person who got ghosted and says they must have done something wrong. I’m a Xennial who mostly sides with millennials over boomers. But you really f-ed up making ghosting socially acceptable.”
Another commenter replied, “I also don’t understand why people ghost. Even my friends, they ghost me. And it makes me think that I’m a boring person because I am always the one who gets ghosted. If my friends ghost me, what about a potential SO? And it gives me trauma to open up with anyone fully because it feels like they’re toying with me. So, maybe this is how my life is. No matter how hard I try, they just don’t care, and they always leave me in the end without even saying goodbye or telling me my faults.”
14. No One Seems Interested
One Redditor shared, “No one seems interested enough to get to know me. I don’t really have many opportunities to meet people. I work full-time 2nd shift, and I work every other weekend. I don’t have any friends either ’cause I didn’t keep in touch with any childhood friends.”
Another user added, “Didn’t keep in touch either. Recently I found an old friend on FB, added them, and they added me; I tagged them in a post, and then, for some reason, blocked me. [It’s terrible]. No clue why.”
One user answered, “Might I suggest, don’t tag people. It shows up on all their friends’ feeds. It might be what they deem inappropriate or something they don’t want to be attributed to. Instead, share a private message. Then, it gives you a chance to start a private conversion as well.”
The OP responded, “Yeah. I sent them a dm and got no response. And I posted a picture of my elementary school yearbook with all my classmates in it, and bam. Who knows why…”
15. Taking Care of Family
One Redditor posted, “I am 31, divorced, living with my 76-year-old dad. I take care of him; he has cancer and Parkinson’s. I don’t have much of a life right now. I am okay with that. I don’t know how much more time I have with my dad, and I am just focusing on taking care of him.
“I have been taking care of my ex-husband (multiple injuries at work and cancer), my ex-in-laws, my eldest brother, my mom, and one aunt. After this, I am taking care of myself. I’ll probably be single for a while after he passes too.”
Another user replied, “I understand. I’m looking forward to spending my energy on myself.”
16. Not Great at Talking To Women
“I’m not great at approaching women, and all the women I’d consider in the friend group I’m in have boyfriends. I get matches on dating apps, but nothing ever comes out of those; the conversation never escalates into anything interesting. I think I’m also a unique person that’s gonna have a more challenging time finding a match—I’m already a person with only a few friends. My personality is not going to be a match with everyone.”, exclaimed one user.
17. You Have Trust Issues
“B/c I have trust issues,” one user shared.
Another user replied, “Same…mental illness and baggage and being betrayed.”
One user agreed, “Same.”
18. Not Ready to Commit
One Redditor posted, “Few reasons: I married at 20. She left me 13 months later after five years into the relationship where she had family drama and moved in with me my senior year before high school, which complicated a lot of things since I was basically married at that point. She was emotionally abusive and left me for a coworker she told me not to worry about. A month after she left, she moved in with him in a new apartment, and once our divorce was final, she announced she was three months pregnant and remarried two days after what would’ve been our 2nd anniversary and not even a year after she left me.
“After my year-long [promiscuous] phase, I realized I didn’t want to be that way and once again attempted a relationship. For nearly a year, I was in on-again, off-again situations with someone I did fall for hard. In the end, she kept using me as a placeholder every time she and her abusive ex would break up. In the end, she just told me she was using me and felt guilty, and I was essentially a placeholder for her, hoping that her ex would get help. And I’ve still yet to recover from that.
“I’m stuck in this weird middle of wanting something intimate and to have someone I can call my person, and also wanting my isolation and freedom, which is a very confusing state of mind. Dating is hard and exhausting. No matter how many dates I go on with however many people, something just isn’t clicking for me or my dates. I haven’t found my person yet, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I will. I’ll continue trying, but I accept that being single is okay.”
Another user replied, “I really feel with you on this point. I keep missing the intimacy of a partner. However, I am not ready for the responsibility and commitment of a relationship. I am not a big fan of hookup culture; due to past relationships, I need to feel safe with my sexual partners.”
19. Not Loving Yourself
One Redditor commented, “I don’t love myself; therefore, I cannot love someone else.”
Another user added, “I hate that line. Of course, you can love someone else. Yeah, one should work on themselves, and if they don’t, their relationship may falter—but the idea you cannot love someone else is pure horsesh-t.”
Another person replied, “You can hate yourself But you love your friends, your family… You love gaming, art, music… And someone else can love you to death, even with your ‘flaw’ of hating yourself, and if they really love you, they’ll want nothing but the best for you, so they’ll try to cheer you up. Who came up with that line?”
One commenter said, “Emphasis on try. Abstract ideas like gaming, art, music, etc., are not the same as people. People get tired of trying to help someone who isn’t helping themselves. People will try and try, but eventually, people will distance themselves from you if you’re not making an effort/progress, and it’s not because they don’t love you, but it’s because 1. They most likely can’t stand to see you in a sh-tty state because they care so much, and 2. Nobody can make you love yourself; you literally have to find that within yourself. The best people can do is try and point you in the right direction or give you an idea. The rest is up to us.
“Sidenote: You guys do know there’s a difference between love and sympathy, right…? No shame in taking what you can get, but it’s important not to confuse the 2.”
One user added, “You can’t properly love someone else if you don’t love yourself. Then you end up putting a ton of pressure on your partner because all of your attention/needs are being put solely on them instead of yourself. It’s easy for your partner to literally become your whole world and reason for living which can lead to losing yourself in them when you don’t love yourself. The moral of the story is you’re asking for dependency issues getting into a relationship without loving yourself; trust me, it’s why I’m single now after 3 of the best years of my life…”
20. You’ve Never Been on a Date
One Redditor shared, “I’ve been single my whole life. Never been on a date. I’m not the prettiest, but I know I still have worth, and I know what I want to do in life and won’t settle.”
Another user replied, “Not so much difference. Sometimes, I want to know how it feels to go on a date, but no one has ever asked me out, or I have asked them because I am not attracted to my guy friends. It’s fine, though. Just keep on believing that one day it’ll be my time to experience it or not, considering I’m getting older and it’s just so hard to find someone I want to be with; even if I’ve found this person, it wouldn’t be sure that they wanted to be with me.”
Do you agree with the list above? Share your thoughts and leave a comment!
Source: Reddit.
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If there’s one thing that science fiction has taught us, it’s that you don’t mess with aliens. From intergalactic empires to ancient gods in hiding, extraterrestrials can often give as much as they get— if not more! Whether they come from distant galaxies or are right next door to us, alien species might have vastly differing tech levels and powers. Here we take a look at some of the most powerful alien species in sci-fi TV shows, movies, and video games: let’s all hope our future encounters with extraterrestrial beings prove less hostile than these!
1. Spiders and Snakes, from Fritz Leiber’s Change War Series
One user shared, “The Spiders and The Snakes from Fritz Leiber’s Change War stories. No human has ever seen any member of either race. They are fighting a war that is ongoing on all planets in the Universe, and that started with the Big Bang and goes beyond the end of time. Each side wants to rewrite all history in the entire multiverse.”
Another user replied, “Sounds like Xeelee.”
One commenter added, “Fantastic story that I wish had more books. Rare to get sci-fi with a theater production theme AND locker room mystery.”
2. The Q, from Star Trek
One Redditor shared, “I’ll throw two into the ring: The Q, from Star Trek, is effectively godlike, unconstrained by time, space, or the laws of physics as we know them. The Xeelee, the Baryonic Lords, are nigh-all-powerful. They utilized extensive time travel technology to populate the Universe with themselves, starting from the Big Bang and eventually escaping our Universe into others.
“(Their foes, the Photino Birds, defeated them—but they seem to have no technology nor the ability to travel through time. I’m not even sure if they’re sentient beings or more akin to animals—though the fact that they still formed the entire Universe to fit their life cycle and intentionally destroyed Boulder’s Ring seems to suggest the ability to plan and execute those plans, on a billion+ year timeline.).”
One user replied, “As dark matter beings, baryonic matter is just ants to them. It’s less ‘all that has to go’ and more ‘let’s get rid of that infestation.’”
3. Forerunners, from Halo
“Halo has the Forerunners. For an approximate idea of power level. They power all their technology with vacuum energy. They built a solar system-sized Dyson sphere that can be compressed utilizing an alternate dimension to about 1 meter in diameter. They built whole planets and moved stars.
“The flagship of their fleet, Mantle’s Approach, took two 2.1 million megaton kinetic impactor rounds that barely poked a hole in the hull that self-repair mechanisms fixed in seconds. Its main gun was ‘adapted from planet cracking siege platforms.’ They were masters of their own genetics, too, rewriting themselves into new ‘forms’ throughout their lives.
“With the assistance of advanced armor, they were biologically immortal and had no need to sleep. Perhaps their most “powerful” accomplishment is, of course, the Halo Array, a series of 7 10,000km diameter ringworlds capable of sterilizing the entire galaxy of life in an instant.
“Halo also has the Precursors, which predated the Forerunners. While their technology is primarily unknown, it’s been stated it is based on ‘neural physics,’ the concept that inanimate matter and thought are inextricably linked and that the Universe itself is a living entity. What relics they left were essentially indestructible, most notably Star Roads.
“These were many kilometers thick cables that stretched between planets and even linked separate star systems together. Described as being ‘anchored in the deepest layers of unreality,’ the star roads visible in real space were mere shadows of their exotic neural physics construction woven between dimensions,” shared one user.
4. C’tan, from Warhammer 40,000
One user added, “C’tan from Warhammer 40k is pretty busted. Each of them is connected to an intrinsic aspect of reality, and they have night-unlimited power, even shattered into fragments of themselves.”
One user posted, “Given that the old Necron broke and enslaved them, I’d say that War in Heaven Necrons are also absurdly powerful.”
Another user added, “Yeah, but the Necrons were only able to do it because of power taken from the Ctan and because the Ctan were weakened by infighting and the Old Ones.”
5. The Beyonders, from Marvel
One Redditor added, “The Beyonders from Marvel are pretty powerful. They were so strong. Doom needed to build a bomb of one of the strongest reality warpers in the Universe and reset the multiverse.”
Another user commented, “Not one of them; he used thousands of Molecule Men from different universes, made a ball with them, and detonated them all at once.”
6. Time Lords
One user shared, “Time Lords are pretty powerful.”
One user replied, “I’d say Daleks are superior; if it weren’t for the Doctor, the Time Lords would have been wiped out.”
“If it weren’t for the Doctor, Rassilon would have used the Final Sanction to rip the Time Vortex apart and destroy the whole of reality, which would have enabled the Time Lords to shed their corporeal forms and ascend into acausal beings of pure consciousness alone. However, the Daleks were indeed winning the Time War up until that point. Still, Gallifrey would have won the conflict if it hadn’t been for the Tenth Doctor’s and the Master’s interference in The End of Time,” another user commented.
One Redditor replied, “The Time Lords still have more power and hax at their disposal, just that the Daleks got the advantage with a surprise attack that made them immune to their go-to time erasure.
“After all, the Time Lords were holding back since, up until the end, they still wanted to save the Universe. They, too, could have built a reality bomb if they wished; they never dared to use the moment; they were gonna use the final sanction, and seeing how it was a time lord that created the Flux and the Daleks had no counter to that, they could have used that too.
“So, it was a combination of surprise attack, unwillingness to commit, and continuously underestimating the Daleks that caused the Time Lords almost to lose.”
7. Zeno Sama, from Dragon Ball
One user added, “Nah, they are petty insects. Zeno Sama can erase entire universes at will.”
Another user replied, “Was it ever specified whether Zeno belonged to a race or was he just a divine creature?”
“Well, he’s not from Earth, so he’s surely an alien. Divine or not, I think it fits the alien concept,” one Redditor commented.
8. Lovecraftian Creatures
“Lovecraftian, aka cosmic horrors, are pretty much unparalleled in power,” one user added.
Another user replied, “The outer Gods are technically aliens, but each of them is vastly different and hard to quantify as a ‘species.’”
9. Trisolarans, from Three-Body Problem
One Redditor shared, “The [trisolarans] from the three-body problems. Literally, quantum entanglement communication and the teardrop terrifies me.”
Another user replied, “I would actually give the other hunters in the dark forest an example.”
One commenter said, “Weren’t they the ones who destroyed spatial dimensions to vanquish their enemies?”
10. Species 8472, from Star Trek: Voyager
“Species 8472 is pretty [great],” one user shared.
A user commented, “I came here to say this. Any species that can force the Borg to make an alliance is a force to be reckoned with.”
Another user added, “One of the most interesting aliens from Star Trek, IMO. Especially due to the way all their tech is biological, like how their ships are basically animals. BTW, it’s not true canon, but the game Star Trek Online named them the Undine.”
One user added, “I’m surprised at how little treatment [8472] was given. The cannon is just tiny. I know the foreign-universe-ness and our lack of understanding of them is a big part of their charm, but I would love a deeper exploration of the buggers. The whole ‘fluidic space’ thing is left almost entirely to the imagination. There couldn’t be any gravity, obviously. How does physics work there? I believe they are the only species in their universe. Did they wipe everyone out recently, or did they evolve as apex predators without any prey?”
Do you agree with the names listed above? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Source: Reddit.
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Charleston, SC, often captures the imagination of those seeking a charming coastal city with a rich history. However, as with any location, there are pros and cons to consider before deciding to move. Whether you are looking to rent an apartment in Charleston, SC, or purchase a home in the city, this Redfin article presents ten compelling factors to help you evaluate whether living in Charleston is the right place for you. Let’s get started.
Pros of living in Charleston, SC
1. Great weather
Charleston is renowned for its exceptional weather, which combines elements of a subtropical climate with coastal influences. The city enjoys long, warm summers and mild winters, making it a great place to live year-round. Summers in Charleston are characterized by abundant sunshine. Cooling sea breezes from the nearby Atlantic Ocean offer relief from the heat. Winters in Charleston are relatively mild, with temperatures averaging in the 50s and 60s Fahrenheit. While occasional colder spells occur, they are typically brief and followed by milder periods.
2. Delicious food
Charleston is celebrated for its vibrant and diverse culinary scene, offering a delectable array of dishes that showcase the region’s rich history and flavors. The city is renowned for its fresh seafood, with shrimp, oysters, and blue crab being local favorites. You can savor a mouthwatering Lowcountry boil, a hearty dish featuring shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage, and potatoes seasoned with Old Bay and other spices.
Another iconic dish is she-crab soup, a creamy and rich bisque made with crab meat, crab roe, and a touch of sherry. For those with a sweet tooth, Charleston offers delectable desserts like the classic Huguenot torte, a layered almond cake filled with raspberry preserves and iced with buttercream.
3. Small-town charm
Despite being a city, Charleston exudes a captivating small-town charm. Its picturesque streets are lined with historic homes, cobblestone walkways, and quaint shops. The city’s rich history is visible at every turn, with beautifully preserved architecture and landmarks that tell the stories of its past, such as the cobblestone streets of the French Quarter or strolling along the iconic Rainbow Row. From lively farmers’ markets to cozy neighborhood eateries and boutique shops, Charleston offers an intimate and inviting ambiance that makes residents feel like they are part of a tight-knit community.
4. Beach access
Charleston offers unparalleled beach access, making it a haven for locals. Folly Beach is a popular destination because of its laid-back atmosphere and sandy shores. Isle of Palms is equally beautiful, with its pristine shoreline and gentle waves. Sullivan’s Island, a quiet and less crowded option, provides a peaceful retreat with natural beauty and historical landmarks. For nature enthusiasts, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island offer unspoiled stretches of coastline, where visitors can enjoy scenic walks, birdwatching, and dolphin sightings.
5. Diverse neighborhoods
Charleston has a ton of diverse neighborhoods, each offering a unique character and charm. Downtown Charleston is a treasure trove of history, featuring beautifully preserved architecture, cobblestone streets, and iconic landmarks such as The Battery and Rainbow Row. The French Quarter is known for its art galleries, boutique shops, and fine dining establishments.
The West Ashley area offers a mix of suburban and rural charm, with neighborhoods nestled among marshes and oak-lined streets. Mount Pleasant, located just across the Cooper River, boasts waterfront views and a thriving community, complete with shopping centers and parks. These are just a handful of wonderful neighborhoods that bring charm to Charleston.
6. A rich history
Charleston is steeped in a rich and storied history that dates back centuries. Founded in 1670, Charleston played a significant role in the early days of American colonization and was a major port for trade and commerce. The city witnessed pivotal events during the American Revolution, including the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in 1776, where the fort was successfully defended against British naval forces.
Charleston’s role in the Civil War was equally significant, with the first shots fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor marking the beginning of the conflict. The city’s historic district, often called the “Holy City,” is home to beautifully preserved antebellum homes, churches, and landmarks that serve as tangible reminders of its past.
Cons of living in Charleston, SC
7. Bugs … a lot of them
Charleston is not immune to its fair share of insects and bugs. The warm and humid climate of the region provides an ideal breeding ground for various pests. Mosquitoes, for instance, can be quite prevalent, especially during the summer months. Additionally, biting gnats, known as no-see-ums, can be bothersome, leaving itchy welts and disrupting outdoor gatherings. While efforts are made to control and mitigate these pests through mosquito abatement programs, their presence can still detract from outdoor experiences.
8. Humidity
Charleston experiences a notable downside in the form of high humidity levels, which can be a source of discomfort for many residents. The city’s warm and humid climate, particularly during the summer, creates an environment where moisture hangs in the air, leading to a persistent feeling of stickiness and heaviness.
9. Flat landscape
The city is characterized by a relatively flat landscape, which, while offering its own unique beauty, can present some drawbacks for those seeking varied topography or dramatic scenic vistas. The predominantly flat terrain of the area lacks the rolling hills or towering mountains found in other regions. So if you like a varied topography, Charleston may not be for you.
10. Potential for hurricanes and flooding
Charleston experiences extreme weather conditions as the region is susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes, which can bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and potential flooding. These weather events can disrupt daily life, damage property, and pose risks to personal safety. The hurricane season typically lasts from June to November. In addition to hurricanes, Charleston faces occasional periods of intense heat during the summer months, with high temperatures and high humidity.
Hiring a landscaper can remove a major headache from both ongoing lawn maintenance and one-time makeover projects in your yard. Depending on your budget and schedule (not to mention your definition of a fun weekend), it may be worth outsourcing some, or all, of your yard projects.
At my house, my husband and I typically outsource mowing and weed whacking because it’s a fairly low-cost service compared to the amount of free time we gain back each week. On the other hand, I love gardening, and we regularly tackle projects that involve growing flowers and vegetables without the help of a professional.
If you’re considering getting professional help with your landscaping, think about the types of projects you plan to undertake, plus the time, tools, and skill level involved. Here’s a breakdown of both ongoing and one-time landscape projects, plus how to determine if professional help is worth the cost.
What’s Ahead:
Average landscaping costs: an overview
Service
Average cost
Lawn mowing
$49 to $218
Bedding plants (selection and installation)
$1,366 to $5,641
Disease and insect control
Less than $100
Tree trimming
$460
Landscape design
$1,954 to $6,971
Deck construction
$7,300
Exterior light installation (10 lights)
$2,000 and $2,500
Drip irrigation system (per acre)
$2,150
Sprinkler system
$2,500
Ongoing services
Having consistent professional help can keep your yard clean and healthy. A well-maintained yard is good for wildlife and also motivates you to get outside more often and enjoy it, so it is a big deal!
Lawn maintenance
Ongoing lawn maintenance involves mowing your grass and weed whacking the edges of any hardscaping, like the sidewalk, driveway, and flower beds. The lawn maintenance company provides their own equipment, as well as any products that may be needed. In the fall, you can also add leaf removal services and have the collected leaves taken off-site by your maintenance crew.
Costs vary depending on the size of your lawn and how intricate any weed whacking may be. According to HomeAdvisor, average prices range between $49 and $218. Depending on your weather, you may opt for weekly or bi-weekly service. The rainier it is in your area, the more frequent mowing may be needed.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Seasonal expense in many areas. During cooler-weather months you may not need to pay for lawn maintenance.
Get on a schedule. Avoid tall grass by scheduling recurring services from your maintenance crew.
Avoid paying for and maintaining lawn equipment. Upfront and ongoing maintenance costs for lawn mowers and weed whackers can quickly add up, especially compared to the relatively low cost of professional lawn maintenance.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Extra cost added to your monthly budget. Go the DIY path if your budget is already tight or you’re focused on important financial goals like debt payoff.
A fixed schedule may not meet your lawn’s needs. Low rain could mean you’re paying for service even without tall grass. On the flip side, your lawn may be ready for a trim after heavy rain, days before your next mowing is scheduled.
Bedding plants and installation
Spending time in a yard filled with beautiful plants can give you countless hours of joy throughout the year. Plus, you’ll create a haven for all types of important insects, including pollinators.
A professional landscaper can pick out plants that thrive in your area and in specific spots in your yard. You can also get advice on plants that work best for your preferred level of care, whether you want to invest the time to water and weed, pay to outsource those tasks, or focus entirely on low-maintenance plants in your landscape.
The cost of getting a landscaper to choose and install plants ranges from $1,366 and $5,641. If your landscaped beds have become extremely overgrown, this expense may be worth the cost, but if you simply need to pop in some annuals to fill up space, this might be a better DIY project.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Create year-round interest. A landscaper’s expertise ensures your flower beds aren’t dull three out of the four seasons of the year.
Choose the right plants based on water and sunlight needs. Avoid killing plants and wasting money by picking the right options for your yard’s conditions.
Pick colors and textures that complement each other. A landscaper creates an overall theme, whereas a DIY approach may create competing colors, heights, and textures.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Can be costly. The expertise of a landscaper definitely comes at a price.
You have less control over designs and colors. A DIY approach may be better if you have a very specific aesthetic you want to achieve in your yard.
Disease and insect control
Insects are a natural part of the garden’s ecosystem, but some bugs and diseases can actually harm your plants. There are many ways to mitigate these issues on your own, like promoting healthy soil and encouraging beneficial bugs that prey on the damaging types. For instance, ladybugs eat aphids, an insect that can cause major damage to vegetables, fruit, roses, and other flowers.
But if you need help, a professional landscaper can manage these issues as well. Just be sure to ask about the products they use and the ingredients, especially if you grow edibles in your garden. Non-organic ingredients can be harmful to you, your plants, and beneficial insects. A standard pest treatment typically costs under $100, according to Thumbtack.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Fast and easy service. Outsource the work rather than trying to figure out what products and treatment you need.
The expertise of specific disease and pest issues. Make sure you’re treating the right problem, so you don’t waste money on DIY “solutions” that just don’t work.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
May use harmful ingredients. Ask what products the landscaper uses and check to see if the ingredients align with your needs, especially if you grow an organic garden or have outdoor pets.
Less control over products and processes used. You need to trust the professional you hire.
Tree services
It’s important to regularly care for any trees near your house since they can cause damage to your home as they grow larger. The biggest issues are trees extending over your roofline and dead trees eventually falling. Regular tree maintenance includes pruning your trees to keep them disease-free and trimming away dead branches. Your trees will stay healthy, and you don’t have to worry about branches falling and hurting someone or something on your property.
You can certainly buy the tools needed to care for your trees and take a DIY route, but you also need to learn about how pruning affects each tree and what time of year is best for curbing tree growth. Hiring a landscaper to do the job could very well keep your trees in better shape, not to mention help you avoid the risk of injuring yourself. Just be sure your tree service landscaper is licensed and insured in case they sustain an injury while on the job.
The cost of having tree work done is dependent on how many trees are on your property, their size, and whether or not they need to be felled.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Trees safely pruned. Landscapers have the knowledge and experience to keep people safe.
Avoid damage to surrounding property. Falling trees can cause damage to nearby houses, cars, or fences. A professional knows how to cut strategically so the tree lands where it should.
Pick the best season for pruning. Pruning in some seasons spurs new growth, while other seasons are best for managing size.
Utilize the right equipment for hard-to-reach places. Tall trees could require heavy equipment, like a cherry picker or scissor lift.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Can be costly for tall trees. Tree trimming is important but will take a pretty big bite out of your budget.
Unlicensed landscapers could be an insurance liability. An uninsured contractor who gets injured on your property could require you to file a claim with your homeowners insurance policy.
One-time landscaping services
In addition to ongoing lawn care, weigh the pros and cons of hiring a landscaper for one-time landscaping projects.
Hardscape design and installation
No matter what size your yard may be, a professional landscaper can help you design hardscaping to maximize its usability. This could be with decking, a stone patio, pergola, or other hardscape features. The design and installation are typically two different services. A professional landscape design for your outdoor space could range from $1,954 to $6,971. For the actual labor and materials, your costs vary greatly depending on the size, scope, and materials.
These projects are typically better left to the professionals instead of a weekend warrior project, unless you have above-average DIY skills. For a homeowner with limited experience, you run the risk of unlevel patio stones or structurally unsound hardscaping if you attempt large-scale projects on your own. Plus, projects like decking typically require city or county permits and approvals.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Quality craftsmanship. Avoid the DIY “look” by using a detail-oriented landscaper.
Faster results. Get your project completed all at once, rather than fitting it into your own busy schedule here and there.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Expensive costs. Expect to spend several thousand dollars for hardscaping projects.
Potential need to manage multiple professionals. You may have to manage the landscape designer and installer separately.
Landscape lighting
Incorporating lighting into your landscape can add a magical nighttime ambiance to your yard. There are different levels of service depending on the property features you want to highlight in the evening. You could add uplighting towards the home to draw attention to unique architectural features or illuminate walking paths to see where you’re going in the dark. String lights for garden parties are also a popular upgrade when it comes to landscape lighting.
Some of these projects are fairly simple to DIY and if you opt for solar-powered lights, you can especially save money since you won’t have to plan on an electrician having to wire anything. For bigger projects that do require re-wiring, you may want to hire a professional so you don’t hurt yourself. Electricity is not something that you should play around with.
Costs vary on the type of lighting and how far your cables need to go from existing electric lines.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
Safer than DIY. This is especially true if new electric cables are involved. You don’t want to set yourself up for a fire hazard.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Solar projects may be easier. In some cases, DIY projects may be simple if no new electrical cables are needed.
Lawn and garden bed irrigation
If your summers are marked by dry conditions or inconsistent rain, you might consider installing a sprinkler system for your grass and irrigation lines for your garden beds. Irrigation can keep your plants healthy all year long.
If you’ve already invested in lawn seed and garden plants, this could be an important project. Plus, while the average drip irrigation system costs upwards of $2,000 for an entire acre, there are plenty of online DIY tutorials that can help you spend even less. In fact, if you’re willing to do some digging and connect some PVC pipes and soaker hoses, you could knock out this project for around $100 (depending on your garden size).
A new sprinkler system might be pricy, but you can purchase a DIY kit if you feel confident in marking zones and digging trenches throughout your entire yard. Based on the mechanics involved, this would definitely be a project for more seasoned DIYers.
Pros of hiring a landscaper:
A quick process with limited mistakes. A landscaper can quickly get irrigation or sprinklers in place without digging into buried power lines or pipes.
Minimal disruption to grass and other plants. Landscapers have tools to limit the disruption to your lawn, especially compared to you digging trenches by hand with a spade.
Cons of hiring a landscaper:
Small irrigation projects may be simple and inexpensive. You could certainly DIY raised bed irrigation or other areas that aren’t intrusive.
Saving with a DIY approach
When deciding which projects to complete on your own, start by evaluating your safety and skills. Selecting and planting plants takes a little research, that way you can make sure that you are planting them in the right place. That said, it can be a fun experience and much less expensive to tackle by yourself. Consult the staff at your local garden center to get ideas of what plants perform well in your area. If you make mistakes, you can always plant something new.
For projects that have an element of danger involved, like trimming trees or building a deck, consider shelling out the money for the professional. You don’t want to risk building a faulty structure or mistakenly estimating where a tree could fall.
Project
DIY cost
Professional cost
Planting
Cost of plants
$1,366 to $5,641
Lawn maintenance
Average cost of lawn mower: $363 for push mower; $2,450 for rider mower Plus gas and maintenance costs
$49 to $218 per visit
Deck construction
$8 to $10 per square foot
~$25 per square foot
Summary
Some landscaping projects are easy to do by yourself over the course of a few hours, but others take a lot of time, effort, and skill. For some homeowners, it isn’t worth it to take the DIY route.
At a minimum, hire out landscaping projects that may seem dangerous without the right tools or talent. From there, you can gauge how each project cost compares to your budget and timeline to find out if hiring a landscaper is, in fact, worth it for you.
A 20-year battle over the fate of a rugged, verdant hillside in Los Angeles is barreling toward an epic conclusion as developers move forward with plans to construct a luxury housing project in the Verdugo Mountains, above the Sunland-Tujunga neighborhood.
The Canyon Hills development project, approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2005, is awaiting one final rubber stamp before crews can begin clearing hundreds of acres to make way for 221 homes.
Nevada-based developer Whitebird Inc. says it is within its rights to proceed with the project, which was granted a 20-year window of completion when it was initially approved nearly two decades ago.
But community members, neighborhood officials and other opponents say a lot has changed since then, and insist the development will harm wildlife in the area and put residents in the path of worsening wildfires. They’re calling for the project to be halted — or at least delayed — until a new environmental impact report can be conducted.
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“I just think 20 years is a long time in terms of climate conversations and environmental concerns,” said Emma Kemp, a Tujunga resident and co-founder of the group No Canyon Hills, which began a campaign opposing the project. A petition it started in February has more than 165,000 signatures.
“Before you start chopping down this mountain based on a report that was conducted in 2003, can we just reassess so we can make sure that we are taking really responsible precautions?” she asked. “You know, once you cut it up, you can’t go back.”
The project site runs north of the 210 Freeway and offers sweeping vistas of Los Angeles. On a recent hike around the area, the landscape was alive and buzzing with insects and green vegetation fueled by this year’s wet winter.
Adam Gelbart and Devon Christian, two amateur naturalists who regularly comb the hills there, have spotted a number of plants and critters they say would be threatened by the project, including live oak trees, rare bumble bees and lizards, and the critically imperiled Davidson’s bush mallow plant, which grows only along the Central Coast and in the hills around Tujunga.
“These are the last crumbs of a much larger ecosystem,” Christian said as he swished through chaparral and knee-high brush. “These ecosystems support a myriad of life — not only insects but also birds, larger carnivores. It’s all tied together, and if you see it within the larger context of biodiversity loss across the planet, we really need to fight to protect any last scrap of biodiversity that’s out there.”
Residents have also spotted mountain lions in the area, which alone should be enough to warrant a new environmental impact report, opponents say. Southern California’s mountain lions have reached a critical threshold in recent years as human development squeezes the landscape and leaves lions in the path of speeding cars.
The environmental impact report, finalized in 2004, found no evidence of mountain lions or bobcats at the time. And while the city’s development agreement acknowledges that “significant and unavoidable impacts will result from implementation of the project,” it concludes that “the benefits outweigh and override” such impacts.
Cited benefits include providing a substantial amount of high-quality housing to accommodate population growth in the area, as well as the creation of hundreds of construction jobs. The agreement also states that the project will replace old oak trees with new plantings that will benefit the habitat, and will decrease fire risk in the area by introducing fuel modification zones.
But in the nearly two decades since that agreement was approved, at least three wildfires have seared the area, including the La Tuna fire of 2017, which burned about 7,200 acres and destroyed five homes. The remnants of charred trees and structures can still be seen in the hills today.
The community was also threatened by the Station fire of 2009 and the Sand fire of 2016, both of which prompted the evacuations of thousands of people. Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council President Lydia Grant said she fears the project will leave more residents in harm’s way.
“Our community is a high fire danger area, and we do everything we can to keep the building off the hillsides because it’s just not safe,” she said. The Los Angeles Fire Department ranks the area as a very high fire hazard severity zone.
Grant said adding more homes and people to the wildland-urban interface could also put pressure on the community during an evacuation. The two major arteries in the area, Foothill Boulevard and La Tuna Canyon Road, have both been “road-dieted” from two lanes to one in recent years, she said.
“Now you’re adding that onto one lane in a high fire danger area. … This is just adding gasoline to a fire,” Grant said.
Such conditions are not unlike those that spurred a judge to pause a luxury development project in Lake County last year until further assessments of wildfire evacuation routes could be completed. Judges in recent years have also halted developments in a fire-prone part of San Diego County and the Tehachapi Mountains in Los Angeles County due to fire risk.
Grant said she has not heard from any community members in favor of the development. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the area, declined to speak with The Times about the project.
Jack Rubens, an attorney for the developer, rejected the claims about fire danger, saying the project will in fact reduce the wildfire risk for existing residents to the north and east of the site by providing a new southern evacuation route to La Tuna Canyon Road and the freeway.
The project will also include a new million-gallon water tank close to the existing neighborhoods, which can be used by firefighters “who will have far superior access to the hillside after the project’s road system is constructed,” Rubens said. He added that future residents of the development will also be protected by a 200-foot-wide fuel modification zone that includes about 100 acres of land.
Rubens said concerns about mountain lions are similarly unfounded and noted that the original environmental impact report determined that the project would not interfere with local or regional movement of the animal. Should such movement occur, it would be outside of the development area, he said.
He added that in the wake of the initial approval, Whitebird and developer Rick Percell agreed to eliminate a portion of the project site south of the 210 Freeway, donating about 600 acres of land to an affiliate of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for permanent preservation, so “the public has therefore already received an enormous public benefit,” he said.
Paul Edelman, deputy director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said developing the remaining acres would still amount to a considerable ecological loss.
“As a mountain range, [the Verdugos] are big enough to sustain subpopulations of all the animals we’re concerned about, and that is the key, because they’re just big enough to do that,” he said.
“As you start to take big chunks out of it, it degrades the whole system — you don’t have enough critical mass for one or two mountain lions or a healthy bobcat population,” he said. “It’s already so small that taking a big chunk out of it hurts a lot more than, say, if the equivalent-sized development happened in the Santa Monica Mountains.”
He and other opponents of the project acknowledged that the city’s hands are probably tied by the agreement, especially in this eleventh hour.
Whitebird recently pulled a grading permit that would allow it to begin leveling the pads for properties as soon as it’s approved. City officials could face a lawsuit from the developer should they try to intervene.
Under the agreement, additional environmental clearance could be required under the California Environmental Quality Act if there are substantial changes in the project, including new information showing that the project will have “new or more severe significant effects” than those described in the original environmental impact report.
Rubens said that’s a moot point. A second report cannot be lawfully required as the project is “fully entitled and doesn’t require any further discretionary approval simply because its development has been delayed,” he said.
“The project was approved after a five-year administrative process with significant community involvement and, by the way, those approvals were not challenged in court,” he added.
Dean Wallraff, an attorney who has been fighting the development for decades, said the city probably will agree. But it’s possible some elements of the grading permit could contain enough modifications to trigger a new report.
“Twenty years ago, they approved this project that has now all kinds of extra environmental effects, and it’s in this kind of sensitive area in the middle of the city, and if this goes forward now without anybody looking at it again — that doesn’t make sense,” said Wallraff, executive director of Advocates for the Environment.
The Verdugo Mountains and surrounding areas were originally home to the Chumash, Gabrielino/Tongva and Fernandeño Tataviam tribes, and some members have spoken against the project.
“We believe in protecting the last remaining open spaces of L.A. County,” said Nathan Nuñez, Gabrielino Indigenous cultural keeper. “These places are important to our people, but they’re also important to the broader community. We have to do the work that we can do now to protect these places before they get lost to development.”
He worried about the potential presence of archaeological artifacts in the area because the hills and nearby areas once served as transportation corridors, campsites and places for gathering, hunting and ceremonies for the tribe.
His father, cultural bearer Kevin Nuñez, said he understands that the situation is complicated, but hoped politicians and decision makers would “pump the brakes.”
“I think there are options, but it takes some diligence, it takes some intestinal fortitude, to step up and say hold on, we’re going to vet this well,” he said.
Kemp, of the No Canyon Hills group, said the average lot size for the planned homes is about 17,000 square feet, with some as large as 100,000 square feet. It’s an equity issue as much as it is an environmental one, she said.
“Tujunga is one of the more affordable neighborhoods in and around urban L.A., and it is more rural and it’s definitely more working class … so how can you justify putting in a gated community of luxury mansions in this area?” she said. “What is the benefit to our community?”
However, she said she does not see the group expressing NIMBYism, an anti-development stance that stands for “not in my backyard.”
“I do understand that this developer has his project approved, and he wants to proceed with his plan. I do understand that,” she said. “It just feels that we have this very slim opportunity to do better by the environment, by current community members, by plants, animals and other species, and just to ensure that this is a viable and responsible and worthy project.
“And if things need to change about it,” she added, “then we can make those changes and find a position that works for everyone.”
Hiking through the brush, Gelbart and Christian, the naturalists, said California’s climate conditions are changing so rapidly that it’s difficult for even ecological experts to keep up — much less developers. The pair recently found a massive hollyleaf cherry tree growing in the hills that they hadn’t seen before.
“The land has value beyond what humans use it for,” Gelbart said as he surveyed the view. “And once this is gone, you can never put it back together.”
Starting a vegetable garden can be one of the most rewarding hobbies you ever pursue. Gardening is a source of relaxation and exercise, while yielding hundreds of dollars worth of fresh and delicious produce. It’s also extremely rewarding to watch the seeds you plant and care for grow into mature plants.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and start your first vegetable garden, this article will help you understand what you’re getting into and the steps you’ll need to take to make it to that first harvest.
The garden in summer
Things to Consider Before You Start
Gardening, especially for those without experience, goes a lot better if planned properly beforehand. So before you take a shovel to your front yard, here are some important questions to consider:
What kinds of produce do you enjoy? The ultimate product of a garden is fruit, vegetables, and herbs, so it’s important to plants crops that you’ll be happy to consume after harvest. Different types of crops also take different amounts of time and effort to harvest. In general:
Fruit plants are perennials, meaning that the plants live on for many years but often take years of growth before they yield any fruit.
Vegetables are usually annuals, meaning the plants die at the end of each season, but that they’ll yield a crop immediately.
Herbs are known for being particularly easy to grow so they’re usually a good choice for beginners.
When you consider a crop to plant, it’s important that you research its life cycle and requirements. For beginners, the best way to start is usually annuals, so you can to see the rewards of your labor within a single growing season. A great place to start is with herbs and salad vegetables and eventually work your way up to fruit trees and other perennials.
Which plants grow well where you live? Different plants have different requirements in terms of soil, amount of sunlight, and level of moisture. It’s important that you research which plants can grow well in the climate you inhabit to avoid planting a crop that’s doomed from the beginning. You can search the web for this information, or even better, ask experienced gardeners in your town or neighborhood which plants they’ve had success with in the past. Gardeners are usually happy to discuss their past crops and getting local information is ideal.
How much space do you have available for planting? Another important concern is the space where your garden will be planted. Many people are hesitant to dig up large portions of their yard, or aren’t allowed to because they don’t own the property themselves. One excellent option for beginners is container gardening. This means growing plants in pots or raised beds, rather than directly in the earth. Container gardening offers flexibility because the mobility of the containers allows you to rearrange their location, keep aggressive growers contained, move plants between areas with varying levels of sunlight, and start plants indoors before the climate outside becomes hospitable.
In you want to learn more about container gardening, Get Rich Slowly has previously reviewed The Bountiful Container, a guide to container gardening that is accessible to beginners but contains enough detail to benefit experienced gardeners.
How much time and money do you want to commit? Like most hobbies, gardening requires an investment to get started. Fortunately, you’ll be able to get some if not all of it back from the produce you harvest. The largest investment is required when you start your first garden because you’ll need to purchase tools and supplies for the first time.
Depending on the scope of your project, the tools you’ll need might include:
Shovel
Rake
Tiller
Mattock
Pruners
Other important supplies include:
Seeds
Young plants
Fertilizer
Soil
pH Test
Stakes
Containers, or lumber and other hardware for constructing containers
While some supplies need to be purchased every year, most tools will last for many years (especially if you buy quality), so the investment you’ll need to make in subsequent years will be much smaller.
Starting a garden also takes a lot of time and effort, particularly at the beginning of the season when you’ll do all your planning, soil preparation, and planting. For this reason I recommend starting small. It’s much better to take on a bit less than you can handle than to try doing too much, getting burned out, and leaving your garden unfinished. If you do well, you can always expand the following year.
Images of summer…
Purchasing Seeds and Young Plants
The first step of garden preparation is usually purchasing seeds and young plants. The easiest way to do this is usually through mail-order catalogs or websites, but you could also buy from a local supply store.
You should consider a number of factors when putting in your order:
What produce you want at harvest time
Which plants are easy to grow from seed and which ones you are better off ordering as young plants
Soil temperature
Amount of sunlight
Space and soil requirements
Depending on the climate in your area, you might also want to start off your plants indoors and transfer them outside once it’s warm enough. (Obviously, it’s too late in the season to do that for 2011.) It’s impossible to say exactly what the best seed order is because it depends on your personal preferences, climate, and other unique factors. Considering all this and creating your own order is one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of starting a garden.
Choosing a Location for Your Garden
The next step is choosing a location for your garden. The best spot depends on a number of factors:
The plants you’d like to grow. Some plants need a lot of shade, others sun.
The number of plants you’d like and how much space they need
Access to water
The available areas around your home
Aesthetics
You should research your plants and weigh the other factors when coming to a decision on where to place your garden.
J.D. and Kris dug up their yard to expand their garden in 2005.
Preparing the Soil
Once you have a space picked out for your garden, the next step is preparing the soil. This can be a laborious and time consuming process, depending on the quality of your soil and the amount of rocks and weeds in your yard. You’ll need to test the soil pH, dig up any grass and weeds that might be present, add manure or other organic material, use a tiller to mix the soil, and remove rocks and roots that could grow into weeds. You may also need to add chemicals such as sulfur or lime to adjust the soil pH. This article provides a more detailed guide to the process of digging a garden.
If you’d rather avoid this, or your soil simply isn’t suitable, you can plant your garden in containers or a raised bed. This can be a great option because the containers keep out weeds and your plants will be growing in high quality soil.
Planting
Once your garden is ready for planting, you’ll want to draw up a garden plan that specifies which plants will grow where. To do this, you’ll need to research how much space your plants will need and how they like to be planted. Some plants do better in wide rows, while others excel in thin single-file rows. Some plants should be planted in raised beds because the extra soil depth is important, others need to be planted in troughs so that they can be covered with soil as they sprout.
After you’ve made your plan, divide your rows, either by drawing in the soil or using stakes and string to make the rows. Don’t forget to rope off a walk way through your garden so you can access your plants without trampling them. Your garden should now be ready for planting.
Ongoing Maintenance
After you’ve finished planting, congratulate yourself! You’ve just completed the most strenuous part of gardening. Now that the plants are in the ground, you’ll need to conduct ongoing maintenance, which shouldn’t take more than an hour a week if you have a reasonably sized garden.
Important maintenance tasks include:
Watering. Forget this and your plants won’t stand much of a chance. When you bought your seeds they should have come with instructions for how much and how frequently the plants should be watered. It’s also a good idea to monitor the garden daily for signs of poor health.
Weeding. This won’t be an issue if you have a container garden, but if not, you’ll need to check regularly and uproot any invasive weeds that infiltrate your garden.
Side Dressing. This means spreading additional fertilizer around the base of your growing plants. Do some research to determine if and how often each of your crops should be side dressed.
Hilling. This means piling up additional soil around the stem of your plants into a “hill”. This is often done in conjunction with side dressing where the fertilizer is spread around the stem and soil is piled on top of it. Certain plants, especially root vegetables, benefit from hilling because they grow better with extra soil above the root.
As your garden grows, it’s important that you check it daily to watch for any problems. This doesn’t take a lot of time and you will catch any issues before they become bigger problems. Things to watch out for include:
Rotting or disease plants
Insects and other pests
Animals eating plants
Withering or otherwise unhealthy plants
An actual weekend harvest from J.D.’s garden in August 2006.
Harvesting
As the season progresses you’ll see your plants grow and eventually produce the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you envisioned when you ordered your seed packets months earlier. It’s extremely rewarding to see your hard work pay off in the form of food that you grew from the earth.
When you feel that your produce is at the peak of its desirability, it’s time to harvest. Gently pick ripe produce as it matures and store it in a cool dry place in your home. If you have more than you can eat, giving some away to friends and neighbors is a great idea.
This is when you recoup your initial investment by eating fresh delicious produce for free. A decent-sized garden can easily produce hundreds of dollars worth of food each year. If you make it this far, you should give yourself a pat on the back because you’ve developed an enjoyable hobby, done good for the environment, and saved yourself money on food.
J.D.’s note: In theory, next weekend is the big garden weekend here at Rosings Park. Kris and I will attend the local garden show, and then we’ll plant most of our crops for the year. (This morning we’re at our friend’s plant swap!) In reality, the weather sucks. It’s been rotten for two months. We’re way behind. I’m not sure when the garden will get started. But I have hopes that next week we’ll be back on schedule.
While a majority (67%) of Americans own a pet, not even half of them own pet insurance. When considering what percentage of pet owners have pet insurance, it is important to note that we aren’t just talking about dogs, but cats, mice, hamsters, chickens, and a wide range of other animals as well.
According to a 2021 industry report by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), there were over 3.45 million pets in the US that have pet insurance. This might seem significant, but if you consider that there are somewhere over 144.6 million people with pets, it means that only about 0.26% actually own pet insurance.
What’s Ahead:
Why are there so few pet insurance owners?
This is not because of a lack of pet insurance companies, though. There are countless pet insurance policies that offer accident and illness coverage for dogs, cats, horses, birds, and more. However, what makes most people stop is that people often think that they don’t need pet insurance. While it isn’t an essential service to you, it may actually save your pet’s life when the time comes!
In this article, we will look at how many people in the US have invested in a pet insurance policy for veterinary care and why the issue is so prevalent.
Why go for pet health insurance?
Before understanding the statistics, it is important that we look at why simple pet industry expenditures can end up saving your pet’s life. Whether you are a dog owner or cat owner, these pet industry expenditures may seem wasteful, but if the terrifying situation of money shortage for health coverage arises, it may mark the difference between receiving medical care and the loss of an animal’s life.
Avoiding tough decisions
You may have to make the tough decision of having to put your dearly beloved down when it starts to suffer. To stop your loved one’s suffering, instead of spending thousands of dollars, you may then have to go for economic euthanasia. This is the worst-case scenario that pet owners may have to face without pet health insurance plans.
Keeping your pet safe
This isn’t the only reason why you should go for insurance coverage, though. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), the primary reason people invest in an insurance policy is to avoid uncertainty about their pet’s medical expenses. You get to keep your pet expenditures in check with insured cats, dogs, and other pets.
Pet ownership & insurance
The concept of a pet health insurance policy is like buying health insurance for yourself. It has several restrictions to keep in mind. In fact, if you choose an insurance provider poorly, there is a very good chance that the average annual premium may be higher for your pet than for yourself or even your homeowner’s insurance (yet another reason I always recommend Lemonade).
Looking at the costs
On average, veterinary care may vary between $140 to well over $2,000 during the first year alone! In severe cases, most pet owners may have to pay over $20,000 during a dog’s lifetime, while horse care can go as high as $500,000, on average. Here is a representation of the estimated medical costs that you may have to bear throughout your pet’s life.
Average Pet Care Costs
Service
Estimated Costs
Grooming
$50-$700 per year
Flea/tick control
$40-$250 per year
Spaying
$100-$250
Neutering
$50-$100
Dental services
$50-$300
Vaccinations
$10-$1,000
Allergy tests
$200-$450
Heartworm tests
$50-$100
Infections
$40-$250
Digestive problems
$200-$1,200
Skin masses/shedding
$100-$2,000
These costs are steadily rising as the number of pet owners increases and inflation in general, pet care costs are rising significantly over the years. In fact, 47% of pet owners report being in some sort of debt because of their pets. In times like these, pet owner’s insurance can play a major role in helping you manage your finances better.
Pets as family & rising percentage of pet insurance
The cost of vet visits is steadily on the rise. Along with the pet ownership increase during COVID-19, this has fueled growth in the pet insurance market. Many people now think of their pets as family members. This is because of the rise in the number of pet adoptions following the coronavirus lockdowns. Furthermore, because of this adoption, 85% of dog-owners and 76% of cat-owners consider their animals to be members of their families.
Increase in insurance plans
As a result, a record-breaking 3.45 million pet owners signed insurance policies for their pets in Q1 of 2021. This is the fifth consecutive year that the insurance rates have grown, but so has the pet insurance industry as a whole. Every year, the average costs against accident and illness coverage rise by ~24%.
Looking at the numbers
NAPHIA reports that almost 99.9% of insurance policies for pets are in North America, with an estimated 3.101 million pets being insured by 2020 and 3.453 million by 2021. Out of these:
5 million include dog insurance policies
53 million include cat insurance
The remaining is for birds, horses, exotic animals, and even insects (yes, there are insurance policies for insects as well).
Dog vs. Cat insurance policy
This shows that dog insurance is much more common compared to any other animal insurance. From 2019 to 2022, the average number of people and cost of insurance has increased by 22.5% for dogs and 17.1% for insured cats. Combined, this reflects a 19.8% increase in the number of pet insurance holders.
The monthly insurance premiums for pet insurance vary with respect to the pet type as well. For example, the average premium for a German Shepherd stands at $34.42 per month in the US (lowest premium), while for rarer breeds, the premium may go higher than $100. This is why the adoption of insurance premiums is still not as common.
Pet insurance policy by plan type
According to a report by GM Insights, more than 80% of dog owners go for accident and illness insurance plans, while the remaining go for accident-only plans. The former is a comprehensive coverage plan that covers almost all of the out-of-pocket expenses that you may have to make for pet care. These may include:
Diagnostic tests
Major and minor surgeries
Emergency care
Digestive issues
Urinary tract infections
Broken bones
Fight or bit wounds
Burns
Fever care
Major health issues
Euthanasia, and more.
In most cases, insurance plans do not cover grooming or hygiene-related issues.
Accident-only coverage
Accident-only coverage, on the other hand, only includes pet injuries. Of course, these plans are relatively more cost-effective than extensive plans. However, they are more common as well. In 2021, for example, accident-only plans accounted for 92% of all policies purchased (a decrease from 97% in 2020).
Global pet insurance market overview
In 2020, the pet insurance industry was valued at $4.5 billion. The market has grown considerably at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3%. According to this forecast, the market is expected to reach $16.8 billion by the start of 2030 due to the rapid adoption of newer pet insurance plans for all sorts of animals.
Primary focus
While the primary focus of the industry still remains dogs, by volume, if we look at newer pet insurance policies being bought, you will find that the number of cat policies being issued is picking up pace. For cats, accident-only pet insurance is not as beneficial as accident and illness coverage.
This is because cats get into fewer accidents than dogs but tend to have an equal number, if not more, of health issues. By 2023, the percentage of pet owners having pet insurance is expected to be at least three times the number today.