An entitled couple learned a hard lesson when they tried to cheat my dad, a hardworking plumber, out of his payment. Here’s how he turned the tables on them. I’m Phoebe, but you can call me Pippi, just like my dad does. My dad, Pete, is a 55-year-old plumber with a rugged look and hands that show years of hard work.
He treats every job like it’s his own home, and his dedication often gets him taken for granted. A few months ago, I visited my dad at his place, where I found him on the patio, enjoying a cigar and laughing heartily. I asked what was so funny, and he began to tell me about the Carlyles, a couple who wanted an extravagant bathroom remodel.
They picked every detail, from the tiles to the toilet paper holder, and at first, it seemed like a dream job. But on the last day, just as my dad finished the grouting, the Carlyles sat on their couch, ready to pull a fast one. Mrs. Carlyle claimed the tiles were wrong, despite having chosen them herself. To my dad’s shock, they only wanted to pay him half of what they owed.
Frustrated but clever, my dad decided to teach them a lesson. Instead of using water in the grout, he mixed it with sugar and honey, packed up his tools, and left with half the payment. He knew the couple wouldn’t notice anything wrong immediately; the grout looked fine when it dried.
Weeks later, Mrs. Carlyle took a shower and found ants crawling along the grout lines. The next day brought cockroaches, and soon enough, all sorts of bugs showed up. My dad had a friend, Johnny, who lived next door and kept him updated on the couple’s pest problems.
The Carlyles tried everything to get rid of the bugs, spending a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. They even blamed the pest sprays for ruining the grout, not realizing that the sugar residue was the source of their problems.
My dad told me the couple ended up redoing their entire bathroom a year later, but the sugar was still lurking underneath, keeping the bugs coming back. They were clueless, still planning to remodel again.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for them. My dad explained that their actions insulted his work and pride. He needed to protect his reputation in the plumbing business, and if he let them cheat him, others might try to do the same.
The stories continued. Johnny shared how Mrs. Carlyle had a fancy dinner party and screamed when she found a cockroach in the bathroom. Mr. Carlyle attempted to fix the problem himself, only to create a chemical factory smell without solving anything.
Over a year later, the couple was at their wits’ end and even considered selling their house. My dad chuckled, noting that perhaps his revenge lasted longer than intended, but he felt it was a deserved lesson.
As we sat watching the sunset, I couldn’t help but appreciate the cleverness of my dad’s actions. He taught them a lesson they wouldn’t forget, and I laughed at the thought of the Carlyles’ continued struggles. I promised him that if I ever needed plumbing work done, I would pay him in full upfront. It was a fitting reminder that sometimes, karma comes with unexpected consequences.
The Mysterious Reason Why Zac Efron Moved to a Different Country and Changed His Lifestyle
Zac Efron has been a globetrotter since gaining fame, often jetting off for both business and pleasure. Despite this, he maintained his California roots, his birthplace, and his hometown. However, everything took an unexpected turn when he opted to spend more time overseas, leading him to rethink his lifestyle in search of genuine happiness.
He lived most of his life in the United States.
Originally from San Luis Obispo, in California, Zac Efron spent the majority of his life in the United States, having grown up close to the heart of Hollywood. Despite this, his parents were never involved in the entertainment business. Still, he took his first steps into that world early on in his life. His journey in acting and singing began during his time at Arroyo Grande High School in the early 2000s, with a drama teacher playing a pivotal role in connecting him to an agent.
After he achieved success with teen flicks like the High School Musical trilogy and 17 Again(2009), he shifted into more dramatic roles in films such as The Greatest Showman(2017) and, more recently, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile(2019). It was this ever-growing filmography that allowed him to amass a net worth of around $25 million and allowed him to purchase a mansion in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, in 2013. He lived there for seven years until he no longer felt like it was the right place for him.
So, what happened to Zac Efron to make him change his mind? Keep reading to find out.
His L.A. house had everything to offer, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
The 36-year-old actor put his Los Feliz home up for sale in December 2020, and the listing made public the house’s astounding features. The property, which is nestled against the Hollywood Hills and located in a prestigious neighborhood filled with plenty of celebrity residents, offers breathtaking views, accentuated by walls of glass, terraces, and numerous outdoor spaces that offer panoramic vistas of the city below.
With five bedrooms and five bathrooms within its 5.455-square-foot layout, the main level includes a living area, dining room, chef’s kitchen adjoining a family room, and a master suite with a spa-like bathroom. But that’s not all!
Additionally, it has three bedrooms with bathrooms downstairs, along with a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse. It also features amenities such as a gym, media room, game room, and security cameras, and the outdoor space includes view decks suitable for outdoor dining and lounging.
So, with all its potential, it wasn’t shocking that it sold in only a few months, despite the hefty price tag. In May 2021, the house sold for $5.3 million. Albeit below the initial asking price of $5.9 million, it still marks a profitable venture for Efron, as he paid around $4 million when he first purchased the property.
He fell in love with a different country.
In 2020, Efron made a move that had a deep impact on him — he relocated to Byron Bay, Australia. Back then, he still owned the Los Feliz mansion, so many thought it was just a temporary home. The fact that he lived out of a van, before buying a property in the Australian beachside town also led many to believe nothing much could come of the move.
However, he shot the second season of his Netflix documentary series Down to Earththere, which allowed him to spend over a year with the Aussies. Eventually, he did return to the US to enjoy quality time with his family, but it wasn’t long before he was once again on Australian ground. This time, it was to shoot Ricky Stanicky, a movie in which he co-stars with John Cena and that has yet to have a set date for its debut.
But a special situation might have sealed the deal for his ever-growing bond with the country. Shortly after he moved to Australia, Efron found love. He met Vanessa Valladares, a waitress at the Byron Bay General Store & Cafe, in June 2020. They began dating and eventually spent Christmas and New Year’s together in Australia. Although the couple has since called it quits, the relationship might have been the final trigger of Efron’s decision to move permanently from the US, as he then put his L.A. home on the market.
Finally, a source close to the actor revealed in January 2021, that Efron already considered Australia «home.»
The actor doesn’t think Hollywood is a healthy place to live in.
The actor had previously expressed his intention to move out of Hollywood, though, and it was precisely in a scene from Down to Earth. In the fourth episode, he candidly shared his desire to move away from the Hollywood scene and the lifestyle associated with it, and emphasized that it didn’t contribute in any way to a «long, happy, mentally-sound life.»
Curiously, what happened to Zac Efron also happened to Chris Hemsworth, in which both actors decided to move to Australia so they could distance themselves from the hecticness of Hollywood. Although Hemsworth himself is Australian, his mindset was similar to that of Efron.
In 2016, Hemsworth, known for his role as Thor in several Marvel movies, relocated his family from Los Angeles to Byron Bay. The 40-year-old similarly expressed a wish to escape the suffocating nature of being constantly surrounded by the entertainment industry. Opting for a more tranquil lifestyle, as of 2023, he and his family reside in a $20 million mega-mansion in Byron Bay’s hinterland, which they view as a healthier environment for their children to grow up in.
Zac Efron isn’t the only celebrity who decided to move to a new home. Many others did as well, and they spared no expenses to buy the luxury house of their dreams. We listed a few of the most expensive celebrity homes here and showed what makes them extraordinary.
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