Into orbit" feels like a stretch. I drive that stretch every day and my sedan is still here.

Yikes, that's a nightmare scenario right before an offer. So what's the actual play here for the buyer's agent? Do you advise your client to walk immediately, or do you try to renegotiate the price based on a repair estimate before you even write up the contract?

My great-aunt swore by a splash of clear soda (like Sprite) in her carnation buckets. She said the sugar and the acid worked together. I tried it once on some wilting ones from the grocery store and it did seem to give them a second wind for a few days. It's funny how those old tips actually have some real science behind them (something about feeding the plant, I guess). Your rose test is way more convincing than my little experiment though, especially with that many flowers. I'm definitely going to remember the plain sugar trick now.

Honestly, I've seen the opposite. Most of the paste I check on older systems is still fine, just a little dry. Unless someone is pushing crazy overclocks or the application was bad to start with, it usually holds up. I only re-paste if I'm already in there for another reason or there's a clear overheating problem.

Mia638, I've seen sand cause drainage issues and frost heave later on.