Question: My father and mother live together in a six-bedroom, five-bath house in Northridge. In the last three years, all three of the kids have moved out. My dad’s business isn’t doing that well, so he is trying to think of ways to earn a living. But he’s over 60, so starting a new career…
You know those great big houses the team from the ABC series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" builds for deserving families? Well, sometimes those big houses turn out to be just too darned big. That's what happened in Sandpoint, Idaho, to Eric Hebert. You can see Eric standing in front of the 3,678-square-foot home built for…
How Don and Gigi Maurizio spent the money on their Rosarito Beach remodel: Construction Demolition: $3,000 Scraping textured plaster walls: $500 (labor) Staining beams: $500 (labor) Cabinets: $7,200 (materials) Tankless hot-water system and connections: $1,800 (materials) Tile for floor, patio, shower and bath countertop, including grout: $7,700 (materials) Granite countertop in kitchen: $2,000 (materials and…
I got a bunch of questions about the original ceiling and archway of the $20,000 kitchen remodel in the latest Rate This Remodel feature. So I thought I’d show the old and new compared here: What’s neat about the story, for me, is that Dani had a lot of time to think about her kitchen.…
Well, why not use outdoor lanterns inside? There’s no law against it. I saw this budget design trick last night on “Designed to Sell” with Lisa LaPorta. She’s a SoCal gal, in case you didn’t know. In this particular show, Lisa wanted to punch up the sconces on either side of a vintage fireplace and…
Reader Elise is having problems with her new tankless water heater: We purchased a tankless a few months ago and have had ongoing problems with low water pressure. The plumber says it is our well, but we had no problems previously, with the exception of running out of hot water, which is why we got…
My entry into the world of barter — the new world order referenced above — is the result of a perfect storm consisting of (1) a broken Pottery Barn market umbrella, (2) my ridiculously fruitful avocado trees and (3) the miracle that is Craigslist. The umbrella is a delightful red and blue paisley that goes…
Question: My contractor just handed my contract to me, and I’m in shock! He wants 22% of the cost of materials, 22% over the cost of labor, 22% for subcontractors and 22% for labor management crew. I think this is way too much. First, the subcontractors are making a profit, and now the builder wants…
The solarium above, once rotted to the studs, was lovingly restored by a couple in Akron, Ohio. What makes this story newsworthy enough to land in the New York Times is that this room and all rooms in the 1913 Tudor were fixed up by the homeowners without incurring any debt. Other than the home’s…
As Kay asked in a previous post, what do you do when the house across the street goes into disrepair? Or, what if it’s in danger of being torn down and replaced with something you fear is not compatible with the neighborhood? This might sound radical, but you could think about buying that house and…