There are advantages and disadvantages to life in SoCal. In the plus column: There are a lot of TV shows, movies and commercials that need houses in which to shoot "on location." And that means you — if your house meets the criteria — could make some good money off your house. I recently spoke…
There are many creative ways to pull together a remodel. For this recent Hollywood Hills kitchen renovation, homeowners Renata Kanclerz and Lisa Coleman bought appliances and other materials on their own and then paid their contractor a flat fee for all labor and installation. Here’s how much the homeowners paid for various features in this…
It’s not until you hear of a remodeling contractor that offers financing, as does Custom Design & Construction in Los Angeles, that you realize how odd it is that more companies don’t do this. Think about it: What if you went to buy a car and your experience was similar to how it is with…
Would you lend this couple money to pay off their kitchen cabinets? More than 200 people bid on the opportunity to do just that. Check this out. This couple and the unique solution to their high-interest cabinet debt are yet more indications that the Internet has changed everything. As part of a new phenomenon called…
The California State Contractors License Board has been busy tracking down alleged scammers who the CSLB says solicited homeowners for driveway work, took their money and then did slipshod work before disappearing down the road. Often, the CSLB says, the scammers claimed that they had materials left over from a previous job that they needed…
Question: We bought a beautiful two-story, five-bedroom home in an excellent area of Newbury Park for resale. However, there is very little storage in the house and a very small laundry room, which feels more like a long closet. I read an article in The Times lately about laundry rooms being the next big renovation…
There’s often tension when a project goes over the projected budget. The homeowners might feel out-of-control, or weak-minded, or confused that it happened despite their resolve for it not to. Why, why, why does budget bloat happen? Commenter John Beaty has referred to it as “feature creep.” We also got a savvy explanation of this…
Ever listen to consumer advocate and talk show host Clark Howard? He’s the biggest dork in America, according to one listener. If you haven’t heard him, let me tell you that Clark is very careful with his money. He’s a self-made millionaire, yet he’s unremittedly frugal: driving an economy car, eating at budget restaurants, buying…
“You could be spending a lot more and getting a lot less” when remodeling your kitchen, says Realty Times columnist Broderick Perkins, quoting from studies done by Consumer Reports. The magazine’s August issue includes: 10 Most-Hyped Products And What To Buy Instead. “Mistakes can be costly as well as disappointing, because the most loudly hawked…
Here’s where the money went for Carl Balton’s Mar Vista remodel, featured in a previous post: Electrician: $1,060 Plumber: $550 (plus one snake aquarium) Wood floor refinishing: $1,300 Trash hauling: $270 Friends’ labor: $3,734 Bathroom fixtures, vanity: $2,000 Tile and countertop: $1,260 Tile setter: $660 Bathroom counter: $800 Shower curtain and track: $295 Bathroom materials:…