So we've been in the new house about 7 months now, and after all the work we've done inside, it's finally time to start sprucing up the exterior. We were so excited to find this home, and the patio is one of the reasons why - it's just the right size and it was very well designed, well built, and well maintained by the previous owner (thanks Marilyn!). But progress hasn't … [Read more...]
The 3 Big Things That Have the Most Impact on New Home Construction Costs
You want the best house you can get, with an interesting, family-friendly layout, an attractive exterior, and nice finishes - without blowing up your budget. But if you get heavily invested (emotionally and financially) in a design before you have a handle on new home construction costs, you'll end up cutting costs at the very end of the process, resulting in an … [Read more...]
How We Re-Tiled Our Big Master Bath Shower (with help). Part Two
Part Two of the continuing saga of re-tileing our master bath shower, part of an overall master bath remodel. (Read Part One of this story here) With demolition done and all the finish material delivered, Week Two started with the first actual construction work on the shower. First up was replacing the old shower valves, and the old wet/dry fan/light, followed by the … [Read more...]
How We Re-Tiled Our Big Master Bath Shower (with help). Part One.
Part One of our continuing saga of re-tiling our master bath shower, part of an overall master bathroom remodel... We've done enough DIY remodeling work over the years to know what we're capable of taking on...and what we aren't (or maybe "shouldn't"). We probably could have remodeled our 23-year old master bath shower ourselves, but we needed it done now, and we needed it … [Read more...]
Can You Raise the Roof of Your House to Save Money and Get More Space?
If you think you need more space in your home, you might be thinking about adding to the back, to the side, or maybe even the front if you have the room. If you want to add a second floor, however, that's tougher, right? Can you raise the roof of your house to save money and get more space? Or maybe you have an older house with an uncomfortably low ceiling you’d like to … [Read more...]
How to Spot Hidden Problems In Older Homes
We're nuts about older homes, but the excitement of finding a "diamond in the rough" house can quickly turn to frustration if unexpected serious problems crop up. Some old-house issues are minor and easily fixed, but some can be very expensive to recover from. Here are a few things to watch out for when you're considering an older home. Not Aging Gracefully Problems … [Read more...]