Today, the problems I am discussing are not finite; but “infinite” is not the right term. Really infinite: A problem is not infinite if the house could be torn down and rebuilt. (Many can be, but you probably don't want to.) Infinite problems are the rare houses that never should have been built. They cannot
In the process of choosing a house or condo to buy, house-hunters find themselves in a lot of old houses with old and recent repairs. Every house has a component that is worn out, unless you are looking at something that just got a down-to-the-studs renovation. Like a car, a house will have something that
If sellers did no staging at all, buyers would walk into houses to see dirty dishes, clutter, stray remote controls and phones, open toothpaste tubes, half-full trash bins… in other words, the full detritus of everyday living. Before you start house hunting have an honest talk with yourself about how you use your space. Do
Whether you are a renter or an owner, the fear is there. Is your wall about to pour ice water into your living space? Where do you look for leaks? Which icicles are a problem? Theory: Water is, literally, mindless. All it wants to do is get to earth. Water will go down by the
A friend of some of my clients put up an invisible book shelf. How’d he do it? You need: A book (or two or three) that you don’t want or need anymore. An L-bracket (or two or three) with screws that fit it. A screw driver. Some extra screws. Maybe some anchor screws. A pen.
Some HVAC problems are beyond what I know, so when [email protected] offered answers, I took the opportunity to share them with you. Here’s what they say: What's best for one house may not fit another house on the same block. For that reason, we answer a lot of unique questions about HVAC systems for homeowners
For people who love their morning or evening shower, a wimpy spray can ruin their day. Are you someone who loves a strong shower? I, too, hate a wimpy shower. I owned a good shower head, even when I was renting. However, when house-hunters turn on showers to check the pressure, they often do not
When I am looking at properties in the metro-Boston area, it is impossible to judge their value without considering the cost of repairing and maintaining them. It is way too easy to be wrong, when getting specific about repair costs. When a problem begins, it is much cheaper to repair than the same problem left
A house hunter asked me, “….I wanted to ask your opinion... about something I saw recently. So if you saw a building with a basement ceiling like this:" So, I answered: "Basements used to all have to have plaster ceilings, for fire prevention. Then that regulation was abandoned as different fire safety requirements replaced it.
What's that thing sticking out of the wall? What's that? It's a duct for a bathroom vent that does not have a cover on it. This wouldn't be so bad, if it is in a house that is in the middle of renovation. It's a simple thing to fix. Someone needs to