The Home Blog

Old House Enthusiast Portal

If there is one thing you can be certain of when buying an old house, it's that you'll never run out of projects to do. So when looking for home improvement tips make sure you bookmark The Old House Web, one of the most comprehensive websites for home improvement projects.

Catering to those that own homes that are more than fifty years old, it provides links to suppliers, how-to articles, design ideas and gardening information. Their online suppliers guide is comprehensive, and can save time looking for hard-to-find restoration hardware, reproduction parts, restored antiques, or period accurate pieces. From old doorknobs, to cedar siding, to flooring, to stoves, they can tell you where to find it.

The real gem of this website is the user forums. On Old House Web's forums, you will find one of the most knowledgeable groups of old house owners who are always willing to give suggestions, or offer support when needed. They've been through it before, and are always compassionate with their advise.

In general their how-to guides are well written, concise, and detailed. They list step-by-step instructions, with pictures, so even the inexperienced homeowner can figure out how to do their own home repairs with a little patience and elbow grease.

Anybody who owns an older home, whether its a fixer-upper, or a perfectly restored victorian should visit The Old House Web.

Flipper in trouble

Were you ever tempted to get into the house flipping business? You know buy low, do little remodeling and sell high. You might be happy you didn't. Sacramento Area Flippers In Trouble is a blog that tracks how must these real estate flippers have lost as the market slips out from underneath them. Some of these losses are pretty severe with people just trying to get out of the market before the ARM payments drive them into bankruptcy.

4 Renovations that could devalue your home

Not all home upgrades add value to the property. In fact, some might even scare away potential buyers. Money Magazine has four cautious tales of renovations that could devalue your home.

• The swimming pool
• The clunky addition
• Trendy Finishes
• The Jacuzzi Tub

In my case it wasn't an addition at all but an unfinished backyard. Our backyard as more than 2/5ths an acre and totally bare, when ever someone looked out the back window I could see them mentally adding $100,000 in landscaping costs to the price of the house. When we went into the deal we saw the backyard as an asset, by the end it had become a liability.

Home Makeover Candidates Needed

If you life in Arizona and think you and your house might be a candidate for an Extreme Makeover, The producers of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are searching for you. To qualify for the show, a family must own its own single-family home and be able to show producers how a makeover will help them.

Families should e-mail a five-sentence synopsis of their family story to Erika.Dobrin@emhe.tv. The synopsis should include the names and ages of each household member along with three things that are wrong with the home. You can attach pictures of your family and your home.

This is the first time I've seen Extreme Makeover: Home Edition advertise in a local paper for a family. Even if you don't live in Arizona, you can always goto ABC.com and click on the casting link to find applications for EM:HE and many other Disney reality shows. Casting Calls are a little harder to find on HGTV.com, but if you hunt around you can find them.
I'd love to apply to one of those curb appeal/landscape shows, but the only ones that look interesting still require the home owner to cough up a ton of money for the makeover. (via)

Solar a Key Component for Home Reconstruction

TreeHugger has a great story on how Habitat for Humanity has begun to integrate Solar Energy Collection Panels into their new homes. This is a great idea for any reconstruction that is to take place along the gulf-coast after Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

If we tax payers are going to footing the bill for part of this reconstruction, I feel we should at least get sustainable energy policy out of the deal. Plus it will reduce bills for the home owners. A win for all, if you ask me.

The Boulter House

Alas, I've neglected this site and missed FLW's birthday too. While I organize photos from my trip to Talesin West, please check out this marvelous restoration project on The Boulter House in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Restoration Realities: 1912 Bungalow

David's Experience:

We never knew how much work went into producing a show like this. Not only did they have to get the shots for the show, but off camera, they also had to do construction work. It was non-stop action that lasted till 11pm the first day, where at that point Heather and I were left with "homework" to complete for the next day.

Heather's Experience:

I discovered the best thing hands down was something called "craft services" which consisted of every type soda pop, Doritos, Pringle, M & M, Kit Kat bar, crackers, nuts, and coffee imaginable. Our kitchen was converted into the craft services area and we were greeted with fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls for breakfast, warm chocolate chip cookies and milk for a snack, and our lunches and dinners were picked up from local fast food restaurants.

Restoration Realities is a new television show from the Do-it-Yourself (DIY) network. The authors of 1912 Bungalow, a home restoration blog, have just written about their experience in having the show film on their house. This is a must read article if you're ever thinking about having a similar show film in your domicile.

[ttags: restoration, remodel, home, television, diy, bungalow ]