Andrew C., a reader from Crofton, Md., needs our advice on whether to add a bathroom to some extra space on his ground floor, or to enlarge his cramped laundry room. (See the miserable laundry room here and here.)
A little background: Andrew bought his three-story townhouse a year ago and plans to live there another five years. The second story has an eat-in kitchen, living room, dining room and half bath. The top floor has the master bedroom, two more bedrooms and two full baths. So far, so good.
But Andrew feels the space on the ground floor could be better used. There are two rooms down there that Andrew uses as a media room and an office. There is also a utility room with the washer and dryer and all the home’s mechanicals, and an adjacent storage room. Both spaces together are 6 feet by 12 feet.
Andrew wants a larger laundry room, but he also would like a bathroom on that floor. He considered a half bath, but it would require a walk through the laundry room to get to it. And he wonders: Is that too weird? A real estate agent told him that a full bath would bring most resale value in case the two existing rooms are used as bedrooms.
But it makes me sick to think of Andrew doing his laundry in that pitiful space for the next five years. That can't be right. I wonder if there is some compromise or another idea we're not considering.
I guess the apartment where Carrie Bradshaw researched and wrote her columns in the "Sex and the City" television show probably did need a makeover.
Several years had passed from Carrie's life on the small screen to her promotion to the big screen, and we all need to evolve. Carrie's guests needed to stop sitting on the floor around her coffee table, right?
But I'm not sure the new apartment (see "after" photo above) is quite right for her. The apartment is attractive, no doubt about that. But it seems too streamlined for Carrie, too coordinated, too balanced. That's not our Carrie! And it doesn't look comfortable. And that big TV. What's that all about?
This wall covering made from tin can tops, as seen in the New York Times, has a certain appeal. But there's something a little creepy about it, as well. Or is it just me?
For a cool contemporary home, these DIY paintings might be fun and flexible.
These look so sophisticated. But actually, they're simply canvases stretched on wood frames covered liberally with gesso-thickened paint. And where in the world would artists be without the miracle of gesso?
Just moving one colored canvas in or out of a scene makes a big difference.
Other advantages: These canvases are:
• Easy to hang
• Easy to store
• Easy to move
These paintings were included in "Kitty Bartholomew's Decorating Style," a book that I co-authored.
They were photographed in the Westwood condo of a cool young couple.
The Human Footprint will be on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday at 9 p.m.
The subtitle is: Everything you eat. Everything you drink. Everything you use. Your entire life's consumption in one place at one time.
The website includes these 10 ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Here's my status and my goals. Post your own report below:
1. Make your home energy efficient
My status: We use nearly all compact fluorescent lights and LEDs. Our refrigerator is Energy Star. Our home is less than 2,000 square feet. But our insulation sucks. My goals: We need new windows and will get the most energy-efficient windows we can afford.
2. Drive less.
My status: I drive about 10,000 miles a year and work mostly from home. My goals: To run more errands in one outing.
3. Buy the highest gas mileage car for your needs.
My status: My 2007 Rabbit only gets about 25 mph. I shoulda got a Prius. My goals: When it's time to replace this car, I'll get something radically energy-efficient.
4. Buy energy-efficient appliances.
My status: We have an Energy Star refrigerator, but we could have gotten one even more efficient. Our washer and dryer are not Energy Star. At the time we bought them, we were thinking only of price. My goals: Anytime I buy an appliance in the future, my goal is to buy the most efficient appliance possible. I want a tankless water heater, but my husband wants a tank water heater. He will probably win this one.
5. Recycle.
My status: We recycle all paper, aluminum and plastic. My goals: To reject goods I might buy, on account of the excess packaging, like vegetables at Trader Joes.
6. Replace your light bulbs with CFLs.
My status: Done My goals: Get more LED lights.
7. Buy local food.
My status: Not doing so good on this one. My goals: To get to the local organic garden each Friday to buy vegetables.
8. Eat less red meat.
My status: Done. Been vegetarian for many years. My goals: Keep eating like I'm eating. Awesome.
9. Lower your water heater temperature from 140 degrees F to 120 degrees F.
My status: Have to look into this. My goals: To get a solar water heater system.
10. Buy carbon offsets for the rest and make yourself “carbon neutral.”
My status: I'm not convinced this is legitimate. My goals: To find out more about this.
Click below to take the survey and let us know your own status and goals.
Ever dream of being a magazine editor? Now you can experience what it's like to choose the cover of a magazine. This Old House is inviting readers to vote on one of these four covers for the June issue.
Which do you like best? Vote here and see how others voted.
The four cover images are from the same home in Southlake, Texas, which won the TOH Remodel Contest as determined by the site's visitors. The house and the family who renovated it will be featured in a 10-page spread in the issue.
Also, if "None of the above" is your answer, please explain below.
Sixteen years ago, Congress told the Environmental Protection Agency to do something about the lead-tainted dust that seeps into the air during renovations of houses built before 1978.
Perhaps spurred on by recent recalls of lead-taineted toys from China, this week the EPA finally issued new rules requiring contractors to take additional precautions when it comes to the lead-tainted dust in renovations where kids under 6 and pregnant women are living.
According to an L.A. Times article, "Exposure to lead is especially dangerous to young children, because it can damage their developing brains, causing learning disabilities and behavioral problems."
The new rules apply to work done in residences, child-care facilities and schools built before 1978, the year lead was banned for use in housing.
The new standards were praised by advocacy group Alliance for Healthy Homes, according to an Associated Press article, but its executive director, Patrick MacRoy, said: "In the 16 years since we've been waiting for this rule, at least 17 million children have been exposed to harmful levels of lead unnecessarily."
The alliance also said the rule should have stricter requirements such as banning "dry-scraping" of lead-based paint, which creates more dust.
Other critics, including presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, say the rules should have been stronger, requiring more testing after remodeling to make sure there is no lead left, and should have affected more homes.
According the L.A. Times, "An EPA analysis estimated that the cost of home renovations would rise by $500 million per year but that the regulations would save as much as $5 billion a year in children's health and education costs." The AP story says the regulations will add $35 to the cost of a remodel.
And, oh yeah, the rules won't take place for another two years.
High-tech wizards have tried to get us to use our computers to control so many mundane daily tasks: opening and closing the drapes, turning on the hot tub, setting back our thermostats.
But so far, we've resisted, finding a quick yank on the drapery pull easy enough.
But here's a device that might tip us toward high tech: a computer-controlled and weather-report-influenced sprinkler system.
Here's how the Cyber-Rain system works: You program into your computer how much water and when you'd like each zone in your automatic sprinkler system to get. What are your zones? You name them in the software so you can recall them easier, such as the "side yard near Bob and Jean's house." Or the "strip near the street."
The Cyber-Rain Access Point gizmo (which attaches through a USB port to your PC) sends a wireless signal to the controller telling it what to do and when. And it keeps track of water usage. And it adjusts for Daylight Savings Time.
But here's the cool part: The software checks the weather report each day through your computer and, if rain is indicated, it'll shut down watering for the following 24 hours.
According to the company: "Nearly 70 percent of landscape watering ends up as runoff contributing directly to pollution and water waste. The EPA ranks urban runoff and storm sewer discharges as the second most prevalent source of water quality impairment in our nation’s estuaries."
The system costs $349 and the company claims it will likely pay for itself in seven months because of decreased water usage.
I'm enthralled with this 435-square-foot apartment in Greenwich Village, N.Y. It has only one window, in the living room, yet the space feels light and open. What you see here is the living room from each end, with the kitchen on one side, and the bedroom on the other side through glass doors. (Click photo to enlarge.)
The story in the New York Times says the couple — husband Suchitra Van is from India and wife Nette Gaastra is from Holland — bought the apartment for $296,000 and remodeled it with $26,000 they got from wedding gifts, along with $15,000 of their own savings. That's $41,000 to remodel a space just a bit larger than a two-car garage.
How did they spend the money? Some prices were revealed: a DeLonghi stove for $1,762, a G.E. dishwasher for $622 and a Hansgrohe shower faucet for (wow!) $670. The steel-framed doors into the bedroom cost $986 and were shipped from India and fitted with glass in Manhattan. And yet, the four Ikea cabinets cost only $141. The floor looks expensive, and the husband designed the porcelain enamel backsplash and countertop.
This place makes me want to declutter and lighten up.
Home builders tend to be pro choice when it comes to green building. And who can blame them? I know I don't like to be told what to do, especially if it's going to cost me time, effort and/or money.
Still, what would our housing be like if current building codes were voluntary? What if structural safety and fire resistance were optional? There was a time when houses were advertised as being built according to code. Those days are long past, and code compliance is now required by law.
So what about water- and energy-efficiency, and the impact that resource-wasting homes have on our pocketbooks, economy, environment and even national security?
What about nontoxic interiors? While each product or material in a home may be regulated by the government for toxicity, laws do not generally require the cumulative outgassing in a new home to be tested and mitigated. Do you care about that? Is it a case of buyer beware? Should you pay to have the air tested for formaldehyde before you buy a new home?
So what do you think? Should building green (which means homes that are water- and energy-efficient, with good indoor air quality and that are resource-efficient) be an option or a requirement?
A. Suri, daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
B. Max and Emme, son and daughter of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
C. Max, son of Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman
If the L.A. City Council goes forward with a money-saving proposal, homeowners under its jurisdiction will be required to repair broken sidewalks in front of homes upon resale, according to an article in today's Los Angeles Times.
Requiring home-improvement action upon the sale of a home is not unheard of. City of L.A. homeowners are already required to put in low-flow toilets and gas shut-off valves when they sell, but this latest idea could cost homeowners thousands of dollars.
Here are the numbers:
$15: the cost to the average homeowner per square foot of sidewalk to repair $9 million: what the city of L.A. spends each year to replace about 50 miles of sidewalks $3 million: what the city of L.A. spends each year on lawsuits over broken sidewalks $1.2 billion: what the city needs to replace or repair 4,600 miles of broken sidewalks (6,000 miles of sidewalks in the city considered to be in good shape)
So, this is quite the dilemma. Many of us want to see smaller government and more personal responsibility. But a sidewalk is not something over which you have any control. Can you chop down a tree whose roots will damage the sidewalk? Can you forbid the public to use your sidewalk? What do you think?
Here's the chilling opening to a press release I got recently:
Quick — exactly what time did you leave for work this morning? Not sure? Well, maybe your neighbor knows. A new ServiceMagic.com poll revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents claim to have (or have had) a nosy neighbor living nearby.
Of the 1,100 people surveyed nationwide, 64% said their neighbors follow their lives a little too closely. The same number of people reported that they’ve actually caught someone in the act.
However, when it comes to admitting to being a snoop, only 9% confessed to spying on their neighbor, and only 2% said they “see everything” that goes on around their block.
“Let’s face it . . . it’s a bit creepy,” said David Lupberger, ServiceMagic.com’s Home Improvement Expert. “It's disconcerting to know that every time you’re in the yard that you might have someone watching your every move.”
Yeah, it's a lot creepy!
And I have one thing to say about this: Co-Dependents Anonymous. Did you know there is a 12-Step program specifically designed for those who are obsessed with other people's actions?
OK, so if your nosy neighbor isn't looking for change and spiritual growth, what can you do?
(Photo: This is a nice privacy solution at the home of Austin architect Michael Antenora. The tall gate creates an enclosed courtyard, while the translucent panels allow light. Photos courtesy of the architect.)
The real reason I'm so dismissive of trends is that I'm lousy at spotting them until they're nearly over.
Those in the know have been using subway tile for a few years, and I wonder: Is it still trendy or over? Should I make this economical choice for my own remodel?
In the top left photo, you see subway tile used in designer Enid Harris' Westwood kitchen, which was featured on these pages awhile back.
In the top right photo, you see subway tile in a bathroom in the West Adams-area home of young designers Apurva Pande and Chinmaya Misra. I know these two are very hip (see the story of their hip house). But this remodel was done a couple of years ago, so who knows if the tile is still hip?
And finally, at the bottom, you see an actual subway with actual subway tile. Yep, that's how it got its name. There are lots of websites that talk about the history of subway tile, including Wikipedia and the website of Susan Jablon Mosaics.
But now, let's determine if it's even worth considering for a current remodel.
My prediction: There would be a tie, or baths would edge out showers slightly.
My surprise: Shower lovers blasted the tubbers out of the water with 206 votes (78%) compared to 59 votes (22%). As a bath devotee, I was shocked at this (but I am starting, slowly, to accept it).
My prediction: I was pretty certain this was a rhetorical question, designed to provoke outrage, and that nobody would vote yes.
My surprise: While a healthy 64% of voters voted NO, 11% thought this was a good idea. And another 25% thought it was OK with restrictions. I guess the memory of past blackouts, or the fear of future problems, is stronger than I realized.
My prediction: Most of you would say yes, of course there should be a permit for hard-wired fixtures. Otherwise, you could end up buying a house with bad wiring and it would catch fire and burn the house down, and so on.
My surprise: Only one single person out of 76 voted for permits. The rest of you, 98.67% said no permits, no way, for replacing a single light fixture. Okay. Thanks for the education!
**UPDATE: Jan. 16: "State officials have ditched a plan to require remote-controlled thermostats in homes and businesses." (San Francisco Chronicle) But you may be able to request one if you're so inclined. Read more**
Here's one way to prevent blackouts during times of high power demand:
Equip homes and businesses with remote-control thermostats that allow an energy company to limit how hot or cool your house can be when power demand threatens to crash the system.
I like the idea of a remote-control thermostat. Let's say I will getting home later than I planned. I could go online, or make a phone call, and signal to my thermostat to hold off getting my house up to a comfortable temperature. That could be fun.
But if another entity was controlling my thermostat, well, that could be creepy. Read the whole story at the San Francisco Chronicle and Gwinnett Daily Online. It's also being vigorously discussed on talk radio.
The California Energy Commission will consider "smart thermostats" on Jan. 30 in Sacramento.
Pleased with my new bathroom light, I naturally wanted to blog about it. Then it occurred to me: Was I supposed to get a permit for this?
I can't very well be a blogger for the L.A. Times and be a scofflaw at the same time.
So I looked it up on my county's website, and I believe I might need a permit. (The wording on the website is a bit vague, so I need to call and confirm.) The requirement does make sense. Electrical work done wrong is potentially dangerous. But really, does anyone actually get a permit to replace a single, simple light fixture?
With further investigation, I found that the permit for changing the light fixture costs $51.60, and requires two inspections, one for the "rough" stage and one for the "finish" stage. It looks like the permit process will cost more than the light fixture. Maybe I should have selected a fancier light?
This all sounded nuts to me. So I decided to research some other SoCal building departments to see if they require a permit to replace a light fixture. (See a list of all building departments in Calfornia.)
Here's what I found out:
If you live in the city of Los Angeles, you do not need a permit to change a light fixture. The exact wording is as follows: An electrical permit is not required for the following . . . Repair or replacement of incandescent lighting fixtures in single family dwellings.
However, if you live in Culver City, you'd best get the permit. Here is the wording: The following is a partial list of items that require permit from Building Safety. . . .Wiring devices, new, replacement, or relocation (light, switch, outlet, smoke detector, ceiling fan, etc.).
On the other hand, if you're a resident of the city of Arcadia, you're off the hook. The wording: Some types of improvements do not require a permit. These projects include: Replacement of existing light fixtures, switches and receptacles.
So I wonder: Does everyone who replaces a light fixture get a permit when a permit is required? Are these laws just?
A reader sent in this question and I'm glad because I'm having the same quandary. The question:
I'll be purchasing lighting for above a bathroom mirror. Which is better? Mounting the fixture so the lights point down or point up? Currently there is a bar fixture so I have no experience with this lighting issue. Thank you!
In my case, it's a classic debate about form vs. function.
As you can see by the photo, I recently replaced a chrome and glass cabinet/light combination with a new $100 light fixture from Home Depot. (Still to come: New mirror, sink, counter, fixture, vanity, backsplash, floor, tub and window. But hey, the light is a start!)
I pointed the three bulbs up to highlight the pitched wood ceiling, the small room's best feature. But I've noticed that the light for applying makeup or shaving is not so good. I've toyed with the idea of turning it around to point down, or to somehow add sconces on either side of the mirror for more light.
What's your opinion? Should the bulbs point down to shine on the sink and the person, or shoot up to reflect light on the ceiling and make the room seem more spacious?
A CNN story today on Al Gore's new green remodel in Nashville gives some tips on going green. No. 1 tip: Give up baths in favor of showers. The story intones:
"Take a shower instead of a bath. Showers use considerably less water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a five-minute shower requires 10 to 25 gallons while a full tub holds about 70 gallons of water."
There are so many things wrong with this I don't know where to start.
First of all, a bath is not just a way of cleaning scum off one's body. (Indeed, some bath detractors would say it's a way of soaking in scum.) A bath is therapy, warmth, relaxation, a time to read, reflect, go back to the womb for a half hour or so.
And there is something wrong with these statistics. What does it mean that a full tub holds 70 gallons of water? Does anyone fill a tub to the top? No. And is that with or without a body, which will displace some water? In fact, maybe larger people should be able to take baths without public wrath, as larger bodies displace more water than their skinny counterparts, thus making a bath the more ecologically correct option. (From what I can tell, Al Gore and I both qualify for a bath pass.)
So, let's not start throwing baths out with the bathwater. Driving to the psychotherapist puts carbon into the air, and a therapeutic bath could eliminate that need.
The story you are about to hear is shocking, so don't fall off your chair when I tell you:
The remodel of this 1948 Hawthorne home was designed by a 16-year-old, David, and built by him and his father Norbert, a schoolteacher, during a summer break.
Since then, David has been accepted into the respected architecture program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. And you can see why. The original post-war home had minimal design. The front stoop is not exactly a grand entrance. And, it led straight into the living room.
David's parents had lived in the house nearly three decades when David decided his mom Linda needed the new kitchen she had been talking about for years. He started sketching out his ideas, and eventually she was convinced he could do it. Part of the plan included pushing the right side of the house toward the street to create a dining room. That would place the front door in the center of the facade and would create an actual front porch.
David also wanted to add a Craftsman flair to the house, which he did with lap siding, thick moldings and highlighted gable ends. Notice how the roofline on the addition matches the other two peaks? That's a good eye.
And moving the kitchen window, on the left, to sit directly under the peak of the roof, added balance. His mom was worried about losing her corner view from the kitchen, but he added a larger window on the side (not seen in this photo) and she was actually happier with that.
The red I've chosen for my house is absolutely awesome. Perfect. Fills me with joy.
But the green trim? I'm not sure it's the perfect color. But there's something I like about it, love it actually, but in limited amounts.
Here are the three scenarios we're considering:
1. Lots of green, on the fascia, around the windows in the gable end, as well as the wide band below the windows, plus highlighting the beams under the eaves.
2. Less green, on the fascia, highlighting the beams, on the corners, and a narrow band below the gable end.
3. Green only on the fascia.
I feel kind of goofy asking this, but: Which do you like better?
Here's the history on my thinking: This green is not the green I asked the painting contractor to match. But when he brought it over, I could not figure out which other green to choose, so I stayed with this one. (I say "I" but it was a family decision, with me in the lead.)
When the green trim went up, it was shocking.
The painting contractor's dad, who was also a painting contractor back in the day, has an interesting philosophy: He says one should paint the house color first, get used to it over a period of time, and then choose the trim color. I think that's a great idea!
But in the spirit of green building and not wasting what we've already got, here we are with three scenarios and the painters coming back in a few days to finish. I am surprised how much I like the red all by itself, with green only on the fascia (3). I was not aiming for a contemporary, sophisticated, hip look, but the scenario with most red looks kinda hip to me.
So, if you have an opinion about this, I'd like to hear it.
So the Hollywood writers' strike is on and we've all to do our part,fill in the gap, step up to the plate, pull up our bootstraps and all the other clichés that pop up when there are no real writers on the job.
Some of us on the Pardon Our Dust Blog have come up with ideas for new home shows and I'd like to know:
Which of these potential shows would you be most likely to watch?
The contenders are (in order of submission):
• Contractors' Challenge: This show would be like Designers' Challenge, but with contractors. I mean, it's finding a contractor that is so difficult, right? During the show, the homeowners start out with some ideas for the remodel they'd like to do, or complete plans and get presentations from three contractors on how each company would go about creating that remodel. The homeowners choose the contractor they like best and who is most competent, and we follow along to see how the job goes. (KPR)
• Cheapskate Remodeling: In this show, homeowners try to do their remodels for the very least amount of money possible. They might have a "cheapskate coach" to help them find salvaged, discontinued, slightly damaged and free items from EBay, Craigslist, the Recycler and the side of the road to put together their remodel. Based on what I've discovered from reporting on remodeling for 17 years, I believe this show would be a monumental hit! (KPR)
• Dueling Properties: Take two comparable stale home or condo listings in the same, or similar, neighborhoods that just aren’t selling. Bring in two top-gun Realtors with a $5,000 budget and a contractor. Each implements their renovation advice to spruce up the property and make it more appealing. Follow the agents through dealing with the client, marketing, open houses, sales style, and negotiations. See who sells the home first. It's “Designed to Sell” meets “Top Agents.” (David Kean)
• Style Clone: Why just copy a designer room with cheap knock-offs. With the right shopping skills you can copy the look and the quality on a budget. Don’t just copy the fabulous Scalamandre chair fabric; buy the same fabric on EBay. Using Internet shopping and auctions, estate sales, resale furniture stores give someone a “real” high-end designer room at a fantastic price. (David Kean)
• Lifestyles of the Rich and Decorated: Remember Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous? Why can’t we have that type of show again? I want to see some super high-end, celebrity and top designer, Mario Buatta & Juan Pablo Molyneux-level designer rooms. (David Kean)
• Fright House of Interior Design: This is not really a series idea. I could be a fun charity event and 1-hr special. “Fright House of Interior Design”. Invite several of the country’s top interior designers to design the worst room using passé design trends of the past 5 decades. The rooms need to be bad, but they actually draw you in, like Jerry Springer. Funny, hideous and thought provoking. (David Kean)
• Flipper Flops: I've seen a lot of tasteless "upgrades" put into houses looking for a quick sell. how many faux Louis XIV dressers converted into bathroom vanities does this world need? How about something showing the tasteless, personality-void, cookie-cutter remodeling excesses of the last few years? Each episode could be dedicated to a particular aspect -- bathrooms, flooring, kitchens... (tarbubble)
With winter supposedly coming our way, thoughts may turn to fireplace upgrades. Here are three fireplace remodels readers have been kind enough to share with me. I'd like to know which is your favorite, based on all criteria, including cost.
1. Craftsman: The top left fireplace is in San Diego, and the owner tells me it cost $2,600, which included expert craftsmanship from a talented friend. What a transformation from the original faux stone fireplace, top right, we've all seen too many of.
2. Rock: The Corona fireplace, middle right, was a DIY (with neighborly help) upgrade with river rock that cost less than $1,000. This river rock is really gorgeous. I'm sure it looks even better with a quarter cord of firewood stacked to the left. The before photo, bottom right, shows that it was impossibly sterile.
3. White: The owner of this Reseda fireplace, bottom left, says it's a "woman's fireplace," with the white paint, shuttered mirror and places for trinkets, photos and mementos. The before photo to its right shows 1970s wood and mirrored slats. The redo cost $700.
Want to share your remodel? Send before and after images to me, along with a few paragraphs explaining the project, including the cost. We'd love to see your masterpiece!
Maybe I'm not overly bright, because until today I thought dual master suites were for when two families shared a house (which I thought was odd).
But now I get it: Two master suites are for a couple who sleeps in separate rooms. According to a report from MSNBC, 23 percent of couples sleep apart, which is based on a survey by the American Sleep Foundation. In Canada, 34% of couples are nighttime loners.
But here's what's interesting, according to the MSNBC report:
Women sleep less soundly when they share a bed with a romantic partner, a study published this month in Sleep and Biological Rhythms found. Surprisingly, men actually sleep better when they sleep next to a woman.
All around the country, the construction and remodeling pundits want to know: In a down market, are you more or less likely to remodel your kitchen? Both arguments have merit.
Why a kitchen remodel is more likely now: You realize with falling values that you're not moving any time soon, and so why not remodel and enjoy? Or if you need to sell, you realize it will take some sprucing up to get buyers' attention.
Why a kitchen remodel is less likely now: With falling or leveled-out values, there is no equity available to finance the remodel. And, why sink money into an asset with a possibly declining value?
Two-thirds of people who live in the jurisdiction of a homeowners association are "annoyed" by them, or worse, and 19% have been in what they call a "war" with their HOA. This is according to a survey of more than 3,000 customers by Service Magic.
On the upside, 24% responded positively about HOAs. However, while a primary purpose of HOAs is to force neighbors to keep up the appearance of their homes, 54% of respondents said they’d rather live with a “sloppy neighbor” than deal with an HOA. Here are the results to this question:
What is your opinion of homeowners associations?
They’re great 8% They’re okay 16% Minor annoyance 21% Major headache 48% No opinion 7%
Plus, 78% of those responding to the poll said they might consider NOT buying a home because it would be under the jurisdiction of an HOA. So why do HOAs seem to be flourishing? What's your take on this?
See results to all questions, and a short video on HOAs by expert David Lupberger.
When a reader suggested recently that nobody takes baths anymore, I had a serious reaction to that. My morning bath is almost like a religion. I get to read and soak and brush my teeth and moisturize and all kinds of neat activities that help me "peace out." I can't stand showers. How can you read in a shower? I don't begrudge anyone their shower. But don't deny me a bath!
Of course, if you had a lot of cash in your jeans, you could have an amazing bathtub and an amazing shower, like the Hollywood Hills bath pictured here. The wife wanted a soaking tub; the husband wanted a steam shower. And everybody got what they wanted . . . for about $65,000.
Most of us have to prioritize. What do you think? If you were doing a bathroom remodel, which would get the most funds?
I've been concerned for some time that we all move so often. The National Association of Realtors told me recently that we now sell our homes and move an average of every six years, rather than the seven-year statistic we've heard quoted so long.
How can we fight for our neighborhoods, for good stewardship of water resources and clean air, for good schools, if we're moving all the time? How can we hold local politician's feet to the fire for promises they made if we are gone when they break their promises, or weren't around when they made them?
I wish we could all stay put longer, and I have a theory that people who are into remodeling stay in their homes longer than average.
Is my theory correct that those of us who remodel stay in our houses longer? Take the poll and help me prove or disprove my theory.
Addendum from Kathy: Based on the poll so far, you have completely disproved my theory that people who remodel live in their homes longer than others. The results of this very unscientific poll indicate that most of us will be moving soon. Very soon. And so that explains to me why people are so concerned about the value of their remodel upon resale. The resale of our houses comes more often than I thought. Thank you for my continuing education!
I've been blogging nearly a month for the Los Angeles Times and I must say: It is a pleasure.
I get to blog about the topic I've been studying for almost 20 years — remodeling — and I get to blog often! These little posts are perfect for an ADD type, don't you think? Happily, the statistics are good. People are joining me here.
So, what's up with you? I want to get clear on exactly what you need. That's because life is short. For instance, this day, June 7th? Well we only get about 80 or so June 7ths in a lifetime, if we're lucky, and then it's over. I've used up 53 of mine. And I want to make sure I'm using the rest of them in a beneficial manner.
Although the newspaper pays me for my labors, I feel like I'm working directly for you, digging up information on remodeling while you're at work and earning the money for your next project.
In this poll, please indicate how I should spend my time. How should I make my Internet-surfing time, phone-interviewing time, packing-up-my-van-and-visiting-remodels time more productive?
I've got the poll set up so you can vote more than once if several topics ring your bells. And if I'm totally missing the mark, send an email to podblog@aol.com, or post a comment below, and tell me what you'd really like to read about.
Those proposals include a ban on wood-burning fireplaces in all new homes in Los Angeles, Orange and portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties and a ban on wood-fueled fires in some areas during winter pollution spikes. It would also require homeowners in the most highly polluted areas of the Inland Empire to remove or close off fireplaces and wood stoves, or install costly pollution control devices on them, before selling a house.
On the plus side, if you were thinking of taking out your existing fireplace to free up wall space, or to replace it with windows to improve your view or to allow light into the house, this could be a good excuse for that.
There's a lot to like about Trex or other composite decking materials. They don't splinter, split, rot or need painting or staining. And they're made from cast-off stuff like milk jugs and wood pallets.
In fact, Trex claims it uses 50 percent of the grocery bags we recycle in the U.S., and that every year it diverts from landfills 300 million pounds each of used plastic and hardwood sawdust. Wow. Thanks, Trex.
Trouble is, some composite deck boards don’t look so much like wood. Too smooth. Too uniform. While we don’t want wood that splinters, we want decks to look like they could splinter.
To satisfy folks who are both hard-core wood lovers and hard-core maintenance loathers, Trex developed Contours, a product that has, the company says, “a bold, dramatic grain.” And it does look and feel more woody.
And it’s a bit less expensive (averaging $4.30 a square foot, the company says) than the less-bold, less-dramatic original Trex (around $4.38 a square foot). That’s because the company has hollowed out the bottom of the boards to save on material. That means you can’t use either side, like with the original Trex boards. But who cares?
Do you have a deck made with composite material? Do you recommend it?
Are you sick to death of the manipulation of your emotions, the contrived tear-jerking scenes, the blatant product placement that is rampant on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?
I'm not. Though when I saw the first show, I was horrified to see the crew mow down the old house and build a McMansion on the lot with no regard for finances or reality. What kind of home makeover is that?
Of course, it’s not a home makeover so much as a life makeover for folks who are hurting. Some memorable episodes: the demoralized paraplegic female cop who could not move her wheelchair through the old house, and the paraplegic ex-drill sergeant with the same problem. How could you not get teary watching these people behold their newly functional homes, and lives?
I guess that's it. I like to feel. I like sappy stuff, whereas my husband hates it. I do wonder about the off-camera drama we don't see: the people who feel taken advantage of or tossed aside, the original homes who served their purposes well but are callously trashed. Can we not have a moment of silence for them? This show may be like sausage and politics, where you don't really want to know how it's done.
P.S. What home improvement shows are you watching these days?
What kind of remodeling company is best: One that uses most or all its own employees? Or one that uses mostly subcontractors, like plastering or electrical subcontractors?
In nearly two decades of studying the remodeling industry, I can't really say which is best. Some homeowners want only company employees working on their remodel, while others insist on the most talented, artful subcontractors in the business.
If you're a company owner, having employees is good because you have more control over when and on which job they work, and you can invest in their training. But using mostly subcontractors gives an owner more flexibility: when there's a lot of work, you call in more subcontractors, and when there's less work, you call in fewer. And subcontractors such as finish carpenters or masons, who may have spent decades honing their craft, could have much higher-level skills than the average company employee.
