Reviews (1)

Still up-to-date in 2005!
We're doing our own restoration of an historic house in Pennsylvania, and so I picked up this book from 1980 to see how much things had changed in 25 years -- and they haven't changed at all!The carpentry, the plumbing, the insulation, everything they mention in this book, we're doing on our project.The only thing that has changed is the cost -- we're spending ten times what they did, although our project is much larger.If you're into old houses, the book is a fun read, and the picture of Bob Vila in a plaid shirt installing orange countertops is worth the price alone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Dwellings    3. House    4. Remodeling    5. Repairing   

Reviews (4)

Nice Book
The pictures are in color and very easy to understand.This is a good book to have for emergencies.

A broad overview
As an avid do-it-herselfer, I was intrigued by the title of this book.In an age of sealed assemblies, planned obsolescence, and cheaply built consumer goods, repairing things rather than replacing them has indeed become rarer (and often impossible or prohibitively expensive).The philosophy of this book, then, is admirable: to provide people the help they need to try their own repairs.
Bob Vila told me
If you want to see what's inside, BobVila.com has about 50 of the Fix-It Guides from this book including some of the photos and repairs. I got there through FixItClub.com. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Dwellings    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Household appliances    9. Maintenance and repair    10. Repairing    11. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (1)

Solid Home Improvemnt Manual
I initially borrowed this book from the library when I began remodeling our kitchen.After referring to the book daily for about four weeks, I figured it was time to add this book to my library.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Dwellings    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Maintenance And Repair    6. House & Home    7. Houses    8. Remodeling    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. Repair   

Reviews (1)

remodeling review
This book is interesting and will save a person from Some of the pitfalls that await the first time remodeler.There are many photos but most of those are rather extravagant remodels and not ones the lay person would do. A lot of reading and wading through material and details. This book helpsone determine if they have what it takes to endure a remodeling experience! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. House & Home    4. Remodeling & Renovation - General    5. House & Home / Remodeling & Renovation   

Reviews (1)

Excellent information on home construction materials.
This book provides lots of information on common and less common tools, materials, and supplies for doing anything to or around your home.It was an invaluable reference as I was planning a large addition to my home.Anybody who owns a home should have this book.Not only does he give tons of illustrations, but he also provide text on a lot of home subjects giving hints about how to do many tasks and tradeoffs between using one thing over another.I hope he has a new one in the works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural Preservation And Restoration    2. Building materials    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Dwellings    5. Equipment and supplies    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Houses    9. Remodeling    10. Remodeling & Renovation - General    11. House & Home / Remodeling & Renovation   

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Atlases - Historical    3. Description And Travel    4. Dwellings    5. Guidebooks    6. Historic buildings    7. Reference    8. Residential Buildings Architecture    9. Travel    10. United States - General    11. West (U.S.)   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Description And Travel    3. Dwellings    4. Guidebooks    5. Historic buildings    6. New England    7. Residential Buildings Architecture    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. United States - General    11. United States - Northeast - General    12. North America    13. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    14. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Atlases - Historical    3. Description And Travel    4. Dwellings    5. Guidebooks    6. Historic buildings    7. Middle West    8. Reference    9. Residential Buildings Architecture    10. Travel    11. United States - West - General   

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Description And Travel    3. Dwellings    4. Guidebooks    5. Historic buildings    6. Residential Buildings Architecture    7. Southern States    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. United States - General    11. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    12. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    13. Travel writing    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Description And Travel    3. Dwellings    4. Guidebooks    5. Historic buildings    6. Middle Atlantic States    7. Residential Buildings Architecture    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. United States - General    11. United States - Northeast - General    12. North America    13. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    14. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Hobbies/Crafts    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. Repair    4. Woodworking    5. Workshops   

Reviews (3)

Basic, solid advice, hopelessly out-of-date
As this book was last updated in 1990, none of the comments on closing, inspection and repair costs have any meaning.About half of what I read could be put to use today - not a waste of time, but I would look forsomething published in the last year or two.

A great book, albeit a bit out-of-date
This is a great overview to home buying.Beware some of the tax-related info is out -of-date-- namely the information about capital gains.Other than that this is the best introduction I've seen.I highly recommend it.

Best book I've read on the subject
I am extremely impressed with this book. I would recommend it to anyoneplanning to buy a home, even though it is intended primarily tofirst-timers. It is organized very effectively, making it useful as areference for veterans. I found it more useful than books with titles like'149 questions for the homebuyer', which rarely attempt seriously to coverall the essential ground.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Buying and selling    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. General    5. House & Home    6. House buying    7. Houses    8. Real Estate - Buying/Selling Homes    9. Real Estate Economics    10. House & Home / General    11. Housing & property for the individual   

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Dwellings    3. Houses    4. Maintenance and repair    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction - General    7. Remodeling    8. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. House & Home    4. Remodeling & Renovation - General    5. House & Home / Remodeling & Renovation   

Subjects:  1. Dwellings    2. Hand Tools    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Maintenance And Repair    6. Houses    7. Machine-Tools    8. Maintenance and repair    9. Tools    10. DIY   

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Dwellings    3. Guidebooks    4. Historic buildings    5. Southern States