This Old House, companion volume to the Emmy award-winning PBS television series of the same name, is a comprehensive guide for homeowners and first-time buyers who want solid advice on how to understand, plan, and manage a major overhaul of their older house, or any of its rooms, using both professional help and their own time and effort.
Author and TV host Bob Vila cheerfully steers the uninitiated through the entire rehabilitation process, using as his object lesson a 100-year-old Massachusetts house transformed during thirteen weeks of programming from a tired old wreck into a functionally modern Victorian beauty. Along the way he covers everything practical, tactical, and financial, from appraisal and budgeting to planning and designing, as well as contracting with architects and carpenters, electricians and plumbers.
Vila stops to point out possible rehabbing disasters lurking in the woodwork, and answers hundreds of crucial questions every first-timer must confront, on subjects ranging from floors and ceilings to walls and windows and proper work sequences. There are practical tips on time and money, settling disputes, making sure you get what you pay for, and coping when things go wrong.
This Old House offers an innovative and creative approach to rahabbing for those who want to do it right the first time.
