The Small Ranch
My first house. An 875 square foot ranch style house with a basement. This is where I started as a Do-It-Yourselfer. These projects are not perfect, some are even embarrassing, but here they are in all their imperfect glory.
The Basement Renovation
When I moved into my first humble abode, it boasted a finished basement. Well, “boasted” and “finished” are stretching the truth. Wood paneling, commercial floor ...
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Budget bathroom update
When money is tight, and demolition is out of the question, a bathroom can still be updated with some paint and a couple of new ...
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Wood Privacy Fence
I was minding my own business one day when my next door neighbour approached me about a privacy fence he was thinking about building across ...
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Widening a Closet Door
In a house that is only 875 square feet, every extra inch counts. Even though the closet in the master bedroom was about 6 feet ...
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Installing a pre-hung exterior door
One of the first home improvement projects I tackled was replacing the storm door on the garage with a new pre-hung steel door. I ...
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The Cape Cod
Okay, it’s not really a traditional Cape Cod, but that’s what it was called in the real estate listing. We call it a money pit.
The Kitchen Remodel
A complete kitchen remodel can be a stressful undertaking in the best of times. Ours was done in 2009, during the depths of the so-called ...
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Structural Repairs: How to “un-butcher” a house
Moving or removing walls, enlarging window openings, altering doorways– these are major renovations that, while not especially difficult, require a clear understanding of the structure ...
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The Attic Renovation
Our house is 1½ story with two bedrooms upstairs in what is essentially a finished attic. Shortly after moving in, we became aware of a ...
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Installing a new deck railing
The large back deck was one of the things that attracted us to the house. Our home inspector warned us that the railing was too ...
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The Snowball Effect in the Home Office
One of the features that attracted us to the house was the comfortably-sized computer room in the addition. All that was needed, we thought, was ...
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Tips and Advice
This section is meant to be an additional resource to compliment your research on common DIY projects. Sharing what I have learned….
Installing a Suspended Ceiling
A suspended ceiling is a popular choice when it comes to finishing a basement, since the panels can be removed for access to plumbing and ...
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Basement waterproofing
Finishing a basement is a popular way to increase living space, but basements are prone to moisture problems. When I was growing up, I remember ...
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Framing with metal studs
When it comes to stud material for building interior walls, there are two distinct options available to homeowners: wood and metal. Both materials have their ...
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