Customer Reviews

Better Homes & Gardens - New Complete Guide to Home Repair & Improvement

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read these reviews and decided to check out Better Homes and Gardens home repair book. The first thing that struck me were all the water color illustrations that reminded me of some cheap school book from the 1950's. I need to change the garbage disposal beneath a friend's sink and decided to look up the procedure in this book. Hey guess what? There WEREN'T ANY procedures for changing a garbage disposal! In fact, there was not the first mention of garbage disposals in this entire book. It seems to me to be a very basic household appliance that a lot of people may need to install or replace. I then looked in the Black and Decker home repair book and found several pages devoted entirely to installing a garbage disposal with many COLOR PICTURES. This was enough for me to decide against the Better Homes repair book. I still haven't bought the Black and Decker book and may not, but it is far and away the better of these two books. Also, the index in the Better Homes book was very lacking in many different subjects/topics. Stanley also publishes a terrific home repair book that you might want to consider. Bottom line before you buy one of these books, make sure you do some comparisons between these home repair books using examples of projects you might want to tackle. The reviewers who gave this Better Homes book 5 stars must work for Better Homes and Gardens because this book cetainly is NOT worth the money!

This book is one of the most complete and accurate references I have seen. There are a few minor omissions, as well as some editorial errors, but I found this book to be enjoyable reading and an invaluable resource for the inexperienced homeowner. The scope of the book is broad so it is a bit general in some areas, but it will still replace many other books in most libraries. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels intimidated by the thought of buying a less-than-perfect home.

I believe that this book should be in everyone's home reference library. I'm a professional home inspector and you can't beat the price of the book for the value it gives. This is one of those books that can save you hundreds of dollars or more.

600 pages and covers just about any home repair or improvement from hanging a door to retiling a kitchen. The drawings are comprehensive and well executed. There's a fine index and the instructions are step by step.

A feature that I really like is the "You'll need" which gives the Skill level, time and tools needed to complete each task.

This is the best of the home repair books I reviewed before purchasing.

This is seriously a well done guide. The illustrations and descriptions are very well thought out. I'm buying a second copy for my sister now that I don't live close enough to help her with her house renovation anymore.

I now have the confidence that I can deal with most any home repair emergency. This book teaches you the principles behind your home's systems so that you can understand HOW and WHY it works, not just how to fix it. The clear illustrations and concise writing make it easy to follow. My only wish is that it were spiral bound with plastic pages; my copy has become well-worn in a very short amount of time.

In my opinion this is the best Do-It-Yourself book I've yet come across. It is superior to its competition for the following reasons: 1. Its comprehensiveness- in almost 600 pages, it covers pretty much every area of interest to the Home DIYer. Of course there are probably a few problems that were left out, as the Spotlight Reviewer whined, but no book can possibly cover everything. This one seems to hit more than any other though. 2. The clarity of its illustrations. This was the biggest seller for me. The illustrations in most other DIY books look like they were sketched by plumbers, electricians, etc. (i.e. badly) or conversely they show awful black and white photos which are obscured by shadows and hands. The wonderful illustrations in this book actually serve to illuminate the processes they describe. This is an extremely helpful book which I highly recommend.

This is a good book, but covers an awful lot of topics, some in not very much detail. However, no one book can cover all the intricacies of home improvement and construction. So it's best to try to look at the book you're thinking of buying before you purchase it. Try a bookstore or library or home inmprovement store, if possible. I have purchased the following books and found them to be very helpful to me:

New Complete Guide to Home Repair & Improvement (Better Homes & Gardens);

Do It Yourself Home Improvement: Step by Step Guide to Home Improvement;

Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement (Ultimate Guide);

Encyclopedia of Home Maintenance & Repair - This is a black & white book, but has very good explanations, especially of electrical.

Popular Mechanics When Duct Tape Just Isn't Enough: Quick Fixes for Everyday Disasters (Popular Mechanics) - This is kind of a "Hints from Heloise" for the home fix'r up'r.

Excellent reference. Even for beginners. Illustrations are very detailed and easy to follow instructions. Nice rating system for each job on its level of difficulty. My father-in-law has an older edition. A lot of the same info and pictures. Just better colors and some new tips. It has saved us a lot of money since we can fix things on our own. Even with no home improvement experience. I mean none.

I have given this book out many times as closing presents to first time homeowners and have heard back that it saves money on simple home repairs.