The Home Owner's Diary [Paperback]

Della Sheffield (Author), Della Sheffield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2000

If you have an apartment, home, condo, townhosue, rental or vacation home, here is a comprehensive way to record all important details of your home purchases, maintenance, and improvements. Now you can keep track of all improvements made to both the exterior and interior of the house, including all yard work and maintenance. From details relating to security features, the utilities, and financial information i.e. insurance and warranties, this little book is invaluable for keeping all the important facts about your home in one place.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Magni Company; 2nd Expanded edition (February 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882330544
• ISBN-13: 978-1882330546
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Builder recommended, May 13, 2002

By 

S. Markle (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Home Owner's Diary (Paperback)

I work for a home builder, and a co-worker of mine introduced me to this book as something we could give to our buyers to help them keep up with their homes. After reading through it, I thought "I wish I'd had this book when I bought my home."

The contents of this book are very comprehensive. This book can create order and ease of use for all the information that should always be at your fingertips regarding your home/apartment. From paint samples to make, model, and serial numbers on major appliances/furnaces to the insulation in your walls and ceiling, this book's got it all.

If anything, this book is too comprehensive. Most people don't have game rooms, steam rooms, and pool houses, but the ability to fill in all the specifications on what you're using in your residence and to include swatches is invaluable.

I like the book so much that we're now giving them to our buyers as part of their housewarming gift. We're also providing them with the information that we can, to get them started on keeping records for all items covered by this book.

Whatever you do, just don't ever loose the book!

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The New 2nd Edition, August 11, 2001

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Home Owner's Diary (Paperback)

The expanded edition is finally out so you can keep even more important facts about your home on file. If you have an apartment, home, condo, townhouse, rental or even a vacation home, this is a way to keep a comprehensive record of all your important details safely in one place! This is the new expanded edition.

Do you remember where your receipts are for repairs? When did you last have the yard sprinkler system checked? Did you remember to tell the pool boy to check the weatherproofing on the pool house roof?

The Home Owner's Diary was created to replace that stuffed manila folder or pocket notepad, shoebox stuffed full of records...you know the drill. This will become a very useful tool that will serve you well in the future.

When we moved from a townhouse to our first real home, we had no idea how much there was to keep track of. Not getting lost down a hallway, being the first priority, but then I saw the yard and wondered what was I thinking? Then after some investigation, I started finding lots of odd jobs that are going to need to be done.

Welcome back to reality, I said and bought another book.

A Tax Work Sheet (oh bliss) brightens your life as you start on the first page to write down your purchase price, additions, commissions, remodeling details and renovation notes. Then, as you go screaming and kicking...you will get to list your "Important Personal Papers" and where you keep them. Hopefully in a fire proof safe.

There is a page for a small picture of the house and grounds.

The page on Finance Information borders on obsessive, but hey...you might need this information one day. The Warranties page is like a dream. Suddenly this book started to make sense to me. You list your purchase date and expiration date of the warranty.

So, now that you are all settled in...what's next? Building and remodeling tips are followed by areas to write in information about your House Exterior (siding, trim, storm doors, windows, landscape gardening, side yard, back yard, pond, greenhouse, window boxes, container shrubs, gazebo (hello! I wish). Then you can step indoors and list everything about the floor coverings, ceiling finish, curtains, blinds, wallpaper, ceiling fans, parlor, kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room, wall shelves, furniture, family room, mud room, hallway, stairway (room to put in info about three if you have a mansion), laundry room, bedroom number 1, 2, 3, 4 and then bathrooms. Each area has space to write about everything in the room.

If the mood strikes, take pen and paper and sketch the layout of your fuse box. The same can be done with your attic....if you dare to enter it. Miscellaneous Room 1, 2...and then Storage /Closets follows.

Thinking of resurfacing your Driveway? There is space to record what type, sealant brand, supplier, contractor, cost and notes. The same type of information can be included under, fence, patio, porch, deck, garage, gutters, roof, siding, trim, toolshed, cooling & heating, fireplace 1, fireplace 2, air filter, heat pump, heating plant, wood stove, solar heating, insulation, venting, home security system, smoke detectors, fire detection system and video security system.

Then you can log in all your information about telephones, answering machines, thermostat, radon testing, well, water heater, water softener, whirlpool, hot tub, sauna, Jacuzzi, septic system, sump pump, sprinkler system, swimming pool (sigh), pool house (no fair), siding, basement, home office, ceiling fans, wall shelves, game room, home entertainment room, steam room, sun room, etc.

Then, finally an Index and a page to list phone numbers so when problems arise, this is the book you will reach for to call the Attorney or Cabinet Maker or Electrician.

Della Sheffield has to be the most organized person on the planet.

~The Rebecca Review

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for every home owner!, November 13, 2000

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Home Owner's Diary (Paperback)

If you want to keep records of your home improvements to save you time, money and headaches in the future...this may be a great book to have on hand.

If you plan to sell your house sometime in the future, this will be invaluable as you will have records of when you bought the water heater or installed the new carpet, etc....There is space to log in everything from major renovations to smoke detectors. In the 136 pages you will find a place to include information about the interior, exterior, garage, utilities, security systems and more.

~The Rebecca Review