Customer Reviews

Bob Vila's Complete Guide to Remodeling Your Home: Everything You Need To Know About Home Renovation From The #1 Home Improvement Expert

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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 helps one determine if they have what it takes to endure a remodeling experience!

I would expect alot of do-it-yourself information in a "complete" guide to remodeling. Disappointing in that respect. A fairly general discussion of thinking about, planning, and hiring a contractor to do your remodeling. This book will go directly back up on the auction site for sale.

The original host of This Old House, Bob Vila, is the author and says that his intended audience is those who want to learn about home renovation, especially style and design, but won`t be doing the work themselves.

The home and room photos are beautiful. I never get tired of looking at them. Some of the photos are of rundown places, but they become beautiful in the imagination as he outlines what could be done.

He includes photos of his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I prefer Lou Manfredini's book for a better explanation of how to renovate for resale value. Manfredini lives in my state, so please take this suggestion with a grain of salt.

If you know of other good remodeling books, please let me know.

I was surprised looking over the other reviews because my experience with this book was very different, however that could be because what I wanted from it was perhaps different. I purchased an old house (built 1826) that needed some serious updating. I never for a moment thought of actually doing the work myself so I wasn't looking for a how-to book. What this book helped me with to a huge degree was making the decisions on style choices, the best way to proceed at each step along the way, and got me to consider options that had not occurred to me. It helped me to understand exactly what I could and should expect from architects and contractors. And it enabled me to feel confident that I was getting what I paid for. The back cover even states that this book is "an essential FIRST step" not the be all and end all of DIY home remodeling.