Customer Reviews

Be Your Own Home Renovation Contractor: Save 30% Without Lifting a Hammer

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book because I am remodeling my basement. I find about 1/3 of the book to be useful, maybe a bit more.

There is a lot in here about purchasing a home for the purpose of remodeling, and those who would make such a purchase appear to be the target audience. For me, much of that content is not necessary because I am remodeling part of a home that I already own. There is also unneeded content about financing and making a real estate purchase. All this in a book that is only 106 pages plus appendices (contracts, forms, and sample blueprints).

My husband and I made a bid on a foreclosed property. The same night I ordered "Be Your Own Home Renovation Contractor." We read through the book when it arrived and because of the tips and expert advice of the author, we were able to spot major (hidden)defects in the house that would have cost us thousands of additional dollars to repair. Needless to say, we did not buy the foreclosure. We have since found another house and again, we have saved money using the author's tips and techniques.

This book provides excellent step-by-step advice on how to evaluate, select and renovate an older home, or simply a home that needs remodeling. It also gives a job description of the general contractor, which made me realize that I CAN be my own general contractor. This book has given me the confidence to begin my second home renovation project as the GC, not just the homeowner. Easy to read and understand, too.

This is a high level overview of renovation with almost no useful details. The author tries to address too many things and in doing so never goes into depth anywhere. I bought the book to learn his take on cost estimation. He spends 1/2 page giving ballpark numbers for an "average-sized house" and it is too high level and he leaves a bunch of stuff out. If you know absolutely nothing about renovation then this book is a quick read and it might give you an idea of SOME of what there is to learn elsewhere. If you don't know anything about renovation before you read this book and all you do is read this book, HIRE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND DON'T ATTEMPT THIS YOURSELF!