RANDOM MUSINGS
This is the junk drawer of the blog. It’s the miscellaneous stuff that defies categorizing, but seems too important to discard.
TIPS TO HELP YOU BUY A HISTORIC BUNGALOW
You have decided that you want to buy a historic bungalow. Not surprising! They are America's favorite house & are highly suited for anyone who values comfort, history & fellowship. Bungalow neighborhoods tend to be friendly & inclusive, attracting...
OLD HOUSE RESTORATION VIDEOS-Home Inspections on Old Houses
I hang out on many old house group boards & read many stories of homebuyers whose inspections failed to find & report major issues. Most of the time, the homebuyer didn't really know what things an inspection is designed to find, or, how to ensure that they...
SELLING YOUR HISTORIC HOUSE
Life changes can interrupt the most heart-felt, best laid plans. A marriage, a divorce, a new baby, a job transfer, a lay-off, a family member in need of care, any one of these things can profoundly affect your circumstances. So, after much soul-searching &...
HAVING A SUCCESSFUL BUNGALOW RESTORATION , Part 1- Know Thyself
If you want to have a successful bungalow restoration, you need to take a hard look at your own goals, your own tolerances, your own proclivities, way before you even start looking for your dream house. Too often people fall in love with a house & as much as it is...
HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUNGALOW RESTORATION, Part 2- Your Significant Other
So there you are. Standing in front of a derelict house whose potential charm & beauty just need to be revealed by the loving hand in a successful bungalow restoration. Sounds perfect. Well, let’s take a look at this perfection before you decide that it will be...
BEFORE YOU HIRE AN OLD HOUSE CONTRACTOR
Once upon a time, I was standing in line at a Japanese take-out (great place!) & stepped back when I noticed the grungy guy in front of me. He was wearing a t-shirt that had seen 1,000 better days. It was a bit hiked up in the back, & I could almost see his...
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF RESTORING AN OLD HOUSE?
Long ago, when feebly attempting to restore a Folk Victorian, I discovered that the biggest challenge of restoring an old house is battle fatigue. It’s extremely easy to get disheartened. I know I’m not your mother (Disclaimer: I think I’m everybody’s mother.) but I...
HOW BUNGALOW AUTHOR JANE POWELL CHANGED MY LIFE
Into every life walks a handful of people who impact your life profoundly. Jane Powell, bungalow author, restorer & advocate, was one of them for me. In the winter of 1998, I walked out of my 1966 MCM house in Pasadena where I had lived as a renter for 8 years...
OLD HOUSE RESTORATION VIDEOS- the Menu
This post is an overview of my old house restoration videos, arranged like my site, INSIDE, OUTSIDE & ALL AROUND. Plus, there's a special section of THE MASTERS, without whose creativity, genius & pioneering spirit, our bungalows would not exist. There's also...
