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Apartments Searching for an apartment can be a lot of fun if you live in a town with a high vacancy rate. ("Well, I'll think about taking the place, but you'll have to paint it, replace the appliances, and lower the rent.") In many locations, however, vacancy rates are low, landlords swank around like princes ("If you are interested in renting, you can fill out an application for an application"), and you need all the help you can get. These Web sites have information on apartments for many locations in the U.S. Some sites let you specify what you would like -- location, price, size, pets -- and then show you the listings for your target area. (One of my researchers lives in an apartment not two miles from Bill Gates's house, and this is how she found her place.) Web:
Ask the Builder Okay, so you bought a house. In the words of the banker and real estate agent who encouraged you to go deep into debt, you are now a "homeowner". Here is a secret. It won't be long until you find out that it is actually the home that owns you. And, within a short time, you will be devoting as much energy to fixing a faucet and replacing a cabinet as you used to put into choosing which wine to have with dinner. But never fear, help is available. Here is a library of answers to commonly asked home maintenance questions. After all, just because all your weekend time is spent fixing things you never used to care about doesn't mean you can't know what you are doing. Web:
Building Your Own Home Building your own home is not for the faint of heart. Moreover, no matter how careful you plan, I promise you, your new home will cost more than you expected. My advice? (1) Hire a good architect. (2) Be realistic in your planning. Don't allow yourself to get carried away. (3) Have lots of money. (4) Use the Net. Web:
Buying and Selling Houses So you want to buy a house? In the old days, real estate agents would do some research and find places for you to visit. The agent would pick you up, drive you from place to place, and entertain you along the way with funny stories about escrow officers and title searches. Not any more. Now you need to do a lot of the finding-your-dream-home work for yourself. However, the Net is here to help, and you will be pleased to know that there are many, many real estate listings available online. A lot of people are finding houses on the Net. Web:
Feng Shui Feng Shui is an ancient tradition that involves the orientation and placement of objects and buildings. Originating in China, Feng Shui is now popular with people who are in search of a more spiritually harmonious living environment. The idea is to modify your home or working area according to certain principles, thereby enhancing your quality of life and good fortune. The name Feng Shui comes from the Chinese words for wind and water, representing the idea that one's living environment should be oriented and arranged so as to be in harmony with nature. Web:
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Finding an Architect An architect is a professional whose job is to design and supervise the building of structures. Architects have an enormous amount of specialized knowledge, and you may wish to hire one if you are planning on major remodeling. You should certainly have an architect if you are building a new house. Having the right architect is crucial. Look for one who is interested in the type of work you need done. Interview at least three. Take time to look at their previous work and check their references. Expect to sign a contract. Before you do, make sure you understand all the details, including what you must pay and when. Web:
Furniture When you are young, your furniture consists of whatever you can scrounge up for little or no money: a used sofa, homemade bookshelves made from boards and bricks, a second-hand dresser, and so on. As you get older, you begin to realize that furniture is what makes a house into a home. (If you are a woman, this happens around age 20; if you are a man, it's closer to 45.) One day you realize that you now have money to spend on furniture, but you have no idea what to do. I am lucky because I have a friend named Suzanne, who knows everything there is to know about making a home, so when I need furniture help, all I do is call Suzanne. In case you don't have her phone number or if the line is busy (Suzanne is a popular young lady), here are some resources to help you understand and choose the furniture that is right for you. You never know if you have good taste until you have money. Web:
Home Appliance Clinic Appliances are great when they work. How happy life is when your washing machine actually washes, your dryer really dries, and your refrigerator knows how to stay cool. The best way to achieve such contentment is to choose good appliances in the first place (either new or used). If you are thinking of buying a home appliance, start by reading the knowledgeable words of advice at this Web site. And if something breaks, check here first, before you call for a repairman. Even if you don't want to fix the machine yourself, understanding the problem and the solution will go a long way toward helping you stay in control. Web:
Home Decorating When it comes to decorating, some people are just born with the right stuff. They know what to do, when to do it, and how much to pay for it. Many people, however, seem to flounder helplessly in a sea of colors, patterns and questionable taste. Don't panic. The information I have for you here will help you take control. Start slowly, make your decisions one step at a time, and remember to please yourself. Remember, beauty, like conjunctivitis, is in the eye of the beholder. Web:
Home Environmental Hazards If you spend much time watching TV or listening to the radio, you are bound to hear about home environmental hazards: radon, asbestos, lead, hazardous waste, contaminated water, formaldehyde and so on. It's enough to make you feel a tad uneasy. Is your home sweet home a castle of happiness, or a slow-but-sure death trap that will end up subjecting the members of your family to a slow, painful and expensive death? I understand your discomfort, and I know the cure. It's the same cure that always works in such cases. Find out the truth, so you can make informed decisions. Web:
Home Improvement I have a great contractor named Larry. Larry can fix anything and will keep working until the job is done right. The only problem is Larry is not available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so when I'm stuck, I turn to the Net. If you are Larry, you already know how to do everything. If you're not Larry, you'll appreciate what the Net has to offer. (Just imagine Martha Stewart singing "If I Had a Hammer".) Web:
Home Maintenance and Repairs It's midnight. A leaky faucet is creating a tsunami in the upstairs bathroom, and your plumber won't answer his pager. What to do? Use the Net, where you'll find helpful advice on how to carry out the 1001 different repairs that make owning your own house a constant joy. Learn about home improvement, repairs, electricity, plumbing and carpentry. If you have a particular problem, join the discussion in one of the Usenet groups, where you can talk things over with people who really know their widgets, gadgets and whatchacallits. Web:
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Homemaking Taking care of a home and running a household well requires skill and experience. You need to understand cooking, cleaning, decorating, organizing, budgeting and (possibly) parenting. If you don't know what you are doing, homemaking can be a frustrating and unrewarding experience. But something is missing here. After all, shouldn't "making a home" be one of life's pleasing and rewarding activities? If this makes sense to you, you'll find these resources invaluable. As my personal contribution to your household, let me give you my favorite two organizational tips. (1) All storage areas (such as closets, drawers and cabinets) work best when they are one third empty. (2) When in doubt, throw it out. Web:
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International Real Estate Digest When you think about it, every spot on the planet Earth is real estate of some kind. Well, here is the Web site that expresses this philosophy exactly. The International Real Estate Digest is a colossal, well-organized guide to real estate everywhere. Lots and lots of stuff -- you'll feel you've died and gone to real estate heaven. No matter where you want to buy or sell, start here. Web: Moving Moving involves a lot more than just getting your possessions from one place to another. There are several bazillion details that have to be taken care of, any one of which has the potential of causing you a great amount of trouble if you forget about it. So don't depend purely on luck and the good graces of the universe. Let the Net help with your planning and your move will be as smooth as Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. Web:
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Old House Restoration The job of turning your old house into a showplace is not for the faint at heart. The process takes a long, long time and requires money, stamina, money, patience, money, specialized knowledge and money. Old houses can be charming and full of character, but restoring one of them does have its own special challenges. You are starting with a structure that has many hidden traps and idiosyncrasies, and what might be a relatively minor task in a newer house -- such as replacing a cabinet -- can turn into a big project faster than you can say "unforeseen lateral expansion". So the next time you get surprised and your budget starts to shrink like a salted snail, remember how special you are. Then turn to the Net for help. Web:
Pest Control Would you like to find out how to make your home inhospitable to those tiny pests who just love to make themselves at home in your home? Well, home in on the Net, your pest control home away from home. Web:
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Plumbing Spend some time teaching yourself about the ins and outs of common household plumbing problems, and I guarantee you will be the most popular person on the block. After all, the neighbors may fawn over the guy who used to be a professional football player, or the fellow who can imitate a chicken laying an egg, but when the plumbing breaks, there is no one more in demand than someone who knows his pipes. Here are some great resources to help you understand plumbing: from the basics (such as how to change a washer or freshen up a garbage disposal) to advice on large ambitious projects involving construction, renovation and restoration. Web:
Project Calculators and Estimators You've taken on the weekend painting and carpeting project. Here it is Sunday night at midnight and you are still working. You have about two feet of wall space left to cover and you've run out of paint. Moreover, you are stuck with a large piece of leftover carpet, which will be sitting in your garage forever because your husband won't let you throw it out. The next time the home improvement bug raises its nasty little head, start by visiting these Web sites, where you will find calculators and estimators for carpet, fencing, paint, wallpaper, tile, flooring, insulation, drywall and more. Web:
Real Estate Talk and General Discussion It's just like a Monopoly game, except you use real money and the bail is higher if you end up in jail. Learn tips on acquiring real estate: how to choose a good agent, perks for first-time homebuyers, and how to avoid the rental property blues. Usenet:
Tenant Net Having a lousy landlord turns Home Sweet Home into Nightmare on Elm Street. Find out what your rights are on a variety of issues such as security deposits, pets, repairs, payment of rent and more. This site offers information on tenants' rights, limited referral and guidance, links to tenant advocacy groups, FAQs, text of rental and housing laws, and much more. Have Tenant Net on your bookmark list in case the big, bad wolf comes to huff and puff and blow your house in. Web: Toilet Repair and Maintenance Okay, let's get this straight. Toilets are not funny. And when I tell you that this is the best tutorial about toilets on the Net, you are not to laugh. You are to proceed to the Net immediately, and teach yourself more about toilets than most people learn in a lifetime. You will find lots and lots of useful information about toilet repair and maintenance. Learn how these devices work, how to fix them, and how to maintain them. If nothing else, be sure to read the emergency advice about what to do when the toilet overflows. (Read it now, before it happens.) At the very least, you'll save yourself some real money. At best, you'll find a brand new hobby. Web:
Woodworking Wood is really a mass of plant tissue called xylem, formed within the plant from a thin layer (the cambrium) that lies between bark and the stem. Xylem has two primary functions: to conduct water throughout the plant and to provide structural support. Softwood comes from coniferous (evergreen) trees, and has a uniformly nonporous appearance. Hardwood comes from deciduous (leaf-losing) trees that produce xylem with a great many vessels, giving the wood a complex, non-uniform appearance. When wood is freshly cut, it contains a lot of moisture and, before it can be used, it must be dried (seasoned) -- either in a kiln or by the action of the sun. This description, though accurate, fails to capture that magic inherent in a beautiful piece of wood. And talking about xylem and cambrium -- though interesting to a botanist -- doesn't even hint at the enormous utility of wood: a substance that is an integral part of just about every culture in the world. If you are one of the people who appreciate wood for what it is and what you can do with it, there are many useful resources on the Net. Web:
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