The First-Time Homeowner's Survival Guide: A Crash Course in Dealing with Repairs, Renovations, Property Tax Issues, and Other Potential Disasters

238 Pages·2007·4.15 MB·English

by  Sid Davis

T H E F I R S T - T I M E
H O M E O W N E R ’ S
S U R V I V A L G U I D E
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T H E F I R S T - T I M E
H O M E O W N E R ’ S
S U R V I V A L G U I D E
A Crash Course in Dealing with Repairs,
Renovations, Property Tax Issues,
and Other Potential Disasters
S I D D AV I S
AmericanManagementAssociation
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Davis,Sid.
Thefirst-timehomeowner’ssurvivalguide:acrashcourseindealingwith
repairs,renovations,propertytaxissues,andotherpotentialdisasters/SidDavis.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-7372-6
ISBN-10:0-8144-7372-5
1. Homeownership—UnitedStates. I. Title.
HD7287.82.U6D38 2007
643—dc22 2007003725
(cid:3)2007SidDavis.
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,
ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,
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1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Printingnumber
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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CONTENTS
Preface vii
Chapter1 YourHome’sElectricalSystem101 1
Chapter2 MaintainingandFixingYourHome’sPlumbing
System 20
Chapter3 HowtoCreateGreat-LookingWallsandCeilings 43
Chapter4 InteriorImprovementsThatAddValue 65
Chapter5 ExteriorMaintenanceandImprovementsThatAdd
Value 85
Chapter6 YourHome’sLandscapingandCurbAppeal 107
Chapter7 HiringandWorkingwithContractors 128
Chapter8 TaxAspectsofOwningaHome 147
Chapter9 InsuranceMattersforHomeowners 167
Chapter10 AvoidingtheTenMostCostlyHouseProblems 189
AppendixA DealingwithDisaster 205
AppendixB AverageLifeExpectancyofYourHome’sComponents 211
AppendixC EnergySavingsandaGreenerHome 215
Index 217
Acomprehensiveglossaryalongwithprintablechecklistsandworksheetsare
availableatwww.sid-davis.combyclickingonthebookbanner.
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PREFACE
Yourhomeislikelytobethebiggestinvestmentyou’llevermake.Youneedto
care for it and nurture it, not only because it’s where you live, but because
your financial future and emotional well-being may well depend on it. It’s
thereforecriticaltokeepitingoodcondition.Thatwayitwillbeajoytolive
in and also give you maximum return when you sell. How to do this is the
goalofthisbook.
If you’re a first-time homeowner who has just moved in and feels over-
whelmed, or you want to brush up on the nuts and bolts of making the most
ofyourhome,thisbookisfor you. Someof theimportant itemscontainedin
thefollowingchaptersare:
• Easy-to-follow explanations and charts that illustrate how different
systems and components work to make your home a marvel of com-
fortandconvenience.
• Tips and how-to instructions for handling easy repairs on your own,
evenifyou’renotsurehowascrewdriverworks.
• Suggestions for hiring and working with handymen and contractors
on those projects for which you need professional help, along with
tipsonhownottogetrippedoff.
• Tips on which upgrades add to the value of your home and which
onesdon’t.
• Checklistsattheendofeachchaptertoremindyouofthingstodoto
keep your home’s components working smoothly. These checklists
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viii PREFACE
willalsokeepyouontopofwhatneedstobedonetomakesureyour
homeweatherstheseasonalchanges.
• How to avoid losing thousands of dollars in unneeded repairs and
scamsthattargethomeowners.
• Money-saving tips on buying insurance, replacing appliances, choos-
ingfloorcoveringsandothermaterials,andmakingupgrades.
In other words, this is a book you’ll want to keep in a handy place so
you can refer to it often when pesky homeowner problems come at you fast,
demandingpromptactionand/oracreditcardnumber.
Also, for a comprehensive glossary along with printable checklists and
worksheets,gotowww.sid-davis.com,andclickonthebookbanner.
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T H E F I R S T - T I M E
H O M E O W N E R ’ S
S U R V I V A L G U I D E
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