Nothing a Few Years and a Dad Can’t Fix
When Janet Foster was considering buying a 1948 Long Beach fixer-upper, her decision hinged on her father’s response to one question: Will you help? Tom Opferman, then newly retired from his...
View ArticleDavid Kean Bought it Bland, Made it Grand
When David Kean set out to buy his first home, he was looking for two things: old and charming. He envisioned thick crown molding and hardwood floors. But there was a glitch in his plan. “Old and...
View ArticleWhere the Money Went: DIY Kitchen Remodel and Dining Room Addition
Here are the actual costs for the kitchen remodel and dining room addition done by Lily and Arnie Richards in Downey. The couple did all the work themselves over a five-month period where they worked...
View ArticleA Backyard Grotto on a Budget
You know you’re headed for a challenge when your real estate agent says: “I’ll show you this house but I know you’re not going to want it” and then, when you do want it, cautions: “You don’t know what...
View ArticleWhere the Money Went: Carl Balton’s Mar Vista Remodel
Here’s where the money went for Carl Balton’s Mar Vista remodel, featured in a previous post: Electrician: $1,060 Plumber: $550 (plus one snake aquarium) Wood floor refinishing: $1,300 Trash hauling:...
View ArticleA Large Dose of Charisma
Daniel Curet was a contented apartment dweller looking for an Eastside investment property a few years ago when his plans took a sudden turn on a narrow, winding road in Lincoln Heights. There, he and...
View ArticleRemodeling and the Single Woman
The low-cost remodel of this 1948 Long Beach house has so many things going for it I don’t know where to start. While the hardwood floors were already in pretty good condition when Janet Foster bought...
View ArticleWhere the Money Went: Angelo’s Kitchen
Where the money went (selected items): Hutch: $800 Ceiling lights: $400 each Light over sink: $99 Stove: $5,000 Stools: $325 each Teak column: $800 Cabinets, stove vent, sink, faucet: $4,100 Drinking...
View ArticleAuthor gives a realistic look at home improvements
These days, it seems everyone's got a case of the budget blues. Not surprisingly, turbulent economic times also tend to sideline home renovation projects, at least for the short term. But if you have...
View ArticleGetting Rejected by a Remodeling Company
Have you ever been turned down by a remodeling company or a tradesperson? You may have been rejected, but a savvy contractor’s manner of turning down clients may be so artful that you don’t even...
View ArticleWhere the Money Went: Rosarito Beach Condo Remodel
How Don and Gigi Maurizio spent the money on their Rosarito Beach remodel: Construction Demolition: $3,000 Scraping textured plaster walls: $500 (labor) Staining beams: $500 (labor) Cabinets: $7,200...
View ArticleThe New Kitchen? ‘It’s 100% Us’
The new kitchen? It’s ‘100% us’ A Glassell Park couple get personal in their latest redo — down to the cat-feeding station. As Kristina Johnson and David Franke discovered while remodeling their...
View ArticleHow I Helped My Parents Remodel Their Kitchen — Part 1
My name is Sean, I’m 34 years old, and I have been helping my parents remodel the kitchen in their Eagle Rock, Calif., home. We started about three months ago, and it’s almost done. While I knew from...
View ArticleHow I Helped My Parents Remodel Their Kitchen — Part 2
Sean here. We are almost done with my parents’ three-month kitchen remodel. That’s a long time for people to be without a kitchen. It’s been hard on my mom. What made it more challenging is that we...
View ArticleHow I Helped My Parents Remodel Their Kitchen — Part 3
Sean here. The kitchen remodel I’ve been helping my parents with is done. Well, sort of. The backsplash tile is not installed, and it will be some time before we do that. Ironically, while I have been...
View ArticleHow I Helped My Parents Remodel Their Kitchen — Part 4
Sean here for the final post. Here is the finished kitchen, minus the backsplash, which I’m sure will add a lot of color and interest. As with most projects, it’s the last details that tend to get put...
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