You often I hear people mention "fixer-uppers" when talking about getting
a good deal on a house, condo, co-op, or apartment. Unless they're real
handy types, walking around wearing tool belts and with nails hanging out of
their mouths those fixer-uppers can translate into costly mistakes. That's
because "fixing up" can mean spending a lot of money, even for those who
know what they're doing.
And what about the others who already live in nice homes, homes that are
undergoing everyday wear and tear? Where do they go for help when a toilet
needs fixing or their Picasso needs to be hung on a plaster wall?
To answer that question, I let my fingers do the tapping on my keyboard -
and turned to the Internet for help. There's always a lot of information on
the Web, and the problem usually requires a bit of ferreting to find
information that is free, and not just an advertisement for something you'll
ultimately have to pay to secure.
Here are some of the choice tidbits I discovered.
A Little Bit of Everything
- HOMESTORE.COM offers articles such as Kitchen Remodeling:
Design Your Dream Kitchen, numerous do-it-yourself guides, and
calculators that will help you determine everything from appliance costs
to number of square feet of wood flooring you'll need in your dungeon.
- HOMETIME.COM is a great source for home improvement,
remodeling, and repair information. Their site includes information on
building a log cabin and remodeling your prairie house. Ride them,
cowboy.
- IVILLAGE.COM specializes in decorating and gardening. Their
site focuses on ways to cut comers and save time doing things like
laundry, housecleaning, and organizing your closets. It's for all you
real women out there; they supply hints for spring cleaning, growing
roses, and turning your bedroom into a love nest.
- PICKY.OXYGEN.COM can teach you the best way to keep lipstick
on at the same time it teaches you how the many ways to organize your
closet. If that's not enough, you can learn about buying fake diamonds -
trinkets you'll want to wear while caring for your cashmere.
Building and Remodeling
If you're thinking about do-it-yourself building or remodeling, check
out:
- DOITYOURSELF.COM. You'll find information on how to build a
brick barbecue - and more.
If you're of a more spiritual bent. check out:
- REMODELONLINE.COM. Here you can learn about Feng Shui (the
Chinese art of placement), locate organic gardening repair companies, or
discover how to clean that waffle iron.
It's all in one handy dandy location, leaving you plenty of time to pray
and meditate.
Decorating/Interior Design
Everybody knows that queers are natural born interior designers;
which makes me wonder if I'm really a heterosexual in disguise. If
you're like me, e.g. clueless about design, the following sites may
help.
- DECORATORSECRETS.COM
makes interior decorating look easy; you'll find colors,
accessories, and eight steps to a beautiful home.
- DECORATINGPLUS.COM is
a great source for faux finishing, stenciling, picture framing,
decorative stamping, and other decorating enjoyment; and if you're not
completely fauxed out by now, try
- FEAUXLIKEAPRO.COM, a
site devoted to faux finishing. color. glazing, problem solving,
products, sponging, technique, and more.
Organization
Sometimes you can forget to clean; but if your home is organized it looks
clean anyway. An unnamed site, located at
http://geocities.comMeartland/Shores/9756/homes.html
[NOTE: THIS SITE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE], is a cute little homespun
spot that offers tips on organizing your closet, jewelry and tie racks;
storage for small bathrooms; and organizing photographs. Another site,
ORGANIZEDHOME.COM helps you to
"organize, declutter, simplify, clean." It includes chore checklists, diet
trackers, an article on using personal digital assistants for home
management, a beginner's guide to the pantry, and more.
Gay Housekeeping
The housekeeping compatibility evaluation at
BUDDYBUDDY.COM will help you and your
lover jointly tackle household chores without tackling one another. Unless,
of course, you enjoy tackling one another.
Repairs
I'll be honest. Calling a repairperson can be expensive. Trying to do it
yourself and then having the repairperson come to fix what you repaired can
be even more costly. Still, if you're a brave soul who likes adventure,
HANDYMANWIRE.COM gives advice on
everything from washing machine preventive maintenance to wiring a three-way
switch. HOUSEHOLDHELPER.COM gives
tips on plumbing, small engine repair, and swimming pool repair and offers
free on-line help from experts. Finally, The
POINT AND CLICK APPLIANCE REPAIR
site (www.pcappliancerepair.com) is for the "do-it-yourself appliance repair
enthusiast." It offers suggestions on doing it alone with advice to find
help when you finally cry uncle or auntie.
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