Thursday, July 2, 2009

5 Home Improvement Books that you ought to buy

5 Books about Home Improvement that you ought to buy and READ before you decide to
go to work on your estate.

1. Black & Decker Complete Home Improvement
by Creative Publishing International

This is the best home improvement manual I've been able to find. I recently embarked on a journey to convert a kitchen pantry into a half bath. Although I'm fairly handy with tools, I've never done a significant house project before. After starting in on the destruction of the pantry (ripping down plaster) my neighbor loaned me this book to poke through. Eventually I picked it up and the more I read, the more I found relevant to my project.

2. Home Improvement 1-2-3: Expert Advice from The Home Depot
by The Home Depot

The book is very "user friendly" for the new home owner. The book is well organization, offers wide coverage, and is based around photos. The sections are color coded by topic like plumbing, painting, electrical so that you can find your project quickly.

3. Big Book of Home How-To
by Better Homes

A superb book! (And a heavy one!) Tons of practical advice, very detailed and good illustrated. Highly recommended for the home owners (especially the new ones, like me) who are ready for do-it-yourself projects but don't know the how-to's.

4. Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual
by Family Handyman Magazine Editors

This is an excellent "fix it yourself" book that includes many fixes you can find only in The Handyman Magazine. The magazine is a top-notch periodical, in my opinion, for guys like me - mediocre at making everyday fixes to common problems around the home.

5. Do It Yourself Home Improvement: Step by Step Guide to Home Improvement
by Julian Cassell

This is a very good book. However, no one book can cover all the intricacies of home improvement and construction. So it's best to try to look at the book you're thinking of buying before you purchase it. Try a bookstore or library if possible.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Home Improvement Tax - An Insight

So you have chosen to make one or more improvements to your living space. The undertaking sounds scarier than it really is. In addition
to the improved quality of living - once you're done - there is also another benefit: In some cases a home improvement tax deduction
may be available to you.

Before you can apply for a house improvement tax deduction, you need to be aware of the differences between repair work and actual
improvement.

Home Improvement is defined as follows:

Any addition that imptoves life and quality in your home. Like
1. Landscaping
2. A new roof
3. Adding a new room
4. Building a garage
5. Adding a simming pool

and so forth.

Repairs on the other hand are activities you do to halt or slow down any depreciation that occurrs on your home or property, and will not qualify you for a home improvement tax.