Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven

So many people are giving their houses a facelift. What will we see trending in exterior building products in 2023? I discussed this and more with Mike Goodman and Mike Glowacki of Sherwood Lumber. About our guests: Sherwood Lumber is a national leader, innovator and solution provider to the Lumber and Building Materials Industries specializing in quality lumber and panel products. www.sherwoodlum...

2 years ago, Michele Hottel joined me to give advice to homeowners so that they could learn from the mistakes of others. As I reflected on the past three years in the week of my podiversary, I listened again to this episode and wanted to revisit it. We talked about renovating while pregnant, building too much space, rising construction costs and more. About our guest: Michele Grace Hottel, Archite...

Architect Daniel Steger designed a renovation for his parents Mary and Bob Steger and then managed the construction over zoom from half a continent away. We talked about construction challenges, the right amount of detail to include in architectural drawings, the importance of design, replacement windows and working with family. Instagram, DGS/a:  https://www.instagram.com/dgs_architecture/ L...

September buzzed by here at the Smart Old House- exterior painting progressed, attic structure in place, landscaping and garden certification underway. We upgraded our electrical and bought an electric car, bringing us closer and closer to all electric. *********************************************************************************************** Thanks so much for being with us this week. ...

I love to chat with my listeners about their houses. Abby from Illinois got in touch with me via instagram- where she is @91abbyro- to tell me that she related to our old house journey. She talks about the challenges of getting internet at her house, google home, surprises she encountered, plans she has for the house and what she is learning from her house. If you've got your own Smart Old House j...

Amy Everard is back again with another session with me helping me conceptualize for my smart old house. We are still working on schematic ideas, which is my favorite part anyway, and I hope that people will be inspired to work with a design consultant on their own projects. I really value Amy's input. About our guest: Amy has been a guest on the show on the episode Architect vs Interior Designer a...

I had fun talking with Susan and Paul Kadilak about their home renovation show Renovation Rekindle, how they work with clients, what advice they would have for homeowners and even how they met. https://kadilakhomes.com ******************************************************************************** Thanks so much for being with us this week.  Please see the episode enhancement for this and ot...

You know those home shows that wrap up a whole project from the very beginning to end of the project in less than an hour? This series is the opposite. Join me and Michael as we report on the progress made in August at the Smart Old House. *************************************************** Thanks so much for being with us this week.  Please see the episode enhancement for this and other epis...

I claim to be an architect for old house owners who are determined to plan a responsible renovation. What does that mean? Especially in old houses, I believe we are just stewards of the house and we need to keep the best interests of the house in mind when we are making changes. The neighborhood may have a certain fabric that needs to be respected. Construction is a huge source of energy consumpti...

Listener Haley Mistler wrote to me this summer to tell me about her project, we had a lot of similarities and I asked her to come tell her story on the show. We talked about her plans for a sustainable renovation and their creative approach to property acquisition. If you'd be interested in getting a copy of Beginners Guide to Sustainable Renovations , send me an email at thehousemaven@talkinghome...

Have you ever wondered how you can get a reality check on your renovation ideas when it comes to budget? In this episode I speak with Chris Previte, a licensed general contractor in Massachusetts who is the owner of Success Techniques. He helps people with introductory feasibility studies to see what is possible and what may make sense for them in remodeling their home. ***************************...

A while back a listener requested information about rebuilding and renovating after a flood. This is a story about the aftermath of a flash flood and we can all learn something about preparedness from this conversation. ************************************************************************************************ Thanks so much for being with us this week.  Please see the episode enhancemen...

Michael MacPhail is back to discuss the progress on the Smart Old House, a case study for the development company we are starting soon. We will be taking old houses and preserve their character while incorporating technologies that will increase their energy efficiency, giving the houses 100 more years of useful life. Our house was built in 1794, a simple federal style house with two telescoping a...

Interior Designer Amy Everard joins me again in this second session of four with an interior designer. She is helping me figure out how to bring out my vision for the smart old house. My expertise is in the structure of the house, the systems, windows and doors, flow of rooms, the overall building. Her expertise is in getting me to express my personality through the look and feel of the rooms. I'm...

Architect Taylor Davis joins me on this episode to talk about her specialty, aging in place in a home that you love. We talked about what it means to age in place, why designing for older adults means actually designing for everyone, some "invisible" ways that architects can help create homes that anticipate future needs, and her belief that beautiful spaces and aging in place spaces are not mutua...

The Smart Old House needs to really sing when she is finished, so I asked interior designer Amy Everard for some help. This episode is an edited version of our hour long session, one of four. I somehow had no idea what to expect and I thought maybe others feel the same- it was fun and not intimidating and I hope it inspires someone else to take their interiors to the next level. Amy has been a gue...

What is geothermal? What is a ground source heat pump? What is the difference between that and an air source heat pump, and how do I know which is right for me? Patrick O'Gara of Dandelion Energy joined me to answer all of my questions. https://dandelionenergy.com The listener letter with links: "I'm writing about your latest show, which I was disappointed to hear your perspective on mini-splits....

What are the root canals of architecture? I call anything house related that is expensive and not fun or beautiful but necessary a root canal of architecture. Do we want to spend money on it? No. Do we have to do it if we want to maintain the house? Yes. Lifting the house. Fixing beetle damage. Replacing drains and fixing waste lines. Adding structure to the first floor. More. This episode I'm joi...

We are hearing more and more about the ways in which our homes may be making us sick, or at least not feel as well as we could. If your goal is to make your house as healthy as it can be, you'll be interested in this episode. Tim Swackhammer of Mold Medics joins me to talk about what you can do when renovating your house to improve the air quality along with the flow, space and aesthetics. About o...

This episode is part 2 of the Smart Old House Case Study series. Aidan Brock from Boston Home Inspectors came by to assess the systems and structure of the building, the fireplace people came by to tell me a wood insert wouldn't work (but we are going to make it work), the level 2 chimney inspection revealed that none of the flues currently work and the chimney is completely open to the weather. L...

Nick, Drew and Matt of Appliance Educator joined me to discuss how to choose appliances, whether more expensive appliances are that much better than less expensive appliances, what to look for and possibly what to avoid. They have SO MUCH information on their website- www.applianceeducator.com - and if you follow their advice you will have plenty of time to watch all of their videos, read their bl...

Interior designer Meghan Shadrick joined me this week to answer my questions about wallpaper. Wallpaper isn't something that comes up in my projects- partially because I don't pick the finishes on my projects, partially because I've been practicing architecture during the 25 year anti-wallpaper period. At least that is the way I saw it! Now I'm intrigued by wallpaper and know I will incorporate it...

In this episode I'm joined by Michael MacPhail to discuss the Smart Old House Case Study. Michael and I are buying this house and are planning to make it not only our home but also the case study for our new renovation company in which we are going to renovate old homes and get them prepared for the next 100 years. We've got a lot of issues to tackle and I'm looking forward to working through them...

In this season of Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven we are going to take it to the next level. Using my new (old) house as a renovation case study, we will be looking at renewing noteworthy homes with the future in mind. Old friends will be joining us again, stay tuned!

Would you like to increase the chances of finding a contractor who is eager to work on your project? Real estate investor and long time contractor Van Sturgeon joined me to discuss being a contractor magnet and other tips for a smooth renovation. About our guest: Van Sturgeon is an experienced entrepreneur of over 30 years, who has successfully created several businesses in the real estate industr...