The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast

SHOW NOTES: As heating bills are starting to rise, we share are several low cost to no cost things you can do to keep them under control while also staying comfortable.  Ready for a quick kitchen refresh? Kitchen backsplashes keep the walls behind your counters clean and updating them can be a fun and affordable project to do yourself.  Hanging holiday lights only to find that half a string is out...

SHOW NOTES: Breathing fresh clean air inside your home is more important than ever but you don’t have to throw open windows to let in freezing air to get it. We share tips on the best air filters for a steady supply of fresh indoor air. With all the holiday meals happening now, have you noticed that when you run your dishwasher, are dishes coming out dirtier than when they went in? We’ll share tip...

SHOW NOTES: Painting is a project most homeowners are happy to tackle themselves. But it’s also a project that can go terribly wrong if you don’t take just three steps before you start. We’ll share pro tips for painting success. Looking for a simple way to cut heating and cooling costs? A smart programmable thermostat can cut both heating and cooling costs by 10%. Learn how to heat up your home on...

SHOW NOTES: Kitchen renos peak after the holidays when the frustrations worn out kitchen layouts peak. If you’re planning a kitchen redo for 22, we’ll tell you how to choose new cabinets that’ll step up the space and not blow the budget. Are you ready to pick up a new snowblower before the first major snowstorm hits? Consumer Reports has you covered. Home and appliances reporter Paul Hope joins us...

SHOW NOTES: Are your kids’ rooms ready for a design refresh? We’ve got tips to help you design a room that can grow as fast as they do. Home repairs often come as a surprise for most owners, but did you know that many are predictable if you know when your home was built. We share hacks to help you determine your homes age, and the most common repairs to expect!  And as we move toward winter, are y...

SHOW NOTES: Have you ever been surprised by a big electric bill? We’ll share the most common places energy is wasted. If you’re shopping for a home, buying an older home can be a good deal – but only if you’re ready for the restoration and repair that come along with the job. We’ll share tips for buying and repairing older homes. Do your faucets sound like they are crying out in pain? Faucets that...

SHOW NOTES: If we had to name a project that can really change the look of a kitchen, or even a bath, replacing the countertop would be high on the list! But while removing and replacing a countertop is a costly and complicated project, simply restoring the surface with a stone coating is not. We show you how to do it in a weekend! There’s nothing like a good, steamy shower – BUT too much moisture...

SHOW NOTES: Thinking about updating your kitchen in time for holiday meals but concerned about the timing and costs? Get tips on easy updates you can do over a weekend that can totally transform your space without the hassles. If you love the personality of older homes, some of that personality can come out in the way of a noisy plumbing system! We’ll share the source and the solution to all that...

SHOW NOTES: Fall weather may be refreshing but the cooler temperatures can also usher pests like stink bugs into the warmer spaces of your home. Get tips to keep these smelly invaders out. Weather-related power outages are becoming more frequent but choosing the right type of backup generator to power your home can be difficult. Consumer Reports Home & Appliances Reporter Paul Hope joins us with t...

SHOW NOTES: DIY is on the rise but according to a new survey, 40% of homeowners report their projects were more difficult than expected and 80% admit to making a mistake along the way. We’ll dig into the most common ways DIY goes wrong to make sure that doesn’t happen to you. With the chilly weather upon us – now is a great time to take on projects to improve your warmth and comfort as temperature...

SHOW NOTES Are winter winds streaming through your windows? We share a step-by-step checklist to help make sure you are not wasting a single energy dollar! Painting a room is a fun and inexpensive home improvement project that can make a big impact. But while most people spend a lot of time picking the perfect color for their rooms, choosing the perfect paint sheen is just as important! We’ll shar...

SHOW NOTES: There’s no shortage of ways to make your home energy efficient – but what if there was a way to build a home that was already efficient? Tom and Leslie explain the very successful “Energy Star Homes” program plus answer your home improvement questions. They call it “fall” for a reason… and if raking leaves is the last thing you want to do with your weekend, we’ve got tips, techniques a...

SHOW NOTES: In a strong home sellers-market, selling your home “as-is” is a popular way to avoid buyer demands for repairs. But that strategy often backfires and hurts your chances of getting the best price for your home. We share a better strategy to get the best price with the least hassles. Whether your furniture is heirloom or Ikea, it’s likely to take a few hits from time to time - especially...

SHOW NOTES: A survey of 32,000 homes by Zillow showed painting with the right colors can help your home sell faster and make you more money in any real estate market. We’ll share the paint colors that really pay off. Garage floors need to be one of the most durable floor surfaces in any house. They have to take the punishment of hot tires in the summer or dripping road salt in the winter, plus a t...

SHOW NOTES: If you enjoyed garden-fresh veggies all Spring and Summer, now is the time to plant cool weather crops that thrive in autumn’s cooler weather. Learn what grows best straight through to the first frost. Adding shrubbery to the front of your house adds curb appeal and the cooler Fall weather offers plenty of time for the roots to grow deep before next summer’s heat sets in. Get step-by-s...

SHOW NOTES: Spotted a roof leak and wondering if your roof can be repaired or needs a complete replacement? We’ll tell you how to know. It doesn’t matter if you heat by gas, oil, propane or electric, it’s time to get your heating system serviced. We share key components that have to be checked to make sure the system remains safe and efficient. If there’s a way to do a home improvement project tha...

SHOW NOTES: Hiring a gutter company to install gutter guards can be ridiculously expensive. But buying the product and then either installing the gutter covers yourself -- or hiring a handyman to do the installation -- can be far less expensive. We walk you through the project. Laminate countertops can give you the look of natural stone without the price – but they’re not quite as durable. But the...

SHOW NOTES: Ready to blast away piles of leaves this Fall? Paul Hope, the Home & Appliance Editor from Consumer Reports, dishes on this season’s best leaf blowers including some that won’t wake the neighborhood! As we move closer to Fall, we move closer to Fall storms which can bring on MOLD! But is getting rid of mold a DIY project, or do you always need a pro? The answer is – it depends! We’ll s...

SHOW NOTES: Everyone wants a perfect remodel but home improvement and perfect are two words that you don’t often hear in the same sentence! We share tips on how to avoid the hidden surprises that come with the territory. Home prices are up and that means successful home buyers may not have much money left for unexpected repairs once they close on the house.  Service contracts can help handle a lot...

SHOW NOTES: Hate waiting for your shower water to heat up? Hot water recirculation pumps can help, delivering hot water to faucets almost immediately. We’ll tell you how it works and what it takes to install one in your own house. Do dishes come out of your dishwasher dirtier than when they went in? The culprit could be a clogged drain valve that’s easy to fix. We’ll tell you how! Want to be comfo...

SHOW NOTES: Are you living with the heating system that was in your house when you bought it? Old furnaces and boilers can be inefficient. We help you figure out if a replacement or conversion to another tup of heat is worth it. If you’ve shopped for a house in what’s been a crazy market, you probably spent more than you wanted to. That leaves little for hidden home repairs that can cost you big b...

SHOW NOTES: For renters, heat is a big expense you might feel you can’t change. We’ll share tips to save money heating your apartment that won’t require any major changes and make you a lot more comfortable. Do have a deck with cracked or splintery boards that needs a refresh? We share tips on the easiest way to repair deck boards and re-stain the deck for the season ahead. Is your driveway worn,...

SHOW NOTES: Just about time to wrap up gardening for the year. But if you had a greenhouse, you can extend your gardening well into the Fall! Plus, you can start back up even earlier next spring. We’ll share the best DIY Greenhouse Kits to hook you up with a 4-season crop of veggies. When you flick on the bathroom light first thing in the morning, do you scare yourself? That frightening reflection...

SHOW NOTES: Buying new replacement windows can be confusing. But if you learn how to read a single label that’s required for every new window, finding the best window becomes instantly simplified. We walk you through what to look for. Leftover paint can feel like a headache when every other aspect of a project is done. But with a little imagination and creative flair, we share ideas to use paint t...

SHOW NOTES: As we head into Fall, it’s a good time to assess your home’s insulation needs. Most homes simply don’t have enough and that results in higher than necessary heating bills as well as a very uncomfortable space. We’ll share a new insulation product that’ll allow you to get the insulation job done fast and safe. Fall is also the time of year when beautiful foliage assembles into a rotted...