Hosting Thanksgiving for Nine in 1,150 Square Feet
Both families, one oven, an 18-pound turkey and a card table in the living room. How we pulled off our first Thanksgiving in a small Cape.
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Buying a Used Snowblower on Marketplace: What I Checked First
A 2019 single-stage snowblower for $375 instead of $749 new. The checks I did in a stranger's garage and the one part I forgot to look at.
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When the Water Heater Leaked: Three Quotes and a $1,780 Friday
Our 2009 water heater started leaking on a Wednesday. Three quotes, why we hired it out, and whether the warranty we skipped would have helped.
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Cleaning Gutters Under a Silver Maple Twice in Three Weeks
Our maple drops its leaves over three weeks, so one gutter cleaning never does it. My ladder setup, the scoop I use and the plan for next fall.
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Chasing Drafts With an Incense Stick, Weatherstripping and Door Sweeps
An incense stick, a cold evening and $86 of weatherstripping, door sweeps and outlet gaskets. Where the smoke went sideways in our 1952 Cape.
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After the Wedding: Beneficiaries, the Deed and One Shared Account
The house was in both our names before the wedding, but plenty else wasn't. The money paperwork we sorted out in our first month married.
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Insulating the Attic and Knee Walls: Quotes, Rebates and What We Paid
Three insulation quotes, a $3,850 job, a $750 Consumers Energy rebate and a federal tax credit. What the crew did in two days and our net cost.
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Getting the Outside Ready for the First Freeze
Hose bibs shut off and drained, hoses in, the AC condenser cleared and patio chairs stacked. Our mid-October list after last winter's split spigot.
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Foam Board on the Rim Joists, One Weekend and $310
The rim joists in our basement were bare wood against cold block. Fire-rated foam board, canned foam and a weekend later, the cold corner is gone.
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Rerouting a Bathroom Fan That Vented Into the Attic
The energy assessor found our bath fan blowing damp air into the knee-wall attic. Rerouting it to a soffit vent took one evening and $64.
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