home renovation

15 Stories

The Canadian PM's Residence Is a Dump

Rodents, asbestos, sketchy wiring and plumbing explains why Justin Trudeau doesn't live there

(Newser) - The official residence of Canada's prime minister—a 155-year-old, four-floor, 35-room mansion at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa—has been vacant since 2015. When Justin Trudeau came into office that year, he opted to move his family into a smaller, two-floor, 22-room home on the grounds of Rideau Hall...

One of Pennsylvania's Oldest Homes Hid in Plain Sight

1704 log home hidden by 5 layers of exterior

(Newser) - Based on a line in a local history book, Jude Plum suspected the two-story home he purchased out of pre-foreclosure in 2013 was old. He just didn't know it was one of the oldest surviving homes in Pennsylvania. That fact, and more of the home's history, surfaced only...

In Attic, Man Finds Remains of Woman Missing 40 Years

'We assume she lay down to sleep and froze'

(Newser) - The family of a man in Cloppenburg, northern Germany, apparently doesn't spend much time in the attic. When the 33-year-old son went up to set about renovating the large, unused space last week, he happened upon the remains of a woman who's been missing for nearly 40 years,...

Couple Sues After 'Disastrous' Home Redo for HGTV
 Couple Sues 
 After 'Disastrous' 
 Home Redo 
 for HGTV 
in case you missed it
Apr 23, 2016 7:15 AM CDT

Couple Sues After 'Disastrous' Home Redo for HGTV

NC couple says 'Love It or List It' is a sham

(Newser) - When Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan wanted to renovate their Raleigh, NC, rental property, they didn't want a DIY project, so they did what they thought was the next best thing: signed up to have an HGTV show do it for them. But per a lawsuit the couple has...

Asked to Watch House, Pal Makes $70K in Renovations

Retiring Marine gets a big surprise on return to US

(Newser) - Marine Sgt. Jacinto Bernardo asked a buddy to keep an eye on the fixer-upper he bought in Suisun City, Calif., back in January as he shipped out for his last deployment before retirement. When Bernardo and his wife got back to the US from Japan, they discovered that Jeremy Epperson...

What It's Like to Be Stuck Living in a NY Castle

Phemisters struggle to flip this New York house

(Newser) - You don't even need a cool million to purchase a 36,000-square-foot castle in Upstate New York. Just $895,000 will do. The New York Times today takes a look at this most unusual piece of real estate—and the unusual consequences of a common problem: homes that buyers...

What It's Like to Renovate the House Next to Obama's

Hint: It's not exactly fun

(Newser) - Home renovations are always a pain, but never more so than when your home is right next door to the president’s. The Moynihans, who bought the house adjacent to the Obamas' place in Chicago, are going through all sorts of non-typical construction experiences, reports the New York Times in...

Hartford Mayor Arrested on Bribery Charges

Eddie Perez traded $40K in home work for access to city contracts: prosecutors

(Newser) - Hartford's mayor turned himself in today on charges of having a city contractor do $40,000 in work at his home and paying for it only after being confronted by investigators. Eddie Perez, a native of Puerto Rico and the first Hispanic mayor in the city's history, admitted "a...

Stevens Testimony Ends Bitterly

Senator's third day on stand includes usual measure of barbed encounters

(Newser) - The prosecution got tough, and Ted Stevens testy, on the senator’s last day of testimony in his Washington corruption trial, the Hill reports. The prosecution challenged Stevens with emails that seemed to undercut assertions he knew nothing of gifts allegedly given to him by oil boss Bill Allen. At...

Stevens: Wife Was in Charge of House

Sen. testifies that he asked for all renovation bills, and thought he paid for everything

(Newser) - Ted Stevens was out of the loop on his home renovation, preferring to let his wife handle financial details, the Hill reports. In testimony today in Washington, the senator said he was only at the cabin for two days in 2000 while renovations were ongoing. He also said he thought...

Friend of Stevens Bullied Contractor Into Eating $13K Bill

'Think of it as a political contribution,' pal said

(Newser) - An Alaska oil exec told a carpenter working on renovations to Sen. Ted Stevens home that he would have to “eat” a final $13,393 bill, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The carpenter, Augie Paone, took the stand in Stevens’ corruption trial today in Washington, telling the court that...

Rich Turn to Pimping Basements
 Rich Turn to Pimping Basements 
GLOSSIES
Jul 29, 2008 9:29 AM CDT

Rich Turn to Pimping Basements

Media rooms, arcade games, full gyms making downstairs space not so musty

(Newser) - Basements are no longer the lowly underbelly of the high-end home. With the rise of home-theater technology, and widespread community opposition to mansion expansion, wealthy homeowners are increasingly turning basements into underground playgrounds, Portfolio reports, featuring everything from faux-'50s diners to recording studios to saunas. “Whether you have a...

TV Home Shows Boom During Bust

'People loved comedies during the Depression, too,' producer says

(Newser) - Home shows are becoming the heavyweights of reality television, even as the housing market continues to plummet, the New York Times reports. HGTV and TLC have million-plus nightly audiences as shows that provide step-by-step guidance to potential homesellers and buyers appeal to viewers weary of past hits that traded on...

DIY Home Care—Not So Hard
 DIY Home Care—Not So Hard 
Apr 8, 2008 4:04 PM CDT

DIY Home Care—Not So Hard

Homeowners only need a few simple tools and a little know-how

(Newser) - Homeowners can save big bucks on maintenance and keep their houses shipshape by mastering 10 simple skills, Allen Norwood observes for McClatchy Newspapers:
  1. Swap out your door locks: Remove a few bolts and screws and easily replace an existing lock for a new one.
  2. Become familiar with your filters: Note
...

Homeowners Lure Free Labor With Libations

Remodeling parties are a risky new rage

(Newser) - Word of advice: Cocktails and power tools don't mix. Renovation parties are sweeping the nation, as homeowners look for ways around rising construction costs. But handing out martinis and sledgehammers doesn’t always produce the best results, the Wall Street Journal counsels, recounting horror stories of crooked tiles, drywall hung...

15 Stories