Totally agree about the county records route—it's underrated. One thing I'd add: sometimes older deeds have handwritten notes or sketches tucked in th...

Not silly at all—actually, that's pretty clever. Wish I'd thought of that last year when I tackled a similar project. I was insulating the attic space...

I get the hesitation about third-party verification, especially for smaller projects, but I've seen it actually save money and headaches in the long r...

I've definitely noticed differences depending on the lumber I pick up. For instance, standard spruce-pine-fir (SPF) studs from the big box stores can ...

True, floodplain land can be tempting, but have you looked into gently sloped properties instead? With some smart grading and drainage planning, you m...

Good call on refurbished stuff—I was skeptical at first, but recently grabbed a refurb laser measure online. Saved a chunk of cash and it's been spot-...

I've found casting pretty forgiving too, especially if you're still tweaking your design or experimenting with materials. Injection molding is definit...

That's interesting... though sometimes I wonder if refinishing every old piece is always the best route. I've found that occasionally leaving furnitur...

When we renovated our place a couple years ago, we definitely learned the hard way that some things are more forgiving than others. Flooring and plumb...