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Look at SPECIAL OFFER BELOW Purchasing the right lot is the first step in building your dream home! Many lots and some vacant land have hidden pitfalls that can cost you tens of thousands of extra dollars. This 28-page Instant DOWNLOAD PDF file contains: 25 Checklist Items that might be deal-breakers! Review this BEFORE you place an offer! A compilation of past columns, bulletins and photos assembled into one document as a time-saving feature for you.

This short wall is next to a tub. A plumber cut out the tile to install a new faucet. The homeowner requested my help to design a decorative access panel. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter Plumbing Access Cover - Be Creative & Get a Woman's Input I had the most interesting thing happen to me in the past few days. I made a great new friend with a doctor who hired me to solve a vexing problem in his wife’s bathroom.

Q&A / When was the last time you checked your upper and lower dishwasher spray arms for blockages? Mine had a lemon seed blocking one of the ports. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter Honey Do List Examples - There are So Many! The honey-do list at my home never seems to get smaller. Each time I complete a task, another one or two gets added to the list. Just last week I had to replace two ceiling light fixtures in a bathroom. The electronics in them went bad, and they started to blink on and off.

Building a house like this may seem simple. Even a simple bathroom or kitchen remodeling job can be complex, causing you to pull out your hair and have all your marbles fall out. CLICK HERE to set up a phone call with me so that doesn't happen. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter Lose Money and Your Marbles Building a House I started writing this syndicated column in October of 1993.

This room addition was started a few years ago and never completed. There are many possible reasons why this may have happened. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter DIY Failures - How to Avoid Yours Are you thinking of rolling up your sleeves so you can complete a large DIY project? I’m talking about one that may require hundreds, or thousands, of hours of labor. Before you do, I urge you to think about the size of the elephant you’re trying to eat.

Bill is in his mid 70s and a subscriber to the FREE AsktheBuilder newsletter. He wanted to save $500 and install a trap under a shower himself. Two previous attempts ended in miserable failure. He finally decided to come to me for help. Here's what he sent after my advice produced success: " Did I get my money's worth in consulting with you? You bet I did! Here's a short list of what I learned: 1. How to cut pipe square 2. How to properly measure pipe length 3.

Labor Cost to Install a New Front Door - This is the quick long-distance estimate I created for Irene to help her understand why it costs thousands of dollars to install a new front door and repair water damage. The bid assumes $80 per hour for labor. The estimate was produced in January, 2026. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter Labor Cost to Install a New Front Door - Many Small Numbers Add Up I talked with Irene on the phone a few days ago.

Indirect Bathroom Lighting Ideas - Three different lights create a look you’d might expect at a five-star hotel suite. This bathroom is on the third floor of a quaint home on Mt. Desert Island. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter Indirect Bathroom Lighting Ideas - My Daughter is an Expert It’s very hard to keep up with all of the improvements in building materials and products. Thousands of new things hit the marketplace each year.

Lava Pods Snow & Ice Melt - An Amazing Hot Product WATCH the DEMO video below!! I shared with you weeks ago an article where the author maintains it’s best to use a pitchfork to remove ice from a sidewalk or driveway. It was obvious to me at the time that author had never tried using a pitchfork to remove ice.

ALERT: Special Pricing for the Month of October for Tim's Newspaper Followers! The Ask the Builder Digital Library is just below. It contains ALL of Tim's Contractor Hiring Guides as well as many ebooks, plans, etc. There are over 110 downloadable products that will SAVE YOU MONEY each time you hire a contractor or do a DIY repair yourself. CLICK HERE for a FREE SAMPLE Contractor Hiring Guide so you can see how each one will HELP YOU hire the right contractor.