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Summary: A Practical, Comprehensive Guide For Homebuyers
Review: As someone going through the process of buying a home for the first time, I've been stressing about overlooking something that will later cost me a lot of money. After reading The Virgin Homeowner, I'm no longer stressing. This book presents a comprehensive look at all the various features in a house that could present problems to the new homeowner. While it doesn't give detailed solutions, it does provide valuable information that enables the homeowner to understand the problem in order to begin the process of fixing it in the most effective manner.The best aspect of The Virgin Homeowner is that it is written in a tone that evokes an image of a friend sharing information. This book is not a dry "how-to" manual. It is obviously the product of first hand mistakes, triumphs, and research. The tone in which it is presented not only makes it very easy to understand, it also gives it a realistic credibility that only life experiences can impart. I'm sure that The Virgin Homeowner will give other readers the same sense of confidence that I didn't have before I read it. Frankly, I can't think of a higher compliment for any type of guidebook. But, this one is worth the accolade. This book should be read by all first time homebuyers either before or immediately after a home purchase.
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Summary: Not for owners of Newer Homes
Review: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK - unless you just bought an older home in the Northeast, since that's all this book covers. It has no information for newer construction homes, since the author writes from her own experience (her first- and it seems only - house). This book does go into some detail about the systems inside a house, but again, the systems are very dated in this book. If you want a good overall info book about owning your first home, and you want to be able to determine whether to repair something yourself or hire a professional, go buy the "Dummies" book for homeowners, it is much more useful.
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Summary: A must-read for every homeowner!
Review: Faced with the daunting prospect of home ownership as a single female, I've tried many of the typical "how-to" books, many of which seem to have been written to encourage the accumulation of a large tool collection from Home Depot. The Virgin Homeowner is another story. With humor and understanding from a woman's perspective, no less, the author provides valuable insight into the kind of real problems every homeowner is bound to face. Understanding one's septic system becomes more important than identifying the different types of wood saws. Written in a style which makes the mundane interesting and without every seeming dogmatic, The Virgin Homeowner will help you achieve piece of mind about the things which matter in your house. Cheaper than a visit from the plumber and worth every penny, no one should be without a copy.
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Summary: Buy this before you buy your home.
Review: For the non-mechanically inclined girly-girl who has always lived in an apartment - this one's for you. A fast read will give you the knowledge to prepare yourself for the unknown which could have been known. It will keep you from looking like a complete nut in front of the house-savvy. It will help you feel confident when there's an emergency. It doesn't tell you how to FIX the toilet, but you can know where the water shut off valve is. If you didn't know that houses have water shut off valves (um, I didn't), then you really should buy the book.
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Summary: essential reference guide
Review: I am currently building a house with a well-known national builder. While my construction company couldn't be bothered to indicate what types of systems they would be installing in my new home, this book described the inner workings of the house in a simple, logical manner. The only misadvice Janice gave is that the pre-drywall home inspection should really be a pre-insulation inspection.
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Summary: Get up to speed on all ownership issues in a flash
Review: If you're busy--like everyone--but you want to take the purchase and upkeep of your new home (first home or otherwise) seriously, this book is a must read. It reads quickly and efficiently and yet packs your head with much needed big picture and detail work to consider when buying, upgrading or maintaining your house. Read this book and stand confidently before contractors and other estimators--knowing their language, the terms, dimensions and practice of home repair. Protect yourself from getting gouged. Ensure that the work done for you is done properly. You could even do some of the work yourself after learnging how. Regardless, you're sure to establish solid ground between you and the serviceman or company your about to hire when you let them know that you know exactly how certain functions and systems in your home work. No longer stand bewildered when the toilet lid or sump pump in the basement goes down (before reading this book I didn't even know what a sump pump was or how important it was to the integrity of my home). In sum, you must buy this wonderful collection of information on home ownership. It beats most other guides, hands down.
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Summary: not what I expected
Review: My husband and I are the epitome of the "virgin homeowners", and I'm so glad we bought this book even before we were really started looking for a house. It gives wonderful advice about how to go through the final processes of buying a house, what to do and what NOT to do! Plus the author gives personal accounts of mistakes SHE made and how to avoid them. We're now a year into our home and I still use to book whenever I hear a mysterious clunk in the basement or find a leak in the kitchen... it's full of information, easy for the everyday person to understand, and full of very useful advice!
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Summary: Not very helpful at all
Review: My husband and I recently bought our first home, so I ordered this book in the hopes that it would give us helpful details on how to maintain it, make minor repairs, and accurately troubleshoot. I am very, very, VERY disappointed in the book. While it gives decent descriptions of the various aspects of your home, such as heating and cooling systems, it does no more than that. I thought I was getting something more in-depth than just descriptions. For instance, how do I MAINTAIN my air conditioner properly? I've heard that you should hose down the outside unit every so often, for example - yet there's nothing about that in the book. I don't feel any more educated about my home and how to keep it safe and well-maintained than before I got this book. This was almost a complete waste of money and I don't recommend it.
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Summary: Not very helpful at all
Review: My husband and I recently bought our first home, so I ordered this book in the hopes that it would give us helpful details on how to maintain it, make minor repairs, and accurately troubleshoot. I am very, very, VERY disappointed in the book. While it gives decent descriptions of the various aspects of your home, such as heating and cooling systems, it does no more than that. I thought I was getting something more in-depth than just descriptions. For instance, how do I MAINTAIN my air conditioner properly? I've heard that you should hose down the outside unit every so often, for example - yet there's nothing about that in the book. I don't feel any more educated about my home and how to keep it safe and well-maintained than before I got this book. This was almost a complete waste of money and I don't recommend it.
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Summary: Stop reading this review and just buy the book!
Review: This book could also be titled, "How Not to Look Like An Idiot At Your Home Inspection." I am in escrow on my first house, and read much of this book prior to my home inspection. It gave me the right information I needed to understand how the major systems in my home should work, and how to look for systems that don't. Her narrative yet explanatory style enables even a clueless person like me to now have a working understanding of how the plumbing, electircal, and heating systems of my house work. This book is a joy to read, and you will thank your stars you did just that. This book will not replace how to manuals for people who are looking to do much home repair... but it will give you the information you need to even understand what you should and should not do yourself. If you buy the book before you have your home inspection, I highly suggest reading the first few chapters beforehand.
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