What is the best home renovation guide for DIY Homeowners?

The Renovation 5th Edition: Completely Revised and Updated Review

Introduction

If you are like many homeowners, you have definitely found yourself facing a serious home renovation problem at one point or another. 

And even if you are yet to, just remember the risks are still there. Indeed, home renovations come with their fair share of challenges. You have to worry about how much the renovation procedure will cost, how to source for the right renovations contractor and how to cope in terms of time management during the entire duration of the exercise. 

As an average home owner, these are not challenges you can easily overcome. You need a professional guide on how to make the most of every home renovation exercise, and that is where The Renovation 5th-Edition comes in.

But What Is It?

The Renovation 5th-Edition is a book prepared to take all the hassles of home renovation away from the ordinary homeowner out there. It is a guide that has been meticulously put together to cater to the needs of different home owners. This book offers practical tips that can be applied in an ideal renovation situation. It does not dwell on vague assumptions, neither does it focus on generalities. 

Instead, the author has incorporated realistic tips on how to go about your average home renovation exercise. Most of these tips are inspired by his real-life experience, which lend all the credence to the legitimacy of this book. In a bid to ensure the knowledge shared therein matches the demands and realities of this time and age, the author has consistently revised the Renovation. That explains why we are now on the 5th edition, way up from the first edition that was first prepared some 40 years ago.

About The Author

The author of The Renovation 5th-Edition is one Michael Litchfield. Mr. Litchfield is a certified green-building professional and has been in the business of home renovation for well over 40 years. As such, he brings a wealth of real-life experience into The Renovation 5th-Edition. In terms of home renovation publications, this is not the only work by Michael Litchfield. 

The accomplished author is also credited with 12 other highly-acclaimed books on home renovation and design. He is also the founding-editor of the Fine Homebuilding magazine, as well as the editor with a CNET/Yahoo! Gold-Star home-improvement site. Michael Litchfield admits that even the most accomplished home improvement consultants out there always have something new to learn. 

He admits to having visited various job sites across the US and in the course of his visits, have always learnt something new and useful through the builders on these sites. He attributes this achievement to builders on such sites that according to him, were largely helpful, answering all his queries and even allowing him to take some photographs of them while working.

What Does This Book Promise? 

Practical Tips – As the best DIY renovation training book, The Renovation 5th-Edition contains tried, tested and verified tips on how to renovate your home on your own. You will uncover some renovation tips that the average homeowner may not already know, and learn how to leverage these tips to ensure your home is restored to its former glory with minimal impact to your pockets. 
Though some of the tips highlighted in this 656 pages book may not be so familiar, the good thing is that they are not any difficult to master. This is because the author has gone out of his way to clarify each step, making it easier to be digestible by any homeowner.
There are up to 20 sections on DIY home improvement covered in the book. Some of them include the following;

1. Inspecting a House.

2. Flooring.

3. Tiling.

4. Roofing.

5. Structural Carpentry.

6. Kitchens & Baths.

7. Painting.

8. Plumbing. 

9. Masonry.

10. Exteriors.

Also, the fifth edition has laid special emphasis on the following sections;

I. Planning that includes 2 new-featured renovations.

II. Structural carpentry.

III. Masonry & Foundations.

IV. Electrical Wiring that includes fresh information on E.V chargers.

Realistic Advice – Having taken a keen interest in the home improvement for over 40 years, Michael Litchfield no doubt brings a wealth of resourceful experience into this publication. Within these years, Michael has actively participated in home renovation projects, learning of common challenges and techniques in this domain. 
All this experience has now been condensed into this insightful book, enabling you to understand everything clearly, as though it is narrated from a first-person point of view. The Renovation 5th-Edition is not any other vague publication merely intended to be a money-minting scheme. The tips and techniques discussed herein are inspired by real-life experience of the author himself.

Comprehensive Approach – Another thing you will love about this book is its holistic approach to the whole exercise of home renovation. Every bit of home renovation and remodeling captured herein is explained from the planning to the finishing stage. As a home owner keen on pursuing a DIY home renovation, all you need to do is follow these steps diligently. By the time you are done, the outcome will really be what you envisaged. 
And as we have already pointed out, the steps are easy for any novice to understand. The author believes that since the home improvement niche targets average people, there was no need of stringing too many jargons and niche terms into The Renovation 5th-Edition. Every single word and phrase has been used in the manner it would be understood by the average home owner.

Visual Illustrations – In order to reinforce some of the points, the author has incorporated over 1, 000 photos. These photos were part of the over 45,000 that were taken throughout his experience as a home improvement consultant. 
The photos offer the much-needed illustrations, aside from corroborating the author’s claims of having visited multiple renovation sites. Those with difficulty following certain directions can always take their cues from these embedded photos.

A Compilation Of Many Hands – Though The Renovation 5th-Edition has been put together by one author, it surely isn’t inspired only by his knowledge and experience. Instead, there are hundreds of professional builders that the author borrowed from. This gives the book a more diverse perspective on home improvement matters. 
The builders have shared, not only their experience, but also some of the best practices as well as emerging trends in the home improvement industry. When reading the book, you are likely to find the contribution of more than one builder in nearly every topic. It is these experiences that Michael Litchfield synergized to come up with a publication that offers solutions to most of your home renovation questions. 

Conclusion

The Renovation 5th-Edition is definitely a good buy for anyone that seeks to leverage cutting-edge home renovation techniques. 

It is a wealth of resource for savvy homeowners seeking for affordable and energy-efficient home improvement tips. 

Also of interest: How To Hang Wall Tapestry. Indeed, it is one of the best renovation books you will ever come across.