House & Home

A full-color do-it-yourself guide that walks people step by step through painting and papering projects. Painting & Papering Do-It-Yourself For Dummies gives do-it-yourselfers all the information and advice they need to take on the most common painting more...

Price: $16.99

Whether you want to learn lockpicking or locksmithing, or choose locks that are virtually impossible to defeat, this classic will meet your needs. The top reference in the field since 1976, this book is perfect for everyone from beginners who want to master techniques step by illustrated step, to pros who need an up-to-date, comprehensive shop manual.The Sixth Edition features:•Complete, illustrated coverage from a master locksmith.•Techniques and tips for lockpicking and fixing.•Safe opening and servicing techniques.•Coverage of electronic and high-security mechanical locks.•Auto lock opening and servicing how-tos.•An all-new Registered Locksmith test.•How to conduct a home security survey•How to start and run a locksmithing business, or get hired as a locksmith. more...

Price: $29.95

Low interest rates and affordable housing are sending homebuyers scrambling to find that perfect house. However, numerous traps lie in wait for them that they may not even notice until after the contract is signed. Real estate expert Gary Eldred updates his successful guide, offering readers the nuts-and-bolts of the homebuying process and alerting them to the 106 common mistakes people make during it. Eldred also provides new information on writing a purchase contract and the ins and outs of homebuying Web surfing. On a scale of one to ten, syndicated columnist Robert Bruss rates this book a '10'. more...

Price: $16.95

HOUSEKEEPING 101 Accidental Housewife (n): an individual who manages the household unexpectedly, unintentionally, by default, or by chance, with minimal skills, a glass of wine, and little interest in mastering her/his domain. Once upon a time lived the 1950s housewife who joyfully followed her domestic duties. more...

Price: $9.95

Finding the perfect house is never easy. Rebuilding one from a crumbling pile—to say nothing of making it into a home—is even harder. With their infant son in tow, David Giffels and his wife comb the environs of Akron, Ohio, in search of just the right house for their burgeoning family. Running through David's head the whole time are the lyrics of a Replacements song, ". . . Look me in the eye, then tell me that I'm satisfied," and it gives all the more purpose to their quest. But nothing seems right . . . until they spot a beautiful, decaying Gilded Age mansion. A former rubber industry executive's domain, the once grand residence lacks functional plumbing and electricity, leaks rain like a cartoon shack, and is infested with all manner of wildlife. But for a young man at a coming-of-age crossroads—"suspended between a perpetual youth and an inevitable adulthood"—the challenge is exactly the allure. All the Way Home follows Giffels's funny, poignant, and confounding journey as he and his wife and a colorful collection of helpers turn a money pit into a house that will complete their family. Nothing could prepare them for a home restoration epic that includes evicting squatters (both four- and two-legged), battling an invading wisteria vine, hunting a ghost, and discovering thousands of dollars in hidden Depression-era cash. But the story's heart lies deeper, in an unexpected series of personal hardships that call into question what "home" really means, and what it means to grow up. Written with the humor and insight of Bill Bryson and John Grogan, All the Way Home is the engaging tale of a young father's struggle to restore a house and find his way . . . without losing himself. more...

Price: $19.95