Have you seen (within the last decade) these pictures from a home design magazine? Traditional Asian (Japanese?) style - high ceilings with dark beams, large open spaces, tatami mats and paper screens, and very little else.
[more inside]
posted by attercoppe
on Nov 25, 2012 -
4 answers
How do mortgage lenders take into account student loans when calculating whether and how much to lend? Special details inside...
[more inside]
posted by percor
on Nov 20, 2012 -
6 answers
Post-Sandy, we are thinking it would be good to have an old-fashioned landline for future outages. We currently have FIOS phone, cable and internet. When we lost power, after the second day we had no home phone I guess because the battery backup died.
So is there such a thing as old-fashioned landline service anymore? And who can I call to get this service from? In central NJ?
posted by mmf
on Nov 8, 2012 -
20 answers
I'm a Sandy refugee, living with friends until my power's restored (latest estimate: 11/9). There's got to be a way to remotely detect that - to sniff for current in an AC plug, or detect light from a bulb or the reestablishment of my WiFi network....and then use the WiFi to let me know. The tech would be trivial. Does anything like that (aside from $$$ home monitoring set-ups) exist? Or could I rig one up?
posted by Quisp Lover
on Nov 2, 2012 -
25 answers
What's the best way to find help for baby watching / around the house (for a couple of hours) for a mom with a infant?
[more inside]
posted by wongcorgi
on Nov 2, 2012 -
21 answers
I'm moving into a new place! Hooray! But it harbors the scent of the last tenant. Boo. How do I fix this?
[more inside]
posted by mochapickle
on Oct 26, 2012 -
30 answers
Can you suggest a great buyer's agent in Tampa? Mr. Doodley and I are looking to move to the Central/North Tampa area (roughly from South Seminole Heights up to North Lowry Park/Manor Hills neighborhoods).
[more inside]
posted by toodleydoodley
on Oct 21, 2012 -
0 answers
Are there corners to cut that we should be cutting? What tasks do you skip, consciously or not, as a family? Washing dishes? Putting laundry away? IS THERE SOMETHING WE SHOULD NOT BE DOING?
[more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama
on Oct 17, 2012 -
84 answers
I'm planning to have an in-ground pool installed in my backyard. Which would be better: a chlorine system or a salt water system?
[more inside]
posted by starkraven
on Oct 3, 2012 -
16 answers
Now that my kids are getting older and wanting to use more stuff online from a wider range of devices, what can I do to keep an eye on what they're doing?
[more inside]
posted by singingfish
on Sep 20, 2012 -
7 answers
Can you please offer insight into my projector system? I have questions with regards to projectors, screens, and installation.
[more inside]
posted by masters2010
on Sep 19, 2012 -
7 answers
My feet are so itchy I could punch someone. What bugs in my house could be biting me?
[more inside]
posted by mnemonic
on Sep 18, 2012 -
23 answers
I am allergic to something in my home. The symptoms only show up while I'm at home. I don't know what it could be. Is there something or someone that can figure out for me?
[more inside]
posted by bosco_costanza
on Sep 15, 2012 -
16 answers
What's a reasonable price range for a basic in-ground swimming pool (rectangularly shaped, 3-5ft deep, chlorine or salt water)?
posted by starkraven
on Sep 14, 2012 -
5 answers
Just how bad is this water damage a roofing contractor caused to my house? And what should I do about it?
[more inside]
posted by BlueJae
on Sep 8, 2012 -
4 answers
Are there any other people here who work from home? Care to share some anecdotes or tell us about any rituals you use to keep you motivated?
[more inside]
posted by rougy
on Sep 7, 2012 -
30 answers
what value is to be placed on a nice view from a home? I have the opportunity to move to a new flat with very impressive direct sea views, for a 40% increase in rent. I’m just having trouble quantifying the view.
The flat is below market rate probably, and I can afford it, that’s not a problem, I feel it is a very superficial thing to spend money on. But I’m not spending on anything else. If I had kids, I feel that I wouldn’t be that bothered at all about having the view .
I am a male, 33, single.
I look out the window, and sure it’s nice, but does it improve my life, in any real sense? I am not really sure.
If it wasn't for this view, I'd probably move to a more interesting and cuturally diverse part of town. Which has different kinds of urban views.
Views?
posted by molloy
on Sep 6, 2012 -
26 answers
We are thinking of painting/residing our house but are lacking in design sense! We think we want a BIG change, but do not know where to start in improving our curb appeal. We would like to hire someone to help with the house design but do not know where to start. Can you point me in the right general direction on the type of person to hire for this sort of thing? General info is welcome, we live near Pittsburgh,PA if you know specifics.
posted by rvrlvr
on Aug 25, 2012 -
4 answers
Kind of a two-part question: 1) Looking for affordable, secure, climate controlled storage units north of Kansas City, and 2) dealing with the illogical sense of feeling abandoned by my parents as they talk about being unable to store my stuff in the future. (Sorry, a bit long inside)
[more inside]
posted by DisreputableDog
on Aug 12, 2012 -
20 answers
DIY Home Security: where to start? I'm investigating all the myriad options for hardware and monitoring services, and I am overwhelmed.
[more inside]
posted by medarby
on Aug 8, 2012 -
2 answers
I have to replace a rotted out bathroom window by the shower, but I'm pretty confident that there's a bad mold problem in the shower wall beneath the window. Who should the first call be made to to resolve this?
[more inside]
posted by Slack-a-gogo
on Aug 7, 2012 -
5 answers
Can you give me your best tips, tricks, and general guidance for being a stay-at-home mom of an older baby? As of next week I will be caring for our 8 month old by myself full time, and I'm scared!
[more inside]
posted by crabintheocean
on Aug 1, 2012 -
14 answers
Married, and have some savings. Does it make sense buying a condo just for giving it out as rental? Caveat - I may have to sell it off in about 3-4 years though so I'm wondering whether it'll all be worth it.
[more inside]
posted by bbyboi
on Jul 31, 2012 -
12 answers
I'm about to come into a large sum of money (in the $300-$500k range). I've never had a large sum of money. Looking for advice on what to do next.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jul 30, 2012 -
32 answers
What types of jobs or careers would let me live in the US but travel internationally every couple of months?
[more inside]
posted by inatizzy
on Jul 27, 2012 -
21 answers
Is it possible to purchase a home with an FHA loan, rehabilitate it, and then rent it out? Also - what's it like to make an independent entry into the rental home market?
[more inside]
posted by speedgraphic
on Jul 23, 2012 -
14 answers
So I'd like to know if homes built in the USA in 1958 commonly had wood floors and it is possible this owner added the carpet later. If true we'd have hope that the wood below has possibility for restoration.
[more inside]
posted by usermac
on Jul 20, 2012 -
21 answers
Please help me decide between two couches: a chaise sectional, and a two-piece sectional!
[more inside]
posted by AceRock
on Jul 19, 2012 -
17 answers
