wrecking bars and rat shit

on renovating your life

When you look for a house, what’s most important to you?

Some would say that the only important factor is location.

Others would say that they care about location.

For still more, the primary concern is also, you guessed it, location.

Telling terrible jokes in obtuse ways aside, I tend to try to find the worst house on the best street.

That’s the house that is ugly, out of date and likely smells like a combination of cat piss and cigars. It probably needs new windows, a new kitchen and a new bathroom. Twenty five years ago someone who owned it likely covered the entire back yard with ashphalt.

I loves me a fixer-upper.

But even with a fixer-upper I have one demand.

The place needs good bones.

The wiring must be decent. The plumbing has to work at the top of its game. And the HVAC needs to be solid, reliable, over powered and up to the tasks demanded.

When I look at the renovations that I’ve worked on and contracted the trades for, I’m filled with pride. It’s a joy to watch the value of your…