JasonKoivu

I know what you're thinking and you can just stop right there. I am not a virgin. I have had sex...with a person...who was not dead at the time and no payment was exchanged between us.

I did, however, recently buy a house, and after realizing I don't know as much about home repair as I thought I did, I figured it was time to read up. I couldn't have picked a much better book. Since this was published in 1984 it is a little outdated (radiators and land lines, ha!), but that actually worked to my advantage in a couple of cases, because my house was built in 1909, so some of those old fashionedy things (radiators and land lines) still apply.

Hap Hatton (love that name) gives some good advice that is both practical and honest, such as that sometimes you can DIY, sometimes you can not, and sometimes there's gray area and you need to judge when it's best to throw in the towel and call an expert.

The Virgin Homeowners Handbook starts from the very beginning: you've just bought the house, so what information can you get from the previous owner? Then it progresses through the moving-in process and getting settled, suggesting that you check things over, get to know your property, especially with considerations for safety and security. It was the sections on maintenance, repair and a general "how stuff works" area where I benefited the most. Plumbing can be tricky for me, but now I know the purpose of "the trap" and that it needs draining periodically. Electrical work I find downright dangerous, but thanks to Hatton's book I now know the important difference between a 115v 15-amp outlet and a 230v 20-amp outlet. I can't recommend this, or this sort of book, enough for the new homeowner.

I am not a virgin.