Product Description

Better Houses, Better Living helps home owners and home buyers by explaining the basics of home design and building from a user's perspective. Ferguson clearly and succinctly details what makes a house "user-friendly" and a better place to live by focusing on practicality instead of just feeling and looks. The book includes over 500 graphics including 462 photographs that clearly show each element that is discussed. There are also 142 Internet Resources where people can go for more information. A referenced website has hot-links to these Internet Resource listings making them easier to access. And there are 8 Supplements which will be a real bonus to the reader, offering scads of additional information.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #586860 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 337 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780965485616
• Condition: USED - LIKE NEW
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
Book helps home buyers avoid some common problems. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 20, 2004

Ferguson delivers schooled advice on things to look for when buying a home, and things to avoid when remodeling. -- Seattle, WA Times/PI November 28, 2004

He addresses both materials and function, which can be very helpful for people window-shopping before they build or remodel. -- BackHome Magazine Jan/Feb 2005

Know what you're buying into. Book helps prospective buyers find design flaws when house-hunting. -- Altoona, PA Mirror, November 13, 2004

The point of his book "is to get you to notice flaws before you make a commitment." -- Biloxi, MS The Sun Herald, November 20, 2004

About the Author
Myron Ferguson has spent 14 years gathering the information you find here. He has looked at over 2800 homes nationwide and has seen it all, good and bad. A retired engineer, author-publisher and a firm believer that people can and should have better houses, he shares his observations with his readers. He is grateful that tens of thousands of homes are better places to live because people read his first book Build It Right!

Customer Reviews

Better Houses, Better Living
"Better Houses, Better Living" isn't just one more book on what to look for when buying, building or remodeling- it is THE book to have. I haven't found a book this chock full of practical, down to earth, actually useful information in years. While other books address aesthetics and other issues, "Better Houses, Better Lviing" gets right to work from the first page.
Additionally, it is highly readable book, not written as if talking to a contractor but in language that is easy to understand and the information is easy to grasp. This is a must for anyone hunting for a new home or planning a new one. It will insure that the move they make won't just be a lateral move, but a better move, a move up and they will end up with a home that works for them. My copy won't spend much time in my home - there are way too many people whose hands I need to put it in.

A solidly useful and highly recommended resource

Written by a homeuser and retired engineer who spent 14 years researching and presenting his home-buying wisdom, Better Houses, Better Living: What To Look For When Buying, Building, Or Remodeling is a solid advice guide to getting the best possible home for one's hard-earned income. 462 black-and-white photographs, 140 references to Internet sites that further detail subjects fleshed out in the book add an extra touch to the core information and tips, which cover such topics as options for wiring a home in the 21st century, kitchen exhaust systems that work (and those that don't), the importance of the locations and types of doors, the pros and cons of various countertops available for kitchen and bath, and much more. Better Houses, Better Living emphasizes practical and functional needs - discussions of aesthetics, or how a home looks and feels, are left to other advice guides. A solidly useful and highly recommended resource, enthusiastically recommended for home buyers and home owners - when applied to the expenses of one's home, the insights gleaned here literally pay for themselves.

Better Houses, Better Living
I am having a house custom built this summer and this book is excellent. The author knows his stuff and provides a lot of useful info. Well worth the $$.