Book review of Cheap Old Houses by Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein

Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein launched the @cheapoldhouses Instagram account in 2016, delighting followers with the boundless prospects of beginning over with a contemporary—albeit dusty—slate. Even for those who don’t dream of rescuing a fixer-upper, the notion is endlessly enchanting and story-rich, which is why “Cheap Old Houses” is yet one more profitable HGTV sequence. For these of us who’d fairly learn than stream or scroll, enter its guide kind: Cheap Old Houses: An Unconventional Guide to Loving and Restoring a Forgotten Home, during which architecturally sound buildings priced beneath $150K are restored to livability. The Finkelsteins word that the patrons have “discovered astonishing purpose by devoting attention to a home that needs love,” a path to achievement I can completely get behind, regardless of my whole lack of carpentry expertise. There are how-tos sprinkled inside (“Painted Woodwork: To Strip or Not to Strip?”) however the focus is on the wonderful tales and photos of a variety of previous buildings—from mansions to farmhouses to cabins, and even a hydropower station—and the individuals who gave them new life. The particulars and options which have survived in extremely dilapidated constructions are awe-inspiring but in addition instructional: If you’ve puzzled simply what plaster-and-lath is, now you’ll know.