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House Broken: How I Remodeled My Home for Just Under Three Times the Original Bid
The television actor recounts humorous anecdotes about his experiences remodeling his home
- GenresNonfiction
191 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 16, 2016
Maybe I just don't like celebrity memoirs. Or maybe I just don't read the good ones.
Richard Karn's memoir relates his experience remodeling the house he bought after his rise to stardom, for -- as the title says -- "just under three times the original bid." Since he provides the original bid as just shy of $300,000 (in the mid-90s), we're talking about a lot of money.
If you're looking for home improvement tips, you won't find them here -- Richard is no Al Borland, and his experience involves his dealings with a designer and a contractor, who he's more or less complimentary of. Rather, the book details the pitfalls you're likely to encounter if you undertake a very expensive professional remodel.
The writing just isn't that funny -- honestly, the title (which I took, perhaps wrongly, as written as a sarcastic twist on the title of a book that might be written about saving money) was the most humorous part. Most of the other jokes fall flat, and you only learn a little about Richard Karn himself.
I guess the main positive of this book is that it helps you relate if you're in a similar situation involving a pricey rehab that keeps getting more and more expensive. Cost overruns happen, and even people on TV have some level of cost constraints (even if those cost constraints are, in current dollars, over $1.3 million).
Richard Karn's memoir relates his experience remodeling the house he bought after his rise to stardom, for -- as the title says -- "just under three times the original bid." Since he provides the original bid as just shy of $300,000 (in the mid-90s), we're talking about a lot of money.
If you're looking for home improvement tips, you won't find them here -- Richard is no Al Borland, and his experience involves his dealings with a designer and a contractor, who he's more or less complimentary of. Rather, the book details the pitfalls you're likely to encounter if you undertake a very expensive professional remodel.
The writing just isn't that funny -- honestly, the title (which I took, perhaps wrongly, as written as a sarcastic twist on the title of a book that might be written about saving money) was the most humorous part. Most of the other jokes fall flat, and you only learn a little about Richard Karn himself.
I guess the main positive of this book is that it helps you relate if you're in a similar situation involving a pricey rehab that keeps getting more and more expensive. Cost overruns happen, and even people on TV have some level of cost constraints (even if those cost constraints are, in current dollars, over $1.3 million).
September 14, 2008
I found this book to be hilarious. he writes in a very easy and open style which I really enjoyed. I bought it since we are getting ready to start building our dream home and it really opened my eyes to some of the pitfalls heading our way! Love this guy and loved this book!
September 28, 2011
Sorry Richard Karn, but although I found you to be a humorous sidekick on TV, you just can't write cleverly.
January 8, 2017
quick read but didn't get anything out of it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews