When you’re trying to learn something about home renovation and repairs, books are often the place to start. The only trouble with that is most often they create more questions than they answer.

I have dozens of books and countless magazines about home improvement. Most are pretty straight forward “How To” and some even specialize in one area or another, like tile, bathrooms and so on. I can say that I really haven’t come across any that I truly don’t believe or flat out disagree with. But I know what I’m reading.

What about the people that have never looked into this stuff before? It can be info overload for anyone trying to get some solid advice on where to begin. I use the magazines for fresh ideas and to keep up on new trends. If anyone asks me about something I should at least have some idea of what they are talking about.

The photos help a lot with forming a plan around something you haven’t bumped into before or even a fresh approach to the same old sixty square foot bathroom. Books on tile work can help show you how it’s done but they don’t know what kind of bathroom you have. Only you know what kind of sub-floor you have or what type of tile you want.

If you are or want to be a true do-it-yourself-er then you have to get your hands dirty. Magazines can give you something to strive for when it comes to design but the work is all yours. You just need a starting point. Like fishing, I guess. You can read all about it but you’re not a fisherman until you catch the first fish.

Keep your eye on the plan. A big part of any home improvement plan is educating yourself about what you want to do. Books can be a big part of that. They can’t do the work but if they keep you asking questions you will learn about your project like it or not.

The pictures can give you an idea of what you should expect when it’s all over. But it’s still you, your work and your chance at glory. One of the last books I bought was about buying an old house to renovate and make a fortune. Boy, is that a lot to take in. I do this stuff all the time and even with all my tools and experience it is very difficult to make any money.

I think that you stand a better chance just buying a house and let time and rising home prices do the rest. I know that people all over the television are flipping houses every weekend and making loads of cash but they are few and far between. We helped a fellow do it one time. The cost of the renovation would have brought the house up to normal. By normal I mean able to sell at a normal price, not a depressed price because of the poor shape it was in. Through all the delays and suspending the job for months because he ran out of cash, the real-estate market went crazy and he made a bundle of cash.

He thought it was easy because it looked like anyone with half a brain could fix up a fixer-upper and cash in. He was fooled by the how-to books, and the simple fact is he headed into the venture without any real renovation experience. Almost immediately he wanted to start another flip with all the cash he had in his pocket. After a short talk about capital gains taxes it all came to a screeching halt.

Home improvement is just that, improving your home, making it better for you and your family. Changing things so the house fits better is the number one reason to start home renos for almost everyone. Repairs are just that, repairs, fixing something that we broke or neglected. If the repair turns out to be better than the original then we improved it.

I think the books on home improvement are just another tool. I am still the guy swinging the hammer. Now tool catalogs I place high on the shelf so no one can tamper with them. These books have some real value.