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Open House
Inspect Your House; Choose the Right Contractor; Bathroom Redo on a Budget
Aired March 26, 2005 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HARRIS: Time to check in with Ken and Daria Dolan in New York City for a preview of "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at the top of the hour.
Good morning, you two.
KEN DOLAN, HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, Tony.
DARIA DOLAN, HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, Tony.
KEN DOLAN: We will do our very best to match the importance of the Brad-Jennifer story. We're going to start off with you guys, we're going to pick up where you and Betty leave off, Tony. We go to Pinellas Park to talk to Bob Franken about the latest in the Schiavo case. We'll also talk to a bioethicist, and I'm going to ask a question of him that has not been asked before, of the millions of questions that have been asked in this mess.
DARIA DOLAN: And we're also going to take you along with "Consumer Reports" to the New York Auto Show to talk about the best and worst of the cars and what Americans are buying. Why aren't we buying cars made in America?
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KEN DOLAN: Some of them are junk, that's why.
DARIA DOLAN: Well, could be.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: Yikes.
HARRIS: All right, we'll see you both at the top of the hour.
KEN DOLAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Tony, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: Take care.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: That's it for us. Thanks for joining us this Saturday morning.
NGUYEN: Stay with us. There's much more to come, including these stories now in the news.
The vigil continues in Florida, where a circuit court judge will rule by noon on the latest request to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. Now, the judge is also being asked to allow intraveneous fluid for Schiavo through the Easter weekend, until her responsiveness can be assessed.
And a car bomb has exploded in southwestern Baghdad, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding two others. Military officials report a U.S. Marine was also killed in action yesterday in the Al Anbar Province, which is west of Baghdad. The American death toll in the Iraq war has reached 1,527.
I'm Betty Nguyen. "OPEN HOUSE" starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: Today on OPEN HOUSE, sure, your house looks good, but what's really going on inside the walls and under the floorboards? Learn how to inspect your home room by room.
Then, avoiding your own contractor nightmare. Tips on hiring the right contractor and managing the project from start to finish.
And our weekend project, trash that old toilet. We'll upgrade your bathroom on a budget, next, on OPEN HOUSE.
GERRI WILLIS, HOST: Hello, and welcome to CNN OPEN HOUSE. I'm Gerri Willis.
From buying and selling to renovation and design, we show you how to make the most of your biggest investment, your home.
It's tax season, and if you're a homeowner, you've got some big deductions coming. In fact, April 15 is when your investment really pays off.
Our Allan Chernoff takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tax time is payback time for those of us paying big property taxes on top of paying off the mortgage. Both property taxes and mortgage interest are deductible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are big numbers for your average homeowner. They'll make the difference for a lot of people between itemizing deductions versus taking the standard deduction.
CHERNOFF: That makes it worthwhile for many homeowners to itemize rather than taking the standard deduction on their taxes.
There are more deductions defined from your home. Did you pay a fee known as points to the bank when you took out your mortgage? That's also deductible, as are points for a home improvement loan.
EVAN SNAPPER, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT: It's an acquisition points on the purchase of a residence. Those are fully deductible in the year you buy your house.
CHERNOFF: And if you refinance, the fees are deductible over the life of the loan.
SNAPPER: Let's say you did a 15-year refinancing and you paid $1,500 in points. You get to deduct $100 a year for 15 years.
CHERNOFF: Victim of a natural disaster last year, or a robbery? Casualty losses not covered by insurance are deductible, though the amount has to top 10 percent of your adjusted gross income.
If you moved last year for a new job at least 50 miles away, that too is deductible, if you paid from your own pocket.
(on camera): It's a lot to remember, but you don't have to, even if you do your own taxes. That's because tax software makes it easy. The programs interview you to capture all of your real estate deductions. Finding the deductions hidden inside of your home will minimize your tax bill and perhaps even generate a nice juicy refund.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: When you are thinking of buying a home, you automatically have an inspector check the place out. But often, once you are in your home, you don't notice the little things that could signal bigger problems down the road.
I tagged along with home inspector Joe Farsetta to see just how homeowners can keep a watchful eye on their house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: So, Joe, this is a great-looking house, but you say there are problems with this beauty.
JOE FARSETTA, CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTOR: Yes, it's true. We found some problems. We were bound to find them. Every house has defects.
WILLIS: Well, let's check it out.
FARSETTA: OK.
WILLIS (voice-over): Watch out for foggy windows and doors. You may think they're just dirty or maybe blurry from cold temperatures. But the fog could be covering up a much bigger problem.
FARSETTA: It is a beautiful door. But it does have a problem. This is a thermal pane piece of glass, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) glass, and it's lost its thermal integrity. It has no vapor seal anymore.
WILLIS (on camera): So what does that mean?
FARSETTA: It's not performing any insulation. It's -- there's actually air passing between the panes of glass. And what you are seeing is the result of condensation.
WILLIS: Oh, that's not good.
FARSETTA: No.
WILLIS: That means that I'm spending a lot of money for heating and not getting the benefit of it.
FARSETTA: Exactly.
WILLIS (voice-over): Though you may not want to climb up there yourself, checking the roof for damage is vital, especially in older homes, where problems are more common.
Come springtime, we all expect the snow to melt away, but ice damming can prevent melting and create moisture in the walls. The fix?
FARSETTA: To get rid of that ice-damming problem, they can put an ice shield up and they can actually put heating elements up to help with that frost cycle.
WILLIS: Next stop, the boiler room.
FARSETTA: The boiler is the original unit installed when the home was constructed.
WILLIS (on camera): How long ago was that?
FARSETTA: That would be the early '70s. It's clearly over 25 years old, and it is beyond its serviceable life.
WILLIS: What does that mean?
FARSETTA: Means I can't tell you if it's going to last 15 minutes or another 15 years. It's just too difficult to tell.
WILLIS (voice-over): Servicing the boiler will cost a few hundred dollars. And in older homes with original boilers, it's a necessity.
Another major concern for homeowners, creepy-crawly critters.
FARSETTA: We're looking for any unfinished space that we could find in the house. And in this house, this is it. So we did enter the crawl space. And we probed the wood. It is where the raw wooden elements sit on top of the foundation. And it's the most likely location where you would see termite activity.
WILLIS: Unfinished rooms like basements or garages are often the best places to discover hidden problems.
(on camera): So I noticed this big stain on the wall. Looks like there was a leak there. But you say that may be the least of the problems. FARSETTA: Exactly. The sheetrock is damaged, and there's no longer any fire integrity between this garage and the adjacent living space.
WILLIS: What does that mean?
FARSETTA: Actually the walls are supposed to be rated for 45 minute burn-through, meaning, if there's a fire in here, it would take 45 minutes for it to burn through to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: But there's a hole now, obviously, so...
FARSETTA: Exactly. So my (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: ... that would be a big problem.
FARSETTA: Exactly. My recommendation is going to be for them to cut the damaged material away and put in fire-rated sheetrock to restore the fire endurance rating.
WILLIS: So if there's a fire in here, you don't have a problem.
(voice-over): Another trick, check out secret spaces where there's been no cosmetic work.
FARSETTA: Most people, when they paint houses, especially if they're painting them in a hurry, they neglect to paint the ceilings of the closets. So I go into the bedrooms with a flashlight. And I'm not really being nosy, I'm actually looking at the ceilings. And if that roof is leaking or had leaked, there's a good chance I might see a stain on that ceiling. So that's a good place to look.
WILLIS (on camera): That's a great idea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: That's a lot to think about, but experts say you need to checklist each and every season to make sure that nothing's going wrong.
Now that spring is upon us, here are a few suggestions. Check your roof for loose or cracked shingles. Inspect your driveway for frost damage. And check the condition of your fence and retaining walls, looking for cracks or other structural damage.
Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, you trust them with your money and the plans for your dream home. We'll show you how to avoid contractor nightmares and hire the right person for the job.
And our weekend project, bring new life to an old bathroom, from the sink to the shower.
But first, your tip of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: Maintain the condition of your home by keeping moisture out. It's the number-one source of damage to homes, causing problems like cracked paint and mold.
Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent by using ventilators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.
Check for leaks in the basement on a regular basis, especially after rainstorms.
Use exhaust fans or open the windows when cooking or washing dishes.
Fix leaky faucets and pipes as soon as find them.
Clean and dry out wet or damp areas within 48 hours.
And always keep your home well ventilated.
That's your tip of the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: Welcome back.
It's a contractor's job to take your ideas and turn them into reality. You are trusting them with your dreams and your cash. You've probably heard contractor nightmare stories, shoddy and incomplete work, missed deadlines, wasted money.
That's what one New Jersey couple experienced.
J.J. Ramberg has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeff and Liz Christian are suing their contractor, claiming he turned their dream home into a nightmare, a year behind schedule and more than $120,000 over budget.
JEFF CHRISTIAN, HOMEOWNER: He claimed to have ordered materials, you know, tens of thousands of dollars' worth of materials. Never ordered. Out-and-out lies.
LIZ CHRISTIAN, HOMEOWNER: We didn't have our tile floors, you know, the wood floors, he didn't have any of the windows on the third floor. The siding was done improperly. No air conditioning units, no heaters. He said that they were all ordered.
RAMBERG: And, they say, the work that was done on this 3,600- square-foot home was done poorly.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: You know, the heating and air conditioning system was totally deficient, would never have operated. In fact, he ran ductwork that went nowhere. It was just for show.
RAMBERG: They're also liable to the subcontractors, who the contractor never paid.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: Now we have the subcontractors coming out of the woodwork, no pun intended. For example, the guy that did the sheetrock is owed $15,000. The mason is owed money. The plumber is owed money. The painter wasn't paid.
RAMBERG (on camera): The list of complaints goes on and on. But Jeff and Liz admit they're also partly to blame. They didn't stay on top of the work schedule, they didn't visit the house often to see the progress, and they didn't check the contractor's references.
(voice-over): Had they done so, they would have found out that he's not a member of the National Association of Home Builders, as his business card states.
The contractor declined to speak with CNN.
As for Jeff and Liz, they could have cut down their risk. They say they let the contractor talk them into a home equity loan rather than a construction loan. With construction loans, banks make inspections. And they kept doling out cash.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: We continued to make payments that we shouldn't have made, again, because there was this either implicit or explicit threat that work wouldn't continue if they didn't -- if there wasn't additional payment made. So that was, you know, that, frankly, was really stupid.
RAMBERG: Their biggest mistake?
JEFF CHRISTIAN: Not listening to our gut. You know, there was a point at which our -- both of our guts said, this guy's wrong.
RAMBERG: Their new contractor agrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, there's -- you know, you go to a shower, and there's, you know, there's no drain. There's no drain.
RAMBERG: Maybe soon there'll be a real cause for celebration.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: At this point, we're about two months from completion and being able to have a really big party here.
RAMBERG: For OPEN HOUSE, J.J. Ramberg, CNN, Belmar, New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: Now, that's a nightmare.
But don't worry, there are ways to avoid your own contractor nightmare.
Here to help, the author of "What the Experts May Not Tell You About Building or Renovating Your Home, Amy Johnston, also of the Dream House Institute.
Amy, welcome.
AMY JOHNSTON, DREAMHOUSEINSTITUTE.COM: Thank you. Nice to be here.
WILLIS: You know, you've just got to hire the first (UNINTELLIGIBLE) person, right person in the first place. And you say it starts with getting a pool of names to choose from. Where do you get those names?
JOHNSTON: Well, those of you can get very casually from friends, neighbors, suppliers, the Yellow Pages. But don't stop there.
WILLIS: Well, absolutely. You say you've got to check them out. Almost like a first date and initial interview. What do you do?
JOHNSTON: Well, after you create the pool, and you make sure that they're are apples and apples, you don't have, like, a big commercial contractor and some guy that's only, you know, built bookcases, you want everybody to be familiar with your kind of project. Then in the interview process, and with references as well, you ask very specific questions.
WILLIS: Like what?
JOHNSTON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), well, I list them all in my book in detail. But, for instance, with contractors, I like to ask about their crews. Do you have your own crew? A lot of contractors don't, and there's no way of finding that out without a direct question. A contractor that has his own crew, people that have been with him for five years, speaks very well for them. Means they pay their bills and they work well with others.
WILLIS: Well, you definitely want to get that.
One of the things you say that's interesting is that you want to get the references, but you don't want to just go to the ones they send you to. How do you find people at jobs, other jobs they have done?
JOHNSTON: They'll give you a list of references, many of whom will just simply say, Great, to whatever question you ask. How was your project? Great? How is he? Great.
WILLIS: Oh, that's terrible.
JOHNSTON: It is. And everybody has flaws. And even if you're going to choose them, it's nice to know what you're really working with. So I like to ask those people that are on that list who else -- what other projects was this contractor on when he was working on yours? If you hear a name you don't see on that list, it's fair game to call. And find out, you know, how a project went that wasn't quite perfect.
WILLIS: Then you can get the real deal. Your real control here, though, are the purse strings, when you dole out the money. That can really determine how the job goes. When do you start paying? Is it on day one, before day one?
JOHNSTON: No, I, a lot of contractors request money up front. I have never, ever paid a dime up front. Contractors of any merit have credit with suppliers, and they also have credit at their bank.
WILLIS: You can get away with that? It seems to me they'd want something to get started, right?
JOHNSTON: Not the industry standard.
WILLIS: OK.
JOHNSTON: If they're solvent, they should carry the cost for the initial phase of payment. The first payment you give will be substantial, because they'll be what we call shopping the job, bringing in all the materials. If for some reason you decide that, you know, it's your cousin or something, and you're going to help them out with this initial payment, you pay the supplier directly. Do not give -- don't ever give money for materials not installed or work not done.
WILLIS: OK.
JOHNSTON: If you live by that rule, it will save you a lot of heartache.
WILLIS: Then how do you dole it out? When are the big landmarks on the job that you're actually putting money down?
JOHNSTON: You can ask for a payment schedule, which is always requested if there is bank funding involved. And if there's not, it's still very helpful. It's a tool that contractors are used to giving people. And it's a very simple tool for owners to use.
There are only three things on a payment schedule, a list of dates at the top when the anticipated payments are going to be requested, what those dollar amounts will be through the course of the project, and the milestones that will be reached for each of those payments.
So if someone comes to you, and they give you a bill, you can compare that bill to the work that should have been completed.
It's a really great tool for owners.
WILLIS: Makes a lot of sense. I know contractors complain about their clients sometimes, and they say, you know, The wife, the husband, they were telling us two different things. They never agreed. It created big problems. How can you get on the same page with your spouse?
JOHNSTON: Speak with one voice, even if you're not of one mind. Keep your -- do not be divided as a couple. Take the issues home if you don't agree. Don't start bickering at the table. Chaos is valuable -- I mean, chaos is expensive, and it will cost you money.
So you want to be a united front and speak with one voice and give clear directives to the contractor even as a couple.
WILLIS: So (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you are speaking with one voice. You're giving them all the details that they need. You know, you almost have to live with these people, though. How do you do that?
JOHNSTON: Well, you know, a renovation is probably what you are referring to, when they're actually in your home. You know, you want to act like a professional, for one thing. You are not hiring your best friend. They may be your be your best friend by the end. But it's the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: We hope.
JOHNSTON: Good relations on a construction project are only always the byproduct of a good project. But most people start out, when they meet a guy that they like and they trust, and he's as enthusiastic as they are, he's hired. They need to stop, do their (UNINTELLIGIBLE), their legwork, step back, and keep their head down, do the interview, do the references, check them out. And when they hear good things consistently, they can go forward.
WILLIS: Amy Johnston, great advice. Thanks so much.
JOHNSTON: Thank you.
WILLIS: Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, our weekend project, plumbing made easy. We're sprucing up your tired bathroom with new fixtures. Make it your weekend project, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: Welcome back to OPEN HOUSE and weekend project, where we take on a do-it-yourself job that you can finish in just two days.
We're in Scarsdale, New York, at the home of Ralph and Christine Kamulotta (ph), and we are taking on plumbing fixtures with Tom Criteler (ph) from the "Money Pit" radio show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Tom, welcome.
TOM CRITELER, "MONEY PIT": Thank you.
WILLIS: It's great to have you here.
What are we going to do?
CRITELER: Well, we're going to tackle these plumbing fixtures today. We're going to put in this sink. This is from American Standard. It's for the retrospect. Isn't it beautiful?
WILLIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). CRITELER: It's perfect for this house, which was built in the '30s. And we're going to pair it with a Moen faucet.
WILLIS: Nice.
CRITELER: And we're also going to put in a toilet from their Oakmont collection that has a unique flushing system called the Champion. It's virtually clog-proof and one of my favorites. We're going to put this little showerhead in.
WILLIS: Oh, that is extra-special.
You know, the nice thing about upgrading your bathroom is, you really get bang for your buck. When you go to resell that house, you'll get up to 80 percent of the value that you invested right back out from the people you sell it to.
CRITELER: Exactly. And these are jobs that are not that hard to do, when you just switch out one fixture for another, and you can definitely do it in a weekend.
WILLIS: Excellent, Tom. Let's get started.
CRITELER: All right, let's do it.
WILLIS (voice-over): Before the new fixtures can be put in, the old ones have to come out. First, turn the water off at the toilet stop and drain the tank. Now you're ready for removal.
CRITELER: The way a toilet is installed, it's actually not installed nearly as securely as you might think. Right down around the bottom, you see it's caulked in place. Let's pull this cover over. You have some screws there, OK?
What we're going to want to do is cut this caulk line to make it easy for us. So grab that knife and cut that. And then we're going to loosen up those hold-down bolts and pull those off. Once that's done, with any luck, it'll come right up.
WILLIS (on camera): OK, got it.
(voice-over): Next, take out the sink.
CRITELER: We want to turn the water supply valves off and loosen those hoses and pull them out.
WILLIS: For the Kamulottas, a new sink wasn't just about style, it was about safety.
RALPH KAMULOTTA, HOMEOWNER: The older sink had hot water on one side and cold on the other. So we have a small child, and we don't want anyone getting burned using the hot water. So we needed to replace that sink.
WILLIS: With proper instruction, replacing a toilet is a do-it- yourself project, but we got some expert advice from plumber Rob Brennick (ph).
ROB BRENNICK, PLUMBER: The first thing we do is, we make sure you put some cardboard on the floor so you don't damage it. Then what we're doing is, we're going to flip the toilet upside down, so we can install the wax seal.
WILLIS (on camera): Here's the wax seal.
BRENNICK: Thank you.
WILLIS: And you just smash on...
BRENNICK: You press down, you press that down in place to get a good seal.
WILLIS (voice-over): After the wax ring is placed down, line up the closet bolts with the bowl and set it down gently. Next, line up the flushing valve to the opening in the top of the toilet bowl and add the tank to bowl gaskets.
BRENNICK: Here we just have to connect the water supply, and then we'll put the tank cover on, and the toilet seat, and we're done.
WILLIS (on camera): And we're done.
BRENNICK: That's it.
WILLIS: That's great.
(voice-over): Time to set the sink.
BRENNICK: All you have to do is read the directions that come with it. You dress it all up. You can use the flexible (UNINTELLIGIBLE) supplies. The trap is adjustable. And, yes, this is definitely a homeowner project.
CRITELER: Right, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) lines right down here that you're talking about. So these are flexible. This is what connects to the water supply. So you really don't have to hit it exactly right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) even if you're within an inch or two, you can do it.
BRENNICK: Yes, exactly.
Hook these up. Hook the drain up. Turn the water on. We should be good to go.
WILLIS: Now that the toilet and sink are done, it's time to hit the shower.
CRITELER: Here, we're going to put this showerhead on. And I want to show you a little trick here. This is Teflon tape. You can't just screw that right on the spout there, because it will leak. So you take this Teflon tape or sometimes it's called plumber's tape. You basically just wrap it around here, once or twice, just like that, so it doesn't leak. And then we finish it up with the wrench. You notice there's little flats here on this. And you just grab it right where the flats are.
WILLIS (on camera): The new bathroom fixtures are in place.
Tom, they look great. You've got to be happy with this one.
CRITELER: I'm very happy. What a dramatic difference we made in this bathroom with those fixtures.
WILLIS: What do people typically not get right when they're doing this the first time?
BRENNICK: Make sure you know where your main water valve is before you start that job.
WILLIS: Tom, great advice, as always. Thank you.
BRENNICK: You are welcome.
WILLIS (voice-over): The new plumbing inspired the Kamulottas to spruce up the rest of the bathroom with new floors and new paint.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Much better. The full bathroom makeover cost less than $1,500.
Coming up, a look at next week's OPEN HOUSE.
But first, the "Mortgage Snapshot."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 26, 2005 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HARRIS: Time to check in with Ken and Daria Dolan in New York City for a preview of "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at the top of the hour.
Good morning, you two.
KEN DOLAN, HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, Tony.
DARIA DOLAN, HOST, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, Tony.
KEN DOLAN: We will do our very best to match the importance of the Brad-Jennifer story. We're going to start off with you guys, we're going to pick up where you and Betty leave off, Tony. We go to Pinellas Park to talk to Bob Franken about the latest in the Schiavo case. We'll also talk to a bioethicist, and I'm going to ask a question of him that has not been asked before, of the millions of questions that have been asked in this mess.
DARIA DOLAN: And we're also going to take you along with "Consumer Reports" to the New York Auto Show to talk about the best and worst of the cars and what Americans are buying. Why aren't we buying cars made in America?
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KEN DOLAN: Some of them are junk, that's why.
DARIA DOLAN: Well, could be.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: Yikes.
HARRIS: All right, we'll see you both at the top of the hour.
KEN DOLAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Tony, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: Take care.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: That's it for us. Thanks for joining us this Saturday morning.
NGUYEN: Stay with us. There's much more to come, including these stories now in the news.
The vigil continues in Florida, where a circuit court judge will rule by noon on the latest request to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. Now, the judge is also being asked to allow intraveneous fluid for Schiavo through the Easter weekend, until her responsiveness can be assessed.
And a car bomb has exploded in southwestern Baghdad, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding two others. Military officials report a U.S. Marine was also killed in action yesterday in the Al Anbar Province, which is west of Baghdad. The American death toll in the Iraq war has reached 1,527.
I'm Betty Nguyen. "OPEN HOUSE" starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: Today on OPEN HOUSE, sure, your house looks good, but what's really going on inside the walls and under the floorboards? Learn how to inspect your home room by room.
Then, avoiding your own contractor nightmare. Tips on hiring the right contractor and managing the project from start to finish.
And our weekend project, trash that old toilet. We'll upgrade your bathroom on a budget, next, on OPEN HOUSE.
GERRI WILLIS, HOST: Hello, and welcome to CNN OPEN HOUSE. I'm Gerri Willis.
From buying and selling to renovation and design, we show you how to make the most of your biggest investment, your home.
It's tax season, and if you're a homeowner, you've got some big deductions coming. In fact, April 15 is when your investment really pays off.
Our Allan Chernoff takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tax time is payback time for those of us paying big property taxes on top of paying off the mortgage. Both property taxes and mortgage interest are deductible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are big numbers for your average homeowner. They'll make the difference for a lot of people between itemizing deductions versus taking the standard deduction.
CHERNOFF: That makes it worthwhile for many homeowners to itemize rather than taking the standard deduction on their taxes.
There are more deductions defined from your home. Did you pay a fee known as points to the bank when you took out your mortgage? That's also deductible, as are points for a home improvement loan.
EVAN SNAPPER, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT: It's an acquisition points on the purchase of a residence. Those are fully deductible in the year you buy your house.
CHERNOFF: And if you refinance, the fees are deductible over the life of the loan.
SNAPPER: Let's say you did a 15-year refinancing and you paid $1,500 in points. You get to deduct $100 a year for 15 years.
CHERNOFF: Victim of a natural disaster last year, or a robbery? Casualty losses not covered by insurance are deductible, though the amount has to top 10 percent of your adjusted gross income.
If you moved last year for a new job at least 50 miles away, that too is deductible, if you paid from your own pocket.
(on camera): It's a lot to remember, but you don't have to, even if you do your own taxes. That's because tax software makes it easy. The programs interview you to capture all of your real estate deductions. Finding the deductions hidden inside of your home will minimize your tax bill and perhaps even generate a nice juicy refund.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: When you are thinking of buying a home, you automatically have an inspector check the place out. But often, once you are in your home, you don't notice the little things that could signal bigger problems down the road.
I tagged along with home inspector Joe Farsetta to see just how homeowners can keep a watchful eye on their house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: So, Joe, this is a great-looking house, but you say there are problems with this beauty.
JOE FARSETTA, CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTOR: Yes, it's true. We found some problems. We were bound to find them. Every house has defects.
WILLIS: Well, let's check it out.
FARSETTA: OK.
WILLIS (voice-over): Watch out for foggy windows and doors. You may think they're just dirty or maybe blurry from cold temperatures. But the fog could be covering up a much bigger problem.
FARSETTA: It is a beautiful door. But it does have a problem. This is a thermal pane piece of glass, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) glass, and it's lost its thermal integrity. It has no vapor seal anymore.
WILLIS (on camera): So what does that mean?
FARSETTA: It's not performing any insulation. It's -- there's actually air passing between the panes of glass. And what you are seeing is the result of condensation.
WILLIS: Oh, that's not good.
FARSETTA: No.
WILLIS: That means that I'm spending a lot of money for heating and not getting the benefit of it.
FARSETTA: Exactly.
WILLIS (voice-over): Though you may not want to climb up there yourself, checking the roof for damage is vital, especially in older homes, where problems are more common.
Come springtime, we all expect the snow to melt away, but ice damming can prevent melting and create moisture in the walls. The fix?
FARSETTA: To get rid of that ice-damming problem, they can put an ice shield up and they can actually put heating elements up to help with that frost cycle.
WILLIS: Next stop, the boiler room.
FARSETTA: The boiler is the original unit installed when the home was constructed.
WILLIS (on camera): How long ago was that?
FARSETTA: That would be the early '70s. It's clearly over 25 years old, and it is beyond its serviceable life.
WILLIS: What does that mean?
FARSETTA: Means I can't tell you if it's going to last 15 minutes or another 15 years. It's just too difficult to tell.
WILLIS (voice-over): Servicing the boiler will cost a few hundred dollars. And in older homes with original boilers, it's a necessity.
Another major concern for homeowners, creepy-crawly critters.
FARSETTA: We're looking for any unfinished space that we could find in the house. And in this house, this is it. So we did enter the crawl space. And we probed the wood. It is where the raw wooden elements sit on top of the foundation. And it's the most likely location where you would see termite activity.
WILLIS: Unfinished rooms like basements or garages are often the best places to discover hidden problems.
(on camera): So I noticed this big stain on the wall. Looks like there was a leak there. But you say that may be the least of the problems. FARSETTA: Exactly. The sheetrock is damaged, and there's no longer any fire integrity between this garage and the adjacent living space.
WILLIS: What does that mean?
FARSETTA: Actually the walls are supposed to be rated for 45 minute burn-through, meaning, if there's a fire in here, it would take 45 minutes for it to burn through to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: But there's a hole now, obviously, so...
FARSETTA: Exactly. So my (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: ... that would be a big problem.
FARSETTA: Exactly. My recommendation is going to be for them to cut the damaged material away and put in fire-rated sheetrock to restore the fire endurance rating.
WILLIS: So if there's a fire in here, you don't have a problem.
(voice-over): Another trick, check out secret spaces where there's been no cosmetic work.
FARSETTA: Most people, when they paint houses, especially if they're painting them in a hurry, they neglect to paint the ceilings of the closets. So I go into the bedrooms with a flashlight. And I'm not really being nosy, I'm actually looking at the ceilings. And if that roof is leaking or had leaked, there's a good chance I might see a stain on that ceiling. So that's a good place to look.
WILLIS (on camera): That's a great idea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: That's a lot to think about, but experts say you need to checklist each and every season to make sure that nothing's going wrong.
Now that spring is upon us, here are a few suggestions. Check your roof for loose or cracked shingles. Inspect your driveway for frost damage. And check the condition of your fence and retaining walls, looking for cracks or other structural damage.
Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, you trust them with your money and the plans for your dream home. We'll show you how to avoid contractor nightmares and hire the right person for the job.
And our weekend project, bring new life to an old bathroom, from the sink to the shower.
But first, your tip of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: Maintain the condition of your home by keeping moisture out. It's the number-one source of damage to homes, causing problems like cracked paint and mold.
Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent by using ventilators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.
Check for leaks in the basement on a regular basis, especially after rainstorms.
Use exhaust fans or open the windows when cooking or washing dishes.
Fix leaky faucets and pipes as soon as find them.
Clean and dry out wet or damp areas within 48 hours.
And always keep your home well ventilated.
That's your tip of the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: Welcome back.
It's a contractor's job to take your ideas and turn them into reality. You are trusting them with your dreams and your cash. You've probably heard contractor nightmare stories, shoddy and incomplete work, missed deadlines, wasted money.
That's what one New Jersey couple experienced.
J.J. Ramberg has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeff and Liz Christian are suing their contractor, claiming he turned their dream home into a nightmare, a year behind schedule and more than $120,000 over budget.
JEFF CHRISTIAN, HOMEOWNER: He claimed to have ordered materials, you know, tens of thousands of dollars' worth of materials. Never ordered. Out-and-out lies.
LIZ CHRISTIAN, HOMEOWNER: We didn't have our tile floors, you know, the wood floors, he didn't have any of the windows on the third floor. The siding was done improperly. No air conditioning units, no heaters. He said that they were all ordered.
RAMBERG: And, they say, the work that was done on this 3,600- square-foot home was done poorly.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: You know, the heating and air conditioning system was totally deficient, would never have operated. In fact, he ran ductwork that went nowhere. It was just for show.
RAMBERG: They're also liable to the subcontractors, who the contractor never paid.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: Now we have the subcontractors coming out of the woodwork, no pun intended. For example, the guy that did the sheetrock is owed $15,000. The mason is owed money. The plumber is owed money. The painter wasn't paid.
RAMBERG (on camera): The list of complaints goes on and on. But Jeff and Liz admit they're also partly to blame. They didn't stay on top of the work schedule, they didn't visit the house often to see the progress, and they didn't check the contractor's references.
(voice-over): Had they done so, they would have found out that he's not a member of the National Association of Home Builders, as his business card states.
The contractor declined to speak with CNN.
As for Jeff and Liz, they could have cut down their risk. They say they let the contractor talk them into a home equity loan rather than a construction loan. With construction loans, banks make inspections. And they kept doling out cash.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: We continued to make payments that we shouldn't have made, again, because there was this either implicit or explicit threat that work wouldn't continue if they didn't -- if there wasn't additional payment made. So that was, you know, that, frankly, was really stupid.
RAMBERG: Their biggest mistake?
JEFF CHRISTIAN: Not listening to our gut. You know, there was a point at which our -- both of our guts said, this guy's wrong.
RAMBERG: Their new contractor agrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, there's -- you know, you go to a shower, and there's, you know, there's no drain. There's no drain.
RAMBERG: Maybe soon there'll be a real cause for celebration.
JEFF CHRISTIAN: At this point, we're about two months from completion and being able to have a really big party here.
RAMBERG: For OPEN HOUSE, J.J. Ramberg, CNN, Belmar, New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: Now, that's a nightmare.
But don't worry, there are ways to avoid your own contractor nightmare.
Here to help, the author of "What the Experts May Not Tell You About Building or Renovating Your Home, Amy Johnston, also of the Dream House Institute.
Amy, welcome.
AMY JOHNSTON, DREAMHOUSEINSTITUTE.COM: Thank you. Nice to be here.
WILLIS: You know, you've just got to hire the first (UNINTELLIGIBLE) person, right person in the first place. And you say it starts with getting a pool of names to choose from. Where do you get those names?
JOHNSTON: Well, those of you can get very casually from friends, neighbors, suppliers, the Yellow Pages. But don't stop there.
WILLIS: Well, absolutely. You say you've got to check them out. Almost like a first date and initial interview. What do you do?
JOHNSTON: Well, after you create the pool, and you make sure that they're are apples and apples, you don't have, like, a big commercial contractor and some guy that's only, you know, built bookcases, you want everybody to be familiar with your kind of project. Then in the interview process, and with references as well, you ask very specific questions.
WILLIS: Like what?
JOHNSTON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), well, I list them all in my book in detail. But, for instance, with contractors, I like to ask about their crews. Do you have your own crew? A lot of contractors don't, and there's no way of finding that out without a direct question. A contractor that has his own crew, people that have been with him for five years, speaks very well for them. Means they pay their bills and they work well with others.
WILLIS: Well, you definitely want to get that.
One of the things you say that's interesting is that you want to get the references, but you don't want to just go to the ones they send you to. How do you find people at jobs, other jobs they have done?
JOHNSTON: They'll give you a list of references, many of whom will just simply say, Great, to whatever question you ask. How was your project? Great? How is he? Great.
WILLIS: Oh, that's terrible.
JOHNSTON: It is. And everybody has flaws. And even if you're going to choose them, it's nice to know what you're really working with. So I like to ask those people that are on that list who else -- what other projects was this contractor on when he was working on yours? If you hear a name you don't see on that list, it's fair game to call. And find out, you know, how a project went that wasn't quite perfect.
WILLIS: Then you can get the real deal. Your real control here, though, are the purse strings, when you dole out the money. That can really determine how the job goes. When do you start paying? Is it on day one, before day one?
JOHNSTON: No, I, a lot of contractors request money up front. I have never, ever paid a dime up front. Contractors of any merit have credit with suppliers, and they also have credit at their bank.
WILLIS: You can get away with that? It seems to me they'd want something to get started, right?
JOHNSTON: Not the industry standard.
WILLIS: OK.
JOHNSTON: If they're solvent, they should carry the cost for the initial phase of payment. The first payment you give will be substantial, because they'll be what we call shopping the job, bringing in all the materials. If for some reason you decide that, you know, it's your cousin or something, and you're going to help them out with this initial payment, you pay the supplier directly. Do not give -- don't ever give money for materials not installed or work not done.
WILLIS: OK.
JOHNSTON: If you live by that rule, it will save you a lot of heartache.
WILLIS: Then how do you dole it out? When are the big landmarks on the job that you're actually putting money down?
JOHNSTON: You can ask for a payment schedule, which is always requested if there is bank funding involved. And if there's not, it's still very helpful. It's a tool that contractors are used to giving people. And it's a very simple tool for owners to use.
There are only three things on a payment schedule, a list of dates at the top when the anticipated payments are going to be requested, what those dollar amounts will be through the course of the project, and the milestones that will be reached for each of those payments.
So if someone comes to you, and they give you a bill, you can compare that bill to the work that should have been completed.
It's a really great tool for owners.
WILLIS: Makes a lot of sense. I know contractors complain about their clients sometimes, and they say, you know, The wife, the husband, they were telling us two different things. They never agreed. It created big problems. How can you get on the same page with your spouse?
JOHNSTON: Speak with one voice, even if you're not of one mind. Keep your -- do not be divided as a couple. Take the issues home if you don't agree. Don't start bickering at the table. Chaos is valuable -- I mean, chaos is expensive, and it will cost you money.
So you want to be a united front and speak with one voice and give clear directives to the contractor even as a couple.
WILLIS: So (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you are speaking with one voice. You're giving them all the details that they need. You know, you almost have to live with these people, though. How do you do that?
JOHNSTON: Well, you know, a renovation is probably what you are referring to, when they're actually in your home. You know, you want to act like a professional, for one thing. You are not hiring your best friend. They may be your be your best friend by the end. But it's the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
WILLIS: We hope.
JOHNSTON: Good relations on a construction project are only always the byproduct of a good project. But most people start out, when they meet a guy that they like and they trust, and he's as enthusiastic as they are, he's hired. They need to stop, do their (UNINTELLIGIBLE), their legwork, step back, and keep their head down, do the interview, do the references, check them out. And when they hear good things consistently, they can go forward.
WILLIS: Amy Johnston, great advice. Thanks so much.
JOHNSTON: Thank you.
WILLIS: Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, our weekend project, plumbing made easy. We're sprucing up your tired bathroom with new fixtures. Make it your weekend project, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: Welcome back to OPEN HOUSE and weekend project, where we take on a do-it-yourself job that you can finish in just two days.
We're in Scarsdale, New York, at the home of Ralph and Christine Kamulotta (ph), and we are taking on plumbing fixtures with Tom Criteler (ph) from the "Money Pit" radio show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Tom, welcome.
TOM CRITELER, "MONEY PIT": Thank you.
WILLIS: It's great to have you here.
What are we going to do?
CRITELER: Well, we're going to tackle these plumbing fixtures today. We're going to put in this sink. This is from American Standard. It's for the retrospect. Isn't it beautiful?
WILLIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). CRITELER: It's perfect for this house, which was built in the '30s. And we're going to pair it with a Moen faucet.
WILLIS: Nice.
CRITELER: And we're also going to put in a toilet from their Oakmont collection that has a unique flushing system called the Champion. It's virtually clog-proof and one of my favorites. We're going to put this little showerhead in.
WILLIS: Oh, that is extra-special.
You know, the nice thing about upgrading your bathroom is, you really get bang for your buck. When you go to resell that house, you'll get up to 80 percent of the value that you invested right back out from the people you sell it to.
CRITELER: Exactly. And these are jobs that are not that hard to do, when you just switch out one fixture for another, and you can definitely do it in a weekend.
WILLIS: Excellent, Tom. Let's get started.
CRITELER: All right, let's do it.
WILLIS (voice-over): Before the new fixtures can be put in, the old ones have to come out. First, turn the water off at the toilet stop and drain the tank. Now you're ready for removal.
CRITELER: The way a toilet is installed, it's actually not installed nearly as securely as you might think. Right down around the bottom, you see it's caulked in place. Let's pull this cover over. You have some screws there, OK?
What we're going to want to do is cut this caulk line to make it easy for us. So grab that knife and cut that. And then we're going to loosen up those hold-down bolts and pull those off. Once that's done, with any luck, it'll come right up.
WILLIS (on camera): OK, got it.
(voice-over): Next, take out the sink.
CRITELER: We want to turn the water supply valves off and loosen those hoses and pull them out.
WILLIS: For the Kamulottas, a new sink wasn't just about style, it was about safety.
RALPH KAMULOTTA, HOMEOWNER: The older sink had hot water on one side and cold on the other. So we have a small child, and we don't want anyone getting burned using the hot water. So we needed to replace that sink.
WILLIS: With proper instruction, replacing a toilet is a do-it- yourself project, but we got some expert advice from plumber Rob Brennick (ph).
ROB BRENNICK, PLUMBER: The first thing we do is, we make sure you put some cardboard on the floor so you don't damage it. Then what we're doing is, we're going to flip the toilet upside down, so we can install the wax seal.
WILLIS (on camera): Here's the wax seal.
BRENNICK: Thank you.
WILLIS: And you just smash on...
BRENNICK: You press down, you press that down in place to get a good seal.
WILLIS (voice-over): After the wax ring is placed down, line up the closet bolts with the bowl and set it down gently. Next, line up the flushing valve to the opening in the top of the toilet bowl and add the tank to bowl gaskets.
BRENNICK: Here we just have to connect the water supply, and then we'll put the tank cover on, and the toilet seat, and we're done.
WILLIS (on camera): And we're done.
BRENNICK: That's it.
WILLIS: That's great.
(voice-over): Time to set the sink.
BRENNICK: All you have to do is read the directions that come with it. You dress it all up. You can use the flexible (UNINTELLIGIBLE) supplies. The trap is adjustable. And, yes, this is definitely a homeowner project.
CRITELER: Right, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) lines right down here that you're talking about. So these are flexible. This is what connects to the water supply. So you really don't have to hit it exactly right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) even if you're within an inch or two, you can do it.
BRENNICK: Yes, exactly.
Hook these up. Hook the drain up. Turn the water on. We should be good to go.
WILLIS: Now that the toilet and sink are done, it's time to hit the shower.
CRITELER: Here, we're going to put this showerhead on. And I want to show you a little trick here. This is Teflon tape. You can't just screw that right on the spout there, because it will leak. So you take this Teflon tape or sometimes it's called plumber's tape. You basically just wrap it around here, once or twice, just like that, so it doesn't leak. And then we finish it up with the wrench. You notice there's little flats here on this. And you just grab it right where the flats are.
WILLIS (on camera): The new bathroom fixtures are in place.
Tom, they look great. You've got to be happy with this one.
CRITELER: I'm very happy. What a dramatic difference we made in this bathroom with those fixtures.
WILLIS: What do people typically not get right when they're doing this the first time?
BRENNICK: Make sure you know where your main water valve is before you start that job.
WILLIS: Tom, great advice, as always. Thank you.
BRENNICK: You are welcome.
WILLIS (voice-over): The new plumbing inspired the Kamulottas to spruce up the rest of the bathroom with new floors and new paint.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Much better. The full bathroom makeover cost less than $1,500.
Coming up, a look at next week's OPEN HOUSE.
But first, the "Mortgage Snapshot."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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