Your Valuable Home

Your Valuable Home

By Ron MelkBusinessEducationInvestingManagement
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Your Valuable Home episodes

  • Introducing the “Coolest Neighborhoods” Series: 1st- Multiple Mid Mod Neighborhoods Around Philly
    In today’s Replay, Deb talks about the finalization of her kitchen renovation. In the Horror Story today, Kevin intercedes (at the homeowner’s request) in a roofing job gone awry. The Coolest Neighborhoods in America is a five-week series ...a must for all YVH listeners who are fascinated by historically significant residential architecture and the way communities celebrate and preserve it. First up, the Mid-Mod neighborhoods around Philadelphia, including Monk Road, where Mid-Mod architecture is mandated, Whitemarsh Village a Mid-Mod community situated on the grounds of what once was one of the most extensive homes in America, and much, much more.
    49 min
  • Get the Jump on 2023 Home Improvement Projects. Start Planning Now!
    In our Replay today, Deb recaps her kitchen and first-floor renovation. Our Horror Story has to do with windows improperly installed — a disaster waiting to happen. Don’t let this happen to you. Listen in as Ron interviews Kevin about why you should start planning now for any large home improvement projects you want to complete by Spring or Summer 2023. An addition, new windows, new siding — these and other projects take time to plan under normal circumstances, However, now, with some lingering supply chain problems, lead time becomes even more critical. Plus, you have decision points like choosing a contractor, selecting materials, and other products, and possibly applying for and securing permits and the related inspections. Don’t miss this helpful aid in project planning. Have a truly Happy New Year!
    57 min
  • Building a Home, or Planning a Major Remodeling? Consider Custom Furniture.
    In the Replay today, Brian walks us through part 2 of his kitchen and bath reno. In the Horror Story today, Kevin comes across an incredibly bad
    HVAC installation. The homeowners heard dripping and found water on their basement floor. Turns out the water was coming from the second
    floor...the improperly installed HVAC system. Look for photos of this OOOPS on this week’s Your Valuable Home Instagram and Facebook
    postings. In our Feature today, superstar pros, Brad Sullivan, head of Cider Press Woodworks, and multiple award-winning interior designer,
    Donna Hoffman team up with ideas for Custom Furniture that makes a statement. If you’re spending liberally for a new home or a major
    renovation, consider investing in custom furniture. A one-of-a-kind dining room table, sideboard, or buffet can complete any look from Mid-century
    modern to Arts and Crafts to Cottage or Farm House. Live Edge also has a place in custom furniture thinking. Hear what Brad and Donna suggest,
    and how they’ve included custom furniture pieces in their own homes.
    52 min
  • Is Your Home Safe for the Coming Holiday Season and Beyond?

    In our Replay today, Kevin explains the renovations he has planned for his home on the Jersey shore (AKA, the beach), a family room redo, a gas insert, new flooring and ProVia stone. In our Horror Story, we report on a contractor who is remediating stucco in a development, and doing the job wrong. PLUS, this is the first of our once-a-month Bad Guy Bulletins, where we call out the creative ways the bad guys are out to separate you from your hard-earned money. With the holidays and gift shopping on your mind, it’s easy to put a home safety check on the back burner. That’s why in our Feature today, we interview Rebecca Edwards from safewise.com Rebecca has vital information on detecting gas leaks, smoke and CO detectors, residential air quality, and the often-overlooked indoor hazards radon and VOCs. Don’t miss this, and, please, take Rebecca’s advice to heart. Is Your Home Safe for the Coming Holiday Season and Beyond?File Size: 74483 kbFile Type: mp3Download File

    1 hr
  • Something New from Escape (tiny) Homes: the eEscape all-electric series!
    In the Replay today, Brian fills us in on the progress being made with his kitchen and bath re-do, including an innovative solution to capitalizing on unused space. It’s the third week of the month, so we’re back with the Bad Guy Bulletin. Lots of scams unmasked today. We’re joined by Mike Bannon from Bucks County Consumer Protection, Weight and Measures, and Kim, a listener who recently avoided a combination of email and Facebook scam involving a grant. In our Feature today, we’ve talked with Dan George, head of Escape Homes, about his company’s ingeniously designed small homes that make for affordable vacation homes, guest quarters, or for the enterprising, stylish Airbnb's. The big news now is Escape’s forward-thinking, fully electrified eEscape Series. Hear all about it on Your Valuable Home.
    1 hr 1 min
  • Team up with Bucks County DA’s Office and Consumer Protection So Our Listeners Don’t Get Shaken Down

    In the Replay today, Tom explains why he and his wife decided on ProVia Siding and he admires a siding job well done. In the Horror Story, still another contractor claims to be what he’s not on social media. We don’t have to tell you that more bad guys than ever are working overtime to separate you from your hard-earned money. In addition to rip-offs by unscrupulous contractors, email, snail mail, and telephone scams are definitely on the rise and the bad guys are getting bolder every day. Learn about the latest scams. Knowledge is your first line of defense! Team up with Bucks County DA’s Office and Consumer Protection So Our Listeners Don’t Get Shaken DownFile Size: 62884 kbFile Type: mp3Download File

    1 hr 9 min
  • To CLARFI...some people need help with their finances.
    Mike wraps up his kitchen re-do point-by point. In our Horror Story today. Another contractor installed windows without flashing. No...the caulk didn’t help! CLARIFI is a Philadelphia non-profit that’s been on this mission for 50 years, helping “more than 750,000 families throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding Delaware Valley...achieve financial resilience and positively impact their communities. CLARIFI has a positive impact on moderate to low-income families by counseling them on how to reduce debt, save, improve credit, buy homes. This is a story of hope presented by Steve Gardner from CLARIFI.
    56 min
  • The Contractor Shakedowns Happening in Bucks County, PA Could Happen To You.

    In our Replay today, Christine is lovin’ the fresh, new look of her home created by ProVia Siding, windows and a new ProVia door. In our Horror Story, a roofer’s subcontractor removed the old step flashing but didn’t replace it. A perfect reason to demand cell phone photos, if you have a new roof in your future. Marc Furber from the Bucks County DA’s Office joins us for the Featured segment today to talk about some of the latest cases to cross his desk involving contractors. At Your Valuable Home, we cannot overemphasize the importance of due diligence whenever you hire a contractor. Check for Worker’s Comp and Liability Insurance. Check for a license. Check years in business and references. Check! Check! Check! The Contractor Shakedowns Happening in Bucks County, PA Could Happen To YouFile Size: 48853 kbFile Type: mp3Download File

    0 min
  • Exploring the Far-Reaching impact of Lyme and Lyme+ with authority, Dr. Steven Phillips.
    In our Replay today, Tish shares her and her husband’s Adventure in Downsizing. Be prepared to take notes and learn from their experience. In the Horror Story today, an “electrician” made Swiss Cheese out of a ceiling to install a few lights. Hard to believe! Our Feature today focuses on a culprit that can change your life: Lyme. Could the chronic condition of a family member or friend be the result of undiagnosed Lyme+ Disease? What is Lyme+? Are most family practice physicians capable of identifying Lyme or Lyme+? Is the average blood test to detect Lyme effective? Is routine antibiotic treatment for Lyme sufficient? What is Bartonella? These and many other questions about insidious Lyme disease are answered by a renowned authority on the subject, Dr. Steven Phillips. Why is Your Valuable Home addressing Lyme? Because many of our listeners, their children, and their pets are at risk for this disease.
    1 hr 18 min
  • Could This Be a better Way to Rebuild After Natural Disasters?

    In the aftermath of hurricane Ian, our entire podcast today is devoted to a fascinating interview with Illya Azaroff, FA IA, an internationally recognized leader in disaster mitigation, resilient planning and design strategies. Illya is the immediate past president of AIA New York, elected to the AIA Board of Directors as a 2023-2025 at-large director, and appointed an AIA COP 27 delegate to attend global talks on climate and disaster risk reduction. COP is a common reference to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. All this in addition to serving as Director of Design and Resilient Strategies at his architectural firm, + Lab, in New York and professor in practice at the New Your City College of Technology. The subject is Illya’s resilient, sustainable design for homes that can withstand 150-mile-per-hour hurricane winds and release water that can cause the walls of a conventionally built house to collapse. This is not theoretical. Illya built such a home in Sandy Hook, Queens, New York to replace one obliterated by Superstorm Sandy, and has since employed his advanced design concepts to construct homes in other parts of the country. This could definitely be the better way to rebuild after natural disasters. Surprisingly, it costs little more than conventional construction. Could This Be a better Way to Rebuild After Natural Disasters?File Size: 47621 kbFile Type: mp3Download File

    53 min

About Your Valuable Home

From the publisher's feed

After years on the radio, host Ron Melk has flipped the switch to podcasting! The Home Improvement Replays can spark ideas about projects for your home. The Horror Stories can help you avoid one and…