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Young House Love » Podcast » #33: In Pursuit Of Buying Less & Doing More

| By Young House Love | January 23, 2017 |

#33: In Pursuit Of Buying Less & Doing More

On this week’s podcast, we hear what it’s really like to downsize thanks to Dana and Steve Miller from the blog House*Tweaking, who moved to a smaller home – while their family was getting bigger, no less! – and opened up about how it helped them achieve their financial and family goals (but isn’t always all roses). We also share a very strange morning we spent together, along with debating when you should buy a tool versus renting one. Plus Sherry shares her favorite quick trick for dents & scratches in wood furniture.

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

What’s New

Ep33 Rented Tool

  • Here are some of the projects where we’ve relied on rented tools:
    • Renting a demolition hammer to remove a tile floor
    • Renting an auger – twice! –  to dig holes for deck footings
    • Renting a pressure washer to clean our home’s exterior
    • Renting a floor nailer to install hardwoods in our bonus room
  • Also, here’s the wet saw we own and love (and plan to use for at least five more bathroom renovations)
  • If you wanna learn more about “floating,” here’s a Wikipedia entry on it, or you can read the benefits page of the place we visited. But I know you’re really here for the pictures…

Ep33 Johns Float Tank

Ep33 Sherrys Float Tank

Creepy selfie alert in 3…2…1… (yes, we got to wear purple ear plugs)

Ep33 John Selfie

What’s Not

  • Here’s the infographic Sherry referenced for the top value-adding exterior upgrades, but first – here are some of our favorite curb appeal projects that we’ve tackled ourselves:
    • Adding DIY Landscape Lighting
    • Staining & Sealing An Old Deck
    • Adding Window Boxes
    • Adding a Pergola
    • Painting The Front Door A Fun Color
    • ….and plenty more!

Dana Miller

Ep33 Dana Living Room

  • You can follow Dana (and her husband Steve) over at House*Tweaking and feast your eyes on her pretty Instagram feed.
  • Here’s more of her story and thoughts on downsizing & reaching financial goals (and you can learn more about their flip house).
  • If you want to peruse some of their AirBnb-ing…
    • Nashville Glamping House
    • Toronto House With Kitchen Swing
    • Michigan City Bunk Room House
    • Modern Michigan Lake House
    • Asheville Mountain House

Ep33 Dana AirBnb Houses

We’re Digging

  • Here are the Golden Oak and Ebony stain markers that we’ve used for floor & furniture scratches for years (they come in plenty of other colors)

Minwaxstainpensgoldenoakebony

  • And in case you haven’t thought about Groupon for years (like me), you might just be surprised by some of their experience-based discounts

Psst- Looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into? Well, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all past episodes.

brought-to-you-by-diyz

Visit DIYZ.com/YHL to learn more or download it today in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and search YHL in the app for some videos featuring a few 5-step projects that we tackled.

*This post contains affiliate links*

More posts from Young House Love

Filed Under: Podcast

#33 Transcript: In Pursuit Of Doing More & Buying Less
Why We Returned Our Mail-Order Foam Mattress

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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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