It often costs more if a plumber (or electrician) has to undo your "repairs" before actually performing the repair. Building a shelf, or patching drywall, or changing a lightbulb is one thing - trying to sweat a hot water line to make it fit your new gold plated faucet is another story altogether! Here is a useful do it yourself blog. Yes, there are many things that the King of the Castle can do by himself. Without much risk of damage to himself or to the thing being repaired. Some home improvement stores offer do it yourself classes - it can be fun and fulfilling, not to mention cost saving. And lest any charges of chauvinism fly, yes, women too are very good with tools and home repairs/improvements! (continued below)

While on the topic of mortgage payments, here is a little known secret that no bank will ever tell you about. With each monthly mortgage payment, make an additional payment equal to at least the principal amount contained in that payment - apply it against the principal of the loan. This will reduce your mortgage period by HALF, that is, a 30 year mortgage will be paid off in 15 years! As an example, if a monthly mortgage payment is $2000 and consists of $1100 interest + $200 escrow + $700 principal; make an additional $700 principal payment to cut your mortgage period in half. Be careful though, banks will try to be sneaky and apply any extra payments toward the LAST payment (therefore continuing to charge you interest on the paid off portion). Always check monthly statements and fight to have your extra principal payments recorded correctly. If more money is available, such as after a good tax return, you could apply more money to the principal amount of the loan. It saves you a ton of money over the lifetime of the loan by reducing the interest amount.

Pay careful attention to the windows in the new home to buy. Windows are the largest cause of inflated heating bills. Older windows were not efficient, they just didn't have the technology in those days to prevent drafts like we can today. Newer windows are usually double paned glass to minimize heat loss through the glass, and have tight fitting sleeves with insulation to prevent leaks. Exterior doors, too, could be a problem in this field of energy conservation in your new home. Any door that opens to the outside should have a good door frame with contact insulation to keep out drafts. The threshold (base plate) should also be well insulated, not just pretty looking. A good screen door can also reduce drafts and heat loss, since it acts as a secondary barrier to the outside air. Older doors and windows can be almost impossible to insulate, you may have to replace drafty and leaky doors and windows - if you want to keep your heating bill lower than your mortgage payment. (continued below)

The overall layout of the home is very important, after all you do want to buy the home and live there for a long, long time. While some walls can be moved or removed, it is still an expensive excursion. Some things are more difficult to add, such as additional bathrooms. Always ensure that the new home you are thinking of buying has adequate bathrooms for the anticipated size of occupancy. Are there enough rooms in the new home you want to buy? If you have (or plan on having) children, ensure the home has enough rooms to accomodate everyone, as well as any guests who may stay over. What kind of heating and hot water system does the home use? Consider the market trends of oil prices vs natural gas for heating systems, as well as for the hot water heater. Is the heating system efficient, be it forced air or circulating radiator? Is the hot water heater of a large enough capacity, and what condition/age is it? Also be sure to ask about the immediate neighbors; on both sides of the new home to buy, across the street, as well as behind the property. If you do decide to buy that home, you will have to deal with these particular neighbors on a daily level - it is better to know in advance what to expect.