About HomeFixer101
Home repair shouldn't require a contractor's license to understand, or a $300 service call to fix. HomeFixer101 is the site of guides I wish I'd had when I bought my first house.
The why
Most home-repair content online is written by SEO agencies, not people who've done the work. A YouTube video skips the step you actually needed. A forum post answers a slightly different question. The instructions on the box assume you already know what you're doing. By the time you've watched three videos and read four threads, you've spent the same amount of time as the repair would have taken if someone had just walked you through it cleanly.
That's what this site is for. Clear, step-by-step guides for the kind of repair you can do on a Saturday morning. No selling you a tool you don't need, no jargon, no 20-minute video for a 3-minute job.
Who runs the site
The non-contractor framing matters. The guides here are written from the perspective of someone who's wrestled with the same fixes, gotten things wrong, and figured out what actually works for a homeowner with average tools and average time. If a job is past what a homeowner should attempt (gas lines, main panels, structural, anything load-bearing), the guide says so, full stop. Read more in our editorial standards.
How articles get written
- Real-experience grounding. Every how-to is written by someone who has done the job or carefully researched the topic. When research is the grounding, we say so. We don't fabricate specific stories or invent credentials.
- Real costs and real lifespans. Manufacturer specs, EPA and Energy Star guidance, IRC and NEC code references where they apply, and real price ranges. If a stat can't be verified, the language softens ("usually," "most cases") rather than invent a fake number.
- Safety first on anything YMYL. Electrical past the outlet, gas, structural, anything load-bearing. The guides include an explicit "When to Call a Pro" section so the safe-DIY line is unambiguous.
- Updated when things change. Articles get revisited when product recommendations shift, code requirements update, or reader feedback surfaces a mistake. The "Updated" date in the byline reflects substantive updates, not typo fixes.
A note on the photos
You'll notice this site doesn't have photos of Chris's own repairs. He doesn't take them. By the time he thinks to grab the phone, his hands are wet with caulk or covered in drywall mud, and the phone stays in his pocket. The images here are illustrations and stock photos. The words and the methods are real. It's better to admit that up front than pretend otherwise.
Affiliate disclosure
The "Best of" buying-guide articles will eventually link to products on Amazon and other retailers. When that happens, the links are disclosed and the site earns a small commission when readers buy through them. Recommendations are never influenced by which retailer pays more. If a cheaper alternative is better, the cheaper alternative is the pick.
Corrections, questions, suggestions
Found a mistake? Have a question? Want us to write about something specific? Send a note. Corrections to existing articles get applied and credited in the article's "Updated" date.