Adding another layer, or two, over the plaster will have the same detail-deadening effect on the inside as extra layers of stucco will on the outside. You'd have to move all your trim, fir out all your opening jambs (window and door) etc., to fix this but then you also must extend or re-wire your outlets and wall switches .... well, it's a big job! Re insulating to the max in the attic. I was not suggesting insulating the undersides of the roof, unless you have heated/conditioned space just under the roof. In that case it should probably be done, but you can't just tack up insulation under the roof sheathing. You must arrange to have some channeled air -baffled barriers between the top-side of the insulating material and the underside of the roof. Look for info about insulating a cathedral ceiling to see what I mean. As for the walls, if they aren't plastered up there, then I would rip out sheet rock or paneling and insulate and, more importantly for rooms at the top of the building, install a vapor barrier before reclosing the wall. I wouldn't insulate between the floor joists on the enclosed space, but of course I would between the floor joists of any unenclosed, unheated space. And I would consider using an insulating product with the highest R-value per inch of depth. When insulating (assuming you're are not doing the whole house) put your money and effort into the upper areas/surfaces first, and then cut the infiltration pathways by caulking and sealing like a demon. I'm not familiar with a stucco-coated house, but in a frame house with wood siding, you could see evidence of moisture being trapped in the walls when paint peels off the outside, or mold grows on the inside walls or your walls get stinky and moldy internally. Not a pleasant thought! Good planned ventilation (kitchen and bath fans, primarily) goes along way to fixing this issue. But you can also but vapor retardant paint on all your walls and ceilings, which reportedly helps a lot. Now for the op-ed on this subject: Plaster by itself, especially old plaster on wooden lath, can be a huge moisture mediator, all by itself. And hollow walls allow a good deal of vapor and air to move harmlessly to the outside. (At least in wood-clad house, I'm not familiar with stucco.) All the steps we take in closing up a house in the name of energy efficiency may, paradoxically, be somewhat interfering with the time-tested engineering of these old building systems. And certainly, I believe the standards that are used for new houses which require intense efforts at moisture/vapor management are successful and necessary in builings built of more complex man-made components. But I'm not so sure that one should blindly transfer the standards of one building system backwards to buildings of another construction system. The good news is that older buildings can be quite tolerant, and apparently unharmed, by tightening up and some insulating (especially of attics) without vapor barriers. Just be aware that you can, even in the laudable effort to improve energy costs and loss, create another problem. For myself, beyond the above steps, I try to achieve overall building energy efficiency in different ways, on other systems (heating, laundry, appliances, lighting) and "forgive" the energy inefficency I can't cure unless I tear down more of the still-intact wall covering materials. And naturally, whenever I have an occasion to open a wall for any reason, then that portion in insulated and vapor barriered before closing. I find one of the most satisfying things about living in and owning an old building is that it keeps me aware that there are many different solutions for things, and the latest and greatest modern notion may have nothing on what was common a hundred years ago. Have you looked into the useful series of Preservation Briefs from the National Park Service? I'll attach a link; many topics are available for free on-line and I've always found the info very helpful. They cover a wide range of topics including energy efficiency for old buildings, and most importantly in your case, care and repair of stucco (along with window repair, roof, plumbing, building assesment, etc.) HTH Molly Here is a link that might be useful: Series of Preservation Briefs, List of topics

Decorpas, very, very nice finds! I like your style. :) Oceanna, I'm sorry I didn't see this thread before now; it's been a busy few days. This is my mother's tray (my house isn't that "yellow", but the flash was washing out the colors in the tray). She had several others at one time, but we're not sure what happened to those. This one isn't particularly fancy, but it belonged to her so it's special to me. She would have giggled at someone asking if she'd painted it...we are not a very artistic family, except for a talented niece who must have gotten that trait from her father's side of the family. :) I thought that you all might enjoy seeing the tole trays that Tina collects...she shared them on her blog awhile back (link below), and they look so pretty in her kitchen. Oceanna, I'm still drooling over those toleware links! You definitely have the eye! :) Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry Hill Cottage--Tole Trays

Thanks for the ideas and support for my magpie tendencies. I took pictures of my kitchen display shelves, but they were lost when I tried putting them on Photobucket. Just as well, because right now they might serve as a warning to people who cruise thrift stores, yard sales, and church fairs, in spite of limited space. You end up just sticking everything on a shelf. I don't have much time these days, but I hereby declare I will edit it all. Soon. And I promise pictures. Luckygal, I wanted a treadle sewing machine for years, and a couple years ago, found one at the curb because someone was throwing it out. I got it in my car and got it home. The veneer on top was in sad shape, but the stand and the Singer machine inside were so beautiful. I did my best to refinish, and it's now on my porch. This pretty oak one is in better shape IRL than in the pictures. There are a couple strips of veneer missing, but otherwise the finish looks like a Formby's project rather than a complete overhaul. My flash is making it look worse than it is, and my pictures highlight the missing veneer. I love the hardware on the drawers! I always wanted one and now I have two! I definitely need a bigger house.

We are currently under contract for full asking price (all cash) after 4 days of showings and two offers, so I (smugly) feel qualified to answer this question. This is our third time selling and the second time with a quick sell in a buyer's market. Here's what we did: Interviewed three real estate agents. They all came up with the same selling price, so we chose a flat fee agency and are saving $12,000 in commissions. This agent was very good, took professional pictures, wrote the listing, posted to MLS, dealt with contract negotiations, the whole shebang minus open houses which we didn't want anyway. Super happy with this company. I did research the agent on Realtor.com before choosing him. Took our agent's advice on pricing. We were not in a hurry to sell, looked at the comps, and agreed that our agent had us solidly in the middle of what we could reasonably expect to sell our house for. Through the 9 years we have owned the house, we have updated everything, including having our very small Florida yard professionally landscaped. Fixed everything that was broken Cleaned everything Repainted where we couldn't clean the walls or trim adequately Decluttered, put a bunch of stuff in storage Staged the house nicely Put everything personal away for showings The only things on counters were decorative Bowl of green apples on kitchen counter for a pop of color against the granite Hung fresh white towels that we don't use in the bathrooms Used tasteful artificial flower arrangements in most rooms Fresh mulch in garden beds Refreshed flowers in front borders Trimmed hedges and trees Turned on all of the lights before showings House was spotless for showings (we don't normally live this way, but it's worth it to get top dollar for our house and not prolong the painful selling process) Turned on our Sonos to soft jazz music Got ourselves, our cats, and the litter box out of the house for showings Here's what we didn't do: Neutralize all of the colors in the house. We have earthy tones of blue, green, rust, and aqua in our house, but everything is not beige, white, or gray.. Get rid of curtains (I posted several months ago about this, ultimately decided to keep them) Hire a professional stager Set the table with plates Scent the house with anything We met our buyers on Saturday for the home inspection and asked them what made them want the house. They said: Loved the landscaping Looked professionally staged Clean and inviting Didn't need to do anything to the house Looked well taken care of We are super happy with our experience selling this time, love our buyers, and are looking forward to the May 8 closing!