So we just started building our second glass house. If you search under my user name you can find pics of the first one. We moved even before we got to finish that one so the new owner got a great perk with the house :) Got the foundation and floor in this weekend (now have to run down and get the building permit!) and am waiting on Home Depot for 2 16 foot beams I need for the top sides. This one will be 12 x 16 with 10 foot high walls and and an 8 foot ceiling peak. The first greenhouse was 8 x 12 with 8 foot walls and a ceiling height dictated by the windows I had. This new one will have a metal roof so we will have a much steeper pitch. I went to pick up some windows from a lady on Craigslist and she also threw in these 2 great old french doors - really narrow and tall. They will be the focal point of the building. Can't wait to get the walls up. It's like putting a puzzle together. Someone on my facebook page said:" You know you can build a pvc hoop and plastic greenhouse for about $250." I said it wasn't really going to be used as a greenhouse and I wanted something a lot nicer looking than that for my glass garden house. It has to fit in with my 1780 colonial.

Hello, I agree with what was said about the soil. If you keep it, make it at least a 50/50 soil and perlite mix, and incorporate the rocks at the bottom of the pot.....they are not helping when they are positioned at the bottom. Also, get a pot with drainage holes. The reason being is that when you water, you will water thoroughly, until you see it dripping out of those holes...then you won't water again until the soil is dry or your plants look like they need it...you will learn to read your plants the longer you have them. They need more light, so get them as close to that window as you can. As long as the air around the window isn't actually at freezing and there is no draft, they should be fine. Many succulents can take temps down to 20 degrees, as long as their roots aren't wet. Nancy

If .12 cents per KW is the total rate for electricity thats not too bad. Thats what i pay. I have a heatpump and they make nice heat when above 32 F for a good price. Heatpumps can last a long time if you have a decent brand and it properly installed. In Cali weather they can be very efficient. If your already paying the monthly service fee for gas and you have a gas hot water tank it might just be more worthwhile to have a gas furance and forget about the A/C or heatpump especially since you rarely use the A/C. Get 95% 2-stage gas furnace if you go that route. If you get a heatpump, they aren't so good at bringing up temps fast. With a gas furnace you can turn the furnace down and then bring the heat up quick when your back home. I recommend heatpumps for people that need A/C anyway. Cause the cost of a heatpump over an A/C is only incremental.

The reality is that for most of the people in the buying pool for houses at that price range in Bethesda and other close-in DC suburbs, time is a more valuable commodity than money. At that price bracket, most potential buyers are 30-something professionals, many of whom are married with (or planning to have) kids. For many people in that demographic, it's worth it to spend more for a house that requires no work, because the tradeoff for a cheaper house with major projects is that you have to spend the time to plan a remodel, hire someone to execute it, then either live through it or move out (which takes even more time and planning). When I bought my house 10 years ago, I was single, 30 years old, and worked at a law firm. I had the flexibility to extend my rental until some work could be done to my house, so I bought a house that needed cosmetic updates, and got a good price in a hot neighborhood where houses were selling for above asking within a few days. The prior owners 'totally 80s' choices were not appealing to buyers, and also did nothing to highlight the portion of the house that was the original structure from the early 1900s. Once I moved in, I never had time for the DIY projects I envisioned (such as gel staining the kitchen cabinets!), and the house felt like a 'work in progress' for a while. Now I am married with a baby, and I still have a full time job. If I were house hunting now, a house that was 'move in ready' and required nothing more than paint and decorating, would be worth a lot of $$. Because the time and effort required for major renovations would be a tipping point in terms of stress and quality of life, which is hard to quantify in dollars. And I say this as someone who has a decent 'eye' for imagining the potential a house has. In fact, I just recently moved back into my house, after moving out for the summer for a major remodel and addition (totally worth it, but totally exhausting and stressful and time-consuming). Many of my friends who are not into decorating and house stuff also have trouble even imagining the 'after' that a house could be, and overestimate how much it would cost (even at the inflated prices in this area) to make changes. So I think for the average buyer here, 'move in ready' is worth $$$$$, and a 'needs remodeling' house may not even be considered unless it's a tear down to build a mcmansion.