Build It Right! was written because I saw so many things in new houses that did not take into account that people would be living in them. This usually arises from ignorance and the builder's necessary stress on profit. Many years doing telecommunications systems design taught me to appreciate the importance of paying attention to details. When we bought a new house and found the multitude of things between a refrigerator door that we couldn't open and a laundry room that was dangerous to Jean's health, I found my second career---helping people buying or building new homes.

The first edition of Build It Right! came in 1993. But that just touched the surface. As I continued to look at new homes around the country and how they were built, I realized there are a lot more details people would like to hear about and the revised edition was published in 1997. This expanded book (320 pages) includes many more photos (68) and drawings (107) because they explain the subject matter much better than words alone.

Build It Right! is about details, those details that people usually overlook until they're in a new home and realize what should have been done differently. The subject matter ranges from often overlooked lot location considerations to being sure there's a light close to the thermostat so you don't need a flashlight to read it. I've found that well over half of the homes I've been in have at least one unfriendly "flaw" that could have been avoided at little or no cost. Many have several of them, things you wouldn't want in your own home.

I am well aware that to a certain extent all of this is personal preference. But you should know when you're compromising and not make decisions from ignorance or oversight. The range of subject matter can be seen in the Table of Contents given below. More understanding of what's in the book and why is found in the Introduction.