When you're sick, you call your primary care physician.
When you've got a problem with your house, it's not clear who you can call. You might talk to friends at work, a neighbor or go online and try to figure out the problem you're having, and the best solution. Searching for “house doctor” might lead you to a local franchise with that name, or an interior design company in Denmark.
Any of these solutions might work, or they might not. That's why you need a homeowner advocate, someone who can help you find the right information and guide you through the homeowner decisions you make, as doing anything the first time is scary.
Tina Gleisner, Homeowner Advocate
My name is Tina Gleisner, and I want to be your homeowner advocate! Maybe you're shaking your head wondering what's this all about? I would have been confused too … until I started running a handyman business. At the beginning I struggled with terminology (why we have a glossary), and started learning how a home is constructed and why it fails. Suddenly I was advising lots of homeowners on their home maintenance, repairs and remodeling projects. As an advocate, I take the time to educate homeowners on why things happen, how to avoid problems and how to make smart decisions.
For eight years we helped more than 2,000 homeowners. I spent hundreds of hours on the phone talking to women homeowners, asking questions until I could identify what problems they were having, and discuss alternative solutions. We'd schedule one of my technicians to fix the problem(s) and often, I'd write a summary of our discussions so everyone was on the same page. Those early emails are now articles in our homeowner library.
Now that you know what a homeowner advocate is, here are some of my qualifications:
- Bought and sold houses in 7 states – California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Arizona … more than a dozen, so we've stopped counting!
- Major renovations – several kitchens and bathrooms (new and remodeled), older home restorations and put a 4-story addition on a 100 year old Victorian in Portsmouth, NH.
- Built one house in Poughkeepsie, NH – and trying to decide if we'll build in Arizona?
- Estimating time and materials for repairs – based on phone conversations, photos or on-site inspections, and sometimes home inspection reports.
- Creative solutions for homeowners with space and budget constraints – switched washer/dryer closet to open into the dining room to expand bathroom; added/enlarged closets to turn dens into bedrooms; finding/creating dual-function space and furnishings.
- Technical expertise – repairing damage due to wood rot, doors and windows and the know-how to research any project and find all the critical information, the approach I've used to write more than 2,000 homeowner articles.
Helping You Manage Your Home with Confidence
Everyone starts their homeowner journey from a different place. Maybe you grew up in an apartment, or your Dad only involved your brother in handyman activities or you preferred your electronics over getting your hands dirty? That's why we offer homeowner help in lots of different formats:
We offer free articles (our library) and definitions (our glossary) to help you find answers to your questions, inspiration to update your home to fit your lifestyle better and so much more. Everything is written in plain English, to help you learn and get comfortable with the concepts and words you'll use when working with home professionals from real estate agents to builders, contractors and so many more.
If you don't find what you're looking for, please let us know so we can put it on the list of content to be developed. Even better, leave us comments at the bottom of each library or glossary post, so everyone can join in the conversation.
We save you time and money by bringing together all the information you need to manage a home project with confidence. We walk you through the steps to complete your project with a planning workbook, and identify resources to help you dig deeper.
From finding contractors to remodeling a bathroom, we've pulled together the most critical information you need.
To get familiar with my formation, get your copy of Rediscover Your Dream Home.
Do you want more support as you tackle your projects? For homeowners with a long list of projects or a major renovation like remodeling a bathroom or creating a home office, the Savvy Homeowner Club offers support from start to finish.
There are multiple ways to interact with Tina Gleisner and other home experts. Members have a weekly Q&A calls and a private members forum where you can interact with other women homeowners facing similar challenges. There's also more content like a directory of trusted online resources.
So if you've always wanted somewhere to ask your homeowner questions, someone you can trust because they're not selling a product or service, the Savvy Homeowner Club is for you.
Are you stuck and unsure how to move forward with a remodeling or home repair project? And you don't know where to turn for advice, where you'll be treated with respect regardless of the questions you want to ask?
For homeowners who want answers now, who want one-on-one time with a home improvement expert, you can schedule a private session with Tina Gleisner, founder of Home Tips for Women. Tina is a creative homeowner with experience owning, building and remodeling many homes across the United States.
Tina also owned a handyman business in southern NH for eight years, which put her on an accelerated learning curve … like owning hundreds of homes at once.