Everything I know about keeping a house running, written down.
203 old fixes that still work, room by room. One call to the plumber costs more than this whole book.
- Download it the minute you pay
- Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print it
- Large print included · 30 days money back
Why I wrote it down
I've kept old houses running through fifty-some winters, mine and half my street's, and I never once held a license. So every fix in this book is checked against the people who do: the extension services, the CDC, the EPA, the Red Cross. Their names are on the page.
Some of the old ways hold up. Some never worked, and I say so plainly, so you can stop spending money on them. Where a job belongs to a licensed pro, I tell you that too.
A video goes by. A book stays where you can find it.
Harlan Fenton
Instant download · Read it on any screen · 30 days money back
What these jobs cost when you call someone
Five everyday troubles, all in the book. Here's what a pro typically charges, and what the fix costs at the hardware store.
The book is $37. If it saves you one call, it has paid for itself.
Pro prices are typical US ranges from Angi, HomeAdvisor and HomeGuide (2025–2026). Hardware prices are Home Depot and Ace shelf prices in October 2026. Your town will differ.
Instant download · Read it on any screen · 30 days money back
What's inside: 203 fixes, room by room
The Kitchen 30 fixes
Ants, the burnt pan, the furred-up kettle, the three cleaners never to mix.
Keeping Food 33 fixes
What the date on a package means, flour and potatoes, the freezer that went off.
The Cold Months 25 fixes
Drafts, curtains to the sill, the pipes that freeze, the first night with no heat.
Doors and Windows 24 fixes
The sticking door, the strike plate nobody checks, the light that fools nobody.
The Yard and What Comes In From It 28 fixes
Mice, gutters, the walk around the house, the shovel before the salt.
Repair and Making Do 27 fixes
The screw that won't hold, which glue for which break, darning.
The Medicine Shelf 17 fixes
What has expired, getting rid of old medicines, the first-aid box.
Water 19 fixes
The main shutoff, the running toilet, mold on a wall, storing water.
Three of the 203, in a nutshell
Cold air coming in under the front door.
Tonight, a rolled towel tight against it. For good, a door sweep and fresh foam strip, a few dollars at the hardware store.
Method 67 in the book, with the full steps
The toilet keeps running.
A few drops of food coloring in the tank, then wait ten minutes. Color in the bowl means a worn flapper, a part you can change yourself.
Method 189 in the book, with the full steps
Mice, even with the plug-in repeller.
Unplug it: the University of California finds little evidence these boxes work. Close the holes with steel wool and set snap traps.
Method 117 in the book, with the full steps
Real pages from the book
Tap a page to read it full size.
Instant download · Read it on any screen · 30 days money back
Everything you get
The Household Book
by Harlan Fenton · digital edition
- 203 fixes in 8 sections, room by room
- The large-print edition too, in 16-point type
- An index by problem: find the trouble, go to the page
- Read it on any screen, or print as many copies as you like for your family
- Yours the minute you pay, with a copy of the link by email
- Secure payment by Whop
- 30 days money back
At checkout you can add my Drawer Cards for $9: forty short fixes to print and keep in a kitchen drawer.
Want the winter book too? Get both books with Volume II: Winter, Power & the Garage (45 more fixes), $67
Thirty days. Keep the book either way.
Read it, try a few fixes. If it isn't worth it to you, write to contact@harlanfenton.com within thirty days and you'll get every cent back. No form, no questions.
Questions people ask me
Will a book come in the mail?
No. It's a digital book (a PDF file) that you download the minute you pay, so there's no shipping and no waiting. Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print the pages you want on ordinary letter-size paper, as many copies as you like for your own family.
How do I get it after I pay?
A big button appears on the screen as soon as you've paid. Tap it and the book opens. The same button comes by email within a minute or two. Nothing there? Look in spam, or write to contact@harlanfenton.com.
I'm not good with computers. Will I manage?
If you can watch my videos, you can open this. It works on a phone, a tablet or a computer. If you get stuck, write to contact@harlanfenton.com and someone will walk you through it.
My eyes aren't what they were. How big is the type?
Both editions are included: standard print (248 pages) and large print in 16-point type (485 pages). On a tablet you can make it bigger still with two fingers.
I'm not handy. Is it still for me?
Yes. Most fixes need things already in the kitchen drawer or a few dollars at the hardware store, and each one is set out step by step. Where a job is for a licensed pro, I say so.
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay once. Nothing renews.
