This Old House Radio Hour

A professional chimney sweep explains how to safely prep, inspect, and clean your fireplace before lighting the first fire of the season. Award-winning poet and host of The Slowdown, Maggie Smith, shows us inside the 100-year-old house that carried her family through every chapter. Cheap Old Houses creators Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein unpack the reality behind two dreamy listings, including a “reimagined” Southern star...

Are you wasting money this winter because your home isn’t holding in your warm air? Learn how to do your home energy audit, so you can save money and keep comfortable. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jeffrey Eugenides takes us inside the prairie-style Michigan home that shaped his childhood and inspired his novel Middlesex, reflecting on architecture, memory, and the way houses shape the stories we tell. And DIY creator Sh...

TikTok’s cleaning expert Brandon Pleshek shows you how to bounce back from the Thanksgiving mess with simple routines and tools that make any home feel fresh fast. Actor William H. Macy shares the story of his Vermont cabin—and the hard-earned lessons he learned about woodstoves, flies, and finding comfort in the chaos. And food legend Alton Brown breaks down how to build a better backyard grill setup for all your holiday ...

Give your house a holiday makeover with the latest and greatest from the north pole. We tell you the latest decoration trends and technology with Jason Woodward from ChristmasDesigners.com. Actor Steve Schirripa reflects on his journey from a crowded Brooklyn apartment to building his dream home in Las Vegas, and how it shaped his understanding of what “home” really means. Also, what happens if your contractor exceeds a qu...

How to make your home run itself from your phone—simple automations you can set up in minutes, even if you’re not techy. Comedian Tig Notaro opens the door to her family’s Gulf Coast home and the love, loss, and resilience held in its walls. And Cheap Old Houses returns with real listings under $50K—and honest advice on what it really takes to fix them up.

On This Episode You Will Learn
*How to tell if you shoul...

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re breaking down home and renter’s insurance—what you really need, what’s worth skipping, and how to keep premiums affordable without leaving gaps. New York Times Bestselling author and National Book Award nominee Rachel Kushner shares the lessons she learned growing up in a small Oregon bungalow, where creativity mattered more than square footage. And we’ll help you choose the ri...

Best-selling author Gretchen Rubin shares simple, free ways to make your home feel happier and more organized. Henry Rollins reflects on DC row houses, Ian MacKaye’s attic, and how the punk scene shaped his sense of home. Plus, Cheap Old Houses highlights two historic homes under $30,000, and our experts take listener questions on real home repairs.

What you’ll learn:

*The right tools to remove old staples an...

It’s an hour of Halloween Horror This Old House style! What happens when your dream home comes with… ghosts? Realtor Cindy Hagley reveals the chilling truths behind buying a stigmatized or haunted house—and what buyers should ask before the ink dries. Then, filmmaker Ronan Day-Lewis revisits his family’s eerie Connecticut farmhouse, where the basement still gives him nightmares. Plus, our electrician shows you how to keep ...

Before wildfire season hits, learn how to keep your house from burning before the flames arrive — and why your gutters might save your foundation. Then, Adam Carolla heads back to his childhood home and discovers that “turnkey” doesn’t mean what he thought. Plus, our landscape and lawn experts share the best ways to winterize your yard and garden.

In this episode you’ll also learn:

*Why gutters beat drains f...

Is that dark patch on your basement wall harmless—or a hidden health hazard? This week, we’re breaking down what every homeowner should know about mold, moisture, and how to keep your home healthy. Plus, Nick Offerman shares memories from the Minooka, Illinois farmhouse where he grew up.

All of this, plus we’re answering your home improvement questions at 877-This Old House Radio Hour! — That’s (877) 864-7460.

Hurricane season is here—this episode of This Old House Radio Hour goes beyond the basics with a step-by-step hurricane preparedness checklist to harden your home before the next storm hits. Plus, actor–director Griffin Dunne’s Beverly Hills childhood home, and Ethan & Elizabeth from Cheap Old Houses share two waterfront sleepers.

In this episode you will learn:
*How to identify and tame truss uplift so ceil...

Remediation Expert Ron Pike explains the simple rule for asbestos and lead: don’t touch it until you test it, and call in a pro if needed. Comedian Rhett McLaughlin (Good Mythical Morning) takes us inside his North Carolina log cabin, where family memories and even a few critters remind us why home matters. This Old House’s Kevin O’Connor checks in from Asheville, one year after Hurricane Helene, to show how families are r...

This week we break down how to build a net-zero home with YouTuber Matt Ferrell—from electrification and heat pumps to solar, batteries, and smart load-shifting. Then On Point’s Meghna Chakrabarti takes us back to her Corvallis, Oregon childhood home where her parents grew their version of the American dream. And Cheap Old Houses spotlights a 1930s stucco in San Antonio and a Mississippi farmstead with room to grow.

Inspector Fletch walks us through the essentials of a professional home inspection—from spotting foundation cracks and moisture intrusion to attic ventilation and hidden safety risks—so homeowners can protect their biggest investment with confidence. Plus, New Yorker editor David Remnick recalls life in a Moscow flat as a young correspondent during the collapse of the Soviet Union, showing how home and history intertwine i...

Learn how the right paint colors can boost your mood, why muted patterns calm anxiety, how to test pipes for lead with a magnet, the fix for mysterious cracking tile noises, and whether solar panels work on moonlight. Plus: Mike and Molly’s Billy Gardell shares the story of buying his first home, experts tackle driveway erosion, and you’ll get pro tips like removing marble stains with baking soda and protecting tools with ...

We meet the founders of Move Over Bob, a fast-growing initiative to inspire more young women to enter the trades, Bangles founder Susanna Hoffs takes us inside the living room she transformed into a recording studio, and Alton Brown shows us how to hack everyday hardware into outdoor cooking gear. Plus, our experts tackle listener calls ranging from squeaky theater floors to century-old wiring, offering hands-on solutions ...

The future of home security — from smart locks and cameras to Wi-Fi safety and DIY alarm systems. Plus, Grammy-winning banjo player Alison Brown takes us inside Nashville’s legendary Hillbilly Central, we tour a historic 1811 log home and a lakeside A-frame in Indiana with Cheap Old Houses, and our pros answer your DIY questions on fascia repair, smart mirror installation, ventless dryers, and roof moss removal.

All...

Discover how tool lending libraries are transforming DIY, get expert advice on fixing crank-out windows, troubleshoot EV charging electrical mysteries, and explore actress and filmmaker Embeth Davidtz's soulful Hawaiian home restoration—plus insider tips for buying your next air conditioner. From hands-on repairs to design inspiration, this episode of This Old House Radio Hour delivers practical know-how you can use right ...

Tech Radar’s Lance Ulanoff reveals the one smart home upgrade that truly changes how your house functions—and it’s not what you think. Plus, Daryl Hall gives a tour of his 1787 farmhouse, and our experts answer your calls on noisy windows, wobbly railings, and cracked concrete floors.
 
In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The one smart home upgrade worth investing in—and how it actually works (1:00)

What t...