Q. Our house is undergoing changes, and we forgot to ask about who does the alarms. Neither the contractor nor the electrician wants to do it, and told us to get an alarm company. While we can’t blame them for not figuring the cost into the work, we feel put upon to start interviewing security people, especially with full-time jobs and with everyone seeming ready to take other jobs if we don’t decide fast. We also want to know if we should have security cameras installed. Do people really use them? What do you suggest? more

Q. We have a turn-of-the-(last)-century front-porch colonial. It needs substantial modernization, and I've found that problems that seem unrelated in fact do contribute to one another, leading to bigger costs than expected. For example, we need a new boiler, new wiring, a rebuilt chimney and insulation in the walls. Further, the house has a lead water main and a sewer line that has been penetrated by tree roots. The boiler connects to the chimney, which has never been lined and doesn’t have a rain cap. To replace the boiler, we have to line the chimney with a liner that fits the new boiler, and we have to rebuild at least part of the chimney above the roof. more