Q: I am renting a small, old home without central air conditioning. I have a window air conditioner, and the past few years I’ve awkwardly filled in the space around it with a large piece of plywood.

Timothy has written about personal finance, including detailed home renovation and repair cost guides, since 2017. His work covers everything from plumbing and roofing to solar and pest control. Find ...

REPAIR OR REPLACE?: The age of the system, total cost of repair, and total cost of future repairs are just a few of the things contractors need to take into account when recommending whether to repair ...