I’ve seen I get a handful of repeat questions by DMs, feedback, and publication replies, so I believed it will be enjoyable to start out answering a couple of of them in additional element every month.
Ask Brittany – January 2026 Version
How is ChatGPT serving to you beautify your house?
This has been a complete recreation changer for somebody like me who can’t visualize what one thing will seem like. I typically don’t know if I like one thing till I’m staring proper at it—which makes adorning difficult.
We use the paid model of ChatGPT (although you are able to do this with the free model too—there’s only a restrict on picture generations). I merely take a photograph of the house I need to enhance, add it within the app, and describe what I’d prefer to see. It normally takes a bit of back-and-forth to get my imaginative and prescient throughout, and it’s positively not flawless. Generally proportions are off, or it removes issues completely (RIP to the air return vent that disappeared on one wall). However total? Extremely useful.
Take the large empty wall beside our hearth, for instance. I uploaded a photograph of the clean house and requested ChatGPT to brighten it within the type of Pottery Barn. I don’t need my entire home to seem like a Pottery Barn catalog, however the aesthetic aligns carefully with what I like—and it’s a mode that’s straightforward for the instrument to know.
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You’ll discover the proportions modified fairly a bit. It shrunk the stone space to the fitting of the fireside, lowered the ceiling, and prolonged the mantel. Not supreme… so I saved enjoying with it.
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Good? No. However nonetheless very useful for somebody who struggles with the “what is going to this truly seem like?” query? Completely.
After a couple of extra iterations, I landed on a model that felt sensible and that I genuinely beloved. With that picture (beneath) in thoughts, I reached out to a carpenter—and shortly I’ll have the ability to present you the real-life “after” of this house with floating cabinets.
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I’ll report again on how the experiment seems, however I’ve already used this method in a number of different areas of our house. I’m planning a built-in bench for the entrance porch and am very near pulling the set off on a setup for an empty nook in the lounge too.
Have you ever used ChatGPT for house design?
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What books have you ever learn currently?
Let’s discuss January reads but in addition 2025 books since my studying tends to stretch over time.
At any given second, I normally have:
- a bodily e-book for me
- an audiobook for me
- a bodily read-aloud with the youngsters
- an audiobook with the youngsters
- and normally an audiobook for me and every child for automotive time
It seems like quite a bit, nevertheless it works for us.
As a substitute of sharing simply what I’m studying proper now, right here’s a have a look at what I’ve learn over the previous six months or so. I’ve linked all the pieces for simple searching and added my completely subjective letter grade subsequent to every.
On My Personal
- Outlive — A
- The Story (Teen Model) — B
- Demon Copperhead — A
- Massive Lovely Life — Did Not End
- Be Prepared When the Luck Occurs — B-
- Pleasure & Prejudice (with Hailey) — A+
- The Alchemist — C
- 4 Thousand Weeks: Time Administration for Mortals — B
With the Youngsters
- Anne of Inexperienced Gables — A+
- Pollyanna — B-
- Little Girls — A+
- Quantity the Stars — A
- The Secret Backyard — B+
- The Bridge to Terabithia — C
- A Wrinkle in Time — C
- Beowulf — B+
- The place the Crimson Fern Grows — A+
- King Arthur and the Knights of the Spherical Desk — B-
- The Legend of Sleepy Hole — B+
- The Mysterious Benedict Society — A
- The Hobbit — A
Brief time period rental recommendation?
I typically get requested: What do you would like you’d identified earlier than getting began with short-term leases?
First, begin right here—I wrote a submit answering frequent FAQs about short-term leases. Then, listed here are a couple of rapid-fire ideas:
First, begin right here the place I wrote a submit about FAQ with quick time period leases. Then, listed here are a couple of speedy hearth suggestions:
- Be clear about your targets. Are you targeted on earnings/money movement? Decreasing taxable earnings? Making a trip house for your loved ones? These solutions matter as a result of they’ll form all the pieces—from the property you select to the way you handle it.
- Select a property with a distinguishing function. Particularly in common markets, one thing must set your house aside—a view, an amazing location, or a novel amenity. There’s additionally an outdated saying: heads and beds. The extra folks you may comfortably sleep, the higher your reserving potential (even when that results in some unconventional sleeping preparations like a twin mattress in the identical room because the king mattress).
- Resolve whether or not you’ll self-manage or rent a supervisor. There are professionals and cons to each. If a part of your technique entails tax advantages, self-managing—and monitoring at the least 500 hours—issues. In the event you use a supervisor, store round. Charges range broadly, and a few can take a stunning chunk out of your income.
- Have a monetary cushion. Early bills and slower-than-expected ramp-up intervals are frequent. You don’t need to really feel cash-strapped whilst you’re nonetheless discovering your footing.
- Analysis market information before you purchase. Instruments like PriceLabs and AirDNA may help you set sensible expectations. Proudly owning a property near house is handy, however comfort doesn’t at all times equal robust returns.
Subsequent month…
Have a query that might be enjoyable to speak about subsequent month? Remark beneath or e-mail me—I’d love to incorporate it.
And now I’m curious:
What’s the best approach you’ve used ChatGPT (or Copilot or Grok)?
What’s the very best e-book you’ve learn currently?
Any funding methods catching your eye proper now?
