Marcelo Lavala is a journal for home improvement, property and the trades. Practical guides for people who own, rent, build or renovate, written by editors who read the contract and stand on the site, not by a marketing desk.
Who we are
We are a small team of writers with backgrounds in residential construction, interior design and property transactions. The site started in 2022 as a shared notebook of renovation costs and contractor questions, passed between friends who kept asking the same thing: is this quote fair, and what will actually go wrong?
Our mission
Every week we publish free guides on property, architecture, home decor, remodeling and working with contractors. You get real 2026 prices, honest coverage of the risks, and recommendations you can act on before you sign or demolish anything.
Editorial standards
No sponsored picks, no pay-to-rank lists. We buy or commission at normal terms what we test, disclose any relationship before it matters, and correct mistakes in public within 48 hours. Numbers come from our own projects, contractor quotes and public building guidance, never from a brand's brochure. If a product or a method fails in real use, we say so.
The team
Marcelo Lavala runs the desk as editor. Reporting comes from contributing writers who have managed their own builds, plus trade professionals who review technical claims before publication. Every guide is checked by a second editor before it ships, and none of us take payment from the companies we cover.
Talk to us
Corrections, pitches and reader questions are welcome at [email protected] or through our contact page. We reply within one business day, and we read every note. If we got something wrong, tell us and we will fix it where everyone can see the change.