How To Talk to Contractors (From Slate's How To! Podcast)
The Sam Sanders Show
KCRW & Sam Sanders
4.9 • 709 Ratings
🗓️ 30 December 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from the How To! Podcast.
Sam is many things: journalist, podcaster, pop-culture obsessive, and a familiar voice from public radio. He’s also “quite possibly the world’s most hesitant homeowner.” Sam wants to fix up the house he recently bought, but three things are holding him back: First, he doesn’t have a clue where to start. Second, he’s not very handy. And third, he’s intimidated by the thought of talking with contractors (who might discover the first two things about him). In the first episode of a two-part series, host Carvell Wallace brings on home improvement expert and bestselling author Mercury Stardust (aka The Trans Handy Ma’am) to guide Sam in conquering his fears.
Mercury’s latest book is Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair.
Ready for part 2? This conversation continues with How To Take Charge of Home Repair.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey listeners, it is the season of giving. |
| 0:03.0 | Get that warm, fuzzy feeling. |
| 0:05.1 | Make a donation, pick out some cozy KCRW merch, or send meals to local food banks. |
| 0:11.1 | Donate now at kCRW.com slash give. |
| 0:15.3 | Hey, y'all, Sam Sanders here. |
| 0:16.8 | Today we have a very special treat for you. |
| 0:19.5 | It's a recent conversation I had with the folks over |
| 0:22.1 | at Slate's how to podcast. This episode is all about how to be a homeowner because I've been one |
| 0:29.1 | now for a few years and it still scares me. I don't know how to do it, y'all. So I spoke with |
| 0:35.5 | Mercury Stardust. Let me tell you, Mercury gave me all the |
| 0:39.0 | best tips, all the best tricks on what to do with my very complicated house issues. Turns out these |
| 0:44.7 | issues were emotional and possibly stemming from childhood. I know, I know. We cover how to talk |
| 0:51.3 | to contractors, how to make sure things really get fixed, how to not get scammed, and how to, I don't know, have faith in yourself the entire time. |
| 0:59.3 | This was a very fun chat, a very informative chat. |
| 1:02.3 | I learned a lot. I think you might too. |
| 1:05.3 | Here's my chat with Mercury. Let's just get into it. |
| 1:09.0 | How does AI even work? |
| 1:11.5 | Where does creativity come from? |
| 1:14.0 | What's the secret to living longer? |
| 1:16.4 | Ted Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. |
| 1:21.4 | They will surprise, challenge, and even change you. |
| 1:24.9 | Listen to NPR's TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. |
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