Lost and Found: A Compassionate Guide to Homeownership by Stardust, Mercury

The trans handy ma'am is back ... and this time she's buying a house and taking her loyal audience along on the journey

Buying your first home can be an intimidating process filled with questions and uncertainties--how do you know you're working with a trustworthy lender? What are closing costs and how much should you budget for them? Can you actually afford to fix a fixer-upper?

In this successor to the #1 New York Times bestseller Safe and Sound, Mercury Stardust demystifies the path to homeownership and sets you up for homeowning success. Learn about the ups and downs of the house hunting process--from putting in an offer to going through inspections and closing--and then join Mercury as she tackles her first year with a fixer-upper that needs to be renovated and updated.

With DIY projects and guides for renovating and maintaining every part of your new house, as well as with tips for weather-proofing and maintaining outdoor spaces like a deck or garden, Lost and Found will empower you to create your dream home. Mercury reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly, including all the emotional highs and lows when things break, emergencies arise, and the unexpected inevitably happens.

Author: Mercury Stardust
Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 9.30h x 7.90w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780593847824

About the Author
Mercury Stardust (@mercurystardust) known as the Trans Handy Ma'am, is a professional home maintenance technician, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning activist. Mercury credits her TikTok success to her experience teaching burlesque, where she learned to communicate and create a safe space for students who had frequently experienced trauma. She's been featured in stories by NBC, NPR, Buzzfeed, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and Pink News. Her leadership within the trans community has led to collaborations with such brands as Dolby, Lowe's, and Point of Pride. Her #1 New York Times bestseller, Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair, was published in 2023.