Around The Home

26

Apr

Around The Home

Green-ify Your Home with These 3 Easy Home Renovations

The concept of going green is often seen as an expensive process, and this can stop many people from taking the small steps needed to make their home more environmentally friendly. If you want to green-ify without any of the high costs, here are some simple things you can do that will easily improve the energy efficiency of your home. Complete An Energy Audit It can cost in the upwards of $400 to get a certified evaluator to take a look at your property and determine how energy is being wasted, but you can complete this type of evaluation on…

19

Apr

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Let’s Talk Fencing: How to Put a Fence Around Your Home Without Destroying Its Appeal

Many homeowners consider a fence around their property for a variety of reasons, whether it's to keep the dog in the yard or to maintain privacy. However, the wrong fence can entirely change the look of your property and make a beautiful yard a bit of an eyesore. If you're trying to determine what kind of fence will work for your home, here are some tips before you start to dig in the dirt. What's Your Fence For? Before deciding what kind of material to use, it's important to know what type of utility you want for your fence. While…

08

Apr

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Renovating on a Budget? Check Out These Equity-boosting Inexpensive Home Upgrades

The idea of embarking on home renovations may strike many homeowners as an expensive one, but there are plenty of ways that you can easily upgrade your home without spending a lot of money. If you're looking for improvements that will truly (and frugally) improve the value of your home, here are a few do-it-yourself options you may want to consider. Change The Lighting There are few small fixes that will improve the look of your home like lighting, so one of the best things you can do for the overall look of your house is change out some of…

18

Feb

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

How Safe is Your Home from a Fire? Learn How to Run a Quick Fire Safety Assessment

A fire can rage through your home at a moment's notice, and it can cause a significant amount of damage in a very short period of time. Damage from the flames, intense heat, smoke and soot can cause tens of thousands of dollars or more in some cases, and a severe fire event can result in a total loss for the homeowner. More than that, a fire can create a serious health and safety risk for you and your loved ones inside the home. If you are concerned about how safe your home is from a fire, consider a few…

10

Feb

By Lori Blank

Homeowner Tips

3 Reasons You Might Decide to Retire to a Tiny Home – and Why You’ll Love It!

Many people romanticize the idea of paying off their home mortgage early so they can enjoy their home in retirement, but when it comes to the later years of life, a big house can actually be too much to handle. If you've started to consider a smaller home and are wondering why it might be a good decision for you and yours, here are a few things you may want to consider. It's Much Easier To Maintain It is often the idea of the palatial estate with a pool that homeowners get excited about, but when it comes to reality,…

04

Feb

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Where To Squeeze A Home Office In Your Home

If you have started working from home, whether you are a freelancer or running a business, having a home office in your home is very important. It is a place where you can separate your home life and work, so that you can get "in the zone" and concentrate on the important work tasks that you need to complete. But where should you place your home office? If you have a spare bedroom in your home, the answer is easy - but what if you don't have this extra space? Is it possible to squeeze a home office into an…

19

Jan

By Lori Blank

Home Selling Tips

Flaws You Cannot Hide By Staging Your Home

When you sell your home, you want it look as good as possible. To do this, your real estate agent will help you stage your home or, if needed, help you find a professional to stage your home. This means de-cluttering your home, re-arranging furniture, and de-personalizing each room. A staged home is more appealing to buyers and helps to highlight your home's positive features. However, staging is not meant to cover major flaws in your home. Some things just have to be repaired. Roof Problems It doesn't matter how pretty your home is, your buyer is going to expect…

07

Jan

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Dealing with an Empty Nest? 5 Great Reasons to Downsize into a New Condo

There's a good chance if your children have recently moved out that your home is feeling a lot larger than it used to, and perhaps you're re-considering the extra space. If downsizing to a condo is on your mind and you're weighing the benefits of this kind of move, here are some that might make it worth the switch in size. A Little Extra Money With the additional money you should be making off the sale of your home, there's a good chance that downsizing may provide you with extra assets to sock away for retirement, travel or whatever your…

29

Dec

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Running out of Kitchen Space? 5 Storage Hacks That Will Help You Do More with Less

With all of the things that you need to fit into the kitchen, being economical with how you use your space can be a very important part of making it work. If you're looking for some new ideas for how to use your space to maximum capacity, here are some hacks that might just make a marked difference! Make Use of Magnets Using magnets to hold up some kitchen essentials will not only be effective and functional, it will make for a quirky, modern space with personality. Whether you decide on a magnetized knife block for the side of the…

28

Dec

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

Tankless Water Heaters: The Pros and Cons of Going Tankless In Your Home

Large water heaters are unsightly appliances that home-sellers would rather hide. Although it's not always possible to banish these structures, it is possible to replace them with a version that is not as overbearing. Tankless water heaters have the potential to make one home stand out amongst the competition, but they do have some disadvantages along with the benefits. Pro: Tankless Water Heaters Use Less Energy Traditional water heaters continuously heat water that is just sitting in the tank, and this requires energy. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, do not heat the water until someone needs it. Therefore,…