Posts with tag 'Home Improvement'

The leaves are changing, and there's a chill in the air. Fall is here, and it's a wonderful time to celebrate. Decorating your home is one of the best ways to enjoy the change of season and get yourself in a festive mood for the upcoming holidays.

You don't have to own a ton of seasonal decor or be a decorating diva to give your home a warm and cozy autumn makeover. Start with these six simple tips, then see where your imagination takes you.

1. Create a Welcoming Entrance
   Your front porch and entryway create the first impression when guests arrive at your home. This is why it's such a great idea to begin by decorating this space. Purchase or make a fall-themed wreath and get some pumpkins from your local pumpkin patch. If you have a decorative porch leaner, this can also add some extra character to the space.
   
   Other items, like a wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins and gourds, corn stalks, bales of hay, or potted mums, can give your outdoo...

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A successful open house can hold the key to unlocking the sale of your home. If you're selling your home during the coronavirus pandemic, showing your home while following health and safety guidelines is a challenge. However, it's not impossible thanks to virtual open houses and showings.

Virtual open houses and showings make it possible to keep your home sale going. There are plenty of things you can do to prepare for your virtual open house. Let's take a look at how to prepare your home.

1. Plan the Walkthrough Path with Your Sales Associate
   Work with your sales associate to select the best path to walk through your home to show its best features during the virtual open house.
2. Declutter & Depersonalize
   Clean and organize your home. Declutter spaces by finding homes for all objects. Before selling your home, remove all family photographs and other personal belongings that make the buyer feel like they're in "som...

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If you want to enjoy a beautiful yard, now is the perfect time to get started.  Don't have a natural green thumb? No worries! Creating beautiful flowerbeds is easier than you think when you plant these easy-to-care-for perennials. 

1. Peony
   With large, gorgeous, blooms that are both colorful and strongly-scented, the Peony is one of the most popular perennial flowers. They're also extremely dependable. They often bloom for three or more years, and some continue to come back and bloom for many decades! 
2. Black-Eyed Susan
   The Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) creates cheery-looking blooms that resemble daisies. The petals come in shades of yellow or orange and have dark centers. They're naturally resistant to insects and drought and most varieties will continue to bloom year after year. 
3. Bearded Iris
   With eye-popping flowers that resemble a crown, the Bearded Iris is one of the most stunning p...

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Rainwater is pure gold that falls from the sky. Harvesting this clean and clear resource can trim your utility bills and minimize your environmental impact while reducing strain on regional water treatment facilities. When properly designed and installed, a rainwater collection system is an investment whose dividends benefit the entire community. The following are seven tips that will help you squeeze every last drop of value from your rainwater collection strategy.

1. Determine Consumption & Availability
   Rainfall is variable, and the amount of rain that falls in your area may not be sufficient to meet your needs. You must calculate the water consumed by your lifestyle and landscaping needs. For example, water consumed by dishwashers, toilets, showers, sprinklers, etc. Next, you will want to determine whether regional rainfall is sufficient to meet these needs. As a general rule, you can expect annual rainfall to meet about 50% of your water n...

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Winter has arrived again and brought darker, colder days with it.  Those gloomy days may make your home, and its surroundings feel drab as well. Before you let winter get the best of you, try some of these easy home improvement tips for brightening up your home.

1. Declutter and Redecorate
   A cluttered home gives an oppressive and unwelcome vibe. Begin by removing any unused furniture since an open space appears not only cleaner but brighter and happier. Rearrange the furniture, so it highlights your windows, lighting, and mirrors.  Avoid placing furniture near windows or the door wall. Consider adding some reflective mirrors because they will let in even more sunlight.
2. Let More Natural Light In
   Improving your windows is the number one way to brighten up your home. Sometimes, that's as easy as washing them and removing the winter grime that's blocking the sunlight. Clean them at least once a month during the winter to ke...

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