With Christmas just around the corner, why not consider making home improvements that decorate for the holidays and last for the entire year? One of my favorite improvements is to add exterior lighting that you can deck with light strings, vines, wreaths or bows. But this year, put in doorway lamps, entry overhangs, walkway lighting, [...]
As each year draws to an end, pundits like to sermonize on the best returns on investment homeowners receive from remodeling. The latest analysis that caught my eye appeared at the personal finance pages on Yahoo last week where writer Dana Dratch identified the home improvement projects that delivered the worst ROI.
Near the top of [...]
It’s not too early to put together a priority list for home improvements or landscaping chores you need to get done before fall and winter. The stressed housing market means many contractors are offering low bids just to get work. Assemble a menu of tasks according to what you can do yourself and by jobs [...]
OK, gunslingers, it’s time to draw your caulking gun before the bad boys of winter settle in to ravage the homestead. Kidding aside, caulking and sealing is a home improvement project that fits the schedule between barbecues and beach trips. You’ll gain a lot of protection for your home with just a little time and [...]
The right lawn care tools simply bring your landscaping ideas to fruition. But do you need to own them all? Buying an aerator makes sense if you have a large lawn area on soil that bakes hard or is already compacted by nature. Most people, however, rent aerators from $40 – $150 a day from [...]
If your basement is wet, moldy and frequently flooded, it may not be due to a flaw in your foundation. Often the culprit is leaking basement walls that are saturated from rain run-off. It’s a sadly common occurrence when outdoor landscaping or elevations are sloped to drain toward your exteriors. The long-term damage can be [...]
It comes as no real surprise to those of us who own homes that today’s housing crisis—which began in 2006—has now officially been called the worst since the Great Depression. According to CNBC, prices have plummeted by 33 percent, some three percent deeper than the plunge in the late 1920s. Foreclosures continue to depress housing [...]
Do you think your home will catch the eye of a potential buyer in a challenging real estate market? Look again. Even if you’ve put money into home improvements in energy efficiency, plumbing, landscaping and fresh paint, your inattention to routine maintenance across the board can send out red flags to home shoppers. Real estate [...]
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