When you take your monthly mortgage payment, utility bills and other expenditures into consideration, it’s no surprise that owning a home is an expensive proposition. But have you ever considered just how many hours you have to work to afford your home? Or how many hours you’d have to work to afford your dream home in Hawaii? (Spoiler alert: don’t buy your plane...
By Roy Rasmussen Relocating to a new state offers the opportunity to start fresh and experience a life you may not have otherwise planned. But, like anything new, moving can present its own unique challenges, from organizing what to bring and discard, to deciding where to enroll the kids in school, to ensuring everyone remains happy and positive. Truly, the devil...
By Matt Parker My brother’s favorite summer car game was table tennis. Off the back of my head in a minivan, with a rubber bouncy ball on a string. Now, as adults, we all play a different game in summer car rides. It’s called: “Hey, we should all chip in and buy a cabin together.” Done well, this is a generational dream come true. Done poorly, you will...
Regardless of the size of your kitchen remodel, adding an island to your design is one of the best things you can do to make your home more livable. There are many ways to fit an island into your kitchen. Here are some types of kitchen islands to consider: 1) Go traditional. If you have a small kitchen, you may not think you have room for a separate island. But even...
What goes around… Kitchen design’s trending more behind the times than ahead of the curve, with once-dated features like colored appliances and tile countertops resurfacing in new, of-the-moment styles. One of the comeback kids is the enclosed kitchen, reimagined as a flex-space that opens today, closes tomorrow. Credit: HGTV.com Why closed-off? For those of us...
Looking to revamp your living space? Before you head out to your favorite home décor store and risk the possibility of loading your cart up with the same items your neighbor just purchased, imagine putting your own spin on the process, creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. That’s the thinking behind Vänt, a new startup that’s encouraging homeowners to bring...
Unless you’re a seasoned real estate buyer and seller, the typical listing presentation can often leave you overwhelmed and dumbstruck. But to really make the right choice when choosing an agent to represent your home, it’s critical that you become an active participant in the listing presentation—it should not be a one-way street! To help glean as much information...
Pools are perfect for summertime fun, but not all pools are great for the environment. Chemicals and other pool-related substances can negatively affect the landscape around you. Maintaining a pool can also get expensive and potentially impact your utility bills. Here are some eco-friendly pool alternatives to keep your bills down and the environment safe. 1) Natural...
By Dixie Somers Having a large family can be a source of joy and pride for both you and your several children. However, it will require more space to house everyone comfortably and to meet their needs. If you have a large household and are looking for a more suitable house to fit your growing family, follow the tips below in order to choose the most comfortable home...
My oldest son turned 20 this year. In addition to realizing I’ll no longer be able to say, “I have two teenagers,” and that I’m probably not going to be his number-one concert buddy anymore, something else hit me on Jack’s birthday—the realization that we’ve now lived in our home for 20 years. Our first home had quietly turned into our only home. Working...
