From hardwood to vinyl to tile kitchen flooring options, find the best kitchen flooring for you.
Solve the problem of corralling your stuff once and for all.
Sometimes the difference between “clutter” and “collection” is in the presentation. After falling in love with film photography as a student, Nicholas Hendrickx amassed an expansive assortment of cameras. They ranged from $1 thrift-shop finds to high-end brands like Hasselblad — scattered throughout his home.
That 6-inch space between your refrigerator and the wall can either be a destination for dust bunnies or the answer to your small-kitchen storage woes. Classy Clutter blogger Mallory Nikolaus spent just $110 to build a pull-out pantry for canned goods and spices.
Situated next to the back door, the home’s electric and cable boxes and create built-in storage for a garden hose and cleaning supplies was a longtime eyesore, but it took just one day to fix. Farrar and her husband removed the top and back of the armoire and built a concrete-stone foundation to keep the cabinetry out of any standing water.
Your bed takes up prime real estate in your home. And for all but eight hours of the day, it doesn’t serve much of a purpose. Why not put that space to work? Beds with built-in drawers are convenient for in-season clothing, while lift-up mattresses like this Ikea model offer a box-spring-size storage area for items you don’t need every day.
With these tips and tricks, your house will be swoon-worthy in no time.
Many listing agents offer staging services to clients as part of their services. If you want to use someone you find yourself, you typically will have to pay out of pocket.
Staging costs vary depending on where you live and how many rooms you’re staging. Home sellers can expect to pay $500 to $2,000. If your house is empty because you’ve already moved, you might also have additional expenses for renting furniture and other homey decorations to make it look lived-in.
Keep in mind staging can be conducted virtually these days. If you don’t know of any virtual stagers, ask your agent for recommendations. These stagers offer video consultations, where they can advise while you execute the changes. They may also digitally modify images, which must be fully disclosed to buyers.
Be the home on the block that bugs run from.
A lush spot for outdoor entertaining? Great. Perfect. A constant swarm of insects that invade your patio and home? No, thank you. Here’s how to keep bugs away from your patio and yard, and from getting inside your house.
Mosquitos may have a tough sting, but they’re wimps when it comes to standing up to a breeze. Patio fans can keep your outdoor entertaining space free from mosquitoes (and other little flyers) with the flip of a switch. And you’ll get the benefit of a cool breeze.
While mulching is generally a good thing for curb appeal, overdoing it can cause problems.
It could give cockroaches and ants the ideal environment to nest and find their way into your home, says Brittany Campbell, an entomologist and technical services manager at Control Services in Omaha. As mulch decomposes, it generates heat while providing cover for brooding pests. It can even help mice tunnel into your home.
So keep mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation — or use inorganic mulch, such as rock or gravel.
But don’t go in the opposite direction and forgo mulching altogether, leaving the ground essentially bare. Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt.
You probably know this one already. But did you know your gutters and downspouts may harbor multiple mosquito maternity wards?
Clean out gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water and give those nasty stingers a place to breed.
Also make sure to keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when not in use.
Even your beloved birdbath can be an issue. “Make sure you get one with running water, so you don’t inadvertently create a mosquito breeding ground,” says Kevin Espiritu, home landscaping expert and author.
Pull out that lawnmower regularly and keep your garden shears sharpened.
“Ticks like to hide in tall grass and wait for a passing human or animal, while bushes or tree limbs touching the home can provide easy access for pests to get indoors,” says Campbell.
Plus having a tidy yard makes for good curb appeal.
Bugs hate strong scents of mint or citrus. Mix plants with those scents into your landscaping, especially near the porch, patio, or deck for added beauty and functionality.
Here are some pest-repelling plants and the bugs that hate them:
Studies show that bugs see dark and bright colors more easily, which is why people are often advised to wear light-colored clothing to repel them. The same principle may work for your home.
Choose lighter shades of paint color for your home’s siding, doors, trim, and other features such as fencing, patio, and decking to make them less attractive to mosquitoes.
And if pesky birds are a problem, avoid paint that’s the same color as their favorite foods.
Just be sure the paint job fits into the neighborhood and enhances your home’s beauty. Bugs are a pain, but hurting your home’s value is more painful.
If you live in an area where bats are local, lucky you. Really. Harness their appetite for insects to control pests in your yard. You can invite them to be your permanent guests by building a bat house. According to Bat Conservation International, one small bat can consume up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour!
Budget ideas to transform your outdoor living space into a beautiful (and fun) retreat.
Creating a seamless transition between your home’s interior and exterior isn’t as simple or low cost as adding some cushy cushions, but it’s seriously the best way to pull you outside more.
Comfy is easy to achieve and can be as low cost as you want. Start simple with a cushion or two or even a throw.
Our devices and electronics have conspired to keep us on lock down inside.
Outdoor lighting dresses up your home’s marketability and appeal (exterior lighting is buyers’ second most wanted outdoor feature, according to the NAHB study), makes it safer, and lets you spend more time outside.
Hang around outdoor lighting designers long enough and you’ll hear a lot of talk about “moonlight effect.” That’s a naturalistic look that features light no more intense than that of a full moon, but still strong enough to make beautiful shadows and intense highlights on your home’s exterior.
Soft, overall landscape lighting eliminates dark areas that might hide an intruder, exposing any movement on your property.
Overly bright lights actually have a negative effect, creating undesirable pockets of deep shadow.
Once disparaged for their high cost and cold, bluish glow, LEDs are now the light source of choice for lighting designers.
Although LED fixtures remain twice as expensive as incandescents, installation is simpler because they use low-voltage wiring.
Total outdoor lighting costs will vary according to the size of your home and the complexity of your lighting scheme. Expect to pay about $100 to $200 per LED fixture including installation. LEDs also require a transformer; together, they’ll cost $300 to $500 with installation.
Laminate kitchen countertops offer durability and style at a price lower than any other material. It’s a worthy contender if you have a limited budget.
Laminates are made with layers of paper, including a decorative layer, and melamine resin. Generally, the thicker the product, the more durable and costly it’ll be. Higher-end laminates offer 10-year warranties. Fancy edge treatments — beveling, ogees, and bullnose — kick up the costs, too.
In the past, laminate kitchen countertops looked like poor copies of materials, such as wood and stone, because reproduction qualities were poor, and the finished product depended on a repeating pattern about 18 inches wide.
Today, advanced photographic technology creates laminates that look more like the real thing, and unique patterns can be up to 5 feet wide — wide enough to create an entire “granite” kitchen island with no repeating pattern.
For a pretty yard — and a full plate, too.
If you’re serious about a good-looking yard, blooming azaleas, and lush bushes, you need fertilizer. You can buy it — or get some for free if you build your own compost bin with just a few pieces of salvaged wood and galvanized steel mesh, and corrugated sheet metal roof for the top.
Plants are cheaper in fall because nurseries like to clean out their inventories — often between 20% and 50% off. Or, better yet, get them for free from neighbors and friends. Gardeners have to divide and cut back their plants in the fall, so don’t be afraid to ask if you can take advantage of their unwanted offshoots. Chances are they’d be happy to give them to you.
Prepare your garden for fall veggies by pulling out all summer plants that are done, turning and loosening the soil, removing all weeds, and adding compost. Then plant vegetables that thrive in cooler temperatures (down to 20 degrees F) — broccoli, spinach, and cabbage.
Forget lemons and costly cleaners. Super cheap salt works the best.
Voila! A fresh-smelling drain!
Leftovers gobbling up space in your refrigerator? Here are some tips for keeping things organized, efficient, and tasty.
The front of the middle rack, near eye-level, is prime refrigerator real estate. Put priority items there, like leftovers you want eaten soon and healthy snacks. The back of the fridge is the coldest part. Store milk there, and it will stay fresh longer.
Don’t waste fridge space on food that doesn’t need to be chilled. Examples: fresh eggs from backyard chickens (though store-bought eggs do need refrigerating), ketchup, vinegar, jam, mayonnaise, and butter. Put those items in the pantry. You can store fresh eggs in a bowl on the counter for eight weeks.
Never put tomatoes in fridge, or they’ll get mushy; onions will soften; honey will thicken; potatoes will turn too starchy. Keep onions and potatoes in separate paper bags and store in a cool, dark place (a lower cabinet drawer is great).
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