Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: Powerof10

  • Top 10 DIY Hacks and Projects for Home Improvement

    Owning a home requires a lot of work. Fixing up the house can also get expensive. Tackling a few DIY projects is a great way save a lot of money and add value to your property.


    Storage, storage, storage
    A common complaint among homeowners is that there is never enough storage. One easy solution to maximize the spaces in your home is to look up. For example, there’s usually a lot of empty space in the laundry room above the washer and dryer. Hang galvanized pipe fittings  from the ceiling so that you can hang clothing. After cleaning and spraying the fittings with metal primer, paint them to match the room and then attach them to the ceiling. Other ways to use high areas of your home include building shelves where there was previously unused wall space.

     

     

    Don’t forget your patio
    The summers are the perfect time to start an outdoor project. There are thousands of DIY patio projects online, including tips for how to build a trellis or a fire pit. Some projects are more labor intensive than others, so be realistic about how much time you have to devote to executing your idea.

    Plant some bushes or trees
    DIY projects can be extended to the garden. Plant a row of evergreen shrubs or trees along the side of your house for privacy or as a windscreen. Many shrubs or trees grow many feet per year, which means that within a couple years, you’ll have one of the most enviable homes on the block.

  • 10 Tips for Finding Great Real Estate for Sale

    Finding your dream home can feel stressful, but there’s plenty of great real estate for sale to suit nearly every buyer. Breaking down the process of buying a new home into steps isn’t only helpful, but it will help it feel manageable. Below are 10 great tips to help you go from dreaming of owning a new home to actually holding the keys.

    Make a wish list and prioritize your needs

    Now is the time to think about what your perfect home looks like. Unless you have a bottomless bank account, you probably won’t be able to get everything you want. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of having a fireplace, but when it comes down to it, what you really need is a home located near good schools.Taking time to make a wish list will help you prioritize needs over wants.

    Set a realistic budget

    Perhaps the most stressful part of buying a home is setting a budget, yet this doesn’t need to be a daunting task. Figure out how much house you can afford by examining your current salary and debts. A mortgage payment should never be more than a third of your income, while your debt should be less than 40 percent of your income.

    Hire a great real estate agent

    Unless you’re an orthodontist, you probably wouldn’t attempt to fit someone with a pair of braces, right? The same theory holds true for buying real estate. Great REALTORS® will demystify the process of finding your dream home, from working within your budget to putting in a bid. In addition, it’s their job to know the market and they can help you find your perfect home, even when there’s competition from other buyers in your area.

    Make a checklist

    You’ve prioritized your wish list, set a realistic budget, and hired a real estate agent. Time to sit back and relax, right? Wrong! Now’s the time to make a checklist of all the things you need to consider when finding your dream house. Your list should include the priorities from your wish list. For example, how close is the house to schools and grocery stores? Does the home have a fireplace? How much does the current owner pay annually in taxes? Preparing a list of questions before you purchase your new home will make sure you don’t have questions later.

    Location, location, location!

    Although it might seem obvious to carefully choose where you buy a home, you’d be surprised how many people cut corners. Is it a priority for you to find real estate close to schools? Or perhaps it’s a priority to be located off a busy street to avoid noise pollution. In short, a dream home isn’t ideal at all if it’s not located in the perfect place.

  • 10 Easy Spring Centerpieces to Impress

    Consider these 10 easy spring centerpieces, whether you want to impress guests or create an awe-inspiring space for yourself.

    Whether you’re hosting a brunch, throwing a shower or simply decorating your house for the season, spring centerpieces can add the perfect touch to your table. With the abundance of flowers during spring, it’s easy to find blooms that will bring life to your home. In keeping with the season’s theme of newness, the time is ideal for trying out a fresh style in floral containers or even centerpieces sans flowers.

    1. Keep it cool

    Welcome spring with cool-toned flowers accentuated by a simple tin bowl or glass vase. Choose blossoms like purple or blue grape hyacinth, plum tulips, and grape fritillaria combined with ruffled columbine foliage for a dramatic, yet well-balanced effect. Arrange your flowers on their own or with black pussy willow crisscrossed to form a nest that they can nestle in.

     

     

    2. Make a statement with daffodils

    Gather daffodils from your garden or purchase them from the farmers market or a nursery. The cut blooms are alluring in cream, yellow and apricot. Pair them in a sleek and minimalist container with twigs of heritage pussy willow. Consider cutting daffodils before their buds open to enjoy a long-lasting bouquet that affords glimpses of the flower in its many forms.

     

  • 10 Easy Low-Cost Upgrades for Your Home

    You don’t need to remodel your entire house to make it look fresh. A few upgrades here and there, completed on your own schedule and budget, can do wonders for your space. Check out some of the easiest and cost-efficient upgrades.

    Whether you don’t have the budget or the time to go through a complete home renovation process, there are still plenty of smaller things you can that are budget-friendly and are not as time-consuming. Some of them will further increase the value of your home. All of them give a fresh new look to your space.

    Repaint the walls

    Repainting is one of the easiest ways to completely reinvent your space. It is an opportunity to shine a new light on old furniture and items of decor. You can re-program the mood of a room by understanding the psychology of colors and picking accordingly. Even if you decide to stick to the same color, a fresh coat of paint will make your home look more polished. Before getting started, check out the 6 things you should know before repainting.

    Upgrade kitchen cabinets

    Start by repainting your old kitchen cabinets. A fresh coat of paint has the potential of making your kitchen unrecognizable! The next step is to replace old handles with something more elegant and trendy. Et voilà! A small kitchen upgrade like this one can also significantly improve the value of your home by making it look more expensive.

    Add crown molding

    Crown moldings visually unify a room, add more elegance and a smoother transition between dimensions. From classic to colonial, you have a range of choices in terms of style and budget. You also don’t need “the guy” to install crown moldings. Check out this guide and you can do it yourself.

    Swap out the faucets

    Replace the old faucets in your kitchen and bathroom with new ones. This is something that will uplift the style of the space surrounding the sinks. An easy home upgrade like this one may seem insignificant, but you will be surprised by how much small things can transform the overall feel of a room.

    Replace the backsplash

    Your options of tile materials are diverse and can accommodate any budget. Ceramic is the cheapest. Other options include glass, stainless steel and stone. Select something that’s easy to clean and adds personality to your kitchen.