We help people buy houses so they can create a home. Here we share more than mortgage finance tips (although we do that too). We aim to help you make your house a home through DIY projects, pet care, hosting tips, yard maintenance, and much more!
Transform a Room in 3 Hours Is your home décor feeling a bit blah? If you are feeling underwhelmed by the look of your interior but lacking the time and finances to do much about it right now, the writers at Realtor.com are here to help you! They claim that in three hours and at very little expense you can transform a room—so instead of watching the Titanic or taking a very satisfying nap, try out some of these suggestions.
Terrible Décor Trends by Year Hopefully you didn’t have anything planned to get done during the next 20 minutes because thanks to my co-worker, I’m sharing a delightfully addictive site where you can find the worst décor trends by year! Want to know what your parents were dreaming up for your nursery? Simply look up your birth year. What about sunken spaces? Remember those? This cool yet obviously hazardous trend was popular in 1978 according to Lonny.com.
Granny Pods In the next 10 years, America’s elderly population is said to double. And as you would expect, many of our aging family members would rather live at home or with us versus anywhere else. As an alternative to retirement homes, a new idea is popping up—in back yards! Granny Pods, Mother in Law Flats, Granny Cottages; sound familiar? They are standalone dwellings that are built close to the main house, allowing aging parents to stay close to their children while still maintaining independence.
Herb Your Enthusiasm Is anything greener than actually growing plants? They are green in color and green, environmentally speaking. Add a little green in your life with an indoor herb garden! If you have sufficient light in your kitchen you can make your space smell amazing, save money on groceries and reduce the distance for your farm to table by about 20 feet. The most challenging part about an indoor herb garden is the space requirement and having containers of herbs on the counter does not maximize the countertop real estate. But a vertical herb garden would be a perfect solution to growing herbs without needing a ton of extra space. Companies like IKEA have created goods that maximize space, including wall space. For example, the FINTORP system created by IKEA, creates a beautiful and secure herb garden; the utensil holders can be used to house various small pots. Below is a picture of the IKEA set up for an herb garden from IKEA’s Pinterest page.
Simple to Stunning: Easy DIY Patio I’m absolutely in love with this week’s Simple to Stunning entry! A family in Texas extended their living area by adding a pea gravel patio extension to their concrete patio. They framed this patio extension with “Texas Lamp Posts”. These Texas lamp posts are wooden posts, anchored with concrete in a large planter. They then attached planter holders to the tops so they could hang more plants and lights. To top it all off, they added a fire pit surrounded by concrete pavers, giving it a finished look. To check out their step by step photos and tips, check out their site here but I’ve also included a before and after photo.
Piggy Bank: Parts of a Check Last week we talked about how to fill out a deposit slip and what each section of the deposit slip indicated. Once that money is deposited into your account, you will likely, at some point want to spend it. While there are various methods to pulling money out of your account, one way is by writing a check. So, let’s take a look at the various parts of a check with the help of the folks at Hands on Banking again!
Spring Cleaning Ahhh the sun, it’s making its return. It shines in through your windows and for a second you feel like you are in a Disney movie, the birds are chirping, you can smell the flowers blooming outside your window—then you notice the cob web in the top corner and the dust dancing in the air. Yes, that is right, the spring cleaning season is upon us.
Simple to Stunning: Picking the Right Project We have been showcasing various before and after projects in this Simple to Stunning section of our blog for months. And now that we are offering renovation loans we thought maybe including some tips from the experts at Houselogic, they have suggested knowing four things about a fixer upper before taking on the project.
Piggy Bank: Parts of a Deposit Slip Last week we talked about opening up a bank account, thanks to the help of Hands on Banking, who outlined what we can expect when opening a bank account for the first time. They have also dedicated a portion of their site to explain the parts of a deposit slip so when making a deposit for the first time, you will know what each section of the slip is to contain.
Awkward House Hunting Moves Is it okay to use the bathroom when touring a house? What about looking inside closets? Navigating the do’s and don’ts of house hunting can be awkward but thanks to houselogic and their professionals we can get answers to the questions that home shoppers have always wondered about! When nature calls, you aren’t left with too many options. However, the houselogic article warns, “but don’t just wander off and take care of business. It might not work in every house. Literally.” Some vacant houses will have the water shut off, particularly in the winter season (to keep the pipes from freezing), leaving you no water to flush the toilet will make everyone embarrassed, not just you. To be on the safe side, it is best to ask your real estate agent.