home improvement: Summer Home Maintenance Ideas for Northern Virginia - 07/16/13 11:42 PM
The warm weather in Northern Virginia makes for an ideal time to get some chores done around the house. Take advantage of the sunny skies and spend some time outside, checking the property, and performing regular maintenance. By keeping up with these tasks, you reduce the risk of having to pay for problems or repairs later on. A utility checkup in July will likely cost less than a checkup in January, when the repairman will need to work around the cold and snow.
An energy audit is a job that can be completed by a homeowner. Take a walk around the … (0 comments)

home improvement: Updating Exterior Paint in Northern Virginia - 05/08/13 02:22 AM
With spring in the air and summer just around the corner, Northern Virginia is looking bright and sunny. More time is spent outdoors, which brings our focus to another part of the home: the exterior. The outside of our homes takes the brunt of all four seasons. Cold winters, drenching rain, and blazing heat all lead to cracks, fading colors, and perhaps worst of all, peeling.
This time of year is considered perfect exterior painting weather. The humidity is still low and the temperature is just right to allow paint to dry. Deciding to paint an entire house is a big … (0 comments)

home improvement: Time to Prune in Northern Virginia - 02/27/13 12:45 AM
 
Even though we’re not quite out of the winter woods, it’s time to get a head start on your Northern Virginia spring landscaping chores. A little TLC now can go a long way toward livening up the yard once the weather warms up for real. Here are some quick tips for getting ahead.
Trim back any winter damage on trees and shrubs. Use hand pruners on hedges to prevent a thick layer of new growth that doesn’t let air and sunlight get into the center. For branches larger than 1/2" in diameter on trees or shrubs, use a handsaw to … (2 comments)

home improvement: Updating Your Northern Virginia Home - 01/30/13 11:54 PM
 
There are a lot of different reasons to make changes to your Northern Virginia home, but the two most popular ones are for your own enjoyment and to increase its resale value. There are some home improvements that combine both – they’re personal indulgences, and they can make your home more valuable should you choose to resell it.
Update your kitchen or bathrooms. Of all the rooms in your home, kitchens and bathrooms are probably the ones whose styles change the most over time. Unfortunately, getting a big payoff later on from updating either room will require you to make … (0 comments)