home: Getting the Best ROI with your Renovations and Upgrades
- 04/30/12 07:21 AM
"So what will give me a high return on investment?" The answer is usually "it depends!!" Remember that while some home improvements might improve your quality of life they might not increase the value of your home. There are many factors that affect the return you can get when you upgrade. Where you live, province, city neighbourhood, socioeconomic status, economic conditions such as interest rates and jobs in the area, perceived value, fashion, weather (very hot, very cold), number of kids in area, age of your home. Sometimes the answer is easy. Renovations such as painting almost always give good return, … (1 comments)
home: How to Properly Vent a Clothes Dryer
- 04/24/12 09:16 AM
For savings and safety, don't neglect ducts Your clothes dryer is one of the hardest-working appliances in your home. It's also a fairly basic appliance in how it operates, and if it's properly vented and maintained, it should give you years, even decades, of reliable service.
But "properly vented and maintained" is the catch. Because a dryer is such a simple appliance to install and operate, many people don't give it much thought. They set it in place, plug it in, vent it through that pipe coming up out of the floor -- typically with the wrong type of vent … (1 comments)
You may have collected your fair share of antler-inspired decor last fall. Or you might be thinking about finding a spot for that bold tangerine color of the year or even adding one of the woodland-themed pieces expected to be popular. Stop thinking and start organizing. Blindly following home decor trends can result in a home that's an eclectic mess.
<!-- Module starts: a-body-after-first-para (ArticleTextWithAdCpc) -->With spring cleaning right around the corner, now is the time to assess and redefine your style. That means knowing what hot items to display, what … (0 comments)
home: How to Recycle Everything Wrong
- 04/20/12 07:17 AM
Recycling is not all that tricky, but some people waste a lot of time doing stuff they shouldn’t. For example below are some surefire ways to recycle incorrectly… Crush all cans carefully – waste o’ time. Nowadays you don’t need to do this step. Recycling centers take un-crushed cans happily. Toss greasy and food ridden cardboard into the recycling bin. Sadly, this can mess up an entire load of recyclables. Recycling center machines are fit to take on grease and grime. If you’ve got sticky, messy, greasy paper you need to toss it not recycle it. Don’t sort the … (0 comments)
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens offers docent-led garden tours with the price of admission. Tuesday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and April 15, April 29, May 13 and May 27 at 2:30 pm. Through June 9. 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. www.hillwoodmuseum.org. Tours are first come, first served at the beginning of each day and are included as part of the suggested donation: $15, seniors $12, college students $10, age 18 and younger $5, age 5 and younger free. <!--/quick-comments --> Week of April 15 Washington National Cathedral’s Olmsted Woods Walks will … (0 comments)
home: 6 Simple Energy-Saving Home Fixes
- 04/12/12 08:30 AM
Seal Sneaky Leaks Seal electrical outlets in the exterior walls of your house. Foam insulating gaskets (less than $1 each) “act as a barrier so conditioned air stays in, rather than leaking out,” says Jonathan Passe of the EPA. Just unscrew the outlet cover, install the gasket, and replace the cover.
Go With the Flow Install a high-performance showerhead. This uses 1½ gallons of water per minute (gpm) rather than 2½ gallons, the federal upper limit for new showerheads. By switching from a 2½-gpm to a 1½-gpm model ($20 and up), a family of four (each person taking … (0 comments)
home: How to Enhance the Curb Appeal of Your House
- 04/11/12 08:16 AM
Maximize Your Home Value It's a back-to-basics economy, but that doesn't mean you should let your house be anything less than a pleasure to come home to. A welcoming exterior can put a spring in your step each time you climb the stoop. Adding the right elements can increase your daily comfort, too. Fixing up a front porch to lounge on during the hot summer months or swapping a failing roof for something new that's also maintenance-free makes your space more enjoyable—and shortens your to-do list.Quality upgrades continue to add value. Home prices may have dropped, but the return on … (1 comments)
home: Spring Cleaning Made Easy
- 04/10/12 07:29 AM
If you need something "to-do" here is your "to-do" list! There are some great tips and advice of things that you may not even think about. Tis the season of Spring cleaning!! Around the HouseWash windows inside and out. Wipe down the sills. To clean window screens, rub them with kerosene on both sides, and then rinse them with soap and water. Make sure to do this in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside. To revive drab drapes, take them down, remove hooks and run them through an air-fluff cycle in the dryer with a damp towel (to attract the … (1 comments)
home: What Your Paint Color Says About You
- 04/06/12 07:49 AM
Look around the rooms in your home and you’ll probably pick up on a theme (or two). Perhaps you’re gazing out at a sea of blues and greens—or a spectrum of sunset shades. If You Gravitate to Soft, Warm Shades… Associated with sunshine and roaring fires, yellow and orange (and close cousins peach and pink) have a cheerful, welcoming personality. And most likely, so do you. “People who use warm tones tend to be friendly and nurturing—they love having others over,” says Eiseman. The fuzzy feeling we get from these colors isn’t just symbolic. Because of their brightness, warm shades … (1 comments)
home: Predictions for the Home and Mobile Device of 2015
- 03/28/12 08:15 AM
In Microsoft's future home, the counters can display recipes while you cook. Inside its Redmond, Wash., headquarters, Microsoft built a futuristic home, complete with a foyer, living room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom and den. No, it's not where Bill Gates stays when he's in town. It's Microsoft's equivalent of the concept car, showing off things that are possible today and could be affordable -- maybe even prevalent -- within the next three to five years. When you walk into the home, you're greeted by "Grace," a disembodied voice named after computer pioneer Grace Hopper. Grace gives you a rundown … (2 comments)
home: How to Fake Clean a House
- 03/26/12 01:43 AM
<!--startclickprintexclude--> Don't have time for a serious cleaning? Fake it until you make it.<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> When you're short on time, here's how to give your living spaces the illusion of cleanliness. The living room -Reserve one side of sofa cushions to be shown to guests. Before company arrives, flip over the cushions to reveal good-as-new fabric. When guests are gone, flip them back. -Rid the sofa of pet hair by wetting the fingertips of rubber gloves and gliding your hand over the sofa. The hair will stick to the rubber. -Stack books, catalogs, and magazines in neat piles on the floor … (1 comments)
home: Friday Five: Housing Market Less Bad, Freddie Helps Unemployed Owners
- 02/03/12 07:08 AM
A few signs of life in the housing market top our latest roundup of home ownership headlines. The Obama Administration’s latest Housing Scorecard showed some housing market improvements. And a Wall Street Journal commentary espies opportunity in the housing market despite sour conditions. Is convalescence afoot? Meanwhile, Freddie Mac announced it would continue to suspend or reduce mortgage payments for unemployed home owners. See what all of this means for you in our latest roundup of top headlines. HouseLogic: Federal Housing Scorecard Shows Improving Market The Obama Administration’s most recent Housing Scorecard — a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market … (0 comments)
"So what will give me a high return on investment?" The answer is usually "it depends!!"
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