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Eye-Catching Accents for Remodeling

September 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Looking to remodel an older looking bathroom? There is so much available these days; your biggest problem will be deciding on which ideas to choose for your bathroom.

A great bathrooms store is out there waiting for you to find it. These stores cater exclusively to the bathroom scene. They have various styles to fit everyone’s tastes. Be sure to check out their bathroom suites and see what will work for you.

Color:

When planning for your new bathroom, consider using colors that transform it to a place of elegance and sophistication. Look for colors in paint and tile that evoke feelings of rest and peace.

Focal point:

Usually the bathroom is the smallest room in the house so it is best to pick out one item that will be the focal point. What that will be is totally up to you. It could be a gorgeous vanity and mirror or it could be a sunken tub surrounded by plants. Research what is available before making a choice.

Clutter-free:

Clutter completely distracts from the beauty of something. It would be better to have plenty of shelf and cabinet space to keep the counter space clutter-free. This will keep your bathroom looking attractive. Try to have a space available for each member of the family to keep mix-ups and arguments to a minimum.

Accessories:

Towel racks and toilet paper dispensers have graduated to things of beauty these days. Do not settle for the norm. Whether you are looking for old-fashioned beauty or modern chic, there is something available for you. Many accessories come in matching sets; consider choosing one of these.

Before you start your remodeling project do a little research and make plans for the bathroom of your dreams. Be sure to use a few of these tips and create something of beauty.

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Redecorating Tips

May 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Redecorating your home is one of the greatest pleasures. Taking a drab room and rearranging it can give renewed life to your home, making it feel personalized. Here are some ideas for redecorating.

Gathering Ideas

The first thing you’ll want to do is gather ideas. Choose a palette of colors that you want to work with and head to stores like the Pottery Barn, Tai Pan Trading, Pier 1 Imports, etc. to get ideas of what decorating items are available in your chosen palette. Be sure to bring your Reach Card Visa in case you find an item you must have for your new space.

Personalizing the Room

If the room you’re redoing is your living room, one great idea for personalizing the room is with the use of vinyl lettering. This is a cheap and easy way to decorate your walls and the best part is you can choose the font, the words, the color, etc. so it’s exactly how you want it. Put your surname on the wall or a saying that you love. Or just pick an image that really livens up the space. Other personalized touches include pictures on the wall of the family. Vinyl lettering is also easy to remove later on.

Arranging the Space

As you arrange the furniture and accent pieces, be sure to keep the floor plan as open as possible. Try not to clutter the space too much with too many items. A clean design is the most appealing.

When you’re finished, you’ll love your new space so much you may not want to leave the room.

 

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Top 3 Things to Remember If You Live on a Lake

March 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Living close to the shore of a lake can be one of the most peaceful settings to see out your days – the sound of the water is relaxing and there will always be an abundance of wildlife near the edge of the water. However, there are some simple guidelines that you should always remember if you are lucky enough to purchase a lake home that will ensure your stay is safe and pleasant.

  1. Don’t feed the native animals. This is a very important thing to keep in mind – especially if you live in an area that is native to any large game animals. While a duck may not present a threat to you if it becomes too friendly, a bear that has become accustomed to your handouts definitely can. Feeding the animals doesn’t always mean you physically handing the food to them either – simply leaving your trash easily accessible can also create potential hazards. For this reason you should always securely house any trash that you have to leave outside.
  2. Don’t release anything into the lake. This is another very important thing to keep in mind – even if you don’t live near a lake! You should never release any type of aquatic wildlife into the water. Doing so can severely damage native populations of fish and plants, and it can introduce all kinds of nasty parasites to the water. Never release dangerous wildlife into the lake, like crocodilians, for obvious reasons!
  3. Always supervise children when they go outside. While most lake homes have a fence to separate them from the water, you should always watch your children to prevent accidents. Most drowning incidents occur because someone wasn’t looking.
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Moving to Portland, the Cafe Capital

March 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

No matter what state you’re relocating from, it may take a little while to fully adapt to the unique feel that Portland, Oregon, offers its residents. Laid back and contemporary almost to a fault, this clean city is also known for its eco-consciousness. Multiple healthy exercise and culinary options round out the package. The downtown scene is young, hip, and vibrant. Coffee serving cafes line the streets, where a laid back atmosphere pervades, rather than cigarette smoke. The city is solid, but getting there is the key.

 

With luck, your relocation process involves having landed a job, which will pay for your move, or at least a substantial portion of it. Once reliable movers are retained, you can focus on the more fun aspects of the move. Those begin with taking a tour of the area in which you’ll be working and finding a nearby neighborhood that rocks your world! Once you’ve found an area that seems to have the vibe that matches your desires, you’ll want to check out the available Portland Oregon apartments. A walking tour should help in this regard, and let you get intimate with your potential future neighborhoods.

 

If in doubt, try to move close to downtown, so that you’re ensconced in the amenities and social scene. Nothing quite takes the edge off of a move to a new city like immediately building up a strong friend network. And with all the cool restaurants and clubs to explore, you’re sure to find the people you want to meet. You might even find that you gather a decent social circle in your choice of Portland Oregon apartments, which would help to make your new home feel more like an old home right away. But if nothing else, frequently check out the handful of coffee shops that end up being in your proximity—coffee is part of the lifeblood of this West Coast city!

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The i-house Revolutionizes the Manufactured Home

December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Manufactured home built and ready for shippmen...
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Clayton Homes, the largest manufactured home builder in the world introduced the i-house in 2009, and one tour of these new concept homes completely changes the way people think of the “trailer house”. Manufactured Homes have a dirty reputation, but green living has a clean one. Who would have ever thought a prefabricated house would spark a green revolution in home buying? If you’ve never seen one of these houses, it’s worth the trip to one of the few cities in the U.S. has them for sale.

Currently, there are 15 locations in the United States that are selling the i-house. Naturally, those cities are communities with large retirement populations or strong environmental cultures. They include Austin, Little Rock, Tuscon, Albuquerque, and Crestview, FL. For a complete list of dealers, visit http://claytonihouse.com. Early marketing plans included decorating the i-house with furniture and wares from IKEA. This gives this very forward thinking home a crisp look on a budget.

The final price on i-house can be staggering when compared to the cost of a traditional manufactured home, but it wasn’t Clayton’s plan to sell these houses to their traditional blue collar sales base. These homes start at $78,000 and can be upwards of $150,000 as the available features are added. These include solar panels, bamboo flooring, energy star rated appliances, and a tankless water heater. A smaller flex house can be added to the layout, and this would serve as a guest room or office.

If all features are added, the higher mortgage should pay for itself in reduced energy bills. Clayton claims that fully loaded i-houses produce an energy bill of about $28 a month. Along with solar panels, there is plenty of window coverage, and the home is built with a 2×6 frame, allowing for more insulation.

If contemporary aesthetics and green living are up your alley, this might be the perfect home or vacation home for you.

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Purchasing the Right Appliances

December 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
KitchenAid stand mixer. Taken by Colin Henein.
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When you starting planning your dream home, you’ll also be thinking about a new kitchen and laundry room. Purchasing the Right Appliances is key in many ways. They should be a good value. This doesn’t mean cheap. It means you get your money’s worth. They should be convenient to maintain and repair. It’s this last factor that many consumers don’t consider. Here a few tips and things to think about so that you make the best decision for your new home.

What’s a Good Value?

The word “value” has really taken on a false meaning in our society. We usually equate it with “cheap.” Well, “cheap” is just that. Cheap! Cheap products usually don’t last. If you spend a little more money for the right appliances, you will find they save you money in the long run. They’ll require less repairs, and they won’t have to be replaced as often. Keep that in mind. Do your homework through Consumer Reports and CNET.

Can LP and Kitchenaid be Serviced in Your Area?

Be warned! Some of the so called superior brands are really hard to service in certain areas. They also have preferred repairmen who sometimes only do warranty work, but not the other stuff. Ultimately, you’ll end up paying more to have the products serviced. As a good rule of thumb, shop locally! Sometimes the mom and pop appliance store nearby is the best value. They typically have repairmen at their store who service the brands they carry. That means you don’t have to hunt for a certified serviceman. He’s right down the street!

Big Box Buys

If you purchase from Sears or Best Buy or some place like Home Depot, make sure there are service people near you! If you live in the country, some of these big box stores can’t come to your home quickly.

These are just a few things to factor into buying the right appliances.

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Can a Gazebo Add Value to your Home?

December 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Broom, attributed to the Forbes, Homes, Mathes...
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When the housing market is in a slump like it is now, it can be difficult to find ways to make your house work for you when it comes to putting it on the market and selling it. Whether the home owner chooses to use a fresh coat of paint, some new flowers or shrubs outside, a new mailbox, or even some new outdoor lights, there are several ways to raise the value of a house while doing very little damage to the house owner’s wallet.

The television show called, “Curb Appeal” from HGTV has it right when they spend all their time on the outside of the house. It is that first glance, when someone pulls into the driveway and sees the house for a first time, that tells them whether they should just just pull back out and keep driving or take down the phone number of the realtor so that they can ask to look at the house on the inside as well. Besides just an array of flowers and shrubs to make the beds look neat, adding a gazebo to the side yard or to the end of a deck in a small pond is a great way to add value to the house without spending much money.

One family had a gazebo that they loved in the side yard near a flower garden. They decided to move it and added it to end of the deck in their back yard. By cleaning up both areas of the yard this way, they were able to add a couple thousand dollars onto their asking price. A gazebo can stand alone as a quiet place to sit and enjoy a garden, or the home owner can place a hot tub or jacuzzi inside the gazebo to add even more value to the property.

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    Best Places to Buy a Vacation Home

    December 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

    If the bursting housing bubble has afforded you the chance to buy a vacation home, here are a few of the best places to buy. Before making a decision there are a few things to consider so that you get the most enjoyment out of this second home.

    Things to Consider

    Near a Big City – It makes sense to have a vacation home within a few hours of major shopping centers and an airport.

    Recreational Opportunities – Does that good buy on a vacation home include the sort of recreational opportunities you and your family enjoy?

    The Right Kind of Weather – Will the weather suit your favorite activities? Is it too hot in the summer? Too rainy? Too cold?

    Commercial Investments – Vacation homes located in communities where hotels and resorts are popping up will probably retain their value better.

    Best Places to Buy a Vacation Home

    There are great locations for a vacation home if every part of the country, so here are just a few.

    Cripple Creek, Colorado – The median home price in this little mining community is $132,000. Keeping that second home mortgage in check is wise. The community is located at the base of Pike’s Peak, so this is an outdoor junkie’s dream spot. Plenty of hiking and fishing are available.

    Montague, Michigan – Once again, the median home price is affordable at $104,000. There’s plenty of lake activity and sandy beaches for the Midwesterner looking for a summer get-a-way.

    Asheville, North Carolina – This is a stunningly beautiful community in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is known for its arts and crafts community. The Biltmore Estate is located here.

    Borrego Springs, California – This dessert community is near San Diego, and it sits in the middle of the Anza-Borrego State Park with plenty of hiking, biking and horseback riding. Golfers will love this place, too.

    Pick your spot and price and enjoy!

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    Earth Houses for the Progressive Home Owner

    December 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment
    Bedroom in the Blumenschein House, Taos, New M...
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    Traditional home construction can really inhibit the creative spirit in a forward thinking home owner. As people strive to push the aesthetic and environmental aspects of home ownership, earth houses may be just the thing for the progressive home owner.

    Earth houses are located all over the world in many different forms and designs, but the overarching feature that makes this design what it is would be the fact that the homes use natural terrain to form the walls of the house. This does not mean the house in built underground. Rather they are incorporated into the landscape around them. Some may be built into the side of hills, and some may be part of a man made mound of earth.

    In Taos, New Mexico, earth home outer walls are made from filling old tires and solid waste with dirt to create strong structures. The homes demonstrate an innovative way to recycle large trash objects.

    As the structures have advanced, they are being designed with windows and natural lighting instead in dark, cave-like ways. Keeping in step with the structures in New Mexico, the outer “hill” faces north to protect against the winter wind. The south side of the home is all windows. This affords plenty of natural light to reduced energy costs. Earth homes are extremely energy efficient because heat and air conditioning are unable to escape the thick earthen walls. The homes also hold humidity better.

    Since these homes follow the flow of the earth, the walls are not square. Therefore, the creative homeowner will find the possibilities endless when decorating the interior. Every earth house project is considered a highly individual project where the focus is on the human being rather than the structure.

    A few drawbacks to earth homes would be too much humidity if not properly ventilated, and dark areas opposite the window side of the structure. Both problems are remedied with proper construction and planning.

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