Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels Home designers are seeing a pretty specific dream sheet of most-desired features in contemporary kitchen design. And those features aren’t as surprising or innovative as you might think. Here’s a brief overview of today’s most popular (and useful) kitchen features. 1. A Kitchen Island For many people building a…
Category Archives: Tips and Tricks
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What to Look for in a Failing HVAC System
Photo by ElasticComputeFarm via Pixabay Your HVAC system keeps everything cool and comfortable, but only if it is working properly. You don’t have to have any repair or DIY skills to determine if your air conditioner is struggling, just look for one or more of the signs below. Finding problems now, at the first sign of…
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DIY Home Decor Projects Kids Can Do
If you are a parent who has a passion for crafting, then you may want to share your favorite hobby with your kids. While you are busy creating a DIY shelf for the living room, you can easily give them their own special project to complete. These are just a few of the best DIY…
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5 Design Trends That Are Dating Your Kitchen
Unfortunately, some trends do not keep their appeal long-term. If you’re designing your kitchen based on popular past trends, you might find yourself stuck with a dated aesthetic years later. Sometimes, dated kitchen features can even work against you when selling your home. If you’re putting your house on the market and considering some kitchen…
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How to Read a Blueprint
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels If you’re building your own home, chances are you’ll come across the blueprints at some point early in the process. This can be frustrating for many homeowners as they might not have an architect’s background. However, you don’t need to be an architect to understand the basics. We’ll look…
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Ideas for Building a Fireplace Mantel
A fireplace mantel can enhance the appearance of your living room or den while also giving you a place to decorate and display items. While some fireplaces come with mantels, others don’t have one. If your fireplace doesn’t have a mantel, you’re not out of luck. With a few tools and materials, you can build…
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The Documents You’ll Need to Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan
Many first-time home buyers are worried about all of the documents and information they’ll have to gather when applying for a mortgage. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably dreading having to dig through the five places that these documents might be. Fortunately, the process is now somewhat streamlined thanks to lenders being able to…
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What is Common-Interest Housing?
Common-interest housing includes individually owned spaces and common areas shared by all owners. The common areas can include clubhouses, landscaping, parking lots or pools. Multistory buildings share lobbies, stairwells and elevators. Any community that shares property, including single-family free-standing homes in developments, falls into the common-interest category. The two most familiar types of common-interest housing…
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An introduction to companion planting
Companion planting is the practice of placing certain plants next to each other in your garden for various benefits. While some plants don’t play nicely together and should be planted far apart, others thrive in proximity with specific companion plants. If you’re interested in taking your vegetable garden to the next level, here is some…