Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

  1. 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…

  2. 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…

  3. 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…

  4. 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…

  5. 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…

  6. 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…

  7. Why Should You Shop Around for a Smart Home Device?

    There are many state-of-the-art smart home devices at your disposal. At the same time, there is no shortage of vendors that sell smart home devices in cities and towns nationwide. Ultimately, it is a good idea to shop around for a smart home device. If you evaluate a variety of smart home device vendors, you…

  8. How to Plan Your Expenses for Your First Home

    Buying your first home can be an exciting process, but with so many different expenses to account and plan for, it can also be overwhelming. Not sure where to begin with it comes to saving for your first home? There are a few expenses you won’t want to overlook. Down Payment First, make sure you…

  9. Coastline Camping in Washington State

    Camping to get away from the stresses of daily life can be calming and rejuvenating. Experienced or novice you can find and enjoy many kinds of camping spots in Washington state. It is, after all, The Evergreen State. You have the mountains, Eastern Washington plateau, the Columbia River and many other terrains to choose from….

  10. Cozy Up in Your Own Reading Corner

    For those who love reading, the right nook with the perfect amount of light is a dream come true. Often times, these areas are found in a quaint coffee house or an old library. But what about in your home? Here are a few things to think about when creating your dream, reading corner. •…