When it comes to home automation, one of the more popular options for consumers is the smart thermostat. These devices can be a great addition to your home, giving you more control over heating and cooling to keep the house comfortable while keeping your energy costs in check. Unfortunately, just getting a smart thermostat isn’t […]

Chances are, you’ve at least heard of building permits even if you haven’t applied for one yourself. Going by their name alone, you can probably guess the general gist of what these permits are used for. You might be surprised to find out that a lot of homeowners don’t really know that much about building […]

Popcorn is great with a movie or possibly for stringing around an old-fashioned Christmas tree, but it’s a little less universally loved when it’s applied to the ceiling as a texture. “Popcorn ceiling,” a type of texture that looks a lot more like cottage cheese than popcorn, was widely used in homes from the 1950s […]

Very few things in a home can make such a difference to both form and function as new floors. Flooring reflects not only your style and personality, but also your lifestyle. The right floor can make it easier to keep your home cleaner, hide imperfections, and set the mood for a cozy living space. And […]

When rates are low, it can seem like the ideal time to refinance your mortgage. After all, who doesn’t like a lower interest rate? There are lots of good reasons to refinance your mortgage, such as adding on or trying to streamline your expenses, but what’s really involved in the process? Mortgage Refinancing: The Basics […]

Good lighting is important in many places in the home. When you’re working in the kitchen, though, having sufficient lighting to see what you’re doing is vital. Poor lighting in your kitchen can make cooking and other tasks a pain, especially if the lighting leaves shadows in areas that you use a lot. Fortunately, there […]

According to the Brookings Institute, about 42 million Americans (one in eight) have a student loan, totaling about $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. Only 30 percent of Bachelor’s degree recipients graduating in 2011-2012 managed to escape without a student loan; another 30 percent accumulated $30,000 or more in student debt. All this adds up to […]

Erosion can be a big problem for homeowners, even if you don’t live in an area that sees frequent flooding or other causes of large-scale erosion. As soil erodes from around your foundation, it reduces the stability of the foundation and opens up the foundation materials themselves to damage from the elements. This is why […]

Fall is a little bit like a reverse spring. Everything is starting to wind down as winter approaches, and for a lot of gardeners, that’s a sad time. It doesn’t have to be, though; fall can be a time for laying the groundwork for spring plants and creating dazzling garden displays. What to Plant Fall […]

Remodeling can be serious business, especially if you’ve got several pet projects on your list and a limited budget with which to work. It can be tempting to go straight to the items that you find the most important, but if you’re considering reselling your home in the not too distant future, the return on […]