Dreaming of upgrading your backyard space? You wouldn’t be alone. Recent data from realtors around the country shows that homeowners who added outdoor kitchens to their properties saw an increase of between 100% and 200% on their investments. Real estate professionals say even a simple addition, like an outdoor gas firepit, can yield a 67% return.*
I was looking to get more light in my life when I hired a professional house painter to paint the interior of our home. In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to paint the whole interior of our house, but after the painter said we’d have to move out for five days, maybe a week, I changed the plan. So we broke the job into two jobs; he’ll paint the rest of the rooms another time. He’s already scheduled to come back this spring to power wash and paint the exterior. I like having an on-going relationship with a professional painter. I think it’s one of the key elements of responsible homeownership. (Since we live in Oregon we unfortunately couldn’t hire the pros, and my friends, at HomeSquare.)
Years ago I lived in a studio apartment in New York City on a super-quaint West Village street. I loved the location — the actual apartment not so much — and imagined, due to my love of the immediate neighborhood, I might live there, for maybe the rest of my life. A major drawback to my fantasy was the apartment, which boasted wonderful exposed brick walls (I was the one who exposed them) and attractively battered hardwood floors (they came to me pre-battered) was just too small, no matter how many times I arranged and rearranged the furniture. I spent an irrational amount of time daydreaming how the apartment could become larger, to the point where my daydreams infiltrated my sleeping dream life and I began dreaming about a secret room I hadn’t noticed before that could be accessed through the apartment’s only closet.
We’ve seen a surge of investments in home improvements over the last few years that is expected to continue in the future. We’ve seen people reimagine and rework their spaces during the covid era as they spent more time at home. And, as the housing market has provided its own challenges, more and more homeowners are opting to find a way to improve the space they have. For some, that may mean putting on an addition to find more square footage. For others, who don’t want to lose functionality of their existing kitchens, or need to move out, or live in a construction zone, tapping into already existing square footage in their basement can be a goldmine.
We’ve taken lots of photos to document the process of this Total Basement Renovation project over the last year. You may have even seen some videos on our social media! Here is the ultimate recap, from start to finish.
The house must have seemed too clean or quiet, so we got another dog. We already have one dog, a Miniature Pinscher, also known as a Min Pin; at seven, she is well-behaved and neat as a cat, not barky, and never chews things up. Not once in seven years has she ever soiled the carpet.
Unfortunately, in the past year, she went from being a lithe, lively spirit who enjoyed taking long walks to a prematurely aged couch potato who preferred to nap all day and snack on cheese and crackers. First, she gained weight, and then she became stiff. I decided she needed another dog and began combing my local shelter’s website for likely candidates. After a six-month-long search, I found the right one.
I’m always a fan of a home design refresh. We all know the tried and true ways to spice up your living space, like incorporating plants or pops of color. While those will never go out of style, other design trends do. Whether you are moving to a new home or renovating your current one choosing home design elements that complement your style and are timeless yet trendy is challenging. Finding home finishes that won’t look dated next year is key. Here are five home design trends on their way out and how you can update them now.
The leaves are changing color, the air is crisp, and I’m not the only one noticing the festive decor showing up left and right on store shelves. This can only mean one thing, the holidays are just around the corner!
Whether you’re strictly a no-twinkle lights-until-after-Thanksgiving person or already planning cocoa-fueled viewings of It’s a Wonderful Life, a little advanced home preparation and organizing can keep holiday stress to a minimum.
A representative from one of the myriad vacation home rental properties keeps leaving attractive brochures by my front gate. They want to know if we’re interested in turning our home into a vacation rental, even occasionally. I have to admit the lure of additional income is tempting. Many moons ago I had a friend who worked as a location scout for films and high-end catalogs. Telling me how many thousands of dollars a day were paid to people to rent out their houses, she whet my appetite for finding ways to make money off my home without having to work too hard for it. The truth of the matter? If I were ever to put my house on the vacation rental market, I’d have to do a lot to make it work, especially my outdoor space.
I know I’m not alone when I say the prospect of hosting the holidays is a little anxiety-producing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Scrooge and I love having friends and family over if only to remind me how lucky we are, and that I should count my blessings. But every year, and it is precisely this time of year, I start feeling anxious. Besides the usual concerns, like do we actually have enough toilet paper, I always question the readiness of the house. Will it function the way it’s supposed to when it’s not “just us”?