8 Deck Gardening Ideas and Tips for Beginners

8 Deck Gardening Ideas and Tips for Beginners
Kenneth Summers/shutterstock

A deck is like an extra room for your house. It can be your favorite room in the summer, or it can be just a large entrance to the backyard. The difference comes down to offering a reason to stop and relax a while. Even the addition of furniture may not be enough. After all, why leave the living room couch and TV to sit on an empty deck? Your deck needs to become a destination and the way to achieve that is to offer something that draws you out. Nature and the beauty of plants can turn an uninviting deck into a retreat to unwind and relax.

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10 Tips for A Successful Open House

10 Tips for A Successful Open House
Photo by PhotoMIX Company from Pexels

Open houses…are they really effective? 

Real estate agents swear by them, while others say they’re a waste of time.

Of course, it’s up to you as the seller to decide whether or not to hold an open house, but here are a few best practices to consider.

The “dos and don’ts” below reflect the experiences of countless sellers and their agents in a wide variety of markets, so as with any marketing effort…choose what will work for you!

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How To Choose the Right Materials for Outdoor Furniture

How To Choose The Right Materials For Outdoor Furniture

Choosing the right furniture for any outdoor living space can be hard—there’s so much to consider, and so many materials and styles to choose from. Not only do you need to choose furniture that fits your space, but you’ll also want to choose the right colors and materials. Plus, you need to make sure it will last when it’s kept outside.

This can be the most difficult part to accomplish, since many materials don’t fare well in extreme weather. If you’re looking for furniture that will last, hold up to the elements and leave the lowest footprint, we’ve shared our tips for finding the best outdoor furniture below.

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Where to Save and Where to Splurge on a Kitchen Remodel

Where to Save and Where to Splurge on a Kitchen Remodel
Source: depositphotos.com

Are you thinking about doing a kitchen remodel in your home? If so, you’re not alone.

Statistical data from 2019 shows that as many as 37% of people want to do a remodel for a long time before they actually have the funds available to go ahead with it. And that comes as no surprise. The average redo can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000, depending on the features you’re after.

Sure, you may have a solid idea about your dream kitchen’s most prominent features (whether it’s a professional gas range or a Pinterest-worthy farmhouse sink). Still, there will always be some things you won’t have as much insight about. And with these, it can be hard to decide if you should save or splurge.

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7 Steps to a Solar Powered Home

7 Steps to a Solar Powered Home
Photo by Anders Jacobsen on Unsplash

People switch to solar for a variety of reasons.

Besides generating electricity that is completely pollution-free, solar has a full life-cycle pollutant level that is much lower than any fossil fuel (after accounting for manufacturing and the rest of the supply chain). 

By generating your own electricity, you reduce your reliance on the utilities and protect yourself from future price increases. For those who are truly committed to being independent, they can add batteries to their homes and be disconnected from the grid.

Despite all these compelling reasons to go solar, there are some relatively easy and even free things you should do around your house first, before you invest heavily in solar panels. Some of these are obvious, but others are little vampires that you may not even realize are draining your energy and money.

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