DIY Tips

Working to get your home ship-shape for showings will increase its value and shorten your sales time.

Many buyers today want move-in-ready homes and will quickly eliminate an otherwise great home by focusing on a few visible flaws. Unless your home shines, you may endure showing after showing and open house after open house — and end up with a lower sales price. Before the first prospect walks through your door, consider some smart options for casting your home in its best light.

1.  Have a Home Inspection

Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. For $250 to $400, an inspector will warn you about troubles that could make potential buyers balk. Make repairs before putting your home on the market. In some states, you may have to

Why now’s the perfect time to replace appliances.

The temps are starting to drop; the smell of wood smoke is in the air. Temps are more chilly than warm. That’s when veteran homeowners know it’s time to do these six things if they want to avoid grief or overspending:

#1 Buy Appliances

Whisper to them. Do a rain dance. Whatever it takes to get your old appliances to wait until fall to go on the fritz. Manufacturers bring out their latest models during the fall, and store owners offer big sales on appliances they want to move out — like last year’s most popular dishwasher. So September, October, and November are great months to buy.

But October is right in the middle — when there’s still plenty of selection, and retailers might be more willing

If you live in the Southwest, complete these maintenance jobs every fall and winter to prevent costly repairs.

Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy, and keep all your home’s systems running properly. These maintenance tasks are most important for the Southwest in fall and winter. For a comprehensive list of tasks by season, refer to the to-do lists to the right of this article.

Fall and winter in the Southwest can mean the return of rain and snow after months of relentless, intense sun. “Out here, ultraviolet light really damages roof and wall surfaces,” says Bill Richardson, owner of Responsive Inspections in Albuquerque, N.M. This makes it doubly important to get your house ready

Make sure “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” doesn’t cross your lips after your remodel.

It’s the day you’ve been dreaming of: It’s time to plan your kitchen remodel. Dream big, but make sure you’re not making mistakes that’ll cause you to regret the money you spent and the inconvenience you went through.

What kitchen renovation decisions might you regret? Here are five.

1. Creating a Crowded Kitchen

Your kitchen wish list might be long, but make sure you’re not trying to squeeze too much into the space you have. Installing an island? Make sure it’s surrounded by at least three feet of space on all sides. And make sure you can walk around your dishwasher, even when it’s fully open. 

If you’re not sure what will push your kitchen over

You can repair kitchen counter mishaps with only a little time and money. Big boo-boos, however, will need professional help.

Repair kitchen counters that show a history of wine spills, dropped pans, and unidentified sharp objects, and you’ll maintain the value of your kitchen and home. You can easily hide some counter mishaps, while only professional contractors can solve other surface problems.

Here’s a look at counter cures and lost causes.

Granite

Even granite counters suffer kitchen wear and tear. But you can make them shine with a little time and know-how. After you fix them, don’t forget to reseal them.

Cracks, chips, scratches: Fill nicks in granite by building up layers of epoxy resin colored to match the stone.

These common improvements won’t help make your small rooms seem bigger. Just the opposite.

The moment you walked into that adorable bungalow, you knew it was “The One.” It wrapped its cozy, snug-as-a-bug feeling around you and practically whispered, “Buy me.”

So you did!

Now you’re ready to make your dream-home Pins happen for real.

But, as a small-home owner, be cautious. Follow the wrong inspirational trend, and you could end up designing a too-teeny-to-be-comfy space.

#1 Ceiling Lights

That’s because overhead lighting (including recessed lighting) illuminates the room — emphasizing its size. And when you don’t want to emphasize a room’s size (we’re looking at you, tiny living room), it’s better to break it up into individually lit

If you live in the South, here are maintenance jobs you should complete in spring and summer to prevent costly repairs and keep your home in top condition.

Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy, and keep all your home’s systems running properly. These maintenance tasks are most important for the South in spring and summer. For a comprehensive list of tasks by season, refer to the to-do list to the right of this article.

In spring and summer in the South, the most critical home maintenance issues have to do with combating heat and humidity. Moisture is a constant in this part of the country, and keeping your home dry is critical for preventing structural damage caused by mold, fungus,

A date with a glass of wine and your favorite curry dish while watching the latest season of “Orange Is the New Black” may seem like the perfect way to spend your evening — until you hear something alive in that leaning tower of plates you’ve been ignoring all week.

Why, oh why, do you keep procrastinating dish cleanup night after night?!

Don’t beat yourself up too much. Bad habits are just way easier to maintain than good ones. They’re “the opposite of what makes you happy. They’re what make you miserable,” says M.J. Ryan, author of “Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realize Your Goals.” Especially when they cost you money.

Here are 7 bad habits to break now for a happier you and a fatter bank account:

1. Showering Without

A date with a glass of wine and your favorite curry dish while watching the latest season of “Orange Is the New Black” may seem like the perfect way to spend your evening — until you hear something alive in that leaning tower of plates you’ve been ignoring all week.

Why, oh why, do you keep procrastinating dish cleanup night after night?!

Don’t beat yourself up too much. Bad habits are just way easier to maintain than good ones. They’re “the opposite of what makes you happy. They’re what make you miserable,” says M.J. Ryan, author of “Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realize Your Goals.” Especially when they cost you money.

Here are 7 bad habits to break now for a happier you and a fatter bank account:

1. Showering Without

Here’s how to get the bathroom of your dreams without making your budget a nightmare.

You dream about a bathroom that’s high on comfort and personal style, but you also want materials, fixtures, and amenities with lasting value. Wake up! You can have both.

A midrange bathroom remodel is a solid investment, according to the “2015 Remodeling Impact Report” from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. A bath remodel with a national median cost of $26,000 will recover about 58% of those costs when it’s time to sell your home.

Regardless of payback potential, you’ll probably be glad you went ahead and updated your bathroom. Homeowners polled for the “Report” gave their bathroom renovation a Joy Score of 9.3 — a rating based on those who said they were