About House & Home: Buy, Fix and Sell

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor My sister just bought a fixer-upper and while she has a little experience with a hammer and drill, this project is way beyond her skills (she admits). But that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream of making a little extra cash this year. It doesn't need to stop you, either. And we're here to help. How to Buy, Fix-Up & Sell Your Home I really do believe that our limited knowledge should never dissuade us from taking on new projects. Of course, it helps to have a guide like this one on hand. Not only does it walk you through the steps of buying, fixing up and selling a house, but it also asks the key question: should you remodel a home? See More About:  buy fix sell  home remodeling  resale repairs Convert Your Garage Let's say you have a house that you're thinking of selling, but it lacks an office space or an extra room that would add value to your property. Maybe it's time to think of converting that unused garage space into something a little more functional and financially beneficial. See More About:  garage conversion  garage doors  garage floors 10 Steps to a Fabulous Front Yard A beautiful, welcoming yard is the hallmark of valuable properties. And while it's too early (at least in some parts of the country) to start digging, it's not too early to start designing a new outdoor space. Check out these ten steps to a fabulous front yard. See More About:  front-yard design  landscape design ideas  designing a yard Add Value to Your Antiques While antiques may not add value to your property, they can be worth a lot more than what you might think. Especially if you follow these tips for adding value to that old rocker, dresser or antique vase. Find out how. See More About:  appraisals  valuing antiques  provenance House & Home Ads House Remodeling Garage Remodel Garage Additions Fix Wet Basement Fix Furnace Featured Articles Sports Party Snacks Keep Your Dog Healthy How to Unclog a Drain Handy Conversion Chart Find Free Firewood Aquariums for Kids   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: A Few Cures For the Winter Blues

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor I don't know about you, but by mid-January the winter blues tend to set in. I try to avoid them by getting outside more, despite the cold. But regardless of what I do, they still find their way through the cracks and crevices into our home. To help, our Guides have come up with some creative ways to turn those blues into springtime shades of green, yellow and brilliant orange. Paint A Room with (Inexpensive) Designer Colors There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to turn the old new again. And even better? Creating designer colors yourself instead of paying a high price for those beautiful, rich hues. See More About:  paint color ideas  interior painting tips  Start Planting Seeds Doing some spring planting is a quick cure-all for the winter blues. Not only will early seeding have you playing in the soil again, but it'll also offer you a peek of what's to come: a beautiful garden full of summer sun. See More About:  plants for sun  diy container gardens  container gardening videos Learn Something New: Free Online Architecture Courses Did you know that, with just a click of a mouse, you could be attending MIT, learning everything there is to know about architecture without spending a cent? While you might not earn a degree, you can take courses that range from sustainable design to all-about Gaudi - it's all right here. See More About:  architecture schools  architecture lesson plans  Heat Up Cold Rooms The weather definitely plays a role in producing the winter blues. So when I found myself adding layers of wool, silk underwear and a pair of polar-fleece gloves to my indoor wardrobe, I knew the only way to survive until spring was to figure out how to heat the cold spaces in our house without breaking the bank. Thankfully, I found this informative guide that provides helpful ways to keep me and my home toasty-warm. House & Home Ads Winter Interior Paint Paint Colors Blues Paint Ideas Featured Articles How to Bond With Your Bird Candle and Soap Making Videos What Not to Do in a Hot Tub Is Fair Trade a Fair Deal? Computer Set-up Guide What to Do About Ice on Your Lawn   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: How to Avoid Decorating Disasters

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor Last summer I hired painters to paint our home while we were on vacation. I carefully chose a color that I thought would reflect our family's love of our home's natural surroundings. Instead, we returned to a house the color of pea soup. And as I stared at the horrible color, I could hear my mother say, "While we should try to learn from our mistakes, it's always better to learn from someone else's." 8 Budget Decorating Disasters I'm the queen of decorating disasters. And I'm not talking about the exterior house paint, either, but a whole list of things I've done that forced my husband to keep a lock on the toolbox. Here are a list of just some of the disasters I'm proud to have accomplished. See More About:  design mistakes  new decorators  diy mistakes How Not to Decorate This is a great list of what-not-to-do if you've decided to redecorate a room or even the entire house. I'm guilty of violating the first, second, fourth, fifth...Oh my. There are just too many to count! See More About:  decorating tips  decorating mistakes  Common Electrical Mistakes If you make a mistake when dealing with electrical issues, the consequences can be a lot greater than having to live in a pea-soup-colored home. And some of these electrical mistakes are common, things most of us don't even think about as we plug in another appliance or replace a burned out light bulb. See More About:  electrical repairs  electrical wiring  electrical connections Ugly Quilts Photo Gallery This is such a great photo gallery as it not only enables people to display their errors in quilting, but it provides an opportunity for us to learn from their experiences. It also allows readers to offer solutions to turn the not-so-pretty into the beautiful. See More About:  ugly quilts  quilt pictures  quilt patterns House & Home Ads Interior Decorating Decorating Rooms House Decorating Decorating a Home Decorating Ideas Featured Articles Get More Heat at Zero Cost Winter Safety for Dogs Declutter Your Living Room Pros and Cons of 3D TV Seeds to Plant in January Tool Kit for DIY Auto Repair   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: Spend Less, Save More in the New Year

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor No matter how committed I am to staying within my holiday budget, it seems every year I'm struggling to make amends once the new year arrives. That means slashing the household budget for a while. So I was glad to come across these resourceful articles on ways to save without too much penny-pinching. Spend Less, Save More If you refer to only one guide to budgeting, this should be it. With tips on how to save, cut your spending and with lots of great ways to find things cheap, your budget (and mine!) will be back on track well-before the tulips are in bloom. See More About:  lowering your bills  frugal budgeting  new year's resolutions Save Money on Pet Care We have four pets, all of whom are older with numerous health-related issues and special dietary needs. In other words, we spend a lot on their care. And while I try to be a frugal shopper, I tend not to blink at the price when it comes to our pets. That is, until now. With this guide in hand, I'm sure our pets will remain healthy, happy and fiscally-sound, just like our budget. See More About:  veterinary care  veterinary expenses  10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips I'm a huge fan of thrift stores! It's the hunt, the bargain and the idea that someone else once loved something that I'm about to love that draws me in every single time. But there's an art to thrift store shopping and while it's taken me years to perfect it, this articles wraps up such wisdom in 10 easy tips. See More About:  thrift stores  haggling  thrift store shopping Save Money by Growing Food Indoors Before you go any further, know that there's an initial cost to growing food indoors. But like any garden, the joy that comes from growing your own food and the money you'll save at your local grocers, plus the pride you'll experience when you pick your first indoor tomato, will more than compensate for the small dent in your household budget. See More About:  vegetable gardening hydroponics  House & Home Ads New Year Family Budgeting Frugal with Money Budgeting Food Frugal Budgeting Featured Articles Create a Decorating Plan Add Value to Your Antiques Ways to Stop Foreclosures Free Sewing Lessons Green Remodeling Guides by City Ask Your Laundry Questions   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Advertisement