Posted on October 31, 2009Play Sets Can Sell Your Home
Who doesn't remember the hours we spent as a child flying high on swings, hanging from monkey bars, zooming down a slide or digging through a sandbox. For families with young children, having a play set in the back yard will not only keep the kids...
Yard Design Articles
Posted on October 31, 2009Creating More Privacy for Your New Home
It’s also good to keep in mind the difference between how your yard is going to look in the summer to how it will look in the fall and winter when many trees will lose their leaves. Creating a balance of evergreen and deciduous trees can give you a...
Posted on October 31, 2009Outdoor Living Rooms Add Value
It doesn't matter what size your home is – from an apartment to a luxury seaside retreat – having a place to step outside and enjoy the fresh air is a must for most people. It is not surprising that interior designers are seeing more requests for a...
Posted on October 21, 2009Landscaping Your New Yard: Underground Menaces
There are many problems that can literally be dug up in your yard when you’re looking at renovating in your new backyard. Some of the backyard hazards are from utilities and city services while some will be from previous home owners.
Posted on October 11, 2009Fall Garden Fun
Take an inventory of your plants and their blooming times. If you have bleak, colorless yard over the winter months, perhaps you need to plant some berrying plants for added pizzazz. Yaupon, Possum Haw and American Beauty Berry all work well....
Posted on August 14, 2009Expanding Your Garden’s Possibilities with Cold-Hardy Plants
Gardens are considered to be a spring-summer-fall landscaping opportunity, but you can make your dormant garden area more attractive and useful during the winter months by including a winter garden section or planting winter-hardy vegetables. A...
Posted on June 11, 2009Staging Your Yard
There are two main things to consider when staging the outside of your home, one is the outside of the house itself and the second is the yard. Both of these elements need to collectively present an attractive welcome to any prospective buyers....
Posted on May 26, 2009Revive Your Patio Furniture
Now that the sun is shining, we'll be spending more time on the deck. Devote some time to cleaning your outdoor furniture and it will be all set for another season. Practice some of these simple tips every year to keep your furniture looking great.
Posted on June 6, 2009Partially Protected Patio
The warmer months are fast approaching, so now's an excellent time to focus your attention on your outdoor living space. One thing that can be a true godsend in the middle of summer is to have covered area outside that provides inviting shade and...
Posted on February 3, 2009Zen Garden Escape
This is a part of your life that should reflect simplicity and calm. Choose shades of green that symbolizes the heart of summer in various shapes and designs of evergreens. Also consider adding plants that have a presence in all the seasons. The...
Posted on January 13, 2009Backyard Pizzeria
With the addition of a wood fired oven, there's no need to order out; you can have your own backyard pizzeria. Along with backyard kitchens, wood fired ovens have grown in popularity, becoming the latest "must have" item with people who love good...
Posted on December 31, 2008Gardens Sure to Attract Feathered Friends
Give Your Birdhouse a Boost - If you have a bird house perched on a tall pole, make sure the the birds are attracted to it by planting a circle of bird and butterfly loving plants around the bottom. It also provides a pretty border that will save you...
Posted on December 31, 2008Improve Your Home's Value By Building a Home Workshop
Shelves, drawers and hooks are all excellent built-in additions to consider. Also, consider where you are going to put your waste, how you plan to sort recyclables from non-recyclables and allow for the space that this will need.
Posted on December 10, 2008How Will a Treehouse Affect Your Property?
While neighbor opinion and zoning regulations won't affect your home's value, being slapped with a fine for having a structure that is not permitted by zoning will relieve you of cash, either through paying the fine or fighting it in court. Finding...
Posted on November 28, 2008Think Wildlife When Planting Your Garden
Garden ponds make great little homes for frogs, but if you want fish in your pond, they tend to eat the frog eggs and tadpoles. Have plenty of camouflage and protection such as rocks, vegetation and perches for them to escape to. Layer flag stone to...
Posted on June 19, 2008Creating the Purrrrfect Outdoor Living Space for Your Feline
The challenge is constructing this cat corral in a way that is pleasing to look at and doesn't create an eyesore or lower your property value. It should also be fairly simple to remove if you're ever thinking of selling your home.
Posted on June 15, 2008Create a Kid-Friendly Yard
Start with the setting - depending on the age of children, you probably want to ensure the property is fenced. Put in some vegetation, but be sure to check at the garden center that your greenery doesn't involve any poisonous parts.
Posted on June 15, 2008Build a fire pit and everyone will love you
What the actual fire pit will look like is entirely up to you. There are many pre-made options, such as the Chimenea, a popular three-footed tub often made from ceramic or cast iron. You might also want a portable fire pit that's good to go for...
Posted on June 7, 2008This Curb Appeal Really Rocks: Part 2.
For foliage, Scotch moss (Sagina subulata 'Aurea') is a bright green that will brighten the rock colors and lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) boasts silver foliage. When choosing the plants, stick to the color scheme that you have chosen and always...
Posted on June 7, 2008This Curb Appeal Really Rocks! Part 1.
Yet another style is to level a layer of gravel over the whole area and to group large and small rocks sporadically in sections. The addition of low lying shrubs close to the rocks, within the sections, will suggest natural 'walkways' in between the...
Posted on May 21, 2008Guardians of the Home: Traditional Statues of Property Protection
However, they were also used for protection, to scare evil spirits away. This is why so many depictions of gargoyles are of ugly, fantastical creatures.
Posted on May 8, 2008Hanging Baskets that Last All Year Round
Start by buying a strong, attractive hanging basket holder that will last. Try to avoid those cheap, white plastic, disposable containers, and go for a more durable planter made from cedar or wrought iron.
Posted on April 4, 2008The Grass Could be Greener
The most obvious eco-element is trees, of course. Not only do trees add shade and remove carbon dioxide from the air while producing oxygen, they also help prevent soil erosion.
Posted on March 28, 2008Container Gardening Extravaganza Part 2.
However, a tall addition looks more attractive if it is not a big solid lump of foliage. Something tall, bushy and feathery looks good, for instance a tall jasmine or a bamboo bush. Bamboo is ideal as it does not need staking - it brings its own...
Posted on March 28, 2008Container Gardening Extravaganza, Part 1
Well, there is a big story about house sales increasing - only it is not really news because it always happens at this time of the year. However, it does remind all home owners that if you want to sell your home now is the best time to do it.
Posted on March 9, 2008Your Own Japanese Garden: Part 2
The addition of a Japanese garden to your front yard may enhance the salability of your home. An intriguing front yard of any type adds ambiance to a property. If a prospective buyer is drawn to your yard, perhaps he may be intrigued enough to view...
Posted on March 9, 2008Your Own Japanese Garden: Part 1
Ever walked past someone's garden and been so enraptured by the front yard that you hardly registered what the house looked like? In these days of the difficult-to-shift property market, that is the kind of garden you want.
Posted on March 1, 2008Build Your Own Outdoor Shower
It's common for beach front homes to come equipped with outdoor showers. They're extremely handy for a quick rinse of salt and sand before entering the house. Maybe you have a scenic property and simply want to enjoy a garden shower al fresco. If...
Posted on February 23, 2008Preparing Your Yard For Spring
Spring is traditionally the time when we all think about our yards coming out in bloom again. It is also the best time to transplant any plants that you want moved. Many gardens are still under snow and frost for January and February, but if you have...
Posted on February 18, 2008Cleaning Your Home's Exterior
Whatever your homes exterior is finished with, paint, vinyl, brick, stucco or anything else, chances are that it will need a little lift sometime in it's life. Short of completely re-doing it, there are a few options for cleaning and brightening up...
Posted on February 13, 2008Tee-Off in Your Own Backyard
Charlotte has no shortage of golf courses; in fact an avid golfer could probably play a different course everyday for months. Sometimes it's nice just to work on your putting technique without having to go anywhere. I know I practice on the living...
Posted on January 17, 2008Getting Your House Decked Out
Adding a deck to your property is not just a way of accessing more sunshine and fresh air. It also increases the market value of your property and, in the summer, it virtually gives you an extra room - or two!
Posted on January 16, 2008Swimming Pools and Re-sale Value: A Dip Off the Deep End
Building a swimming pool is an expensive project that isn't always recouped in the sale of a property. Before buying into a house with a pool, or heading into a costly pool addition, consider why pools are not such a swimmingly easy sale.
Posted on January 16, 2008Small Buildings - Big Returns!
The idea that if you build a playhouse in the garden for your kids, it may improve the value of your property might sound outrageous, but at the very least it will increase the saleability of your home. Small buildings in the garden can be the added...
Posted on January 16, 2008Winter Wonderland: Spruce-up Curb Appeal with Winter Landscaping
There is a trend toward home buyers who are attracted to year-round, outdoor visual flair. Whether you are staging your home for potential buyers, or yearning a garden that blooms forth in the winter, there are several colorful ideas for creating a...
Posted on January 5, 2008Making a Sunny Nook Outdoors
We are all told that we do not get enough sunshine in the winter months, and that we could all be short of Vitamin D. So how about making a little sun trap for your quiet moments that happen to be sunny moments as well?
