Home Ownership

Home ownership is one of the most rewarding responsibilities of a person’s life. That’s why it’s so important to consistently add value and keep up with regular maintenance. Whether you’re a new owner, keeping up with your current home, or looking to sell, prioritizing tasks can be daunting. We aim to help figure out what is most impactful to your home with expert advice. We cover all types of DIY and contracted projects. Check out the articles below for a wide range of answers to common homeowner questions!

Must Read Articles About Home Ownership :

What's it Worth to You? How to Add Value to Your Home

It doesn't matter if you're about to say goodbye or you're just settling in for the long-haul: your home means something to you. That's why it's worth adding enjoyment value to your home as well as potential upgrades for a higher resale price at the end of it. Whether you want to spruce up your home to make the most of it or add to an imminent resale price, try these simple tips to create more value from your property.

A Maintained Home is a Happy Home: The Top Home Maintenance Tips Everyone Should Know

When it comes to home maintenance, you should abide by the one to four percent rule. This rule states you should spend between one and four percent of your home’s value each year on repairs and maintenance. You may wonder what type of repairs you should focus on to keep your home well maintained. This can vary based on the house, it’s age and other factors, and there are some general guidelines you can use. Regardless of if you build or buy, keeping your home properly maintained is a must.

Remarkable Health Benefits of Being Organized

Of course, too many things lying around has clear health hazards, such as tripping over toys in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, clutter causes many internal problems which – although less obvious than the Lego maze strewn across your family room floor – are quite impactful on your life. Read on to learn five reasons why getting organized is vital to your overall well-being.

Evaluate Your House for a Deck

In the summertime when the living is easy, there’s nothing quite like a deck for cooking out, entertaining, or simply relaxing. In addition to boosting outdoor living space, a deck can be an asset when you sell your home. Planning a successful deck requires careful consideration of your site, your budget, and the features you should — or shouldn’t — include. Here are some planning priorities to bear in mind.

Recent Home Ownership Articles:

Person putting coins in a blue piggy bank

Four Things A Homeowner Should Do Immediately To Save Money

Lower the temperature of your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people do not utilize water that's hotter than that, and thus energy used to keep the water that hot isn't effective. Lower the temperature, save some on your energy bill, and you'll never skip a beat. Install ceiling fans in most rooms Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you c... [Read More]

Manage Your Winter Heating Bill

Reprinted from NAHB.org with permission of the National Association of Home Builders®. Follow these tips to stay comfortable and keep your home heating costs down during the winter weather. Adjusting the Thermostat You can keep your house comfortable and save energy by strategically adjusting your thermostat. Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which allows you to easily to set a schedule to maximize your savings. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ... [Read More]

Keep it Simple

Fall is the time of the year for all those harvest-related food treats. One favorite is Acorn Squash. This recipe is so simple that it begs a stellar performance by the most amateur and ‘beginner’ cook. Ingredients: 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded 2 Tbls of butter, sliced 2 Tbls of brown sugar, packed 1 tsp of cinnamon ½ tsp of ground ginger Arrange squash halves cut-side up in an ungreased 13” x 9” pan. Place ½ tablespoon butter in each half; sprinkle with brown sugar and... [Read More]

Apple Dumplings “Tis the Season”

Apples are in good supply this time of year and Apple dumplings are one of my favorites. Below is recipe you need to try. Items needed 6 – Cortland apples ½ cup Brown sugar approx. Pie dough for one pie top and bottom 1 cup white sugar 2 cups of water ½ stick of butter Ground cinnamon Ground nutmeg Vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Directions – peel apples and core apple, but leave bottom on apple, roll out dough for each apple approx. 8” round, put apple in center of 8” round dough... [Read More]

Maintenance Tips with an Older Home to Save You Money

Energy efficiency is derived with today’s construction and insulation standards. Fine Line Homes uses quality products such as Simonton windows and Therma-Tru doors. There are a few things you can do however with an older home to reduce the heating bill and make your home more comfortable this winter. One of the fastest return on investment comes from restricting air flow in and out of your home by sealing leaks around windows and doors. For windows, once a leak has been detected, simpl... [Read More]

Rainfall Reminders

Recent rainfalls are a reminder to homeowners how important it is to maintain spouting gutters, downspouts and runoffs. As much as one and one half to two inches of rainfall per hour can fill spouting gutters to the maximum in a short period of time. When spouting outlets are blocked they will overflow causing the soil around the foundation walls to get saturated which in turn can eventually work through to the interior of your basement. Not only is it important to keep gutters clean, it i... [Read More]

Having Electricity When the Power Goes Out

Recent storms have left many people in the area without power for hours at a time. Have you ever been right in the middle of something important and the power goes out? I think we all have. If this happens to you frequently you may want to consider having your home wired with a generator transfer switch. With this box you put a couple of important circuits that you use the most and when the power goes out you just plug the cord going to this box into a portable generator and you have power... [Read More]

Grilling Safety

By: Deirdre Sullivan Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Nothing spoils an outdoor barbecue more than burning the house down. Here are 6 tips to stay safe when grilling this summer. Don’t think you’re at risk? Over the last five years, fire departments have responded to an average of 8,200 house fires per year involving grills, hibachis, and barbecues. Most of these fires took place during June and July, the peak grilling months. Ti... [Read More]

How to Keep Your Dog Out of Your Garden

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Is your pooch pawing your petunias? Here’s how to keep your dog out of your garden and away from your precious plants. We want our dogs to eat well, but we don’t want them snacking on our heirloom vegetables and prized perennials. Nor do we want them digging up the daffodils. How can you keep dogs from wrecking your garden? Spray nasty odors Your vegetable garden is a salad ba... [Read More]

Are You Making These 7 Rookie Mistakes in Your Vegetable Garden?

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Even the best vegetable gardeners can forget basics and make rookie mistakes. Here are 7 no-nos to avoid. Even if your vegetable garden is the envy of neighbors, it’s still easy to make rookie mistakes that waste precious resources and growing time. Avis Richards, whose Ground Up Campaign teaches New York City school kids how to grow their own food, reveals the rookie mistakes tha... [Read More]