The negotiations are over. Your mortgage is settled. The keys to your first home are in hand. Finally, you can install your dream patio. You can paint the walls without losing your security deposit. Heck, you could knock out a wall. You’re soooo ready to be a homeowner. So ready in fact, you’re about to make some costly […]
8 Costly Missteps New Homeowners Make in Their First Year Read More »
If you are getting ready to sell your home or know someone who is, there are several small and inexpensive things any owner can do to help prepare it for the market. You need to have a plan which includes making small repairs in the most important rooms of your home, cleaning everywhere within your
Preparing Your Home for a Quick Sale Read More »
Refacing your kitchen cabinets includes covering the exposed frames with a thin veneer of real wood or plastic laminate. Doors and drawer fronts are replaced to match or complement the new veneer. New hinges, knobs, pulls, and molding complete the transformation. What are the Pros and Cons? Kitchen cabinet refacing pros: Costs about half as
Replace or Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets: The Options and Costs Read More »
When it comes to home improvement, some dollars stretch more than others. And if you’re on a limited budget, it becomes even more important to spend those dollars wisely. Here are seven affordable home improvement projects that’ll help you enjoy your home more today and provide an excellent financial return in the future. #1 Add the Finishing
The 7 Most Financially Savvy Home Upgrades You Can Make Read More »
To successfully appeal your property tax bill, you first need to do a bit of sleuthing into your real estate assessment. It’s possible to trim your property tax bill by appealing the value the taxman assigned to your home. That “assessed value” is what’s used to calculate how much tax you owe. One way to
How to Appeal Your Property Tax Bill Read More »
Paint, dust, and moisture can all make a window stick. Luckily, you can get a window working again in just a few easy steps. 1. Fix a leaky toilet. Running toilets not only rob sleep, they waste water and jack up your bill. Here’s how to change a flapper — the usual suspect — and
The 7 Most-Needed Repair Tips Every Homeowner Should Know Read More »
One of the biggest misconceptions of home buying? The 20% down payment. Here’s how to buy with a lot less down. Buying your first home conjures up all kinds of warm and fuzzy emotions: pride, joy, contentment. But before you get to the good stuff, you’ve got to cobble together a down payment, a daunting
5 Surprising (and Useful!) Ways to Save for a Down Payment Read More »
#1 When You Buy Something, Toss Out Something You don’t have to organize the things you don’t have. “I’ve reached my saturation point with stuff, so I developed a new formula,” says Matt Austin, an artist, and designer living in a 700-square-foot railroad flat in Bushwick, Brooklyn. First, if he hasn’t worn something in two
Fixes for Tight Spaces From Desperate New Yorkers Read More »
You want to get projects done around the house, but you lack the skills, desire, or the time to DIY. The other side of the coin — hiring it all out — is an expensive option you’d like to avoid. What to do? BIY, that’s what. BIY — buy-it-yourself — is a smart middle ground
Save 20% When You BIY Instead of DIY Read More »
Ah, the open house — a chance to wander through other people’s homes and imagine yourself knocking out walls and gut rehabbing their kitchens. This is what dreams are made of (or at least episodes of HGTV). In all seriousness, going to open houses (and scheduled private showings) is one of the most exciting parts
How to Be a Savvy Open House Guest Read More »
