Swimming Pool If you are lucky enough to live in the Valley of the Sun and own a swimming pool, here are some maintenance tips for keeping your pool sparkling clean, always inviting, refreshing, and ready for use every day. The key is just staying on top of it. This will save you from making mistakes that could cost you a great deal of money down the road. Routine pool maintenance may also prevent...

We’ve all heard the old expression, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”  While that sentiment usually describes how people present themselves to others, it can also apply to places and things that create a lasting first impression.  One of those things:  the lobby of your apartment building, high-rise or other multifamily building. The lobby of your building is like the...

Flooring Types Currently Used in Renovation and Building As a builder or re-modeler, your choice of flooring materials must satisfy your customers as well as your project budget. And if you're fixing up a property as a rental investment, the flooring must be suitable for significant wear and tear. Some flooring choices are no-brainers: tile in bathrooms, for instance. Others are subject to the home's...

Balcony Barbecuing 5 Fire Safety Tips for Balcony Barbecuing You can enjoy the wonders of barbecue cooking right on your balcony if you follow basic fire safety tips. A simple accident can cause major damage to your own apartment and to your neighbor’s. Before you start, review these 5 tips for safe barbecuing: Don’t Use Propane There are many choices for grills, but a propane barbecue...

Renting An Apartment What you pay for your apartment and how fancy it is depends on your negotiation and deal-finding skills. However, before you negotiate anything, you've got to decide what you're looking for in your rented space. Read on for six steps to help you find an apartment for the lowest possible rental rate. No. 1: Seek Web Help in Picking Features If you don't know what features are...

Decorate With Ladders Decorative Wooden Ladder Ideas When a ladder is no longer safe to climb, it used to be forgotten about and exposed to the elements. In recent years, savvy homeowners have been re-purposing these unused wooden gems into some fun home decor projects. One tried-and-true way to add rustic appeal to your home is to decorate with ladders. A worn-out vintage ladder is filled with...

Outdoor Kitchen As outdoor rooms and living spaces rise in popularity, so do cooking spaces—especially outdoor kitchens. Grilling and dining outdoors are the most common reasons for spending time in one's yard or space. Outdoor kitchen equipment can be added in modular units, starting with a grill, then adding appliances and features like counters and islands as your needs and interests grow. So, is it...

Open Shelving Ideas to Divide and Conquer Your Space Once thought of as an organizational necessity hidden behind closed doors, shelves have come out of the closet and made a grand entry into the design world. Open shelving is not only an efficient and typically inexpensive way to sort, display and store your sundries, but can also make a space feel lighter, bigger and more … well, open. Here are some...

Space Under the Stairs Creative Uses for The Space Under the Stairs In a small home, every single square inch counts, from diminutive bedrooms to narrow hallways to tiny bathrooms. That also means that you’ll have to get very creative with your storage options. But never fear—you’re in luck. If there is some space available underneath your stairs, it doesn’t have to just sit there untouched....

Kitchen Cabinets 1. Organizing Kitchen Cabinets in 5 Steps The amount of items that home cooks need to store in their kitchen cabinets is mind boggling. The sheer number of different types of items makes cabinets harder to organize than any other space in your kitchen and that is why sticking to a simple organization strategy is key. Namely, group like items with like items. See the basic process of...

Decorating Lamp Shades We all know how important lamps are for providing light in a beautiful and sophisticated room design -- but what about the shades? If you want to add a little pizzazz to your plain lampshades we've got a few easy tips for decorating lamp shades. 1) Ribbon is a crafter or decorator's best friend. Use glue or double-sided tape to arrange ribbon in any way you desire. Vertical or...

Prepare Your House for Sale Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar, but it takes more than luck to make this happen. It involves careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home so that you'll convince home buyers to scurry for their checkbooks. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home Letting go can be difficult. You've lived here, possibly for years, and it's...