The safety of a home largely depends on the materials it is made of — high-quality materials can help protect you and your loved ones from whatever weather comes your way. What is a FORTIFIED home? The FORTIFIED Home™ program, also known as IBHS FORTIFIED, uses retrofit techniques to strengthen new and existing homes, making...
Read more about Conventional Roof vs FORTIFIED Roof: Which Is Better?
Looking for things to do while social-distancing? These DIY home décor ideas are the perfect solution for a productive day while updating your home. Create unique pieces of furniture or a new look for any room in a few hours or a few days. With a small investment and a bit of repurposing, these 8...
Read more about 8 DIY Home Décor Projects to Tackle When Staying Home
As a homeowner, you know how important it is to keep every aspect of your house maintained. One of the most important facets of home maintenance is to make sure your roof is in tip-top shape. If you catch a problem early, you’re more likely to keep it from becoming a major repair — and...
Read more about 5 DIY Roof Maintenance Tips
Are you ready to buy a home? If so, you have a lot of options — one of which is a prefab home. A prefab home, or a prefabricated home, is a house that’s built in sections at a factory and assembled once its components are delivered to your property. There are a lot of...
Read more about What Is a Prefabricated Home?
As parents get older, they often include their adult children in deciding what type of housing they should consider. One of today’s trends is the rise of mother-in-law suites, which can also be called granny suites, granny pods and granny flats. These separate-but-connected spaces provide a way for adult children and their aging parents to...
Read more about Planning an In-Law Suite: What to Consider
When you’re looking for extra space in your home, garages are logical places to turn. Whether you need an extra room, a bit of rental income, or just want to spread out, chances are, with some modifications, your home has the space you need. Before you convert your garage to livable space, you must attend...
Read more about 5 Tips for Converting a Garage to a Room
A new driveway or patio can make your home more comfortable and welcoming. Your main decision when installing or updating is which material to use. The choice depends on local zoning, your budget and your needs. In many communities, building codes may specify what types of driveway materials are – or aren’t – allowed. These...
Read more about Which Driveway or Patio Material Is Right for You?
Today’s workplace is changing, and the traditional employee-employer relationship is being transformed by contract and freelance employment. That’s a trend that is going to continue, experts say. In fact, the 2017 Freelancing in America study estimates that, by 2027, the majority of all workers will be freelancers.[1] Those looking for the best paying work from...
Read more about The Top 10 Freelance Jobs You Can Do From Home
A plate of cookies can go a long way. “Getting to know people is a peacemaking strategy,” says Laura Jeffords, an Asheville, N.C. community mediator who is on the board of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). Starting off as a friendly neighbor Making friendly overtures to newcomers sets the tone for your own...
Read more about How to Be a Friendly Neighbor
As the general manager of My Fit Foods in Hermosa Beach, Calif., Brandi Guerra hears about her customers’ desire for convenience every day. The company, with more than 50 stores in five states, specializes in creating healthy meals to go. “Everyone wants it fresh, and everyone wants it now,” says Guerra, whose customers range from...
Read more about Get it There Fast: A Look at Rapid Local-Delivery Services
Thousands of decks have either been built by do-it-yourselfers or by contractors who aren’t aware of the latest deck building codes or are looking to cut costs. In fact, most deck codes have changed in recent decades; if you own or are planning to buy a home that is over 10 years old, there could...
Read more about 3 Must-Know Deck Safety Tips