Category Archives: Home Trends

Finances, Home Trends, Special Interest

Maid for You

Keeping up with house cleaning can be a real challenge — and a task that most of us are happy to overlook. If you want to hand that chore over to someone else, consider this advice from eHow.com and Smartmoney.com before hiring a cleaning service.

First, decide how often you need help: just once for a deep
clean, or would a biweekly schedule better suit your needs? Then consider the cost. According to HomeAdvisor, the average price of a cleaning service is between $160-$200 a month. Use the Web to find local cleaning companies, or search a website like Care.com, which provides pre-screening and notes if the caretaker has a background check on file. If you’re considering hiring an individual not affiliated with a company, bear in mind that depending on how much an individual is paid, you may also have to pay their Social Security and Medicare taxes, too. read more

Home Improvement, Home Trends, Selling a Home

Color Splash

Let’s face it, a home with four white walls can be boring. To create more visual interest, experts at Pittsburgh Paints’ Voice of Color blog offer some suggestions for sprucing up your home with color.

Paint the ceiling. The ceiling is an integral part of the room, so give it some attention. If the wall color is light, paint the ceiling the same color. For dark-colored walls, choose a paint color that is one or two shades lighter than the walls. To accentuate a beautiful light fixture, paint the ceiling red, gray or chocolate brown. read more

Home Improvement, Home Trends, Selling a Home

Your Ultimate Backyard

With spring coming to an end, it is  time to prepare your home for all things summer. Whether you want to play host to summer barbecues or just want a place to relax in the sun, there are lots of options for outdoor recreation spaces. Working to build a premier outdoor area can not only serve as the ideal place to spend time with family and friends, but it can also add value to your home. Here are some ideas for equipping your ultimate summer backyard: read more

Home Improvement, Home Trends, Special Interest

Common Scents

There is a strong connection between smells and human emotions. Given that homebuying can be a very emotional process, you’ll want to make sure home looks and smells good to appeal to more buyers. Make sure your home passes the smell test by following these tips from HGTV.

If there are any foul odors in your home, don’t just cover them up by baking cookies — try to identify the source and focus on eliminating the odors. Old carpets are often the biggest culprit. If you don’t have the time or budget to replace old rugs with new carpet or hardwood floors, wash the carpet with mild detergent soap and water solution, then go over it with a damp towel to neutralize the odor. And open the windows on opposite walls to circulate fresh air. read more