Tag: home exterior

How to Build a Treehouse Without Hurting Your Tree

February 5, 2024

As a kid, there’s nothing like spending the summer hanging out in your own custom-made treehouse, looking out over the neighborhood like you’re on top of the world. Many homeowners have a nostalgic attachment to their own childhood treehouses or miss the treehouse experience they never had. For the ambitious homeowner looking to get their kids to spend some extra time outside or to give themselves a more unique hideaway, a DIY treehouse project can be an exciting endeavor. However, treehouses can have the unintended effect of harming your tree if you don’t take the right precautions. To create a memorable hideaway that doesn’t sacrifice the health of your tree, keep these points in mind. Note: Check with your local building authority, HOA, and your neighbors before getting started. Certain areas may require special permits, and it’s always a good idea to talk with your neighbors before building something that might block the view! Pick the Perfect TreeNo matter your building practices or your comfort with larger scale projects, the success of a treehouse DIY project lives and dies by whether you’ve identified the right candidate for the foundation. A stable and safe treehouse needs a tree that’s matured, with

What to Expect: How Long Does a Typical Home Inspection Take?

December 18, 2023

Purchasing a home can be one of the most simultaneously exciting and stressful processes anyone will go through. Considering the sizable investment and the long-reaching impact that a closing negotiation can have on both the buyer and the seller, it is completely understandable to lose a couple winks of sleep while worrying about each odd detail of a home’s sale. In these instances, buyers (especially first-time homebuyers) who learn about the need of a home inspection can get a bit antsy through the process, viewing the inspection as a roadblock to their homeownership. This is where a frequently answered question comes into play: How long does a home inspection take? While there may be a typical range of time to expect for a general home inspection, there are a wide array of factors that make this question tough to answer point blank. However, in the interest of easing any concerns, we will take some time today to discuss how long a home inspection takes, what can extend or shorten the process, and why a good home inspector needs this time. To begin, let’s review what a home inspection is and why it is a necessary part of every home’s sale.

How to be a Good Host During the Holidays

December 11, 2023

Hosting family and friends over the holidays can be a tough task. On one hand, it’s wonderful to reconnect with loved ones, especially those that live far away. On the other hand, getting a busy home in order can feel like an intimidating task after a year of balancing a demanding work schedule along with messy pets, and maybe kids with their own affinity for chaos. In preparation for the holidays, here are a few extra things that you can do to go above and beyond making your out-of-town guests feel welcome! Check On Your Roof’s StabilityOne pet peeve that is so common for guests is lack of decent parking. Whatever system that’s worked for your family throughout the rest of the year likely will have to change at least a bit once a new vehicle is introduced. So, unless you’re blessed with a larger-than-average parking situation, consider thinking ahead for some alternatives that allow extra room for guests. The common holiday struggle of juggling cars in the driveway is exactly why some considerate guests may take it upon themselves to use some sorely underutilized parking areas – such as the space on top of your roof. What many fail

Will Your Next Home Be Printed?

December 4, 2023

A more recent technology that’s been making its rounds by disrupting and inspiring innovations across industries is 3D printing. Glasses, shoes, car parts, prosthetics, and movie props are all being 3D-printed today, and the speculation of how this technology might change people’s everyday lives seems to be at an all-time high. With the speed and ease that common items can be printed, some have started to think even bigger. Enter businesses like Texas-based ICON, Denmark’s COBOD, and Shanghai’s Winsun, who all believe that 3D printing is the future of home manufacturing. Citing shockingly quick construction times, cheaper costs, and little required human oversight, many believe that 3D-printed homes becoming the norm is less of an “if,” and more of a “when.” So, if you’re curious to find out what your future home will look like, let’s discuss the process of 3D-printed homes! What Are 3D-Printed Homes?3D printing homes is actually quite similar to the process used when 3D printing other mundane items. Also known as “additive manufacturing,” 3D printing involves a machine printer containing a robotic arm dispenser, a chosen material to use in the item creation (usually plastic for most things unrelated to building construction), and a blueprint design

Homeownership Is A Journey. But Are Container Homes the Answer?

November 20, 2023

The modern home comes in many strange and striking varieties. From the staple Mid-Century Modern to classical Queen Anne homes, the residential market never stops innovating to fit new tastes. One new trend that’s been turning heads and appealing heavily to DIYers everywhere is known as the container home. In other words, homes constructed fully out of shipping containers. That’s right! Although it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with the concept, many homeowners are using those same steel-based boxes used to transport goods across the ocean as bases for their own prefabricated house, or the start of an ambitious DIY project. So, are container homes just a quirky, trendy home alternative that’ll fade away in a few years, or can these lego houses make a practical impact that lasts? To try and answer that question, let’s take a deeper dive into what makes these homes tick. What is a Container Home?Container homes are a newer trend of homebuilding that seems to be cut from the same cloth as tiny homes, appealing to individuals and families who would like to cut down on unnecessary space, while having an incredible amount of input on the construction of their homes. One way

Mountain Home Maintenance Advice According to Home Inspectors

November 13, 2023

A home inspector’s job is to know everything about what makes a home safe, comfortable, and habitable. Modern advancements mean that families are able to live in new jaw-droppingly beautiful environments, even despite their unique challenges. As people stretch the limitations of a modern home, home inspectors are still there to ensure necessary systems function as they should. When it comes to living in a mountain home, owners have to adapt to their surroundings. Whether you’re a new homeowner acclimating to life a little higher above sea level, or you’re a long-time mountain dweller looking for some tips to keep your home running smoother (and to keep costs down), here are some primary maintenance concerns worth tracking. Every Home’s Number One Enemy is Water IntrusionIn most climates, water management easily tops the list for property concerns due to the wide range of issues it can cause. Between poor water run-off, water intrusion, pooling and standing water, the development of mold, mildew, is a primary concern. In areas that have to deal with rain and snow throughout the year, water management becomes an even more important focus. Homeowners can start by regularly cleaning out their gutters and keeping their downspouts free

How to Start a Little Library

November 6, 2023

One major challenge that can come from moving into a new neighborhood involves transforming your new house into your new home. As we’ve discussed recently, a great way to become comfortable with a new city or a new area is to invest in relationships with your neighbors! Becoming familiar with (and hopefully liking) your neighbors often sounds nice in concept, but breaking through that initial comfortability barrier can be tough. The good news is this: there are many underutilized strategies that new homeowners and long-time homeowners alike can employ to make their neighborhood of strangers feel much more like a community. As homeowners, learning how to be a little more self-sufficient is smart. Challenging yourselves with progressively difficult DIY projects should give you an excuse to spend some more time outside and break the ice while meeting new neighbors. For a beginner-level DIY project that can be as simple or complex as your experience allows, nothing works quite as well as starting a Little Library. What is a Little Library?Also known as Little Free Libraries, Library Boxes, or just Neighborhood Book Exchanges, Little Libraries have been popping up more and more in coffee shops, apartment buildings, and neighborhoods all around

What To Consider Before Getting A Pool

April 3, 2023

New homebuyers have so much to consider as they search for their dream home. Outside of architectural style, location, number of bedrooms, or whether it has a multi-car garage, homeowners need to be able to picture life within the house. Can they picture their kids playing in the backyard? Is this the type of place where they can see their family and friends wanting to come and visit? One amenity that has the ability to generate a great deal of excitement and ensure that a new home will be a gathering point for friends and family is the swimming pool. However, there are a lot of added responsibilities that come with managing and maintaining a pool. Whether you’re a homebuyer looking at a property with a pool, or you’re a homeowner who is thinking of making a dynamic addition to their home, here are a few things to consider before getting a pool. The Effects on Your ROIWhen making any major alteration to a property, homeowners should consider what impact that change will have on their property value. Even if the expectation is to stay in the same home for a long time, plans can change quickly! Although conventional wisdom

How to Paint a Home’s Exterior (And When To Hire a Professional)

March 13, 2023

There are so many reasons why people paint their homes. Maybe a room has gotten a bit stale and could use a new color, or nicks and scratches have been compounding the need for some serious TLC. A fresh coat of paint is a great way to solve these aesthetic issues, but paint has many other benefits for a home’s exterior! Good quality paint will help protect homes from the elements, insects, weather, and even wood rot. While a home should never be judged solely on its exterior, a tidy, attractive first impression is crucial for every home sale. Before getting too excited though, there are a few things every homeowner should know when considering a home exterior makeover. Pick the Perfect DayIf you are set on painting your home’s exterior yourself, it’s important to understand what you’re in for. Painting a home is a big job that should start a long before you pick up a brush or roller. Unlike interior jobs, a successful day of painting a home’s exterior is heavily dependent on the weather. Direct sunlight will cause paint to dry more quickly, and certain types of paint will thicken in colder temperatures. In addition, things like

How To Show Your Home You Care

February 13, 2023

Our homes are always there for us. They keep us warm and dry on rainy nights. They offer a calming retreat after a hard day’s work. Life is busy. Oftentimes, homeowners get caught up with their regular routines, and many helpful home maintenance tasks understandably get forgotten. People do what they need to and rarely much more. Considering everything that our homes do for us, we should take every opportunity to give back! Going above and beyond with home care can extend the lives of crucial systems, and mitigate potential breakdowns. To add to your regular routine, add these home maintenance tasks to show your home you care. Test Your Sump Pump While not every home has a sump pump, these drainage systems are vital to avoid flooding. Located in basements, sump pumps consist of a small basin and a hole which detects water levels. When working properly, these pumps expel water from homes when these levels are too high and redirect floodwaters safely away. Homeowners can test their sump pumps easily by filling a bucket with water and dumping it into the drain. If things aren’t working properly, discovering the issue during one of these controlled tests is certainly