RISMedia » Your Guide to Home Improvement

Holiday Household Chore Checklist

susanne — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:58:25 +0000

Between work, school, the kids and all your regular daily responsibilities, getting your home in order for the holidays can quickly become an overwhelming experience. Peggy Patenaude, a REALTOR® with Prudential Howe & Doherty in Andover, Mass. offers these great …

5 Inexpensive Home Updates to Complete before Listing Your Home

susanne — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:04:10 +0000

There is no perfect formula for selling your home efficiently, but by following these five tips prior to listing you can increase your chances to close quickly at a higher price.

1.) Update your old garage door(s). Garage doors seem …

Renters Can Do Plenty to Make their Homes More Eco-Friendly

susanne — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:03:14 +0000

RISMEDIA, July 6, 2011—(MCT)—So you’re a renter and you want to green your space, but your landlord won’t splurge on solar panels. Don’t fret. There are plenty of low-cost ways for apartment dwellers to be eco-friendly.

You can be a …

Easy Ways to Transform a Room

susanne — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:01:44 +0000

RISMEDIA, March 23, 2011—Updating a living room or family room doesn’t have to mean giving it a complete makeover. A few simple changes can transform a tired room into a fresh space in no time.

Give your windows better treatment…

Upgrades to Home Mean Extra Cash Now, Tax Breaks Later

Paige — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:27:33 +0000

RISMEDIA, March 11, 2009-(MCT)-Part of the president’s stimulus package will allow homeowners to save money on energy and on their tax filings. That’s good news, not only for homeowners, but for businessmen such as Steve Plumley of Thermal Specialties and …

How to Prune Your Garden Budget This Spring

Paige — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:06:46 +0000

RISMEDIA, March 10, 2009-(MCT)-One way to rein in your plant purchases this spring without putting a damper on your dream garden is to use annuals-especially those you can start from seeds sown directly into the garden. For 15 to 25 …

Strategies to Help Homeowners Maximize Real Estate Value and Sales Price

Paige — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:50:52 +0000

RISMEDIA, March 4, 2009-For home owners contemplating selling their homes in the current market, Relocation.com, a leading online consumer resource for moving services, offers several tips to help sellers maximize the final sale price, get the home sold quickly and …

Alternative Lawns Can Help Save Water

Paige — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:10:11 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 25, 2009-(MCT)-It may be time to rethink that large expanse of green growing in front of your house.

As people are forced to cut back their water usage, they may look to get rid of their homes’ biggest …

Healthy Humidity and Your Home

Paige — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:17:01 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 24, 2009-Winter generally brings very low humidity to our homes and the extreme dryness can cause health and other problems. Here, we discuss some ideas on how to combat both low and high humidity in your home.

We …

Home Improvement Q&A – Questions to Ask When Interviewing Contractors

Paige — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:01:32 +0000

Q: We’re ready to go to bid on potential contractors-the plans are done, all the options that we can foresee have been selected, and we have a list of recommended contractors we’re going to ask for proposals. One of our …

Home energy Q&A – Daylighting Your Home

Paige — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:00:10 +0000

By Ken Sheinkopf

RISMEDIA, February 23, 2009-(MCT)-Q: Even though we’re nearing spring, the winter is still making me miserable. The days get dark so early and the overcast, stormy skies outdoors really make me unhappy. I know this is …

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

beth — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:03:03 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 19, 2009-(MCT)-The ingredients are probably all right there in your kitchen or bath cabinets-baking soda, ammonia, vinegar, rubbing alcohol.

Know what to mix with what and you could make your own household cleaners and save money at the …

How Not to Get Soaked When Buying That Dishwasher

Kayla — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:18:16 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 17, 2009-(MCT)-For as long as there have been plates and forks and hungry folk who have polished off a meal, there’s been the art-nay, chore-of doing dishes. As recently as 1970, 8 out of 10 American households got …

Economic Woes Freeze Remodeling Market

Paige — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:04:31 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 9, 2009-The residential remodeling market declined further during the final quarter of 2008, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI). The current market conditions indicator slid to 27.7, from 33.5 in …

Bright Little Ideas to Put the Sun to Work at Home

Paige — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:03:08 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 9, 2009-(MCT)-You may not be able to spend thousands of dollars to convert your house to solar power right now. But there are smaller, less expensive ways to do your environmental part with the sun’s help.

Many solar …

Home Energy Q&A – Is Your Thermostat in the Right Place?

Paige — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:18:36 +0000

RISMEDIA, February 6, 2009-(MCT)-Question: Please tell your readers that if their heating bills are too high, it may be because their builder put the thermostat in the wrong place.

We learned this the hard way after many months in an …

9 Trends Not to Miss for Your Home

Paige — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:21:07 +0000

By Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub

RISMEDIA, January 27, 2009-(MCT)-Walk into the American Red Cross 2009 Designers’ Show House in southern Florida and it looks like business as usual. A French parcel-gilt turquoise chandelier in the living room. A custom-made chest inlaid …

Setting the Mood with Color

Paige — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:23:36 +0000

By Jean Patteson

RISMEDIA, January 21, 2009-(MCT)-Color affects mood, as every pop psychologist knows. Considering the pall of gloom cast by the dire economy, it’s no wonder color-trend forecasters are predicting a bumper year for yellows and purples-the former to …

Plastic Rap – 10 Ways to Reduce Plastics in Your Home

Paige — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:30:10 +0000

By Lisa Davis

RISMEDIA, January 14, 2009- (MCT)-It seems like hardly a day goes by without some new report about the health hazards of plastics. If it’s not plastic teethers, it’s baby bottles, or sports bottles or old Tupperware. Trying …

Space Race Is On – Many Homeowners Staying Put

Kayla — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:02:22 +0000

By Cristina Bolling

RISMEDIA, January 10, 2009-(MCT)-As homeowners recommit to their current house in the economic and housing downturn, they’re looking for ways to find more space to make the most of what they have.

“People are saying, ‘We’re here …