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Everyone knows that when youre putting your home on the market, curb appeal – that indelible first impression your house makes from the road – can make or break a successful sale.

These days, curb appeal is even more important than ever as homebuyers increasingly search online and via drive-bys. Todays buyers are also more tuned into the value of a homes yard, looking for safe spaces with lots of play- and relaxation-value while spending time at home. Outdoor areas have truly become an extension of a homes living space and should, therefore, be showcased to the max.

If youre getting your home ready to sell, get your yard in showing shape with these suggestions from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI):

Go deep on cleaning.Use a leaf blower to make quick work of clearing debris from flowerbeds, yards, your patio or deck and mulched areas under your trees. Reseed bare patches in the grass and add a fresh layer of mulch for a super-manicured outdoor space.

Keep up with mowing.Nothing is more inviting than a perfectly coiffed carpet of grass, which creates a crisp backdrop for the rest of your landscape and your home itself. Proper mowing helps create a more beautiful, lower-maintenance, and drought-tolerant lawn. Preferred length varies by grass type, but the general rule of thumb is to cut only the top third of the grass blades off at any given time. Taller grass blades shade the soil and keep it cooler, helping control weeds. Taller grass is also softer to walk on”important for families with little feet and paws to consider.

Give trees and bushes a trim.Use a trimmer, chainsaw or pole pruner to cut back any shrubs, bushes or trees that have become overgrown. For a polished look, use an edger to form a clean boundary between the lawn and walkways.

Prioritize safety.Before you use your mower and any other outdoor power equipment, bone up on operational and safety procedures. Follow all guidelines and get very familiar with the controls so you can react quickly when necessary. Missing manual? Just look it up online using the make and model, and be sure to save a copy on your computer.

Plant strategically.Plant colorful blooms in flower beds, along fence lines and in patio containers, especially near the front door. Selecting plants that are native to your climate zone (refer to the USDAs Plant Hardiness Zone Map) ensures you select species that are adapted to thrive in your location. Native plants require less water and less upkeep.

Plant with pollinators in mind. Selecting native plants of different varieties that will bloom throughout the year will also attract local pollinators and wildlife to the yard, adding a unique touch to showings. The Audubon Societys database can help determine which birds will be attracted to which plants in your region so you can make good choices about what to plant.

Taking these steps will help ensure your homes outdoor space immediately jumps out and captures the attention of homebuyers!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

People often arrange furniture when they move into a home, get used to a particular layout and give little thought to it afterward. Rearranging your furniture could help you figure out a better way to use space in your house, get rid of things you dont need or want, improve your familys health and feel happier.

Make Better Use of Available Space
Consider what you like and dont like about the way your furniture is currently arranged. Maybe you dont have as much light as you need in one area, or perhaps a room tends to accumulate clutter. Rearranging furniture could help you figure out how to solve those problems so the rooms in your home could be more functional and comfortable. It might even make small spaces feel bigger.

Its easy to accumulate clutter, especially if you have lived in your home for several years or decades. Rearranging furniture would force you to go through your belongings and figure out what to keep and what to get rid of. You might discover some things that you had misplaced and forgotten about long ago and decide to use them to decorate your home. You could donate unwanted items so they could provide joy to others and so you could free yourself from the mental weight of looking at clutter and creating more space.

Make Your Home Healthier
Rearranging furniture might help your familys health. When furniture sits in the same spot for a long period of time, dirt, dust and allergens can accumulate under and behind it. Moving furniture around would force you to do some cleaning, which could improve indoor air quality.

Make Your Furniture and Flooring Last Longer
Sunlight can cause furniture upholstery to fade. Changing the locations of furniture could allow sunlight to affect an entire piece equally so one side wouldnt be a different shade than another.

Leaving furniture in one place for a long time can leave dents in the carpet. Rearranging could help the carpet wear more evenly. Moving furniture might alter traffic patterns in your home, help you avoid wearing out one part of the flooring faster than others and make the flooring material last longer.

Feel Better Emotionally
Boredom and clutter can make you feel stressed out and even depressed. Rearranging furniture and getting rid of clutter could help you figure out what was truly important to you.

Changing your environment could make you feel productive and could give you a sense of accomplishment and an energy boost. Making better use of your space could create a sense of peace and harmony.

Feeling like youre stuck in a rut in one part of your life can affect your mood and outlook when it comes to other areas. Shaking things up a bit by rearranging your furniture might spur you to consider new possibilities in other aspects of your life.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When you own a home, theres a lot to take care of in order to protect your investment. While some maintenance chores happen like clockwork, others tend to get overlooked as the years go by. The problem is, these often forgotten home-care chores are critical in order to protect your home and its inhabitants. If you havent tended to the following lately, move them to the top of your priority list:

Inspect your fire extinguishers. First, check to make sure you have enough of these important devices in your home. At the very least, you probably have one tucked away in the kitchen. Second, make sure theyre easily accessible. Being able to quickly put your hands on a fire extinguisher when you need it is essential. Make sure all the seals look intact and that theres pressure in the pressure gauge. There should also be a tag that tells you the last time it was serviced by a licensed inspector. If its been more than a year, its time to call a professional.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This is among the easiest of your home maintenance tasks, yet we tend to take these life-saving devices for granted. Simply hold down the test button until you hear the alarm. If the sound is made all week, its time to replace the batteries.

Check your drains. Before a serious clog sets in, routinely check your indoor plumbing by pouring a gallon of water down the drain. If it drains slowly, this probably means you have a partial clog, so use a snake to clear it out.

Change your HVAC filter. This is a common and easy task that many ignore. Whats more, routine maintenance of your filter can help you save 5 – 10 percent on your utility bill. So, every 2 – 3 months, take your HVAC filter out and clean it, or replace it altogether. Its that simple.

Seal window gaps. Another big drain on your energy bill is air leaking through windows. Check your window seals for air passing through, and use weather stripping or caulk to tighten things up.

Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to flooding and serious damage to your homes foundation. So bring out the ladder and carefully inspect your gutters to remove debris. Dont forget to check the downspout where its common to find nests. Use gloves to carefully remove trapped debris then rinse with the hose to make sure water can flow freely.

These simple home maintenance tasks will help protect your home and your family, and save you a bundle in costly repairs.

Source: realtor.com

Published with permission from RISMedia.

First, establish eye level, which in most houses is 57 to 60 inches from the floor.

The center of the picture should be at this point.

Second, consider your space. Is your artwork landscape or portrait?

Coordinate that with the space, or hang portraits side by side and landscapes one on top of the other.

Third, keep it neat.

If you’re creating a gallery wall, align them on a grid.

You can also begin with one in the center, and arrange outward.

Above all, look for symmetry. It’s important that everything is even throughout your home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.