If you want to give your home a new personality, stucco could be a lot of look for the money. In use for more than two millennia, plaster work, or stucco, has long been appreciated for its utility. With its sand and cement base, it’s highly durable, maintenance-free, fire-resistant, and provides some insulation. It also offers a wide variety of textures, colors and finishes compared to a … Read more
You’ve fallen in love with the character of an older home, but you’ve noticed a problem. The floors are not level. While you expect some settling over time, how concerned should you be when you see sloping or otherwise trip-hazardous floors? That depends on what’s causing the unevenness. Sloping floorsIf you can roll a marble down one side of the room and … Read more
Young homebuyers are having a rough time compared to their Boomer parents when they were first-time homebuyers. Today’s buyers have more student debt, slower wage growth and are building wealth later in life than their parents did at the same age. With so many hurdles to cross, your parents may be thinking of co-signing your … Read more
How do you know it’s time to replace the windows in your older home? According to BobVila.com, some signs are obvious – hot and cold air leaks; condensation; warped, rotting or damaged frames; difficulty opening and closing; cracks or breakage; mold growth; noise pollution from outdoors; and high energy bills. If your windows are cold-to-the-touch in winter or reveal drafts when you place … Read more
“Bringing the outdoors in” is all about enhancing your best views indoors and outside. All you have to do is imagine that your garden, back yard, and the views beyond are part of your interior, minus the walls and doors, of course. Bigger, better windowsImproving your windows make your views seem like part of your home. According to BobVila.com, low-e coatings mean your … Read more
The rich patina of wood floors adds beauty and elegance to any home. Older homes were once routinely constructed with hardwood floors but that practice was abandoned in the 1950s, when new technologies made wall-to-wall carpeting available. Builders were able to build more homes faster for the post-war baby boom and save money on labor. But today, most home owners prefer … Read more
Plenty of sellers have visited online home valuation sites only to be shocked at the published value of their homes. Most sellers are pleased when the values appear higher than they expected, but many online valuations come in far lower. So, should you use these values to price your home for sale? These sites provide greater transparency … Read more
The way Canadians use their homes has changed since the advent of the pandemic and has encouraged interior design trends for 2022. These ideas are so smart, they’re likely to stick around even after the pandemic is over. Smart furniture – According to Puffy.com, the smart furniture industry is on track to reach $244 million by 2024. … Read more
When you go shopping for homes this month, remember that it’s easy to fall in love and before you know it, you’re moving into a home that’s too expensive, too big, or too far from your job, family and friends. Oh, that won’t happen to me, you say. But it can, if you don’t do your homework. Here are a … Read more
As a world traveler, you may revisit a country area again and again for its beauty, culture, people or lifestyle and decide you’d like to buy a second residence there. For your first step, The Philadelphia Inquirer recommends hiring a property lawyer in the country where you want to buy, as well as having a lawyer stateside … Read more