Room Envy: Outdoor Pergola

Double Function- deck on top

This one comes from the folks at DiyNetwork.com. A gorgeous display of 16 "not your average pergola" patio cover ideas. Think outside the box when it comes to designing your own outdoor retreat, there are a million different options even with something as basic as a pergola patio cover. Check out these for inspiration... some of our favorites, head over the the DIY Network to see more. And if you're feeling extra handy, here's a great basic intro to building a simple wood pergola.

Angled- Japanese style

Urban- incorporating the walls

Arched top outdoor room

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Spring Cleaning Checklist

It's almost that time of year again, time to change the clocks and welcome the birds chirping, seeds sprouting, and rainshowers. If you live here in Colorado, well, we have a little while before rejoycing in the coming of summer, March is our snowiest month. Nonetheless, one can't help but get excited! So with the coming of Spring brings the usual spring cleaning. Here's a great checklist from Country Living to get your home in shape.

• Set your clocks AHEAD an hour. Yay for Daylight Savings!
• Check your smoke & carbon monoxide detectors. Replace the batteries.
• Start dusting. Top to bottom is most efficient.
• Flip or rotate your mattresses.
• Wash your pillows.
• Deep clean the kitchen. Get rid of expired items, clean the fridge, organize!
• Swap out heavy blankets for cooler weather linens.
• Start an indoor herb garden!
• Ventilate. Air everything out starting in the basement.
• Start up your dehumidifier. (For those outside of DRY Colorado)
• Clean the carpets. Rent a shampooer and get them good.
• Wash your windows inside & out.
• Prep your A/C unit/s. Clean filters, install properly.
• Clean your patio or deck
• Trim up your shrubbery
• Put out planters and freshen soil
• Prep your pool if you have one
• Unpack garden hoses
• Fertilize your yard
• Sweep your stoops & replace door mats
• Clean your shower curtains
• Conquer built up clutter!

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DIY Quiz - Should you really do it yourself or hire a professional?

Great resource from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry -NARI.

Should you save money by doing the job yourself? Do-it-yourself (DIY) jobs are a popular trend in the home improvement industry; however, before you grab a hammer and start swinging, you should know that this is a trend with a few potential problems. Before you decide to do-it-yourself, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) recommends taking this DIY quiz:

Take the full quiz over at NARI and see if it's wise for you to tackle your home improvement project yourself or whether it's best to leave it to the professionals. Here's a peek at some of the questions you should ask yourself before deciding to do things like take a sledge hammer to your bathroom...



Yes or No:

• Do you enjoy physical work?
• Are you persistent and patient?
• Do you have reliable work habits—meaning that once the project is started, will it get finished?
• Do you have all the tools needed and, more importantly, the skills required to do the job?
• What quality level do you need for this project? Are your skills at that level?
• Do you have the time that will be required to complete the project? (Always double or triple the time estimated for a DIY project, unless you are highly skilled and familiar with that particular project.)
• Will it matter if the project remains unfinished for a period of time?
• Are you prepared to handle the kind of stress this project will create in your family relationships?
• Do you know all of the steps involved in the project?
• Have you gotten the installation instructions from the manufacturer to determine whether this is a project you still want to undertake? (Most manufacturers will send you installation instructions before purchase to determine whether the product will meet your needs.)

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Movers Club: 10% off your entire Home Depot purchase

The Home Depot has done it again! Are you one of the many that are moving this year? If so we have a little inside tip for you to save you some green, the Home Depot Movers Club (yes, another club). They will give you 10% off of your first purchase which could add up considerably with all of those odds and ends you need for a new home. If you are in the market for a new appliance the savings could be even greater. So before you pack up your home computer make sure to head over and sign up to save yourself some cash at the register!

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6 Reasons the Housing Market Hasn't Recovered & Why You Should Renovate NOW!

Stumbled on a very insightful article from US News on the 6 Reasons the Housing Market Hasn't Recovered. I'll do my best to paraphrase the important parts but it calls to attention a great detail to keep in mind, now is the time to remodel and renovate your home.

It's pretty clear from the national news, economists, and government reporting that the United States economy is in some pretty bad shape and likely won't really start the uphill climb for a few years, if not more. So while we wait for the market to return you might as well get the most out of the home you're currently in. Not only does this benefit you but it also puts you in a better position to sell your home in the future. As an added bonus (and much to our dismay as professionals) construction costs are at an all time low which means that you can cash in on the savings and be able to complete projects that may have otherwise been out of the budget.

So keep that as food for thought and now onto those 6 Reasons the Housing Market Hasn't Recovered...

1. Record Unemployment. The unemployment rate is sitting at just under 10%!! That's a LOT of people out of work! It's a pretty simple concept, when there are no jobs no one can afford a house nor can they qualify for one. What's worse is that this knowledge destroys consumer confidence. The result? The people who are maintaining a job avoid homeownership like the plague for fear that they too may lose their job and be left with a mortgage they can no longer pay for. Until our job force returns the entire real estate realm is going to be in a holding pattern.

2. Household Formation. Typically people "form" a household and move into their own home. With the state of the current economy people are no longer forming new households and are instead combining them. Families are moving in together, children are moving back home, relatives are combining households, all as a result of the lack of income, which is directly related to the job market. In fact the number of new household formations over the last year has seen the second smallest increase since 1947!

3. Foreclosures. Not at all surprising, the number of foreclosures out there on top of typical new construction mean a highly oversaturated market. RealtyTrac execs expect the number of foreclosures to exceed 3 million properties by the end of the year with 1 million more in bank repos. And with the growing number of layoffs and families still struggling to meet their mortgages the numbers will only increase from there. See the vicious cycle here??

4. Tight Credit Standards. Mortgage rates are hitting all time lows so why isn't everyone jumping into new homes.... because they can't qualify for a mortgage in the first place. Banks have been hardened with the blow of bad loans so they're requiring some serious ante from prospective buyers outside of their first born son. To take advantage of these great rates you're going to need a FICO score of 720 or better, outside of FHA loans, and anywhere from 10-40% down. Not exactly the profile of most Americans right now....

5. Falling Home Prices. You'd think that cheaper prices would stimulate the market but here we go with the consumer confidence aspect again. With the news blaring about slumping home prices it drives in the message that owning a home is BAD thing right now. "Don't get yourself stuck in a home loan... do you see what's happening to people out there right now... they're upside down.... they're losing everything... they're stuck in their home forever." These implications aren't quite sending a positive message about homeownership! So those folks that would be prospective buyers are bailing from the sinking ship.

6. Selling your current home. If you're one of the millions out there committed to a mortgage already it's a daunting task to think about buying a new home because you have a giant black cloud looming over your head. In today's market 1 in 4 homeowners is upside down on their mortgage, they have negative equity. So in order to get out they would have to take a loss on the property and not too many folks are rushing in to do that!

It all goes back to the number one issue, the economy.... bad economy means no jobs, no jobs means no loans, and no loans mean no home sales. So as unfortunate as the situation may be it's not a bad idea to stay put while the dust settles and take advantage of some of the positives of the economy, like cheap construction costs to get your home improvement going.

~5280 Lady

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Be a part of the club! The Home Depot: Home Improver Club

The Home Depot is a great resource for all things home improvement... if that wasn't clear already! But did you know they have a club you can join, free of course... to get your DIY and home improvement fix? Let me introduce you to the Home Improvers Club! You can finally let go of those memories of being the last person chosen in gym class and be one of the cool kids.

Here's some of the perks, home maintenance and upkeep email alerts, how-to video tutorials, projects based on your local weekend weather report, just to name a few! You also get the benefit of all of their workshops that can teach you everything under the sun like how to install laminate flooring or first aid for your lawn techniques. They even have an entire series of workshops for women and they have workshops for kids, a great way to get them involved in home ownership pride at an early age.

They have a wealth of information available. Check out their projects like "removing rusty toilet bolts," "installing liners and gutter maintenance," "planting bulbs for spring," and even projects like "mortising a door latch," and "installing a wall switch for a ceiling fan". The ideas could keep you busy year round (sorry husbands with your already overflowing 'honey-do' lists)


~5280 Lady

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100 Twitter Feeds for Home Improvement Advice

Thanks to Constructionmanagementdegree.org for compiling this list! They've put together your best resources for easy access tips. Categories include general home improvement, green resources, remodeling, furnishing and decorating, publications tv and radio, corporate feeds, and project specific feeds!

 "Whether you have a construction management degree or are just a determined do-it-yourself-er, you are sure to find great advice for all your home improvement projects with these terrific Twitter feeds."

Head over to the feed list to see who you should be following, and always you can check out 5280 on the Tweet Deck for more great home improvement info!

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