The days are longer, the nights are warmer and we can finally put our heavy coats and gloves in the back of the closet. When the sun starts to shine and the weather grows warm, it is fun to celebrate the fresh spring season by decorating your home. Many of spring porch designs make old items like milk cans, drawers, chairs, and lanterns into cute new displays for your home. If you are a DIY diva, you will love up-cycling your antiques into pretty new planters for springtime. Get Creative, get going and make your yards pretty again!
As you become more conscious of the environment and aim to reduce your carbon footprint, you probably put more of a premium on products and features that promote energy efficiency. Real estate should be no exception. If you're thinking about putting your home on the market, you should consider the steps below to get started "going green." You'll cut costs and make your home more desirable to buyers at the same time. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, going green can reduce your bills by as much as 25 percent. To achieve those savings, try jumping on one or more of the following green home trends:
Environmentally friendly LED lighting gives off the same light as regular bulbs, but lasts 50 times longer.
Don't laugh, but low flush toilets which use one or two gallons of water per flush are far superior compared to typical toilets which use three to five gallons.
Appliances marked with the ENERGY STAR label meet the strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
If you ask me - and I hope you will - doing a few small things that save you money and protect the environment is just plain smart. The fact that it'll make your home more attractive if you decide to sell takes it from smart to just about irresistible.