Home Improvement Articles

1. 10 Leadership Qualities + 1

By Karin S. Syren Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost. Their tendency is to interact according to Henry Ford's observation, "whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right." Because the buck must stop somewhere and because the dynamic of authority dictates that all delegated authorities are themselves subject to authority, they understand that being a leader is far more than a title. The... read more

2. 5 Reasons to Organize Your Home Today

By Karen Fritscher-Porter Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward organized living. Even if you don't fall into those two stereotypes, you should consider learning and implementing some home organizing techniques. Why bother? Here are five good reasons to organize your home: PEACE OF MIND - When you have a closet packed full of miscellaneous items, don't you sometimes think "I've got to put tha... read more

3. 5 Steps to Maintaining the Rhythm of Life – The Juggling Act

By Karin S. Syren The bad news is if you’ve been trying to multi-task, you’ve probably discovered what organizational psychologists have observed to be decreasing accuracy and productivity in post layoff climates. Multi-tasking is not a sustainable answer to the too much to do and too few to do it problem! The brain’s executive control processes, the resource allocators, are overstressed and the result is a measu... read more

4. Elements of Timeless Leadership

By Karin S. Syren Great leadership is timeless, always in vogue. The world has been hungry for great leaders from time immemorial. In times of chaos and war, environmental and social upheaval, great leaders often emerge pointing the way toward peace. In times of tranquility, calm and prosperity, great leaders have emerged to maintain the systems of order and to challenge apathy. Great leadership is always po... read more

5. Home Security: Your yard is the first line of defence.

By Roger Overanout Home Security: Your yard is the first line of defence. You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be. ... read more

6. Choosing The Right Telescope

By Duane Brown Ever since Galileo, people have been pointing telescopes to the heavens and expanding their view of this world by looking outside of it into other worlds. It can be a fascinating and rewarding endevour. You can even meet some very good friends this way as there are usually local star-gazing clubs within reach of almost anywhere in the country that offer plenty of companionship when using your tele... read more

7. Lisa French

By Breaking away from white wall paint Breaking away from white wall paint by: Lisa French Paint is one of the most affordable and easiest ways to change a room. But choosing the right paint colors for your home can seem like an overwhelming task. Paint, accessories, fabric, furniture, and flooring should all blend, so take a good look at the room you will be working on, preferably before you choose a paint color, and decide wha... read more

8. Oregon Real Estate – Going Hip and Green

By Raynor James Located in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon is hip state that gets a lot of rain. This rain results in a beautiful green state, but doesn’t put a damper on the real estate market. Oregon From the stunning Crater Lake to Pioneer Square in Portland, Oregon is a diverse state. The population ranges from hippies to the very conservative depending upon where you happen to be standing. There are for... read more

9. Indoor Hot Tubs vs. Outdoor Hot Tubs

By Terri Greene Purchasing a hot tub is a large investment which means you will want to make sure it is located in the perfect place. One of the biggest decisions you will have to make regarding your hot tub is whether you want it indoors or outdoors. There are pros and cons to each location, each are outlined below in order to help you make your decision. Indoor Hot Tubs Advantages • Indoor hot tubs ... read more

10. What is the Right Plant and Where Do I Put It?

By james ellison Know if your plants are disease-susceptible. Your choice of plants used in your garden is as important as the soil that you put those plants in. Select plants that are disease resistant and they will be much more easy to maintain and will give you the look you are wanting. Food for thought is use plants that are native to your area. The experience you get will tell you which are the troubleso... read more

11. Home Buying – What Is That Noise!?!

By Raynor James You’ve found the perfect home, closed escrow and just finished moving in. As you happily fall asleep, all seems well in the world. An hour later, you bolt up in bed to an ear splitting sound. All is no longer well in the world. An Unholy Racket If you saw the movie “My Cousin Vinny”, you know what I’m talking about. For those that haven’t, the movie centers on a lawyer, Vinny, who comes to ... read more

12. Buying The Right Bed Sheets For Your Bed

By Duane Jones You spend a lot of your life in your bed sleeping and rejuvenating for the next day's activity. Sleeping is a process that takes up roughly about about a third of the average person's life. So it makes sense that you would want to make your bed comfortable and a pleasure to be in. It also is a nice bonus if the bedding you choose enhances the overall decor of your home and is pleasing to the eye. ... read more

13. Caring For and Planting a Balled in Burlap Christmas Tree

By Michael McGroarty You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm Tis the season when lots of people drag a real tree into their house and decorate it. Some people buy l... read more

14. Choose Spice Racks That Help you Organize Your Home

By Karen Fritscher-Porter Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks as you do of the spices they contain. Spice racks are wonderful kitchen home organization gadgets. And a spice rack is a wonderful gift too for a cook. In our household, my husband is the chef. But I'm the shopper. And we own three functional and handsome spice racks that are in use every day. Before you buy your next spice rack for yourself or ... read more

15. Selling Your Home on Your Own – Examples of Problems and Solutions

By Raynor James What can go wrong? About a gazillion things, but this is true if you’re working with a broker, too. A broker is probably more experienced than you, and may well have confronted and solved your problem on a previous home sale. If you can stay calm and think under stressful conditions, you can be your own problem solver without the need for a broker. Plus, there is no guarantee the broker will get i... read more

16. Ohio Real Estate – Large Cities and Little Farms

By Raynor James Ohio is a unique state where large cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati sit next to rural farms. Ohio real estate prices mirror this diversity. Ohio Ohio was a mainstay in the industrial revolution in the United States. Cities such as Cleveland and Cincinnati spawned industrial might to such a degree that Cleveland is still the home of the most millionaires per person in the United States. ... read more

17. [FNAME] - How About a Jungle Mural to Put Some Swing Into Your Child’s Room?

By Michael Holland If your child loves all different types of animals, a jungle mural is a great way to make their room a fun and enjoyable place. You might be thinking how you will be able to achieve such a task, especially if you do not have artistic talents. The truth is, however, that this type of mural is rather easy to construct as long as you have the tools to do it. The easiest way to create a jungle... read more

18. The Great American Dream

By Charles French The Great American Dream Author: Charles French Are you ready to starting building your dream home. House plan designs are abundant and easy to customize. Just getting started can sometimes be quite confusing. There's nothing more exciting than building your dream home. Take a look at your living area now. What would you change? The floor plan for more open space, the flooring or maybe add ... read more

19. The Truth About Honda Pressure Washers

By Randall Madon "What they don't tell you about Honda Pressure Washers" I recently received the following e-mail regarding honda pressure washers: "I was unaware Honda made pressure washers. I can get one locally now that I have seen your web page". Thank You My response: Thank you for visiting our website. I would like to point out that HONDA "does not" manufacture pressure washers. ... read more

20. Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees

By Catherine Spelling Putting up and decorating your Christmas tree is a holiday tradition which has been in effect for hundreds of years and will probably be in effect until the end of time. Choosing whether you want a real Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas tree is a dilemma which many of us face every year. There are many benefits to both forms of trees but there are many disadvantages as well. Here are a... read more

21. Real Estate Terms – From Pre-Approval Letter to Townhouse

By Raynor James When buying or selling a property, it always helps to have a basic understanding of real estate terms. In this on going series of articles, we take a look at definitions starting with “Pre-Approval Letter.” 1) Pre-Approval Lender Letter – a writing from a lender stating that a potential buyer has approval to borrow a stated amount of money from his firm based on having documented all the person... read more

22. Title Insurance – Examples of Problems and Advice

By Raynor James What is title insurance and why should any buyer get it when purchasing a home (single family, townhouse, condo, apartment, or whatever format your home purchase takes)? Doesn’t the attorney or settlement company handling the closing see to it that you have a clear title? Isn’t this just another way for someone to siphon a few coins off a real estate transaction? Title Insurance Title insu... read more

23. Real Estate Terms – From Condominiums to Deeds of Trust

By Raynor James When buying or selling a property, it always helps to have a basic understanding of real estate terms. In this on going series of articles, we take a look at definitions starting with “condominium.” 1) Condominium - A type of ownership in real property where all of the owners in a collection of properties jointly own everything except the interior of each property. Accordingly, the jointly are... read more

24. Replacement Window Installer Offers Advice

By Robert Clarke Are you thinking about taking on a good do-it-yourself home improvement project? With some simple tools and a few tips from a professional installer, you can take on the job of installing your own vinyl replacement windows. Advantages The newer vinyl replacement windows have many benefits to offer owners of older homes. First of all, it’s all but impossible to find stock windows at your ... read more