Autumn Rios

Disasters strike without warning. Be prepared with these ten essential home emergency items.

A Checklist: Being Prepared for Home Emergencies Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes strike indiscriminately, which means every homeowner should be prepared for life-threatening emergencies. Here are ten essential items to have on hand. A source of power. A generator will keep your refrigerator working to preserve food, and provide ligh...

Presidents’ Day, originally celebrating George Washington’s birthday, has been associated with what fruity dessert?

Celebrating Presidents’ Day Cherry pie is the unofficial dessert of Washington’s Birthday, drawing from the legend of young Washington chopping down a cherry tree. Presidents’ Day has had various designations. Originally it celebrated George Washington’s birthday on February 22. In the 20th Century, Abraham Lincoln’s b...

“Built to last” takes on a whole new meaning with these advances in construction materials and techniques.

‘Maintenance-Free’ is Magic to Homeowners’ Ears One of the big advantages to buying a newer home is the use of modern building materials that reduce — and in some cases, completely eliminate — the need for costly home repairs. Check out these advances in building materials and techniques, which are also a great choice for those with older hom...

Does your house need a facelift? Follow these six steps to guarantee your home leaves a good first impression on guests -- or potential home buyers.

Your Best Home: Outdoor Edition Whether you’re welcoming guests or potential home buyers, it’s important that your home make a good first impression. But with so many elements — flowerbeds, lawn, mailbox, porch and the all-important front door — addressing your home’s exterior can seem overwhelming. If you don’t know w...

No central air conditioning? No problem. Here’s the latest on an old standby: the window unit.

How to Buy a Window Air Conditioner If you find yourself living in a house or apartment without central air conditioning, it’s time to go shopping for a window unit. Here’s what to look for and how to properly maintain it. It’s a matter of BTUs. Shopping for a window air conditioner isn’t complicated. The main thing to look fo...

Valentine’s Day ranks second to one other holiday for nationwide flower sales. Which holiday comes in first?

Love Blooms on Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day also ranks second only to Christmas for greeting card sales, but Mother’s Day sells more flowers than Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day, as we know it, has its romantic roots in a poem about “Valentines” by 14th Century English writer Geoffrey Chaucer, best known for “Ca...

Learn how to preserve precious water and cut down maintenance with these alternative grasses, gardens and hardscapes.

Gorgeous Alternatives to Traditional Lawns Today’s alternative landscapes bring relief from watering lawns and garden maintenance. Let’s see what’s out there.

If you own property with water on or adjacent to it, what are your rights to its use? Here is a quick summary of your water rights as a property owner.

Water Rights for Property Owners Property owners with water geographically connected to their land need to know their legal rights. The water could be a river, lake, the ocean or even the water underground. Types of water. Three basic types of water may have a connection to your property. A watercourse is any lake, river or stream....

A house built on sloping terrain may have a big foundation wall exposed. Let’s convert ugly into beautiful with these attractive covers.

Five Makeovers For an Ugly Home Foundation Does your otherwise attractive home have an unsightly foundation wall that spoils its curb appeal? Here are five ways to make that ugly wall disappear. Paint it. Typically, the foundation wall has a thin veneer of concrete mortar spread over it similar to stucco, for a smoother cosmetic look. Choose...

DIY disasters. Know your limits and leave the big jobs to the professionals.

When to Hire a Pro to Avoid DIY Disasters Do-it-yourselfers, empowered by YouTube videos and well-produced cable TV shows, have no doubt saved themselves serious money by tackling home-improvement projects. But some jobs are better left to the professionals. A good rule of thumb: If you don’t own most of the necessary equipment or you nee...

From the basement to the attic, here’s a top to bottom look at choices in stairways.

The Ups and Downs of Multiple Staircases In large multi-story houses, more than one staircase may exist. Attic stairs are common and some houses may even have an outside staircase for renters or a back set of steps as an entry to upstairs playrooms. Let’s go exploring up one staircase and down another. A showcase. The main (or only) stai...

What exactly is a certificate of occupancy? Here’s what every property owner needs to know.

What is a Certificate of Occupancy? A certificate of occupancy, or CO as it’s oftentimes called, is an essential document that no property owner should be without. The certificate describes the type of property and its intended use. It specifies the property as residential, commercial, business or multi-dwelling. In addition, the CO...