VK HowTo - Home & Auto

Tips for Staging Your Home For Sale

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:19:52 -0800

The For Sale sign is in the front yard. The house is clean and the lawn is mowed. Everything seems ready for prospective buyers to walk in and fall in love with your home. An offer for your asking price is imminent. That is the way it is supposed to work, but many sellers will attest to the fact that it's not always that easy. In this current market it is important to "stage" your home, showing it in the best way possible.

How to Redecorate on a Budget

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:05:53 -0800

When operating on a tight budget, it's hard to justify technically unnecessary purchases and pursuits, like redecorating a perfectly good living room, or buying a new pair of stilettos. But you don't have to overhaul your entire living space in order to spruce it up and create the desired effect of change. There are plenty of simple, cost-effective ways to spruce up any space, without over-spending. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Fall Landscaping Tips for Upstate New Yorkers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:46:31 -0700

It's a time when the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors and falling off the trees and the air is brisk. Fall is upon us and many Upstate New York homeowners think this is the time when landscaping can be cut back. But, in actuality fall is the perfect time to prepare for next year's planting. Plus, even though winter will soon be upon us you will still want your yard looking the best it can possibly look. In order to get the most from your yard, there are several landscaping tips you can use.

Drywall Texture: A Long Term Investment

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:06:55 -0700

Drywall texture is a compound that is rolled, sprayed, or troweled onto the sheetrock after the taping and floating of joints is complete. It is the same material as the joint compound, but thinned down with water and applied to the wall surface. There is a lot of variation in styles of texture, and some are more appropriate for certain styles of homes. Here are seven basic types:

Texture work in progress

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:05:46 -0700

Texture work on remodel of 1970's home.

Home Improvement Tips : Bathroom Renovations

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:04:51 -0700

One of the most popular areas of a house to renovate is the bathroom. There are many different ways to renovate a bathroom, from small surface changes to completely gutting the room. With some forethought and elbow grease, there are renovating techniques the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish, while saving money at the same time.

How to Refinish Hardwood Floors

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:32:39 -0700

Several homes, especially centrally located homes, have hardwood flooring. A pristine hardwood floor is beautiful, but to restore one back to its original 60 year old elegance, the floor will need to be refinished.

Remodeling A Kitchen : A How To Guide

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:57:58 -0700

One of the most timely and costly home improvement projects any homeowner can take on is a kitchen makeover. Whether a homeowner desperately needs a kitchen revamp, or is tired of the dated look of the kitchen, there are several options to freshen up the area.

How to Reduce Your Heating Bill

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:32:43 -0800

While Austin is known for its warm sunny weather, there are those few months where every year, when the temperature drops, it begins to get cold and we watch our heating bills rise. During the winter season, nearly two-thirds or your electricity (or gas) bill is devoted to heating spaces, often during times that they are not being used. Austin is a city that is turning green and though most of the efforts are concentrated on reducing energy consumption and our carbon footprint during the peak summer months, there are several easy and relatively inexpensive things you can do to lower your energy consumption in the winter and bring down your overall heating cost.

How to Fix a Hole in a Wall

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:35:47 -0800

Perhaps the most common home repair is fixing a hole in the wall. When I was young, my grandfather would baby sit my brothers and I while mom and dad were of earning a living. What our parents called child care, my grandfather interpreted as napping and most afternoons we had the run of the house. Now on more than one occasion, something was said and something was thrown, and some how we ended up with a hole in the wall. It happens to the best of us. Not wanting to risk losing our afternoons of freedom or our grandfather’s reputation, my brothers and I became experts at repairing holes in the wall. As and adult with kids of my own, I’ve found that the holes keep coming whether we want them to or not. The only thing we can do is know how to fix them properly. It is a very easy repair that can be performed in a few hours. I should also note that the directions below refer repairing fairly large holes. Small holes can often be painted over or repaired with a bit of patching plaster.

Emergency Drain Cleaning

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:33:29 -0800

"You’ve just put the finishing touches on the birthday cake. The streamers are in place, the snacks are on the table, the lawn chairs are set up outside and everything else is ready to go. You take a glance around your kitchen and sigh with relief. This birthday party is going to go smoothly after all. And then you hear it, the muffled cry from the bathroom: “Mom, the drain is plugged!”

Choosing a Drain Cleaner

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:32:52 -0800

"You’re standing in front of the home cleaning supplies at your local store and are completely immobilized. There are so many different product choices out there on the market today that you have no idea which one you want to use. Do you go with the name brand that you know from the commercials whose jingles get stuck in your head? Do you select the shiniest packaging which advertises that it can solve all of your problems? Or do you reach for the products that advertise that they won’t harm your health and home? Choosing household products is a difficult task indeed.

Drain Cleaning Tips

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:32:18 -0800

"The drain in your sink is plugged. What are you going to do about it? If you’re like most people, you reach under the kitchen sink and pull out a jug of Drano to clear the clog. But is this really the best course of action? Probably not. For those of you who are interested in doing more than just postponing dealing with the problem, here are a few drain cleaning tips to keep your water flowing smoothly:

Plumbing Tips

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:31:36 -0800

"When something goes wrong with the plumbing in your house, it’s usually wise to call a plumber out to come deal with the problem. However, you might not always be in the position to call a plumber. Maybe you don’t have the money right now or perhaps you need a quick fix to an emergency plumbing problem. When those times come up, life is a whole lot easier if you know how to do some basic plumbing yourself.

New Construction Plumbing Guide

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:31:12 -0800

"You are building a new home; what an exciting time! You’ve probably spent hours figuring out the design of this building, whether it’s a home that you’re going to live in yourself or one that you’re building for a client. You’ve worked out the landscaping and the layout of the rooms, discussed where amenities could be added in and even figured out how to make the place more energy-efficient for saving costs down the line. But have you thought about the plumbing?