Like it or not, winter is here! These tips for getting your home ready for the cold can save you heating costs and avoid costly structural damage.  Seal the air leaksCaulking window or foundation cracks and updating the weather stripping on doors  can make your house less drafty and reduce home heating costs by as much as 10%.Test smoke and CO detectorsChanging batteries is cheap and easy, but essential as winter approaches. With your...

  No matter the season, it’s always a good time for Spring cleaning. By that, I mean keeping your home in order by tossing or storing things you don’t use or need. Decluttering your home makes for a home with fewer accidents, less dust and mold, fewer fires, easier cleaning, and a fresher look. Here are five easy steps to declutter your home (while I say “easy,” I know that for some of us getting rid of anything can be difficult and...

  Some 5.5 million existing homes will turn over this year because people have outgrown their homes. The reasons are many: growing families, job relocations, downsizing, avoiding the cost of deferred maintenance, changes in income, first time homeowning, divorce, retirement or a death in the family, to name just a few. Even so, moving is never easy. You have to find a new place or situation, pack your belongings, move them, and set up...