Home Tips & Ideas

If you’re struggling to find space in your house, luckily, many options exist to organize and save room in the storage spaces you do have.   Vacuum-sealed bags: These bags compress clothes, pillows, blankets and other soft items to help them fit into tighter spaces. You can stack and store them away in closets or under beds, and you have the added bonus of knowing your items will be...

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Even discussions about emotional support animals get emotional, but one thing remains true: No-pet rules don’t matter for legitimate emotional-support animal claims. But Fla. owners now have more ways to deal with people who stretch the truth about a pet’s emotional-support status. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Other than political debate, perhaps nothing else evokes more of an “emotional” response...

Are you considering selling your home For Sale By Owner? Not knowing what papers you need to sell your property can cost you dearly. There are lots of documents and many disclosures that need to be signed and submitted for filing throughout the home sales process. A seller needs to consider scheduling appraisers, arranging necessary inspections, and meeting a whole host of other conditions. Failing...

Text Version: Whether you're prepping before a sale or renovating the home you just bought, these tips can ensure you come out the other side sane and happy with the result. 1. Don't over-improve. Ask a local Realtor for listings on comparable homes so you can determine if it make sense to invest as much as you plan. This is especially important if you expect to sell in the near future. 2. Set a...

Need some more free space? One technique is to pack away everything you’re not using during a particular time of year. For instance, winter jackets, snow boots, sleds, and snow blowers have no use taking up room in your closet or garage during the summer months. Move these items to more permanent storage when they’re not being actively used. These are the best places to store items you’re not...

More often than you would believe, scammers forge and file deed documents to fraudulently take ownership of homes to extort, mortgage, sell or rent the property. Crazy, isn't it? To protect your property against scams or fraud, the Broward County Property Appraiser has launched a FREE program that notifies homeowners immediately of any title changes to their property. It's called Owner Alert and it's a...

Plan ahead. Develop a master to-do list so you won’t forget something critical heading into moving day. This will also help you create an estimate of moving time and costs. Discard items you no longer want or need. Ask yourself how frequently you use an item and how you’d feel if you no longer had it. Sort unwanted items into “garage sale,” “donate,” and “recycle” piles. Pack similar...

Homeowners and house hunters are looking to maximize outdoor space while sheltering at home. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports a 65% uptick in interest among its membership in outdoor living projects this year. NKBA, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and Houzz have surveyed design professionals and home builders to identify some of the top outdoor trends this year. Year-round...

Text Version: The additional time that Americans are spending in their houses can lead to excess strain on different rooms of your home. Review these tips to get to know the areas to keep a close eye on and how to relieve strain to avoid overuse. KITCHEN Clean your dishwasher filter to increase the longevity of your appliance. Make sure your smoke detector works and the batteries are fresh...