Even though winter is still weeks away, we need to brace now for a rude surprise coming soon. I’m talking about winter heating bills. Natural gas and heating fuel prices are surging. The most efficient and easiest way to keep your home’s winter heating bills under control is to set the main source of heat…
US New Home Sales Hit Six-Month High; Median Price Stays Above $400,000
WASHINGTON—Sales of new U.S. single-family homes surged to a six-month high in September, but higher house price are making homeownership less affordable for some first-time buyers. New home sales jumped 14.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 units last month, the highest level since March, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. August’s…
7 Points to Examine When Replacing a Home Component
Dear Monty: I will be selling my house within the next four to five years. The compressor on my A/C went out. Should I repair or replace the whole unit? The current unit is a little over 12 years old, and the compressor repair will be under warranty for one year. Prices: $2,000 to repair,…
6 Clever Kitchen Storage Ideas to Steal From Restaurants
By nature, home kitchens have always been a more casual and more intimate version of a restaurant—but that doesn’t have to mean that they can’t be as efficient as a bustling restaurant kitchen. To make your kitchen as efficient as you are, it’s a good idea to look to the pros for ideas. Between prep,…
Make Invisible Joints When Applying Drywall Tape
Dear James: I just moved into an older house, and a lot of the drywall tape is coming loose and needs retaping. Why did it come loose, and how should I replace it? —Randall N. Dear Randall: It is not uncommon for drywall tape to come loose after many years. A change in humidity and…
US Existing Home Sales Surge to 8-Month High in September
WASHINGTON—U.S. home sales surged to an eight-month high September, but higher prices as supply remains tight are squeezing out first-time buyers from the housing market. Existing home sales increased by 7.0 percent—the largest increase in a year—to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.29 million units last month, the highest level since January, the National…
Diagnosing Plant Problems
Q: Your answer on a lawn that suddenly appeared dead sounds like what many lawns in our area suffered through. We had army worms. One day the grass was green and the next day it was dead-looking. A: I tell people all the time that there are only three things that affect plants: insects, diseases,…
Another Brilliant Way to Use WD-40 Around the House
I had to laugh when I opened my mail to read how one reader was able to get his glass shower doors so clean and sparkly that they looked like new. I had a can of his remedy sitting right there next to my computer. Hold on! That can of WD-40 was not there to…
Home Goods Offering Online Shopping: Could It Boost TJX Shares?
A leading home décor and furnishings retailer is upping its game with the rollout of online shopping. Could it boost revenue and the share price? What Happened HomeGoods, a store brand owned by TJX Companies Inc., is a leader and well-known brand in the home décor and furnishings space. The retail brand ended the second…
Easy Swaps to Give Your House an Instant Upgrade
Sometimes the simplest decorating swaps can yield the biggest returns. These one-hit-wonder changes will invigorate your spaces with minimal effort on your part. But be forewarned: One swap may make you want to do another … and another. But that’s what makes decorating fun, right? Pillows Swap standard-issue pillows for something with personality. Ditch the…
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