You don’t need to spend a fortune to completely redo the look and feel of your yard. A few accessories here and there can make a world of difference and give you a yard the whole family can enjoy.

1. Create separate spaces tied together by a team. Whether you’re going for country, modern or romantic, you can easily create a theme by planting the same type of plants (roses for formal, fruit trees for country-like) around the yard, as well as by using accessories (anything from hammocks to fish ponds would work). Dedicate a small area to build a patio, where you can place a small table and chairs for a quick breakfast, resting or having a BBQ.

2. Bring the indoors out. Accessories that you would normally think of as “indoor only” can completely change the feel of a yard. Think cushions, candles, rugs and blankets. You can either shop for weather-resistant products or bring them back inside at night or during rainy days.

3. Start a garden. Nothing makes a yard come alive as having a garden. Whether you want to grow vegetables or try your hand at flowers and shrubs, select a section of the yard and get it ready for planting. Choose hardy plants if you’re new to gardening and want a stress-free experience.

4. Invite wildlife into your harden by hanging up birdhouses, setting up a pond or placing a fountain near the trees and flowers.

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While building a home addition or completely remodeling your home may be your ultimate dream, that may not be a practical option if you are on a tight budget or planning on selling and moving soon. Still, there are plenty of things you can do to increase the value of your home without putting too much time or money into the project. Some of the these changes will significantly increase the value of your home as well, so you’ll get more for your property once you’re ready to sell.

• Make the most of your yard. No matter how small it is, there’s always space for a great lawn and at least a single lawn chair. If you can afford the space for flower beds, go ahead and build them around the edges. Otherwise, get a few large potted plants and group them in a couple of areas around the yard.
• Repaint the rooms. Get rid of white and beige walls, which are often the staple of a rental house. Instead, choose pastel colors such as yellows, blues and pinks that give the rooms personality and warm. Avoid crazy colors and patterns, as this can play against you when trying to sell a home. Before painting, patch any holes and sandpaper the walls if necessary.
• Declutter the house. It makes rooms appear larger and cleaner and gives potential buyers the feeling that the house is big enough to fit anything.
• Clean the carpets and rugs and wash the curtains. If you can afford it, replace them. This is especially important if colors are faded or material is stained.
• Refinish kitchen cabinets if you can’t do anything else. Paint the doors a light color or replace them to change the look of the whole room without any major changes.

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Bamboo flooring has become popular over the last two decades and with good reason. Bamboo is more efficient than any other wood, providing more wood by the meter than any other plant. It is also a great alternative to hardwoods because of its durability and look. Here are a few good reasons to choose bamboo:

• It’s as strong as oak and lasts at least as long. However, it doesn’t contract and expand as much as other woods, so it’s better for hot humid conditions where hardwood floors would normally not do well.
• It has a unique look. Because of its stripped appearance and even grain, bamboo catches the eye more than any other type of wood floor.
• Bamboo doesn’t dent, scratch, warp or bend as easily as other woods.
• It’s easier to install bamboo flooring than most other materials, as the wood can be glued, stapled, nailed or floated on the floor.
• Bamboo doesn’t stain and it’s resistant to water, making it a great choice for bathrooms and kitchens. To clean it, it can simply be mopped with water once a week. It requires no special products or treatments.

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Keeping things organized during the holiday season may prove to be a big challenge. With presents to wrap, cards to send and packing to be done before visiting friends and family, you may find yourself under a pile of papers even before Christmas gets even close.

· Make a list of everybody who’s getting either a card or a present. Write down the name, address and type of present to be given. Those that need to be sent should be bought and prepared first. If you are planning on buying cardboard boxes for the presents, do so well in advance, so you have a chance to get the packages to the post office before the holiday rush starts.

· Label cardboard boxes that contain holiday decorations. Do this before you start taking anything out. This way you’ll know where everything goes when it’s time to put it back.

· Create a wrapping center. Designate a corner of your desk, a drawer or a box to put all the wrapping paper, tape and gift tags.

· Dig on your old boxes before buying anything new to decorate the house, the tree or the porch. Chances are you don’t remember what’s in there.

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While there are many articles everywhere on how to deal with clutter, few address a more important issue: How to prevent clutter from happening in the first place. By taking care of your possessions and making sure you don’t buy more than you need, you can deal with excess and prevent chaos from taking over your home.

Here are five ways to get you started:

1. Ask yourself a series of questions before you buy something. Do you really need it? Is there something you already own that can serve the same purpose? Do you have the space for it? Can you get rid of something to make space for the new item? How long are you going to use it? If this is something you will only use once or twice, can you rent it or borrow it instead of buying it?

2. Determine where the item is going to be placed. Not the general room or area of the house, but the specific location, such as “second shelf of the living room bookcase.” If you can’t find a specific location for it, it should be considered clutter.

3. Have a place to store it. If you’re buying Christmas decorations, cleaning supplies and products or a new set of china, make sure you have enough cabinet space or drawers to put these items away when not in use. Moving boxes make great for storing stuff you don’t use often.

4. Have a designated place for things you deal with regularly. Have a tray near the main door where you can dump mail as soon as it comes in. Or place a container near the entrance where you can put umbrellas, or a small wood rack where you can store shoes.

5. Get into the habit of donating things you no longer use or need. Don’t wait until they pile up so high that it will take you days to get through them. Go through your closet, your bookshelf and your garage once a week and make a bag of things you can give away. Drive the bags to the nearest thrift store at least once a month.

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Some small changes or additions can turn a plain house into the stuff of dreams. Whether you’re going for romantic cottage or charming country styles, sometimes it’s the little touches that can make all the difference.

Picket fences scream cottage, even if you live in the middle of the city. Stick to white if you want something obvious or mix pastels and bold colors for a major impact.

Turn your porch into an outdoor room. Use vintage furniture (from benches and chairs to a hatch) as much as possible to add character. Choose weather-resistant materials and don’t be afraid to buy things at garage sales or discount centers –After all, these items will stay outside and probably end up damaged after a while. Add touches of color and charm by using pillows, eye-catching accessories and lots of potted plants.

Hang stuff from the walls. Old pots and pans, dried flowers and vintage collectibles (such as mirrors, watering cans or other small items) all scream cottage charm.

Take the doors off the shelves. This works particularly well in the kitchen. Get rid of a few cabinet doors and use the open space to display cookbooks, vintage cooking utensils or well stacked china.

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Ultimately, what your kid’s room will look like depends on personal taste (yours and eventually your child’s), although there are some basics to keep in mind when designing and decorating one:

Choose colors, furniture and décor that will grow with the child. If you go overboard with the cutesy designs, things will have to be changed as the kid becomes a toddler or a pre-teen. A way around this is to paint the room itself a neutral tone and then use bedding, curtains and rugs to provide personality and details.

Pick materials that are durable. Washable fabrics are a must, as are darker colors (whites and beiges will get dirty too quickly). Low-maintenance that are machine washable and will withstand wear and tear will make your life a lot easier.

Get plenty of storage at kids’ eye level. Trunks, large drawers and bins are great to help kids get organized. At the end of the day, if you don’t feel like picking up things, they can just be thrown into containers to be sorted out later. If you want the kids to do the organizing themselves, don’t choose furniture with high drawers or pegs they can’t reach or open.

Provide plenty of insulation. If you have hardwood floors, cover them with thick rugs or rubber mats, to prevent injuries when kids fall or play on the floor.

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Unless money is not an issue, there are some home improvements that just don’t pay to be made.

Don’t turn a bedroom into anything else if you plan on selling your house soon. A home office or a workout room may look good, but your home will be listed as having one less bedroom, lowering the selling price.

Don’t get a concrete patio. Deal with the grass or have a section covered in stone or a wood deck. Concrete increases temperature, reflects sunlight and will usually crack in hot climates. Also, it doesn’t look that appealing and you’re stuck with no garden, even if you change your mind.

Avoid bold finishes around the house. If you want bold, choose a striking wall color or bright curtains or rugs, which can be changed easily. Avoid carpeting, counters and other finishes that are too bold or too different. They may look great now, but chances are you’ll get tired of them at some point and then it will cost you a small fortune to replace them.

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While making a completely green house would probably require a major remodeling project and thousands of dollars, there are tons of small things you can do to better your home and protect the environment in the process.

Insulating the basement, attic and crawl spaces will ensure that you spend less money on electricity and gas to maintain optimal indoor temperatures. This also means less emissions going into the environment.

Installing lots of windows. One structural change that won’t cost you much but will save electricity is to have more windows put in, so you can take advantage of the light and the warmth of the sun coming in. Make sure you choose windows coated to protect against temperature changes.

Leave surfaces unfinished whenever possible. This will reduce the amount of formaldehyde and other chemicals in the area.

When possible, install containers outdoor to capture rain water. You can do this using a 50-gallon barrel, a cistern or even a fountain. You can use the water to water plants or to clean outdoor spaces. It will save on your water bill and conserve energy.

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• Not planning well enough. If you don’t have a budget and a clear idea of what you want to do and how much you’re willing to spend on it, chances are you’ll spend too much.
• Buying all new furniture. Whether you’re tired of the look in a room or the dogs have destroyed the couch, there are few times when you actually need to change every single of furniture in a room. In most cases, you can reupholster some pieces, paint others and add fabrics and linens to brighten up the place. Then buy one or two pieces that will really spruce up the place.
• Changing the floors before exploring options. If you’re hardwood floors are scratched or chipped, you may think it’s time for new flooring. Before you go that route, find out if the damage can be repaired. Paint, wax or even sectional rugs can all cover the damage or at least hide it significantly.
• Hiring a handyman for little repairs. Of course you need a contractor for major structural changes and a handyman to correct electrical or pipe problems. However, there’s no reason why you can’t learn to fix the smaller things yourself. Fixing a small hole on a wall, especially in a place like the garage or the basement, where perfection is not needed, can be done by everybody. The same is true of painting a room, replacing a switchplate or other small house repairs.

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