For many of us, when we buy a home it is an investment in the future rather than a strictly monetary investment. Even though house flipping was all rage a few years back, with the real-estate industry still deep in a slump that has never been truer. Although we would love to see the value return to homes someday, they have truly become a place of refuge for raising our families and escaping the world. Since most of us will be staying where we are for awhile, there are a few things that we can do to help increase our homes value as well as benefit from them ourselves. Albeit on the pricey side, investing in dual pane windows is a wise investment. Not only will cut down seriously on your electric bill, but they will also add value to your home should you decide to sell. They are easy to maintain and look really good as well. Many companies even offer warranties should they get broken. We bought ours through the Home Depot and when my husband nicked one of the panes while cutting the grass, they replaced it free of charge. Another, less expensive, home investment is window blinds . Not only will they improve the look of your home, but they will also give your home a more finished look should you ever decide to sell. When you move into a new home and are knee deep in the unpacking process, the last thing you want to think about is buying new window treatments for all of your windows. Other small improvements, such as replacing old appliances and improving the landscaping, are simple ways to increase the value of your home while still being able to enjoy living in it now. With these small changes, you’ll be all ready to go when the market does turn around.

We moved to Helena, Montana from Carlisle, Pennsylvania when I was just four years old.  My east-coast mother, was fascinated by her idea of what the wild, wild west was.  After she purchased her first pair of pointed cowboy boots, she insisted that my father install a wood burning stove in the corner of our kitchen.  We began to ride horses and wear cowboy hats, mine was red with white trim, and all I remember is that it was too big and was constantly falling over my eyes.  But I would not take it off.  I was a cowgirl now.

A week before Christmas, my father brought home the Christmas tree, a very large pine that he intended to set up in the living room.  Before my father got home, my mother and I were sitting in the warmth of the stove, sipping hot chocolate and watching an old Laurel and Hardy film.  We heard a commotion, and as we headed into the kitchen to find out what it was, we saw my father dragging a nine foot tree through the kitchen door.  I knew my father was frustrated, so I climbed on the back of the couch, and continued watching the movie.

As it turned out, my father had to saw off three feet of the tree in the middle of the kitchen, and while we decorated the tree, we threw the smaller pine branches into the fire, and while they cracked and popped because they were not fully dried, the scent in the air was the scent of Christmas.  I have a modern style home these days, with a cast iron stove in the kitchen, and each year my daughter and I burn pine, watch Laurel and Hardy movies, and drink hot chocolate while we decorate the tree.  It is a small Christmas tradition, shared by just two people, but that is what the holidays are all about.  Small things, that make the whole…just a little bit better.

So your looking for a new fireplace and are looking at all the options. You could go all Medieval time and get the open faced wood burning fireplace. It will enhance your home with heat, smell and soot dust. It will also cost you some time and maybe money in maintenance to keep it clean and burning well. There are other options. You could get a great natural gas fireplace or electric fireplaces. Well what are the pros and cons of these two designs? What do they have to offer.

First there is the install. Do you have natural gas piped into your home? Do you have electricity? If so then we have a conversation. Electric fireplaces are easier to install. All you have to do is plug the unit in and turn it on. Natural gas fireplaces need to be tapped into the home gas line before it will work. That may take a bit more time and money. But the benefit of gas is that if the power goes out in a winter storm the heat will stay on. Of course the electric will not which could leave you in a very chilly situation. What if it took a week to get the power back up again.

Natural gas is a much more efficient way of heating. They provide more heat than the electric fireplaces do. The electric fireplace is really a glorified space heater. It may take a bit longer to warm the room up if it is really cold. However, the nice thing about the glorified space heater fireplace is that you can move it around. If you decide you want it in the bedroom you can move it in there. The natural gas fireplace will be a permanent fixture to the room you choose to put it in. I hope this helps. Happy hunting.

Hot tubs are becoming increasingly popular in today’s market and they are doing so for a variety of reasons. The technology involved in producing them as well as maintaining them has become so advanced they are virtually self-monitoring and the features available with them are incredibly exciting. The hot tub experience is light years from what it was twenty or even ten years ago and their uses have also increased. They have started to draw interest from a wider population of consumers and the reasons for their purchase have also expanded.
Many times the purchase of a hot tub is included in the process of redesigning the entire backyard and its landscape. The growing trend is to bring activities and entertainments into the home and backyards are the perfect place to do this. With popularity of backyard kitchens, beautiful decks and floral gardens taken into consideration, the backyard is quickly becoming the private sanctuary of many families and individuals. The inclusion of a hot tub can be a tremendous benefit and will add to one’s life enjoyment. They are also extremely soothing and calming which can be a great stress reducer after a chaotic day.

And while they are extremely popular with home owners who are redesigning their backyard, they are also available for home renters. The portable hot tub models on today’s market offer styles and designs that are appropriate for all spaces and budgets. Many of these self contained units are easy to set up and operate which makes them create for non permanent spaces. They are also perfect for the family that likes to restructure and redesign their yard on a semi regular basis. They can move this tubs to a new location with ease and they are made out of extremely durable and weather resistant materials. So while their location may not be permanent, their quality of existence certainly is.