Realty agents have clung to their traditional 6% fee structure through boom and bust, insisting that 6% of the home seller’s price is fair, since agents share the risk. They don’t get paid unless the house sells—that is, unless they work with Koenig & Strey, a full-service Chicago agency that recently announced it will now be having its fee and commission, too.
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Fee for All: How to Keep More Equity
Bob Vila’s Dream Patio Giveaway: Week Four
Today marks the start of the final week in our month-long Bob Vila Dream Patio Give-Away—a spring celebration featuring four weekly prizes from online retailer Wayfair. Enter daily here and then increase your chances of winning by entering every day on the Bob Vila Facebook page.
This week (through midnight ET Saturday, April 28) you can enter to win the DC America three-tier gazebo with insect screen from Wayfair, valued at $519.24 (MSRP). Made of heavy-duty, powder-coated steel with an awning grade poly top, the gazebo is the perfect addition to any deck, patio or garden. And with insect screen panels, it not only provides shelter from the sun, but a bug-free enclosure ideal for summertime entertaining. The gazebo measures 118 inches square and has a bronze-colored, rust resistant finish.
For official rules and entry, click here. Be sure to enter Bob Vila’s Dream Patio Give-Away daily on the site and on Facebook to increase your chances of winning.
Looking for more fabulous lawn and garden furniture? Be sure to visit Wayfair.
The “Bob Vila Dream Patio Giveaway” sweepstakes is open only to permanent legal U.S. residents. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest Period runs from 12:00 a.m. (EST) Sunday, April 1, 2012 through 11:59 p.m. (ET) Saturday, April 28, 2012. One entry per household per day on BobVila.com and/or Facebook. Alternative means of entry for each Drawing is available by faxing your name and address to 508-437-8486 during the applicable Entry Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. See Official Rules.
Earth Day 2012: Our Year in Green
Flickr
Each year on Earth Day we pause to acknowledge and appreciate the majesty of nature and the gravity of the problems threatening it. As individuals, we ask ourselves if we’re doing all that we can to mitigate the global environmental crisis.
In that same spirit of inquiry, we at BobVila.com look back on the very best blog posts, features, slideshows, and videos from the last year about all subjects green—energy conservation, recycling and reuse, and sustainable architecture.
DIY Deals: Earth Day
gardendesign.com
In honor of Earth Day this Sunday, April 22, we’re encouraging everyone to give back to Mother Nature. Make your corner of the world a little greener and a lot more colorful. Here are just a few of the online nursery sales taking place this weekend. Shop for bulbs and seeds, trees and bushes, and spend the weekend beautifying your yard—and our world.
Jackson & Perkins is having an Earth Day Celebration until Monday, 4/23. More than 100 of their plants (along with gardening tools) are up to 50% off.
Blue Stone Perennials is also selling plants for up to half-off. Choose from a wide variety, from asters and clematis to hollyhocks and hostas, but order soon as this offer is for a limited time.
Expect the Unexpected (Part 1): Wood Floors
Surprises abound when you take on a home remodeling project. You never quite know what you will find; and once you’ve started, there’s no turning back.
When we moved into our house, the guest room floor was completely covered in fairly new low-pile carpeting in a brownish-brick hue. Even though we wouldn’t have chosen that color, it was neutral enough—and new enough—that we decided to live with it. As the years passed, we began to consider other options. One day we carefully peeled back the carpet in one corner and were delighted to discover hardwood flooring. The decision was clear: we would remove the carpeting and refinish the floors.
SPA-oritize Your Home Bath
Photo courtesy: Abraham Teiger Architects
We all dream of having a luxurious bath (consider the one pictured above, by Abraham Teiger Architects, or the bath below-right belonging to actress Hilary Swank). But luxury is hard to resist—especially in the bath, where space, light, storage and spa-like amenities are coveted.
How To: Install a New Kitchen Sink
So many elements in kitchen design have remained common over the decades. Cabinets still have raised panels. Countertops are still made of plastic laminate. And tile is still a preferred surface for backsplashes and floors. But an ugly steel band running around an almond- or avocado-color sink? That says ‘80s faster than big hair.
5 Ways to Get Perfect, Clean Cuts in Plywood
Plywood sheet goods are an essential in any home improvement project involving wood. But due to their layered structure, they’re often prone to tear-out. The result: little, ragged splinters in the fibers of the wood exposing the ply underneath. You don’t need fine cabinetmaking tools to get clean cuts in sheet goods. You just need a little know-how.
1. Use the right blade, and use it properly. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the blade that came with your circular saw, miter saw or table saw isn’t going to give you the cuts you’re after. These blades will work for rough cuts in construction-grade soft lumber, but for working with hardwoods and sheet goods, you need to upgrade. For circular saws, grab a $15-20 carbide tip blade designed for plywood. For table and miter saws, invest in an 80 TPI plywood blade, one designed for cross (miter saw) or rip (table saw) cuts.
Then when making your cuts, set yourself up for success. Your plywood should be oriented so that the blade exits the wood on the good face. So for a circular saw and miter saw, make your cuts with the good face down; on the table saw, with the good face up.
It’s National Painting Week!
April has ushered in a burst of color, and we’re not just talking about floral blooms. According to a 2012 Spring Home Improvement Survey conducted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and Sherwin-Williams, seven out of 10 homeowners are planning home improvement projects this spring—and of those, nearly half (49%) cite painting as their top “to do.”
Why Is The Home Depot So Crowded?
If you’re tackling a home improvement project this spring, you’re not the only one reinvesting sweat equity in your house. This is the DIY comeback year, according to an American Express survey released at the end of March. This year, 72% of American homeowners will be tackling home improvement projects—about even with last year. But as the spring get-it-done season ramps up, only 15% will be hiring contractors, a significant 25% drop from 2011.