There are many ways of giving your home a makeover and many reasons to do so, but one of the best reasons is to make your living space more comfortable, more cozy, and more like home. One often neglected area during renovations is the bedroom – we all think of redoing our kitchens, our bathrooms and even the living rooms. But when it comes to our bedrooms, we don’t seem to want to change anything about it. Perhaps it is the fact that not many people see your bedroom; perhaps it is because you don’t think renovating your bedroom adds to the value of your home; whatever the reason, it’s time to put it to bed and use these five simple and easy ways to redo your bedroom:

• Revamp the curtains: If your bedroom windows are large, use curtains to good effect to dress up your room. Instead of going in for the readymade stuff available in stores, buy suitable material and get them stitched to match the size and tone of your windows. When you color code your curtains and the walls in your room, you provide a first and lasting effect to people who walk in.
• Invest in new bed sheets and covers: Do up your bed in bright colors and bold textures, suitably in colors that match your wall and curtains. And make sure you have more than just one pillow on the bed. Put a few on the cover just for effect, and make sure your bed is neat at all times, except when you’re in it off course.
• Use a carpet to good effect: A small carpet that fits in by the side of your bed or under your table in the bedroom makes a good addition to any bedroom. Make sure the carpet is soft to step on because it’s what you’re going to be stepping in every morning when you wake up.
• Throw in some personal effects: No bedroom is perfect without a few personal effects, so put up some pictures in vantage positions. Bring in a lamp for your table and keep a vase of fresh flowers on your window sill or on the bedside table. If you like to read, bring in a book case as well, one that goes with the décor of your room.
• Do up your lighting: The best way to provide your bedroom with both comfort and good looks is through the lighting – get help from a professional as to where to position your lights so that they are bright enough without being obtrusive. When your bedroom is well lit, yet not too bright, it shows all your other accessories in good light, literally.

This guest article was written by Elizabeth Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of online construction management degrees.

I’ve noticed a lot of news lately regarding homeowners attempting to lower their property taxes due to reduced home values. My first instinct was, “Sign me up!” After all, my home’s value dropped more than 55% in the last few years. On one hand, this could mean thousands of dollars in savings, especially in areas like mine where the decline in home values is significant. On the other, what will it mean for publicly-funded services like fire departments, law enforcement, schools, and libraries?

Perhaps nothing. As the amount of property tax collected decreases, local governments can raise the tax rate to make up for it. Wait, I could actually end up with a tax increase this year?

“Taxes are based on property values times [the tax rate]. We could have declining values but make up for it by raising the rate,” said Bill Donegan, the property appraiser for Orange County, Fla., which includes my hometown, Orlando. (source CNNMoney.com)

But wait, there’s more. He goes on to say that the decline in home values has been so great, it’s unlikely that any increase in tax rate would offset the lower assessments. To make up for it, local governments can raise fees and even taxes in other areas.  In other words, the money is going to come out of your pocket eventually.

In the meantime, if you want to challenge your property tax assessment, eppraisal.com can assist.  Here are some steps to follow:

• Know your home’s property value and compare it to the tax assessment value.
• Verify the information on record (number of rooms, square footage, etc.)
• Research neighborhood property values
• Get an appraisal from a licensed professional appraiser
• Submit your case to the county tax assessor

It’s not surprising that pools are most popular in California, Arizona, and Florida, where the summers are hot and the year-round temperature warm. But even though the National Association of REALTORS® say pools can add as much as 8 percent to the value of a home in these states, not all home buyers will see the value. Families with young children, older home buyers, or those not interested in the upkeep of a pool may not even consider a pool home. Of course, in areas where the winters are cold, a pool can even detract from the home value.

Yet, it’s hard to overlook the benefits of a pool, especially when you live in Florida like I do. It’s a great way to cool off in hot weather, they are a great focal point for entertaining, and let’s face it, kids love them. So if you’re thinking about installing a pool, do it for the fun factor if it’s something you desire, not as a tactic to increase your home’s value or attract buyers.

I recently started having little panicked moments thinking about what lurked inside the ground under my yard. My wife and I purchased our first home about six years ago. At the time of the purchase, we wisely chose to have the previous owner pump the septic tank. Since then, we’ve kind of ignored this important process of home maintenance.

A few months ago, we started seeing large piles of dirt and small earth-moving machines sitting on once groomed lawns. Inquiring with the owners, we found they were having some problems with their septic systems. The homes in our neighborhood are about 26 years old, which puts them in the “at risk” age for drain field clogs and septic back flow. A few shared grisly stories of being in the shower when undesirable refuse came up through the drain. Yuck.

Needless to say, I quickly looked up the company that had serviced the septic when we moved in and scheduled an appointment. The next day, I was standing in the front yard discussing the finer points of septic systems, how you can nurse an old system along, and how to avoid back flow.

First, some quick facts about conventional septic systems:

• They typically have two major features, the tank and the drain field.
• The tank holds solids (which settle at the bottom) and scum (which floats at the top).
• The drain field takes liquid effluent from the tank and distributes it across ground soil or gravel trenches.
• The more people using the system, the more often you should have it pumped.
• The most common point of failure is a clogged drain field.

The gentleman who pumped our tank noted the recent increase in septic failure in the neighborhood was directly related to the age of the homes. A typical septic system with moderate usage will last somewhere around 20 years. He defined moderate usage as < 50 gallons per person per day or < 200 gallons total per day. He noted that while our tank did not appear to have any problems, we should be careful. Ever since we moved in, we have followed the common sense rules against putting garbage down the toilets, using the garbage disposal, etc. Those useful tips have prevented us from having to repair the system so far.

In addition to the common rules, our septic professional offer some further guidelines:

• Have the tank pumped every year. This, at first, seemed a little self-serving; however, a quick Google of “septic system maintenance” revealed his advice is dead on for the number of people in our home.
• Spread out high water usage activities over the whole week (do 1-2 loads of laundry a day over the week instead of 8 loads on one day).
• Don’t pour grease/cooking fats down the drain.
• Use organic soaps/detergent that completely break down. A little research into the meaning of “safe for septic” revealed a large gap between claims and practice. So be wary of manufacturer claims. Consumer reporting sites will be helpful here.
• Look into installing rain gutters for systems close to a home that has excessive rain water washing over the drain field.
• Installing an additional filter (a newer innovation for septic systems) on the sanitary tee outlet would increase the life of the drain field.

With the possibility of system failure looming, he offered a few key indicators that something was wrong:

• Sewage back flow into toilets, sinks or tubs. No brainer here.
• Slowly draining tubs and sinks, particularly after rain or laundry.
• The smell of raw sewage along with soggy soil around or downhill of the tank and drain field.
• Broken or cracked pipes sticking out of the ground (for low pressure pipe systems).
• Water tests indicating biological contamination or an increase in infections and illness from swimming in nearby lakes or rivers.

The best way to keep this common household nightmare from striking is to have your system inspected and pumped. Good maintenance will pay for itself down the road.

Many of the nation’s new homes incorporate energy-efficient features. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but with existing homes consuming 22 percent of the nation’s energy, more focus needs to be directed at greening up older homes.

The chart below, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, shows that homes built before 1970, when energy was relatively inexpensive, are responsible for about 40 percent of the nation’s residential energy consumption.

If you’re remodeling an older home, consider some of these upgrades:

• Add or replace insulation
• Seal windows, doors, fireplaces, and cracks in the exterior of the home
• Tighten air ducts
• Replace older heating and air conditioning units, as well as water heaters

While improved energy efficiency is good for the environment, achieving national security goals, and sustaining resources for future generations, its also means reduced costs for you, putting more money in your pocket each month.