A lot of dog owners initially buy a dog house for their pets. Of course, this is one of the most important things to do because where else will you make your dog sleep at night if they are outdoors?  Whether you have a dog house that is occupied or a dog house that is sitting there abandoned, there are some things that you should never do with your dog house.

Unmaintained Dog Houses

If you do not have any plans of using your dog house anymore, then there’s no reason to leave it there at home.   An unmaintained dog house can be a breeding ground for critters, diseases and it can just be an eyesore. If there’s a place you can donate it to or better yet, if you sell it, do it! There’s no reason to keep it around if you don’t plan on using it.  If you do want to keep it for the future, consider a durable material that won’t rot away over time.

Enough Space

Before even consider buying or building your dog house, always make sure that there is enough space for your dog to move around comfortably.  Think about yourself for a second.  What if you had to climb into a hole where you could barely move around?  You probably wouldn’t want to go in, right? 

Make sure that your dog can comfortably walk in and feel safe.  While it doesn’t have to be 500 square feet, it should make your dog feel comfortable.

Always Clean

Even if you think that dog houses shouldn’t be cleaned because sooner or later it will become dirty again, it is still important to do this as regularly as possible. In fact, the minute you see dirt and other stains, make sure to clean it immediately and as thoroughly as possible.

Try to make it a habit to clean your dog’s house every week or so.  You never know if pests or if your dog has tracked mud and dirt throughout their dog bed.

Proper Bathroom Etiquette

Call it hygiene or whatever it is you have in mind, but allowing the dog to go to bathroom inside the dog house is just unreasonable. This is why it is important to train your dog to give indications when it wants to go to make sure that it wouldn’t have to deal with anything come show time.

While it can be comfortable for the dog to go inside of the dog house, it’s so important that you train them at a younger age so that they know where to properly go.  Keep in mind that your dog may go to the bathroom. With that being said, consider a cheaper linoleum floor so that the mess can be easily cleaned up.

Have Access

One thing that I wish I did when I made a dog house was have access to every point in the house.  Since my dog had a kennel with a house near the woods, I had found that she never wanted to go inside her home, but we didn’t know why.  We had come to find out that a pack of mice had managed to get into the roof of the house, making noises and disturbing the dog at all hours of the night.  With that being said, make sure that you consider a retractable roof that you can pull back just in case something tries to burrow itself up there.

This was a post provided by Kathy Cady. Her website, http://www.howmuchisit.org is a place where you can
find out what things cost.

Staging has proven to sell homes faster and for more money

When staging a home for sale your ultimate goal should be to stage the property from the front curb to the back fence. When I say front curb, I mean from the instant your home becomes visible to someone driving or walking by.  Everything makes an impression!

There are basically three steps when staging. Organizing, cleaning and staging.

Organize and de-clutter

Go through every closet, drawer and cabinet inside and outside of your home.  You should also use this opportunity to depersonalize.  Pack up anything in boxes that you won't need until you move into your next place. This should include all personal photos, trophies and awards, pictures the kids drew at school, etc...If you have a large garage or extra room that you can neatly stack everything in without it looking cluttered or detracting from the realtor’s tour, great!  If not, consider renting a small storage space and removing everything from your property that you possibly can with the exception of the larger furniture pieces you will need for staging.

Expect that anyone serious will look everywhere and at everything. I always do. This is the time when a prospective buyer will give your home the white glove treatment.  This is the time when they will likely try to visualize themselves living there! This is also an opportunity for you to show how organized and clean the people they are thinking of buying a home from are. This one factor alone can sell your home.

When I see that someone is meticulous and there's a "pride of ownership" feeling, I'm immediately impressed and interested in negotiating. If, on the other hand, the people don't even bother to make beds, flush toilets, do dishes or empty trash, I'm thinking, "these people are pigs".  I wouldn't buy a home from people I don't respect. Besides, what other surprises are lurking just around the next corner? Surprises I may not see under after I have signed my life away and moved in.

Clean, Clean and Clean!

This cannot be stressed enough. A filthy house is only going to sell when properties are flying off the market with hardly a thought. It's important to clean everything! The oven, the refrigerator, the windows, fireplace, garage floor, basement, attic - everything!

It's important to sweep out closet floors and dust the baseboards and ceiling fan and leveler blinds - everything! If you have a shower liner, this should be changed even if it only has a little mold or few hard water spots. You want to present a fresh NEW beginning for prospective buyers!

Most people will take a day and clean the crap out of the entire house before putting it on the market. Some will hire a professional house cleaner to do the initial clean and maintain it daily themselves while the house is on the market.  Still others hire a professional and have them come in once a week to keep everything looking its’ best until the house is sold. Whatever works for you works for you.

In addition to everything being really clean, the beds should be made, the window treatments open to let the natural light in, trash cans emptied, sinks and toilets checked and touched up - all daily.  There is nothing more disgusting than someone else's dirty bathroom.

Also, your realtor will probably suggest that you leave the lights on in every room because your house will "show better". They are probably right but we really can't afford to waste that type of electricity any more.  It's better to leave signs strategically around so the realtor can find the appropriate switches when they are actually "showing".  It's just plain wasteful otherwise.

Also, the yard should look tidy – lawn mowed, leaves raked and bushes pruned where applicable. Loose firewood should be stacked neatly and preferably housed in its own special little area.  Garden tools and toys should be put away. Pets should be put where they won't interfere with an agent showing your home.

Your garden lights should be on at night to showcase your home's charm in the event anyone does a drive-by in the evening. Also, keep water features maintained free of algae and fungus and always on.  The movement and soothing sounds of water add a wonderful atmospheric quality when showing your home.

Beautify & Stage

Once your home has been de-cluttered, organized and thoroughly cleaned, it's time to begin the staging process. It's important to remember here that a little furniture, carefully chosen and placed is better than no furniture at all. Sales figures and statistics show that a home sells better when there's something in it.  Many people have a difficult time visualizing so you've got to do some of the work for them. Lightly staged is better than over staged or not staged at all.

If your family still needs to live there until the entire selling process is complete, keeping the clutter at bay is your biggest challenge.  Provide containers with lids to hide toys and other things the kids generally leave lying about.

Try to eliminate large pieces of furniture that aren't needed. Get them off the property if possible. Think about what each space in your home is likely to be being used for and stage accordingly.

A kitchen table with chairs and a nice flower arrangement, plant or bowl of fruit in the center is all that is needed to stage a dining area. A couch, chair, table and TV on an area rug are all that is really needed to stage a living room.  A bed, dresser and possibly a chair is all that is needed for a bedroom.  What you want to do is stage your home to look utilitarian and comfortable.  Never flashy, never trendy, nothing superfluous!

If you have to paint, add appliances or put down new flooring, try to keep everything in a light colored, warm neutral.  This will appeal to the most people, offend the least and allow more prospective buyers to better visualize their own stuff in the space. In other words, living there!

Closing Statement

Buyers and buyer's agent are looking for anything they can use as leverage to make you lower your price or to test your desire to negotiate. Don't make it easy for them.  When the other realtor starts talking about comparable properties, your realtor should already have researched all that and have a suitable comeback. 

Selling a home is often a very stressful experience. There is so much riding on the outcome. So take some time to select an experienced realtor that understands you. And listen to their advice.  You both have the same goal.  To sell your home the fastest and for the most amount of money!

Light, Warm neutral colors - Minimalist decor -   Super Clean and Organized - Ready to sell!

This guest post was written by Mike Stahl, self-taught interior designer and college instructor who teaches, writes and creates short videos simplifying the interior process for do it yourself decorators. Learn to inexpensively decorate like the pros in your spare time. www.doityourselfdecorator.com. 

If you are planning to do your own decorating projects, it’s a good idea to have both a color wheel and a decorator’s color fan deck. Art stores have the wheel and paint stores have the deck. If you struggle with putting colors together in successful combinations, the use of these two tools will be invaluable when working on your projects.  Here are a few simple and safe approaches to help you create color combinations that work.

1. Staying on the same color card from a color fan deck - also known as monochromatic. For example:  your ceiling may be the lightest color, your walls one of the middle colors and your trim the darkest color. All essentially variations of the same color from the same card.
2. Start with a neutral colored shell (floor, walls and ceiling) and add accent colors in small quantities until you get where you're going.  For example:  Your walls and ceiling are a warm cream and your floor is a stained wood.  For draperies and upholstery you could introduce hints of red or green (or any other colors you select) and build from there. Neutral colors are a safe foundation and starting point for virtually any color palette.
3. Use the same hues on different color cards.  Find two colors that you like and feel work together from your color fan deck and use the same intensity or strength of each to begin your palette.  For example: The second color on each card.

• A variation of this could be using the second color on one card as your main color and using a color two steps darker on the second card as your accent.

1. Use established color combinations.  Paint stores, art books, the internet and the library are full of successful combinations of colors that have been developed by professional designers.  You could also modify this approach by selecting a similar set of colors that have all had black or white added to them.   Established color palettes can be a great starting point for your unique design.
2. Start with your color wheel.  Find the predominant color (based on what is already in the space and will not change: flooring draperies, garden view, etc…) Find that color or the closest color to it on the wheel and point the main arrow to it.  Look at where the other arrows are pointing for a clue as to what colors balance and compliment your selection. 
3. Study what professional designers have done. There are thousands of finished designs on display on the internet. Look at what colors the pros used in successful combinations like analogous, monochromatic, complementary, split complementary and triad.  The arrows in the center of your color wheel can be used to develop all of these common color schemes.

You don’t have to be a brilliant artist to create color combinations that work. When in doubt stay conservative and neutral.  Introduce color into your designs through artwork and accessories.  These are easily changed out.

With a little bit of patience, some trial and error and the use of a common color wheel you can create wonderful color combinations for your design projects.

To learn more about tackling your interior design projects with confidence, visit Do It Yourself Decorator @ www.doityourselfdecorator.com.  You’ll be glad you did!

This guest post was written by Mike Stahl, self-taught interior designer and college instructor who teaches, writes and creates short videos simplifying the interior process for do it yourself decorators. Learn to inexpensively decorate like the pros in your spare time. www.doityourselfdecorator.com.

A balanced lighting design that doesn’t cost a ton? And provides lighting for people of all ages, all times of the day or night, for a broad range of activities year around?  Sound incredible? Believe it or not, it’s not as difficult as you think to create. A great lighting design is done in three layers with flexibility and versatility in mind. 

(1)   General or overhead should be the workhorse of your lighting design. This can be a centrally located chandelier, a flush or semi-flush mount fixture, track lighting or strategically spaced out recessed lighting.

This first layer is meant to illuminate the entire space evenly. I recommended that you have a dimmer switch to control this layer.  This will effectively give you maximum versatility and encompass a broad range of lighting options from a very dim mood mode to bright illumination of the entire space.

(2)   Task, the second layer, is tailored for specific functions.  For instance, a bridge lamp over a card table with four chairs around it or a floor lamp next to the chaise lounge for you to read or study by.  Under cabinet halogen fixtures in the kitchen for preparing food or a table lamp where you pay the bills are other examples.

(3)   Accent, the final layer, is sometimes considered superfluous. But accent, or mood lighting, serves to highlight specific artwork, architectural elements or other furnishings and fills in shadowed areas for a completely balanced, all around lighting design. Lighted aquariums, mini spots, lava lamps, candles, rope lighting and up lights are all considered accent lights.

Suggestions: Once you’ve laid out your space and placed your major furniture pieces, consider how to light each area for the specific activity it will be used for. Reading, studying, crafts, television or other media viewing, relaxation, socializing and exercising are each a bit different and will need slightly different lighting.

Sometimes one stone can kill several birds for you. For instance, a pendant light mounted over a kitchen table with a halogen or full spectrum flood bulb can provide excellent lighting for the kids to study under or for you to pay bills or review legal documents. A space like this can also be used to do crafts projects like sewing or watercolor painting and to have meetings where several people can view schedules and such effectively without distracting shadows. While this light is essentially overhead, it fits into the category of task lighting as well.

To create effective lighting for your space, try sitting in each seat as well as several places on the floor where kids or others might sit. Ask yourself if the lighting is adequate for the intended activity in each place. It will probably be necessary to adjust a bit.  This is normal.

How do you know when it is right? Difficult question to answer.  You will feel it.  There will be no area of the space that is shadowed or feels unbalanced. By the same token, there will be no area in the space that feels glaring.  Good lighting design is subtle. There is never any tension. People will just feel good in the space and not even think to ask why.

It usually isn’t necessary to pay thousands of dollars to have a space rewired to improve the lighting.  Try changing out the lampshades to more translucent colors like white or cream. Very little light can escape from a black lampshade.  You usually get a fan just above it angled towards the ceiling and another fan angled downwards.  Valuable light that could be emitted from the entire surface of the shade is blocked by the opaque quality of the color black.

Also, improving the quality of light in your space could be as easy as changing the fixture’s bulbs to a higher wattage or to a different type of bulb altogether. For instance, you could replace your standard incandescent bulbs with full spectrum for more of a pleasing and healthy light or halogen for a brighter, crisper light.

You may also improve your space’s lighting by simply tweaking the position of the portable floor and table lamps. This will probably be trial and error.  Move them around a bit then sit in each seat again around the space to gauge if the lighting has been improved or not.

Only when you’ve finished all this should you consider purchasing new fixtures or hiring a contractor to come do some rewiring.  Most of the time you can dramatically improve your space’s lighting with just a few simple tweaks of what is already there!

To learn more about tackling your interior design projects with confidence, visit Do It Yourself Decorator @ www.doityourselfdecorator.com.  You’ll be glad you did!

This guest post was written by Mike Stahl, self-taught interior designer and college instructor who teaches, writes and creates short videos simplifying the interior process for do it yourself decorators. Learn to inexpensively decorate like the pros in your spare time.  www.doityourselfdecorator.com. 

Raising chickens is a fun and rewarding pastime that will provide your family with fresh, nutritious eggs for years to come. Before you purchase your chicks, however, it’s time to build a chicken coop. There are many blueprints and designs available or, if you have the tools and motivation, you can design your coop entirely on your own.

Scope Out Your Property

Where would you like to build your chicken coop? It depends not only on terrain, but the location of other structures. In many cities or countries, chicken coops must be a certain distance away from all homes. A location downwind from your home will keep down smell. Local building codes may impact the size of your coop too. Before you set your heart on a particular design, check out your local rules and regulations and discover what is legal.

It’s also wise to consider one’s neighbors. Don’t build your coop close to neighboring homes. Your neighbors will quickly get upset with the smell. Also, if you have an open backyard where your neighbors will see your coop, it would be considerate to choose a design that’s pleasing to the eye.

Designing Your Chicken Coop

No matter what the chicken coop of your dreams looks like, it should include several basic things. Chickens need a place to roost, lay eggs, and move around for exercise. They must be protected from the elements as well as predators. Chickens must be kept warm in the winter and shouldn’t suffocate from heat in the summer. Chickens must have a clean place to eat and drink and also need ventilation. Doors and windows that can be opened for ventilation are a definite plus. If you’ve got these basics covered, your chicken coop can look any way you like.

Choosing a Design

There are thousands of chicken coop ideas and designs on the Internet, many for free. Sites such as http://greenterrafirma.com/chicken-coop.html suggest several coop designs as well as all the materials and instructions you’ll need to get the job done. This makes your job pretty simple. Find a free design you want, purchase your supplies at your local Home and Garden Store, and get to work. You could also purchase a chicken coop kit online, although in most cases the lumber is not included.

Building Your Coop

Building your first chicken coop can save you a lot of money and if you have basic carpentry skills it shouldn’t be a terribly difficult task. It’s a great way to get exactly the coop you want. Plans and instructions are available to help you along if need be. A poorly built chicken coop is more of a hazard than an asset.

There are three basic materials you’ll need for your coop: wood, chicken wire, and straw. You’ll also need basics like screws. Make a list of all the supplies you’ll need or order a supply kit and head to your home and garden store for whatever else you require before you begin. Take your time and do your best work. With a little time and a modest budget, you can truly create the chicken coop you’ve always wanted.

In March 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that backyard greenhouses are the next big thing. “The backyard greenhouse is finally getting some respect,” writes Anne Marie Chaker in her article, Backyard Greenhouse: The New Woman Cave?, “Avid gardeners, many of them retired baby boomers, are building greenhouses not just for gardening, but also for crafting, reading, and lounging—in essence, a female version of the “man cave.”

Not only are greenhouses great for growing flowers and vegetables year-round, but they create a unique living space as well. How about throwing your next book club meeting in the green house? International Greenhouse Co reports that greenhouse sales have increased 30% in the past 3 years alone. Why not join the trend and build your own backyard escape?

To Kit or Not To Kit… That is the Question

The easiest way to build your own greenhouse is to purchase a greenhouse kit. There are dozens of websites selling greenhouse kits, ranging from small, simple styles to huge, extravagant designs. For ideas, inspiration, and comparison purposes, check out the green house kits at Greenhouse Kit (http://www.greenhousekit.com/), 4 Season Greenhouse (http://www.4seasongreenhouse.com/), and The Greenhouse Catalog (http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/). You’ll be sure to find lots of ideas, whether you intend to use a kit or design your own.

If you opt not to buy a kit, you’ll need to plan out your greenhouse before you take another step. Decide what you want it to look like, what materials you’ll need, and how much of each type of material you’ll need to buy. FloridaGardener.com states than in order to build a 32’x10’x10’ greenhouse, you’ll need 2’’x12’’ planks for the sides of your raised beds, 2’’x4’’ lumber for multiple areas, steel t-type fenceposts for staking beds, 20’x1/2’’ steel rebar, 20’x3/4’’ PVC pipes, ¾’’ metal pipe, pipe hanger brackets, and screws, UV-resistant greenhouse plastic, rabbit or gopher wire, and potting soil. That should give you a fairly good idea how what sort of materials—and how many materials—you’ll need for your project. Of course, these will vary with the size and style greenhouse you wish to build.

One last consideration: choose a location that has good sun exposure and is easily accessible to electricity and water. These will all be important to the success of your greenhouse.

Creating Your Backyard Masterpiece

Once you have all your supplies, you can begin to create the backyard greenhouse of your dreams. You’ll need an extra helper or two! There are many different styles of greenhouses, and the style you choose determines exactly how it’s built. For a wooden-framed green house, construct a wooden frame and attach PCV pipe to hold up the greenhouse plastic. The PVC pipes form the bones of your greenhouse’s walls. For illustrated instructions as to how to accomplish this, check out the article “A Small Backyard Greenhouse”(http://web.archive.org/web/20080714191144/http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/greenhouse.htm).

PVC Hoop-style greenhouse do not require a wooden frame and are made entirely of PVC pipe and greenhouse plastic. For detailed instructions how to construct this style of greenhouse, check out The Westside Gardener (http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html).

If you opted for a greenhouse kit, carefully follow the included instructions.  No matter what style greenhouse you choose, be sure to use sturdy, high-quality building materials! This will prevent your greenhouse from being toppled or destroyed by wind or snow.

Preparing to Plant- Let’s Get This Garden Growing!

The greenhouse is only half done when the walls are up. Now it’s time to prepare your beds. You can build raised flower beds using 2’x4’s. Fill your beds with rich potting soil. It may also be beneficial to introduce earthworms to the environment.

You can configure the inside of your greenhouse to best fit your needs. Add as many or as few beds as you like. Add a wicker chair or recliner, electricity and interesting lighting features and your outdoor escape is ready to go. You’re ready to enjoy a beautiful garden year-round and may just have found your new favorite reading spot.