CasaSugar

Five Tips For Increasing the Property Value of Your Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:15:09 -0700

In anticipation of the new TLC series Hope For Your Home, which premieres this Saturday, I thought I'd share with you host Kirsten Kemp Becker's five tips for increasing the value of your property. A veteran Realtor, author and real estate company, and owner of a successful design company, Becker knows a thing or two about acclimating your home to the current economic climate. Here's a few ways she says you can do so yourself:

Plants on the outside. "The most economic way to achieve curb appeal is by refining your landscaping at the front of your house and by making sure the front door is the focal point. Guests, buyers, and appraisers will take notice of the entry experience and homeowners/sellers need to establish that emotional connection from the moment they pull up to your home. Remember the details: trim weeds, fix broken screens, hide the trash cans from view, and plant some fresh flowers in prominent planters."

There's four more where this came from, so read more.

Paint on the inside. "The biggest transformation in the shortest period of time results from paint. It can lighten a room, create an accent wall, and provide flow from one space to another."
- "If you can't afford new lighting or higher ceilings try painting a neutral color on the walls and a shade lighter on the ceiling."
- "To give a room a focal point or create more drama around one wall, try your hand at some color by painting it a shade of chocolate or charcoal to achieve a designer's touch."
- "If you can't afford to remodel the entire house and change your floor plan to make each room transition smoothly, try using the same shade of paint in all the public areas and down hallways - consistency of tone adds a feeling of congruency and openness."

Kitchens and baths. "Invest time and money into updating kitchens and bathrooms, but it doesn't mean ripping it all out and starting over - you can enhance what is already there. Learn to distract buyers' eyes from that which is not perfect by directing them towards areas that have been completely updated. A coat of paint and new hardware on existing cabinets and bathroom vanities can instantly update dated countertops tiles and fixtures. Take it one step further by using epoxy over existing tile or regrout to avoid demolishing and installing new tile, which saves time and money."

Declutter. "Stick with the timeless tried and true paint colors, accessories, and furniture in order to maximize the length of time and enjoyment out of your investment. Paramount to this is how you maintain your home. There is nothing like clutter to bury a home's value. If a professional can't see the space, appreciate the finishes or easily navigate around personal belongings and oversized furniture, they can't appraise it or sell it for top dollar."

Clean, clean, then clean again. "Even if a house has a poor floor plan, limited landscaping, or outdated bathrooms and kitchens, everything looks more valuable when it is well maintained and dust free. Pride of ownership shines through in a house that is clean and well cared for, which translates into higher profits in a sale and more attractive loan options for a refinance."

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This Just In: TLC Premieres Hope For Your Home This Saturday

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:15:27 -0700

This Saturday, TLC will premiere its new series, Hope for Your Home, about the harsh realities facing homeowners in the US today. In each half-hour episode, host and real estate expert Kirsten Kemp Becker will help one family in financial need make improvements essential to increasing the value of their property, with the help of a contractor, of course.
"In a slow, or dare I say declining real estate market, it is important to set yourself apart from other homes on the market when yours is listed for sale. If you need to refinance, the same holds true," says Becker in a press statement. "Fortunately," she continues, "there are high impact low cost improvements homeowners can achieve over a weekend with help from friends and family." After these improvements have been made each week, a real estate agent and mortgage broker will examine each home and reassess its value, giving the homeowner the option to refinance and stay in their newly renovated home, or sell and find a more affordable alternative. Tune into the premiere this Saturday, Aug. 9, at 8:30PM EST/PDT on TLC!
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Money Tip: Try These 5 Savvy Weekend Saving Tips

SavvySugar — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:00:27 -0700

The weekend has finally arrived - and hopefully Spring is just around the corner where you are, too. But, to kick it all off right, we want to enjoy the weekend with entertainment and fun with friends - the kind that doesn't deplete our funds. Instead, follow these tips to help stick to your financial goals. Save what you can and always spend smart.

Plan inexpensive activities - With Spring comes nicer weather and more reasons to get outside. So instead of heading to an expensive lunch or dinner, go for a hike and put together a picnic or host a potluck.
Learn something new - Rather than shop the weekend the way, learn to do something new. Try your hand at a new craft that doesn't involve dipping into your wallet.
Save big when you head out - Obviously, dinner and drinks at home is bound to save some cash, but if you can't resist grabbing drinks with the girls, do a little research and find out where the deals are before you hit happy hour. Take advantage of the sites that offer discounts and coupons for drinks, apps, and dinner - you might find some of your favorite local spots have special offers to save you cash.

Get more tips to save on your weekend after the jump

PopUK TV Recap - Skins Series Four Finale!

PopSugarUK — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0700

That's it! The final episode of Skins with this cast is over, and it's going to be a brand new set of kids next year. After last week's shocking conclusion, this week tied up loose ends and I hoped there would be some comeuppance for a certain person... but all the spoilers lie under the cut in my recap, so check that out and let me know what you thought of the last episode!

Spoilers and a recap lie beneath, as well as a bonus video of some of the cast talking about their experience on the show. Ready? Just read more!

Freddie is missing and his sister Karen suspects something's wrong, despite the note that he prepared. His stuff is still all in the house.
Cook says he's over Effy... but brings home a girl who looks just like her. Obviously hasn't moved on. Cook only seems to realise how much she looks like Effy when Naomi calls her that by mistake.
Cook, Emily, Katie and others all living at Naomi's house now. Karen goes to the house to try and get help to find her brother.
Karen reminds Cook that Freddie went looking for him last year, then gives him Freddie's notebook saying 'I love her" over and over on the pages, and says he wouldn't just leave Effy. Cook breaks down when he's on his own. Says he loves her too.
Thomas is giving Katie French lessons... but they're really just trying to make Pandora jealous to get them back together.
Both Cook and Effy hear Freddie's voice during the episode. Cook sees the note Freddie left across one page in the book - "John Foster wants to hurt her".
Police show up at the house and break in looking for Cook, who's still on the run. He escapes out the back.
Thomas gets spotted running by a fitness instructor, gets told he could get a scholarship for University with his talent.
Cook goes back to the clubhouse to hide out, finds Effy there. It's Freddie's birthday. Cook left Naomi's house shirtless, puts on one of Freddie's shirts. Cook gives Effy the notebook. JJ and Pandora find them in the clubhouse.
Pandora reveals she is going to Harvard on a History Scholarship. Later, Thomas says he's got a scholarship to Harvard thanks to his athleticism. They're going to the same place!!
Naomi's mum is on her way home. Naomi says, "It's all over." The series almost is!
Karen, JJ and Cook dance to Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head". They're having a birthday party for absent Freddie in the shed. Effy invites Katie, Emily, Naomi and Thomas.
They play a truth game. Naomi tells Emily that she loved her since she was 12, and she became a sarcastic bitch and pushed people away to deal with her feelings. She bought the tickets to Goa for them both. She's been pushing her away because she doesn't want to be a slave to the way she feels for Emily. Naomi lays all her feelings out there and Emily forgives her.
Cook sees John Foster hanging around near the house and follows him back to his house, breaking in. He snoops around and finds blood stained clothes. Finds Freddie's stuff in plastic bags. John shows up and they confront each other. John tells Cook he doesn't deserve Effy, that he does. Cook goes to attack him and it cuts to black.

I think we all know that Cook's going to avenge Freddie's death, he totally became the hero there. So, that's the end of that cast! I'd love to hear what you think's going to happen to the characters in the comments, as well as hear your thoughts about the series finale.

The cast discuss the series:

Share Your Lovely Little Vignettes!

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:00 -0700

I'm so curious to see how CasaSugar readers are decorating this Spring! There are so many talented, design-forward readers on this site that I hope you will share your styling and decorating ideas with the rest of us in the Lovely Little Vignettes group, which is the place to share photos of the small vignettes you create in your home or those you see online or at a friend's home. If you're not sure what I mean by vignettes, this slideshow should make it clear.

So, show me what you've got! Be it some art books on your coffee table or your arrangement of green cachepots on your windowsill, I want to see all of your beautiful photographs of the little details throughout your home.

Money Tip: Try These 5 Savvy Weekend Saving Tips

SavvySugar — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:00:23 -0800

Another weekend rolls around, and it's our cue to unwind and enjoy some free time with friends. One thing that shouldn't be on your weekend agenda is letting your financial smarts fly out the window. Instead, keep your budget balanced and stay in control of your cash, even while you're making plans to see friends, shop, and catch some weekend entertainment - there's a way to do it all without surrendering your savvy resolve.

Become a Mix Master - To avoid going over budget this weekend, let the rules of mixing high- and low-end purchases guide you. If you've splurged on a great bottle of wine, then do dinner at home to balance out your expenses, and keep from overspending.
Question Your Purchases - Don't forbid yourself from shopping altogether - we all know strict deprivation can pave the way for binging, so don't go there. Instead, be smart about the way you shop, and to prevent going overboard on your purchases, ask yourself these four important questions to see if the item is really worth it.
Learn to Do Something New - Take the focus off of spending when you learn how to DIY your own home accessories or repair your own clothing. Mastering these kinds of helpful tasks at home means you won't have to spend extra money on home decor or on a seamstress.

Learn more ways to save after the jump

Mommy Dearest: School Yard Gossips

babysugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:00:35 -0800

Mommy Dearest –

I'm at my wits' end. After school drop-off this morning, it came to my attention that two of the moms in my child's class were discussing me and my family's financial situation on their children's playdate. A number of the kids in the class are signing up for an extracurricular activity and I decided against putting my daughter in the class due to the cost. I told the class moms that we had a scheduling conflict, but understand that they were speaking rather loudly in the school yard about my family's inability to donate to school funds. I would simply ignore the women, but my daughter truly enjoys playing with their kids both in school and at home. I would hate to cut off her friendships due to their mothers' cattiness.

How should I approach them?

– Mama on the Verge

To read Mommy Dearest's response, read more.

Dear Mama on the Verge –

You would hope that school yard gossip was left back on the high school field, but it obviously continues to exist. Your personal finances are no one's business but your own, and if the class moms have an issue with that they should obviously approach you directly. Ignoring them will hurt your daughter's friendships as will confronting them (as they are sure to deny it). Rather, make a point of scheduling playdates in a group setting where you don't have to speak to them on a one-on-one basis. If you can't contribute financially to the school, and you want to help out, volunteer more so they can see your involvement. Most importantly, don't let it get you down – you don't want your daughter to see how upset catty moms can make you.

– Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this series at the Mommy Dearest Group on our new community page.

Minutes to a Healthier You: Walk Away From the Laptop

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:17 -0800

Hi, my name is FitSugar and I am an Internet addict. Not exactly, but between my job, iPhone, and home computer, there are days that I can spend a lot of time on the web. While this may not be entirely bad - surfing the web may slow down dementia, after all - it's not all good either.

As much as I love all the great blogs, online communities, and fun time-wasting websites out there, I know that stepping away from the computer is a good thing. So I'm going to start shaving more and more time off my Internet usage, and may even make the weekend an Internet-free zone. For those of you not already doing this, I challenge you to do the same! You'll have more time to be active, visit with friends, and give your peepers a break from staring at a screen all day.

If you think giving up the computer may be too hard for you, here are a few tips that may help with withdrawals.

Schedule unabashed Internet-free time. Start off by designating times during the day where you will completely unplug yourself. For starters, I've been trying to stay offline as soon as work ends. Hopefully, I'll bump that up to an entire weekend.
Set time limits. Don't make your web surfing and Internet usage nebulous. I know plenty of folks who are always on. For some, it's a laptop on the coffee table, while others may have a borderline obsessive BlackBerry habit. These constant online distractions affect the real life happenings around you. Instead, give yourself a set time limit to check and answer emails or surf the web.

To see more tips, read more.

Out of sight, out of mind. One way my friend stays off of her laptop is to put it in a drawer. Suddenly, the ease and temptation of going online are gone and she can focus on other things. It also forces her to fill her day with new activities.
Get real. Make it a point to have a "real" conversation every day - ideally, one where you can see the other person's face. If you can't do this, try to at least go for a walk, bike ride, or any other way you can find to interact with the outside world.

Robert Pattinson Talks Confidence and Doggie Love in Parade

Molly — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:15:15 -0800

Robert Pattinson's Remember Me comes out on Friday, and his fans are so excited to see their favorite actor take on a serious leading role post-Edward Cullen. He chatted with Parade about confidence with girls, revealed what it was like to lose his beloved dog, and defended New Moon director Chris Weitz, who had his own self-criticism to share with Buzz last week. We got our first peek at a trailer for Eclipse and debuted the first segment of our contest to interview Pattinson - lots of Rob today! Here are some highlights from part one and part two of the Parade article:

On confidence: "When it comes to the opposite sex, I'm not as fully confident as the guy I play. I don't even remember the last time I asked someone out on a date, like, just went up to them and that's the first thing I did. I'm much more self-conscious and not wanting to fail. So I tend to hold back."

On knowing what it's like to lose a loved one: "I keep talking about my dog all the time. It was an incredible dog, and I said in an interview recently he was the most important person in my life. My family went crazy with me for saying that. But, however ridiculous it may seem to some people, my relationship with my dog was a defining moment. Having the dog die was, literally, like the worst day of my life. It was like losing a family member."

On reading reviews: "I didn't like the way New Moon was treated by the critics. I think it was reviewed in the context of just being a big franchise movie. When something is so hyped, inevitably, there is a backlash against it. I think Chris Weitz is an amazing director. I really enjoyed the film. So the naysayers kind of annoyed me."

On putting out an album: "I kind of want to do one at the end of the year. All my friends are recording albums and I'm very annoyed about it. But I can't do two things at once. I don't know how people like Jennifer Lopez can act and also sing. I'm just like, 'I can't.' But, hopefully, I'll find some time to get it together."

On Pierce Brosnan: "We went out to dinner in a restaurant full of all these guys who looked like bankers or brokers. They didn't recognize me, but they recognized Pierce. And he said, 'Notice those people looking over?' I'm sitting there getting more and more self-conscious, even though I didn't realize they weren't looking at me. Suddenly, Pierce got up and introduced himself to everybody in the restaurant. At first I was like, 'What are you doing? You're like completely insane.' But it worked. Everybody just relaxed and stopped staring and you could tell they were going to go home and say, 'Pierce is such a nice guy.'"

Kathryn Bigelow Wins Big and Fields Questions on Directing, History, and Ex James Cameron in Press Room

Molly — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:18:31 -0800

Kathryn Bigelow made history tonight at the Oscars, where she was the first female ever to win best director! Her movie The Hurt Locker also took home the night's top prize, best picture. In the press room she politely fielded the inevitable questions about her ex James Cameron, but also what it means to be the inaugural woman with a little gold man for directing. Here's some press room highlights:

On what it means to be the first female best director Oscar winner: "Well, first of all, I hope I'm the first of many. Of course, I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I long for the day when a modifier can be a moot point. But I'm ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmaker and have them feel that the impossible is possible and never give up on your dream."
On dreaming of The Hurt Locker's win: "Well, I don't think I ever dared to hope, but I will say that what was extraordinary was the love from the critical community, and that was like wind in the sails, and it just created a momentum that would not stop. And I hope somehow the critical community could know how much we appreciate it and I appreciate it. Thank you."
On competing against ex James Cameron: "What it means. Well, first of all, I think he's an extraordinary filmmaker. I have to say, all the nominees are phenomenal, powerful, talented filmmakers, and what an honor. And for me, how humbling it was for me to be in that company, in that conversation. So I have to say, for me, it's a humbling experience . . . I think Jim is very inspiring, and I think he inspires filmmakers around the world, and for that I think I can speak for all of them. We're quite grateful."

To read her advice for aspiring filmmakers and this year's other nine nominees, just read more.

Advice for aspiring filmmakers: "I would say, and I don't mean it to sound simple, but just to never give up on your dream. I mean, I've been making films for a while - about 30 years. So when I say, 'Don't give up on your dream,' I mean it quite literally. Be tenacious, but work on the stories you truly, truly believe in, because then no obstacle is too great."
On this year's competition: "This has been a really, really extraordinary year, I think for content and content-driven material that is diverse and rich and complex and exciting. Every one of those 10 nominated movies I personally find really powerful and extraordinary. So it's a good year, in my opinion."

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