yards: Articles tagged with “yards”

You're going to sell your home and, of course, you want to get the best possible price. You'll want to start by making a list of needed projects and involving a real estate agent.

Chances are that the person who ends up buying your home will drive by at least once when making the decision. It is a fact that making your home as appealing as possible upon first glance will shorten the amount of time it is on the market.

Chances are that the person who ends up buying your home will drive by it more than once when making the decision.

Following is a list of updates to make your home appealing upon first glimpse:

Storm shelters can be installed by a manufacturer's representative, licensed contractor or homeowner. Some manufacturers will only provide warrantees on shelters installed by their own distributors. Others require they be installed by licensed contractors. Others offer to give consumers installation instructions.

A wide array of prefabricated stand-alone sheds, barns and outbuildings are available in many styles and materials for a variety of purposes. Companies offer standard packages with menus of options such as windows and usually offer to design custom buildings as well.

Before buying or building a shed, check your local building codes. Regulations may be in place that dictate how far from the lot line your shed must be, how tall it can be and what percentage of your land can be covered with construction.

This can help clarify and answer some questions about gazebos.

As the weather grows colder, homeowners should look ahead to the stormy winter months. There are many things we can and should do to protect our families and homes from the ravages of winter. Good planning can also help to reduce maintenance and utility costs.

Xeriscaping is a term for low water gardening. Xeriscape gardening has typically been implemented in areas of the country where there are restrictions on water usage and where the hot dry climate can quickly kill fragile plants.

Yardwork is usually the last thing on the minds of most homeowners once winter sets in. But this can actually be a good time time to renovate the lawn and eliminate the brown spots and crab grass left over from last summer.

When trees are cut down to ground level or above, they leave a stump where nothing can grow except mushrooms and shoots from the still-living root system.

Part of the joy of landscaping is the care and maintenance you give to your yard. Depending on the type of plantings and the size, some gardens can require constant full-time care. If you not a big fan of yard maintenance, it might be wise to design a yard that's easy to care for. The first thing to remember with any "yardscape" is that it's a living, breathing entity. Even the simplest, easy-to-care yard will need watering, feeding, cleaning, and disease prevention.

It's part of the human condition. One day it's bleak winter; the next we wake to a warm breeze and blue skies. We're sure that spring is upon us so we run eagerly into the yard with shovel, rake and seeds, intent upon transforming the landscape into a colorful paradise. But wait! The end product is only as good as the foundation it's built on. Do the basics now and be patient. In time, you'll see your desired results.

Retaining walls provide support for soil that is on a vertical slope. Some retaining walls keep your home and landscape from sliding down a hillside or into a stream. Others are necessary to prevent drainage or erosion problems. Some are also used as a sound barrier, like next to a highway.

Retaining walls are used for a variety of reasons. They can serve practical purposes like marking a property line or creating privacy; or they can be used purely for aesthetics. Materials used for retaining walls include brick, stone, wood, concrete and adobe. Keep your wall consistent with the style of your house or garden, including complementing materials. The goal should be to integrate your wall into your landscape.

A yard offers enough room for kids to explore and grow without being too far from supervision. Here are some ideas to make your yard a fun place for children, while maintaining safety.

With the arrival of fall and cold weather, it is essential to complete a few projects to keep your yard and garden protected through the dormant months. Prepare shrubs, trees and grass now and they will return healthy in the spring and will also leave you with a neat, well tended yard through winter.

Raising kids is tough. In part, that's because preparing them for the same world that we're trying to protect them from is a difficult assignment. We attempt to meet the challenge by showering them with constructive toys and signing them up for activities like piano lessons, karate and after-school soccer.

But kids still need to engage in simple play - without structure, strict preset rules, and stifling boundaries. There is no better place for this than your own yard.

A lawn sprinkler system consists of four main components: piping, valves, sprinkler heads, and a timer.

Although landscape design involves many practical facets, the artistic side of many professional designers can create an enriching environment that appeals to all the senses. The sight of changing colors, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, the scent of roses outside the window, the comfort of having a quiet place to relax with a friend or just sit and watch the kids play all help to make your place feel like home.