Fall Project: Get Ready to Lower Your Heating Bill

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Man on ladder caulking outside window
ShutterstockCaulking around windows can help prevent cold outside air from entering your home, and keep the warm air inside.

By Teresa Mears

It’s officially fall, which means winter is not far behind. The good news is that winter weather in much of the country is expected to be milder than last year’s frigid conditions, and heating costs are also projected to be lower, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But the cost of heating one’s home still is likely to be a considerable expense in most parts of the country.

Heating is expensive enough already, so you don’t want to pay for heat that escapes out windows, doors and cracks instead of staying inside to keep you warm.

“A lot of time we’re generating energy that we’re sending out into the air,” says Marianne Cusato, the housing advisor for HomeAdvisor.com and an associate professional specialist at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture.

Fall is an ideal time to make repairs that will make your home more energy efficient, both saving you money and keeping you warmer. Even if you can’t afford major repairs such as a new furnace or new windows, there are small things you can do to save big bucks on heating costs — and you can handle most of them yourself.

“Homes can lose heat in a lot of different areas,” says Anne Reagan, editor-in-chief of Porch.com. “I think that there’s a lot of things that can be fixed in someone’s home.”

Here are 13 hacks to winterize your home while also trimming your heating bill.

Caulk around windows. Warm air can escape and cold air can enter your house if the area around your windows has cracks. Caulking needs to be replaced periodically, and you should check every fall for holes that need to be patched, as well as holes anywhere outside your house. “You want to make sure your [home’s] envelope is secure,” Cusato says.

Replace weatherstripping around doors. If you can see light around the edges of your doors, you need new weatherstripping. “A small weatherstripping costs you five or six dollars, and it will save you hundreds of dollars in electrical bills,” says J.B. Sassano, president of the Mr. Handyman franchise company.

Close up your fireplace. Make sure your flue closes all the way, and check whether you can feel air coming in when it’s closed. Glass doors around your fireplace opening are another way to keep warm air in and cold air out of your house.

Put up storm windows and doors. If you have older windows and doors, adding storm windows and doors can help considerably. Window insulation film is another option to provide a layer of protection. “It really insulates the window,” Sassano says.

Add heavy drapes and rugs. Changing light summer drapes for heavy winter drapes was common in earlier times, and it’s still helpful, Reagan says. Drapes can keep the room warmer, while putting down rugs provides a layer of insulation above the floor.

Improve your insulation. Insulation deteriorates over time, so you may want to add more material in your attic. Other places to add insulation are in crawl spaces and exposed areas of decks. Sassano also recommends creating a false ceiling in unfinished basements and insulating between that ceiling and the living area. An insulating cover over your attic opening also helps trap in the heat.

Cover your water heater. You can buy a water heater blanket for around $20 at the hardware store that will keep the tank from losing heat as quickly, saving you money on your heating bill.

Get an energy audit. Many utility companies will provide a free energy audit and give you suggestions on improvements you can make to your home. You can also pay for a more extensive energy audit. “They’ll look at all the places you’re losing energy,” Cusato says.

Change your furnace filters. If the filters are dirty, your furnace has to work harder. In most homes, filters should be changed monthly in the heating season. You should also have your furnace serviced periodically to make sure it is working properly. “It’s easy to overlook but it can mean your system isn’t working efficiently,” Cusato says.

Get a programmable thermostat. The newest thermostats can learn your family’s habits and set themselves to keep the house cooler when no one is there and warmer when the home is occupied. You can also purchase a more basic programmable thermostat. Prices vary considerably, depending on how sophisticated you want your thermostat to be.

Lower your water heater temperature. You can lower it from 140 degrees to 120 with no ill effect, Cusato says. And 120 degrees is the temperature recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Replace less efficient windows and doors. Adding double-pane or triple-pane windows, insulated doors and insulated garage doors will significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Lower the thermostat. It’s actually more comfortable to sleep in a colder home, and you can always add more blankets. When you’re awake, wear a sweater or sweatshirt to stay comfortable with a lower thermostat setting.

 

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Floods, Crimes and Disasters: Is Your Home in a Danger Zone?

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AFP/Getty ImagesA local resident in Charleston, S.C., surveys the water surrounding a home during the October floods.

By Blake Miller

With the recent news of catastrophic flooding in South Carolina to other stories of homes blowing up because of broken gas lines or vanishing into a massive sinkhole, you might be ready to Google your address to find out if your little abode is all that safe where it is.

“A lot of property owners wait until it’s too late [to figure out if their home is in a safe location],” says Peter Di Natale, president of Peter Di Natale & Associates Inc., a general contracting and construction management firm in Cold Spring, N.Y. “You have to think top to bottom, from the roof to the basement.” (And don’t overlook these neighborhood details, either.)

Here are the top ways to ensure your new home is out of the danger zone.

Check the Flood Map

In addition to the all-important flood zone map, which your real estate agent can provide, “keep in mind that flooding from storms or water main breaks will hit homes the hardest that are on a ground pitch angled downhill,” says Di Natale. “Check how level the ground is. It’s not difficult to have the dirt and grass regraded so it slopes gently away from the house towards the yard instead of into the house. You can imagine how preferable that would be to a flooded basement or first floor of a home.”

Check the Crime Rates

“I know it sounds silly and maybe too simple. However, knocking on the neighbors’ door is sometimes like opening the floodgates to information,” says Justin Udy, a real estate agent in Midvale, Utah. “Ask about the property, the neighborhood, and any issues they are aware of. Typically, neighbors are an open book and love to talk about their area, the good and the bad.” Including crime.

Not feeling chatty? Check out Trulia’s maps, which feature neighborhood guides that identify high-crime areas as well as flood plains and natural disaster probabilities. Adds Heather Leikin, a real estate agent in Los Angeles: “Consider the type of crimes [as in burglaries versus DUIs], rather than if there is crime.”

Check the Trees

Think that towering oak tree won’t cause your home any harm? Think again. “I once had a tree fall on a gutter that created Niagara Falls down the side of the house when the next rain came,” says Di Natale. How do you know if your trees could be a problem? Call in an arborist or tree specialist, who oftentimes will provide free consultations to homeowners and potential homebuyers.

Check for Gas

Not if the home has natural gas but, rather, where those dang gas lines are actually buried, says Leikin. “If you are concerned about proximity of the larger gas lines to your house, contact your local gas utility,” she adds. “There should be a map of your area that shows how close major gas lines are to your new home.

“This is especially important to know after numerous pipeline explosions in the United States.” Enough said.

Check for Natural Disasters

Californians aren’t the only ones who need to know if they live in an earthquake-prone area. To be in the know about just which natural disasters — tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. — could wreak havoc on your potential new home, Patty Brockman, a real estate agent in Portland, Oregon, suggests checking with your insurance carrier. “Have them investigate whether or not the property is in a flood plain, earthquake, or slide area,” she says. “It’s always best to seek out the experts, rather than rely on someone’s opinion.”

Check the Sellers’ Disclosure Carefully

Legally, sellers have to disclose if their home’s basement, for example, tends to flood. Which means that sellers’ disclosure form can be a valuable tool in detecting what hazards may await you when you purchase your new home.

“If there is any area of question, consider going back and asking more questions,” suggests Udy. “It’s routine for me to ask, ‘Tell me more about that’ or ‘What did you mean when you mentioned XYZ?'”

Check with the City

Some of the most valuable information about your home’s danger probability can be found with the city government. “I always recommend owners be involved with their city planning office and code enforcement,” says Udy. “Depending on the size of your city, a seasoned planner or code enforcement officer may be able to tell you what projects people are doing, what is in process, and things to be aware of [such as planned neighborhoods, which could cause potential flooding to your backyard].”

 

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3 Home Improvements You Can Make With $5,000

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Image 1
Courtesy of White Buffalo Styling Co.via Zillow

By Lindsay Jackman

For a renovation budget of $5,000, you can add some serious functional upgrades to your home. Kitchens and bathrooms are smart places to focus your dollars. They are hardworking rooms that you’ll enjoy using, but also among the first rooms a future buyer will want to see.

Another practical way to increase the function of your house is by adding living space. While you can’t do an actual home addition for $5,000, you can create a functional outdoor living space that increases your usable square footage.

Here’s how to complete each of these three renovation projects on a $5,000 budget. (If you have a little more to spend, consider what you can do for $10,000.)

Upgrading to Custom Kitchen Cabinets

​Creating a more functional and beautiful kitchen is a win-win, and one way to achieve that goal is by upgrading your cabinetry. For this price-point, you could design cabinets that work for you, the way you use your kitchen, and your kitchen layout. Custom cabinets allow you to maximize storage for the space that you have.

Installing a Tile Shower

Nothing says luxury in a master bath like a standing tiled shower with glass door. For $5,000, you could remove the standard bath insert and surround and put in a custom tiled shower. For additional function, tile in a corner bench and soap shelf. You’ll feel like you’re visiting a luxurious resort in the comfort of your own home.

Image 3
Courtesy of White Buffalo Styling Co.via Zillow

Create an Outdoor Living Area

Boosting square footage is a great idea for you and future buyers, but additions are expensive. Adding a fabulous outdoor patio can drastically increase your usable living space for a much smaller price tag.

The options for patio material include chipped granite, pavers or flagstone. Adding mulch in beds surrounding the patio will really make a visual statement, and keep the patio from looking like it’s floating in your backyard.

Image 5
Courtesy of White Buffalo Styling Co.via Zillow

Build a pergola or covered seating area to create more visual appeal and boost the space’s usability. You can hang lights or fans overhead in the structure — and if it’s covered, you’ll have a spot to escape the weather.

While this upgrade benefits you, it’s also a big selling feature. Most homes don’t have an attractive outdoor living area, and adding this amenity will make buyers flock to your listing.

Any of these three updates will make you love your home in a whole new way. You can’t go wrong with improving kitchen storage, upgrading your current bathroom, or increasing your potential living space by taking to the outdoors.

See more home design inspiration.

 

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Money Maven Suze Orman Selling Apartment at Plaza

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Corcoran via StreetEasy/ZillowThe Plaza Hotel at 1 Central Park South features residences in addition to a hotel known for its old-fashioned luxury.

By Melissa Allison

Financial maven Suze Orman is set to turn a tidy profit on a small apartment in the Plaza, New York’s famed hotel and residences.

Orman is asking $4.5 million for the 1,279-square-foot unit, as Curbed New York first reported.

Orman got a deal on it in 2007, when she paid $3.68 million. A similar apartment with Central Park views was going for $3 million more, the talk-show host told The Wall Street Journal.

washington dc january 12 ...
ShutterstockSuze Orman

Real estate investing isn’t her thing, Orman said, adding that she pays cash for homes. “If I can’t write a check for it, I can’t afford it,” she said.

Like a grown-up version of Eloise, the 1950s children’s book character who lived in the Plaza, Orman enjoys the apartment’s location and perks, including room service, housekeeping and an upscale food court, she told the Journal.

She and her wife, Kathy Travis, considered the white-gloved butlers a little over the top, and their unit needed a year-long remodel to pull it out of Motel 6 territory.

Now it’s a luxurious one-bedroom, two-bath apartment with herringbone hardwood floors, silver-leaf crown moldings and a chandelier in the bedroom. It comes furnished with designer furniture and window treatments.

Living at the Plaza also means in-building access to some of New York’s storied hangouts, including the Palm Court, the Oak Room, the Champagne Bar, the Rose Club, and the Grand Ballroom.

The listing agent is Corcoran‘s Charlie Attias.

 

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8 Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Building a New Home

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By Geoff Williams

Even if you love where you live, if you own a home that you purchased from someone else, you’ve probably looked around your house before and wondered: “What was the builder thinking?”

But not everyone goes that route. Plenty of people pay to have their home custom-built. In other words, some homeowners are the builder — or at least, they’re the ones pulling the strings and making the hard decisions on how small or big their residence should be and what features it should have.

And if that’s what you’re doing, you don’t want to look around your house someday and wonder: “What was the builder thinking?”

So if you’re spending money on a custom home, keep these eight things in mind.

Have Details in Place Before You Start Building

That means not just knowing how the floor plan will look but knowing how the rooms will be designed, says Jonathan Macias, a real estate broker and the president of the Macias Realty Group in El Segundo, California.

“Designing a house seems easy, but the amount of choices out there can be overwhelming for many. What color tile, what size, what pattern, will it match with the walls, what cabinets will go with this, what about the faucet?” Macias says. “All of these questions could be just for one small bathroom.”

In other words, you don’t want to be agonizing about how a bathroom should look and holding up your contractors. Speaking of which …

Hire the Right People

It should go without saying, but let Macias say it: “Do make sure you get all licensed contractors and professionals. Make sure they are properly insured and get references from past work.”

Don’t Build Too Big

Sure, you may have a lot of stuff and you might look longingly at mansions and want the same thing, but if that’s the route you want to take, then think long and hard about what you’re about to do. What may be right for you now may not be right for you in 10 years, or even next year.

“I meet potential clients in my office almost weekly who tell me, “We built a 6,000 square-foot home, but now we’re dying to downsize to something smaller. Most families don’t even need 5,000 square feet, and a home as small as 2,500 or 3,000 square feet won’t feel small if it’s designed properly, says Andy Stauffer, owner of Stauffer and Sons Construction, a homebuilder in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“A larger house is just more expensive and harder to maintain and clean,” Stauffer says. “According to the National Association of Home Builders, a custom home in the USA costs an average of $105 per square foot to build. That means by eliminating even 500 square feet in a home that you don’t need, you’ll save over $50,000.”

Think About the Resale Value Now

Even if you never intend to sell your home and plan to pass it to descendants, assume that you might sell it someday, Stauffer says.

“It’s simply a fact of life. Most of us don’t know for sure where we’ll be in 10 or 15 years, as much as we’d like to think we do,” he says. “I recently spoke to a real estate agent who had some clients that built a five-story custom home. They loved it but when it was time to sell, they had to drop the price by tens of thousands of dollars and sell at a significant loss because nobody wanted to buy a five-story home and walk up and down the stairs all day long.”

So build your dream home, but don’t make it a nightmare for someone else, Stauffer advises: “Don’t go crazy.”

Keep Your Mortgage Within Reason

You can always add to your home later, creating the dream house when you can afford it, and build your realistic home now, suggests Joan Fradella, a family mediator in West Palm Beach, Florida.

When she built her home in 1998, she wanted to stick to keeping the mortgage balance low, and so Fradella was careful not to go, as Stauffer says, “crazy.” She was going to have a luxury kitchen and bathrooms built into her home, but she didn’t, settling for more modest layouts, reasoning that she could later.

“I also didn’t get the crown molding and French doors because I knew we could do that ourselves,” Fradella says. And, indeed, her mortgage remained reasonable.

Don’t Sacrifice All of Your Amenities

Looking back, Fradella feels it might not have been a terrible idea to have included some of those “extras,” provided her mortgage hadn’t been too much higher. Because as it turned out, she says, “Life happens, your kid starts to play hockey; [goes] to private school, then college.”

She still hasn’t added any upgrades, and she’s been living in her home for 18 years.

Yet, she stands by her advice. “You will be surprised how quickly a $200,000 home becomes $400,000 in upgrades,” she says.

Preventing your house from becoming an economical abyss means knowing what upgrades are “must haves,” says Brian Brunhofer, president of Meritus Custom Builders, a Chicago-area builder that specializes in custom homes. “For example, carpet can always be switched out to hardwood floors later, but a full basement is something you should decide on now,” he says.

Brunhofer also points out that lending now is relatively inexpensive. As long as you don’t go crazy, “it can be much more economic to stretch and plan for those features in your budget now,” he says.

Of course, it’s in every builder’s best interest if you do include those upgrades now, since that’s more money for the builder, but it doesn’t mean Brunhofer isn’t right.

Check In on the Work

Keep the surprises for holiday gifts and birthday presents. Don’t get sucked into the idea that it would be fun to have someone drive you up to your new house, while blindfolded, so you can have a surprise unveiling (as you may have seen on home improvement reality TV shows). Because you might wind up stuck with a big mortgage on a house you’re not thrilled with.

“Visit the site during construction,” advises Nicole Cannon, a residential architect based in Los Angeles. “Make sure things are matching your expectations and ask questions if they don’t. The worst option is to remain quiet and end up with something that you are unhappy with or have to pay to fix after the fact.”

Don’t Let Your Dream Home Cloud Your Reality

Let’s end this on admittedly a bit of a downer — to prevent you from having an unhappy ending when building your own home.

Cannon warns that having a house custom built can be an amazing experience, but it can also be a stressful time, and no matter what you might be thinking, “it will not solve all of life’s challenges,” she says. “I’ve had more than one client who thought that building a new home would bring their significant other closer, and a new home would solve their marriage problems. It’s tragic when a home is completed and goes on the market immediately due to divorce.”

 

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9 Things to Buy Secondhand for Your First Home

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Thrift shop kitchen items.
Mira/Alamy

By Trent Hamm

There can be great joy in moving into your first apartment or your first home. You finally have space all to yourself. You can decorate how you want. You can spend your time how you want.

Sadly, that initial burst of joy is often deflated by the realization that you need a lot of little things when you move to a new place. For many people, that means an expensive shopping spree.

Instead, consider making your first stop the local secondhand store. Many of the items you need to set up an apartment or a home for the first time or in a new area can be found at a thrift shop, which means you’ll cut back on that big burst of spending that can really hurt your wallet.

Here are nine items to consider purchasing secondhand for your new place.

Silverware is a requirement for eating food at home without making a complete mess. Fortunately, most secondhand stores have a selection of silverware on hand. You might not have perfect matching silverware, but you’ll have more than enough for your needs at an inexpensive price.

Dishes are also a dining necessity. Again, it’s easy to find plenty of plates and bowls at a secondhand store for a pittance, though you may not find a matching set. Still, you’re far better off buying two or three partial sets for pennies than shelling out the money for a single matching set from a store.

Glasses and cups for consuming beverages are another household essential that’s perfect for a secondhand purchase. As with silverware and dishes, you’ll likely not find a matching set, but what you will find are many cups and glasses to fill your cupboards at an inexpensive price.

A toaster or toaster oven both perform the task of toasting bread, bagels, English muffins and other such items. A toaster oven goes further, making it easy to make grilled sandwiches and cook small items. Both can easily be found at secondhand stores in working order and can make for a valuable addition to your kitchen to help you with food preparation.

Lamps are simple items that are often found in abundance at secondhand stores. All varieties of lamps, from desk lamps and floor lamps to clip lamps and table lamps, can usually be found secondhand at a very reasonable price.

A dining table is an essential piece of furniture in most houses or apartments, as it provides a place to eat and share meals. You can find simple dining tables at secondhand stores, and they often come with simple, solid chairs. The key thing to remember is you can buy an inexpensive starter set, and then upgrade later when you have money to easily do so.

A side table is often a key part of a living room, providing a place to put a beverage, snack plate or remote controls as you watch TV, study or read a book. Side tables can be incredibly inexpensive. It’s easy to find one secondhand for well under $10.

A bed frame is a key piece of furniture for those who have moved beyond the “mattress on the floor” style of bedroom décor. Bed frames can be expensive if you purchase them at a furniture store, but there are often many varieties of metal and wooden bed frames you can find at secondhand stores if you shop around. It’s important to remember that bed frames are purely functional items meant to be covered with a mattress and other decorative materials, so don’t worry about beauty.

Décor might seem like an unusual item to buy secondhand, but it’s easy to find things such as picture frames and wall hangings in secondhand stores, particularly in more upscale neighborhoods. If you’re creative, you can find a variety of décor items at a very nice discount.

One final suggestion: Don’t buy certain types of furniture used unless it comes from a trusted source. Used furniture can be a source of bedbugs or other unwanted travelers that you simply don’t want in your home. Solid wood items are fine, but be wary of upholstered used furniture and used mattresses.

The thing to always remember when buying secondhand items is that they’re replaceable as time goes on. They can serve you for a long time if needed, but they simply provide an inexpensive and functional solution that can significantly trim the costs of setting up a new home.

 

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‘Eat Pray Love’ House Feels Like Home to Norah Jones

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Zillow

By Natalie Wise

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Norah Jones snapped up a breathtaking new home that is sure to be a place where lyrics are inspired. While Jones is notoriously private, records show the house was purchased in May for $6.25 million through an LLC tied to her name.

Star Max Archive
Star Max via AP ImagesNorah Jones

The home, located in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, is a star in its own right: It served as the set for scenes featuring Julia Roberts’ character in the 2010 movie adaptation of “Eat Pray Love.”

The unique structure originally was an 1840s firehouse and retains much of that charm, including a fire-engine red door.

Jones recently applied for a permit to convert the existing two-family structure into one larger living space for herself, her unidentified beau and her young son. There should be plenty of room: The main floor of the house alone is 2,125 square feet. Entertaining will pose no problem in this wide-open space with double-height ceilings.

The living spaces are cozy but spacious, making the most of the home’s architectural charm and views. And there are plenty of windows, which should please Jones, who once fought to have windows installed in a previous historic brownstone.

The house could make a powerful muse for Jones, as there is much to wax poetic about: 12-foot-wide plank floors, huge brick fireplaces, exposed beams and brick, a generous kitchen and a decidedly 19th-century flair. The home boasts a glassed-in greenhouse and private porch, terrace and perennial garden as well.

Should Julia Roberts need a place to crash in between selling her Hawaii home and her Greenwich Village apartment, perhaps Jones would lend a room to the star who graced the halls of the home on the big screen.

Deborah Rieders of The Corcoran Group was the listing agent.

 

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Fire-Tower Style Living at its Finest

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Tom Hanny/Zillow

By Catherine Sherman

They saw it coming: the mushroom cloud of smoke.

Dabney Tompkins and Alan Colley were on their deck enjoying the view when the Stouts Creek Fire broke out earlier this month. They’d read about moments like this — spotting a forest fire from a 40-foot-high tower — but nothing could have prepared them.

They weren’t staffing a fire lookout, after all. They were at home.

Tom Hanny/ZillowAlan Colley, left, and Dabney Tompkins wouldn’t trade their life above the trees for anything.

Treehouse Without the Tree

Tompkins and Colley’s lives changed course on a ferry ride several years ago. Quite literally stumbling upon a book about fire lookouts used by the U.S. Forest Service, they learned how the structures on stilts were used to spot forest fires throughout the 20th century. Now largely replaced by satellites, very few lookouts are still standing.

Tompkins and Colley, who had downsized from their big Dallas estate to 1,400 square feet in Portland, wanted to know more.

“It was a magical moment that the book sort of fell off the shelf to us,” Colley recalls. “We called the ranger district and said why don’t we rent this thing? That was the beginning.”

The urbanites rented several fire lookouts before purchasing 160 acres of meadow and forest land in rural Oregon, known as Summit Prairie. With the help of a local builder and engineer, their “treehouse without the tree” was completed in 2010.

For the first few years, it was just a weekend getaway, but those weekends quickly turned into something more.

“About a year and half ago, we decided to be totally irresponsible and quit our jobs and move here,” Tompkins says. “We were just going to do it for one year because we thought this might just be too isolated, too boring, too rustic. But then we got down here and we started to meet people and really enjoy the rhythm of it.” (See what life in the tower is like in this video.)

Life on the Prairie

Up four flights of stairs, the lookout is 388 square feet with a simple kitchen spanning the back wall and two narrow beds flanking the sides. Up a skinny wooden ladder, a “cupola” serves as a master suite — minus the bathroom.

In fact, there’s no bathroom to be found. Historic fire lookouts never had them, and Tompkins and Colley didn’t want to obstruct their 360-degree view of the Umpqua National Forest. Instead, they created a few alternative options and put the shower out on the deck.

“My favorite time to take a shower is when we have snow outside and you have to walk barefoot through the snow on the deck,” Tompkins says. “Then you turn that hot water on and that yin and yang of hot and cold – and looking out and seeing the meadow – it’s heaven.”

Courtesy of Alan Colley via Zillow

Without the luxuries of a typical single-family home, Tompkins and Colley find themselves retreating to the “hammock tree” or soaking in their wood-burning, spring-fed hot tub.

“It’s quiet — so quiet it allows me to hear things I wouldn’t hear in the city,” Colley says. “There’s no urban beat. You don’t hear sirens, you don’t hear traffic — you hear us.”

He says the experience has brought him and Tompkins closer, as they’ve allowed each other to grow and be different.

A Taste of ‘Off the Grid’

They’re also learning what it truly means to live off the grid, finding you often gain more than you lose.

“The saying we love to tell each other is ‘just because we live off-grid doesn’t mean we have to eat bad food.’ And we have made some amazing meals,” Colley says after making a blueberry pie from scratch.

Instead of buying organic produce from the grocery store, they have their own garden and are involved with the local farmers market.

Of course, living off-grid has its challenges — like figuring out how to install solar panels — but the biggest challenge came as a surprise.

“We’re so enmeshed in this community, as weird as that may sound, that we really have to back away and say I just want time on my meadow,” Colley says.

From vegan potlucks with the “old hippies,” as they call the neighbors, to looking for ways to stimulate a local economy still dependent on timber, Tompkins and Colley are keeping busy.

The View Never Gets Old

They laugh when they think about how they used to worry about being isolated and bored.

“Reading, cooking, hiking and splitting wood are much more entertaining to us,” Colley says. “If you’re interested in those kinds of things as a DIYer, you’re going to be fine in this situation.”

And in the wake of a recent forest fire, they’re even more thankful for the view.

“Every day, the sun is doing something different. There’s no repetition at all,” Colley says.

“Many mornings, we’ll get up, and the entire meadow is shrouded in fog. And then as the sun moves up into the sky, the fog starts to kind of slip into the valley,” Tompkins adds. “As you look out, it’s like you’re in an airplane where there’s just this lower level of clouds. To me, that’s magic.”

Photos and video by Tom Hanny for Zillow.

 

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How to Get a Chef-Worthy Kitchen for $50,000 or Less

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Trulia

By Brie Dyas

Even grilled cheese tastes better when made in a stylish kitchen.

For those who love to cook, a gourmet kitchen is the dream. However, unlike a living room or bedroom, this space is much harder to remodel. Kitchens can’t be rearranged at whim, cabinets can’t be easily changed, and counters — well, there’s very little you can do to hide 1980s laminate countertops. (Their existence is proof that not everything comes back in fashion.)

But don’t shelve your dream just yet. It’s possible to get a luxurious look for under $50,000, which is close to the average price spent on a budget kitchen remodel. We asked designers where they’d splurge, where they’d save, and other projects to consider for a space worthy of your culinary creations.

Before you start, carefully consider the space and your lifestyle.

“Design your kitchen for the way you live 90% of the time,” says high-end kitchen designer Karen Williams. “Not the holidays or a visit from the in-laws.”

She ranks the overall layout as the most important element in a kitchen renovation. “Good design is good design. A proper prep center, cooking, and cleanup [space] is essential.” So before you get carried away on Pinterest, think more about the layout that best suits your daily habits rather than, say, Gwyneth Paltrow’s.

Making a list of your main concerns will be invaluable for efficiently communicating with a designer. “Share your ideas and priorities by listing them top to bottom,” says Sandra Brannock, principal at Expert Kitchen Designs. “Listen to the kitchen designer and ask for clarification if you are unsure about the design direction. If it is suggested something you want is not cost-worthy, listen and heed this advice.”

Where to Splurge on Your Kitchen Remodel?

Trulia

Cabinets: Estimated Cost of $20,000-$25,000*

“The materials you choose for the kitchen cabinets will define the style,” says designer Natalie Kraiem. “If you are going for a modern look, I love to use high-gloss or matte lacquer or frosted glass in a solid color. If you want to achieve a richer look, then go with wood veneers. You could use laminates for a similar but less expensive look.”

Lifestyle also plays an important role in selecting materials. “Cabinetry will endure the most abuse, so look for all-plywood construction along with a superior finish and top-notch door and drawer hardware,” advises Brannock. “Your investment will require 20 percent to 30 percent more upfront, but the obvious return will be realized five or more years later when your cabinetry looks and feels as great as when it was first installed.”

Brannock has a few recommendations if you’re looking to trim costs: “Opting for cabinets with MDF construction will save you approximately 12 percent. Oak, knotty alder, and hickory are no-upcharge wood species that will save you 6 percent to 22 percent. Consider high-pressure laminate for a contemporary look.”

Appliances: Estimated Cost of $10,000-$14,000

Obvious as it may be, quality appliances are key to the gourmet kitchen. Kraiem likes side-by-side refrigerator and freezer models that offer custom panel options, which can blend in with your cabinets for a seamless look. A high-end dishwasher is also a luxury worth looking into, especially if it also offers the custom panel option. Hoods can be customized to suit the overall design.

If you’re currently using an electric range, don’t worry about converting to gas for a pro-caliber kitchen. Instead, replace the old stove with an induction model. “There are many high-end professional kitchens using this marvelous method,” Brannock says. “It is instantaneous, efficient, and also minimizes the extra heat generated in a hardworking kitchen.”

Luxe Details

Accessories have a big impact in a kitchen. “I like to splurge on hardware,” Williams says. “It should look good to the eye and feel good to the hand. You see it and touch it every day.”

Expanding Storage Options

Clutter can cramp the style of even the fanciest kitchen. However, you’ll want to go for storage options that suit your kitchen.

“Extra deep drawers can be a blessing or a curse if not thought through for one’s individual needs,” Brannock says. “If incorporating them, consider a smaller hidden drawer above them or a narrow partition to house smaller items such as lids or food processor accoutrements so all the space is utilized. These drawers add $200-plus each but are totally worth it.”

She also says that shallow-depth base cabinetry (13 to 18 inches deep) is especially cost-effective and can fit most people’s storage needs.

Where to Save on Your Kitchen Remodel?

Trulia

Backsplash and Countertop: Estimated cost of $7,000

Renewed interest in marble means other natural materials can be found for a bargain. “With the popularity of white marble right now, granite may be a good choice. The marble yards have an overstock of the material and are usually offering to make a good deal,” Williams says. “Stay with the softer, neutral tones so your kitchen won’t look outdated.”

Additionally, new designs in porcelain present another cost-effective yet stylish option for counters, floors, and other surfaces.

Since a backsplash tends to cover a smaller space, it’s easier to cut costs here. “I tend to like to use the same countertop and backsplash material for a modern look. In this case, quartz is great because it doesn’t stain or get damaged easily,” Kraiem says. “I also like to use frosted glass or stainless steel for a unique look that’s not so expensive.” For more traditional kitchens, a tile or mosaic backsplash is the most budget-friendly option.

Flooring: Estimated Cost of $2,000

Your flooring is a big element of your kitchen, so it can have a big impact on overall style. “For example, with floors, 24-by-24- or 24-by-48 porcelain tiles in a concrete or minimalist color will ‘speak’ to those who walk on them as highly sophisticated,” Brannock says. “Another option is wide and random-width hardwood flooring such as fumed white oak for a rustic yet timeless elegance.” But the square footage here is probably less than in other areas in your home, so it’ll be less costly than, say, redoing the floors in the living room.

Miscellaneous items (Faucets, Sink, and Garbage Disposal): estimated cost of $1,000-$1,500

While these smaller elements play an important part in the function of your kitchen, they aren’t as noticeable, meaning you can get away with budget-friendly options. “Focus on the look and quality without splurging,” Kraiem says.

*Costs for this report were estimated by designer Natalie Kraiem and are based on a 10-by-10 kitchen. Your costs may vary depending on individual design choices.

 

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Which States Have the Oldest Homes? You Might Be Surprised

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ZillowThis 1954 California home designed by architect Cliff May has been updated in a retro style.

By Catherine Sherman

Zillow looked at single-family houses built from 1900 to 2014 to see which decades are most represented by the current housing stock. Turns out, many homes in the Northeastern states were built in the ’80s. But in California, the ’50s remain the dominant decade for homes still standing.

Washington, the nation’s capital, is holding strong as the area with the oldest decade — the 1920s — most represented today.

  • 1920-1929: District of Columbia
  • 1950-1959: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
  • 1970-1979: Hawaii, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia, Wyoming
  • 1980-1989: Alaska, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia
  • 1990-1999: Delaware, Indiana
  • 2000-2010: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington
Knowing when the largest share of homes was built isn’t just a fun piece of trivia. It also provides a window into the character of real estate in your state. Check out some of the most popular styles through the decades.

Zillow

 

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