Category Archives: Yard & Outdoors

You Need To Hire A Real Estate Agent That Is Not Afraid To Negotiate When You Are Buying A Home

May 07, 2025   Matt

You Need To Hire A Real Estate Agent That Is Not Afraid To Negotiate When You Are Buying A Home

Buying a new home or other type of real estate for the first time can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Pour over this information, including the many tips, to help you understand the process and what to watch out for when making your real estate purchase, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

When buying a house, the best time to do that is when houses are selling at a low cost. Now would be an excellent time to buy, as houses are at a record low price. Home ownership is still something that makes complete sense for many people, and knowing when to buy is one of the most important things.

Beware of homes that are priced at a premium because of fancy landscaping. Fancy landscaping does not have good resale value, which means you will not recover the premium that you paid for when it comes time for you to resell. Instead, opt for a lower-priced home with moderate landscaping which you can always upgrade at a fraction of the premium price.

Your real estate agent is almost certainly concerned with making you happy, but they are also concerned with making as much possible on commission given the state of the housing market. Look online and do your own research, and if you find a house that meets your qualifications at the low end of your budget that the agent doesn’t present to you, then you know they aren’t looking out for your best interest.

Buying real estate to own it outright isn’t always a great deal, so you should check for rent-to-own properties where you can find them. Rent-to-own also means that you’re probably dealing with a legitimate homeowner and not someone looking to flip a profit, so you can come away saving big money.

Even if you and the seller agree on a price, there could be an issue with the price once an appraisal is done. Depending on the market, short sales and foreclosures can drastically bring down the price of a property if no other comparable sales have taken place. A mortgage company will not loan you the money for an amount that is lower then the appraisal, so something will have to be done to make adjustments.

If you are a commissioned employee or your potential job’s income will be based a lot on a bonus, you should wait to change jobs until after you purchase your home. The reason for this is that for these types of jobs the lender can not accurately calculate out your income, and since they can not do that, they will not be able to approve a mortgage.

If you need first months rent, last months rent and a deposit, in order to rent a property, ask the landlord about possibly paying the last months rent over time. By adding a couple hundred dollars to each month’s payment, you can get that new place, without having to have all of the money up front.

Now that you know how the process works, you can methodically and carefully plan your first real estate purchase. Whether you hurriedly go house hunting this weekend, look for apartment buildings to manage or scout for retail-business buildings, your newly found confidence will help you to make the right purchasing decisions.

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Growing Hibiscus

April 27, 2025   Matt

Growing Hibiscus

Before growing Hibiscus, a fair amount of planning is required. Do you want to grow them in your garden, use them for landscaping or hedging or keep them pots that can be kept indoors or out? What size and type of plant do you want?

Potted culturing has to be confined to the smaller varieties. For outdoors, the size is dependent on the use. Large types are ideal for landscaping. Those used as hedges can be medium in size. If you want the Hibiscus to blend with other plants in the garden, smaller ones are ideal. For bonsai, use old, compact plants with small leaves.

Check with nurseries or other growers in your area to ascertain which species is best suited for you. You cannot be sure of the color of the flowers unless a plant you purchase is in bloom. There are plants that give common but romantic five petal singles or ones with double layers.

First time gardeners should purchase the right gardening tools, accessories, and perhaps a book on the subject of “growing Hibiscus”.

When growing Hibiscus, choose a sunny spot. The plant is tolerant to many conditions, but thrives in sandy soil with some organic content and slight acidity. Planting materials can be obtained from a nursery.

The propagation is through cuttings, hybrid-grafting and, in the case of certain species, through germinated seeds. Germinated seeds might not have all the characteristics of the mother plant.

The plant has to be watered until it establishes. Moisture retention is important, and mulching helps this. Water the potted plants from the top and not at the base. Proper fertilizing is important, but remember that excessive nitrogen will promote vegetative growth and may not help the flowering. Pesticides, insecticides and fungicides may have to be used depending on the need. It is best to opt for organic products including fertilizers. Make sure that you follow the label instructions.

Hibiscus growing is highly relaxing and satisfying.

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Sprucing Up Your Garden With Solar

April 17, 2025   Matt

Sprucing Up Your Garden With Solar

Fountains are a popular addition to most landscaped yards. Solar fountains give you the benefit of traditional fountains without running up your electrical bill every month.

Sprucing Up Your Garden With Solar

Mention solar power and people get an image of large, bulky solar panels on the roof of a home. This stereotypical view is really incorrect as large panel systems are now going the way of the dodo bird. Current solar technology is all about small size and unique applications. Heck, they even make them for kayaks now.

Solar fountains may sound like a fairly complex landscape addition. They really aren’t. Solar technology has advanced to the point where most landscaping items are now best run on solar technology. This includes solar lighting used for paths, overhead lighting, bird deterrents and general ambience.

At their root, solar fountains are incredibly simple pieces of machinery. The solar aspect of the piece is simple the power generation for the pump. Practically all solar fountains look the same as regular fountains. The energy source is simply a small panel system either connected directly to the fountain or placed in a location that gets plenty of sun. The type of system is dependent upon the amount of flow you want to move with the pump.

Solar fountains range from incredibly simple to complex applications. You can buy floating solar pads that you simply put in a pool. The panels look like black pads and power a small pump that sucks content out of the pool. More sophisticated solar fountains include entirely contained systems as well as systems that move massive amounts of the pool from low points on your property to higher areas where gravity takes over. There really is something for everyone in this area.

Much like solar lighting, solar fountains are a cost saving addition to your landscaping and provide soothing ambience. Plenty of quality models exist, so give them a look.

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Some Considerations in Laying Out a Landscaping Design

April 07, 2025   Matt

Some Considerations in Laying Out a Landscaping Design

Landscaping design may be compared with landscape architecture because the process is similar as well as the rules. While the latter focuses on the structure and the engineering of the project, the former considers those as well plus the artistic look and feel of the project.

But in determining the factors one might consider in pursuing with a plan, both the design and architecture process should take into account the type of soil in the property, the climate or weather that the place is seeming to have, the drainage system and other factors that constitutes for the plants to grow in the area.

Plotting the Project
Everybody, when starting out a landscape project, has an idea in mind. This idea has to be put on paper or on the computer using a designing software. This can only be done after thorough inspection of the place where it is to be implemented. Consider everything first before coming up with the simplest ideas so that minor changes would only be needed as the project push through.

But even if you’re not a professional, designing could be done considering some of the following.

Year-Round Consideration
The four seasons is important to be considered when choosing the materials to be placed in a landscape design. During the spring through the summer, it is good to have flowering trees. Shrubs would also be fine during the said seasons. Fall foliage, on the other hand, is what one should think about first during autumn. And you need an excellent structure in the winter.

To achieve the abovementioned, thorough research is needed about the ornaments that you plan to include when implementing the design.

Incorporating Some Hardscapes
The design is not limited to plants and ornaments, structures like fences, walls, even decks, arbors and patios provide not only beauty but also serve as framing structures for the project.

Water Features
Installing one may look complicated, but with some research or just by asking around, you’ll be surprised to know that this is easy to do. Aside from being pleasing to the eyes, the sounds that will come from such is soothing and will add to a calming effect of your landscape. You may start first with a simple pond and after successfully accomplishing such, you may opt for waterfalls and the likes.

This could even be the highlight of your project. Know the trends regarding water features and choose what best suits your landscape design.

Flower Types
Consider the space for the project before choosing the type of flowers that you’d want to see in it. Match such ornaments according to colors and sizes. But first, you have to know well about the lighting conditions of the place and the type of soil in it so that you’ll never go wrong with the purchase that you’ll eventually make regarding the plants, especially the flowers that you’d want to see as part of the landscape.

Low Maintenance
One should also look into placing elements in the design that would be easy to maintain. What is a very pretty landscape when the owner would always be tired cleaning it up. It is for your own advantage that you should look into this and decide on the materials according to this idea.

Landscaping design is easy once you are prepared with researched information about the place and equipped with the right materials to initiate the project.

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Tropical Plants for Your Landscaped Backyard

April 02, 2025   Matt

Tropical Plants for Your Landscaped Backyard

A tropical landscaping job for your backyard may take some effort to achieve. This is especially true in areas where a tropical setting for a back yard may not always be possible. But it does not necessarily mean that it can’t be accomplished. Trying to emulate a tropical setting can be doable in landscape design by learning about some helpful tips.

Trying to create a wonderful tropical landscape can take some time to plan. Then comes the time to choose the plants that you wish to add up in your planned tropical landscape design. There are actually a number of tropical plants that you can use to create that appropriate setting that you wish to display in your backyard.

When you say “tropical” when it comes to plants, palm trees usually come to mind. Palm trees can easily give your backyard that tropical feel. When choosing the right palm tree for your tropical landscaping plans, there are usually some important things to consider. You have to know which palm trees would grow well in your area. For this, you must try to learn about a certain palm tree’s ability to withstand cold, their sunlight requirements as well as their height especially when there are space limitations to consider.

There are two kinds of palm trees. There is the palmate which is characterized by leaves having lobes that fan out from a common point. Palmate leaves usually resemble an opened hand with fingers jutting out from a common center. Then there are pinnate palm trees whose leaves are characterized by leaflets branching out along both sides of a main stalk, much like resembling a feather.

Different palm trees can be chosen according to how they can withstand cold, plant size and height as well as for their sunlight requirements. If you are looking for smaller versions of palm trees for your backyard, you may want to check out Lady Palm trees. These tropical palms usually grow to a height of four to eight feet. Lady palm trees usually do well in places that afford some filtered light or shade rather than being exposed to sunlight directly. Lady palm trees are also able to withstand temperatures for up to 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you wish to have majestic palm trees in your home, then you might want to have Queen palm trees that can grow as high up as 50 feet. This type of palm tree has pinnate leaves and can withstand cold for up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. A big disadvantage though is that Queen palm trees require healthy amounts of direct sunlight to grow and may not be a good choice if you have a shady backyard.

Aside from palm trees, there are also other plants that can help give your backyard that tropical look. Bamboo, for example may help give your backyard not only a tropical look but also some Oriental feel. It would be good to know that there are some species of bamboo that are able to withstand freezing temperatures. Some species are hardy enough to withstand temperatures of up to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Such bamboo species would really help transform your backyard into your very own tropical landscaping paradise.

And mind you, the use of plants is just but one of the many ways that you can employ to make a tropical enclave out of your own backyard. Research and careful planning would make it all possible.

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Curb Appeal Tips and Hints

March 28, 2025   Matt

Curb Appeal Tips and Hints

It has been said that the curb appeal of your property is the difference between a quick sale and a property that may stay on the market for months and months. That is why it is so important to have good curb appeal when selling your home.

If you have the money to invest, it would be a good idea to hire a company that offers landscaping and has a history of preparing houses for selling purposes. This type of company would be able to make excellent recommendations and be able to give you the best opportunity to sell you home fast.

If you don’t have the money to invest in a landscaping company, there are a few things that you may be able to do as a home owner to beautify the front of your property in order to prepare your house for selling.

If you have the cash, it always looks nice if you have fresh sod laid when someone is walking up to your house. It gives the feeling of a brand new house, even if the house may not really be brand new. Sod can get a bit pricey depending on how large your front lawn is but it can definitely b worth it if you are looking to sell your home fast.

If you can’t afford sodding your front lawn, you should consider mulching the front of your property. This should only be done if you have a relatively small front lawn. If you have a big front yard then mulching it would take away from the beauty of your property. Mulch the entire front yard and put in a few small bushes to bring out the curb appeal.

Lastly, you may want to fence in the front yard with an iron fence. This is really a regional option. In certain regions and neighborhoods you will see more fenced in yards than others.

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