Linda R. Olsson Inc. Palm Beach Realtor

7 Hot Home Improvement Trends that Make Your Home Work for You

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Home improvement trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space. Trend #1: Maintenance-free siding We continue to choose maintenance-free siding that lives as long as we do, but with a lot less upkeep. But more and more we’re opting for fiber-cement siding, one of the fastest-growing segments of the siding market. It’s a combination of... [Read more...]

4 Easy-Living, Universal Design Tips for Any Home

By: John Riha Here are some tips to get you started on incorporating universal design features in your home. One of the basic principles of universal design, also called ageless design, is that it makes homes more practical and safer for everyone — not just the elderly or people with limited mobility. These days, universal design features are an everyday fact of life for many households, with architects... [Read more...]

Spring Cleaning the Anti-Martha Way

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Martha Stewart spring cleans like a pro — because she is a pro. But the rest of us seek an easier way. Welcome to <i>The Anti-Martha Stewart Spring Cleaning Guide. For the record, we love Martha Stewart. She has elevated housekeeping to high art, which protects home values. Martha’s taught us the devil is in the details, and that even mundane chores can be tackled... [Read more...]

What I Learned from Mom

It’s Mother’s Day, and the best gift you can give Mom is three little words: You were right. Home bloggers and experts share the great advice Mom gave related to all things home. And, knowing that Mom isn’t perfect — just perfect for us — we also asked for words of wisdom that missed the mark. Mom says: ‘Don’t try to do it all’ “My mother was a real perfectionist. She’d know... [Read more...]

The Garden Scribe: Author Barbara Wise offers tips to help potted plants survive summer

By KAKI HOLT, Special to the Palm Beach Daily News No matter whether you’re staying put or heading for cooler climes, Barbara Wise’s new book, Container Gardening for All Seasons, has some tips to give you a hand with your summer patio plantings. First, Wise advocates mixing different textures — fine, feathery foliage contrasts nicely with straight, narrow stalks and broad tropical leaves. Similarly,... [Read more...]

Granny Flat or In-Law Suite? Which is More Prudent?

By: Dona DeZube If you need to house aging parents or adult children, or if your family is multi-generational, what’s better — an in-law suite or a little granny cottage in the back yard? If you need to house aging parents or adult children, or if your family is multi-generational, what’s better — an in-law suite or a little granny cottage in the back yard? Our data says you’ll spend less... [Read more...]