Keeping your lawn, flowerbeds and shrubs looking great enhances the ‘curb appeal’ of your property, presenting a clean, tidy, and attractive appearance to your property for potential buyers. However, it can also be a lot of work, so here are a few do-it-yourself tips that may help to make these tasks easier and less time-consuming:

• Add bark mulch around trees and shrubs. That way, you won’t have to cut the grass in those areas and you’ll avoid having to use shears or a trimmer to do the job properly. Plus, bark mulch around you trees can alleviate stress to the roots, making your trees and shrubs healthier!
• Consider applying mulch in flower beds too. It will reduce weeds, and also help to retain moisture so you won’t...

Finding out how much you can afford on your mortgage is ideally something you should do before you start looking for a home. That way, you don’t spend time looking at homes that are out of your price range, and you avoid disappointment when you realize that you need to be looking at lower priced properties.

When figuring out your budget, keep these things in mind:

• The amount of your down payment
• Your household income
• Your current debts and the monthly payments
• Your monthly bills, such as your property taxes, insurances, utilities, home care costs, and your current mortgage, if you have one.
• Your closing costs
• The spending habits of your household

Examine all of your expenses.

Remember that outside of your mortgage, you need to feed and...