Blog - Tips

Making Your Home More Comfortable & Inclusive

We’re all familiar with accessibility in design, which we are most likely to encounter in public spaces and commercial buildings. Accessibility features make it easier for wheelchair users and mobility limitations to approach and enter buildings, as well as navigate once inside.

Did you know, though, that over 90% of people with disabilities are not wheelchair users? Add in anyone who is experiencing limitations due to aging, and the number of people who could benefit from design that includes their needs only grows.

As we return to multi-generational living arrangements and simultaneously gain more insight into the challenges faced by the neurodivergent members of our families, inclusive design is more pertinent than at any time within the last…

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How to Create the Perfect Reading Nook

As any bibliophile knows, one’s dream home includes a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, sliding ladders, cozy armchairs, and soundproof doors. However, unless you have taken up residence in a palace, your ideal reading space has likely been scaled down into a cozy, inviting reading nook. If you’re in the process of creating this area of your home, read on! Today, we’re sharing how to create the perfect reading nook.

Find the Space

Your perfect reading nook will be unique within your home and will therefore have no other purpose. This zone can be created around a window seat, in a forgotten corner, out of a spacious closet, under a staircase, in an alcove, or tucked away within a bedroom.

The main goal will be to choose a space large…

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Wood vs Gas Fireplaces

Crisp autumn winds have begun to blow throughout Middle Tennessee, and many homeowners will light their fireplaces as soon as the first frost arrives. If you are planning to purchase a home with a fireplace or are considering installing a fireplace in your current home, you may be waffling between choosing a wood-burning or gas-powered fireplace. We’re here to help with our exploration of the pros and cons of wood vs. gas fireplaces for homeowners!

Let’s break this down.

Wood-Burning Fireplaces

Pros

1.) Soothing Aesthetics

Nothing compares to the familiar aesthetics of a wood fire. From the crackling sounds to the waves of color moving across the embers, curling up in front of a wood-burning fireplace is the epitome of cold-weather…

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How to Maintain a Good Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a delicate endeavor, and it’s one that many of us struggle with. Depending on your company culture, your vocation, the way you were raised to view work, and your individual personality traits, you will experience varying degrees of challenges in this area. Additionally, we must acknowledge that our country’s work-life culture greatly impacts the expectations we experience from others and impose upon ourselves.

If you are dissatisfied with how well you are currently balancing your time, especially if you are feeling close to burn-out, today’s tips on how to maintain a good work-life balance can help you start reclaiming your personal time. We hope you do; your peace and wellbeing are worth it.

1.) Analyze Your Current…

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Elements of an Inspiring Home Gym

For many of us, the idea of owning a home gym is thrilling. No longer having to wipe down equipment after someone else “forgot” to do so, no more waiting for our turn on our favorite machine, and of course, not having to leave the house to get a workout in on rushed mornings all sound ideal.

If you feel the same, today’s article outlining key elements of an inspiring home gym will give you the boost you need to begin creating your own private workout space. Whether you have a large room or just a cozy corner to work with, we are sharing tips targeted to your situation!

Safe Flooring

Safety is first in all workout situations, and your home gym is no exception. Make sure your flooring is non-slip, especially if you decide to add cushion to make…

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Home Adaptations for the Elderly

A significant percentage of elderly adults are choosing to “age in place,” which means they prefer to remain in their own homes rather than relocate to an assisted living facility or into a senior living community. This decision is understandable—even admirable—and there are home adaptations for the elderly that can make it safer.

While executing these adaptations will require investments of both time and money, they will also extend an elderly person’s ability to live independently for much longer. For example, falling is a serious risk; data suggests that as many as five thousand people die annually due to complications from falling.

Data also indicates that our elders who are able to remain in their own homes, especially when they are cared…

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To Pool or Not to Pool?

If you are in the process of looking for your next home or considering upgrading the home you have currently, you may be deciding whether or not a pool is right for you. Homeownership can be complex, and adding a pool to the mix is certainly an additional complication. There are pros and cons of having a pool, and we recommend weighing them carefully before you decide to dive in or bail out!

The Pros

1.) Pools make a splash when you host backyard parties!

Who can resist an invitation to a pool party? Anytime it’s hot enough to swim, your entertainment practically takes care of itself. Add a grilling session, chests full of ice-cold drinks, and some chill music, and you have a memorable party on the ready.

2.) Pools are excellent for…

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Downsizing Tips

If your plans for 2024 include moving into a smaller space, you can’t wait until next spring to do some serious decluttering. As daunting as it may seem to sort through your belongings, weighing out what to keep, what to toss, and what to donate, the results are well worth investing your time and effort.

To help you jump into the process, we have selected seven downsizing tips our realtors have given their clients and used themselves over the years. Let’s get started!

1.) Envision Your Desired Lifestyle

Downsizing is an ideal time to examine your lifestyle as it currently exists; then envision how you plan for it to be this same time next year. For example, if you plan to entertain frequently, you may wish to hang on to kitchen items that…

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Ways to Make You Love Your Home Again

Look around your home. Walk slowly from room to room, whether in your mind’s eye or in person, and tap into your feelings about each space. Is your living room shabby and furnished with oddly mismatched pieces? Are the bathrooms cluttered? Is your kitchen outdated without being quite vintage? Then today’s article is for you!

If your home is bringing your mood down, it may seem like renovation and moving are your two best options. Both are costly, time-consuming, and anything but convenient. The good news is that we can suggest ten steps to help you love your home again! Whether you follow two or ten, we hope you find this upcoming summer season the most enjoyable time you’ve spent at home in recent years.

1.) Declutter

As homeowners, we can…

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How to Prepare Your Home for Pets

One of the benefits of owning your own home is that you can have a pet without first asking a landlord for permission. Still, there are some steps you will want to follow before you bring your new furry companion home. Today, we’re sharing our top ten tips on how you can prepare your home for pets. Whether you’re bringing home a new puppy, kitten, or older adoptee of either species, our guide will help you make sure you’re ready for their adorable escapades you will no doubt experience.

Pet-Proofing Your Home

Just like human babies and children, pets need safe environments in which to live. Before you bring your pet home, go through your rooms from top to bottom looking for hazards and items you do not want them to be able to reach.

First,…

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