Lockdowns and restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic have meant that many of us have decided to try our hand at doing the tasks that we used to call out the professionals for, whether that is decorating, home maintenance or building furniture. Now is not the time to try anything too drastic - the last thing you want to do is end up knocking a wall out and the rest of the house coming down with it, or to unscrew that pipe and end up with a waterfall in your kitchen. However, there are definitely some tasks that even a DIY novice can have a go at. Let’s take a look at some of them here.

A home in the Fleur du Lac Estates on Lake Tahoe that was used for a number of scenes in The GodfatherPart II including the Fredo Corleone lake murder, the Michael and Kay Corleone machine-gun assassination attack in their bedroom, and the Corleone son’s First Holy Communion celebration is for sale at $5.5 million.

Regardless of the time of year, you want your home to be the light, airy, breezy house that everyone envies. We’re talking white walls, pale furniture and tons of natural light pouring through the windows. A light and airy home is inviting, it’s beautiful, it’s valuable and - most of all - it’s one which you can feel proud to live in.

Remodeling your home is a major time commitment and effort but it can dramatically improve your home value as well as comfort and convenience. That's why you want to make sure you get everything done right along the way.

Often when we think about taking on a project around the house it is to improve our yard, save money, or add value and convenience to the house itself. Most of us don't consider ways that we can help protect the environment or make things more efficient - unless that project is designed to save lots of money. Here's four home improvement projects that you can do that will also improve the environment around you and dare I say it... help you go green!

Generally when we hear the unfortunate news that someone’s house caught on fire, immediately we think of possible causes.  The typical culprits are usually something like faulty wiring, leaving a curling iron on, a cigarette accidentally caught the house on fire, or the owners left the house but forgot to turn off the stove.  The one we rarely ever think about is that the dryer vent was clogged and caught on fire.

Summer is over and that probably means you haven't spent much time inside. Don't worry though, fall is here and winter is just around the corner. That means it's time to head back inside and retreat to your man cave and all the fun stuff found within. Games, comfy chairs, maybe even a beer fridge and memorabilia. Here's some tips to get your man cave up and ready for the winter holidays and ultimately - prepared to be the destination where all your buddies want to hang out for March Madness!

Could we have become so desensitized to the fact that something as natural to us as building a house and living in it can have such an effect on the environment? 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Schlage. All opinions are 100% mine.

When most people think of smart home technology, it’s just about convenience. Sure, they might have cameras to monitor intruders or movement from kids and pets, but monitoring isn’t security. I had the chance to install the new, Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt recently and I’m impressed. It does everything that a smart device should – easy to use, perfectly integrated with the existing ecosystem, full of features, plus it is both great-looking and built strong enough to do what it was designed for – keeping your family safe.

You have your home and outdoor kitchen, what's next when it comes to building your perfect outdoor space? For some it might be a pool and others it might be a putting green, but what about a home basketball court instead? Sure, you can throw a hoop up on your garage but that risks hitting cars and potentially uneven surfaces that aren't designed for the game. Let's take a look at how you can take the game to the next level by adding a real basketball court to your home!

Making your house beautiful is easy. Keeping it safe is an entirely different story. Installing a home security system is no longer an option nowadays; it’s a necessity. And perhaps, the most important part of a home security system is the door and window system. This system exists to deter burglars and to alert if someone enters the house when it’s armed. Having door and window sensors protect the possible entry points of burglars, especially in the front door where they are most likely to enter.

I'm thankful to live in San Diego where for 90% of the year I can leave my windows wide open and get fresh air. It quite literally never rains here and the temperature is almost always 70 degree. However, there are those few weeks per year when it gets hot. Compared to those of you back easy suffering from 100+ degree days right now our 90's might seem nice. Unfortunately, when the temperature inside your loft is more than 80 degrees, things like taking a conference call or being able to concentrate while writing posts like this are near impossible. Without the ability to install a window box air conditioner, I've had to rely on portable units instead. Compared to those other ones, I'm in love with this new unit from Midea. Not only does it have all the standard features but it also can connect to Google Assistant or Alexa so I can set schedules and turn it on or off remotely just by telling it to.

Hurricanes are terrible storms that if climatologists are going to be believed, are only going to get worse and increase in frequency because of global warming. This means that anyone in an area potentially impacted by a hurricane needs to review their homeowner's insurance policies and see what's covered and what's not. It’s one thing to be able to buy a house and another to be able to keep it. There are so many things that could go wrong that could mean that you end up with a very substantial bill, or worse, you could lose the single biggest investment you’ve made in your life.

Cultivating a great looking lawn is the source of pride for many men. It's a form of healthy competition among neighbors where some will win the admiration of wives, friends, and guests, while others will simply need to pay an expert instead.

If you’re planning to sell your home, you need to make it presentable first. The success in finding a buyer lies in how your home looks from the curb, otherwise known as curb appeal. People would want to take a closer look if they like what they see from the outside, so it’s best to consider projects that add to your home’s exterior appearance.

No homeowner starts a home improvement project thinking about what could go wrong. Instead, it is generally an exciting time of imagining new possibilities to be creative or at least fix problems that will make life easier. So, what could be the main source of these dissatisfaction? Well, they usually arise from disagreements most homeowners have with the contractors. This is the key reason to have a standard contract highlighting all the terms and conditions and agreeing with your contractor on such sensitive matters before authorizing the work to commence.

Almost everyone has at least some mold in their home. Even though not all types of it are dangerous or toxic, they still present a health risk. The people that are affected the most typically suffer from allergies or asthma. Most of the time, distinguishing between their types is impossible without the help of a lab. But, of all of them, black mold is the most toxic and dangerous, and it should be removed as fast as possible.

Granite countertops are popular for their natural beauty and durability. As a result, granite countertops are very common in homes built in the past ten years or so. However, as attractive as they can be, maintenance is required to keep them shiny and clean. Care for granite countertops is often thought of as being time-consuming and difficult, but that isn’t always the case if you are smart about things. If you want to keep your granite countertops looking glossy and brand new for decades, here's some tips to make things easier.

If you’re inviting anyone into your home, no matter the purpose behind the invitation, you hope that this person will be trustworthy. Inviting someone into your home is an act of trust in itself, even if it’s as simple as having your internet modem installed. Many people consider that construction workers or perhaps repairmen are simply coming into fix something, but to have your cherished home worked on is quite an intimate activity. You trust the handyman to complete the job, to respect your space, and to do so in a manner that rectifies the issue instead of creating new ones.

Renovations can be tough, and kitchen renovations doubly, so, after all, you have all those built-in cabinets, plumbing, and power points to worry about. Luckily, there are a few tactics you can use to make doing up your kitchen space a little less stressful. Keep reading to find out what they are.