Posts with tag 'eco-friendly home'

The holiday season is right around the corner in Chicagoland. Is your house ready? The approaching holidays are one reason fall is one of the most popular times of year for home improvement projects. Let our real estate agents be your guides to the best pre-holiday DIY projects. 

DIY projects before the holidays

These home improvements are all relatively easy, inexpensive, and DIY-ready. Best of all, they'll help you get ready to host guests and show off your festive side in time for the holidays!

Choose areas to repaint

Few things can completely transform a space like a fresh coat of paint. It's an affordable and easy way to add personality to your home while making it feel fresh and updated. And you don't have to repaint the whole house — just pick a key area or two that wi...

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In addition to popular rooftop bars, restaurants, and event spaces, many homes in the metro area come with a rooftop space for outdoor relaxation — it's one of the best ways to maximize your greenspace in an urban setting. If your rooftop space could use a refresh, or has felt like more of an afterthought, our real estate agents are here to help with inspiration that's both stylish and budget-friendly.

• Install a hanging chair, swing, or hammock. 
  Capture that breezy, relaxing vibe by installing a modern hanging chair or swing. Look for models with self-supporting stands if your rooftop doesn't allow for ceiling mounts. It's an easy way to add a playful, lounge-ready touch to your rooftop setup.
  
  
• Add planters with tall greenery.
  Even if you don't have soil to dig into, you can still enjoy greenery above the city streets. After all, certain plants will enjoy the direct sunlight, can thrive in this rooftop envir...

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Our real estate agents are always looking for ways to make our homes a little greener, more energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly. In honor of Earth Day, we'd like to share a few tips to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle!

• Start composting
  A handy way to reduce food waste, composting at home will transform your food scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer. This cuts down on greenhouse gases and reduces the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills. If you want to compost but don't want to do it at home, you can also take your food waste to any of

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• Replace heavy drapes with breezy curtains
  Gone are the dark winter months. Embrace the longer daylight hours by stashing heavy drapes for the season. In their place hang up some light, flowy curtains that let more sunlight in. It won't be long before the days are warm enough to open the windows. 
  
  
• Rearrange your bookshelves
  If your bookshelves have looked more or less the same for several years, now is a great time to liven them up! Instead of alphabetical order — or, more realistically, no order at all — try arranging your books by color, assigning a specific palette to each shelf. Thinning out your books and displaying just a select few...

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With warmer days ahead and Chicagoland starting to thaw, one thing is clear — spring is on its way! Daffodils will pop up, robins will return to nest before you know it and our real estate agents want to ensure your home's outdoor space is ready for the changing seasons. 

• Check Faucets and Reconnect Hoses
  Spring is the time to inspect your outdoor spigots for any damage. Ideally, you should have turned the water off to these faucets last fall, and you can now turn them back on as soon as the worst of the winter cold has passed. Reconnect the hoses and check the nozzles and sprinklers to make sure they're all in good working order. 
  
  
• Clean and Retouch Your Deck
  Outdoor decks and patios take a beating throughout the harsh winter months, and they often need a little T...

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