A garden is inherently “green” in nature, so how is it possible to make it any more eco-friendly than it already is?

The truth is, there are plenty of ways that a garden can be both wasteful and even harmful. From the pesticides that can be used to all the water spent keeping plants hydrated, some gardens can use a total revamp when it comes to being more friendly to the environment.

Follow these tips to make sure your garden is as green as it can be.

1. Generate Your Own Organic Compost

Good quality soil costs a pretty penny, but creating your own compost can minimize the expenses of nourishing your plants. Not only is composting exactly what your landscaping craves, it’s also incredibly easy. In fact, a lot of the items you’d otherwise toss in the trash can be diverted to your compost instead.

Food scraps like egg shells, coffee grounds and leftover vegetables are perfect additions for homemade compost. And all that landscaping debris that you need to get rid of – including dead leaves and bush trimmings – can be added to your compost instead of discarded with the trash.

Organic compost brings healthy microorganisms that break down to fuel plant growth, prevent plant disease, aerate and moisten the soil, and provide a safer solution to chemical fertilizers. Once you’ve built up your compost, place it in a warm, partly sunny area of your garden, which will help stimulate decomposition of all the items you’ve included.

2. Attract the Right Type of Bugs

While you obviously don’t want to be pestered with mosquitos and other bothersome insects while you’re outdoors enjoying your garden, that doesn’t mean you should scare off all bugs altogether. Certain bugs like beetles, ladybugs and lacewings are helpful in warding off all the potentially harmful bugs that can destroy your plants and flowers.

For instance, ladybirds and lacewings eat black flies. If these particular bugs are a major problem in your garden, add some marigolds and sunflowers to draw the attention of these good bugs to protect your garden.

3. Recycle Your Rainwater

Particularly in drought-sensitive areas like California, conserving as much water as possible is essential. Luckily, there are easy ways to harvest rainwater to minimize excess use.

All that rainwater that winds up in your landscaping can be captured to water your lawn and garden. You can even use this recycled rainwater to wash your cars and polish your windows. Consider adding a barrel to collect rainwater that can be later used to hydrate your landscaping.

When you’re actually designing your garden, consider incorporating elements such as permeable paving and dry creek beds to minimize runoff that wreaks havoc on storm drains and pollutes bodies of water. 

4. Create Shade With Trees and Shrubs

All those trees and shrubs that you plant to beautify your exterior can serve more than one purpose. While they certainly are esthetically appealing, they can also be strategically positioned to provide shade just where you need it the most.

Large trees that spread out and drape over can be placed on the south and west sides of your home where the most intense sun tends to beam down. Planting shrubs adjacent to these exterior walls can also help to keep the temperature comfortable. Trees and shrubs can effectively cut down on the energy needed to cool your home, and inevitably slash the cost of your utility bills.

5. Attract Birds For Plant Protection

Much like certain bugs can add a layer protection to your landscaping, so can many types of birds. Not only can many bugs destroy your garden, so can grubs, snails and slugs. Birds love to prey on these pests, so attracting them to your garden can help add natural protection to your greenery.

Incorporate nesting boxes and bird feeders will help create a more inviting environment for birds, which will get rid of the need to use toxic insecticides that are dangerous both for the environment and for anyone who frolics in your garden.

6. Choose Native Plants

Whatever plants happen to be native in your area, consider adding these breeds to your garden. Whether it’s Mountain Lilacs in California or Coneflowers in Florida, adding native greens to your garden can help cut down on the care and maintenance needed to keep them healthy, since they’re already adapted to the climate and conditions in your area. Not only will this cut down on time and effort on your part, it’ll also reduce the amount of water and fertilizer needed, as well as minimize pest infestation.

Your garden is meant to be a natural space, so make sure it’s as eco-friendly as it can be by incorporating these tips to cut down on waste and chemicals, and even create an inviting habitat for friendly wildlife.

As the weather heats up, homeowners almost always gravitate toward their back yards, inviting friends and family over for cookouts and holiday parties. If you’re lucky, you’ve created an oasis that makes gatherings more enjoyable. Even if you don’t have the nicest back yard in town, you can add little touches that will make your get-togethers more fun for everyone.

Outdoor Kitchen

If you’re tired of traipsing food from your kitchen to the grill and back again all summer, an outdoor kitchen is a great option. You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you’d like, from food prep counters and barstools to outdoor sinks and refrigerators. You don’t have to limit yourself to what you can throw on the grill, either. Brick ovens open up your outdoor cooking possibilities to pizzas, bread, vegetables, and desserts.

Tiki Bar

Tiki bars have become more affordable than ever in recent years, with homeowners realizing what a great addition they make to outdoor areas. You can set up your bar by a pool, on a patio, or in the middle of your back yard and instantly start serving drinks to your guests. Not only does a tiki bar offer a convenient place to mix drinks, it adds a tropical island feel to your back yard.

Outdoor Shower

Outdoor showers and baths have evolved in recent years. Once reserved for encouraging cleanliness around pool areas, these bathing areas can be set up to provide a private shower or bath in your own back yard. If you live near the beach or on a lake, these bathing areas can also have the added benefit of keeping sand and mud out of your home.

Hot Tub

If you can’t afford a pool, a hot tub may be a more reasonable option. While hot tubs usually cost thousands of dollars, they’re still far cheaper than an in-ground pool and they can be installed within days of purchase. Instead of lounging around the pool with all of your friends, you can gather in the hot tub to relax. When friends aren’t around, you can use the hot tub whenever you need to relax and unwind after a tough week.

If you kick off the summer with a small back yard upgrade, you’ll make your back yard more enjoyable. Friends and family will enjoy visiting and your own family will be able to get out of the house and spend time together, rather than sitting on the sofa, staring at the TV during the warmest months of the year.

It’s still high season for sellers out there in the world of real estate. If you just listed your home, you’re probably feeling very confident that your house will garner plenty of attention and sell shortly, right?

While it’s definitely highly possible that your home is ripe for the picking, it’s generally not recommended to just sit back, relax and assume that the home will just ‘sell itself’ just because the market is hot right now. There are actually things you might be doing – and not doing – that could botch the sale of your home.

When properties are on the move and your home isn’t getting much action within the first two weeks of hitting the market, home buyer hopefuls will start to think that there’s something wrong with your house, and assume that they’re in a better negotiating position or blow the home off altogether.

If you’ve got your home on the market, don’t just plop a For Sale sign on the front lawn and walk away. The best real estate agents in the country have a few suggestions for you to set your home listing up so that it’s plucked off the market sooner rather than later.

The Price Point of Your Home Can Make All the Difference

One of the most important factors to consider when selling your home is how much to list it for. Price it too low, and you could leave a bunch of money on the table. Price it too high and you could scare off buyers who otherwise would have put in an offer on your home.

Unfortunately, many home sellers get caught up on the dollar signs they see, thinking that the higher they list their home for, the more money they’ll make on the sale. The truth is, this mentality doesn’t always allow things to pan out the way they should.

Once the home lingers on the market after two or three weeks, it starts to get stale. At that point, you’ll wind up having to slash the price anyway. During that time you wasted with a higher-than-called for listing price, you could have had a completed sale and saved yourself a lot of money on carrying costs.

It’s imperative to price your home appropriately for your local market, and the best way to do that is to get your real estate agent to pull a list of comps in the neighborhood. A properly priced home will almost always sell faster than one that’s way over-priced.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Staging

Even in a seller’s market where demand is high, you’re home won’t automatically sell itself if it isn’t presented in the best light possible. A nicely renovated home is great and all, but if it’s empty or not furnished nicely, it could be a turn off to buyers.

Professional home staging paints your home in its best light, and helps buyers get a clear visual of its highest and best use. People want to be able to see themselves living in the home, so the better able you are to paint that picture, the better the odds are of someone putting in an offer.

It’s estimated that two-thirds of home buyer hopefuls need some help visualizing themselves in your home, so it’s up to you to give them a little assistance in this department.

Don’t Ignore Your Home’s Exterior

Many sellers place a ton of emphasis on the interior of their homes without putting the same amount of importance in the outside. The truth is, it’s the curb appeal of your home that will make a good first impression on buyers. You don’t want to lose a buyer’s interest before they even step foot through the front door.

Make sure that your grass is cut, shrubs are trimmed, flowers are tended to, and any clutter is eliminated. Your front door should be void of cracking or peeling paint, and your front porch should be void of dead leaves and other debris.

And a nice “welcome” mat wouldn’t hurt either.

Don’t Work Alone

Your secret weapon in the entire sale of your home is working with a good, experience real estate agent. He or she will be your guide and counselor throughout the entire process. You’ll get the best advice and suggestions about what needs to be done to sell your home quickly, even if you think it’s the best house on the street. 

The takeaway from this is that there’s work involved in selling a home, even if your pad is impeccable and the market is a hot one. Make sure you do your due diligence and your research in the process, and team up with a realtor who is well-versed in the market in your area. Last but not least, remain humble, and don’t just assume your home will sell itself.

Small houses offer the promise of a simpler life with less material possessions, less maintenance, and a lower mortgage. Despite the benefits there are some tradeoffs that warrant consideration. Before taking the plunge, it’s definitely worth thinking about the pros and cons of going small in the world of real estate.

Here are some big questions you should ask yourself when it comes to buying a tiny house.

How Often Do You Entertain Guests?

Having one or two friends over at a time is one thing, but hosting a large dinner party with 10+ guests might not exactly be comfortable – or even possible – if your living quarters are short on square footage. Unless you plan on entertaining guests in the backyard, having more than a handful of people over at once won’t be practical. If you like things small and quiet, great. Although if you’re the type to throw big bashes, you might want to consider going a little bigger in the housing department.

If You Have Pets, How Well Can You Coexist?

If you’ve got any pets, or plan on getting one in the near future, consider the fact that they’ll have to put up with minimal indoor space. A small house is fine for a cat who only makes use of a litter box, sofa, and kitchen. A larger, more active dog, on the other hand, might find it tougher to coexist and be happy in a small space.

Are You an Avid Collector of Things?

Living in a small house means keeping a lid on the amount of belongings you’re able to accumulate. If you have a large collection of items, you might have to scale down if you’re considering moving into a tiny home. In addition, if there are any sentimental items like passed down family furniture, the likelihood of all your belongings fitting decreases.

For instance, if there’s an oversized hutch that’s been in your family for generations that you simply cannot part with, will it fit neatly in your home? Or will it not even fit through the doorway?

Are You Prepared to Spend More Time Outside?

Living small usually means spending a lot more time outside. One of the things about small homes is that a lot more living tends to take place outdoors. If home is just a place for you to lay your head between work and life, a lot of space probably isn’t necessary. And if you’re a big outdoorsy kind of person, a tiny space may be all that you need. However, if you’re home-body and home is where most of your time is spent doing the things you love, you’ll probably need more space.

What Are Your Hobbies?

Certain hobbies obviously take up a lot more space than others. In a small house, that might be space you can’t afford. If you love drawing, paining, knitting or cooking, a small house shouldn’t pose a problem. On the other hand, if you have an affinity for pottery, woodworking or shooting videos, a tiny house might be an issue. Consider if a small house would make your hobby more difficult to participate in, and decide if you’re OK with that in favor of less space (and most likely a smaller mortgage).

How Good Are You at Sharing Your Space?

Will you be living alone or sharing the space with someone? If you live with others (or plan to in the future), consider how well you’ll be able to share your space. If you grew up in a big family with minimal room indoors, you probably won’t have any issues. Horrible memories from bad dorm experiences? Then take a moment to reconsider.

There’s a certain charm and freedom associated with tiny homes. And of course, there’s always the much cheaper price tag (depending on the location). There’s a lot to think about and weigh before making this decision. Regardless of whether the home you buy is big or small, this type of purchase is an important one. Do some soul searching, and as always, discuss your options with an experienced real estate agent before you make the next move.

Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, the experience seems to be equally stressful. As difficult as packing and dealing with utility companies are, though, one of the biggest challenges is living for weeks while surrounded by boxes.

When you’re standing in the center of your house, surrounded by boxes, it can feel extremely overwhelming. By following these tips you can remove some of the pain from the experience and start enjoying your home more quickly.

Unpack the Essentials

Once the moving van is gone and you’re ready to tackle the task of unpacking, the first thing you’ll need to do is get your essentials unpacked. You’ll need somewhere to sleep, so set up your bed and unpack your bedding. Once you’ve ensured you’ll have a place to sleep that first night, think of what you’ll need for the next day or two. Bath towels and toiletries, kitchen basics like cups and plates, and crucial items like medications should be unpacked the first day.

Schedule Unpacking Time

You can approach unpacking more than one way, depending on your own personal preferences. If you’ve taken time off of work, you may want to work day and night to get everything in place so you can return to work, worry free, the following week. However, some people prefer to schedule time each day to work on unpacking things and getting them set up. This way you can enjoy your new home while also feeling like you’re making progress.

Host an Unpacking Party

You’d be surprised how alluring the promise of beer and pizza is to those in your social circle. Even if your friends are more the “cheese and wine” type, you can invite them over for a fun unpacking party. Before the party, set boxes up where you’ll want the items to be unpacked to make it as easy as possible to tell your friends where to put things. Avoid asking friends and family to move heavy furniture or lift heavy boxes. Instead turn over tasks like unpacking books onto bookshelves or lining your kitchen shelves.

Remove Boxes

The worst part of those early weeks in a new house is the boxes. To help reduce the clutter, break down each box as you empty it and move it to a designated location, such as a garage or attic. When you’re ready to recycle those boxes, you’ll be able to pull them all out as a group. As you empty each box and remove it, you’ll be better able to see how much unpacking remains. You’ll also be able to easily navigate throughout your house without tripping over boxes.

Moving into a new home can be extremely exciting. It’s important to find a way to enjoy the experience without letting stress take away from that. If that means setting your unpacking aside for a few days to enjoy a glass of lemonade on your new front porch, give yourself permission to do just that. There’s no “right way” to handle a move, just various methods that work better for some people than others.