It’s more than a nice feeling to have a lush lawn and showy flower beds — it’s a solid investment in your home. In fact, according to some estimates, landscaping accounts for about 18 percent of the value of your home. But it’s important to be savvy about watering so that your investment doesn’t go down the drain. How much should you water and how often? What methods will cause your landscape to thrive without costing a fortune?

Invest in an irrigation system.  Having a professionally designed and installed irrigation system beats dragging the hose and sprinkler around the yard. A professionally designed system will cover your lawn and beds uniformly. Set the control panel to water at the proper time of day for the correct length of time and at regular intervals throughout the week. You’ll waste far less water, save money and save yourself a lot of time.

How long to run the system. How much water do your plants need? Too much water can harm the plants, but water too lightly and you risk your plants and lawn having shallow roots that make them vulnerable to summer heat. Plant roots wick the water up when the first four to six inches of soil becomes saturated. Know your soil. Sandy or loose soils drain water away more quickly than clay-based soils.  Set each sector of your system to run long enough to hear a slight squish of wet soil when you step on it.

How often to run the system. Determining factors include the season of the year and in which part of the country you live. During the winter months in northern states with snow, no watering is needed. In southern states the root systems still need moisture in winter, so if you don’t get regular rain, water a few times a month. During the growing season of spring and into summer, especially when the heat cranks up, schedule your system to run just as the plants are starting to wilt but don’t allow the plants to go into distress. In southern climates, you will likely water more frequently, especially in the dog days of summer, but those states also are prone to having water restriction schedules, so be mindful of the rules to avoid a hefty fine.

Best time of day to water. Watering overnight can cause the lawn to stay wet too long and cause disease. Watering during the heat of the day means much of the water evaporates before it can do any good. The best time to water is around sunrise.

More tips and tricks.  Mow your grass high. Cutting too low weakens the root system and stresses the grass in summer heat. Be sure to periodically check your system by running shorter test cycles. Broken sprinkler heads can send water straight up or out into the street. Watch to make sure the spray patterns are providing even coverage with no gaps. Adjust heads or call your installer for help. Finally, layer your planting beds with three to four inches of quality mulch to preserve moisture and insulate root systems from winter cold and summer heat.

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. 

There’s something magical about the beauty and delicacy of butterflies. Wouldn’t it be fun to have them as frequent visitors around your home? Here’s how to invite them into your yard.

1. Learn your butterflies. Research local websites for butterfly field guides highlighting types native to your area. Pay close attention to the types of plants that will attract them. What they like to feed on and what they like to lay eggs on may differ so make sure your garden offers both.

2. Placing your butterfly garden. Choose colorful, nectar-rich flowers and plant them near a window for easy viewing. Pro tip: What attracts butterflies also attracts bees so you may want to avoid patios or other outdoor seating areas.

3. Water. Butterflies get much of their hydration from nectar, but they still need water. Keep your bushes hydrated, misting them so that water beads on the leaves. Small puddles of standing water also help butterflies find moisture.

4. Sun and shade. Steady sunshine is important for butterflies, but a good balance of sun and shade is ideal. In the early morning, butterflies will often find a sunny place to let the sun warm them. In the heat of a summer day, shade is needed from temperature extremes.

5. Wind protection. Situate your butterfly garden with enough shrubbery and a solid fence or wall next to it to supply a wind shield. Because they are so delicate, butterflies can be carried off in a stiff wind.

If your kitchen is on the small side, fear not. You, too, can have big style in a small space. With a focus on function, careful material choices, and a little creativity, your dream kitchen is possible — regardless of size. Check out our top five design solutions for tiny kitchens.

Stay focused. When space is limited, make meal preparation — the No. 1 job your kitchen — the focus of your redo. Look for tailor-made appliances, such as reduced-sized refrigerators and stoves, and single-basin sinks. No island? No problem. Consider a butcher block-topped cart that can be rolled out when needed and put away when not in use. Maximize storage by using drawers instead of cabinets.

Keep things clear and open. When counter space is at a minimum, it’s important to keep clutter at bay. Store what you can in drawers. Overhead cabinets may offer storage, but they also can make the room feel closed off. Consider replacing the cabinets with open shelves. Neatly stacked dishes can look surprisingly stylish. If that’s not an option, replace the cabinet doors with glass fronts. The glass works as a visual trick to keep things open and light. You can use this same trick with tables and chairs—the clear versions create the illusion of openness.

Pick great materials. You may discover you can afford options that might be cost prohibitive in a larger kitchen. Great granite? Yes, please. Beautiful hardwood floors or a top of the line faucet? Check. Don’t be afraid of going bold with splashes of color. Be sure to select materials that coordinate with each other. Because your space is smaller, any clashing will be obvious.

Brighten and lighten it up. By keeping your color palette light, adding great lighting, and using reflection to bounce light around the space, your small kitchen will feel more open. A tile backsplash is a great opportunity to add reflection, but mirrors and shiny appliances also work. Include a variety of light sources in your kitchen, from ambient to task lighting. Consider including pendants and other overhead lighting to replace standard builder-grade fluorescent lights. This change alone will make a huge difference. Add unexpected touches, such as under-cabinet lighting.

Go high, go low. Drawing attention to the height of the room will help your kitchen from feeling too closed in. If you have windows, consider hanging window treatments near the ceiling to draw the eye up. And don’t forget about the floors. A beautiful hardwood or cork is a great choice. If these are out of your budget, check your options in vinyl or laminate.

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. 

When contemplating resale, homeowners often wonder what renovations will give them more resale bang for the buck. Let’s take a look at what renovations pay off and some that don’t.

Focus on priorities. Although your house is an investment, first and foremost it is your home. Don’t view renovations solely with dollar signs in your eyes. Think in terms of how a renovation will improve your quality of life as you continue to live there. Take return on investment into consideration, but also think of the pleasure the renovation will bring.

What renovations bring the most value? Renovation rarely reap full pay back upon resale. A smart remodel will add value, but usually not equal to the expense of it. You might automatically think of a sleek new kitchen or bath as the things that bring the best value. Although worthwhile, there are some less expensive renovations that make good selling points for later resale.

For example, adding attic insulation. It might be out of sight, out of mind, but pays off in energy savings. So does replacing old, inefficient heating and air equipment. Toss in energy rebates and tax credits by various levels of government and you get a payback on some of your costs right away. Also, telling buyers that the HVAC system is practically new may relieve a fear of theirs. Adding an automated sprinkler system can save on watering bills through efficiency and also ensure a healthier, more appealing landscape. Improving street appeal is a big plus. A handsome new garage door and front door can also do wonders.

Room renovations. What pays off best? Think about what room remodeling project would bring you the most pleasure. Most often, the kitchen is the answer. A tremendous amount of family time and entertaining is spent in the kitchen and adjoining dining areas.

A good kitchen remodel, with updated counters, cabinets and appliances, pays off in quality of life and resale. Again, you probably won’t recoup all of your financial investment, but it will elevate the overall appeal of the home and perhaps be the deciding factor for buyers.

Bathrooms, particularly the master bath, is the next room renovation with the highest payoff. But another interior renovation to consider is the opening up living spaces in older homes that are more compartmentalized. If you watch home remodeling TV shows, you know that knocking out walls can greatly improve a home’s livability. Consult with a reputable contractor to make sure any walls you want to remove aren’t load bearing.

For warmer climates: Built-in pools. Pools provide lots of family fun, but not much resale return. The addition of a pool may narrow your market among buyers because of the extra maintenance and expense. Parents with very young children also may be skittish of pools for safety reasons.

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract.The article was revised from HOUSEOPEDIA’s original article.

Welcome to the future of the front door. The classic wood door with a knocker will probably always exist, but check out what high-tech gadgets are becoming more widely available:  touch screen locks, fingerprint scans, and doorbells that allow you to see and talk to visitors on your phone.

Keypad entry.  Perhaps the most low-tech of the new locks is a simple, programmable keypad with digits that light up. The actual locking mechanism is a simple dead bolt. Once programmed, punch in the code and turn a knob to open. Without the code, the outside knob just spins.

Key fobs. Businesses and parking entry gates have used key fobs for years. Now they have arrived at your front door. What a convenience when you’re coming home with an armload of groceries.

Touch-screen locks. If punching actual buttons already seems quaint, how about a touch-screen lock just like you have on a smartphone? Samsung has a sleek model that allows multiple users and keeps track of who comes and goes and when.

Smartphone app locks. You’ve probably seen the commercials showing a wife quizzing her husband about whether he locked the front door before they left. He says yes, then pulls his phone out and remotely locks the door on the sly. This technology also allows you to schedule usage and creates an entry log. It also will send a text message to homeowners whenever the lock is accessed.

Fingerprint readers. For extra secure technology, fingerprint-reading locks can be programmed to accept only pre-screened fingerprints. The Kwikset company sells this lock, which has a handsome traditional look.

Who’s there?  New doorbell technology allows you to see visitors who ring the bell and and talk to them on your smartphone.

Old school backup. If you are concerned about a technology or battery failure leaving you locked out, don’t worry. Each lock type has a manual key for emergencies.

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract.