Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

   How to Pursue Homesteading During Your Retirement   If you have ever dreamed of owning a homestead where you can live out your retirement enjoying hobbies, such as gardening, raising animals, or keeping bees, it's not too late to make your dream a reality. Purchasing a larger property with ample indoor and outdoor space allows you to live the life you want while giving you enough room to host your family whenever they want to visit.   Perhaps your current home is too small or lacks the land or special features required to embark on your homesteading journey, or you might be uncertain about how to find and purchase a property. This article from Clyde Miles Construction Co. can help guide you as you search for your future homestead.   Consider Your Needs Before starting your property search, it helps to know what you should look for in a new home. Dandelion Hill Homestead notes to consider your future goals  and determine how you will utilize your new space. Homes

  We all dream of a bright, airy space that’s large enough to hold all our cherished possessions. There’s a nearly irresistible appeal to those grand spaces we see online: They seem free of clutter and effortlessly beautiful. In reality, though, those spaces are hard to come by, and—if you’re like most of us—you struggle to fit everything you need in a space that feels too small too often. Balancing necessary storage and your vision for your home is no small feat, but it’s doable, especially when you use all the visual tricks and smart  storage solutions  you can find to make the job easier. That’s what  Embrace Your Space: Organizing Ideas and Stylish Upgrades for Every Room on Any Budget , a new book by long-time home expert and editor Katie Holdefehr with photography by  Genevieve Garruppo , is all about.  Embrace Your Space  highlights gorgeous, functional rooms of all sizes and styles that maximize storage and space without sacrificing aesthetic. Packed with visual inspiration and

Homebuyers struggling to make the home ownership math work might want to consider   house hacking,   an increasingly popular tactic in some areas. It’s basically a new take on an old concept: Buying a home with the intent to rent out rooms or features on your property to make some additional cash. Many folks house hack to help pay off their mortgage and other bills. House hacking can involve buying a home with family or friends, or buying a home with the plan to get tenants. You can purchase a triplex and live in one unit and rent the others out, or buy a single-family home with a separate living space that can be rented out for the long or short term. I have a friend who listed her pull-out couch on Airbnb, and I’ve seen folks renting out parking spots they don’t need. Many homeowners hack their way into nicer, larger homes in more desirable areas they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford. Just be sure to carefully think through what these arrangements entail. Being a landlord—

  1. Forgetting to landscape (even in the winter) Remove dead plants, and add pops of foliage to your yard. ( Realtor . com ) Outdoor spaces should have a pop of greenery, no matter the season. “Empty plant pots—or pots with dead plants—look barren and bad in a real estate photo,” says  Karen Parziale , interior designer and stager at  The Real Estate Staging Studio  in Hoboken, NJ. If the weather permits, you can  plant real flowers  and low-maintenance shrubs around your yard. During colder months, faux plants can be strategically placed for the listing photo shoot. “The seller can place faux greenery in the pots with soil,” says Parziale. “Amazon sells faux plants and flowers in large quantities, and they look very real.” Make sure to mow the lawn and trim back any overgrown plants or bushes, too. 2. Forgoing furniture This house could have benefitted from an outdoor table and a few chairs staged on the patio. ( Realtor . com ) Outdoor areas should be staged with furniture so buyers