Advice on how to navigate the fund and the serious of homeownership.

woman happy holding plants

Home gardens are growing! As home-based, outdoor events have become a staple in today's world, homeowners are extending their homes into the outdoors and and getting creative with their open-air spaces.

Here are a few ways to upscale your outdoor garden:

1. incorporate sustainability

Sustainability is becoming one of the biggest trends as we become more educated about the earth and the environment. One way experts say to incorporate sustainability in your garden is to use native plants and include a lot of diversity that "mimics" the nature of the area you live in. Using native plants helps attract pollinators, helpful insects, birds, and butterflies - all creating a healthy ecosystem. Since these plants are already adapted to the soil and…

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couch with tulips on the coffee table

5 things that will help your home sell

If your home stands out (in a good way), it attracts more buyers, gets more traffic, and that typically results in more interest, more offers and a higher end sale. It's important to make sure your home is truly ready for a home sale, to make the most of its market debut and get more buyers to fall in love with it. And while we generally don't recommend any major projects (exceptions abide - ask an arhome agent for the most profitable approach), the good news is there's a lot that you can control when it comes to making your home above-average. 

Here are some uncommon ways that actually make a big difference in your home sale.

#1. avoid "fake staging"

We don't mean to avoid staging in general -…

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holiday decorating tips photo with cozy white bed and blankets next to a frosted christmas tree

Festive season has arrived to Chicagoland! If you're looking to spruce up your little corner of the world, here are 5 tips for how to actually enjoy yourself and the decor, all in one.

#1. don't do it all at once.

We know - it's so tempting to make decorating a quick one-and-done marathon. But it's a lot of pressure to do it all in one day and honestly, it can get overwhelming. So take a breath and space it out. Remember it's a time to have fun -- give yourself a couple weeks and just see how much more enjoyable it is to see each space come to life one at a time!

#2. pick warm days for the outdoors.

If you're doing any outdoor decorating, don't always just plan to "get it done over the weekend." It could just end up being the coldest day…

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