The bathroom is the new den, man cave, or mom cave! More and more, people are going to the bathroom to relax and even luxuriate after a day in the rush-rush world. Homeowners are upgrading the rooms, outfitting them with everything from soaking tubs to heated floors. But peace and quiet aren’t the only motivating factors. An upgraded bathroom helps sell a home and is a great investment.

One trend that is becoming big when remodeling a bathroom, is the shower. In small bathrooms, homeowners are tearing out the tub to expand the shower. Not only is the stall getting larger, it’s getting more airy, with much more glass. They want to feel like they’re going into a spa. Homeowners want to feel like they are on vacation all year round.

Noisy jacuzzi’s are also being replaced by soaking tubs. These jet-less tubs are often deep, insulated tubs. Notably missing: the huge amount of decking that typically surrounded many tubs installed in nicer homes in the ’80s and ’90s. Top designers say the master bathrooms are more than just bathrooms, they’re becoming sanctuaries. People want master bathrooms to be brighter and more sun-filled than before.

That means adding windows and even skylights to a bathroom. Another big trend in the bathroom scene is steam. People are discovering how wonderful it is to come home at the end of the day and de-stress.

If you are sick and tired of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets you are definitely not alone! Many homeowners “live” with their cabinets for years and years because they simply don’t know how to change them without having then ripped out and starting fresh. Well, I want you to know that you don’t have to “live” with ugly, old looking cabinets any longer. You also don’t have to spend thousands of dollars having them ripped out and having new ones installed. All you have to do is buy some paint and supplies, and roll up your sleeves. Exerting a little time, energy, elbow grease, and about $50 is really all your need to transform your cabinets into the focal point of your space.

The first thing that you need to do is de-gloss the cabinets or no paint is going to get good adhesion. Don’t skip this step, it is vital to getting a good result! Once the prep work is done (the most important part) then it’s up to the look you want. A brush is always going to result in a brush stroke look while a roller will give you a more even finish. If you have a raised panel door you would need a brush to get into the nooks and crannies and then you could finish with a roller. A sprayer will give you the most even finish.

Take the handles off the doors and string them up through the handle hole. Then spray. This will give you the best look (just be careful the spray paint doesn’t run). Purchase some new hardware and once everything is dry, start screwing them in. If you don’t skip any steps and take your time, you will love the final results. Plus, you can brag to your friends that you did it yourself!

If you think that this isn’t the right time to remodel your house, experts say think again! Think about it, contractors are not busy so they are discounting jobs. The construction industry rebounded somewhat last year, however business is still slow. Remember when getting a contractor to call you back was a challenge?

Now the best pros in town will be happy to bid on your job — and they’ll probably offer you prices well below the norm. Another plus is that materials are down. Plywood is down 23% since its peak in the mid-2000s. Drywall is off 29%, framing lumber 35%.

Not all raw materials prices have fallen that much. Asphalt roofing, which is made from a petroleum byproduct, is down only 7% over the past two years. Insulation — which has been in high demand because of energy rebates and high fuel prices — is down a mere 2% since 2006. Still, on the whole, construction supplies are bargains right now.

Experts say as a whole, selling a home is still a challenge. And because moving remains far costlier than improving, remodeling is a good choice.

Experts say, if you can remodel your way into staying put long term, you can hold on to that once-in-a-lifetime rate. In a few years interest rates are predicted to be somewhere at six or seven percent. When it comes time to sell your place, chances are you’ll probably wind up having to do the sorely needed renovations you didn’t take care of earlier. Not only does that add a huge amount of stress to the process of putting your house on the market, but you still end up spending the money quite possibly when contractor, materials, and borrowing costs are higher. This is why experts say, this is the prefect time to remodel. Why not get the benefits of a new furnace or an updated bathroom for you and your family instead of buying them for the house’s next owners?

Every where we turn, it seems that the cost of living is going up, especially at the grocery store. So who wouldn’t want to save on your grocery bill by growing your own fruits and veggies at home?

If your yard has at least a 20-by-28-foot space that gets full or almost full sun, you can grow enough vegetables to have fresh food all season with surprisingly little effort! Go ahead and dig beds if you’re lucky enough to have naturally fertile, well-drained soil, but don’t let soil flaws stop you from starting a food garden. Instead, try bag gardening. This method is almost too easy to believe, but it absolutely works! Gardening in bags of topsoil lets you get a garden going today, and offers these additional benefits:

Bag Gardening Benefits:

• In the course of a season, the topsoil bags will smother the grass underneath them, so you won’t have to dig up and remove the grass sod.
• The bags eliminate aggravation from seedling-killing cutworms, which are caterpillars commonly found in soil where lawn grass has been growing.
• Bag gardens have few (if any) weeds, because bagged soils and planting mixes are pasteurized to kill weed seeds.
• You can eventually gather up the plastic bags and dig their contents into permanent beds, or just lay down a new batch of bags.

In addition to plenty of fresh veggies to put on the table and to store, you can also easily produce a year’s supply of several tasty herbs, which will attract droves of pollinators and other beneficial insects.

If you’re new to food gardening, your biggest challenge may be planting crops at the right times. A food garden should be planted in phases, so that every crop gets the type of weather it prefers.

In early spring you should prepare your site. You can dig beds in the traditional way, or you can plant most of this garden in bags. If you’re using bags, you will need about 25 40-pound bags to cover the five main beds.

The skies the limit, whatever vegetables you like you can plant. Onions, beets, lettuce, potatoes, peas, collards, the list goes on. Go to your nearest library and check out a simple gardening book that lists when it’s best to plant each fruit and vegetable. Waiting a few weeks until it’s the ideal planting time can be the difference between decent fruits and veggies and the best produce you’ve ever had!

With the economy still struggling, we all know the housing industry has taken a beating these past few years. Economists say the recession has curtailed many of the extravagances that buyers desired before things went south. Homebuyers want different things from their homes today. Rooms that serve multiple purposes and homes that can accommodate either “boomerang” children or aging parents are in.

Realtors say baby boomers in particular are starting to think about what their homes need to look like if they’re going to stay in them as the years advance. That means single-story homes, homes with grab bars in the bathroom, fewer stairs and perhaps even wheelchair ramps, walk in bathtubs, step in showers, etc. Realtors say, accessibility is a top priority with many of their clients.

Another top feature that never goes out of style is space. Not long ago, homebuilders were adding garage space to accommodate SUVs. Now some homebuilders are making more room in the garage for all the other items families put there, from tricycles to golf carts. A trend for the larger garages is to use part of it as a ‘man cave’ space where you can fit two cars, in addition to a sofa, TV, weights, etc.

Realtors say buyers want homes that are more flexible, more versatile. Rooms dedicated to one purpose are less popular now. With the economy the way it is, homebuyers are realizing that in a smaller home, rooms can serve multiple functions. There is no such thing as wasted space. Nooks that used to serve no purpose now include a desk, printer, room for a laptop and even some cubbyholes for mail and bills.

Homeowners are now adding “planning centers” to their homes, which are basically spaces adjacent to the kitchen that serve as the family command center. Basically, it’s a place where the kids can do their homework and be within earshot of the parents. They are great for family organization, paying bills, or just having a place to getaway!