Category: Home Improvement

Police warn shoppers of scam at home improvement stores

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

TEXARKANA, Texas –A recent scam investigated by police is one that predominately targets senior adults.

Texarkana Texas Police recently arrested a man who has allegedly operated a number of schemes at local stores. He has been charged with theft and exploitation of the elderly.

A man shopping at Lowe’s in Texarkana, Texas, earlier this month was approached by the suspect. The suspect allegedly struck up a conversation with the older customer and offered to sell him a lawn mower for $1,000, explaining that he was a driver for Home Depot and that someone who had ordered the mower had died and that he had been authorized to sell it .

The customer offered the suspect $500 for the equipment and drove himself and the man to a nearby Walmart to get cash from an ATM. The two then returned to Home Depot where the suspect took the money as the

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finding my garden inspiration – MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

I’m always looking for garden inspiration. Like most gardeners, I never sit back and say ‘This is finished’, the creation is fun!

You may remember at the end of last year, I had the visit of garden designer Philippe Dubreuil. I love his garden in the Perche, it is a true garden inspiration for me. He came to lunch and kindly took a moment to wander around my garden, analyzing what we had going on, and giving me suggestions for improvement.

“You have to be more BOLD”, he said several times. I nodded vaguely, trying to envisage how this would play out… When you already think you’re doing your maximum, it’s hard to see what needs to be done to be BOLD. But like a tiny seed dropped into a flower pot, his words germinated in my head, and when he generously sent me a plan for the garden design,

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Tackling a home remodel in an uncertain economy

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

Spring is kickoff season for many kitchen remodels, bathroom updates and deck repairs, but recent economic turmoil may have homeowners questioning their home improvement plans.

Spending on home renovations is expected to slow this year because of factors such as declining home sales and values, rising interest rates, continuing inflation and rumblings of a coming recession, says Abbe Will, senior research associate with Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

As economic growth slows down, planning and prioritizing will be key to remodeling confidently. Here are five tips to help you remodel in an uncertain economy.

Even when the economy is doing well, it’s ideal to have an emergency fund before starting a remodel, says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner based in San Luis Obispo, California.

“What you’re trying to avoid is starting with nothing saved, taking out debt to afford these things and not really providing yourself with

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Top 3 Home Improvement Stocks of Their Industry

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

The home improvement market is growing amid increasing demand for customization, rapid urbanization, and the popularity of the DIY (Do it Yourself) concept. So, it could be wise to add quality home improvement stocks to Acuity Brands, Inc. (AYI), National Presto Industries, Inc. (NPK), and Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated (BSET) to one’s portfolio now.

Technology and innovation are transforming the home remodeling sector, providing homeowners with an extensive range of new tools and materials to assist them in building the houses of their dreams.

DIY house remodeling and renovations are expected to be in high demand due to the increased availability of DIY home improvement items and the growing popularity of simple add-ons. The global home improvement market is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 6.7% to reach $575.5 billion by the end of 2030.

In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act may encourage households to embark on remodeling projects

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Lowe’s annual cuts forecasts as home improvement demand falters

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

By Deborah Mary Sophia

(Reuters) -Lowe’s Cos Inc cut its annual sales and profit forecasts on Tuesday, joining larger rival Home Depot in highlighting wanting demand for home improvement tools with sticky inflation forcing consumers to cut back on discretionary spending.

Still, the shares reversed premarket losses and were up 2% in morning trading. Analysts said the results were not as bad as feared after Home Depot’s gloomy outlook last week.

A shift in spending to services, falling lumber prices and a damp start to the Spring season also squeezed sales against the backdrop of inflation-wary consumers pausing larger projects and scouting for cheaper options even for small-scale renovations.

Some customers were ditching preferred brands for more affordable labels while others were picking substitutes of lower quality or moving to cheaper countertops, said Bill Darcy, CEO of trade group the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

Lowe’s forecast cut was smaller

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Gen Sustainable Home Improvement Program Wins Top Honors at 2023 SEAL Award

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2023 / Gen

Gen, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Press release picture

Gen, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Press release picture

Gene Blog

By Amanda Davis | Sr. Manager, CR and Environment

Today, Gen™ received SEAL’s 2023 Environmental Initiatives Award for our Sustainable Home Improvement Program (SHIP). SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) is a top environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through its business sustainability and environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing environmental impact campaigns.

Our Sustainable Home Improvement Program (SHIP) is a benefit we began offering on Earth Day 2022 that provides our colleagues at Gen all over the world cash incentives for home improvement projects that help reduce environmental impacts.

SHIP was born out of the understanding that as our team members shifted to remote work, Gen’s environmental footprint was shifting too. We conceived the program to empower employees to bring home the culture of sustainability they’d helped

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Fewer Americans are making home improvements after covid

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement
Image for article titled The pandemic-era mania for home improvements is over

Image: Mike Blakes (Reuters)

America’s obsession with renovating homes is finally coming to an end.

the trend that took over during the pandemic-triggered lockdown is now fading away, thanks in part to volatile economic conditions. The shift has started to impact companies such as Home Depot, one of the largest retailers in the US, which reaped the benefits of the trend over the past few years.

Quartz Smart Investing: Anna Han

Americans’ love for improving homes helped Home Depot’s revenue climb to a record $160 billion for the quarter ended on Jan. 31, 2023—up from $70 billion for the same period in 2008-2009.

But things are shaping up differently now. For the first time since 2009, Home Depot’s executives suspect a drop in its annual sales as they did observed that people are spending less on renovations and power tools.

“We saw more pressure across the business

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How much it costs to buy a DIY or home improvement business like Drain Surgeon or Easylife Kitchens

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement
  • South Africans picked up DIY and home improvement in a big way during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Many companies that install blinds, garage doors, and kitchens are franchises you can buy and run.
  • Here’s how much it costs to buy a turnkey home improvement or DIY franchise in South Africa.
  • For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a lot more homeowners reaching for hammers and paintbrushesand eventually looking to professional companies, to help improve their immediate surroundings.

As the world outside our homes slowly rematerialized with lifting lockdowns, and the cost of living steadily increased, this surge has since subsided.

But the DIY and home improvement sector is resilient and has many successful franchises. And while starting a window or blind business from scratch would be a complex undertaking, tapping into an existing framework provided by a franchisor is a

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Why Choose to Sell Land Fast in North Carolina?

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

If you own a parcel of land in North Carolina and your priority is to move quickly, a strong option is to sell land fast by working with cash purchasers who specialize in buying properties outright rather than listing them through traditional real estate channels. In this article, I’ll walk through why many landowners in North Carolina choose this route, how the process typically works, what pitfalls to watch out for, and how you can approach it in a way that maximizes your result.

Deciding to sell land quickly is often driven by practical concerns. Here are common motivations:

  • Ongoing holding costs. Even vacant or undeveloped parcels incur property taxes, liability, insurance, and occasional maintenance. The longer you hold, the more those costs accumulate.
  • Liquidity needs. You may need capital for another investment, debt, relocation, or personal reasons. Converting land to cash fast gives you flexibility.
  • Unwanted or inherited property.
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The Prime Minister’s New Year’s message talks about improving the economy, health care, cost of living

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

Prime Ministers across the country are using their New Year’s messages to emphasize everything from housing and affordability to healthy lifestyles.

In his first New Year’s message as prime minister of BC, David Eby said he was honored to celebrate a successful 2022 “including a great economic recovery in our province as we emerge from the pandemic.” But he acknowledged challenges related to housing, health care and the cost of living.

He said 2023 would include measures to build a province where people can buy good homes, feel safe, and get access to family doctors.

Danielle Smith of Alberta, who is also marking her first New

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