I was looking up at some cobwebs in the ceiling corners of my living room and they’re always a good reminder that it’s time for a deep clean. Many of us get motivated to do spring cleaning when the flowers start blooming, the days warm up and the sunlight lasts longer. In fact, one survey found that more than 70% of us do some form of spring cleaning every year. So, take our quiz to see how prepared you are for the job at hand. Good luck! Read more

Is your garage a mess? Has it become a ragtag catch-all for anything that doesn’t have a place? Don’t feel bad—this is a common scenario among homeowners. The problem with garages is they’re too often regarded as separate from rather than part of the house. When you shift to the latter perspective, you can start to appreciate your garage’s potential as a functional and even enjoyable area of your home. Read more

Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, more people are working from home than ever before, and some Bay Area companies have asked their employees to telecommute for months to come. At the same time, most of the region’s school districts are holding classes online. Suddenly, the must-have feature of every home is a well-organized home office or classroom. Creating a space that allows for complete concentration takes some planning, but it can be a key factor to success for both employees and students. Read more

When it comes to home remodeling, one area that often gets overlooked is the garage. Perhaps this is because many homeowners regard their garage as separate from the rest of their home or simply fail to see its potential as a functional space. The reality is that improvements to a garage can significantly impact the aesthetic, practical and financial value of the entire home. To learn more, we talked to four Diamond Certified Expert Contributors about garage remodeling and improvements. Read more

Back in 2011, Chris Bjorklund, the Savvy Consumer, wrote the original version of this article. Kitchens have changed since then, but the sentiment is timeless: for those of us who live in the Bay Area, there simply isn’t room for space wasters in the kitchen. With that, read on to learn how to replace those space wasters with space savers.

Out: Kitchen desks

In her original post, Chris mentioned that the only family member to ever use her kitchen desk was the dog. Even in 2011, laptops and cellular devices were making traditional desks obsolete. Read more