You just bought your first home...now what?

Buying your first home is undoubtedly one of the most exciting events in one’s life. But sometimes, it can seem overwhelming. A local homebuilder, Allen Shulman, with over 25 years experience, decided to help “rookie homeowners” by putting together “The New Homeowner Guide “, a book that explains the basics of home care.

In a recent Denver Post article, Shulman explains some of the important tips in home maintenance and how to settle comfortably into that brand, new property:

If you spend now, you’ll save later: By spending a few dollars on a tube of bathroom caulk and replacing that around the walls of your bathtub, you can help to prevent water damage and avoided an ugly bill upwards of $10,000. Shulman teaches how small, immediate maintenance can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Just because it “works,” doesn’t mean it works: Even though your dryer may turn on and appear to operate normally, clogged dryer ducts cause your appliance to use up more energy and boost your energy bill. But most people never inspect these ducts and thus, never know about the problem! By regularly maintaining the dryer ducts and connections, you can avoid a hefty energy bill.

Things you don’t see CAN hurt you: Some seemingly invisible things-like mold, radon, and termites-can cause major problems for both you and your house, if you don’t know that they are there. Radon is an odorless and tasteless gas that can cause serious health issues, like lung cancer. And termites, although small bugs, can cause extensive damage to the structure of your house. But you’ll never know if any of these invisible dangers are there unless you get your home tested. A simple test can save you big bucks!

Check out Shulman’s company, BrightNest, for other expert tips and relevant reminders to help make your new home the best it can be!

HGTV Host Gives Advice for High Style on a Low Budget

Sabrina Soto hosts HGTV’s “The High Low Project,” a show where she helps people find affordable solutions to add cool, unique design elements to their homes. A recent article in the Denver Post highlighted some of Soto’s secrets and advice on finding bargain items and creating stylish settings.

• Bargain shop. Soto's favorite haunts are thrift stores, but she also frequents online auctions, Craigslist, etsy.com, Overstock.com, Target, and HomeGoods.
• Look for new uses for common items. Next time you see an old birdcage, imagine, ooh, a cool chandelier. Likewise, when you find an ugly glass table at a thrift store, buy it for the glass, which is often worth more. Put the glass on a new, fun base. Look twice at ugly lamps. Many can be transformed with a new shade. Buy bad art if it has a cool frame.
• Read the reviews. Because pictures can be deceiving, when buying a product online, read all the customer comments. "When I've made a mistake, or been disappointed in an online purchase, I often find the warning was in a review," she said. "Right there, it will say, color not as it appears! Now I religiously read them."
• Search for design features, not names. When searching for low-cost alternatives to high-end-looks, don't search for the item by store name. For instance, don't search Restoration Hardware Tufted Headboard. Search for tufted headboards with bronze nail heads. "You may find one that has the same character, only it's covered in microfiber not Belgian linen, and it costs a lot less. Also try searching by manufacturer, not store, and see if the item shows up elsewhere for less,” says Soto.
• Only make what you can't find or afford. "I'm very time-sensitive," says Soto, whose first choice is to find ready-to-go deals locally. When she can't, she shops online. If she still can't find what she wants, then she gets crafty.
• Worst corners to cut: Spend real money on upholstered items that look and feel good, said Soto, who doesn't like to buy upholstered items used, unless they were very gently used. She has bought bargain furniture off of film sets where they were used for a shoot.
• Best corners to cut: Wood furniture. "The most awful looking pieces can be sanded down and painted." She talked a friend, who was expecting a baby, out of buying a vintage wood dresser for her nursery that cost over $1,000. "It's insane to spend that on nursery furniture." Instead, Soto told her friend to buy an unfinished dresser and paint it high-gloss teal like the dresser she wanted. The friend reluctantly took her advice. They added vintage knobs from Anthropologie, "which we spent a little money on," and it looked gorgeous — for $125.

Natural Bamboo Artwork at the Denver Botanic Gardens

The Denver Botanic Gardens is always a great weekend destination to escape to and surround yourself with natural beauty. This Garden’s signature exhibition for the summer is Kizuna: West Meets East, which highlights two prominent installation artists working in bamboo: Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. Using different working methods, both artists employed this versatile natural material to create large site-specific works for the Gardens.

Related to this exhibition, the Denver Botanic Gardens will unveil the newly expanded Japanese Garden, Shofu-en, with the additions of the new Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion and Tea Garden in June. These expanded areas will feature living displays that illustrate the diversity of bamboo species.

If you’re planning a visit to see the bamboo exhibition, here are a few things to keep in mind:
• Kizuna Exhibition Tours: Join docents on an interpretative walk to explore and appreciate the works of Kawana and Talasnik. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact tours@botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3539.
• Japanese Tea Ceremony for Families: Saturday, July 21, 2012 - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Come experience the centuries-old Japanese tradition of chanoyu - the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Discover the four principals that guide a ceremony, learn about the purposeful design of the Ella Mullen Weckbaugh Tea House and observe a real tea ceremony. Cost is Member Adult/Child $30 or Non-Member Adult/Child $35.
• Bonsai Workshop for Families: Saturday, August 4, 2012 - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Bonsai is an ancient Japanese art form where miniature trees are grown in containers. Come explore a variety of bonsai in the new Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion, discover the techniques used to form bonsai and start your own jade plant bonsai to take home. Cost is Member Adult/Child $30 and Non-Member Adult/Child $35.

Check out a new listing

2735 King Street: $319,000

Come see this immaculate Bungalow on a picture perfect block in the Highlands. Spacious Kitchen with 42’ inch maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances, hardwoods throughout, new windows, over sized lot, over sized 2 car garage, new carpet, new front-load washer/dryer, great light, easy flow floor-plan and a fabulous backyard! This home is an entertainer's dream and turnkey ready.