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Cleaning, Organizing, and Life Hacks

Home Ownership 101: How To Make Your Property Work For You

February 27, 2018

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Purchasing a home is a huge investment. Whether you finance your home for 15, 20, or 30 years, the thought of making payments and accruing interest for a long period of time can seem daunting. Luckily there are some creative options that can allow you to actually make money from your home and save money while you are living in it. Here’s how to make your property work for you. *This post contains affiliate links.

Property Investment

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Property investment can provide massive amount of income with very little effort on your part after the initial investment is made. While it may take a few years to build up enough equity in your home to borrow against it, eventually you may be able to use your home as collateral toward investment property such as a local rental you can manage, or investment in a vacation property or time share. Using your own property to get you started in real estate investment can be a gateway to financial freedom.

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In addition, if you have the space you can even rent out a portion of your own home. For example, my husband and I have considered converting the space above our garage into an apartment for rent which could provide long term income that might even be enough to cover our primary mortgage payment after the initial investment costs are paid off.

Garage Apartment

If you don’t have garage space, you could convert an attic or even build a “tiny house” on your property to rent out as well.

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Grow and sell at local Farmer’s Markets

Even if you don’t have a huge farm, you can more than likely find some place on your property to grow herbs, tomatoes or other easy growing vegetables that you can sell at local farmer’s markets seasonally. Not only will this provide you with a bit of extra money, it can also be an extremely rewarding hobby. You will also be helping to invest back into your community while engaging in sustainable farming practices at the same time.

Write Off A Portion Of Your Home On Your Taxes

Of course you don’t have to stop with growing and selling herbs and produce! You can also start a small business from home. For example you might try making soaps, selling vintage wares online, or you may even want to use a section of your home as a photography or music lessons studio. If you are a full time blogger or if you use any portion of your home as an office, workshop, or a place to store supplies you may be able to claim some of these expenses on your taxes, once again giving you an opportunity to make your property work for you.

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Sell Your Junk For Extra Cash

Of course you can always hold an annual or semi-annual yard sale to make some extra money from home. If you spend ample time cleaning and decluttering you are likely to find quite a bit of excess junk that can result in a rather lucrative sale. Don’t forget to advertise well in local newspapers, Facebook groups and Craigslist. There may be collectors who are searching for some of the very books, CDs, records, DVDs, and video games that you no longer want cluttering up your home. Often times flea market vendors will be looking for yard sales so that they may offer you a full buy out at the end of your sale.

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If you just hate all the work of putting together a rummage sale, you can always sell your items on consignment. There are many different vendors that will take old clothes (as long as they are clean and stain free) as well as household items and collectibles. Decluttering and reselling your unused junk is a great way to make some extra cash.

Make your home more ENERGY EFFICIENT

Making your home more energy efficient might not necessarily make you money from your property, but it will help you save money that can be invested back into other areas of the home. Switching to sustainable energy solutions can involve adopting different lights within the home, as well as purchasing a smart meter to monitor energy use within the home and control it wherever you are. Furthermore, renewable energy such as solar panels on the home (when possible) will provide you with year-round energy and save you money in the long run. The world is putting further emphasis on green energy, and so going along with the trend will not only help your finances but the environment, too.

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Another way to save energy is by updating your insulation throughout your home. This is something that a lot of people forget when considering how to improve efficiency, but it can have a massive difference, especially during the colder months of the year.

Rent Out Your Property For Special Events

If you are lucky enough to own a unique or historic property or farmland, you might want to consider renting a portion of your property for special events such as birthday parties, bridal showers and weddings. For example, if you happen to have a barn, you are likely to have many people who may be interested in having a wedding or reception there.

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Don’t forget the possibility of hosting seasonal activities such as corn mazes, hay rides or even selling pumpkins or flowers from your land. A friend of mine had no experience whatsoever farming pumpkins, and only a couple of acres to experiment with, but within a few years she and her husband had made huge profits from starting a pumpkin farm. Now their farm is well established and their property is allowing them to make a rather large sum of money each fall with very little expense.

Note: If you do decide to host events on your property, be sure to obtain legal advice and purchase appropriate business and liability insurance.

Country Living

For even larger profits, there may even be the possibility of renting your property out for TV and movie sets. While it might seem like a lot of intrusion, film crews will pay big, big money for the chance to film scenes in and around your house if you have a historic or picturesque property. Of course this may certainly disrupt your life for a while and there is definitely the potential for mess. However, the production company responsible for filming will – and absolutely should – provide compensation for any damages incurred.

Exploring Your Options

Finding out how to make your property work for you is something that can take a little bit of time, but it can really pay off in the long run. With a little bit of creativity and planning you can make your property work for you, allowing you to have more time and opportunities to enjoy all the things you truly love about your home. I have been using my home as a music lessons studio for years, and this year I am planning to expand my garden in order to hopefully grow enough herbs to sell at the local farmer’s market. I also dream of being able to use our home equity for real estate investing some day. Do you have any other ways you will be utilizing your property for income? I love hearing your ideas too!

Amber

Home Ownership 101: How To Make A New House Feel Like Home

November 24, 2025

Amber Lyon Ferguson

Creating A Safe And Comfortable Home

August 11, 2024

Amber Lyon Ferguson

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Home is more than just a roof over our heads and a place to keep our possessions. Home is truly where the heart is, and therefore should be a haven of safety, comfort, and place of joy throughout our lives. Whether you’ve recently moved into a new home or have lived in your current home for years, you can create a safe, welcoming, and personal environment that feels like home to you and your family for years to come. Besides focusing on home decor and furnishings, there are other important factors which can make home a haven. Here are some tips for creating a safe and comfortable home for you and your family. *This post contains affiliate links.

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Safety First

Creating a safe home environment is essential for the well-being of you and your family. While many safety improvements can be complex or costly, there are several simple and effective steps you can take to enhance the safety of your home. Here are some easy ways to make your house a safer place.

Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide DetectorsOne of the simplest and most important safety measures you can take is installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. These devices provide early warnings in case of fire or a carbon monoxide leak, giving you time to evacuate and call for help. Place smoke detectors on every floor, especially near bedrooms and kitchens, and carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas. Regularly test these detectors and replace the batteries at least once a year to ensure they remain operational.

Maintain Your Home’s Heating System

Proper maintenance of your home’s heating system is crucial for both safety and efficiency. Schedule regular inspections of your furnace, boiler, and chimney to ensure they are in good working order and free of hazards. You’ll want to make sure that your heating and cooling system works as it should with a yearly service. A chimney sweep should be conducted annually to remove soot and debris, reducing the risk of chimney fires and ensuring that your heating system operates safely.

Excellent Security Systems

A great security system can be the final defense, particularly if your home is trespassed into. The best home alarm systems can notify you of suspicious activity, such as a door being opened with force, as appropriate. Motion-sensitive floodlights can illuminate a front driveway or back garden, or any area of the grounds you would rather see lit up at night. A gate with an electronic lock can prevent people from entering your property through the front unless they are verified and authorized through the camera. With these efforts, you’ll feel much safer in your home.

While you may have trouble finding a security system that matches your home’s aesthetic, there are plenty on the market that are as low profile as possible. This means they are designed to seamlessly blend into whatever surrounding they are placed in. Look for systems that match the color of your walls, or the locations in which you are placing them for minimum visual impact. You may even wish to opt for a camouflaging solution like the ones that you can see here, which will allow you to use state-of-the-art security with very little aesthetic impact on the inside of your home at all.

Strong Property Borders

Strengthening your property borders is an important use of your time. In rural environments, sometimes property lines aren’t marked out as well as they should be. It’s not hard to see why, homeowners aren’t always interested in putting up artificial boundaries, even if they denote ownership, because they can spoil the view of rolling green pastures etc. Yet we recommend that if you hope to protect your property well, that you use fences, hedges or other border alternatives to help mark where your property is. This, with no trespass signs, can make your stance abundantly clear.

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Preparing Is Crucial

Taking things one step further, you also need prepare for unforeseen emergencies which may affect the structure of the home. This can be due to wear and tear inside the property or due to external factors such as weather conditions. In either case, being prepared for disasters will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle if those events do surface. Crucially, the knowledge of being ready to handle those problems can help you feel safer and more comfortable in your home.

Add A Sense Of Personality

Lately I have been sharing several inspirational interior designs posts featuring picture perfect rooms put together in style. However, it’s good to remember that our homes aren’t meant to be design show rooms. It is important to weave personal collections, vacation souvenirs and family history into our surroundings too.

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Gallery walls are all the rage and can give you a chance to play around with adding personality to your home.

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Think About Comfort

There’s no denying that appearances are crucial to the home’s overall vibe. Since decorating and collecting is my passion, it is easy to get carried away and want to focus on decor and the “fun stuff.” In reality, however, it’s far more important to think about comfort and function. This is especially when considering the bed, as a good night’s sleep will bring a whole host of benefits. Then again, it’s also important to make the right choices regarding sofas and chairs as well. Everyone wants a place where they can curl up with a good book or take a nap. Use lots of pillows and plush throw blankets for added comfort.

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Save Time For Family

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A few extra splurges can help save time and money, and reduce stress. If you let technology do a little work, you’ll have far more time to embrace the family. Cleaning can be very time consuming, but there are a few modern gadgets that can cut down on some of the work, especially when it comes to cooking.

Create Curb Appeal

Your feelings towards the home begin long before you step inside the door. The external attraction of the property is hugely influential on how you feel about your home. Having a sense of pride of ownership is very important. In my post Five Exterior Home Improvement Ideas I discuss some routine maintenance tasks and some easy ways to create curb appeal. Painting or simply cleaning the siding of your home is a great option. Plants and bushes add natural beauty that will increase property value. If lawn maintenance is a concern, consider extensive landscaping including hardscaping materials.

Utilize The Space In An Efficient Manner

No matter the size of the home, it’s the way in which you use it is far more crucial. Getting rid of clutter is the first step toward maximizing space and creating a calm and welcoming environment. Analyze your lifestyle and check whether or not you actually need many of the items you possess. If they are simply clogging up space, it’s time to declutter and purge.

Creating a comfortable home also means having a bit of order, organization and cleanliness. There are a variety of ways to make better use of the space within your home. Investing in stylish storage and using shelves for display can help tremendously as far as keeping clutter down.

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Installing hooks behind the doors and filling hidden spaces such as alcoves can really help keep things in order. On a similar note, DIY projects that convert unused rooms into offices or guest rooms or even builiding a book nook under the stairs are great ways to maximize space.

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Creating a safe and comfortable home can be easily achieved using the tips shared here today. Preparing for emergencies, taking care of exterior updates and investing in a few time saving gadgets will allow you to enjoy more time in your home with family and friends. Choosing comfortable furnishings and filling your home with personal treasures, photos, collectibles and decor will set your home apart and make it your haven. It seems like the list for home improvements and renovations can be forever long, but what is most important is being safe within our homes with the people we love, and having a sense of gratitude while we work to achieve our home goals. With that in mind, it’s Friday night. Time to relax and enjoy some family time! Have a great weekend friends!

Amber

Cleaning, Organizing, and Life Hacks

Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh Using All Natural Products

February 22, 2018

Amber Lyon Ferguson

Amber

I love making every day beautiful in our 1926 American Foursquare home! I truly enjoy sharing my creative ideas with others and I hope you will be inspired here. I am a music teacher and licensed KY Realtor with a passion for old homes, decorating, collecting antiques, gardening, traveling and holistic living. I enjoying designing cozy spaces with vintage style on a budget, and I love thrifting for unique objects to use in my cottage-style decor and garden. Look for my "Style Tips" in posts on decorating, home improvement, DIY and craft tutorials, gardening, holidays and entertaining. If you are searching for inspiration, just "Follow The Yellow Brick Home!"