AAA House Manager Blog

Calling all weekend warriors! Believe it or not, you’re just a short stretch away from the height of summer, and we want to help you get your backyard bbq/campout/pool party ready. These seven projects are the definition of “one and done” — simple enough to complete in a single weekend.

Read on for our tips to transform your backyard and make space for summer.

In honor of Earth Day, we've put together some energy-saving tips that will not only reduce your environmental impact, but also make your home a more enjoyable, happy and healthy place to live. 

Here are 8 practical ways that you can reduce energy consumption in your home and help make the planet a little happier all year long.

Spring is the perfect time to clean things up and make a fresh start—but really, there’s no bad time to commit to creating a healthier home. The best habits to cultivate are the ones that allow you to enjoy your home to the fullest, year round. Regardless of when you start, here are some new home maintenance habits you can put into rotation to reach your goals.

Homeownership comes with an immense source of pride. It can also be the cause of considerable financial strain. To avoid unnecessarily pricey repairs, preventative maintenance is key. It can help you diagnose certain commonly overlooked problems before they bite you in the bank account. Here are eight issues that are often overlooked and easy to avoid.

Spring is right around the corner, and there’s no better time to spruce up your home. If revamping decor is on your list, but you aren’t sure where to start, here are six trends emerging in 2022 that we’re already in love with. 

What are your home goals for 2020? As you're sitting down to set your New Year's resolutions, will any for your home make the list? Whatever the project, we're here to help when you need us. Here are a few ideas (and a special free smart home tech offer):

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is more than a classic holiday movie — it’s a guide for how not to care for your home. 

So while we winced watching Clark Griswold face home disaster after disaster, we also couldn't resist turning his experience into a set of homeownership tips. (We're all about education here at House Manager, after all.)

Here are just a handful of practical lessons from the movie that all homeowners can use; we'd share them with Clark if we could!

Between Scandinavian-inspired minimalist design and hygge vibes, house plants becoming a staple of modern living, and open floor plans taking the lead, 2019 was a more subdued, earthy year for home décor and design. Lovers of everything lavish and extravagant will be pleased to hear that more decadent styles are on the horizon, largely thanks to a nostalgic re-imagining of 1920's classic looks. 

Year after year, the Alameda County Fall 2019 Home and Garden Show is a great source of inspiration for the home — and this year was no exception. The Pleasanton Fairgrounds was packed with breathtaking garden scapes, the latest and greatest hot tubs and endless pools, and stunning fall decor ideas. Here are a few of our favorite new finds: 

Last week, we gave you a breakdown of the home improvement projects that provide the biggest boost to home value. Now that we've hopefully got you thinking about ways to maximize your biggest investment's value, let's make sure you're also aware of the "improvements" to avoid — those that either don't have great ROI or even lower your home value. (Surprising, we know. But they're real and, sadly, some homeowners do fall prey to them.)