Washing the Dishes Cheerfully

Cleaning and repairing your home are obvious ways to protect its appeal and function, but updating your home with eco-friendly additions ensures your investment is efficient and valuable. Unfortunately, you may not know where to begin with your updates. From upgrading to low flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water waste to installing solar shingles to reduce energy costs, the possibilities are truly endless. However, if you want to see an enormous reduction in your home's heating and cooling costs plus instant appeal and value, focus on your windows.

New windows can add new functionality, comfort, and aesthetic appeal to your home -- but like any other home improvement project, the more you know about what's going on, the better equipped you'll be to make smart decisions. Here are four things you should make sure you ask your window replacement and installation company before you give the green light to go ahead with the job. 1. "Do I Need to Perform Other Renovations as Well?

The Craftsman architectural style, which arose out of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century, features the use of natural materials such as stone, brick and wood. Craftsman-style homes are known for their low-pitched roofs, overhanging eaves and open floor plans. If you're working with an architect to design a custom Craftsman home, you'll have a lot of decisions to make, especially when it comes to windows and doors.