Ready to buy your first home? Join the millions of others out there who are navigating the waters of real estate for the first time.

It’s exciting, yet it’s completely intimidating at the same time, and for good reason. Your home is most likely the most expensive purchase you will ever make, so it’s not something you want to jump into without making sure you’re emotionally and financially ready.

Are you truly prepared for homeownership? Here are a few signs that’ll tell you that you’re primed to become a homeowner.

1. You’ve Got Your Overall Debt Load Under Control

It’s important to be realistic about your state of affairs when it comes to your money. If you have mounting debt from credit cards, auto loans, student loans, and other personal debt, you should probably straighten these out before you add more debt to the pile. Including another payment will just send you spiraling deeper into debt.

On the other hand, if your debt is under control, you’re probably able to comfortably handle monthly mortgage payments. You can easily find this out by calculating your debt-to-income ratio, which represents the percentage of your monthly income that is dedicated to paying off your debts. If a huge chunk of your income is dedicated to paying debt, you might find it difficult to meet additional monthly mortgage payments. Not only that, lenders might not approve you for a mortgage either. 

Generally speaking, a debt-to-income ratio of 36% or less is usually considered doable. Anything over this percentage means you’ll probably be biting off more than you can chew. The lower the number, the more likely you’ll be comfortable making your monthly mortgage payments in full and on time each month.

2. Your Credit is Decent

Not only does your debt-to-income ratio affect your ability to secure a mortgage, so does your credit score. Do you even know what yours is? If not, it’s time to find out. Luckily, you can quickly discover what your credit score is by requesting a report from any one of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It’s free to get this report once a year, so there’s no cost to you.

Lenders will look at your credit score to help determine how likely you’ll be able to meet your payments, versus default on them. The higher your score, the better. If your credit score is at least 620, you stand a much better chance at getting approved for a conventional mortgage. You may be able to secure an FHA-backed home loan with a score of at least 580. However, your ability to be approved for a home loan will depend on other factors well, including the following.

3. You’ve Saved Up For a Sizeable Down Payment

Not only will a decent-sized down payment help your lender look favorably on you, it will also impress the seller. A bigger down payment means you will owe less on the principal amount of your mortgage. It will also help increase the odds of getting approved for a home loan, and score a better rate.

Depending on the type of mortgage you are applying for, you might be able to get approved for a mortgage with a down payment of 5% of the purchase price of the home. However, if there are some questionable factors in your financial history, such as dings on your credit report, you could be asked to come up with more.

There are actually some home loan programs that allow as little as 3.5% or even zero percent down payment, but specific guidelines will need to be met in order to qualify. Just keep in mind that anything less than 20% on a conventional mortgage will mean you’ll be paying extra for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which basically protects the lender should you default on your loan. The more money you’re able to put towards your down payment, the less you’ll owe on your mortgage.

4. You’re Planning on Sticking Around

If your intentions are to settle down for a few years, then you’re probably emotionally ready to make the commitment. It’s important to keep in mind that the selling prices can be an expensive and lengthy one.

Selling your home in less than two years after buying it can potentially wipe out any real estate profits. You’ll also be slapped with tax implications from selling too quickly. The IRS allows as much as $500,000 in profits from the sale of a property to be exempted from capital gains on tax returns that are filed jointly, or $250,000 for single-person filings. But you’ll need to show proof that the home was your primary residence for at least two of the last five years in order to make sure that money is exempt.

If you’re not sure if you want to stick around for long, you may want to rent first. If, on the other hand, you have intentions of sticking around for the long haul, that’s a good sign that you’re ready for homeownership.

5. You Want to Start Building Equity

Think of your home as investment. In actuality, it is. You’re not only buying a home to live in, you’re also building wealth over time. Every payment you make towards paying down your principal every month and appreciation in value over time both contribute to growing your home equity. In fact, one of the biggest benefits of homeownership is the equity that you can build as time goes on.

Having a lot of built-up equity in your home can give you a lot of options. It’s somewhat like a forced savings account that just gets bigger over time. You can eventually use the equity to fund some of life’s major expenses, such as a college education, major home renovations, or even a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. Borrowing against the equity in your home affords you with a financial safety net. If you’ve got your eye on building equity, then homeownership is likely for you.

6. You Have a Reserve Fund Stashed Away

When it comes to owning a home, it’s not just your mortgage payments that you need to worry about. Along with homeownership comes all sorts of other expenses, many of which can pop up unexpectedly. It’s important to ensure that you’ve got a reserve fund on the side, preferably at least 6 months’ worth to cover the cost of your mortgage, utilities, insurance payments, credit cards, and other debt obligations. If you’ve got this money built up, you’re in a much better position to buy a home.

The Bottom Line

It’s much better to take the time to determine if you’re ready to buy a house before you seal the deal. Even though it might be frustrating to hold off on the big purchase as you answer these questions, you’ll be in a much better position to buy knowing that you’re fully ready to take the plunge.

If you’ve got a teeny tiny front yard, you may have already discovered that landscaping can be pretty challenging. Having limited square footage doesn’t mean you should completely ignore this small piece of land – curb appeal is extremely important to the appeal and value of a home, so investing a little time and effort into landscaping the front yard is very important, regardless of its size.

Here are a few creative landscaping ideas for petite front yards to help you come up with a charming landscaping solution for your home.

Plant an Abundance of Flower Patches

There’s always room for flowers, even in the smallest of spaces. Plant a generous row of roses, hydrangea or other flowers of your choice along the street side of your front yard. Not only will it look lovely to those strolling along the sidewalk in front of your home, but it will also provide your property with a certain degree of privacy. Throw in a mini white picket fence to give the flowers something to hang over for added decor.

Take the Patio to the Front

An easy and low-maintenance solution for a diminutive yard is to pave the space with large flagstone and gravel to create a patio area that will require no watering or grass-cutting. Add a couple of chairs and small table and you’ll have the perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a friend while watching the passersby. If you are absolutely missing the greens, you can always throw in a couple of potted plants on top of the flagstone.

Create a Flower-Lined Pathway

Consider adding a pathway leading up to the front door with interlocking stone, lined with low-growing plants and/or flower beds. This will help to emphasize your front door while creating a visually appealing space. Fill the areas on other side of the pathway with grass or river stone.

Plant Dwarf Trees

Small trees added to an equally small front yard can provide a welcoming addition. To really boost the sense of depth to the space, plant the trees on each side of layered stepping stones leading up to the front door of the home. You can scale the look up or down by varying the size of the trees you plant, according to the exact size of your front yard. 

Build a Stacked Stone Retaining Wall

A classic stone wall can help create a more formal and polished look to the front of your home, especially when paired with finely-manicured hedges and bushes. The majesty of the stone wall, there’s really little else needed to complete the look of your landscaping – the wall should suffice all on its own.

Place Planter Boxes Along the Street Side

This is a great idea if your front yard is literally a couple of feet away from the curb. In this case, add a row of planter boxes along the street side and fill them with tall grass and plants that can handle minimal maintenance.

Hang Flower Baskets

Flower baskets that are hung under your front porch add color without taking up valuable ground space in the yard. The great thing about these hanging baskets is that you can change them every year to create a different look each time.

Limited space in the front yard doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice on curb appeal. Follow some of these ideas to create the perfect little oasis in your front yard that’s welcoming and adds extra value to your property.

Small spaces certainly pose a set of design challenges, but there are plenty of savvy decor tactics that can be employed to make a room seem larger than it actually is, while keeping it stylish at the same time.

Here are some creative ways to decorate your home to make it appear bigger if it’s short on square footage.

Declutter

Too many knick-knacks in a tight space will make it feel even tighter. Get rid of anything that you haven’t used in over 6 months. You might have an affinity for all your little figurine collections or like to have stacks of magazines available at your discretion, but too much “stuff” in a room will make it feel smaller.

Light Color Floors and Walls

Darker colors tend to be rich and sophisticated, but they don’t often work in large amounts in smaller spaces. Go for lighter colors on your walls and floors so that light is reflected rather than absorbed, creating a sense of more space.

Keep the Flooring Consistent

If your living and dining area are linked, make sure to keep the same flooring throughout. Breaking it up with hardwood in the living room and ceramic tiles in the kitchen will just cut the space in half, which does nothing for visually expanding the space.

Ceiling Height Shelving

Adding a wall bookcase or floating shelves that extend all the way up to the ceiling can help create the illusion of more space. This helps generate a focal point that draws the eyes upward and visually expands the area by pushing the ceiling and walls out.

Multi-Functional Furniture

A small room obviously doesn’t have the luxury of housing a variety of furniture. As such, try to find pieces that serve double-duty. For instance, an ottoman that also acts as a coffee table can serve more than one purpose without having to outfit your room with two separate pieces that will take up extra space.

Scale Down Your Furniture

Furniture that’s sleeker and less bulky will make the room look larger.  Instead of a puffy sofa with a skirt, for instance, a thinner sofa with exposed legs that offers the same amount of seating is perfect for a smaller room.

Lots of Mirrors

Mirrors obviously have reflective properties, which can be harnessed to reflect light all around a room and make it seem bigger. Hang your mirrors across from windows or lights so that they can more effectively allow the light to bounce off them and illuminate the surrounding space.

‘Float’ Your Furniture

If the space permits, try pulling your furniture away from the walls a few inches. Lining up your sofas and chairs against the walls will only make the room seem tight.

Natural Lighting

The less obstructed your windows are, the more natural light will be allowed in. If you want some privacy, you can always hang blinds that can be drawn up when not required. These offer more versatility compared to curtains, which tend to make the room feel cramped.

Color With Consistency

Creating harmony in a space can be done by using two different shades of the same color. For instance, a leather sofa can be effectively paired with off-white throw pillows to create coherence and make a room feel much more open and airy.

No matter how amazing and comfortable the rest of your home may be, there’s something about the kitchen that has everyone congregating to it. No doubt, your kitchen is the hardest working space your home, and should be designed to help make it as efficient as possible. And considering how much of an effect the kitchen has on the overall value of your property, you’d be well advised to make sure its design and style are carefully considered.

After flipping through countless home interior magazines and navigating through Houzz and Pinterest, you’ve probably got a solid idea of what you want your new kitchen to look like. But before you start the process, you’ve got to have a detailed plan in place, which includes things that need to be done, as well as things that you absolutely must avoid.

Here are a few kitchen design mistakes to steer clear of.

1. Not Planning For Adequate Storage Space

Unless you plan on leaving all your pots, pans, dishes and glassware on the counter (which you shouldn’t), you’re going to need to seriously think about adding enough storage to keep all of your kitchen belongings out of sight. And don’t forget about your dry foods and knickknacks that will also need to have a home. Whether your storage takes the form of extras drawers, pantries, or cabinets, you need to be certain that it is adequate enough to tuck everything neatly without having to cram everything into a tight space.

2. Not Including Enough Counter Space

The amount of space that you’ve got on your countertops is equally as important as your storage space. After all, it’s where you’ll be prepping your meals and housing small appliances like your blender, toaster, and coffee machine. And don’ forget about any decorative elements that you may want to have out on your counter to boost the style factor of the room. Without adequate space on your countertops, you’ll find your kitchen will become cluttered really quickly and easily.

3. Skimping on Lighting

If you want to clearly see what you’re doing as you’re preparing dinner, you’re going to need excellent lighting in the kitchen. But many homeowners skimp on lighting in this space for some reason, and often leave it to one solitary central light fixture to provide the lighting needed. Instead, the lighting in your kitchen should be varied, and include both task lighting and fixtures meant specifically for creating ambience.

Consider illuminating the overall space with pot lights, and install pendant lights over your kitchen island. You may also want to install undercabinet lighting to illuminate your counter as you handle food, and hang a chandelier over the dinner table. Layering your lighting in this fashion can provide with both the right amount of lighting needed to whip up your famous dish, while giving you the flexibility to create a specific atmosphere in the space.

4. Lacking Proper Ventilation

All those fumes from your boiled eggs or grilled salmon have to go somewhere, or else you’ll be left with unpleasant smells that will linger for hours. Not only that, but if you have a gas stove, these fumes can go from unpleasant to downright dangerous. That’s where proper ventilation comes into play, which is a critical component to consider in the planning stages of a kitchen design. Not only will an adequate ventilation system help keep the air in your kitchen fresh, it’ll also help to lengthen the lifespan of your appliances. 

5. Forgetting About the ‘Kitchen Triangle’

It would be pretty awkward and annoying to have to dodge obstacles to bring food items from your fridge to your stovetop. That’s why the kitchen triangle should always be kept in check during a kitchen design. This layout basically links the three most used areas of the kitchen: the stove, fridge, and sink.

Out of all these components, the sink, in particular, is most often used, and should have direct access to both the fridge and stove. Tight walkways, cabinet doors that swing open the wrong way, and improperly situated islands can mess this system up big time. Straying from the kitchen triangle too much can make the room must less efficient.

6. Misjudging the Island

Having an island in the kitchen can offer you additional counter space and an added spot to eat and hang out. But your kitchen’s size and layout will dictate the size and location of an island, as well as whether or not one can even effectively exist. The kitchen is a working space, so anything that gets in the way of functional flow will just cause problems.

If the island is too big, or is not located in an ideal spot, you’ll cut off proper flow in and around the space. Ideally, there should be between 42 and 48 inches of open area surrounding kitchen islands. For it to be of any use, the island should be at least three by five feet in dimension, and your kitchen should be a minimum of 13 feet wide.

7. Going Too Trendy

Unless you’re planning on revamping your kitchen every few years, you’d be better off sticking to a design that’s not overly trendy. While you still want to be modern and innovative, you also don’t want to be so quirky that the appeal of your kitchen will wear off you in the near future.

Rose Quartz and Serenity might be Pantone’s choice of colors of the year, but how long these pastel hues stay on trend in the next few years is up for debate. No one says you can’t be bold in your color choices, but just be sure to use them in non-permanent ways, such as with your towels or decorative accessories.

And when it comes to kitchen design, carefully consider the styles you choose for your trim, cabinet materials, finishes, countertops, and flooring. You might think you’re certain that the latest out-there trends will tickle your fancy for the long-term, but you never know when your tastes will change, or if you ever plan on selling your home in the near future to buyers that may not necessarily have the same tastes.

8. Forgetting About the Trash

Your kitchen design can be sleek and impressive, but the look of this space can easily be thrown off with the presence of a trash can. Nothing is more off-putting than the sight of garbage, so be sure that you consider a spot where you garbage bin can be tucked away in a spot that’s easy to access.

Not only is the spot for a trash can up for consideration, so is a bin for your recyclables. One modern way that interior designers and homeowners are tackling this issue is by installing a dual cabinet pull-out that features one bin for the trash, and another for the recyclables. This offers easier access, rather than having to reach under the cabinet and hoping that your toss made the bin. 

9. Not Including Enough Electrical Outlets

Think about all the little appliances that you’ll be using in the kitchen at various stations. From your toaster, to the cake mixer, to the blender, all these items need an outlet to be plugged into. And what about your smartphone and tablet? Odds are the kitchen counter will be the place to recharge these gadgets. For that reason, make sure you’ve installed enough outlets to accommodate all the things that will need to be plugged in.

Spending the time considering all these factors in the planning stages can help save you plenty of hassles after the fact. Make sure you’ve considered all the components that go into making a kitchen great, and avoid all these mistakes that can wreak havoc on your kitchen design.

The average American household now has 2.5 TV sets, even when the number of people in that home is only two. Not only is there a TV set in the main living area, but many families have TVs in children’s bedrooms and even kitchens and bathrooms. Television sets can now be mounted on walls, keeping them off furniture, but that leaves households with a new dilemma: how to keep power cables from showing.

Fortunately, there are several options for concealing your cables from view. They each come with their own challenges, with some less expensive than others. Here are three of the most popular options, from most expensive to least.

Move the Power Box

If your cable TV hasn’t yet been installed, the installer should be able to place the cable outlet in the area where you’ll be mounting the TV. If a cable outlet is already in place, consider contacting the cable company to handle it for you. For the power outlet, you’ll likely need to hire an electrician to move the power outlet to its new location, unless you’re comfortable taking on the project yourself. Option 1 is the most expensive option if you choose to bring in a professional to help.

For do-it-yourselfers, read the steps carefully before beginning your power outlet move to avoid injury. You’ll need to turn off the circuit breaker to that outlet before you begin working and decide where you want the outlet to be located before starting your work. You can also move the cable outlet yourself or run a new one if a line isn’t already in place in that room.

Hide Inside the Wall

Instead of moving your outlets, you could run the cables through the wall. This involves cutting a hole in the drywall behind the TV and feeding the cables through, then dropping them toward the floor. If you’re installing the TV on an interior wall without insulation, you’ll be able to easily drop it. Your drop can also be made easier by using fish tape, as demonstrated here.

You’ll need to cut a hole closer to the floor to run the cable through to get power. Unless you’re sure you can make this setup attractive, you may want to have a plan in place to cover up the outlet, such as placing a cabinet or entertainment center below.

Use a Cord Keeper

One of the easiest ways to conceal your cords is to use a cord keeper. Available for less than $20, cord keepers are designed to blend with your wall. While the keeper itself protrudes from the wall, it is far less unsightly than dark cords running from your TV to the power outlet.

If you plan to use a cord keeper, consider hanging your TV on a corner. The protrusion looks less obvious when it runs along a corner, since that area of the room is already recessed anyway. Cord keepers are generally white, so plan to paint them to match the color of your walls.

If you’re one of the many households that choose to hang your TVs, cord management is a must. With a little planning and a do-it-yourself attitude, you can hide your cords without spending a fortune.