Two-story beige house with brown roof, large front lawn, and a real estate sign.
Oprah Is Selling a (Surprisingly Affordable) Chicago House
Oprah Winfrey’s estimated net worth is $3 billion, but one of the properties in her real estate portfolio is surprisingly modest. The media mogul is currently selling a house in Chicago’s nearby Elmwood Park suburb—for under $400,000. The 2,250 square foot brick colonial has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached garage. Originally built in 1941, Oprah purchased the property in 2001 for $298,000, but has never lived in it.
Feb 4, 2019
Jared Leto Sells His Hollywood Hills Home for $2 Million
When it comes to real estate, Jared Leto is no Joker. The Suicide Squad star just sold his home in the Hollywood Hills for $2.05 million, $50,000 over the asking price. The 4,021 square foot four bedroom, three and a half bath home was built in 1955. Leto purchased the property in March 2006 for $1.65 million. The floor plan shows that there is a master bedroom and two connected guest bedrooms on the first floor, along with the kitchen, dining room, and living room with a fireplace.
Feb 4, 2019
This Rare NYC Rooftop Cottage Is For Sale
A tiny cottage to escape to might be on your wish list, but this one is a bit out of the ordinary. The cedar shingled dwelling is actually on a rooftop in the East Village, and it can be yours—if you have the funds to buy the penthouse below for $3.5 million. Curbed NY was the first to report the story, and while rooftop cottages are a rare New York feature, this isn’t the first one we’ve seen.
Feb 4, 2019
A Michael Graves Modernist Property Is Listed For Just $265K
Michael Graves’ first ever commission is on the market. The Modernist property in Fort Wayne, Indiana is listed for the (affordable for its pedigree) price of $264,888. Designed for his friends Jay and Lois Hanselmann, the Hanselmann House was completed in 1971, and not much has changed since then.
Feb 4, 2019
Jon Hamm’s New York Apartment Comes With Jon Hamm As Your Landlord
The New York apartment of actor Jon Hamm is now available to rent. After recently purchasing a home in California, the Mad Men star decided to rent out the two bedroom, 1,000 square foot penthouse—for $14,995 a month. Recently renovated, it still has plenty of pre-war charm and, most importantly, offers you a connection to Jon Hamm.
Feb 4, 2019
This Mostly Untouched Frank Lloyd Wright “Mushroom” House Is For Sale
The legendary Frank Lloyd Wright designed some unique properties in his day, but we’ve never seen one quite like this. Needless to say, the starchitect proved he was a fun guy with this mushroom-esque structure, now for sale for $1.5 million. The Sol Friedman House is part of Wright’s Usonia community in Pleasantville, New York—just 50 minutes north of Manhattan.
Feb 4, 2019
Tour Nick’s North Pole Toy-Lover’s Paradise
Name: Santa and Mrs. Claus Location: North Pole Size: 2,500 square feet, with multiple 150-square=foot cottages on 25 acres Years lived in: 195 years, owned Move over, Martha. When it comes to decorating inspiration for the holidays, there’s only one influencer who truly makes their mark on every home, and his name is Santa Claus. Santa, a toy company entrepreneur and delivery man, works one day a year. The rest of the time, you’ll find him — along with his wife, Mrs.
Feb 4, 2019
Cindy Crawford Sells Her Malibu Mansion for $45 Million
Our latest peek into the fascinating real estate ventures of celebrities is the recent sale of model-entrepreneur couple Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s beachfront Malibu house. The new owner dropped $45 million on the pair’s former digs in a transaction that was finalized last month. Crawford and Gerber originally listed the 3.
Feb 4, 2019
You Can Build Your Own Life-Size Cat Using These Blocks
There is an interesting belief that people are either dog people or cat people. But any general animal lover knows the more the merrier! Why limit yourself to just one species when you can appreciate them all? However, some people do tend to stay away from cats for a somewhat valid reason, though I personally ignore it. Cats can really aggravate allergies. You’ll meet people who cannot even go in the same room as a cat for 30 seconds without practically bursting.
Feb 3, 2019
These Brands are Making It Super Easy to Set Up Your Home
Psst…you can order ‘em all from the comfort of your couch.
Feb 3, 2019
The Smart Reason Some People Are Putting Zip Ties on Broom Handles
We have a storage trick for your brooms, mops, dusters, and other handheld housekeeping tools.
Feb 3, 2019
This Super-Common Real Estate Tip is Actually Terrible Advice
We’ve all heard it. If you’re looking to buy, you should always go for the worst house in the best neighborhood. But have many of us ever stopped to question that conventional wisdom? I thought I was bucking convention when I bought one of the lowest priced houses in a neighborhood that many locals steer clear of (and to my eternal frustration that Uber drivers tell my Airbnb guests they should avoid) — but is it true?
Feb 3, 2019
You Can Get Rid Of That Pesky Wet Dog Smell With This Drying Dog Coat
Is there anything that smells worse than a wet dog? Probably, but it is not a smell that you want to linger in your house. After a bath, every dog has a moment of intense “zoomies” where they sprint around the house and get their wet dog smell on just about everything. As much as we love to watch our dogs run around and act a little crazy, there is a way to avoid this smell getting on your couch, bed, and carpet. Now, your dog obviously can get wet from more than just a bath.
Feb 3, 2019
This 150-Square-Foot Tiny House Is a Catskills Country Escape
Name: Chris Schapdick and my daughter Location: Livingston Manor, New York (The Catskills) Size: 150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned My tiny house was created from a strong desire to get away from the bustle of New York City and to have a place for my daughter and I to escape to on the weekends. We spend as much time as possible at the house year round.
Feb 3, 2019
A Small Charleston Cottage Is Cute, Cozy and Calm
Name: Gillian Beach Location: Charleston, South Carolina Size: 975 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned I bought my house three years ago. I was just about to give up on my search when this house that I had seen the previous year became available again. It was under contract but that fell through and I was at the right place at the right time. The number one reason for buying a home was to have my own garden. I have enjoyed slowly designing the garden how I envisioned.
Feb 2, 2019
The $35 Amazon Duvet That Makes My Bed the Best Spot in My Apartment
When I moved to New York City last year I approached the prospect of furnishing and decorating my first “real” apartment with excitement and, in typical Virgo fashion, a vision. My main goal was to create a cozy abode that would be my refuge from the insomnia and nonstop hustle happening outside.
Feb 2, 2019
5 Ways I’m Making Sure I Don’t See Another $700 Heating Bill This Year
When I moved into a sprawling old Victorian in Louisville, Kentucky three years ago, my neighbors terrified me with their tales of four-digit utility bills. I’d swapped an under-900-square-foot bungalow for the three-story, 1890 behemoth, and was so scared of the bill the first year, I chose to freeze rather than turn up the thermostat.
Feb 2, 2019
5 Amazing Bohemian Makeovers For the Maximalist in You
These spaces now burst with life and good vibes.
Feb 2, 2019
7 Things Real Estate Agents Wish You Knew
Ask real estate agents and they’ll admit that they’re just as frustrated about some quirks in the home buying process as you are. Here, seven things that bother them the most: Usually it’s no one’s business but yours if you’re messy or tidy—but when your place is on the market, your cleanliness habits can affect how quickly your home sells: “It should go without saying, but I have to say it all the time: Tidy up!
Feb 2, 2019
5 Reasons I Love Buying and Selling Furniture on Facebook Marketplace
I have a confession to make. I used to be fully committed to and head-over-heels in love with Craigslist, and only Craigslist, when it came to buying secondhand furniture. The deals on there were just too good. That time I scored a Lucite console table for only $25? Gold. The scorched bamboo side table I snagged for free? Yes, please! Ok, I’d used LetGo a couple of times and was always curious about the other resale apps out there, but 99 percent of the time, Craigslist had the goods.
Feb 2, 2019
Get Your Galleons Ready – Harry Potter Fans Can Officially Visit Gringotts This Spring
Harry Potter fans, get ready to dip into your little sacks of money and pull out all of your Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons. You’re going to need some money for the newest addition to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. It is official, you can now visit Gringotts Wizarding Bank! Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opened “The Making of Harry Potter” back in 2012, as a way to preserve set pieces from the Harry Potter films for fans to experience for many years to come.
Feb 2, 2019
How to Clean an Iron, 6 Different (Easy!) Ways
If you've ever ruined a fancy blouse with an iron that sputters icky water, you're smart to be a little paranoid.
Feb 2, 2019
7 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Buying My Fixer-Upper
When my husband and I finally started looking for a home (after years of renting a barn loft that was short on insulation and long on character), our budget led us to two options: a newer home we would reluctantly call “nice,” or an older home in need of some major updating but one that we could definitely see becoming ours.
Feb 1, 2019
20 Questions You Should Ask Your Landlord Right Now
Even if you read your lease line-by-line (you deserve a juris doctorate!) when you signed, you’d probably like clarification on some policies and have some questions about your rental—whether you’ve resigned twice or just moved in. Have there ever been bed bugs? Ghosts? If my lease ends at the end of the month, what’s the absolute latest time I can move out? What’s my best option for pizza delivery?! Speaking of deliveries, where do my Amazon Prime packages go?
Feb 1, 2019
A Cozy 500-Square-Foot Brooklyn Home Is Inspired by Travel
By visiting flea markets wherever they travel, the couple finds unusual objects to create a warm, romantic, and textural style throughout their home.
Feb 1, 2019
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2019 Trends Are Emerging, and Comfy-Chic Is In
Even if it feels like winter will never end, 2019 is already barreling along, and several of the year’s trends are beginning to crystallize. We’re seeing people work new texture, line, and scale into their spaces in ways that emphasize comfort just as much as style. In short, comfy is in. These three mood boards show some of the themes of what’s trending, and they’re shoppable so you can get the look. charset="utf-8" src="https://d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.
Feb 1, 2019
5 Modern Tiny Houses You Can Buy on eBay, Starting at $20K
Looking to make a major lifestyle change? It’s as easy as clicking your mouse–thanks to the many prefab houses available on eBay. (Okay, maybe you’ll need to send a couple e-mails back and forth and send in some paperwork.) Here, five modern-looking tiny houses you can buy on eBay right now, which encourage a minimal lifestyle and are typically eco-friendly to boot. And just a quick caveat: know what’s included when you buy (and what’s not).
Jan 31, 2019
These Are The Best Cities for First-Time Homebuyers in 2019
If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, you’ve probably already come to terms with leaving city life behind to take advantage of those sweet suburban prices. But if you can’t bear to part with walkability, public transportation, a lively food and entertainment scene, or any other of the many benefits to living in a city, there is hope: Some cities are more hospitable to those entering the real estate market than others.
Jan 31, 2019
This Bright Spanish Home Is Nordic Style Pastel Perfection
Name: Sofia Gil, my husband and two daughters: 1 and 4 years old Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting We are a Portuguese family living in Valencia, and we love it here. Our flat is very bright, and my husband and I decided to use pastel colors for the decor. A lot of the furniture is second hand and painted with chalk paint; we love to combine old and new.
Jan 31, 2019
This Is Apartment Therapy’s First-Ever Pattern of the Year
Like all the best trends—velvet furnishings, pastel kitchen appliances, even low-carb diets—animal prints have cycled in and out of style over the years (and centuries). At times they’ve been perceived as luxurious and expensive, at other times tacky, outdated, and even a little scandalous, but they never truly leave the cultural lexicon (most recently, Tom Ford’s 2018 Fall Ready to Wear Collection relied heavily on those wild patterns).
Jan 31, 2019
These Are The Most Popular Listings on Trulia This Month
I spend entirely too much of my free time looking at real estate listings—even though looking at them is a good chunk of what I get paid to do here! But even though I know what I’m looking for, even I get lost clicking through dream homes: “I should move to Detroit and buy this $20,000 fixer upper!” or “If I save now, I can totally can afford this $2 million apartment in Brooklyn by the time I’m 30!
Jan 31, 2019
There Are Only 4 Cities in the U.S. Where A Studio Is Actually Cheaper Than a One-Bedroom
If you’ve been patting yourself on the back for living minimally in a studio apartment in the hopes of squirreling away a couple of hundreds of dollars every month for a down payment sometime in the future, brace yourself: I hate to break it to you, but you might actually be losing money. At least according to a new analysis from HotPads, a Zillow company that focuses on apartment searches, the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in most cities is actually cheaper than a studio.
Jan 31, 2019
The Unexpected Home Update That Almost Always Pays for Itself
If you’re planning on doing some updates around your home this year, you’re probably figuring out which projects are worth sinking reserouces into: Is that subway tile backsplash going to be a waste of money when it’s time to sell? How about those new fixtures in the bathroom? Thankfully, Remodeling magazine puts out a Cost vs.
Jan 30, 2019
This Apartment’s Views Feels Like Living on a House Boat
Name: Miya Kusumoto, my kitten, Poppy Location: Riverside — Jacksonville, Florida Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting The Riverside House—Rochester House as it was originally known—was built in 1869 as a boutique hotel that could accommodate up to 40 guests. Perhaps the most famous guest that stayed at the hotel was Mary Todd Lincoln—reportedly she came down South to recover from arthritic pain.
Jan 30, 2019
The 9 Go-To Stores Real Estate Agents Use for Inexpensive Staging Decor
In case you're wondering, they aren't super snobby when it comes to sourcing decor items—they often shop in the same places with an eye on price—just like you!
Jan 30, 2019
The Only Two Things That Motivate Me to Keep My Kitchen Counters Clean
Kitchen counters are clutter magnets—plain and simple. As I look at my own countertops, I see seven-ish different piles in the works (kids’ art, unopened mail, recyclables on their way to the bin, etc.). It’s never-ending. And despite being a fairly organized, clean-surface kind of girl myself, and literally interviewing dozens of experts on the subject, there are only two times my countertops ever get clean. Oh, is it midnight the night before an article is due?
Jan 30, 2019
Is Buying a Home a Good Investment? Here’s How Experts Decide
You’ve saved a good chunk of money, or at least are on a path to do so. Now, you might be wondering what’s better: Invest in real estate or put your money in the stock market? It’s a question you can wrestle with to no end since several factors come into play. Helping to frame the debate and lend advice below are a host of real estate and finance experts. Here are six questions they suggest you ask yourself if you’re exploring your investment options.
Jan 30, 2019
Mindy Kaling’s Closet Looks Nicer Than Any Apartment I’ve Ever Been In
Anyone who has seen “Sex and the City”has coveted Carrie Bradshaw’s overflowing closet, but at least it was fake—no one could have such a perfect room in real life! Except, apparently, Mindy Kaling. When prepping with her team for this year’s Producer’s Guild Awards, Kaling took a few getting-ready photos in her dreamy closet.
Jan 30, 2019
A 300-Square-Foot Apartment Is Small But Personal and Artistic
Name: Lauren Murphy, cat Tulip Moonbeam, and my dwarf rabbit, Alfee Location: South Norwalk, Connecticut Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 week, renting My name is Lauren, and I am a nanny/graduate student getting my Master’s in teaching. I just moved into this apartment to be a bit closer to my school. Although very tiny, this home allows me to have my first real bedroom since college, which is huge for me!
Jan 30, 2019
A Little Lesson in Letting Go of Stuff
The January Cure is all about refreshing and organizing your home for 2019. We tackle one assignment each weekday throughout the entire month. It’s not too late to sign up, and you can visit the Cure page to catch up with the assignments so far. Sometimes all you need to declutter is a fresh perspective. Once your things are yours, letting go of them can feel like a loss. A loss of money or preparedness or potential. And those are very real feelings.
Jan 30, 2019
Urban Outfitters Is Launching Six Furniture Collections For Spring–Here Is A Sneak Peek
Major blizzards or no, spring is on its way. And the first harbinger of warmer months? Spring collections rolling out at stores. Like a breath of fresh air after a long winter, it’s the perfect excuse to revive your space with pieces that are lighter, brighter, or just plain newer feeling. Urban Outfitters began to quietly roll out their spring collection last week, and while the full collection won’t be online for a few more weeks, much of it is available now.
Jan 29, 2019
7 Decorating Mistakes We All Make in Our First Homes
Few things are more exhilarating than moving into your first real home. But as fun as decorating it can be, it’s also easy to make a lot of rookie mistakes. So to help make the process of decorating your first home go a little smoother, we called on a few of our favorite designers to share the mistakes they (and their clients) seem to always make. From awkward furniture arrangements to picking the wrong paint color, these are the decorating mistakes we all make in our first homes.
Jan 29, 2019
Experts Say These 4 Financial Tips Are Totally Outdated
Sure, there’s plenty of parental advice that will never grow old: Learn to prioritize your time. Follow the Golden Rule. Wear sunscreen. But when it comes to financial tips, some of those age-old lessons fail to fit in with a millennial’s reality.
Jan 29, 2019
The One Spot You Need to Declutter, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
Your personality can help you focus your efforts on a certain thing or category of items, so you can dig in and really start to make an impact in your space.
Jan 29, 2019
The Worst Home Buying Advice Experts Have Ever Heard
Buying a home can be an overwhelming experience. There’s no shortage of advice on the process out there—especially from friends and family members just trying to help. Unfortunately, not all of it is good. Thankfully, three experts have cut through the clutter.
Jan 29, 2019
You are Just One Weekend Away from a Much Better Closet
I purchased my first home a couple of years ago. Like most split-levels from the 1970s, it was built economically, but not luxuriously. The closets throughout the house—which were untouched when I bought it— had flimsy dark-stained doors on tracks that didn’t quite line up reliably. They each had disgusting carpet, and particle board shelves supported by DIY brackets that didn’t cut it.
Jan 29, 2019
The $4 Trader Joe’s Buy That Saved My Dry Winter Hair
As January turns into February, it would seem that the harsh cold weather is here to stay. One day we have temperatures in the 40s, and the next, it’s a frigid 5 degrees. With these fluctuating temperatures comes dry skin and brittle, damaged hair. The winter weather can even take a toll on those who don’t color or use heat tools, or those who already have silky hair. One way to combat dryness is using a hair mask to help keep your locks hydrated.
Jan 29, 2019
One Thing You’ll Find by the Door in Every Clean Home You See
Tidy people have their secrets (like, uh, a whole storage unit), but there's one good home habit they can't hide.
Jan 29, 2019