SoFi Blog

Getting new appliances or updating the plumbing in your home doesn’t need to be a pipe dream, but starting home remodels without a budget in mind can quickly become a nightmare.

Instead of ignoring your bank account and blindly charging your unexpected Home Depot runs, consider how much you can get in home renovations and updates for the money you’ve budgeted. With an idea of how much you can spend, you can get a better idea of where to spend it to maximize value, savings, and future return on investment (ROI).

Americans are a migratory bunch. We move for job opportunities, to be closer to the city (or farther), to be closer to family (or farther), or just because we love to adventure. Especially for young professionals, the lure to move to where the action is can be strong.

But the dream of owning a trendy loft in the heart of a big city doesn’t always come cheap. If relocation is in your future, here’s a look at the latest figures by the National Association of REALTORS© (NAR) on approximately how much income is needed to purchase a home in 10 big cities—the most expensive, and the least.

The honest answer to “How much salary may I need to buy a home?” is really an open question that depends partially on the cost difference of items on your “must-have” list, and that can include the type and size of home, the amount of land, the location, and a host of other factors.

Home sweet home hasn’t been looking so sweet lately. Maybe you spend your days fantasizing about a kitchen any professional chef would dream of. Or perhaps you want to soak your worries away in a brand spanking new bathtub in your freshly tiled bathroom.

Your home is a sacred space, but it might take a little work—and money—to make your home feel that way. Whether you’re working on a fixer upper or want to give your home a mini-makeover, here are six home renovation questions to consider asking yourself before you launch into a remodel. Thinking about these questions out before you start home improvements could potentially save you a lot of time, money, and stress!

Trying to get seasonal home servicing in the dead of winter or at the height of a blizzard could turn into a major fail. Why? The professionals you need may be backed up with other clients, or they simply may not get to you due to weather-ravaged roads.

The best time to winterize your home is before the winter happens. Although not all emergencies can be avoided with this strategy, there are some things you can do ahead of time to avoid trouble during the cold, dark weather days to come.

This list below details some tips for how to get your home ready for winter. It could help you as you start preparing your home for winter weather.

The leaves are changing, and there’s a crispness in the air, which means one thing for the homeowner—time to tackle those last-minute home improvement projects before winter hits.

Fall can be an ideal time to update, improve or upkeep aspects of your home. It’s a cooler season than summer, which means less sweat for you, but also less swelling or expanding in the materials of your home.

In a month or so, it might be too late to take on many of these projects. Getting a jump on your to-do list and taking care of these fall home improvement projects means you could be done before winter’s cold weather hits.