If you're fortunate to have windows that can stand alone as a grand architectural statements, congratulations! Beautiful windows are truly stunning to behold. If you have windows that need a little help in meeting their full potential, consider adding "hard" or "soft" window treatments as a way to give rooms a more finished appearance, camouflage imperfections and insert additional color, texture and visual appeal.

When considering treatments that will offer both the privacy and light control required for each room, remember that your options extend beyond standard plastic blinds or sheer curtains that may automatically come to mind. Let the following suggestions spark your creativity!

Organic materials: Wooden blinds and natural woven shades have become popular choices that create a modern look while helping you maintain privacy and light control.

Bold prints: Striped, floral and geometric patterns are quick and easy way to add a dash of youthfulness and life to an otherwise simple room. Keep in mind that such window treatments will often become a focal point in a room.

Luxury fabrics: For a more sophisticated look, chose silk, leather, suede, fur, or damask-and don't forget to embellish with beaded tassels and other fun window hardware! Keep in mind, though, that luxe fabrics may not hold up as well in direct sunlight as hardier fabrics, such as wool, so consult a professional to discuss your options.

Green design: Suffer from allergies? Choose from fabrics with anti-microbial or anti-fungal traits woven into the yarn. Environmentally conscious? Choose from fabrics made with non-toxic dyes. However you're looking to "go green," there are a variety of options to choose from that may suit your needs.

In addition to deciding which materials to use for your window treatments, remember that you have a variety of options regarding its length and positioning. Your decisions should ultimately be made depending upon the overall look and feel you want each room to have-traditional, contemporary, country living, eclectic or whatever is "you." Ready to start looking at your options? Read up on the latest trends or talk to your REALTOR® or interior designer today.

Clean floors can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your home-especially to potential buyers who can pick up on the smallest details. While lower-traffic areas, such as guest bedrooms, can be maintained on the monthly basis, entryways, kitchens, living rooms and other high-traffic floor areas should be tended to at least once a week. Below are weekly cleaning tips for various types of flooring

For hardwood floors, first use a broom or vacuum to pick up dust and dirt. Next, go over the floor with a damp mop, as excessive water is damaging to wood. Linda Cobb, The Queen of Clean®, recommends adding several tea bags to hot mop water for a healthy, inexpensive way to clean wood.

For tile and vinyl floors, also sweep or vacuum away dust and dirt first. Then, experts recommend mixing a tablespoon of Borax with a gallon of water to use for mopping. A gallon of plain, warm water also works well. Use a micro-fiber mop on ceramic tile floors for best results and stay away from vinegar-based cleaning products, which can damage your grout.

For carpet, it's helpful to vacuum high-traffic areas more than once a week-perhaps even daily if you're in the process of showing your home. Cleaning experts recommend sectioning your carpet into quadrants and vacuuming each section entirely before moving to the next. Go over these sections multiple times, moving slowly to ensure you pick up as much dirt as possible. The most frequently used areas of carpet should be vacuumed in a criss-cross, overlapping pattern. It's also helpful to take care of spots and spills as they occur.

Tending to floors on a regular basis will help you avoid scrambling to clean up age-old stains or thick layers of dust and dirt before guests arrive in your home. Following the tips above will help you achieve flawless floors in no time!

You may know that using energy efficient appliances can help you save money in your Austin home, but did you know that buying energy efficient products during this Memorial Day weekend can help you save even more?

From Saturday, May 29, through Monday, May 31, anyone in Texas can purchase select ENERGY STAR® appliances and products free of state and local sales tax, which could equal hundreds of dollars in savings. In addition, ENERGY STAR® estimates that consumers could experience up to 75 percent in energy savings using the select energy efficient appliances.

Summer is upon us, which means most Austinites are ready to kick off their shoes for some summer fun. Is your grass barefoot friendly? Keep your lawn in as best condition possible by doing the following:

1. Understand what type of grass you're working with. Not all types of grass grow well in warmer temperatures, so be aware of what your lawn consists of and set your expectations accordingly. Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede and Bermuda grass, for example, will survive the summer much better than Fescue, Rye and Bluegrass.

2. Go to war with weeds. Fighting weeds is critical to the health of any lawn, and to kill weeds you must get to the root of the problem. While mowing over weeds may seem the easiest option, it can actually worsen the problem by spreading the weeds' seeds across your lawn. It's better to buckle up and pull them by hand or find a suitable weed-killer (pet-friendly and eco-friendly options are available) to keep the situation under control.

3. Cut grass correctly. Experts recommend cutting grass when it's dry and during a time of day when the sun is less harsh. Cutting grass to a proper mowing height (this depends on the type of grass you have, but generally should never be shorter than two or three inches) will help prevent unnecessary damage from the sun and foot traffic and can help shade out some weeds. Because grass blades are rich with nutrients, it's a good idea to leave the grass clippings in your hard, so long as the amount is small enough to decompose quickly.

4. Water within regulation. If you live within Austin city limits, remember to abide by the watering restrictions set in place to help preserve Austin's water supply. Though the water regulations restrict single-family Austin homes to watering only two days a week (odd addresses watering on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and even addresses watering Tuesdays and Thursdays), you can still maintain a healthy lawn. In fact, experts recommend watering deeply but infrequently to help your grass build a deeper root system and become more drought-resistant.

Happy Earth Day! This seems the appropriate day to congratulate Austin on being one of the most "earth-friendly" cities in America. It also seems appropriate to talk a bit about "going green" within your home. The following options can help you create a safer, cleaner and more economical home for you and your family.

Energy Star appliances - These appliances are designated as "energy efficient" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. Purchasing an Energy Star appliance will not only help you save on energy costs, it may help earn you a rebate, as well. The City of Austin's WashWise Rebate Program offers some homeowners rebates on the purchase of high efficiency clothes washers.

Energy efficient windows - Energy efficient windows can lower the cost of heating and cooling by more than 30 percent, as well as reduce condensation, make your home more comfortable, and help shield the interior of your home from powerful ultraviolet rays. In addition, homeowners who install energy efficient windows could claim a tax credit of up to $1,500.

PEX plumbing - This is a safe, durable and affordable plumbing solution that involves no copper or iron and maintains long-term viability. PEX tubing does not corrode, reduces condensation in walls and-best of all-is environmentally friendly.

Non-toxic paint - Until recently, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which release low-level toxic emissions into the air, were essential to the performance paint. Now, however, homeowners can choose from low-VOC or zero-VOC paints that are durable, cost-effective and more environmentally friendly.

These suggestions are just the beginning! Energy efficient improvements can be a simple as using compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use 66 percent less energy than a standard incandescent light bulb and can last 10 times longer. Talk to your REALTOR® about ways you can improve the value of your home and the quality of your environment by "going green."

Planting flowers can be a great way to boost the curb appeal of your Austin home. While the planting process seems simple enough, there are a several important tips you should keep in mind.

1. Do your research. Above all, it is important to find out which types of flowers will grow in best in your yard and when to plant them. Some flowers need plenty of sunlight, while others must have shade at all times. Some flowers need to be watered every day, while others can survive on rainfall alone. Make sure you have the time, resources and proper environment to care for your plants.

2. Prepare the soil. After you've removed all weeds from your garden, it's time to think about enriching the soil. Mixing organic matter such as compost, manure and shredded leaves into the first one to two feet of soil can help enrich the clay-like soil found in many parts of Central Texas.

3. Plant the flowers. After you dig the holes, fill them with water and let it soak into the soil before placing the flowers in them. When planting the flowers, ignore the urge to pack down the soil or step on it to make it flat; flattening the soil cuts off the light and oxygen. Adding a few inches of mulch to the top layer of soil can be beneficial, but make sure the mulch is placed around the plants and does not touch their stems.

4. Remember to water. Watering is essential, but too much water can be deadly. Make sure you know the watering requirements for the types of flowers you have planted. Be aware that watering the leaves of plants can help diseases and mildew grow, so it's important to water plants at ground-level, closest to the roots.

For more tips, visit http://www.centraltexasgardening.net or talk to the local gardening experts in your neighborhood. Happy planting!

If you've been considering updating appliances within your home, the coming weeks may be the perfect time to act. The U.S. Department of Energy has allocated $23,341,000 to the state of Texas to support the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program. This program is designed to boost the Texas economy and energy conservation by encouraging consumers to replace outdated appliances with new, energy efficient, ENERGY STAR® or CEE qualified models.

Qualified consumers will be eligible to receive two appliance rebates and two recycling bonus rebates per household, granted the appliances are purchased from a Texas retail location or contractor. Beginning April 5, 2010, rebates may be reserved via phone or online registration. The rebates will apply only to appliances purchased from April 16 - 25, 2010.

For more information on qualification requirements, appliance categories and rebate amounts, visit www.texaspowerfulsmart.org. Happy shopping!

Presenting an attractive home to potential buyers can greatly increase your chances of selling your house quickly. Try the following tips:

1. Float the furniture. Though it may seem natural to push furniture against the walls, try "floating" the furniture to make more intimate spaces for conversation. Lisa LaPorta, designer on HGTV's Designed to Sell, recommends visualizing a figure-eight or the letter H and placing furniture in that pattern. Just remember to create clear pathways for traffic to help the flow of the room.

2. Work those windows. Window dressings can serve as the perfect accent to any room. If the room is small, consider opaque curtains, which allow more light to shine through and give the room a bigger feel. If your windows are narrow, extend the curtain rods about a foot on each side to give an illusion of width. Remember that curtains featuring vertical patterns create an elongated effect; this style compliments most windows in a home.

3. Love that color. Painting is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to revive a home. Keep in mind that painting walls with a rich color can make the spaces more intimate, dramatic and cozy, while lighter, paler shades help rooms appear more spacious. When in doubt, go neutral.

4. Re-hang invisible art. Instead of hanging art along an invisible line encircling each room, consider hanging pieces in diagonal, triangular or vertical patterns. Michael Friedes, a stager with Nest Home Design, says this creates visual interest and can help direct the eye toward interesting features in a room, such as a bay window or high ceilings.

5. Accessorize in threes. When creating displays for table tops, shelves, walls and other spaces around your home, experts recommend accessorizing in odd numbers - especially groups of three-and grouping objects by unifying elements, such as color or texture. Display items of various heights and widths with the largest objects in the back.

6. Get some flower power. Seasonal flowers help a home appear fresh, clean and beautiful. Whether you showcase budding magnolia clippings in spring or holly branches in winter, there are beautiful arrangements to display in any season. You can't make mistakes when arranging flowers, so remember to get creative and have fun!

Know that your REALTOR® has a powerful network of industry professionals and can help find a professional stager to meet your needs, should you decide to go that route. For more tips on how to improve the appearance and increase the value of your Austin home, visit the "Consumer Tools" section of AustinHomeSearch.com.

If you’re debating whether to invest in home remodeling, consider this: On a national level, most remodeling projects that recouped the greatest percentage of cost in 2009 were exterior improvements that cost less than $15,000.

Results from the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report produced by Hanley Wood, LLC, show remodeling projects that boost curb appeal, increase energy efficiency and put the home in move-in condition have proved popular with buyers during trying economic times.

Nationwide the biggest returns were seen with the addition of a steel entry door (128.9 percent of costs recouped), upscale fiber-cement siding (83.6 percent of costs recouped) and a wooden deck (80.6 percent of costs recouped).

On a local level, Austin homeowners saw a return on their investments not only in smaller-scale exterior improvements, but in significant indoor renovations. What’s even better news for Central Texans is that Texas and other southwestern states outperform most of the nation in terms of remodeling costs recovered upon resale, according to the Cost vs. Value Report.

Below are some of the remodeling projects that yielded the biggest returns for Austin homeowners in 2009:

• Steel entry door replacement (120.7%)
• Attic bedroom remodel (97.4%)
• Basement remodel (92.0%)
• Vinyl window replacement (85.3%)
• Fiber-cement siding replacement (82.5%)
• Major kitchen remodel (81.3%)
• Grand Entrance (81.2%)
• Minor kitchen remodel (79.8%)
• Wood window replacement (79.3%)
• Foam-backed vinyl siding replacement (78.3%)

For more information on home remodeling, contact your Central Texas REALTOR®.

Selling a home can be more challenging during winter months — the lawn is brown, you have fewer daylight hours to show the home and the weather is often cold and rainy. Consider the following tips to help spark buyer interest:

1. Warm the room. Before potential buyers arrive, adjust the thermostat to a slightly warmer temperature. If you have a fireplace, turn it on to add ambience and additional light and warmth. Be sure, though, to never leave the house while the fireplace is still in use — you don’t want to risk a fire!

2. Make guests feel welcome. Setting the table with good china, silver and linens makes guests feel as if they’ve been invited to a party. Displaying warm holiday cookies or cider is another wonderful way to say "welcome".

3. Wash the windows. During winter you might not think of washing windows, but this can make a huge difference in the appearance of your home. Make sure you can proudly showcase sparkling window panes when opening the curtains.

4. Add a hint of home-cooking. The scent of chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, freshly baked bread, apple pie and vanilla is popular among homebuyers. Just remember: Unless you’re actually baking these goodies, keep the fragrance subtle — overusing candles and sprays can have a negative effect.

5. Keep the holiday spirit alive. When religious holidays end and most decorations come down, you can still use winter wreaths and arrangements to add color and maintain a festive flair.

REALTORS® know the best ways to effectively market homes, so be sure to contact a REALTOR® for all your home selling needs. Find a REALTOR® today on AustinHomeSearch.com.