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When it comes to renovating your new home, it can be difficult to decide what to do first.

Melissa Perlman and Mark Burns closed on their beach cottage in Delray Beach, Florida, nearly two weeks ago.

The first project they tackled was landscaping. The home, built in 1956, was recently renovated.

“It was move-in ready and pretty perfect in our eyes,” says Perlman, president and founder of BlueIvy Communications, a public relations agency. “We live on a semi-active road, so our landscaper put in Colusa plants that will grow and eventually provide more privacy in our front yard.”

Before writing up a to-do list, take a good look at your budget, one expert advises. “Don’t spend too much money on over-improvements,” says Artur Muller, founder and CEO of Amluxe Realty in Lighthouse Point, Florida. “Create a maximum budget for renovations, which will keep your spending in line with comparable

COVID-19 is shaping shopping behavior. That’s been bad news for retailers on many fronts — but certainly not all. Here’s a sampling some of the items shoppers have been snapping up for their homes.

Bon appetit

The Shops at Rockvale, located off Route 30 in East Lampeter Township, have seen a lower traffic count than usual over the past few months, says manager Kristi Burkholder. But sales reports show that those shoppers who are there are buying more things — especially if those things are related to eating at home, says Burkholder.

“The kitchen stores are out of control,” she says.

Foodie-focused business is also brisk at Zest! in Lititz. There, manager Elizabeth Elia says shoppers are increasingly investing in quality basics like kitchen scales. Pizza stones also are selling. So is anything having to do with bread.

“They’re getting serious about baking. One item that is selling like crazy

Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. We may receive a small commission from our partners, like American Express, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• As a financial planner, Mark Reyes of Albert walks his clients through the financial side of preparing for home buying all the time. 
• But four things were slightly different than he expected in the process of buying his own first home with his wife during the coronavirus pandemic.
• The pandemic created more competition for homes, and also meant many changes to the ways buyers are able to see potential homes. 
• There are some parts of the process that are confusing even in normal times, like getting the right paperwork to mortgage lenders, and the escrow process before closing. 
• Sign up for Personal Finance Insider’s email newsletter here » 

Buying a

During a rousing speech to the Conservative Party’s online conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to ”fix our broken housing market” and help young people onto the housing ladder. Mr Johnson said his Tory government would reduce deposit sizes to 5 percent for home buyers as part of a drive to increase the rates of home ownership, especially among the under-40s.

Express.co.uk is asking you is Boris Johnson right to make buying a home easier with this pledge?

The Prime Minister also vowed to “transform the sclerotic planning system” and make it “faster and easier to build beautiful new homes without destroying the green belt or desecrating our countryside”.

Mr Johnson said: “These reforms will take time and they are not enough on their own.

“We need now to take forward one of the key proposals of our manifesto of 2019: giving young, first-time buyers the chance to take out

Not only can you buy a house you’ve only seen online, as a real estate investor, you might prefer to do so, at least once you have a system in place. Buying homes online has actually been a strategy for people buying investment property for some time, particularly if said investment property is in an area not local to the investor. And with the coronavirus on the scene, more people have adopted the process as they have become used to doing business virtually, plus not physically going into homes addresses safety concerns.

Buying a home online can speed up the acquisition process, saving you time to plan your next investment opportunity. Here’s what you need to know.

Set parameters for searching

Determine the niche you want to market to for this investment property. This includes price range, home size, location, and any other parameters you deem important.

For example, your

This post is sponsored and contributed by a Patch Brand Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.

Regular colanders do their job just fine. They strain out water from pasta or remove extra sauce from stir fried dishes. But sometimes a better mousetrap comes along—and that’s where this snap on strainer from Kitchen Gizmo comes in.

How It Works

This silicone colander from Kitchen Gizmo snaps on to most standard sized pots and pans so you can simply tip and pour out excess liquid into the sink. The compact design is perfect for working with limited counter space, and unlike traditional strainers, this silicone colander can be folded or rolled up for more compact storage.

Safe and Durable

When it comes to anything that’s touching your food, safety is the most important. This silicone pasta strainer is completely BPA-free, and the high-quality material will withstand heavy foods and hot temperatures. It’s also easy to clean since it’s dishwasher safe.

Why Customers Love It

Amazon customers love this

Regular colanders do their job just fine. They strain out water from pasta or remove extra sauce from stir fried dishes. But sometimes a better mousetrap comes along—and that’s where this snap on strainer from Kitchen Gizmo comes in.

This silicone colander from Kitchen Gizmo snaps on to most standard sized pots and pans so you can simply tip and pour out excess liquid into the sink. The compact design is perfect for working with limited counter space, and unlike traditional strainers, this silicone colander can be folded or rolled up for more compact storage.

When it comes to anything that’s touching your food, safety is the most important. This silicone pasta strainer is completely BPA-free, and the high-quality material will withstand heavy foods and hot temperatures. It’s also easy to clean since it’s dishwasher safe.

Amazon customers love this silicone clip-on colander from Kitchen Gizmo giving it an average

Rule No. 1: Spend no more than 30% of your gross income on a monthly mortgage