Unless you’re living in the 123-room Spelling Manor, you probably don’t have space to store massive amounts of tax and insurance paperwork, warranties, and repair receipts related to your home. But you’ll definitely want your paperwork at hand if you have to prove you deserved a tax deduction, file an insurance claim, or figure out if your busted oven is still under warranty.

Except for tax paperwork, there’s no official guideline governing exactly how long you have to keep most home-related documents. Lucky for you, we considered the situations in which you might need documents and came up with a handy “How Long to Keep It” home records checklist.

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The modern home is always evolving. And to get an idea of what it’s evolving to, look no further than what’s happening within its walls today. With that in mind, Editors at Houzz delved into the New This Week series, sifting through discussions and data to find out what materials, strategies and concepts will be coming to more homes in 2016.

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We love over-the-top Christmas light displays. So we asked one hardworking holiday light hanger to share the secrets of his 400,000-light display in Delaware. If you’ve got deep pockets and time on your hands, you can turn your ho-hum Christmas lights into a dazzler with only 400,000 bulbs, 70 extra circuits, and hundreds of hours of planning and hanging.

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People across the country are beginning to think about what their life will look like next year. It happens every Fall. We ponder whether we should relocate to a different part of the country to find better year-round weather or perhaps move across the state for better job opportunities.

Homeowners in this situation must consider whether they should sell their house now or wait. If you are one of these potential sellers, here are five important reasons to do it now versus the dead of winter.

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Inventory isn’t likely to be higher in March and April than it is now. And while inventory should grow in late spring and into summer, it won’t grow as fast as the seasonal demand.

So, if you are ready, consider getting in the market now instead of early spring. You will have more choices and less competition, and you can lock in today’s rates rather than risk rates being 25 to 50 basis points higher. (A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.)

A 50 basis-point increase in rates (for example, from 4.05% to 4.55%) would cause monthly payments to be 6% higher. And that increase would not only affect your monthly cash flow but could also affect your ability to qualify.

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There are a few more things to look out for—a few nagging annoyances that you might not notice right away but, unchecked, could eat at your soul day and night. Certainly, not all of the issues are deal breakers. But given the choice between dealing with them now or eventually becoming a bit too familiar with that bar on your (soon-to-be) new corner as you mull over what might have been, you might want to choose the former. Deal with the extra-fine details now!

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When it comes to selling your home quickly and (hopefully) for a sweet profit, setting the right asking price from the get-go is key to your success. Set the price too high? The place will stagnate on the market and force you into price cuts, possibly multiple ones. Set it too low? You’re kissing off money that could’ve gone into your pocket.

So how do you hit that sweet spot of an asking price? Well, for starters, avoid these common mistakes!

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Don't Be Fooled!

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In our daydreams, we pull off successful dinner parties to choruses of “What a beautiful tablescape,” and “Did you make that gorgeous tart?” But in reality, as the last guests leave, it can feel like you’ve really been through something.

The duties of a host require a ton of forethought and multitasking that it's near impossible to master. We partnered with Kenmore PRO to round up charts with tricks that will help you host like a pro. These tips will save you time and trouble, making it easier for you to enjoy the party itself.

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