Don’t throw away your tool belt just yet… but with all the cool new home improvement apps floating around out there, you might want to find a spot for your iPhone in between your tape measure and your awl. With 35,000 total apps to choose from, some practical and some down right stupid (see “Pull My Finger” app), you’ll need an app to sort through your apps. Hey, that’s not a bad idea! Make that 35,001.

Until my new app for apps is available for download, here are the top 6 best home improvement-related apps that are to DIY for.

1. The iHandy Carpenter – On second thought, maybe you can junk the tool belt with this amazing app that contains five separate carpentry tools that work with the landscape mode of your iphone and includes a surface level, bubble bar, protractor and ruler. When calibrated, the plum bob, level bar and surface level can work together to create a clinometer that both reads precise angles and scores a ten on the cool-o-meter. (more…)

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The signs point you in the right direction and cars battle for street parking. Yard sales are “thriving” alongside an economy that is not. Neighbors are bargain-hunting and everyone knows when and where to find the best sales in town: at the Saturday morning yard sales. Here are some treasure-hunting tips to make sure you get a piece of the pie:

1. Shop early for the widest selection and late for the best bargains.
2. Pick up what you want and, if it’s too big, let someone know to hold it for you. Otherwise, you may go home empty-handed and sad-faced.
3. Know what you’re going to do with the purchase so you don’t end up with a garage full of stuff for your own yard sale – unless that’s actually your goal.
4. Ask, ask, ask, “Is this your best price?” or “Will you take $25 instead of $50?” It’s a yard sale!
5. Think, REDO! Ask yourself, “If that table was stripped and refinished, would it fit in the living room?” Or, “If I painted it blue, would it look amazing by my bed?”

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Classes start real soon! Give your dorm room some personality before those all-nighters steal your soul away (not to mention social life)…

How Cool is Your Roommate?

If your roommate’s willing, you can plan your theme and colors together, tackle the shopping in one trip, and split the costs equally. It’s infinitely more fun this way and your decor won’t clash.

Bedding

Since the bed is your biggest piece of furniture, you’ll end up using it as a study area, couch, dining room, and coffee table. A bold solid color can serve as a catalyst for the rest of the room’s decor. (more…)

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