Long gone are the days when homeowners were satisfied with a simple deck, a beat-up grill and some basic patio furniture. Now the trend brings living rooms, baths, home spas, full kitchens and even meditation rooms into the great outdoors. Stone fireplaces, built-in grills, water features, multiple levels for patios and decks, hot tubs and even flat-screen TVs - all the luxurious appointments of indoor life are finding their way into outdoor environments.

Whether selling a home in today's tough real estate market or simply trying to beautify and protect your home, curb appeal should be very important to you. Home selling experts predict that as many as 40 percent of potential buyers reject a home based on their first impression of the front of the home. That makes curb appeal -- the general appearance of the front yard -- the single largest factor shaping impressions of your home.

Outdoor improvements are gaining ground on the perennial favorites - kitchen and bath renovations - because of the added value and comfort they add to a home.

It's easy for your family room's purpose to get lost in the hectic pace and clutter of everyday life. If it's time for your family to rise up and reclaim this room, here are some tips for putting the "family" back into "family room."

Upgrading your home can be a smart investment, especially in today's housing slump. The kitchen and bath are the most essential rooms in your home and these rooms typically deliver the best return on a remodeling investment.

Being indoors doesn't always guarantee protection from the sun's damaging effects. Here's how to make sure both you and your belongings will stay safe.

There may be no place like home, but for more than 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies(1), there's no place for allergens in the home. Indoor allergens, such as dust mites, mold and pet dander, are more common than people may think. In fact, at any given time, 80 percent of people in the U.S. are exposed to dust mites and 60 percent are exposed to cat or dog dander(2).