TAMPA, Fla." "People are hungry for ideas that fit their budget and they want
their home to work through all the changes their families go through.

-- The kitchen was the #1 room respondents added onto, remodeled or
redecorated.com or call 800.

This category does not include sites which sell goods and services online (Shopping: Home and Garden), sites for businesses that design or manufacture products (Business: Construction and Maintenance), or sites offering advice for purchasing decisions (Home: Consumer Information).

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To reduce flooding problems from poor drainage or excessive rainfall
amounts, make sure the yard's grading directs water away from buildings , and
clear drains of debris.disastersafety.

IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to
reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering
caused by natural disasters.
Inside, they're concentrating on kitchen improvements that can
substantially increase their families' everyday satisfaction.
(Logo: http://www.

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com/win. BOUND BROOK, N .

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Shutter and seal gable end vents to prevent wind-driven rain from entering
attic space. The Better Home Better Living House will be
affordable (under $120 per square foot) and will be scaled in size (less
than 3,000 square feet) for most suburban lots.
-- 88% of survey respondents said that "a neighborhood that's walkable"
is important to them -- more so, in fact, than spacious rooms or acreage.com/win where consumers enter
to win every month for their chance to win a variety of monthly prizes
including the Grand Prize.

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The home will incorporate the five key trends identified
by respondents as those which are paramount to the design and construction
of their "ideal home ," -- affordability, flexibility, indoor/outdoor
livability, innovation, and kitchen-centricity - - trends which will shape
the future of American homebuilding.
-- When asked which room most needed updating, more respondents answered
"kitchen" than any other single room in the house, indicating it is the
room that gets the most use -- it's certainly the one room that everyone in
the household depends upon equally. The company has collectively performed nearly 2 million
inspections since 1979.

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For more information on protecting homes and businesses from disasters,
visit the IBHS web site http://www.com) throughout 2005.

Kitchen-centricity tops the list of important trends and will be the heart
of the Better Home Better Living house.housemaster.

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org .

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"Better Homes and Gardens," the country's
leading home and family magazine reaching 38 million people monthly ,
identifies the top characteristics Americans want in their homes today.
-- 60% agreed that working with a homebuilder or contractor is a smart
investment.

The Better Home Better Living House: Win America's Home sweepstakes is
currently in progress.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050406/NYWFNS1LOGO )
According to Kathleen Kuhn, president and CEO of HouseMaster, a targeted
and complete home inspection prior to putting a house on the market will
identify many underlying conditions in need of repair.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.jsp?userid=509149

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Outside areas are becoming extensions of the
American home's indoor living spaces, with patios, barbeque centers, decks
and other areas essentially serving as "additional rooms." Survey
respondents said:

-- Building a major garden or landscaping project is the second most
popular home improvement choice among respondents asked what they would do
with $20,000.bhg.

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bhg. In our Better
Home Better Living House, we're combining these consumer needs in a
completely integrated design that brings innovation to a whole new doable
and affordable level. The Better Home Better Living House will
incorporate a flexible design which allows for significant change/expansion
to the home in the future.

Home Inspection Expert Offers Tips on How to Get Top Dollar When Selling Your Home

"If you've lived in a house for 20 years, you 've probably learned to live
with a few problems, since you see them everyday.

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-- 69% completed a major remodeling project within the past five years,
and 42% plan to do so in the next five years, indicating that Americans are
constantly changing their homes.

-- 60% said they like and use technology in their homes -- including
advanced home entertainment equipment, hi -speed computer access, home
computer network, security system and smart appliances.J. Both the National
Association of Homes Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors
(NAR) predict a strong housing market for 2005, and Kuhn suggests a
pre-inspection is especially important before the spring real estate market
heats up, and after winter's damaging effects can be assessed. And for high-ticket
items like a new roof, moisture problems or heating/cooling/plumbing issues, a
seller can potentially lose tens of thousands of dollars. Any drains serving patio,
driveway, swimming pool walkways or other outdoor areas should be dug
clear and snow should not be piled anywhere on the property where it
will block natural drainage paths.

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If you're in a flood prone area or roads are expected to flood, seal off
the base of doors with sand bags or plastic sheeting and tape.
-- 57% of Americans "pay as they go" when asked how they finance a home
improvement project.

Flexibility is perhaps the most revolutionary forward-looking trend
identified.bhg . "With so many buyers getting a professional
home inspection, cosmetic improvements aren't necessarily enough to get the
best price.

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, As the first tropical threat of 2005
arrives on radar screens , the Institute for Business + Home Safety (IBHS)
offers simple tips to keep wind-driven rain out of homes and businesses,
whether from Tropical Storm Arlene or what may follow. To reduce the likelihood of
water intrusion, make sure window and door seals are pliable. Outside,
they're looking to add living space to their yard or garden."

Inspired by the first-hand, proprietary insights of the nearly 60,000
consumers who responded to the magazine's home improvement contest and
survey , "Better Homes and Gardens" editors, working with a select panel of
leading home design experts, will literally "build" on readers' suggestions
-- designing and constructing the Better Home Better Living House on a site
at Vickery, a "new kind of neighborhood" located in Cumming, Georgia, just
north of Atlanta. According to the survey:

-- The average home improvement project costs the homeowner $12,427.
* Sidewalks and Exterior Landscaping - Sidewalks may have been damaged
due to heavy salting, storm drains, cracks in the foundation due to
settling, screen or window damage, downspouts, insect infestation,
faulty weather-stripping, and trees or bushes that may hang dangerously
close to the house or gutters.526.

This category contains sites which assist with installation and repair of components exterior to the home, including siding, insulation , bricks, stucco, decks and patios, and gutters and eaves.

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Indoor/Outdoor Livability will play a more significant role in homes of the
future than ever before.
-- The home will incorporate innovative Structurally Insulated Panels
(SIPs), which allow for more efficient building and less waste.

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Simple Tips Keep Out Wind-Driven Rain

Routine maintenance
Rain can blow in directions other than down. Based on these findings,
"Better Homes and Gardens" will design and build the Better Home Better
Living House, which will be featured in the magazine and on its website
(www.

"Affordability and flexibility top America's wish list when it comes to
their homes," says Karol DeWulf Nickell, Editor in Chief, "Better Homes and
Gardens.
* Foundations - Shoveled snow piled against a foundation can cause cracks
and ultimately leaks and water damage.

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As storms approach
If a storm starts to head your way, "batten down the hatches " by closing
and locking all windows, doors, skylights and vents to prevent water
intrusion. The house and its contents, a $500,000
value, will be given away in a nationwide sweepstakes through the
magazine's website, www. A house that incorporates a flexible design readily adapts to
changes in family dynamics. Survey respondents indicated that:

-- An enormous 68% of Americans are interested in shifting to a "work
from home" lifestyle over the next five years, which could significantly
impact the homebuilding and remodeling industry.newscom. The heavy use of any calcium chloride
agent to melt snow can corrode not only driveways and sidewalks, but
can also kill plants and pit concrete.

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Visit the site and enter to win a key which may
unlock the door to the new half-million dollar home, a trip to Atlanta for
the grand finale event, a $500 gift card from The Home Depot and a year's
supply of Behr paint."
For every $100 in repairs a home needs , a buyer is likely to try to
negotiate about $200 off the asking price, Kuhn said.
* Windows - Ice and heavy rains can also cause cracking and rotting
around windows.

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-- The # 1 reason that Americans give for remaining in an existing home
is "watching something grow that I have planted," such as a tree or garden.

Innovative construction and materials will be incorporated into the Better
Home Better Living house which will use technologies to save the consumer
money over the life of the home.prnewswire.

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Affordability is especially important due to a major rise in housing costs
over the past 10 years. For more information about home selling and
inspections , visit http://www.

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PRESS RELEASE Big Changes Needed in American Home Design According to 'Better Homes and Gardens'(R) Survey

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Check perimeter flashing around the roof and have it re-nailed or replaced
if it is loose or rusted.
-- DIY (do-it-yourself) is the most popular type of home improvement
project with 86% of respondents working on their projects alone., Sellers should have their home
pre-inspected before putting it on the market, according to HouseMaster(R),
North America 's leading home inspection service.

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com/win. The kitchen will have an "open
design" so that families can not only cook together but spend quality time
together while preparing meals.

About The Better Home Better Living Program

The Better Home Better Living Program includes: a six-part editorial series
starting with the February 2005 issue; in-store "how-to" clinics starting
in February 2005 at The Home Depot's 1,700 retail stores nationwide; an
original 10-part television series currently entitled "Building America's
Home" filmed on location and premiering on the Discovery Home Channel in
Fall 2005; a dedicated mini-site at www. A potential buyer will see
these as turnoffs ," said Kuhn.

HouseMaster has franchises in more than 370 cities in the United States
and Canada.

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bhg.
-- 92% said that "looking great from the curb" is an important quality in
their selection of a home.
Kathleen Kuhn
http://profnet.

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Close dryer and bathroom vents with duct tape (remove it after storm
before using vents).
-- People currently only stay in a home for 3-5 years due to expanding
family, demonstrating a need for homes that can grow with families .
Kuhn believes the following areas of a home must be checked after a hard
winter and urges homeowners to use a reliable, professional inspector:
* Roof - Roof shingles and flashings may be missing due to high winds or
heavy ice and snow, leaving areas exposed to water damage during spring
rains, especially if there is not proper drainage.

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Use a high-quality silicone caulk around outside wall openings such as
clothes dryer, kitchen or bathroom vents, outdoor electrical outlets and
locations where cables or pipes go through the wall.
Nearly 60,000 Americans responded to the magazine's Better Home Better
Living contest and survey, registering their current home improvement
projects and future home-building aspirations. Details are available in the magazine and online at
www. Heavy rains can result in separating
foundations and leakage around windows.3939.com/ud_public.

This category does not include sites which sell goods and services online (Shopping: Home and Garden), sites for businesses that design or manufacture products (Business: Construction and Maintenance), or sites offering advice for purchasing decisions (Home: Consumer Information).

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easy2diy aggregate

stucco sheathing

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Home Inspection Expert Offers Tips on How to Get Top Dollar When Selling Your Home

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This category contains sites which assist with installation and repair of components exterior to the home, including siding, insulation , bricks, stucco, decks and patios, and gutters and eaves.

easy2diy gutters

beams footings

Simple Tips Keep Out Wind-Driven Rain

eaves porch

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PRESS RELEASE Big Changes Needed in American Home Design According to 'Better Homes and Gardens'(R) Survey

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