Home Construction

Joe DeVito, like many other New Yorkers who wanted more space to weather the pandemic, headed north and bought a two-bedroom house in the Catskills in late July. He learned almost immediately that there's no such thing as turnkey when it comes to owning property. First, the outdoor wood-burning furnace didn't provide enough heat for the 1,700-square-foot house, then the dishwasher needed replacing, then diseased trees needed to be cut down, the land needed leveling and he had to build a proper driveway. It was a crash course in homeownership for Mr. DeVito, 46, a content and marketing executive for the New York Mets who still rents an apartment in Astoria but now spends most of his time in the Delaware County house he bought for $230,000. And now as the region settles into cooler weather, he and other recent first-time home buyers like him will have to learn how to grapple with unanticipated but seasonal home maintenance issues and costs. Does the house have or ...

If you've worked your way through the Thanksgiving leftovers, here's more to digest: The co-founder of Poison has penned a deal, a former NBA star is literally parting with his home court and, for the property of a late, great comic actor, the timing was right to find a buyer. Newsletter Inside the homes of the rich and famous. Glimpse their lives and latest real estate deals in our weekly Hot Property newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The two-story "sky villa" atop the Beverly Hills Gardenhouse complex is our Home of the Week. The building exterior is a mix of plant-clad exteriors crowned with geometrically shaped walls and windows. The more than 2,900 square feet of museum-like living space in the top-floor unit is united by a massive sculptural staircase. The asking price is $5.888 million. Once you're done reading about these deals, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can fi...

Just because winter is the darkest, coldest time of year in Michigan doesn't mean it has to be bleak. This year, more than ever, we're thinking that planning some winter getaways might be a nice way to stave off the seasonal blues. To help you start daydreaming about cozy cold-weather weekends, we've rounded up a dozen Michigan vacation rental cabins and cottages that stay open through the winter, with an emphasis on smaller spaces more fitting for the type of travel many folks are leaning toward this year (such as solo, single households, and small quarantine pods). The following listings all had dates available for winter 2020-2021 at the time of publication. Be sure to fully read all listings for any special guidelines for winter visits, or contact the host with questions. As always, listings are subject to changes in availability and pricing. More Michigan listings are available at Airbnb.com. A cabin along the Chocolay River in Marquette. Photo via Airbnb.com...

"We're incredibly excited to introduce guests to the raw beauty and unique landscape of central Wisconsin throughout all four seasons," said Chris Keiser , Co-Owner of Sand Valley. "This year more than ever, people are looking for a safe way to escape with their family and loved ones. With a plethora of outdoor adventures to explore and a cozy indoor setting with roaring fires, we feel that we're well positioned and prepared to give guests that perfect Midwest getaway." Adventure Awaits Beyond the links, the resort invites families, friends, and couples to reconnect in nature through outdoor adventures, such as hiking, fat-tire biking, bird watching, fishing, yoga, and more. Once the weather allows, Sand Valley will offer additional thrills including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, star gazing as well as convenient transportation to other local area winter attractions. To keep spirits bright throughout December, the prope...

combining overhanging concrete volumes with wooden lattice elements, rima arquitectura has completed a three-story family home in mexico city, mexico. dubbed 'bacatete house', the project is governed by the idea of creating an urban home that transports you to a different place, away from the city, through a sensory experience, where indoor and outdoor spaces merge and coexist harmoniously.  all images by frank lynen rima arquitectura has created an environment in which both the interior and the exterior spaces are closely interlinked. this was achieved by designing gardens that surround the house and create paths between nature and the building materials themselves, such as wood, stone, exposed concrete, carbon steel plate and glass. in this way, the outdoor paths, although simple, delineate a shift away from the city. as far as the materiality is concerned, rich, warm, and primitive textures have been applied to the exterior, while the interior is characterize...

Most of us could do with a change of scenery after lockdown – preferably one involving a cosy cottage somewhere in the countryside or on the coast.  And if the thought of spending Christmas elsewhere appeals, have a look at some of these ideas for where to get away for the festive season.   Dorset Fans of the TV drama Broadchurch already know the dramatic coastline of West Bay in Dorset, where rugged cliffs rise up from a long stretch of sandy beach. Bridport Cottages has a cute little two-bedroom West Bay Cottage right near the harbour, handy for a family bubble of four. There's a double bedroom and a twin, as well as a wood-burning stove in the stylish open-plan living-dining room and front and rear patios. There's still availability over Christmas when four nights cost £500, or stay seven nights for £675.   West Bay beach (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Cornwall Head to Cornwall's north coast for long walks along the South West Coast Pa...

After the year we've all had, most of us are in desperate need for a holiday - be it a staycation or a luxury round-the-world trip. But while we're often all too ready to jet off somewhere new and exciting, our holidays away are notably less fun for our dogs, with man's so-called best friend often being packed off to a relative or the kennels. Dogs deserve a holiday too (Credit: Unsplash) However, with a 650 per cent rise in people looking to adopt a doggo in lockdown, more and more people may be looking to take their puppy pals on holiday with them - and now, there are a number of UK destinations that are pooch-perfect. One such pet-friendly getaway is to the remote Wisteria Cottage in rural Wales. The cosy but luxurious hideaway welcomes up to three (well-behaved) dogs if you book their dog package with a minimum of three nights stay, and has plenty for both you and your pet to do. Wisteria Cottage serves Pawsecco on arrival (Credit: Rural Retrea...