It is a good idea for every homeowner to have a few essential tools around the house for routine maintenance, mandatory repairs, or should an unfortunate emergency fix need to be handled.

Here are 18 Tools that Every Homeowner Should Have Around

Phillips Head Screwdriver

A Phillips head screwdriver looks like an x or a + sign at the tip and is one of the most common tools in a toolbox. Even better is a screwdriver with interchangeable heads. This will allow you to work with screws of different sizes as well as flathead screws.

Flat Head Screwdriver

The flat head screwdriver is the most universal and useful of screwdrivers. It is good to have a few sizes such as small, medium, and large. As noted above a screwdriver with interchangeable heads allows you to only need one screwdriver in your box.

Tape Measure

A tape measure is useful for so many things, including helping to hang pictures and determining if a piece of furniture will fit in a room.

Level

So important for hanging anything on walls and making sure all of your handy work is straight.

Utility Knife

From helping to cut open Amazon packages to pulling out old caulking in the bathroom there are countless helpful uses for a utility knife.

Hammer

This one is probably the first tool people think about when they think toolbox. Not only is a hammer essential in the use of nails, it is good as a crowbar, for pulling out nails, and tapping things into place. A good quality hammer is long and lightweight.

Putty Knife

These of course are helpful for spreading putty they are also very helpful in the scraping of items like glue and paint from where they...

During the cold months, Kids Planet in Brownsburg is a perfect place to take the kids for a full day of play. Kids Planet is a four story indoor playground that is well-beloved by many kids and families in Brownsburg.

There are many different activities to appeal to kids of all ages and types at Kids Planet, but the most popular feature is the four-story indoor massive jungle gym. It includes multiple levels to climb through with twisted and curve slides, tunnels, and overlooks. Some of the most popular spots in the play structure include the trampoline, ball pit , ball cannons, and a kinetic-sand pit. Kids up to the age of 14 are permitted in the giant play structure. Shoes must be removed and socks are mandatory.

For the tiny tot toddler crowd there is a special space. This allows them to play on toys more fit to their size and gives peace of mind to parents that they will not be overrun by bigger kids. The toddler space is filled with plenty of fun toys to climb and explore.

In addition to the main attraction is a very large gaming arcade. There are games for kids of all ages to enjoy. Arcade games are accessible through a prepaid/preloaded electronic cards. These cards keep track of your points (instead of the game machine spitting out paper tickets to turn in) when you are done playing in the arcade you can take your electronic card over to the prize center to see how many points you have earned and what prize you can choose.

When you get hungry from all of the energy and activity, there is a large concession area with plenty of seating. This is also the area where Kids Planet hosts parties.

Operating...

One of the best places to get outside and enjoy the winter wonderland that is central Indiana is in Avon. Two years ago the Avon Ice rink began offering ice bumper cars in addition to other fun outdoor activities. It is a much-loved spot for winter fun amongst locals and visitors alike.

Avon is a suburb of Indianapolis with about 17,500 residents. Avon is well known for its amazing parks and plethora of outdoor adventure opportunities to enjoy the entire year. In the winter, the town of Avon seems to become a magical sparkling outdoor winter wonderland all a buzz with fun festive activities. They are perfect to help with indulging in those holiday treats with little to no guilt because they will keep you active.

The Avon Ice Rink is just one of those places in Avon that offers great things to do in the winter. It is the first “iceless” rink in the county. The rink is open all winter and the “iceless” feature makes it available to enjoy despite what temperature it is. The rink is in a new location this year at the RBI Fields that were formerly the Avon Softball Park. The address for RBI Fields is 104 South County Road 625E.

The Iceless Rink

Instead of frozen water, the rink is made of a synthetic material that is coated in a non-toxic chemical, that makes the surface slick and slippery just like ice. It is smooth and easy to glide on. No canceled days because of melted ice here.

The Bumper Cars

The bumper cars are a huge hit and a main draw to the Avon Ice Rink each year. There are about 10 cars that...

Binkley’s Kitchen and Bar is under new ownership as of last November. Courtney Whistler, a long-time employee of the Broad Ripple restaurant scene is the new owner. She was ready to roll up her sleeves and dive into this new adventure and whatever challenges it would bring but did not expect to face a pandemic. The new year ushered in the need to get creative as she re-opened Binkley’s.

Before taking ownership of Binkley’s, Courtney worked just across the street at the Ambrosia restaurant for almost 15 years. Courtney also founded a catering company with her husband aptly named Whistler Catering. She still runs the catering business with her husband and both jobs have helped her to gain much knowledge and experience for the food industry.

Over the last few years, Courtney and her husband have tried to purchase other restaurants, but none fell into place, until the deal for Binkley’s . It was such a perfect opportunity that it seemed like the next natural step in her career. The sale just seemed to work out well for all involved.

Courtney and her staff used the pandemic shutdowns to capitalize on and benefit from time to make some improvements to the interior of the restaurant. Everyone took the “down time” from only fulfilling carry-out orders to pick up a handy job and get renovations done through the spring and summer.

There is now an entrance to the room between both sides of the bar so that both sides are connected. The bar area has received a total makeover with a new granite bar top and a new face to the base of the bar. There is also new pendant lighting over the bar. All of the tables have been...

Home staging is vitally important, even in a sellers’ market like we are in right now. Home staging is the act of designing and setting up a home to present to potential buyers. It is a way of showing off your home’s best features to get it sold. Many times staged homes sell faster and for higher prices than ones that are just put on the market as-is.

One thing to be careful about, especially if you do not have a large sum of extra cash lying around, is that the cost of staging can quickly add up. There are some ways in which you can successfully stage your home without spending a ton of money. Here’s how:

Don’t Paint Trim

If your home needs a fresh coat of paint or a totally new color to bring it to a more pleasing neutral palate, there is rarely a need to paint the trim. This can save a considerable amount of time and money.

Don’t Refinish Floors

If you have hardwood floors that are not in brand new shape, don’t think you need to spend the money to refinish them. Many times a good cleaning and a few touch ups are all you need. Hardwood floors are very trendy right now and most buyers see them as an upgrade no matter their condition, unless of course they are extremely bad.

Don’t Buy Furniture

It is not uncommon for homeowners to think they need to get updated and trendy furnishings to help show off the home. While this may help and many professional stagers rent all new furniture for the home owner to “borrow,” it is not mandatory to effective staging. Just pair down what is already in the home. If a space needs to feel highlighted or finished and you do not have something ask a friend or family member to borrow a piece while you...

Mallow Run Winery is just outside of the town of Greenwood, and on the weekends you will find many Greenwood residents love to hang out here.

This winery sits on a 600-acre farm in the town of Bargersville just south of Greenwood. It is a family-run business that has been in the Richardson family since 1835. Mallow Run is named after a creek that runs through the farm. The creek was named after the farm’s original owner, George Mallow, the great-great-great-grandfather of Bill Richardson who now owns Mallow Run.

Bill and his wife Laura opened a winery on the property in 2005. Bill was unaware that the creek on the property had a name until his days at Purdue University while looking at a map of the property.

The original plan for grapes started with Bill’s father John. He planted an acre of grapes at the farm in 2000 after he read an article reporting that Indiana winemakers were looking for farmers to grow grapes. His plan was to just grow some grapes, but Bill and Laura set their sights on doing more with the crop and that’s how the winery came to be.

Bill learned the trade as he worked at Oliver Winery and read about wine making after graduating from Purdue. Bill and Laura intended to keep the winery small when they began, but the love and support of the local community has grown the business to something bigger.

One of the most loved things about Mallow Run is the summer events on Saturday nights. There is live music and pizza is served or food trucks come out. Some events are free and some require paid tickets for admission. Concert goers are always welcome to bring their own picnic. The Picnic Concert Series runs from Memorial Day through the end of September (in a normal year)....

When searching for a home most people have a list either that they have written down or is on their mind about what they want in their next “perfect” home. Most of the details like what the kitchen should look like, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, how many square feet, big yard or small, an extra living space, etc. are considered. What many people don’t put on their list is the roads around a home. These don’t really seem to be a deal-breaker if a home has everything on the list. A little known fact: roads can have a big impact on the sale of a home.

Roads that Negatively Impact Home Sales

Near an Intersection with a Traffic Light- traffic lights can be irritating when they shine into windows at night, but they are also an indicator of a significantly busy road.

Roads with Double Yellow Lines- These are a definite sign of higher traffic or roads that require more attention due to potential safety hazards.

Highways- highways are not just an eyesore, they are very noisy at all hours of the day. Dirt and Gravel Roads- Out in very rural areas this is not a problem as it is expected, but in areas close to towns a dirt road is a turn-off. Dirt roads keep your car constantly dirty with dust storms and puddles on rainy days. They also tend to have a good amount of potholes.

Dead Ends- We are not including cul-de-sacs in this category as they provide ample space to turn around. These are roads that just end and make it difficult to get around.

When shopping for homes it is a good idea to visit a home during several different times of the day to assess what the nearby roads are like. The traffic can differ during the day. The roads may be quiet...