Curating the perfect home is no easy feat, especially if you are doing it without any professional help.

For all the design DIYers out there in need of a little direction, we reached out to a couple Calgary designers for their foolproof colour palettes, design schemes and decorative themes that are sure to sizzle in any space. The best part is that anyone can pull these looks together – no experience necessary.

To the uninitiated, plumbing repairs and maintenance can be intimidating. Major repairs and plumbing emergencies are no doubt best left to the professionals, but with a few tools and a bit of knowhow, smaller fixes can be accomplished by any homeowner.

With that in mind, here are five tips for the aspiring DIY plumber:

May is national "Moving Month," which comes during a busy spring for the Calgary housing market, with record homes sales so far this year.

All those home sales mean lots of people on the move. Unfortunately, there are always epic tales circulating about bad moving experiences, including damaged or missing items, bloated costs and even home furnishings held hostage.

The art displayed in a home provides personality, creates a welcoming atmosphere and offers a glimpse of your unique style to guests. And while there aren't many unbreakable rules for choosing and arranging art, you still don't want to fling it all over the place with little thought to how those pieces work with each other or the space.

Here are four guiding principles that will have your home looking like an expertly curated gallery in no time.

Now and then, Calgarians going for a morning walk in their community are stunned to discover that a house on their street has disappeared overnight.

No, the house wasn't whisked away by a tornado like in The Wizard of Oz – it's all part of a a way to "recycle" homes that ends up benefiting landowners in two locations.

For homeowners, insurance is an inescapable expense that can quickly add up when stacked on top of other financial obligations like a mortgage, property taxes and utilities. That's why it's important to make sure you're getting the best deal possible – even a few small discounts applied to your premiums can turn into huge savings over time.

If your home's interior is feeling a bit drab and lifeless, adding a handful of houseplants to the mix can make a world of difference. This is especially true during the winter, when a little bit of greenery inside can help you forget about the weather outside.

Inside the home, lighting does so much more than help you see. The right lighting can improve your mood, create the perfect atmosphere and highlight all the features of your home that you love the most.

If your current configuration is coming up short, here are four foolproof tips for taking your home's lighting to the next level:

Even if you wouldn't describe yourself as handy, it's important for homeowners to have the skills and equipment to tackle routine maintenance and repairs. Thankfully, most of those tasks require nothing more than a few basic tools and a little elbow grease.