The Housing Muse Podcast with Melissa Dittmann Tracey

EPSIODE 53: What’s hot in 2025 for home design? To sum up, it’s getting loud! Home designer and stager Krisztina Bell joins Melissa Dittmann Tracey on The Housing Muse Podcast to break down the hottest home trends for 2025 ... the paint colors, the interior and exterior home trends, all of those arches, kitchen trends and more. Find out the trends they like--and the ones you may want to avoid.  Check out The Housing Muse Blog: 2025 Colors of the Year: The Paint Trends to Watch View the colors mentioned on the episode—and see what you think.   Listen to more Housing Muse Podcast episodes featuring Krisztina Bell: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/krisztina-bell/

EPISODE 52: Jody Costello was eager to start a two-story addition on her 1940s home that would include an owner’s suite and upper deck. But she quickly learned hiring the wrong contractor for the job can be a costly mistake. A leaky roof, shoddy work, surging costs, and a constantly MIA contractor eventually resulted in a lawsuit and a three-year battle to try to recoup costs and get her project completed. Costello is now the creator of the website “Contractors From Hell,” where she helps homeowners remodel smart. Listen to her story and tips so that you never have to face a home remodeling nightmare, like she once did.  Learn more about Jody Costello: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/jody-costello/   Contractors From Hell website (download her “7 Mistakes Homeowners Make That Lead to Disasters”): https://contractorsfromhell.com   Listen to more episodes of The Housing Muse: https://www.housingmuse.com

EPISODE 51: What is feng shui? Can it actually make you feel good and make you like your home more? Could it even help you sell your home? Feng Shui expert and author Steve Kodad joins The Housing Muse Podcast to breakdown the principles of this ancient art to spatial arrangement and building design, and offers insights on its potential real estate impact.   Learn more about Steve Kodad (https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/steve-kodad/) and TheFengShuiCure.com (https://www.thefengshuicure.com/)   Listen to more episodes of The Housing Muse Podcast: https://www.housingmuse.com/

EPISODE 50: The overstuffed closets, cluttered counters and piles of unopened mail may be more than just household annoyances. It may be hurting your mental or physical health—maybe even more than you know. Professional organizer Linda Samuels joins The Housing Muse Podcast to offer up some helpful clutter cures to take back control over your home—and possibly your sanity!   Learn more about Linda Samuels: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/linda-samuels-1/   How Clutter Creates Stress and Anxiety: Strategies for Decluttering (HouseLogic.com, by Melissa Dittmann Tracey) https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/cleaning-decluttering/how-clutter-creates-stress-anxiety-decluttering-strategies/   Follow @housingmuse … On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/housingmuse On X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/housingmuse   Listen to more episodes of The Housing Muse Podcast, including “How You’re Cleaning Your Home All Wrong!” and “5 House Problems That Will Make You Want to Move.”   https://www.housingmuse.com

EPISODE 49: A fixer upper--that is, a home in need of some TLC--could help you strike real estate gold, allowing you to possibly even double or triple the home’s value. But to get that type of ROI, you need to buy smart. We offer up 10 key things to consider before purchasing a fixer upper, whether it’s your pathway to afford homeownership or an investment property.    Is That Fixer-Upper House Really Worth It? (HouseLogic.com) https://www.houselogic.com/buy/house-hunting/is-buying-a-fixer-upper-worth-it/   Does Your Home Have 1 of the 3 Major Health Hazards? (Realtor Magazine) https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/wellness/safety/does-your-home-have-1-of-the-3-major-health-hazards   Follow @housingmuse on Instagram or X, formerly known as Twitter ... https://www.instagram.com/housingmuse https://twitter.com/housingmuse   Listen to more episodes of The Housing Muse Podcast at https://www.housingmuse.com

EPISODE 48: Many of us are making mistakes in cleaning our homes, and it could be hurting our home—and even our health. Yikes! Cleaning expert Debbie Sardone joins The Housing Muse Podcast to tell us the right way to clean.  Here’s some extra incentive in why you should want to: A clean home makes YOU look good. Seriously! A new study from the American Cleaning Institute finds that 60% of Americans say they feel more attracted to their partner when they take the initiative to clean the house. And, college students say they’ll break up with a date if they find they live in a “dirty” home. So, save your relationship and tune in for some deep cleaning hacks!   Read my article at Houselogic.com: How to Deep Clean Your Home for Spring—or Any Time https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/cleaning-decluttering/how-to-deep-clean-your-home/   Learn more about our special guest, Debbie Sardone: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/debbie-sardone/    Visit the Housingmuse.com for more episodes, blog posts & extras … https://www.housingmuse.com/   What’s “hot” or “not” in home design? Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram @housingmuse to weigh in: https://www.instagram.com/housingmuse

EPISODE 47: A lot can go wrong with a house. It’s the less glamorous side to homeownership. But if you ignore some key signs, you could find small problems quickly turn into really BIG problems that may even make you want to toss over your house keys and move. Joining the Housing Muse Podcast is Scott Loignon, the owner of WIN Home Inspection in New Hampshire. In this episode, he will share five house problems you don’t want to ignore. And, here’s a silver-lining: If you catch many of these house problems early enough, you won’t feel like you’ll have to move. So, don’t start packing up those moving boxes quite yet.   Learn more about this episode’s special guest: Scott Loignon with WIN Home Inspection https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/scott-loignon/   Find more episodes & articles on real estate and home trends: https://www.housingmuse.com/   8 Common Home Inspection Issues: Fix Now or Later? https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/sales-marketing/8-common-home-inspection-issues-fix-now-or-later

EPISODE 46: You may have never given much thought to estate sales, but they could prove to be a “home rescue,” no matter if you’re the seller or the possible buyer. Estate sales can help you quickly clear a home due to a changing life circumstance or help you offset a costly move across the country. Estate sales can be a way to score some major discounts on household items and furniture. Learn how estate sales could be the answer to your homeownership needs—and the proper etiquette if you go to one!   Learn more about this episode’s featured guest: Bob Lang, brand president of Blue Moon Estate Sales: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/bob/   Blue Moon Estate Sales: https://www.bluemoonestatesales.com   Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram @housingmuse https://www.instagram.com/housingmuse   Leave a rating or review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-housing-muse-podcast-with-melissa-dittmann-tracey/id1578371167

EPISODE 45: The money-saving episode! Home appliances and household purchases can really bite into a budget. But how would you like to save potentially hundreds of dollars? Luckily, there are plenty of studies that can help turn us into savvy shoppers when it comes to outfitting the home. Housing Muse Host Melissa Dittmann Tracey sums up all the research, including the best time to buy certain household products, where to buy and the average lifespan of products so that you can start budgeting ahead. As mentioned in this episode: Money-saving tools, apps and articles … GeoQpon app (for coupon savings): https://www.geoqpons.com/ Capital One Shopping: https://capitaloneshopping.com/ PriceGrabber: https://www.pricegrabber.com/ Google Shopping: https://shopping.google.com/?pli=1   What’s the Best Credit Card for Buying Furniture? (U.S. News & World Report): https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/articles/whats-the-best-credit-card-for-buying-furniture   Is Amazon the Cheapest Place to Buy Household Products? We Do the Math (CNET): https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/is-amazon-the-cheapest-place-to-buy-household-products/   Best Deals on Home and Kitchen Products (Consumer Reports): https://www.consumerreports.org/money/sales-promotions/best-deals-on-home-and-kitchen-products-right-now-a2058201511/   Follow us: @housingmuse on Instagram and X Housingmuse.com: https://www.housingmuse.com/

EPISODE 44: It’s the merriest, most stressful time of year! Nearly 60% of Americans say they’re stressed out about the holidays, and that’s mostly due to preparing and decorating the home, according to a new survey from Thumbtack. After all, guests will soon be arriving at your doorstep and judging your home. Sorry to say, but they’ll be scrutinizing everything, from the looks to the smell. Let’s all make a better impression this holiday season, while also lessening the stress. Sound too good to be true? In this episode, we breakdown three cleaning styles and personas—Neatnick Nancy, Surely Enough Sally and Laid-Back Laurie—to offer up practical steps to get your house ready—just in time for the holidays. Best of all, hopefully rid you of some of that holiday stress!   Home Cleaning Tips for Every Hosting Vibe (Houselogic.com): https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/cleaning-decluttering/home-cleaning-tips-for-every-hosting-vibe/   Thumbtack's 2023 Holiday Guide: https://blog.thumbtack.com/prepare-for-the-holiday-season-stress-free-9f18a3207a4c   Sound credit for holiday music: Milton   Housingmuse.com Housing Muse on Instagram @housingmuse

EPSIODE 43: What’s hot in 2024 in home design? Time to find out! From “dopamine décor” to sculptural and darker home elements and some wild color schemes, home designer and stager Krisztina Bell joins The Housing Muse Podcast to break down the trends entering into more homes. We get real on the latest design trends as well as ideas on how to incorporate them into your home—as well as those trends you might want to avoid! Check out The Housing Muse Blog: 2024 Colors of the Year: The Paint Trends to Watch View the colors mentioned on the episode—and see what you think.   Learn more about Krisztina Bell

EPISODE 42: Every crime has a setting, and sadly too often, it plays out inside a home. Even if you’re a law-abiding citizen, you could face the fallout from crime in real estate. In this episode, we unpack five fearful real estate situations. Be prepared to get scared on everything from stigmatized properties, ghosts and paranormal activity, meth labs to varmints (“the snake house”—oh my!) and more. Housingmuse.com Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, @housingmuse.

EPISODE 41: Pickleball is serving up some serious wins in real estate, like revitalizing once-abandoned shopping malls into booming pickleball hubs. Developers are in a race to bring more pickleball courts to more places all across the country. But there’s also a dark-side to America’s fastest-growing sport—that’s getting louder and louder.  In this episode: Learn more about the rapid growth of America’s newest favorite sport and how it’s shaking up real estate.Beware P-NIMBY: Pickleball, not in my backyard. What to watch for if pickleball courts are soon coming closer to your home.   Links: Pickleball Courts Serve an Ace for Vacant Malls, Retail Stores Follow Housing Muse on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @housingmuse. Housingmuse.com – to listen to more episodes, read our blog and submit a review!

EPISODE 40: It’s one of our favorite regular segments on The Housing Muse: Quiz Time! Take our interactive quiz to test how smart you are when it comes to the latest real estate and home design trends, home maintenance and more. (Hint: If you’re a regular listener to The Housing Muse, you’ll fare well! Otherwise, we’re going to teach you a few things.) Take our quiz and chime in with your answer to see how many you get right.   Episodes/Articles Mentioned in This Episode:   Decorate Like a Designer: 5 Affordable Home Accessories (The Housing Muse Blog) Take More Housing Muse Real Estate Quizzes! A Sophisticated Twist on the ‘Barbiecore’ Craze (Styled, Staged & Sold blog) Episode 23: 10 Ways You’re Screwing Up Your Home’s Value Episode 29: Home Sellers Are Liars! Episode 30: 5 DIY Tasks Home Inspectors Want You to STOP Doing Episode 36: Allergy-Proof Your Landscape Episode 39: How to Clean Your Home’s Indoor Air Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram @housingmuse

EPISODE 39: Just like you clean your home on a regular basis, you can clean your home’s air, too. More research is showing why you should. Consider, this stat: Indoor air can contain two to five times more pollutants than outside, according to research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Yes, your home’s indoor air tends to be more toxic than outside! Most Americans spend a majority of their time indoors, which means you could be breathing in dirty air on a regular basis. However, there’s plenty you can do to change that. Housing Muse host Melissa Tracey has talked to the experts to round up several easy ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality and give you a fresher breath.     Check out HouseLogic.com for more on this topic: Indoor Air Quality Solutions for Your Home Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram and Twitter Leave a review for the Housing Muse: Housingmuse.com

EPISODE 38: In part 2, we continue to highlight HGTV-inspired home design tips and tricks to make your home look as pretty as they do on TV. We also cover a few trends that may best be reserved for TV—and not real-life.   Check out The Housing Muse blog to view an infographic of TV designers’ favorite home accessories: https://www.housingmuse.com/blog/hgtv-inspired-home-accessories-for-any-budget/   Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram and Twitter.   Visit the home of The Housing Muse: Housingmuse.com

EPISODE 37: Home buyers are overwhelmingly disappointed at homes they tour for-sale. Why? Because they don’t look as pretty as they do on TV. The HGTV-effect is skewing our impressions of how a home should look. But there are some easy (and affordable ways!) to get our homes looking as pretty as they do on TV. Housing Muse Host Melissa Dittmann Tracey gathers up ideas inspired by the shows and hosts on HGTV. This is part one of a two-part series on HGTV-inspired ideas. Check out The Housing Muse blog to view an infographic of the top home accessories that TV design hosts often turn to: https://www.housingmuse.com/blog/hgtv-inspired-home-accessories-for-any-budget/  Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram and Twitter. Visit the Housing Muse's home: Housingmuse.com

EPISODE 36: Seasonal allergies can be a nuisance. Your home’s outdoor plantings may be making it worse. Joining The Housing Muse Podcast is gardening guru Linda Vater to share which plants may be more prone to triggering allergies, and how to plan a landscape so that you can breathe a little easier. SHOW NOTES Learn more about Linda Vater Find gardening tips at Linda's YouTube channel Allergy Forecast Apps Allergy Plus by Pollen.com Zyrtec Allergycast WeatherWell Housing Muse home: housingmuse.com Follow the Housing Muse on Twitter or Instagram @housingmuse *DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this podcast are for information purposes only and the opinions of the host and guest. Please consult a health professional for any medical issues that you may be experiencing.

EPISODE 35: The top concerns from homeowners recently surveyed about selling their home: They fear their home is in need of too many repairs, has an outdated interior, not trendy enough fixtures and lacks curb appeal. Sorry to say, but all of those things could potentially lessen your sales price! So there’s reason to fear. But a pre-listing improvement or renovation could help—and you don’t even have to foot the bill for it. Olivia Mariani from the company Curbio joins The Housing Muse Podcast to talk about this latest trend in real estate, and how it’s helping home sellers see some impressive results. Curbio’s website: Curbio.com Learn more about Olivia Mariani: https://www.housingmuse.com/guests/olivia-mariani/ The Housing Muse’s home: housingmuse.com Follow the Housing Muse on Instagram or Twitter @housingmuse

EPISODE 34: To get into real estate today, do you need to adopt a “mooch strategy?” Possibly. Young adults have been moving back home in record numbers—and even well into adulthood. Parents are footing the bills, and even helping their adult children achieve homeownership later on—that is, when they do finally move out. The mooch strategy may be in response to an out-of-whack real estate market where first-time home buyers and renters are facing surging prices. Housing Muse host Melissa Dittmann Tracey shares three steps to the mooch strategy that reveals a legacy of mooching to get ahead, and how this trend could influence the design of our homes in the future. Visit the Housing Muse’s home at housingmuse.com Follow Housing Muse on Twitter and Instagram @housingmuse