101 Most Useful Sites
At Home

Plan a Home Remodeling Project: Home Improvement Calculator
Before you trek to the home-improvement warehouse store, figure out how much chartreuse paint you really need for your bathroom, or how much the stain-resistant carpeting will cost. The online tools at Golden Rule's Home Improvement Calculators answer these questions and more, such as how many tiles you'll need to cover a particular floor, how many rolls of wallpaper you'll need for the walls, and how much insulation you'll need above the ceiling overhead. You can even calculate how much you'll save on your heating bill by buying a new furnace. Just plug in the numbers and press "Submit!" before you go out to buy that orange shag carpeting you've always wanted.

Renovate Your House: Better Homes and Gardens Home Improvement Encyclopedia
The kitchen faucet is leaky. The bathroom wallpaper is from 1966-and it shows. You could call a plumber and a painter (and thus spend a lot of cash), or you could tackle both jobs yourself. But don't replace an inch of pipe before consulting the Better Homes and Gardens Home Improvement Encyclopedia.

Find a Home-Building Plan: Builder Online
A man's home is ostensibly his castle. But if your place looks like an abode found on the wrong side of the moat, it's time to move on up. Start at Builder Online's searchable database of thousands of house plans. Enter the square footage you desire, the number of bed- and bathrooms, and a preferred style, and you'll get to see drawings and floor plans of homes matching your criteria. Once you've found your San Simeon, the full plans are available for a fee.

Get Help Relocating: VirtualRelocation.com
Thinking of moving from New York to Seattle? You will save a bundle in local income taxes, but you'll have fewer than half as many sunny days. So says the Compare Cities feature of Virtual Relocation.com, which generates a side-by-side statistical comparison of your present and potential hometowns.

Prepare for an Earthquake: EQE Earthquake Home Preparedness Guide
If you live near a fault line, you should make sure you're ready when the inevitable quake comes. The EQE Earthquake Home Preparedness Guide can help you prepare both your home and your family. The "Projects You Should Do" section steps you through projects both simple (how to hang pictures to keep them from falling) and complex (how to strap your water heater to prevent a natural-gas explosion). Beyond the home-improvement techniques, this site also helps you calculate how much earthquake insurance you need, helps you plot a plan of action before an earthquake, and provides specific tips for after an earthquake. Head here before the Big One-your computer might not be working afterward.

Turn Your Thumb Green: GardenGuides.com
If your bulbs are a bust, your cacti have croaked, and your ferns have fizzled, you should consult GardenGuides b efore you plant again. Pick your plant from the lists-annuals, bulbs, perennials, vegetables, and herbs-and the guides tell you when and where to plant. You'll also find tips on such general gardening topics as composting, storing vegetables, and starting seeds. Transform your garden from an arid wasteland to a jungle of delight.

Keep Your Home Clean and Green: Green Living Center
By now, most communities have recycling programs. If you'd like to do more than just toss your recyclables into a plastic bucket for curbside pickup, check out the Green Living Center. Choose an area of your home or an aspect of living you'd like to make "greener" and you'll get tips on how to use renewable resources or energy-saving techniques there. For instance, choose your living room, then "Painting and Finishing Products" to learn why paint can still be dangerous in the post-lead era, and what kind of paint you should buy to be environmentally friendly. Green living isn't just for the environment; it's good for your health, too.

Avoid Unsafe Products: SafetyAlerts.com
Before you buy a new baby carrier or some frozen dinners, check here first. Yes, even food, toys, and child-care products can sometimes be deadly. SafetyAlerts.com's hit list keeps you up on the downsides, before hazardous goods cause a tragedy in your household. This free service will e-mail you the details of the latest toy recalls and food alerts, or you can check the site for recent warnings.