While practical advice for home owners may not be something you'd expect to receive from Southern Living magazine's Web site, the magazine's online equivalent actually covers an array of topics helpful to home owners, including various home maintenance procedures, restoration efforts, even community profiles (all of them located in the South, of course). The most home owner-relevant material is found on the site's "Homes and Interiors" link, which allows users access to archived articles, as well. Unlike many magazines, which only reveal headlines or brief summaries of their articles and dangle the subscription carrot in front of consumers, Southern Living includes the full text to all of its published articles on its Web site. This site is extremely well-designed, visually appealing, and very comprehenive. It's well worth saving in your "Favorites" file.

This month's issue contains an eye-opening piece on home lightning protection systems, something most home owners have never considered, but nevertheless may save home owners considerable costs in damage to their houses. The systems actually guide lightning away from a house and toward the ground. This is precisely the kind of information home owners need -- particularly in the midst of such a stormy year. Southern Living reaches beyond the typical subjects and searches for timely and innovative material instead. Another example from this month's issue: an online tour of your home's foundation -- its components, along with detailed diagrams and instructions for preserving their integrity. In other words, practical advice that can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs. For consumers who are building their own homes, the article includes facts and figures on proper measurements and dimensions related to foundation, as well as recommendations on how to keep out water and excessive moisture.

The site's community profiles (this month's is Celebration, Fla., a Disney-developed community) are well-written with accompanying photos. Approached from a "you are there" perspective, they often take readers into the lives of local residents, enabling them to experience local color without leaving their own computers.

You'll also find a "More Home Projects" link that gives you a myriad of additional options: Idea Homes and Seminars, including an interactive floor plan; real estate terms and building terms; choosing bricks; making the most of attic space; flooring options; architecture; kitchens; and building advice. Particularly noteworthy is the "Project Plans" link, which instructs users on how to construct their own basic items of furniture (a kitchen work table and a coffee table, for example), as well as various decorative items. A "House Plan" link includes several different floor plans, which users may download to help them design their own dream homes.

When you're finished checking out this wealth of home owners' information, head back to Southern Living's home page, where you'll find links to a complete recipe archive -- including many local Southern delicacies -- as well as articles on travel in the South, gardening and landscaping, events and programs relevant to home ownership, and an online market, where users may purchase an idea house video, as well house plans, project plans, and information about landscaping projects, among other materials.

Managed by a parent company called Southern Progress, Southern Living magazine is under the umbrella with other publications including Coastal Living, Cooking Light, and Progressive Farmer, all of which may be accessed through the Southern Living Web site. Whether it's practical do-it-yourself advice or a virtual tour of the South you're looking for, you'll find it on Southern Living magazine's Web site. You'll find everything here that you'd find on the newsstand -- and more.

Published: September 22, 1998

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.

Courtney Ronan is a freelance writer who contributes a weekly column profiling various communities. She also writes a weekly review of real estate related web sites. Courtney's career in journalism has included recent stints as managing editor of Agent News and as associate editor of Texas Business magazine.

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