Save a Small Fortune when Moving House with This Top Guide

July 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

If you want to save money when moving house, then you need to take your time and consider every cost possible. If you try and work out everything in advance then you will be much more likely to factor in every expense and you may even find that you won’t end up having to spend money on things that you might have forgotten about at the last minute. If you want some more helpful tips then simply look below.

Declutter

Before you even attempt to pack up all of your items, you need to make sure that you declutter everything, If you try and pack up items that you are not even sure you still want anymore, then this will make your packing up way more stressful. Decluttering your stuff will make things way easier when it comes to packing and it will make the cost of your removal way cheaper too. At the end of the day, the price of your home removal will ultimately depend on how many items you are taking with you.

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Compare Moving Services

The next thing that you need to do is ensure that you are using comparison sites to find a good moving company. When you do, you will soon find that the move becomes way less stressful and that you can also save yourself a lot of time as well. At the end of the day, you should be really comparing quotes as this will help you to make sure that you are saving money all across the board. If you want some help moving then North American Van Lines can help you out.

Book an Off-Peak Move

It goes without saying that you have to book your removal company, long in advance. Companies may be able to offer you some special deals if you book enough in advance. Of course, the summer months tend to be the most popular time for you to move and this is because the days are brighter, and you also have longer days too. The problem with this is that moving companies will often put up their prices so that they can compete with the demand. If you are able to, then try and delay the move until after the summer holidays so that you can move in the autumn.

Book the Cheapest Day

Another thing that you need to do is try and book the cheapest day to move house. If you book your moving company in plenty of time then this will help you to get a better deal. It can also mean that you are not going to be blindsided by added costs that might not have been expected. If you are on a budget then the best time for you to book your move would be on Sunday. Friday tends to be the most popular day for people to move as it gives them the weekend to settle in, but moving companies will often put up their prices so that they can accommodate the higher demand if you do this, so keep that in mind.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: declutter, Home, House, Moving

3 Home Problems Worth Treating As Emergencies

June 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

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When maintaining our homes, oftentimes we can put off essential work until a date in which applying the remedy would be more convenient. For example, if the paint is starting to peel from your garage door, it’s understandable why you wouldn’t break out the stripping knife and paints ten minutes before you pick your children up from school.

However, there are some issues that if left untended, or not regularly inspected, can grow quite significantly. This can sometimes lead to work that takes much more time and requires much more expense to fully resolve.

Yet for those of us who aren’t experts in all matters of DIY or home construction, distinguishing one from the other can seem like a difficult task. For instance, a broken window can be boarded up initially, but how long should we leave it like this until we are truly harming the security or insulation of our home to a worrying point? Is it worth calling out that emergency number and not waiting until the weekend is over?

In this post, we hope to give you three examples that can aid your understanding with these matters:

Roof Leaks Or Faded Insulation

If you notice a roof leak, or feel that your insulation is damaged or ineffective, it’s important to have those two issues sorted out pronto. Of course, the first of these examples is quite obvious to see, but the second can also contribute to the first, or rather open you up to the problem after one minute of heavy rainfall. With the best attic insulation https://www.insulatekansascity.com/attic-insulation/ from Insulatek, you’re sure to have the materials necessary for resolving the problem.

Damp

Damp is not just a somewhat unattractive spread of mold on the ceiling. It can be a dangerous presence of moisture that grows both toxins and spores. This can harm the lungs of those who breathe this in, especially the elderly or newborn babies. Damp often has a particular scent, but it can sometimes be hard to detect before it becomes a real problem. This means inspecting your bathroom, your walls (behind the furniture) of every room in the house, and especially in your basement will help you find it more quickly. Furthermore, be sure to properly ventilate your home for good measure.

Wall Cracks

Wall cracks can emphasize or declare subsidence, and this can mean that the foundations are starting to lose their structural integrity, are moving, or perhaps the walls are losing their structural strength. This can be a real hazard, so it’s important to move away from that room if you can, and speak to professional construction services. Sometimes, this can denote intensive construction work as repair, and so it’s important to speak to your insurance providers to see what your options are. Yet it’s always better to incur expense than to avoid a very dangerous home situation.

With this advice, we hope you can take care of the 3 home problems worth treating as emergencies.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: attic, Children, cracks, damp, DIY, Home, House, insulation, maintaining, maintenance, roof leaks, walls, Weekend

How to Throw a Dinner Party With a Difference

May 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Image by vargazs from Pixabay

When planning a dinner party, you want to make yours something different – not like everyone else’s you have been to before. You could do a theme or put on food which is a bit ‘out there,’ or you could make a few simple little twists and make it a dinner party with a difference.

Invite People Who Don’t Know Each Other

While many people do this anyway, it’s worth putting on this list because it’s important. Inviting people who don’t know each other to your dinner party allows for a far more interesting conversation. Instead of it just being the usual group of mates who hang out anyway, bringing people together who might not normally meet can be really fun. You might see some fantastic debates or spark some special friendships.

Have Everyone Bring A Dish

It can be fun to ask people to bring something to your dinner party. This could be a pot-luck idea where you don’t know what everyone is bringing, or it could be a dish that you have told them to bring. It doesn’t even have to be a main part of the dinner but perhaps some taster dishes to show people their favorite dish or small for a starter buffet. Think aloo tikki, homemade dips, canapes, or a taster of your favorite meatballs.

Cook only show-stopping dishes

Impress! Don’t go half-hearted, this dinner party is where you go all out. By show-stopping dishes, this doesn’t mean that it has to look like a Michelin starred restaurant, but what it does mean is that it has to taste amazing. Whatever you serve, make sure that it’s something you do really really well, and everyone who’s ever tried it loves it.

Play Games

You’re never too old to play games, and at a dinner party, there’s no better time. It could be post-its on your head for a quick round of ‘Who Am I’ in between courses, the After Eight game once you have finished, or even cracking out the board games. There are some fabulous dinner party games out there, so have a look and see what you think would suit your crowd.

Serve A Signature Cocktail

When everyone arrives, don’t ask them what they want to drink, simply serve them your signature dinner party cocktail. Make it something easy to make, something that looks cool tastes delicious and has a snappy personal name.

Sharing Platters

Rather than the main meal, why not serve sharing platters? This way, there’s more food for people to try, and people love the relaxed atmosphere of sharing food. It also brings people closer and is a really nice way for people to eat.

Use Different Rooms of the House

It’s a really nice idea to use different rooms of the house for different things. For example, you could have one room as your reception room where you mingle and drink in the beginning. Move somewhere else to eat your dinner, and then another room could be the dessert room. Finish off in the lounge or garden or play games or have a party.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: cocktail, dish, Games, Home, House, invite, Party, people, restaurant, rooms

Calling All Homeowners – Here’s What To Do With A Windowless Room

May 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

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A windowless room. Bare walls. Cold interiors.

The thought is enough to send a shiver down your spine. For homeowners, the mortal sin is to create an environment that isn’t warm and cozy. As a rule, you need windows because they incorporate light perfectly. So, a windowless room is hard to optimize and may be your least favorite space in your home.

Still, there’s no need to panic and treat it as if it’s a leper. Yes, turning it into a welcoming area is challenging, but it isn’t impossible. There are several ways to bring the feel and style from the rest of your home to a windowless space. Missing the natural light and openness should be the push you need to tackle the problem head-on.

Whether you’re going to make a tweak or a significant change, you have lots of options at your disposal. Here are five of them for your information.

#1: Simulate Windows

Have you ever heard the phrase “fake it until you make it”? In this case, it’s all about bending the rules of interior design to your will. Faux windows may not sound familiar, but you’ve come across them before – they’re called mirrors. Yes, a humble piece of glass is an excellent way to simulate the effect of a window.

The way a mirror reflects what light is in the room means that it provides an optical illusion. Suddenly, because the sun’s rays are everywhere, the room appears brighter and airier. The effect also has the bonus of making small spaces look bigger, which is great if you’re home is on the short side.

Size matters with mirrors, so it’s essential to consider the ceiling. A low roof requires a large mirror to distract from the ceiling line. The opposite is true of high ceilings and means you can use more mirrors to enhance the effect.

#2: Add Doors

Just because the room is windowless doesn’t mean it has to be door-less, too. And, if it has doors, you may need to change them so that they don’t block the light from the surrounding spaces. According to Mr. Rogers, French doors are perfect for letting warm light shine through because they incorporate glass and swing inwards.

The fact that they are flexible means you can use French doors in a variety of ways. Opening them, for example, will instantly transform the room by adding a sense of fluidity. However, keep them closed and light should stream through the large glass windows. All you need to do is ensure you don’t block them with furniture or accessories. You can also use ambient lighting to your advantage.

Ambient light fixtures from outside will flood into the room, but inside ones will reflect off the glass of the French doors. The result? It will appear as if your windowless room is continuously swathed in the sunshine.

#3: Paint The Walls And Ceiling The Same Color

To make use of the light, you could be tempted to paint the walls and ceiling different shades. By doing this, you can have two bright light sources. Although it does make sense, it’s also a bad move. The reason is straightforward: the different hues make the room’s lines sharper. As a result, the edges become the focal points.

The last thing you want to do is draw attention to the fact that there aren’t any windows in the space. Therefore, it’s better to make the area where the walls and ceiling meet less conspicuous by painting it the same color. If you don’t know which one to choose, remember that you can never go wrong with a shade of white in a windowless room.

It’s basic, but the light nature of this hue helps it to reflect light more effectively. A pale shade of blue also works if you are desperate to avoid vanilla interiors.

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#4: Hide Light Fixtures

Light fixtures are always going to play a significant role in decorating or renovating a windowless room. They may not be an original source of light, yet they mimic it perfectly. The problem you want to avoid is tackiness. Adding too many fittings and fixtures can give the impression you’re trying too hard. Or, they will cause the room to appear cluttered and messy, which is the worst possible result.

With that in mind, it’s essential to hide ambient lighting so that it doesn’t stand out. Of course, you still need the rays to shine through, or else there is no effect. A fantastic place to start is the ceiling. Spotlights are popular because they use hard-to-reach space without losing their effectiveness. A mere turn of a dial will enable you to control how much light you want in the room at a given time.

Placing them between beams or behind bookcases is another excellent option. When you do this, the light appears more natural as it is an indirect glow. This is the type of light that comes in from a nearby window.

#5: Use Interior Windows

No, they aren’t mirrors this time. An interior window is a window that you add to the structure of a room. They aren’t traditional windows that separate the outside from the inside of your home, yet they are useful. Why? It’s because they break up parts of the room that block what little light there is from hitting the corners of the space.

A transom is a brilliant place to begin. According to Study, the definition of a transom is: “the horizontal structural beam that crosses over a door, and which specifically separates the door frame from a window directly above it.” It’s probably a piece of architecture you haven’t heard about or bothered with before, but it may be the answer to your windowless prayers.

All you have to do is find the transom line and place windows above it. The material can be transparent or translucent – it doesn’t matter as long as it isn’t opaque.

What are your windowless room go-to’s? How do you ensure it’s bright and airy?

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: ceiling, ceilings, doors, Home, House, light fixtures, sharper, walls, windows

5 Benefits Of Buying A Smaller Home

May 7, 2020 Leave a Comment

When you are buying a new home, space is probably one of your biggest priorities. Most people are aiming to get the most space that they can for their money, which makes sense. But have you ever considered downsizing and moving into a smaller home? Living in a smaller home is becoming quite popular among single people as well as families because there are actually a lot of benefits. There are some space issues, of course, but if you can learn to adapt to a smaller home and use space more efficiently, there are a lot of positive aspects. These are some of the benefits of buying a smaller home.

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It’s Cheaper To Buy

This is the most obvious benefit of buying a smaller home. If you can make do with less space, you can find a much cheaper property. That means that you can afford to put down a bigger down payment and you will be able to pay your mortgage off a lot quicker. In many cases, buying a smaller property also means that you can afford to look for quality. If you are looking for a 4 bedroom house, for example, you are limited by your budget and you may have to buy a house that needs a lot of work. But for the same price, you can get a smaller property that is ready to move in right away and doesn’t need any renovation.

Your Bills Are Lower

Energy bills are the biggest monthly expense for most people, but if you live in a smaller home, they will be a lot more manageable. The energy costs in an apartment or a condo, for example, are far lower than they are in a big house because you simply have less space to heat. Not only does this save you money, but it’s also a lot better for the environment because you are not wasting as much energy. This is one of the main reasons that a lot of people are choosing to downsize their homes.

Maintenance Is Cheaper

A big house is great and you have plenty of space, but as a homeowner, you are responsible for the upkeep. It’s important that you look after your home, and that is far more expensive in a bigger property. Buying a small property that is already in good condition means that you have less maintenance to pay for when you first move in. You will not experience as many issues in the future either, so the cost of keeping your home in good shape is far lower. It is also a lot quicker to clean a small home, so you have more free time to spend doing things that you enjoy, instead of spending an entire day of your weekend keeping the place clean.

It Forces You To Declutter

In a big home, it can still feel like you are short on space because people have a tendency to fill the space that they are in. When you live in a big house with lots of rooms, the chances are that at least one of those rooms will be a storage space for junk that you don’t really need. When your home is filled with clutter, it can make the space frustrating to be in, and it may even have an impact on your mental health. But when you live in a small home, you are far less likely to fill it with clutter. You know that you have limited space, so every time you come to buy something, you will stop to think about whether you really need it or not. This means that you will stop buying things you don’t really need and save a lot of money.

It Encourages Family Bonding

It’s important that everybody has their own space at home, but it’s also important that you spend quality time together. In a smaller home, everybody is more inclined to spend time together in the same room, so it encourages family bonding. You can still make sure that everybody has their own space if they want to spend time on their own, but you will find that your family is closer when you live in a smaller home.

Moving into a smaller home is a bit of an adjustment and it may take you a while to get used to it. But if you find creative ways to maximize the space, you will soon start to notice all of the benefits, like saving money and reduced cleaning time.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: buying a home, declutter, home loan, House, lower bills, maintenance, mortgage, owning, purchase, quality family time

How a Calm Home Can Reduce Your Daily Stress

March 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

You’re very familiar with the feeling of stepping through your front door and being confronted with chaos. Your stress levels soar through the roof as soon as you see dirty dishes, broken appliances and clutter all over the house. The truth is, you know you need to work on creating a calmer home otherwise your worries are going to get out of control. Whether you want to feel safer, calmer or more relaxed, there are so many ways that a calmer home can reduce your daily stress.

A Tidy Home Equals a Tidy Mind

A tidy home doesn’t necessarily consist of clear floors and spotless counter tops. You need to delve deeper into your home and make sure everything is in working order. If you have a specific appliance in your home that always causes you trouble, it is time to get it fixed once and for all. Whether you need to get in touch with a heating system repair company or you need your air conditioning system checked over, this will definitely help to ease your stresses. There is nothing more irritating than a fundamental part of your home being broken for a prolonged period of time. Get these issues seen as soon as possible and make sure you keep up with their maintenance.

A Stress Free Environment

A stress free environment can mean something different to everybody. For some people it can be a calming color scheme and for others it can mean a soothing scent. You need to figure out what element has the power to eliminate your stresses. Then you can incorporate it into your home to induce a sense of calm.

Happy Home Comforts

Home comforts can definitely make you happier, so why not use this to your advantage? If you absolutely love reading, you could create a cozy reading corner with all of your favorite books. If cooking is your thing, make sure your cupboards are always stocked up and your appliances are in working order. Pinpoint what makes you happy when you’re at home and use this to reduce your stresses.

Wonderful Workspace

Working from home can turn your house into a very stressful environment without you even realizing. Instead of spreading your work all over the dining table, you need to keep it contained within your chosen work space. If you want to succeed at working from home and maintain a stress free environment, this is definitely something you need to consider.

Hopefully some of the ideas mentioned above will really resonate with you. Everybody’s home environment is completely different so you need to find the calming strategies that work for you. Whether you’re tidying up on a regular basis or revamping your work space, you will soon be able to create a soothing and calm space where you live. Remember that in order to soothe your stresses, you need to create a happier home environment. Soon enough you will be able to achieve this and you will be much calmer as a result.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: comfort, counter tops, cozy, favorite, Home, House, safer

Lift Any Home’s Aesthetic With 4 Worthwhile Design Tips

February 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

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No matter how worthwhile of a home designer you are, or how much effort you’ve put into your renovation, as the years and decades pass, it’s natural to want a change. You shouldn’t feel defective for wanting this, as if you’re asking too much for desiring the fun of renovation your home once more. It’s your home, and it’s more than your right to design it in a way that you and your family most enjoy.

Yet sometimes we can wish for a change but not quite know how to implement it. We may have an idea of making the room seem fresher or more vibrant, but we can’t quite figure out what to remove or add in order to make it this way. This is where thinking outside of the box a little and slowly adding implements bit by bit can be important, as can considering a range of different techniques that you may not have considered possible before.

Remember, you’re not starting from scratch, but with the learned skillset of your past efforts. With that in mind, we would love to offer some of the following, worthwhile advice. We only hope it can help:

Replenish Your Windows

Taking the time to replenish and replace your windows can be a great idea. We can often forget just how impactful natural light coming into our property is, and how our windows are the filter through which that is seen and felt. Additionally, windows that have been part of a property for too long can risk a higher chance of becoming damaged or struggling to withstand intense winter conditions. This is why you should do your utmost to search for the best window replacement services here, as ensuring you come to a custom solution for not only quality but relevance with your home design can be a valuable set of priorities to take.

Opt For A Lighter Color

Opting for lighter colors throughout the property can be a great idea for quite obvious reasons. For instance, you may decide to paint grayer tones within certain areas more lightly, instead opting for off-white or cream-colored walls. Do not fear, as this also unlocks the opportunity for you to enjoy a feature wall, be that painted blue or some other color you find the most appealing.

Lighter colors can help you theme the rest of the environment to your best tastes, while also better reflecting the natural light in the environment improved by your window installations. Additionally, lighter colors can help the space feel larger, less oppressed, and more rejuvenated. It can be a great new application for your first home renovation design in 2020.

Try Renewed & Streamlined Adornments

The ornaments and adornments we decorate our home with can have a big impact on its aesthetic, and sometimes, even our best tastes can weigh the room down a little bit. For instance, it might be that in your interest of collecting things from all over the world during your travels, your living room has accumulated many photos, souvenirs, mementos, and little additions that take up space on the walls, on the side tables and coffee table, on the television stand, and maybe even on the floor itself, such as an old chair no one uses or a vintage spinning wheel you enjoy.

Now, we’re not here to tell you to get rid of your sentimental items nor to think you’ve made some great design error by outfitting your home with the things you love. This would be wrong to do, and it may take the personal touch from your home decorative efforts. However, it might be that renewing your picture frames with a lighter shade, or rearranging certain items, or yes, decluttering a little and distributing these items around the house or cycling them through storage that can be the most important option here.

Clean Or Replace Your Carpet/Flooring

Cleaning or replacing your carpet and flooring can be a great practical effort here, because we can often forget just how much of an aesthetic impact this surface area really is. Tearing up old and stained carpet and replacing it with something new, of a deeper or lighter shade accordingly (depending on the cleaning regularity you wish to exercise), or opting for laminate instead of carpet in your bathroom for further hygiene, or getting rid of stained linoleum and opting for something different can all change your home utility and aesthetic. Don’t rule this out. We all need something new once in a while.

With this advice, we hope you can lift any home’s aesthetic with these four worthwhile design tips.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: carpet, color, decluttering, flooring, Home, House, light

Brighten The Home With These Five Tips

February 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

January and February are often such a slog to get through. Depending on where you are in the world, they’re the coldest months of the year and while you know that you have vacations and days out planned to look forward to, you really need something bright and sunshine-y in life right now.

Making your home look brighter can depend on what you need to do with your home in the first place. For example, you may be currently researching companies to contact about getting new windows, or you may decide that a lick of paint is still a great idea. Either way, while we are still living in colder temperatures, it can really help to alleviate those winter blues by making the home as bright as possible. Here are five ways you can do just that.

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Add Window Treatments

You may not have many plans to replace the windows entirely, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t dress them up. Think about adding curtains or blinds (or both!) and a valance across the top. The brighter the colors, the better! Your window treatments can brighten up the whole space and give the room personality that you didn’t know you could give it.

Add Flowers

Spring is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t breathe a little life into the space with a vase or two of fresh flowers. You want to have plants that reflect how you feel, so find the brightest blooms and cut the stems short so that you can focus on just the bloom. They perk up the home, so indulge in more than one room!

Art Additions

You don’t have to be a connoisseur of art to know what a good print looks like. There are so many options in the brightest of colors that you can get mounted in the home, and you can do it in more than one room. If you’re strapped for cash, don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be an expensive investment. Plenty of prints aren’t the real deal, and they still look good!

A Statement Piece

You know that dreary old hallway table you’ve had for years? Why not give it a lick of bright paint to add a shock of color to the entrance hall? You can dispense with the brown furniture and choose a color that will look good and really draw the eye from the moment that people walk through the door.

Hang New Mirrors

Smaller rooms and spaces in the home can really benefit from mirrors being hung up. You can open the entire room with the right mirrors, and they don’t have to be static over-the-mantelpiece mirrors either. You can have full length mirror tiles if you want, or you can go for a mosaic mirror pattern in the bathroom.

Brightening the home in the winter months can make all the difference to the way that you feel and the way that your home looks. Try these ideas first!

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: art, flower, Home, House, window treatment

Is it Time for you to Move House? Here’s how to Find Out

February 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

When it comes to the property market, it’s rare to find a home that you would be happy to live in for the rest of your life, as your starter home. For this reason, you need to try and move up the ladder until you can find something that you are truly content with. If you want to find out more about that then simply look below.

Your Home Feels like it is Shrinking

There really are two extremes here. You may find that your cupboards are bursting at the seams and you just don’t know what to do about it. On the flip side, you may find that you have so many rooms that you just don’t use and that you hate trying to deal with all of the cleaning. Either way, if you are living in either of these two extremes then it may be time for you to do something about this.

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You Spend All the time on Moving Websites

Another sign that it is time for you to move house is if you spend most of your time on moving sites. You may find that you are dreaming of living in another property or that you slow down whenever you walk past a “For Sale” sign. Either way, all of this means that it is time for you to make a change, so you have to make sure that you focus on what you really want.

You’re Not Tidying or Cleaning as Much

Do you feel as though you just aren’t tidying as much as you used to? Maybe you feel as though those DIY jobs are now at the bottom of your priority list. If this is the case, then it may be that you have fallen out of love with your property. Save all of the little jobs for the next owner and also get your house listed on the market. If you want to make the most out of your sale then look up other homes for sale in your area to make sure that you are setting the right price.

You’re Always Talking about your House’s Problems

It may be that your home is too far away from the office, or even that your kitchen is far too small for entertaining. If you are always talking about the problems that your home has then now may be the time for you to admit that your time with your current home has come to an end and that now is the time for you to move on.

You’re No Longer Throwing Dinner Parties

Not being able to throw dinner parties can be a real shame. You may feel like you are constantly having to go to someone else’s house and that you also have to make excuses all the time. If you want to get around this then you need to try and move house. That way you can find somewhere that you can really relax and you can also feel confident knowing that you are going to be able to have everyone over.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Cleaning, dinner, Home, House, jobs, Moving

Tips for Renovating Your Basement

January 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

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Adding more usable space to your home is a great way to add value to your property, and your family’s life. Of course, renovating a basement is no walk in the park, so if you’re thinking about renovating the space under your home, here’s a few things you need to know to get it right:

Find the Best Contractor

If you’re having a contractor do the work, it’s important that you shop around and find one who has experience dealing with basements and a good track record. A bad job could render your renovation useless.

Check for Hazards

It’s really important to remember that a lot of basements are teeming with hazardous materials of all kinds. Things like asbestos can often be found in walls and floors, as can lead paint, and you will need to remove them before you even think about renovating. Your contractor and a good testing lab can help you with this.

Plan the Exits

Something many basement renovators forget is to plan safe routes out of the basement in case of emergency. At the very least, your basement should feature a window that is large enough for a human to escape from but depending on where you are, you may need to adhere to stricter building codes.

Get Rid of Unwanted Water

There is little point renovating your basement if it is going to be compromised by water whether that be in the form of flooding, damp or mold. That’s why you should install the best sump pump you can afford, such as the Tsurumi HS2.4S, and why you should find and fix any and all sources of water before you even begin the project.

Dig Down

If the ceilings in your basement are low, it’s usually a better option to dig down into the ground than it is to relocate pipework and wiring to give you the required height. It’s more affordable and less work to do this overall.

Think About the Future

If your basement renovation is just the first of many changes you plan to make as a homeowner, it’s a really good idea to think about the exact changes you plan to make on the rest of the house because the basement will likely need to be worked on again if you, say decide to extend your home or remodel the kitchen. If you plan ahead, you can, for example, add extra circuits into the floor plan so that when they are needed, you won’t need to mess up your basement again.

Make it Stylish

If you’re going to the effort of renovating your basement, then it makes sense to spend a little more time and money on making it look good. A lot of people choose the same kind of decor for the basement as they do the rest of the home so that it all gels together. However, since the basement is usually a little cut off from the rest of the home, it can be lots of fun to go crazy in there and do things you wouldn’t usually – the choice is yours!

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: #homeowner, build, contract, floor plan, Home, House

Growing Your Property Portfolio in the Best Possible Way

December 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

Property is one of the safest markets to invest in if you have the money to do so. This is why so many people every year are looking at the ways in which they can invest in property or real estate, and start making serious money. But, if you are new to this process, it can seem pretty daunting, especially with the sums of money that are being talked about.

Make sure you think about the different ideas you’ll need to consider if you want to get involved in the world of real estate. Growing your property portfolio is one of the key things you are going to need to consider, and this is something you can work on right now. These are some of the best things you can do to achieve that, and you should use these ideas to help grow your portfolio.

Diversify

One of the key things we would recommend would be to make sure you aim to diversify as much as possible with your portfolio. There are a lot of things that play a part in the process, and this is going to help you when it comes to making the most of your property portfolio. This means looking to invest in things like mobile homes as well as traditional apartments and houses. This is a great way of attracting more people and giving you a more unique edge to your portfolio.

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Rent Out for a While

When you are getting involved in the world of property investment, you will generally have two choices; you buy a property, fix it up, and sell for a profit, or you buy and then rent for a while before selling. Renting is a good way to build up your portfolio because it is providing you with passive income on a monthly basis, and this is important. Make sure you do what you can to make the most of this and try to rent out several properties at the same time, so you increase your cash flow.

Maintenance & Upgrades are Key

Maintaining and upgrading your properties is also really important when looking at how you can grow your portfolio. Just because you own a property doesn’t mean you can overlook basic improvements. Saving money on home improvements is important, but you definitely need to make sure you maintain and upgrade the properties as much as you can. This can make a massive difference to making your portfolio more appealing to prospective buyers and tenants.

Cash Flow!

Cash flow is one of the most important things to consider here because, without money, you can’t purchase property. As we suggested earlier, renting is a good way of bringing in some cash flow, but you need to consider other ideas as well, such as buying positive cash flow property and coming up with side-gigs to help you supplement your income.

As you might imagine, creating a strong and diverse property portfolio is a challenge, and this is something you need to make sure you consider as much as possible. There are a lot of factors that play a part in helping you achieve success in the property market, and these are some ideas that will help you to get started as much as possible.

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Filed Under: Budget Tagged With: budget, diversity, Home Improvement, homes, House, key, maintenance, Money, renting, save

Top 4 Tips For First Time Buyers

December 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

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When you’re a first-time buyer, you might want to dive straight into the deep end and buy the first property you find. And although this might be tempting, there are certain things that you need to get in order before making the big move.

Yes, it’s an exciting milestone – no matter what your age. But it’s vital that you are fully prepared for the decision in advance of moving day. To help ease this transition, here are the top four tips that you should follow:

Location, Location, Location

This might seem like an obvious point to make, but it’s nonetheless important to mention. At the start of the journey, you need to consider where you want to live – do you want to live in your hometown? Or perhaps a new location that you’ve loved to visit? This will be dependent on your budget, where you work and your bespoke preferences. Key factors that many people take into consideration, is how far the property will be from family and friends, as well as how close it will be to amenities.

If you’re moving in with a friend or a partner, you’ll also want to make sure that you’re on the same page and are both happy with the location in question.

Consider the Market

Unfortunately, the market is ever-changing. And because of this, it’s perhaps harder now more than ever to find a home that is suitable for your budget and personal preferences.

So when you’re starting to gather the funds for your first property, it’s important that you keep an eye on the real estate market, including the trends within the area you are wanting to purchase etc. It’s also invaluable to gage the advice of a realtor, who will help to indicate what you can realistically get and the areas/types of properties that you should avoid.

Decide on A Realistic Budget

You don’t want to have to contact a bankruptcy lawyer as you have overstretched yourself on purchasing or renting a home (or even because you’ve gone over the top with buying furniture which was way more than you could afford). So before you make the investment, you need to sit down and consider how much you can realistically spend. Houses are expensive – no matter where you’re located or the type of property you are looking for.

It’s essential that you work out how you will acquire your deposit and how you will pay your mortgage each month. If you’re thinking about buying rather than renting, you’ll need a good amount of money that you can put towards the property at the start of the process. Whether this is acquired through an FHA loan or through the bank of mom and dad, it’s a key factor into purchasing your first home.

When setting a budget, you might also want to consider the following:

Potential costs of any renovations you want to make.
How much home insurance will cost.
Other costs associated with moving – e.g hiring a moving van.

What Mortgage You Can Get

Mortgages might seem terrifying, but they don’t have to be. Although they signify that you’re now an adult that can no longer rely on living for free at your family home, they indicate the start of a new phase in your life. When you’ve found your dream home, the reality that comes with getting a mortgage is something that you’ll have to face.

But how do you know which type of mortgage is suitable? It’s a good idea to compare and contrast various mortgages, paying attention to the following:

What type of rate do they offer you? Do they offer a variable or fixed rate?
How much they cost each month.
The repayment terms – e.g 25 or 35 years.

If it has other fees – e.g valuation fees, advisory fees and arrangement fees.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: budget, Home, House, Location, market, Moving, sell, Selling

How to Sell Your Home Fast

December 9, 2019 Leave a Comment

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There are lots of reasons to want to sell your home fast. Maybe you need to move for work or perhaps you found the home of your dreams, put in an offer and now need the money to complete the sale.

Selling your home fast can be simple if you know the right tricks and keep an open mind. If you are living in a fast market, you might even be able to find a buyer within a few days! But there are always a few house selling tips that will come in handy.

Know Who to Sell To

The first thing to keep in mind is who you are selling to. If you are selling to the general market, you will have to be more patient than if you are selling to a company like Gem Homes, which can offer you the close day of your choice. Equally, if you are selling on a more select market, you may have to wait a bit longer.

You can help yourself by making sure that your home is appealing to the right target audience. So, if you are looking for a family to buy your home, make sure the bedrooms are all made up and child-friendly. Similarly, if you want to sell to a young couple, you might want to show off your home as a starter property and might even put out some leaflets detailing the local amenities, including bars and entertainment.

Prepare Your Home for Sale

Preparing your home for sale is a really important part of the sales process. You need to show buyers that your home could work perfectly for them. So, put your junk into storage, clean everywhere and do a few touch-ups around the house so that it is neutral.

You need to make sure that your home is a blank canvas that anyone could live in but you should also add some homey touches. So, while you should paint your walls in neutral colors, you might light to add some scatter cushions to your sofa, light a scented candle and put some flowers in a vase.

Be Ready to Move

If you aren’t ready to move, you won’t be going anywhere fast! Put the things you don’t use every day into boxes and hire some storage space to keep them safe. Make sure that any valuable personal items are also stored away safely.

You should also plan your budget for the move. As soon as your house sells, you will need to be able to move quickly so you should gather your packing materials together and start searching for a moving company to help you out. You might also like to prime your friends and family so that they can come and help you.

Selling your home quickly is all very well but you must be ready to move once your home is sold. Getting everything ready to go is essential if you want to show your buyers that you are serious about a fast sale. The more you can do to prepare, the easier it will be to move.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: budget, Home, House, move, sell

Selling Your Home – Tips

November 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

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There are many reasons why you may have decided to put your property on the market. Perhaps you’re adding to the family and you need somewhere bigger? Maybe you are ready for a new adventure and are moving overseas? Or, have you found a better house a few blocks away? No matter the reason, you need to make sure you present your property in the greatest light. Find out how you can increase your chances of a quick and successful sale.

A Warm Welcome

The first thing you need to do is make sure the entrance to your home is a welcoming one. A lot of people underestimate the importance of having a stylish front door and a clean porch. This is the entryway to your home. It sets the tone for the rest of the property. This is your opportunity to impress and get your viewers excited about the rest of the house, so don’t waste it.

Sweet Smells

A lot of people do not realize that their house smells because they are so used to it. This is especially the case for those who have pets. Get someone you trust to give you an honest opinion regarding what they can smell when they walk into your home. After all, last night’s takeaway is not going to encourage a quick sale, is it? Instead, you need to add a pleasant but subtle smell to your home, which you can easily do via scented candles or a diffuser.

Present The Lifestyle

When you are selling a property, you are not just selling the walls and floors. You are selling a lifestyle and a neighborhood. It is important to remember this. This is why professional home stagers recommend getting rid of all personal photographs. Items like this act as a barrier, making it difficult for property viewers to imagine themselves living in your home. It is all about presenting your house in a manner that makes it possible for others to imagine the amazing life they could have there. If the viewers aren’t familiar with the area, why not provide them with some helpful leaflets and pamphlets regarding the schools and such like in the area?

No Secrets

The final piece of the puzzle is to be honest. Don’t assume you can cover up water damage with paint or that a roof problem will be overlooked because the buyer isn’t going to climb up there! If you know you have an issue with your roof, it is better to pay for a roofing company to rectify this before you put your property on the market. The same goes if your siding is damaged or there are any other issues. Otherwise, when the buyer gets a professional survey carried out, the issue will be flagged and you will end up with egg on your face. This could cost you the sale.

Selling a property is a big undertaking. By being truthful, making your home welcoming, and presenting it in a manner that makes it easy for people to envision living there, you should be able to secure a sale sooner rather than later.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: buying, Home, House, Selling, Siding, Smell

Sell Your House Fast In 3 Simple Steps

February 26, 2019 Leave a Comment

When we come to list our homes on the open market, we might assume that they will fly. Your open house day should be jam-packed, potential buyers should be entering into a bidding war to pick up your piece of prime real estate, and you should be batting them away left, right and center. However, more often than not this simply doesn’t happen. Why? Because we think of our humble abodes in a highly subjective way. We have adored the pink flamingo wallpaper and bright teal hallway for a decade so why wouldn’t anybody else? Instead, you need to sell your home by imagining yourself as a buyer. Take a look at how you can sell your house fast by following these three simple steps.

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Get The Best People On Board

Hundreds of real estate agents will be vying for your business. While you might be tempted to go for the guy or company who takes the least commission, this can be a false economy. Sure, he won’t take as much cash out of your sales price, but if your home is on the market for an extra six months, this means extra home loan repayments which negate the very reason why you chose the guy.

Opt for a professional outfit that has a solid reputation in your area. Companies like William Pitt have a varied portfolio of properties, and the chances are yours could fit right in. As well as a real estate agent, you need the services of a top quality property lawyer to navigate the legalities of selling your home.

Decorate

While it may seem counterintuitive to decorate your home as you are planning to wave goodbye to it, a quick lick of white or magnolia paint to cover up the highly personalized purples and yellows can work wonders. Instead of a colorful abode, your buyers will be greeted by a sleek and modern pad ready for them to make their own mark on.

Dress your home appropriately with decent furnishings. If your money won’t stretch to purchasing a new sofa for the living room, hire one. Dressing your home will help seduce your buyers with a lifestyle. At the same time, you need to show off the space and airiness of your pad. Don’t leave untold amounts of clutter adorning every orifice of your rooms. This gives the impression that your home is poky and that they would outgrow it. Never say you are leaving because you need a bigger place. It always rings alarm bells in a buyer.

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Curb Appeal

For a few hundred dollars you can revolutionize the facade of your home. Clean the windows, paint the front door, off the lawn and weed the driveway. Put out a few colorful pots of foliage and create a welcoming atmosphere for your viewers. The chances are they will make their mind up about your home as they walk up to your drive.

Forget seeing your home languishing on the market and follow this guide to see your home sell fast.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Home, homesowner, House, real estate, realtor, sell, Selling

Three Ways to Organize Your Tools

February 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

Three Ways to Organize Your Tools If you’re like most homeowners, you have a collection of tools you look to whenever a repair is needed around the house. Or, maybe you use your collection of tools to work on DIY projects. You probably own several screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers and pliers along with nails, screws, etc. It’s a good idea to have a nice collection of tools, but it can be challenging to keep it organized. Check out three easy ways to organize your tools. Store Tools by Size Homeowners with garage storage cabinet systems find it very easy to organize tools by size. As an example, if you have several number two screwdrivers, then you would store them together in one area of a cabinet. If you have four number three screwdrivers, you’d store them together in another part of the cabinet. Of course, you would sort the screwdrivers by type as well. Keep all of the Phillips head screwdrivers together and all the flat-head types together. Organizing in this way allows you to find exactly what you need right away for the repair or project you’re working on. Prioritize Tools You Use the Most There’s a good chance you use some tools more than others. You may find that you use your needle-nose pliers for a lot of repairs around the house. If so, when organizing your tools, put your needle-nose pliers front and center in the cabinet or drawer. That way, you don’t have to search for tools you use on a regular basis. Alternatively, if you have a basin wrench that you rarely use, keep it near the back of the cabinet so it’s secure and doesn’t get in the way of tools you use more often. Keep the Same Types of Tools Together Do you know any friends who simply throw their tools in a box or chest without any type of organization? In short, they have a drawer of miscellaneous tools that they have to search through every time they need one. It’s a good idea to organize your tool cabinet by keeping the same types of tools together. Put all of your hammers in one area and all of your wrenches in another. This will make the process of finding a tool a lot quicker. Lastly, organizing your tools can make any project more enjoyable. You can spend more time repairing an appliance or putting up a new front door and less time searching for the right tool in your toolbox or cabinet. Plus, if another family member needs a tool from your collection, he or she will be able to find it without a problem.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: #reviewsbykathy, cabinet, garage, Home, House, organizer, storage, tools

“Kitch” Appeal: Making The Kitchen The Hub Of Your Family Activity

August 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

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It’s something that the vast majority of estate agents use as the major selling point. The kitchen is taking over the living room as the hub of the home. But if you are not using it to the best of your ability, and you have taken the approach to eat your meals in front of the television, or you are one part of a dislocated family that spends their time in different rooms, it might be time to revitalize the kitchen and make it the big draw of your home. What are the ways you can refocus the attention back onto the kitchen, and how can you do this?

Eat As A Family

First things first, if you are eating around the television, albeit at the same time, are you really communicating as a family. Not to go all Godfather on you, but the best ideas can be made around the dinner table, over food. And the great thing about eating as a family is that you can learn to savor, not just the more vibrant discussions about what you’ve all done with your day, but also the quiet times. Some people feel very uncomfortable if there’s an extended period of silence, and, as a family, it’s something you should all be so relaxed in each other’s company, that you don’t even notice the silence. The fact is, get the family together, actually, ask questions to each other, and you’ve got a dialog going. Granted, it’s not always this easy, especially if you’ve got reticent teenagers, but the fact that you are all in the same vicinity together is probably one of the simplest ways to spend quality time together as a family in the modern age.

Make It Debate Central!

And to follow on from the discussion aspect, if you are working your hardest to raise children who are thoughtful, independent, and question every little thing, you might be doing something right! One way to help encourage this further is to spark debate. It’s something that we see in movies a lot, which can spiral out of control into arguments, but it’s important to remember that debate is very healthy. Having a big table, and not just getting the family to sit around it, but also bringing guests in to have meals, and social gatherings, will make the kitchen the hub of the home. Of course, as we all know, when there are parties, the action is always in the kitchen. Take this as inspiration!

Shake Up The Style

But what if you have no idea how to maximize the space? You may have a small kitchen, or it’s impractical for everybody to gather there. Because the kitchen is one of the main rooms in the house that can impact the value positively, if you are ever considering moving on, or downsizing later in life, and your kitchen feels underwhelming, the chances are that a lot of other people will feel the same way. But changing the kitchen is a significant task. It’s the hub of your home, which means you have to spend a lot of time planning your attack. You can hire various kitchen remodelers to make significant alterations, but you can easily change the style in subtle ways. There are so many different styles you can implement, but also, the modern kitchen is the very trendy style at the moment. Kitchen islands, galley lighting and the various marble counter top options available to buyers make it a space for you to unleash your creativity. But likewise, you need to consider the practicalities of the space. If you have a small kitchen space, is this because you’ve got an island in the middle of the kitchen? And if you’ve been looking to fit a dining table in the space, but this isn’t feasible, you either remove the island and put the counter-tops around the edges of the room, or you transform the island into a breakfast bar. A breakfast bar is one of the biggest draws in modern homes because it’s usually the one space where families can physically congregate. So even if you feel that you’ve not got many options to get the family together, this is why the kitchen needs to be top of your priority list.

Use It As An Opportunity To School Your Kids On The Essentials In Life

If you have young kids, and they’re just getting to the point where they are figuring out who they are, their inquisitive minds need nourishing. If you are someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, either baking or cooking, it’s now time to bring your children into the sacred area and let them get their hands dirty. As parents, we can all feel that we’re doing a lot in terms of cleaning the house, and we wish that the children would lend a hand once in a while, and it’s at a young age, that you should instill this habit. Not just for the fact that it will make life easier for you, but it will encourage them to be more independent. Doing the dishes, drying them, cooking, or even very minimal meal preparation, is all something that we can introduce our kids to, so they can feel part of the process. It’s just good parenting to let your kids help out. Gradually, as they become more skilled, you can let them take over a little bit more, and as they get older, you may put your feet up and relax while food is being done for you! Granted, this is in an ideal world. But, if you have kids that want to go to college one day, you’re not going to be there to clean up after them, and so, the kitchen space is the ideal place to school your kids in the essentials in life.

There was a time that the living room was the hub of the home, and we would all sit around, mouths agog, staring at the television. Thankfully, it’s getting to the point where the family is naturally congregating to the kitchen area. So if you are concerned that your family spends too much time apart, or you are trying to inject a bit of pizzazz into your home for the benefits of guests, or even just to raise the value of the house, the kitchen has it all!

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: counter tops, Home, House, kitchen, Movies, remodel, teenagers

Putting The Hard Parts Of Moving Into Someone Else’s Hands

May 8, 2018 2 Comments

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Let’s face it, moving home is never a pleasant ordeal. While you will be excited about your new home and the joy it will bring, it will be hard to focus on the bright side of this journey while you’re in the thick of it. There are loads of jobs which need to be done – from packing to actually shifting your belongings with companies like Burnett’s Moving Services – along with countless documents and pieces of paperwork which have to be completed. Altogether, this makes for a truly daunting task, and a lot of people don’t feel up to it. Thankfully, this post is here to help you out, showing you how to put all of this weight on someone else’s shoulders.

Finding Your New Place: You won’t be able to move home until you’ve found the new place you’ll be living in. This process has to be completed before you sell your old place properly, or you could find yourself having to stay in a hotel between homes, and this will be expensive. The hardest part of this sort of job will be keeping your eyes open for new properties as they hit the market. An estate agent can handle this work for you, providing an invaluable resource when you’re trying to handle this complex process.

The power of an agent doesn’t stop here, though, as they will also be able to help you with the paperwork you have to complete for the sale to go through. You may also need a lawyer for this, but your estate agent will be able to help you find one who charges fair rates. With all of the hard parts taken care of, you will be able to focus on the fun part of the new home selection process; the viewings. You will have the final say in the purchase, but it is still nice to know what you’re getting into before you get started.

Selling The Old One: The old home will also have to move into new hands if you want this process to go smoothly. Like buying a place, this always comes with loads of legal red tape, and it will be hard to find ways to get around it. Your estate agent should also be able to help you with this, finding buyers on your behalf. You should be careful at this stage, though, as a lot of buyers will work hard to make the price of your home go down. It will take a strong negotiator to get the best price, making it important to research the person you choose for the job.

Performing Renovations: When you move into a new home, it’s unlikely that the place is actually new. Instead, other people will have been living there, and this means that there could be some room for improvement when it comes to the decor. Making some small renovations will be a lengthy process if you do it on your own. To handle this job, you will have two choices; pay a professional or get some friends to help. Paying for this work will always get better results, but may not fit into your budget.

Packing Everything Up: Putting all of your possessions into carefully laid out boxes will be a challenge. To make it as easy as possible, it will be worth coming up with a strategy beforehand, enabling you to put things away in a sensible way. Along with this, you will be able to enlist the help of a moving company for this stage of the job. Businesses like this specialize in helping people to make their move as easy as possible. It can be easy to make your life very hard by accident if you don’t follow self-imposed packing rules.

Moving It All: This is where your moving company will come in really handy. Most people won’t be able to lift sofas, TVs, and other large items in the home on their own. Instead, you will need a lot of help for this process, and a company like Big Man Movers could be perfect for you. Giving you the chance to help as much or as little as you’d like, services like this can be a blessing when you’re moving. Some are better than others, though, so it will be worth reading some reviews, especially if you have particularly tricky items like pianos.

Unpacking At The Other End: Once you get to the new place, you will be faced with the challenge of dealing with all of your possessions once again. This time, though, you will be unpacking it, and this can be even harder. Making sure that you keep your original packing order in mind, it should be easy to move boxes into the right rooms. From here, you can work to position furniture correctly, filling it with items as you go. As long as you brief them correctly, your moving company should also be able to help with this stage of the move.

Keeping It Cheap: When you’re moving home, you will often be working on a tight budget, and it will be hard to make sure that you’re spending as little as possible. A lot of people go over their allotted pool of cash, and this can be hard to deal with. To avoid this, working hard to research the companies you work with can make life a lot cheaper. There is nothing stopping you from getting quotes from every company you can find, ensuring that you only choose those with the best deals.

Hopefully, this post will give you everything you need to begin the process of moving home. When you have a busy life, struggle to move, or simply don’t want to deal with this, getting help to handle the hard parts is a great way to make it less daunting. This sort of approach will always cost more, even if you work hard to keep it cheap. In reality, though, the money you spend will always impact the experience you have, and it could be the difference between loving and hating your new home.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: agent, buyers, decor, estate, finding, Home, homes, House, movers, Moving, packing

The Pros And Cons Of Open Plan Living

August 18, 2017 Leave a Comment

If you have recently purchased a new home or if you’ve not renovated your own dwelling for a little while, the lure of open plan living can be overwhelming. When you glance at your humble abode, you see numerous rooms downstairs, blocked off by walls, compartmentalized and blocking out the natural light that you crave. Switch on the TV, and home makeover shows reel off renovation after renovation singing the praises of open plan living, the natural light it allows, the space it creates and the lifestyle it affords. Open plan living looks amazing on the TV, but what about real life? Is it all it’s cracked up to be? Take a look at the pros and cons of open plan living and decide if you want to head down the open plan road when you come to renovate your home.

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Pros

The natural light that you will see streaming into your new open plan living space can make any renovation seem worthwhile. With windows creating multiple aspects, you’ll also be allowing the outside in. Vistas become more accessible from any position downstairs through multiple viewpoints.

The atmosphere within your house will naturally shift from fragmented to all inclusive. Your kids won’t have a choice but to be in the same vicinity as you as they watch TV and you cook up your latest culinary delight. The impetus to enjoy more quality time together as a family can make open plan living a worthwhile venture.

Although the square footage of your floor plan won’t have altered, it will feel like you have created more space. This illusion can make the resale value of your home increase as open plan living is the most favorable lifestyle choice today. Homeowners enjoy inviting friends around for a dinner party or a gathering and love having a large flowing space that is flexible to entertain in.

The actual renovation itself will be a liberating experience. There is no better way to release your frustrations and anger than by grabbing a sledgehammer and knocking down a wall or two. If money is tight, look into using a homeowner loans company to fund your renovation plans. You can utilize their online affordability calculators and borrow well within your means. Although the cost of converting to open plan living may seem hefty, you could see a healthy increase in the value of your home when you come to sell it. It’s always best to think of your renovation as an investment.

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Cons

The sheer scale of creating a single open plan living space from three or four distinct rooms can seem overwhelming. The labor costs can be steep, the dust and mess created will last for a few weeks and the project can seem like an uphill task. Open plan living is a dramatic shift in lifestyle, so if you aren’t sure, it pays to hold off before embarking on any renovations. It’s easy to knock walls down but a lot harder and more expensive to put them back up.

Open plan living will inevitably see a merging of your kitchen, dining room and living area. This means all those cooking smells from your fragrant Thai curry will linger when you settle on the couch to watch a movie three hours later. This can be a pet peeve of many so think about the practicalities of open plan living before you allow yourself to be seduced by the stylish facade of a home makeover show.

While open plan living and quality family time sound great in theory, there will be a lot less space downstairs to find a moment of privacy, and you may find your kids spending more time upstairs holed up in their bedrooms. You may want to consider whether you actually need to renovate or whether you are happy with the configuration of your home the way it is. Just because something is on trend doesn’t mean you have to succumb to it if you are more inclined to enjoy the traditional home layout.

Home renovations are expensive and dramatic. By their very nature renovations allow you to refresh your living environment and can afford you a new lifestyle. However, open plan living is not the only renovation available to you. If you wish to create a new look for your home, a simple and cheaper redecoration, new kitchen or even an extension may be the answer. Only once you’ve assessed the pros and cons of open plan living, can you decide if it is right for you.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: buying, Home, House, open plan

Create Your Own ‘Barbie Dreamhouse’ & Make Your Childhood Dreams Come True!

June 30, 2017 Leave a Comment

As a child did you ever dream of living in your very own Barbie Dreamhouse? Did you love the way in which Barbie’s home perfectly reflected her tastes – lots of pinks, and her style, as well as her needs? Back then, you most probably wanted a pretty pink home like Barbie’s. Today, you may no longer want to build a life-size version of Barbie’s Dreamhouse, but what you might want to do is build your very own dream house – somewhere that reflects your personality, style, and needs.

Thinking about moving anyway and love the concept of living in a home that’s custom made for you? Then read on, for everything that you need to know to make those childhood dreams come true by creating your own dream home.

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Set a budget

Like with any project, the first step is to set a budget. As once you have set a budget, you then know what you have got to work with, and can use your budget to determine what is and isn’t within your reach when it comes to the design of the property. As well as working out what your budget will be, it’s also important to think about where the funds will come from and when you will have access to them. Do you have savings that you plan on using to fund this project and can access immediately? Are you planning on selling your current property and will need to wait until then to get your hands on the funds? Or, are you hoping to take out a loan and have the money shortly? For any project, setting a budget is the most important thing, so this has to be your first step.

Get inspired

Once your budget is in place, the next step to take is to get inspired. You may already have plenty of ideas about how you want your dream home to be, but even so, it still pays to take the time to get some ideas and inspiration. You never know, you might come across some design ideas that you wouldn’t have even considered but love. As well as looking at ideas in home design magazines, online on sites like Pinterest, We Heart It, and Instagram, it could also be worth taking the time to look at a range of house plans. From modern house plans to more traditional ones, it’s worth having a browse, to get an idea of what your options are. To ensure that your dream home is perfect in every way, getting ideas and inspiration is a must.

Find the perfect plot

Before you can start your project, you need to select a plot. Now, whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of rushing the process of picking a plot, else you may live to regret it. Take the time to research locations that have plots for building properties on and learn as much about each area as you possibly can. Even if the location is near to your current home, it’s still worth taking the time to research the area, to ensure that it’s somewhere you would be happy to live.

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Consider going green

There is a lot of emphasis on eco-friendly living today, which is something that can be hard to implement in an older building or implement fully. However, if you are building a new home from scratch, you could consider making it an eco-friendly and sustainable property. It might cost a little more to build, but in the long-run, it will save you money in terms of running costs, plus it will reach a higher value should you ever choose to sell up. From choosing to use eco-friendly building materials like reclaimed wood, to implementing green features like solar panels, wind turbines, and water power, there are plenty of ways you can make your new build green, helping to reduce your carbon footprint. To determine the best way to create a greener home, talk to your contractor about it.

Think about the interiors

Don’t make the mistake of focusing purely on the exterior and layout of your dream home, as it’s just as important to think about the interiors. The layout of the property will impact the interior design and layout of it, so it is worth thinking about the interiors and the types of spaces you want inside your property. It’s not necessarily about things like room color schemes or furniture styles, it’s about how light and airy the rooms are, and the vibe that each room creates.

To design the most incredible house that makes your childhood home design dreams come true, building from scratch is the answer.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Dream, Home, House

It’s Cheaper To Buy

Your Bills Are Lower

Maintenance Is Cheaper

It Forces You To Declutter

It Encourages Family Bonding

Location, Location, Location

Consider the Market

Decide on A Realistic Budget

What Mortgage You Can Get

Know Who to Sell To

Prepare Your Home for Sale

Be Ready to Move

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