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5 Reasons You Should Not Repair a Garage Door on Your Own

May 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

Garage doors are a vital part of your home’s security system. Aside from protecting your cars and other garage valuables from the weather and the elements, a top grade garage door also helps prevent break-ins in your property. These distinct functions of a garage door and the heavy use it experiences every day can expose the structure to internal wear and tear. However, with the proper maintenance and tune-up routines, your garage door can last for years while maintaining its aesthetic appeal.

Troubleshooting a garage door is not as easy as it seems, and it’s definitely not a DIY project you should pursue. Interested to know why? Learn more on this Garage Door Repair Calgary blog.

Garage door repair tools and equipment can be expensive.

So, you want to repair a failing garage door on your own to save money. Think again. If you don’t have the essential tools and materials, you will have to buy them all at a costly price. That defeats the purpose of a DIY project. On the other hand, you got nothing to worry about when hiring the pros because they are fully-equipped to conduct a garage door repair, whether commercial or residential.

You could probably make it worse.

Garage door repairs may seem easy to look at until you have to do it yourself. You may not even know where to start and could risk causing further damage. Many homeowners have turned a simple repair work into complex and costly ones just because they don’t precisely know the root cause of the problem in the first place. Without the required knowledge and skill, it would be impossible for you to pull off a garage door repair.

Serious accidents can happen.

If you have a tall garage door at home, you will need to climb off a ladder to get to hard-to-reach areas. Without a sturdy ladder to use, you can be a victim of a serious fall accident. Another safety threat in garage door repair is getting your hands stuck in between cables or springs during the repair. To prevent accidents from happening in your property, just leave the garage door repair work to a licensed repair technician.

It could take a lot of your time.

Depending on the size of the repair job, it will only take several hours for professionals to get your garage door back to proper functioning. On the contrary, you can spend a day troubleshooting repair issues and still don’t get any positive results. Your whole day wasted on an uncertain DIY job instead of spending it with family and friends. A delay in garage door repair will also leave your residential property vulnerable during the night.

Issues can reoccur without proper treatment.

DIY fixes are temporary, and issues can reoccur at any time. You will never get a highly functional door back unless it’s well-inspected by a professional eye. Plus, imagine the high repair cost you have to pay once the problem has escalated. If you want to save money in the long run, you should consult the pros at first sight of the problem.

A garage door repair is a complicated process. Even if you are knowledgeable about home repairs, a garage door would be too risky for anyone who is not a specialist. It is so easy to get lost with the many steps involved and make costly mistakes. Make it your top priority to protect your family and entire property by hiring a reputable garage door company. Don’t waste time and schedule a service appointment today!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Time To take Control Of Your Life: The Positive Changes You Can Make

May 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

We can all get to a point in our lives where we want to take control over things more clearly. Our lifestyle is the one area that we have complete control over, and whether you make small changes or larger decisions when it comes to your health, they will have their unique impact on your life. It might be a mental health focus, or it could be a more physical approach to how you look and feel. Whatever the motivation may be for the changes you want to make, you may be wondering what it is you should focus on and how to go about it. Here are some of the things that you could consider. 

Your physical health 

One of the first things that you should do is to consider having a physical checkup. This could be to do with your health, breathing, your blood pressure etc. Going for a checkup will also give you the opportunity to highlight any health concerns that you may have, including mental health worries. Take the time to have tests, blood tests and blood pressure checks to ensure that all levels are as they should be. A blood test can highlight things like hormone imbalances, as well as issues going on in the body that you may not have any physical symptoms for. You don’t need to do this often, but having these checks can put your mind at ease that you can make other changes in your life that will have a positive impact. 

Your dental health 

Another area that we shouldn’t take for granted is our dental health. When was the last time that you had a check up at the dentist? We should be doing this every six months to ensure that our mouths are as healthy as they can be. Toothache can be problematic, as well as having things like teeth decay which could cause you to have fillings. You may need other treatments like endodontist root canal where it can help to solve more long lasting damage to your teeth and the roots. If anything, even having a dental hygienist clean your teeth can make a massive difference. A lot of illnesses can stem from your dental health and hygiene so make sure you book in for those regular checkups. 

Things like sight and hearing 

Other areas of your body that are worth checking over is your sight and hearing. When it comes to sight, more people can strain their eyes to do things like reading or seeing long distance, and this can cause problems with things like headaches. It is important for you to have your eyesight checked regularly so that you don’t unnecessarily strain your eyes. Hearing is often something that you don’t get checked as regularly, unless you have an underlying health issue with it church as a build up of wax. However, your hearing can be affected by things such as your workplace as well as being around loud noises constantly. 

Start taking more exercise

An easy way to improve your lifestyle is to consider taking exercise more regularly. Increasing your fitness levels can help to lift your mood and have a positive effect on your mental health as well as enable you to feel more energised throughout the day. Not everyone is a big fan of things like attending a gym, and right now that may not even be a possibility for you but you could look at trying to be more active in general on a daily basis. This includes things like walking or taking on home workouts. Thankfully, YouTube has an array of workouts and content that you can watch for free with workouts for different abilities and all kinds of exercises that you can try. Running is another popular way that you can increase your fitness levels. There are popular applications you can download on your phone that can help you to gradually build up your ability to run further. 

Drink more water

An obvious way that you can improve how you feel daily is to increase your intake of water. Water is nature’s natural detox and it naturally flashes out the bad toxins in your body. This is why it can have a positive effect on your skin tone and condition, as well as your energy levels. It can even improve the quality of sleep you have and your mood can pick up. It is a small change that can impact many factors in your life. If you struggle to drink enough water then having a bottle close by can be a great reminder. You should aim to drink at least two litres of water a day and once you regularly do that look to increase it. Some have even said it can help with digestion and your diet, which brings us to the next point to raise. 

Look at your diet

Diet is one of the biggest factors of your lifestyle and one of the ways that you can have a significant effect on how you look and how you feel. You might want to start looking at what you eat more closely. It isn’t about a drastic diet where there can be quick dramatic weight loss it is more about being healthy on a long term basis. This is when focusing on a natural and well balanced diet could be the way to go. Nourishing your body with everything that it needs to function. A balanced diet can help you to feel good as well as have. a positive impact on your general health. 

Try a different approach to food or your life 

Another approach to your diet and lifestyle would be to change your approach on food and that might be looking at a vegetarian diet or even going plant based and embracing a vegan diet instead. This can have a positive and healthy effect on your diet and your physical appearance but also things like your lifestyle and the choices that you make. These might be choices you make when it comes to skincare, fashion and household items. 

Focus on your mindset

You might want to take some time to focus on your mindset as part of your lifestyle change. This could be things such as whether you have a positive or negative approach to things such as thoughts or your actions. Your mind is a powerful tool and it can often be what makes or breaks you, so taking time to nurture it so that you feel better is one of the best things that you can do. There are many ways that you can focus on your mindset, but one of the strongest options to consider would be to look at your gratitude and make some conscious decisions for positive change. It may feel forced at first, but there are things that you can do to help you feel more positive and change your outlook on life. 

It’s All About Being Confident

We know that being confident in a society that profits from you doubting yourself is not easy, but it can be done. Taking control of your life means all aspects, and you can’t do this unless you are confident in the decisions that you are making in your every day life. For example, you can start with small things such as doing something different with your hair such as looking into micro link hair extensions or something similar. 

Or, you can keep in mind that you are wonderful the way that you are. Being confident has nothing to do with the way that you look and everything to do with accepting yourself. This is what you have got to do in order to be confident in who you are and the choices that you make.

Relax and take time for yourself

A great option to consider is to relax and take some time out for yourself. It may sound a little odd, but self care is vitally important and can have a positive impact on your life. Take the time for yourself to ensure that you feel your best at all times. This might be starting up things like meditation, or maybe taking time out to enjoy a relaxing bath and other things like skincare. It is important for you to focus a little time on yourself and make that effort. You can not pour from an empty cup, and by doing this you could help yourself make other positive changes in your life. 

What about your career?

You may want to take some time to consider other aspects of your life that might be holding you back and one of those options is your career. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be in a position where we love the work that we do, but you can make a positive change for the better simply by taking time out to think about where your skills lie best and where your passions are. It might be that you have found yourself in a line of work that you enjoy, so maybe the positive steps you could take would be to enhance your career and go for that promotion. 

Do you need to work on your relationship or friendships?

It is important to understand that you may need to think about things such as your relationships and friendships. Surround yourself with people who build you up, have a sportive influence on your life and are there to support you so much better than having people around you that will impact you negatively and bring you down. Your relationship may need work, and you may want to focus more on cutting ties with people who don’t make you feel good. It could help you to feel better about things. 

A tidy house means a tidy mind 

Finally, make sure you take time out to clear and tidy the space around you. We don’t realise how a messy space, be that in work or at home, can impact how we feel mentally. 

Let’s hope these tips help you when it comes to taking control of your life in a positive way. 

Filed Under: health

Home Emergencies: How Prepared Are You?

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

It’s not a nice thing to talk about, is it? Emergencies are something we would all rather avoid if we could. Particularly ones that affect the people that we love. Unfortunately, we can’t control everything that happens to us. What we can do is be prepared for most of the emergencies that come our way. 

Our homes are important, aren’t they? Yet we often take them for granted. There are so many aspects of the house that we don’t understand, and we assume it will always function and then when it fails everything crumbles. This is especially true when it comes to our boilers. Heating and hot water can make a house a home. If you have ever tried to live in your house without them, you will understand what a difference to your life it creates. When your house is cold, nothing feels the same. You don’t feel cosy when you sit in your living room. Your toes are like ice in the bedroom. Without hot water, you can’t have a shower in the morning, the washing piles up on the sink and you can feel dirty. It is one of the most horrible experiences, and if you don’t have a plan, you could end up stuck like this for weeks waiting for a repair or replacement.

It’s imperative when you have your boiler installed, or when you move into your new home that you speak to a boiler engineer and ask them to run through your system. If you have vital knowledge such as how to restart the system or how to bleed air from the lines, this could help you solve simple issues. Speak to your specialist about how to avoid frozen pipes, which is a common reason for the heating system to break down.

Servicing your boiler is as important as servicing your car, so you should make sure you have this done once a year. A regularly maintained heating system will run more efficiently, and you will be able to identify any wear and tear before something goes wrong. 

In the event of a breakdown, make sure you have the details of an excellent local heating expert to hand. You could also keep some electric heaters and a few electric blankets on standby in your shed or your loft. This will ensure you can keep the family warm while you wait for repairs and parts. 

The plumbing of your home is essential too. With water coming into your house via the mains, you need to ensure you know where your stopcock is. If anything goes wrong and you spring a leak then learning how to switch off the mains water supply will save you a fortune in flood damage and it will also save you a major headache when it comes to cleaning. It’s essential to know a good plumber and to find someone who can offer a fast turnaround. Companies like AJ Alberts: Plumber also provide financing, which could be really handy if you have an emergency that you weren’t prepared for. 

You don’t have to be an expert to get to know all the vital plumbing components in your home. Where are your pipes laid? Where do they feed? Information like this can help you locate the source of a leak quickly so you can help your plumber before he gets to the job. If you can describe where the issue is and see where the water is coming from, he may be able to help you diagnose this over the phone, and that could speed up any parts he needs to order. 

Personal emergencies in your home are the worst. Whether it’s your children bashing their knees in the garden or something more severe like cutting your finger in the kitchen, you need to make sure you are prepared for a number of scenarios. 

It’s always sensible, especially when you have children, to take a first aid course and update yourself regularly on any advice. Would you know what to do if your partner started to choke? What if you burnt yourself badly, how would you react? 

Reaction times in an emergency are crucial. So you must have a comprehensive first aid kit at home. It can help to have a couple: one upstairs and one downstairs. You’d be surprised how many secondary injuries occur when someone is running downstairs in a panic to find the first aid kit. If you know you have everything you need and how to access it, you can save precious time and will be able to keep a level head. 

In any major emergency, you need to contact 911 as soon as you can. You should ensure that the person you are caring for is stable or in the recovery position. If they have cut a major artery, then understanding how to stop or slow the bleed will buy them crucial time. Applying pressure to a wound is correct in some cases but not all. If you can, dial 911 and put your phone next to you on the loudspeaker. If there are other people in your home, then ask them to unlock the door so that the paramedics can walk straight in.

Stay calm and use your head. If you have learnt first aid, then take a breath and run through the basics. The most important thing is to ensure the patient is in the right position and to try to keep them awake. 

Making sure you are prepared will help ease any emergency. The key to getting through life’s sudden crises is to be calm and collected and have a plan already in your mind. If you have already run through what you would do in every scenario, then you can recall the information and deal with it step by step. Don’t panic; make sure you have a list of people you can call when things go wrong and know the basics of every aspect of your home. 

Filed Under: Home/Garden

4 Things to Consider When Buying the Perfect Pair of Eyeglasses

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

Approximately two out of five of us need vision correctness to some extent. It makes sense! Nowadays, we are prone to high screen time and that considerably results in health problems like mood swings, insominia, low vision, and impair brain function. There are also some people who are born with poor vision and begin to lose vision with age. Hence, most people need to buy the right pair of prescription glasses for their eyesight needs. But if glasses are a nuisance to you, you may be recommended total 1 multifocal contact lenses. Read the article as I’m going to discuss the top four things you need to consider while making a purchase:

Your Existing Eye Condition

First and foremost, you need to check on your current eye condition. It is best that you visit your doctor for a comprehensive eye exam before buying prescription glasses. Your eye doctor will identify the cause of your vision issues. He may have to run a visual acuity test in order to check the refractive errors and other signs of myopia. A refraction test is also required to determine the type of lens that will be best suited to cater to your eye care needs. You should know that the validity of a prescription for kids is one year and two years for adults. Hence, it is wise to have an up-to-date eyewear prescription to get the eyeglasses as per your exact eyesight number.

Lifestyle & Personality

Everyone has its own personality type and a particular lifestyle. It is unfair on your end if you don’t get to consider this factor before buying prescription glasses as you are going to wear a pair of spectacles regularly. It is imperative that your glasses match with your lifestyle and personality so you can feel confident about your looks. Honestly, your eyeglasses are the way to express yourself. You can also pick a frame that can serve your both personal and professional needs. For instance, if you are a serious business professional, you can stick to conservative frame styles. If you are a creative professional, you can wear modern frames. You can choose eye-catching shapes and colors if you are a student.

Choose the Right Frame

Once you have got a clear head on your personality and life choices, it is time that you select the right eyeglasses frame. The perfectly fitting glasses are everything. Primarily, there are two factors to consider when choosing the right frame. First, you must pick a frame that can reasonably match your face. The shape of your face is an important thing to consider when choosing from a wide range of frame styles. Generic face shapes include heart/diamond, round, oval, and square. For instance, it is said that people with a square-shaped face must avoid wearing rectangular frames. They must pick a pair with soft edges to complement a strong jawline. Second, you should buy the right size frame, depending on your eye size, bridge size, and temple size.

Buy Online

In the modern era, it is best that you buy your prescription eyeglasses online. Even though it is beneficial to buy through an offline, you cannot expect more than professional help and local support. However, if you get to buy online, it is advantageous in more than one way. It typically costs you lower, and you can potentially save up to 70% during sale days. You get to choose from a varied range of selection. Some online websites even allow you to upload your photo to get the recommendation of frames, depending on your face shape and eye size. Besides, it is more convenient and efficient to get delivered eyeglasses at your doorstep. You can check on the prescription glasses online at EyeSports to get a pair for your needs.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Friday Favorites Linky Party – Week 531

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things – Pin

Penny at Penny’s Passion – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer – Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week’s favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week’s favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week’s linky party! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

The Ultimate Checklist for Renters Who Are Moving to a New Property

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

Moving into a new apartment can be both an exciting and stressful time as there is no way of telling how things will go or if you’ll actually enjoy your new space. You could also have to deal with unpleasant surprises once you get there.

Then there’s all the planning involved in a move, which can be a major headache if you haven’t prepared carefully. This is why you should have a clear plan in place before you leave if you want to ensure that the whole process runs as smoothly as possible. Here’s a checklist for renters who are moving to a new property.

Take Measurements of Your New Apartment

One of the most important things that you should do – and that is often overlooked – is taking measurements of every room in the house before you move in. This will allow you to plan how you lay out your furniture. In some cases, you might find out that some pieces will simply not fit in, so you might have to sell, give away, or store a few things before the move.

Another very important thing is measuring the entryways in the front and the back of the apartment. This is because some furniture, like some couch sets for instance, won’t be able to fit through certain doors. This is important if you want to know if your current furniture will fit, or if you intend to buy new furniture.

Check Everything is Working Properly

One of the first things you should do is make sure that there aren’t any plumbing issues when you get to your new apartment. One of the simplest ways that you can do this is to make sure you have access to your water meter. You should check the meter from the minute you get in the apartment, wait for 2 hours while making sure no one uses the water, then check it again – the readings should be the same. If they aren’t, then it could mean that you have a leak. Also, while you are there, replace the toilet seats for sanitary reasons.

Another thing you should check immediately is your HVAC system, especially the filters. Chances are these haven’t been changed in a while, and you don’t want to have to wait on your landlord to replace air filters for you. If you’re looking for a great source for filters, you can find air filters here. FilterBuy has all sorts of filters available, and you should have no trouble finding one for your system. Their order form is also very easy to use, so you’ll have no problem finding the exact model that you need with your preferred level of filtration.

Look for the Circuit Breaker and Shut off Valves

These are two components that will be very important and you have to locate them as soon as you can. You should also ask the landlord how to operate them if you don’t already. These will be

important if something goes wrong and you need to cut the water source. For instance, knowing where the shut off valve is could avoid a disaster if your toilet starts overflowing.

The circuit breaker is another thing you’ll need to be familiar with. There will be times when you might have to reset a circuit breaker or replace a fuse. The circuit box should be easy to reach, and you have to know what areas each breaker controls.

Make Copies of Your Keys

This is another very important step that a lot of people strangely overlook. We’ve all been locked out of our house at least once, and making copies could be a lifesaver. Make sure that you make multiple copies, then give them to people you trust and know you’ll be able to reach if anything happens.

Check the Smoke Detectors

This step is very important as well. You want to make sure that all the smoke detectors are in good condition and are working. Replace the batteries with new ones. Check if they respond to smoke by lighting a match underneath, and see if they react to heat by lighting a lighter. If they don’t respond to your satisfaction, ask the landlord for a new one or get one yourself. While it should be the landlord’s responsibility, you don’t want to stay in a home that isn’t safe, so you could buy it yourself and try to strike a deal with them to take it off your rent.

If you follow the items on this checklist, you should be able to avoid a lot of issues once you move into your new home and feel comfortable as soon as possible. Always plan your move well in advance, and make sure that you and your landlord are on the same page.

Filed Under: Home/Garden

5 Tips for Starting a Home-Based Food Business 

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

In today’s world of economic uncertainty, more and more people are considering starting businesses that they can operate out of their own homes. While this is a great idea, you do need to realize that starting a business from home is just as time-consuming as starting a small business in a brick and mortar location.

The first thing you have to do is decide on the business you want to start. For many, food is something they enjoy cooking. If your family and neighbors are constantly raving about your cupcakes or seafood casserole, then maybe a home-based food business is the answer for you. Below, you’ll find a few tips to get you started on that path and your food business headed in the right direction.

Check into Regulations and Rules for the County You Reside In 

Your very first step is to learn the rules of having a home-based food business in your county. Every state and county is different, and you don’t want to be shut down before you even begin. For example, some states have bypassed the law that makes home-based food businesses meet the criteria for operation that commercial based food businesses have to follow. However, there is no guarantee that your state or county will follow the same plan, so check first.

See if there is a Market for what You Offer

While it’s possible that your cupcakes are the best in the county or your seafood casserole is to die for, if there’s no market for this type of food in your area, then you’re doomed to fail. While you want to go national with your home-based food business, you have to start small first. It’s best to create your product in small batches, create a focus group, and then expand when you see that the need is there and your product is catching on.

Safety First

No matter what type of food business you’re running, safety in the kitchen should always come first. This doesn’t just mean safety when you’re handling hot pots and pans, it also means making sure your kitchen follows all the safety tips and rules for cleanliness and anything else the health department requires, such as a food handler certificate.

The Phone Won’t Ring Without Successful Marketing 

It’s important to note that your phone isn’t going to just magically ring with orders coming in. You’re going to have to get the word out there and that means you need to have experience marketing. Marketing isn’t just talking to neighbors on the street, though word of mouth certainly helps. You need to know how to handle social media advertising, websites, and fresh and compelling SEO content as well. If you’re lost when it comes to SEO marketing and anything else to do with advertising, then it’s best to retain the help of the many SEO copywriting services on the market today.

Appearance is Everything 

Appearance is everything in a home-based business. Even if you bake or cook your goods in your pajamas, you don’t want to stay in them all day long. Getting dressed makes your work at home business feel more like going to work. Besides that, you don’t want to hold meetings with clients or suppliers in your pajamas, now, do you?

Not only should the appearance be everything credo be for your appearance, it should be used for your website, business cards, and presentation as well. Everything should be fresh, new, and professional looking, if you hope to succeed.

These are just a few of the top tips out there to help you start a home-based food business. In today’s world, working from home is easier than you might think. You just need to know how to go about it.

Filed Under: Business

It’s Time To Start Cooking, If You’re Not Already!

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

There are many benefits of cooking. Whether you love to cook now or you have just started and want some encouragement, cooking is a great way to keep yourself and your family healthy. 

  • It Gives You A Reward At The End – You have created something to eat that tastes delicious! 
  • The Creativity Is Positive For Your Mind – Looking at creating new dishes and exploring with new tastes and ingredients is going to be good for the mind. 
  • It Improves Your Quality of Life – It is good to eat well, it will improve your overall health, much more so than eating takeout pizzas will every day.
  • It Gets You Into The “Flow” – It will give you a little routine and allow you to feel in control of things. 
  • It Saves Money – You can cook on a budget and not have to spend a lot and it saves you from spending money on take away meals and restaurant food. 
  • You’re Helping Your Brain Stay Healthy – Your brain works too when you’re cooking and it is a good way to keep it healthy! 

Tools You Need

Having a good workable kitchen space is important if you’re wanting to cook but it’s not vital. As long as you have some space. You need the best equipment that will make your cooking life easy and so investing in some choice pieces will be a great addition. Look at a review to see what cookware brand will suit you the most. 


Some Quick Tips

Adding some delicious herbs will add flavour and colour to all types of meals! They are also rich in health-protective phyto-oestrogens which means that they can make your cooking healthier. Adding the seasoning is the fun part of cooking because it is what makes it so delicious in the outcome.  Things to note:

  • Herbs are delicately flavoured, so add them to your cooking in the last few minutes to get full benefit.
  • Dried herbs are more strongly flavoured than fresh and you won’t need any more than a teaspoon. 
  • Apart from boosting meat dishes, herbs can be added to soups, bread, chicken dishes etc.

  • Steam, bake, grill, braise, boil or microwave your foods, this will retain the vitamins.

  • Modify any recipes that include butter or too much salt and look for healthier alternatives. 
  • Avoid added oils and butter; use non-stick cookware instead. 
  • Remove any chicken skin or any fats from meats to get the most benefit and less of the unhealthy fats.
  • Add lots of vegetables and incorporate fruit into your desserts. This is a great way to get the kids to eat more too! 

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult but with the right know-how, you can be whizzing things up the kitchen every single day and exploring with new tastes. It’s vital to stay healthy during this time and so you must ensure that you take the time to prepare things for yourself and your family and you will see a difference in your mood and your body. 

Filed Under: Home/Garden

Party Planning on a Budget

May 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

Planning a party on a budget can be perplexing at times. With a little creativity and smart decisions, however, any party can be a success, whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, wedding, holiday, or baby shower. Here are five suggestions for how to plan your next party on a budget.

Send Online Invitations

Once you’ve decided on the date and time for your party, forego the traditional paper invites. Instead, create invitations from imaginative templates, like beautiful virtual bridal shower invitations online. Since most everyone relies on email and text messages these days, this is a perfect option and a fabulous way to lower costs.

Bake Your Own Sweet Treats

Many or all parties involve some type of sweet treats, such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or other type goodies. If you purchase a birthday cake from a bakery or store, your budget could take a big hit. Instead, make them yourself. Even if you’re not a baker, you can do this easily with store-bought mixes. Get creative with the frostings and any decorative toppings. Look for ideas online to help whether you are going to try angel food cake or flan.

DIY cupcakes are a great, low-cost option for any type of party. They aren’t just for kids’ parties anymore. Try using a white icing using a pastry bag for swirls and place little wedding bells or other small items you find for a low cost. You can even put initials on the top with sprinkles or candies.

Create Unique Decorations

You can spend a lot of your budget on decorations and supplies. However, you don’t have to. Start by looking around your home and identifying anything you already have that you can use. Do you have dozens of candles? Find creative ways to display these. Do you have flowers growing outside? Find unique vases to display them. Print out photos of the couple or birthday guy and place them in frames on a table.

Also, get creative and make your own decorations. Whether you consider yourself crafty or not, you can find something that will work. Look for tutorials online for unique ideas, such as how to make tablecloths or placemats from fun fabrics. Gather pinecones and paint them silver and gold, or red and green.

Consider Timing

Instead of holding your party during a mealtime, consider an in-between time, such as mid-afternoon or after dinner. This will lower your food budget considerably. Offer appetizers and snacks. These can be finger foods, vegetable, cheese, and fruit trays, or chips and a few special dips.

Select Your Splurge Item

Since you’re cutting costs elsewhere, consider selecting one item you wish to splurge on. This will depend on the occasion for the party, of course, but choose one that fits appropriately. This can be rental of a certain location, fancy chocolates from the chocolatier in your city, or the hiring of a magician or musician. By cutting costs elsewhere, you can feel good about allowing a splurge.

A little creativity can go a long way when planning a party on a budget. The goal is to make your guests feel comfortable and for everyone to have fun, including yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect. By sending online invitations, doing more of the cooking and designing of the party décor yourself, and adding that one splurge item you’re excited about, you’re ready to throw a great get-together.

Filed Under: party ideas

Top Tips for Preparing Your Home to Sell

May 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

Selling a house can be overwhelming. The aspect relates to the fact that you must put your home in order and look for a potential buyer. Also, detaching from one`s property might be stressful. However, with adequate planning and preparation, selling a property turn out to be one of the most appealing activities. Also, it would be best to consider some helpful tips before staging your house for sale. Take a look at some of the tips you may need to prepare your home for a perfect sale.

Removing the Clutter

Your house might have a lot of things that are not necessary. As you prepare your home for sale, inspect all the rooms and remove all the items you do not need. The aspect is critical in the sense that it makes your property look neater and the rooms look bigger. Also, you may need to pack some new items to make the rooms more appealing.

Paint and Patch the Walls

Perfect paints can do a good job in improving the quality of your home. Look for a professional painter and supply him with all the necessary resources for a perfect job. You may opt to change the color of your house in a bid to attract the attention of potential buyers. Check all the windows and doors and repaint any cracks on the walls. All the cracks and scuffs that requires more attention need to be fixed before applying any paint. Use attractive colors that are relatively neutral. You may consider looking for designers who have specialized in painting for a perfect job.

Cleaning

You might have used expensive material to build your house. However, in case it is dirty or has a filthy smell, potential buyers might undervalue it. Therefore, before you allow the buyer to conduct any inspection, perform a heavy-duty cleaning job for perfection. Remove any dirty vents, cobwebs as well as anything that appears filthy. Dirt creates a sensation that the house was not properly maintained. The aspect may scare away buyers. You may also steam and replace any carpets that appear filthy. You can also consult a pressure washing company like ClearviewWC.com for heavy duty cleaning. If your wall is heavily stained, make a point of cleaning and applying some light paint to increase its attractiveness.

Repairs and Maintenance

Before you start auctioning your house, do a thorough inspection as you identify all the items that need to be fixed. List all the faulty sockets as well as the bulbs that are not working. Check the doors as well as broken windows. Ensure that all the window panes are in good shape and well-functioning. Assume you are the one buying the house. You will inspect even the bath taps let alone door hinges. Once the inspection is over, identify all the aspects that need attention and fix them one after the other. Do not overlook petty issues such as bulbs. The element might be the turning point for some potential buyers.

The Exterior

It is wise to consider the environment surrounding the house. You might be having an outside garden. Spend some and ensure that everything looks beautiful. If flowers or a natural hedge surrounds your home, ensure that all the flowers are well-watered and the fence is well-trimmed. Check whether the external drainage system is working well. You might be having a parking space that ought to be fixed. All the items that make your house look ugly should be removed. Most buyers will inspect at most everything, including the external compound. A well-trimmed hedge and a properly kept exterior increase that value of the house let alone capturing the attention of any potential buyer.

Defining Rooms

Before vacating your house, make a point of inviting the buyers for inspection. Buyers prefer seeing the house arrangement before making any judgment. Selling an empty home can be overwhelming. A well-furnished house appeals to customers as compared to an empty house. Therefore, before making any vacation plans, ensure that the buyer has inspected the home while furnished. The aspect increases its value hence more profits.

Adding Flowers and Plants

More than 80 % of people living in the world today love flowers. Before the inspection, add some fresh flowers and fill your house with some beauty and change its fragrance. The aspect adds life to your home. Also, you may opt to add some pot plants that increase the attention of the property during the inspection.

Staging Your House

Staging your property is the best way of presenting the property without buying new artwork and furniture. Professional property stylists recommend partial or full staging to ensure that your home presents its very best for promotion.

Curtains and Towels

Before leaving the house, invest some few coins in buying new and fresh curtains. Also, remove any stained or old towels in all rooms. The aspect gives a home a good look as its fragrance is more invigorating. There are times where the owner may forget inspecting the children’s rooms. Dirty clothes, torn towels and mismanaged curtains in children’s places can reduce the value of a house during the inspection. Use your kids and let them know the importance of clearing such a mess.

Pre-Inspection Cleaning

You might have given your house a heavy-duty cleaning a few weeks before an inspection. However, pre-inspection cleaning is of the essence. Once the inspection date is set, ensure that your property looks good. You may need to confirm everything is properly arranged by conducting a pre-inspection cleaning just some few hours before the inspection. The aspect may involve wiping mirrors, bench tops as well as cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen to ensure that everything looks good. If you are not sure of your cleaning efforts, check in with any pressure washing company for perfection.

Ensure that Your House Smells Good

Nowadays, there are tropical sprays that change the way a house smells. Filthiness lowers the grading of a property. A potential buyer may change his or her bid on a bad smell. For this reason, when conducting a pre-inspection cleaning, ensure that all the rooms are clean and free from anything that might cause a bad odor.

Final Set-up

Imagine how your house will look to the buyer. Look back and assume you are the new owner. What are some of the things that might cause you to reject the house? Check on the furniture arrangement and see if it has the best visual appeal. Ensure that all the coverings hang evenly. You may purchase some new curtains that are uniform. Also, you might be forced to recheck the list with items to be repaired. Spend some more time inspecting your house before inviting potential buyers. The aspect allows one to identify any flaws with arrangements. All taps and bulbs ought to be functioning before staging is done.

In a nutshell, preparation plays a critical role in increasing the value of your house. Even if you are selling your home in haste, it is wise to perform a heavy-duty cleaning and set everything in order. Avoid any filthiness and rearrange your furniture to attract more customers. Before staging your property, it is wise to ensure that all the necessary items such as water taps, bulbs and sockets are functioning well. You might be forced to invest in buying some new pieces to increase the demand of the house. Fix broken panes, amends any cracks and paint walls that look old. Also, before allowing potential buyers in your home, do a thorough inspection and identify some of the items that might degrade your house. Also, do not overrate your house to attract more customers.

               

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