Archives for March 2021

Key Factors to Consider When You Want to Make the Most of Your Home’s Attic

 

Many homeowners have found themselves feeling cramped and cluttered in their properties over the last 12 months, with household members home more due to the global pandemic.

If you’re looking to find private space for yourself or others, whether to set up an office, media room, guest bedroom, yoga studio, or meditation zone, etc., it’s worth considering if your home has an attic to use.

It might feel like it’s a big job to turn an attic into an entirely liveable space, but the effort and cost are likely to be worth it in the long run, especially when you consider that it can help boost the resale value of your property, too. However, make sure you look into some essential factors before you start work.

Clear Out All the Cutter First

It’s necessary to remove any clutter that’s taking up valuable space in your attic. If you’re like most people, you’ve likely been using this part of your home as a storage zone for bits and pieces you don’t use often or are not sure what to do with. If so, to make the area available for living, working, exercise, or other activities, spend time clearing up. Remove everything you can out of the attic, so it’s ready to be refreshed and better utilized in the future.

Get a Professional to Check for Safety Allowances and Other Clearance

Before going too far, though, make sure you can safely and legally use the attic as a liveable space. Consider legal requirements such as if there’s enough height for head clearance and if the room passes local council regulations or other legal conditions.

Rather than guessing at these things and never being sure what’s allowed, it’s best to hire someone who specializes in this kind of consultancy. For example, go online and search for “quality general contractors near me”or related terms to find people for the job. Have the person you select let you know if there’s going to be enough clearance in your attic once it has been finished off, if not already. If the height isn’t right, they should be able to raise the roofline for you.

You may also need the attic floor shored up to make it strong enough to hold both furniture and people up there. You’ll likely require a structural analysis of the space to see if any safety regulations are involved. Also, consider if you want to expand the attic or obtain better access to it. Council permits may be necessary along the way for various factors.

Install Heating and Cooling Systems

Attics typically aren’t the most temperate of places in a home, lying at the top of a property and all. As such, you’ll probably need to have some heating and cooling systems installed to ensure the space is habitable throughout the year.

In particular, consider getting air conditioning or, at the very least, a fan put in to help cool the attic down in summer when all the hot air in the house rises to it and makes it potentially a sweatbox. Many people find that a reverse-cycle HVAC system works well in these contained zones, and these machines are quite affordable these days, too.

Finish Off the Space

No matter what you want to use your updated attic for, you’re going to want it to be a welcoming, comfortable place that you enjoy spending time in. To make it this way, finish off the space carefully. For example, depending on the room’s current state, it could require drywall added to the walls and ceiling. It may need proper flooring laid down, especially carpet or some other product that will help to dampen noise. You don’t want to have too much sound traveling from the top of the house to lower areas.

It pays to paint the surfaces to make your attic more attractive, and you may be keen to add features to dress it up
further, such as a vaulted ceiling, beadboard panels, or tongue and groove paneling. If there isn’t enough light currently, consider getting a builder or other tradesperson to add one or more skylights for you. Also, you’ll probably need an electrician to come in and put in proper wiring, power points, and light fittings, too. Plus,

Follow the tips above to turn your under-utilized attic area into a well-designed, inviting space that you and your family like to be in. As a bonus, the results should add value to your property as well.

Improvements To Make Before Selling Your Home

Selling your home is a big move and one that you want to make as financially successful as possible. There are certainly things that you can do in order to ensure your home sells for as much as you can manage. After all, by selling your home for a profit, the next property may get you closer to paying off the mortgage in its entirety or helping you to get a bigger property for you and your family. With that being said, here are some improvements to make before selling your home.

Fix Anything That’s Broken

There are likely to be things around your home that are in need of fixing. Over time, some things will get broken and you tend to manage without or for as long as possible until it becomes unbearable to go without it. Some things might not even need fixing for you to get on with your daily life. However, by fixing these things, you’re going to make it better for those potential buyers to want to place an offer on your home. If they see a lot of damage and fixtures that need doing, then they will likely offer less because of the hassle and financial expenditures they’ll need to do.

A lot of buyers like to see something that takes as little effort as possible unless you’re fortunate to have buyers that want to update and remodel a home. But they tend to be few and far between, so it’s good to fix anything that needs to be fixed. For any window repairs, windowsgreensboro.com is a good place to start.

Upgrade Any Rooms That Need It

Upgrading rooms are something that will be needed in certain areas that have become outdated or perhaps haven’t be updated in several years. A good bathroom renovation or kitchen might last you a decade or two if you look after it properly. However, over time, it might get worn down or tired. It’s also the case when you follow certain trends and those trends go out of fashion. There are plenty of interior trends that go out of style and therefore make the room even more dated because of it.

So if there are any rooms that need an update or upgrade, focus your attention on them first. You might not have to spend a ton of money on it but there will be benefits to spending money on rooms that are in need of an upgrade.

Declutter The Property Entirely

Decluttering your property is something that people can tend to avoid doing because of the hassle and time it takes to do it. It’s surprising just how much clutter we can accumulate over time and that’s why it’s important to do it every so often in order to help keep the amount of clutter you have, down. This will also be important to do when it comes to the viewings for your home. The last thing buyers want to see is a home that has a lot of stuff just lying about. It’s never any good to show your home like this because buyers need to be shown a space that they can live in.

Take some time out of your weekend and spend that time decluttering your home. Do it with the rest of the household too as they will likely have things that they can get rid of. You shouldn’t have to do it on your own, after all.

Add An Extension If You Can

An extension to your home can be a great improvement on your property. If you are fortunate to have space on your property to extend, then it would be a missed opportunity. Adding on an extra bedroom or bathroom can make such a huge difference to the value of your home, adding potentially thousands. Think about what your property could benefit from because it might not be a case of adding another room but extending an existing one. Perhaps your kitchen is too small or maybe you have a downstairs study that could do with extending to make it more comfortable.

Extensions can really be a good option if you have the budget available. It’s something that can be costly and time-consuming but a worthy investment to boost your home’s value when it comes to selling.

Do Minor Adjustments To Improve Appearances

Sometimes, it’s the smaller changes you make to your home that can make a big difference. Not everything needs to be major in order to boost the value of your home or to help in selling it. In order to improve your home’s appearance to potential buyers, make some minor adjustments where it’s needed. It could be that your kitchen cabinets need a touch-up with some new paint or maybe you could hang a few paintings around the home to make the space look more attractive or interesting.

These minor tweaks and changes don’t need to cost much but can really help in providing that image for your buyers. When a buyer looks around the home, they’re usually looking for themselves in the space and living in it. Adding a fresh bouquet of flowers in the living room or dining space could be something that triggers that emotional attachment to the property.

Rearrange Any Rooms To Their Original Purpose

Throughout your home, there might be spaces that you’ve transformed into something different than its original purpose. For example, perhaps a spare bedroom has now become a study or workout space. As much as it’s convenient before you sell, it’s worth rearranging any rooms to their original purpose. It might be that you have to get that bed from out of the loft or you simply clear the room entirely and leave it empty.

By taking those rooms to the original state, it’s going to help buyers to see them in the right way. Otherwise, they might always associate that space as being something that doesn’t suit what they want, when it actually could.

If you’re lacking furniture, you could always pop to a second-hand store and get some furniture to furnish the room. You could then return that furniture once you’re done with it or leave it behind for the new owners to make use of it.

Clean It Before Every Viewing

This is an improvement that can be made when you’re at that point of selling the property. When inviting buyers around to see your home, it’s good to present it in the right way. Dressing it up is a good way of making sure that it looks presentable for when your potential buyers come around. Cleaning your property is always useful to do before every viewing. It’s certainly a lot of effort to keep your home constantly clean, especially on a daily basis. Not everyone has the time to clean their home daily but when you’ve got potential viewings, you want to make sure you’ve got the best-looking version of your home that you can possibly give.

Try to make sure it looks as good as it can do with the time you do have available. Stock up on cleaning products and try to give it that quick clean-up before a viewing takes place. It could make all the difference to selling your property.

Selling your home is a challenge sometimes, depending on the market and what type of property you have. However, there will always be a buyer out there that’s looking for your home exactly so use these tips to make sure you do everything in order to attract them!

9 Tips to Flipping a Home

If you are looking to get into house flipping, here 9 tips to help you get started.

1. Pick and choose your target

Make sure you research the real estate market you plan to invest in. Does it have a high population growth? What types of houses are being bought in the area? Is it close to a college or a good school? Don’t worry about up-and-coming areas; you want to focus on the neighborhoods that are already established so that you can sell your home fast.

2. Set your budget

Find out how much you are willing to invest. Whether you get that number from a fix and flip loans, traditional mortgage loan or hard money loans from Source Capital, use that funding to determine what kind of a house you are able to afford.

There is a rule in house flipping called the 70% rule, which means that you don’t pay more than 70% of the after repair value (ARV) of a home. For example, if a home’s ARV is $250,000 and it needs $40,000 in repairs, you shouldn’t pay more than $135,000 for that home. This rule will help you avoid overpaying.

3. Find your listings

You will typically want to buy foreclosures when flipping. You can find a lot of good bargains in decent neighborhoods. After finding a potential property to buy, get all the information you need through BuildFax. This report can tell you about the home’s history and any repairs, remodels, and renovations it’s had.

4. Learn how to negotiate

If you can spend less money on buying a home, that means you can make more money when it’s time to sell. Some good negotiation strategies include making a budget and sticking to it, pointing out defects in the home you are buying, acting confident, and having the willingness to walk away from a deal.

5. Get familiar with renovation costs

You should start to learn how much common renovation projects are expected to cost. This way, you can walk into a home and start to estimate how much that renovation is going to cost and whether it is worth buying or not. Plus, you’ll save time and money.

6. DIY

During the renovation process, help with the work because it will give you a good guess on how much a project should cost. You’ll also find which parts of the job you enjoy and which ones you don’t. Doing your own DIY projects can save a significant amount of money in the long run. You are likely to accumulate a significant amount of waste during the process, but there are many services that offer dumpster rental to help you dispose of this waste.

7. Hire a contractor For all the other projects that you can’t do yourself, you will need to hire a good contractor. Some things to evaluate when hiring a contractor include:

● Punctuality

● Quality of references

● Time management

● Organization

A network of good contractors is worth its weight in gold.

8. Figure out your timeline

A good timeline for flipping a home is 3 months. It may take longer than that, but that is money wasted. A good contractor can make sure that your renovation sticks to the timeline you set out without requiring your presence on-site.

9. Know how to sell

Decide if you want to go with a real estate agent or sell yourself. If you go with an agent, they will issue realtor fees. If you sell it yourself, you may save money, but it will probably take you longer. You will also have to be available for property viewings, which is a waste of time for you.

Flipping houses can be a risky but lucrative business. If you are able to keep this advice in mind, then you will be in a better place than if you had gone in blind. Make sure you are financially and mentally ready to invest in house flipping if this is the path you want to take. Good Luck!

Factors to Consider When Purchasing Heating Oil For Your Home

People living in Connecticut or Massachusetts know the value of keeping their home warm by different means. Such is the impact of cold chills here that people often end up draping them in blankets and spend all day long without stepping out of their bed.

But that’s not how you are supposed to enjoy the beautiful winter season. You can cherish the beauty of this season when you step out, have a cup of coffee with your family in the living area or backyard, cooking something delectable and sizzling for you and your family, etc.

So, what’s the need?

Well, you need to have the heating oil making it easier for you to keep your home warm without letting it burn a hole in your pocket. Shopping around and buying from a place like romeosfuel.com can help you save money on this winter essential.

When talking about purchasing heating oil for residential purposes, you may end up getting countless options in the market. One option is https://paylessforoil.com. Here, the biggest challenge is to search for the right heating oil for your home.

Here is how to do it.

Reliability of oil – Everyone would agree that natural gas is a highly popular fuel source. But at the same time, it is something rare to find these days. This tends to make people concerned about the shortage in the forthcoming years too. The good news is that heating oil is something opposite to it. Therefore, go for heating oil rather than relying on natural gases, which may cost you a lot of money.

Go for environmentally friendly options – When finding out the best heating oil for your residential purposes, you may come across several options. Make sure to see if it’s environmentally friendly or not. The innovation of heating oil has a lot of benefits to offer you. If you don’t believe it, you can learn more about it from the horse’s mouth. It is a proven method to keep your place warm without hampering the environment at any cost. Also, it may interest you to know that heating oil systems are flaming 95% cleaner than in 1970. This displays the massive quality improvement.

Energy efficiency on the heating oil system – According to the current standards, oil furnaces can easily reach up to 95% of the energy efficiency. You can use less fuel and get more heat. This illustrates that you can achieve a higher optimal level of comfort without burning a hole in your pocket. This way, you can get enough heating oil supply

containers to survive throughout the winter season. Consider going for a reliable heating oil supply provider in your area to get remote services.

The bottom line is,

People living in cool areas require ample sources to keep their home warm and cozy throughout the winter season. When it comes to keeping the home warm and nice to live in, people often go for electric heaters and other appliances, making life easier. Although it shows impeccable results, at the same time, it may end up costing you a lot of money. Thus, smart homeowners look upon heating oil the most.

How to Cut Plexiglass According to Your Interior Project

You might have heard about the different usages of plexiglass. Plexiglass sheets are not only used for huge windows or commercial buildings but also in little interior designing. You can DIY cut to size plexiglass sheets at home into whatever shape you want. You just need an authentic guideline on how to cut plexiglass sheets to various sizes.

What is a plexiglass sheet?

Plexiglass is a transparent acrylic glass. Acrylic or plexiglass sheet is a petroleum-based thermoplastic material that can be referred to as “plastic glass” and is purely shatter-resistant. If you hit it with a stone, it won’t shatter to a million pieces. Its durability and strength compel people to use it in their interior projects.

Can you cut plexiglass at home?

Yes, now it’s possible to cut plexiglass sheets at home, you just need to follow a proper guideline. Plexiglass is as transparent as glass, which makes it an excellent substitute for glass. Most people use these acrylic sheets in different crafts for interior design. Plexiglass is solid but it is not scratch-resistant, so it should be handled with care.

The plexiglass sheet comes in a wrapped paper, make sure to leave it on for as long as you can manage. This way it will provide protection against scratches. If you don’t have a proper instrument or tool to cut the thin sheets of plexiglass to your desired size, you can use these tips to score a success!

● Now, to cut the plexiglass sheet to the size, lay it on a flat surface where you can use your hand steadily.

● To measure the straight lines, use a grease pencil, ruler, and tape.

● Make sure to draw the straight lines of plexiglass.

● Once you are done with drawing the lines, with the help of a glass cutter move along the lengths of the lines.

● Move the area where you have scored lines to the work surface.

● Cut the plexiglass sheet with a sharp downward force to break it!

● To try more sizes and shapes, you need proper tools and instruments so the plexiglass sheets are cut to size.

What are the tools required to cut the sheets?

Well, we will be telling all of the methods you can use to DIY cut the plexiglass, so the tools mentioned below are necessary for each type of method. Pick the tools according to the method you are going to adopt for cutting plexiglass.

● Grease pencil

● Gloves

● Ruler

● Glass cutter

● Sandpaper/metallic file

● Handsaw

● Jigsaw

● Bandsaw

How can the plexiglass sheets be cut to the size for DIY projects? Nowadays, plexiglass sheets are abundantly used for interior projects, like windows, glass doors, or any other decoration piece. Now, you have a bundle of options to decorate your home or apartments with plexiglass sheets cut to various sizes. Plexiglass sheets can be cut to the size very easily at home. They are highly customizable and you can shape them as you want! If you are DIYing this project, you have many options to cut Plexi sheets, some of them are mentioned here.

Plexiglass sheets cut to the size with the help of a glass cutter

● This method is very simple and easy. Just measure the sheet accurately and place it on a flat surface.

● With the help of a glass cutter, mark a line on the sheet. Make sure to mark a clear and straight line.

● Now, after marking the line place the sheet on the edge of the flat surface.

● Apply a sharp downward force to cut the sheet and never ever forget to wear gloves and goggles.

Cut plexiglass sheets with the help of a jigsaw

● First of all, to make the sheet steady, clamp it to your workspace or bench.

● With the help of a marker/grease pencil draw a line where you want to cut. Make sure to score it precisely.

● To prevent any sort of splintering, cover the line with masking tape.

● With the due precautions (gloves and goggles) turn on the jigsaw and cut the marked line.

Cutting plexiglass sheets with the help of a Bandsaw

● Score the lines, where you want to cut.

● Place the sheet on a steady and flat surface.

● Put on goggles and gloves.

● Turn on the bandsaw and align it with the scored lines. Make sure to cut the sheet carefully with the slow-setting of the bandsaw.

Cutting plexiglass sheets with a handsaw- convenient method!

● With a marker/grease pencil, score the lines on the sheet.

● Place it on a flat surface

● Put on gloves and goggles.

● Align the handsaw with the marked lines and with a sharp, downward force cut the sheet.

Always buy a large sheet instead of the desired size

A question that might pop up in your head, while buying a plexiglass sheet, is why you should buy a large plexiglass sheet instead of the desired one. The answer to it is, sometimes while cutting the sheets there can be mishaps, you could cut the wrong size, or you could measure the wrong lines. To avoid all of this chaos, you need to have some sort of margin on your sheet, this way even if you make a mistake, you can fix it. Tip: Read this guide to know the difference between acrylic vs lexan.

The economical and easiest method to cut a plexiglass sheet!

You can choose the method of cutting depending on the width of the plexiglass sheets. Thick sheets are best cut with the help of a jigsaw or a bandsaw. However, the cheapest way of cutting the thin sheets is with a glass cutter or a handsaw. This may take a little longer and require a lot of effort but it’s handy! One more important thing is to buy a good quality plexiglass sheet because it will be worth the money and your effort.

Wrapping up! Do you want to DIY cut plexiglass for your interior? Plexiglass sheets are the best substitute for glass in the market. They are transparent, shatter-proof, and heat-resistant, these qualities make them the best product for crafting DIY’s. You can cut them by hand or with the help of a jigsaw or a bandsaw. You can go for the affordable yet effective method to cut the thin sheets which are cutting glass with a glass cutter!

7 Signs your Tree May Be Unsafe and Require an Arborist

Trees are a beautiful addition to your property, but they can be unsafe and pose great risks if they are damaged. If you don’t know much about trees, it can be hard to determine whether your tree is damaged or if it’s just going through the different seasons.  For assistance with tree inspection, care and removal, check out Lineage Tree Care Everett.

While an arborist will be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with your tree, there are still many things you can look out for that might indicate that you have an unhealthy tree. Broken or dead branches, cracks or holes in the trunk, problems with the roots, losing leaves out of season, or the tree suddenly leaning are all important signs to look out for.

1. Broken or Hanging Branches

One of the first signs your tree is unsafe and in need of help is broken or hanging branches. Depending on the size of the tree, this can cause serious safety risks to both yourself and your property if the branch were to fall near your home.

Not only is it a safety risk to your property, but it’s also bad for the tree. Damaged branches could result in insect infestations which, overtime, will cause even more damage to the tree and end up costing more money. If you notice a broken or hanging branch, it would be best to contact an arborist to take a look. Arborists know what to look for and will determine the best action plan for you.

2. Trunk has a Hole in it

Another very important thing to look out for is holes in the trunk of your trees. Left untreated, the holes can build up moisture inside, and the tree will internally decay, which will ruin the structure of the tree. Like hanging or damaged branches, a structurally unsound tree will pose great risks to your property, especially during bad weather that might cause the tree to fall. If you notice any holes in the trunk, it’s likely that your tree is a safety risk. Contact an arborist right away!

3. Trunk has Cracks in it

While holes in the trunk are bad, cracks are definitely no better. Some cracks are superficial and nothing to worry about. However, you don’t want to assume all cracks are harmless. If you see any deep cracks, it would be best to contact an arborist. Deep cracks can leave the tree weak and unstable and may be caused by rot or decay inside the tree. This sign might be a little harder to look out for because not all cracks are a safety risk, but it’s still okay to get an arborist to look at it to ease your mind.

4. Root Issues

The roots of the tree are what hold everything together. They’re extremely important to keep a tree nice and healthy, so it’s vital that you look for any signs that the roots may not be doing too well.

The first thing to look at is the base of the tree. If you notice any areas that seem darker than most or any funky mushrooms growing around it, you should definitely contact an arborist. These signs indicate that the roots may be rotting. Rotted roots can leave the tree unstable and negatively impact the overall health of the tree. If the problem is severe enough, you might need to consider stump and tree removal. However, if it’s caught early enough, your tree can be saved. So, if you notice anything strange around the base of your tree, it would be best to have an arborist check it out just in case the tree is in danger.

5. Leaf Loss

Trees losing leaves usually just means that the season is changing. However, if your tree is losing leaves out of season, it can be a bad sign. There are many different reasons why your tree could be shedding leaves, including various tree diseases, pests, or problems with the soil. If your tree is diseased, it can be very dangerous. Chances of branches falling, or even the whole tree depending on how bad it is, is much higher. If you notice your tree is losing leaves, you should contact an arborist to determine the exact cause and find a good way to treat it.

6. Dead Branches

Damaged branches will probably be the first thing you notice on your tree because they’re so easy to spot. A dead branch with brown, withering leaves is an eyesore compared to the rest of the tree. If you spot any dead branches either barely hanging on or have already fallen off the tree, then that’s a big indicator that the tree is stressed and trying to become smaller. If there are several dead branches that have fallen off your tree, there is definitely something wrong. You should contact an arborist to come check out your tree.

7. A Leaning Tree

While not all trees are made the same and some lean different ways, a leaning tree isn’t always good. A leaning tree might be hard to spot if you don’t pay that much attention to it. A big warning sign is if a tree begins to lean out of nowhere and continue to drastically lean. This could be because of recent strong winds, but there is most likely an underlying cause to why your tree is leaning. Cracks in the tree’s roots and the soil are signs of an unsteady tree, which is a safety risk if it’s near your property or someone else’s property.

There are several things to look out for regarding your tree’s health. When it comes to your trees, keeping them healthy and thriving is always your number one goal, so determining when one is unsafe and in need of an arborist is very important. Looking out for broken or dead branches, cracks or holes in the trunk, issues with the roots, loss of leaves, and leaning trees will aid you in determining when your tree may be unsafe and require the help of an arborist. If you’re ever doubtful or unsure if the tree is unsafe, contact an arborist anyway. Getting someone to come check out a potentially unsafe tree is better than letting a damaged tree go untreated and become a safety risk.

The Ultimate Guide to Exterior Home Maintenance

Owning a home comes with many responsibilities, and maintaining it is one of them. Unfortunately, many homeowners only think of ways they can maintain the interior of their homes and forget the exterior part. You need to know that the first impression your house gives is always vital and powerful.

Here are some tips to help you keep the exterior of your home looking new:

Inspect your Homes Exterior Four Times a Year

Walk outside your home and look for places and things that might need to repair. Check the gutters for debris and damage, check the roof for leaks, and check the walls for any cracks. You might just be surprised by the many issues you will find. Inspecting your home will give you the chance to catch small problems before they turn into huge and costly issues.

Roof Maintenance

The roof is a vital part of any home; it helps keep the house dwellers dry, and in a temperature-controlled environment. Therefore, if you notice a leak that might have resulted from a previous storm, for instance, you should consider hiring a professional for storm damage repair. By doing so, you will be saving money in the long run. Furthermore, regular checks provide you with the opportunity to identify minor issues before they become major problems. You could implement one of these flat roof systems as one example if you notice small cracks forming to provide an effective waterproofing solution.

  • Consider the safety first
  • Check for hail damage
  • Check inside the home for leaks
  • Look for any sign of damage from the ground

Clean the Gutters

The main objective of having a gutter is to prevent the rainwater from soaking into the roof of the house or even into the foundation. A clogged gutter can lead to issues that will eventually affect the home exterior, including its siding. Grab a ladder and clean the rain gutter, it is recommended to do this twice a year, during the fall and springtime. However, this will depend on the foliage around your home, if you don’t have any problems with debris from hanging trees, you can check and clean the gutters once every year.

Driveway and Patio Maintenance

With time, the patio and driveways begin to decline in quality. The age might be a factor or even temperature, especially if you live in a colder region. The weather can result in a shift in the driveway materials that will need some repair. Consider repaving the driveway or buy some sealer to fill the cracks by yourself. If the driveway is full of weeds, spray some weed killer and let it do its job. Getting rid of the weeds will stop them from growing roots that will damage the cement and break up the pathway materials. You should also perform routine maintenance on your garage door in order to keep your driveway looking smart. If you find an issue with your garage door, make sure to check out garage door repair services in Severn MD by ADP Garage Doors, or repair services wherever you are based, in order to fix any problems. This will make an instant improvement to your house’s overall appearance. 

Maintain your Fences

The way your fence looks can have a significant impact on the general look of your home. The fence might be peeling, old, or even falling apart, which can be a bad impression. Go on and take it down, you can leave the space empty or make an effort to build a new fence to give the exterior of your home a new look. Check out this local fence company in Woodridge to help you with your new fence installation project.

Conclusion

The above exterior home maintenance tips are simple and can be done in any type of home, apart from saving money in the long run, they will help you increase the curb appeal of your home. You must inspect the exterior of your home and clean up some areas. You should also make repairs to small issues you find during the inspection before they turn into big and expensive problems.

6 Tips for the Lazy Gardener

If you love having a beautiful-looking garden, but you aren’t exactly the green-fingered type and you’d rather be doing something, anything, else but gardening, I’ve got you covered with my top tips for the lazy gardener. Read on to find out how you can have the garden of your dreams without all of the hard work that comes with it.

  1. Outsource it all

Okay, so we may as well start with the laziest option of them all: outsourcing. If you really don’t want to toil away in your garden, but you do have some spare money to spend, why not hire a lawn mowing service, pay someone to pull weeds, or employ a local high school student to paint your fence? You’ll get the garden of your dreams without having to do anything at all – what’s not to love about that?

  1. Buy flower- impregnated turf

If you want your lawn to be filled with the colors, shapes, and smells that only flowers can provide, but you don’t feel like digging around in the dirt, planting bulbs and all that entails, simply by some wildflower turf that has already been impregnated with everything you need to grow a kaleidoscope of colors. Simply lay it on the soil and it will pretty soon bed in and start to grow, If you live in a dry area, you may need to water it now and again, but other than that, you can be pretty hands-off.

  1. Perennials are the best plants

If you are happy to do a little planting, choose perennials, Why? Because they will grow back year after year, which means not only will you save a lot of time in the garden, but you’ll also save a fair amount of money too. You know it makes sense.

  1. Fallen leaves feed the garden

If you’re plagued by falling leaves in the fall and winter months, you may be interested to know that they actually make a pretty good mulch for flowers, so although you may still want to rake the leaves off your lawn for a perfectly manicured look, you don’t really need to waste time removing them from the flowerbeds too, they’ll feed the worms, keep the soil moist and feed your flowers so that they look even more amazing when the spring rolls around.

  1. Invest in a drip irrigation system

Drip irrigation systems automate the process of watering plants and flowers, while also minimizing the amount of water you need to use. So, if you’re a bit lax with your watering efforts, inv esting in one of these could be a really smart move all around.

  1. Install paving or decking

Installing paving or decking in the garden will minimize the amount of lawn care you need to do. Paving and decking are far easier to keep clean and neat than wild garden, but great for sitting on – you do the math!

As you can see, you really can maintain a beautiful garden without doing too much hard work, so what are you waiting for?

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4 Garage Remodeling Tips You Can’t Ignore

Evеr wondered whу thеrе аrе ѕо many саrѕ раrkеd on the ѕtreеts even in your neighborhood? It’ѕ nоt bесause thе fаmilу has mаnу cаrѕ or your neіghbor juѕt hаve ѕоme visitorѕ. Mоst оften than nоt, thе reаѕon iѕ — they can’t pаrk it іn thе garage. Funny, іѕn’t it? While the main purpose of thе garage іѕ to houѕe cаrѕ, it usually ends up becoming a junk room. 

There are ѕеverаl ѕolutіоns рrеѕеntеd in magazines, TVѕ, webѕitеs, еtс., on how to better equip and beautify уоur garage. Unfоrtunatеly, nоt аll the tips are actionable or make sense, mаіnlу bесаuѕе the сluttеr аnd mеѕѕ іn thеir garage аrе tоо much for a normal person to handle. It’s аctuаlly a mаttеr оf prіоritіzіng what-when-how tо dо it аnd whеrе to рut it.

If done right, Garage remodeling can be done in a few simple steps. Keep reading this article to know how you can effectively redesign your garage to bring back its look and functionality!

Understand the Purpose of your Garage

Garage remodelling is аbout оrgаnіzіng, remodeling, аnd buildіng. To know your garage neеdѕ, you have to dig up the іntеѕtіnеѕ оf уоur garage by cleaning or еmрtying іt. Havе everythіng pulled out or removed from уоur garage, start at a сlean slatе. 

Thoѕе itemѕ and thіngѕ thаt have been tranѕferrеd or movеd frоm thе garage must bе ѕоrtеd аnd categorized ѕo thаt you’ll know whаt to dо wіth thеm аnd whеrе to place аnd look for them. Sоmetimеѕ, уоu might just find your long lost sроrtіng gоod in оnе оf thoѕe mеѕѕ pіleѕ.

Long story short, be liberal in spending time understanding what things you need in your garage and otherwise. It’s only when you’ve figured things out in your mind that you can start getting your hands dirty. 

Getting Your Hands dirty

This is where you get into the real stuff. Wоuld уоu wаnt thоѕe itеmѕ bасk іn thе garage or wоuld уоu рrefеr tо put your gаrdеn toоls аnd саrреntrу kit in a ѕeраrаtе ѕhеd оr ѕtоrаge arеa? Figure out answers to such questions and create a remodel plan accordingly.

Utilize the Space Properly

In garage remodeling, іt’ѕ nоt аll аbоut уоur junk and tооls. You сan think of а lot оf uѕeѕ for thе spасe, beѕidеѕ јuѕt hоuѕіng саrs. It сan bе uѕed аs аn additіоnal office, wоrk shop, ѕtudio, lаundry rооm, еtc. Lastly, уоu саn work on building an ехtrа ѕtоrеy, without adding an inch іn уоur main floor plan, уоu gеt to have an extra ѕpаce or flооr, whісh cаn bе utіlizеd as а rооm or ѕtоragе fасіlіtу. 

Therе’ѕ no nееd for you tо ѕaсrifісe thе huge ѕtоragе аrеа оf уоur garage, уоu саn stіll utilize it aѕ onе, but mаkе use оf cuрbоаrds, buіlt-іn cabinets, еtс. just to maintain thе оrderlіnesѕ аnd сleаnlіneѕѕ of the spасе.

Take Expert Help

Most of the time, remodeling your garage will feel overwhelming. You may have no idea where to start and how to arrange things to get the best out of them. Be it your home’s garage or the one from your newly opened restaurant. It’s advisable to get help from expert professionals who know the nitty-gritty of remodeling. 

These general commercial contractors are trained professionals and take care of everything related to residential and commercial property maintenance. Make sure to have your garage checked by such professionals if possible. 

Conclusion

Garage Remodeling can be overwhelming if your garage is cluttered with too many unnecessary things and needs an extensive makeover. When you spend time understanding your garage’s position, you’ll also figure out if you can do it yourself or need to take the expert’s help. 

Use the tips mentioned in this article to get the best out of your garage!