DIY Archives - Page 9 of 11

Adding curb appeal to your property – how to do it affordably and easily

May 31, 2017 by admin

Selling your home can be a stressful process. You want to try and get as much interest in the property as possible, in order to give yourself more chance of selling quickly, and of securing the best possible selling price. There are several things you need to take into account, when you selling your home. These considerations include choosing a real estate agent you can trust, or knowing the best way to deal with your own house sale.

One thing that you may not necessarily consider as a priority, can actually be very important; that is curb appeal. If your property looks good from the outside, you will be surprised how much interest you can get from people who are just passing by. There are ways that you can improve the curb appeal of your home, without having to spend a fortune to do so.

Consider cladding as an option

Cladding the exterior of your home is obviously going to cost you money. But you need to weigh this up against the amount of value that you could be adding. Cladding does not just improve the appearance of your home, it also offers protection to the exterior surface, as well as helping with home insulation.

If you speak to an expert such as Peter Bracey they can help you decide which type of cladding you should use. They can also advise you on how much of an investment you need to make.

Tidying and cleaning your outside space

If the front of your home looks untidy, dirty or overgrown, many people are not going to bother looking behind the issues. You could be putting off a lot of potential buyers. If you lead a busy life, and there is a house sale that is also complicating matters, it’s understandable that tasks may get neglected.

It’s important that you try and make time to tidy your outside space. You should cut back bushes and trees and ensure that dead plants are removed. If you have the time, it’s also worth adding a few fresh plants to give a splash of colour. You should also jet wash the driveway and get rid of any weeds that are present.

Painting and repairing

You may not think that a broken fence will be of much concern to people buying a property. The thing is that it’s not just about a broken fence. This type of issue can make it seem as though you are not bothered about the upkeep of your home; this is not something that people who are thinking of buying the property want to see.

You need to make sure that you fix broken fences, or other issues. It’s also worth painting the outside of the property, if the paint is peeling or faded. Do not forget to opt for a traditional or neutral colour scheme, as this is likely to appeal to more people.

All of these actions can help add curb appeal to your home. This can make selling the property easier and can help you to secure a better selling price.

Update your home with trendy furniture this spring

April 30, 2017 by admin

After a long, cold winter, the renewed warmth of spring not only invigorates our spirits, but our creativity as well.

As you go around the house cleaning, design ideas may come as you subconsciously review your home’s setup, making a trip to your favorite modern furniture store in Orange County inevitable.

What should be on your must have list? Below, we’ll float a few suggestions that can make your home the castle it should be.

Complete your living room with a sweet sectional sofa

Want to add a lounging option to your living room that everyone will love? Make this the year you finally get that sectional sofa you’ve always wanted but could never justify – until now.

Now that you got the means, go ahead and spoil yourself. Sectionals encourage a seating plan that is more social, but the segment of the couch that juts out forward from the rest are their best attribute by far.

Allowing you to stretch out and relax like royalty, it will be the scene of many impromptu naps in your immediate future.

Add a corner bar in your dining room

If you are looking for a fun way to spice up dinner parties and holiday gatherings, the addition of a subtle but stylish corner bar is a great way to do just that.

Perfect for home owners with an empty corner in their dining room/nook, it is the perfect place to show off your mixology skills in front of a captive audience.

Many bars have a slim footprint, making them easy to place, have ample shelving beneath the worktop for plenty of liquor bottles, and are put together with materials that give off an understated elegance that will make them mesh well within your dining space.

Revamp your bed setup

For many, the bedroom serves a practical purpose. Yours might do a great job lulling you to sleep, but know that it can also be the inner sanctum you deserve.

By picking out a bed set that imparts design principles to the headboard, the frame, the linens, and the pillows, you can flip your bedroom around from a place where you merely get sleep to a luxurious den you’ll have trouble leaving in the morning.

Get a home office chair that matches your personality

Do you ply your trade at home? It’s time you got an office chair that resonates with who you are as a person.

Whether you choose a high-sided leather chair that screams big-time corporate CEO, or an art house seat that lends credibility to your identity as a creative professional, there is a seating solution out there with more impact than that sad chair you picked up for $99 at Staples two years ago.

Be known for having the sexiest fire pit in the neighborhood

Love entertaining neighbors, friends, and family members in your backyard? Go upscale with your fire pit this year, and you’ll have people thinking you won the lottery.

With models on the market that put up a flame through a polished concrete table, you’ll have a stunning outdoor centerpiece that will make guests feel like they are chilling in the backyard of their favorite Hollywood celeb.

Settling into Your Home for the Long Haul

April 13, 2017 by admin

After dabbling in the home buying process a few times, most buyers will find themselves looking for their ‘forever home.’ This property will meet and exceed their expectations in a variety of areas, including location, size, price and everything in between.

Once you’re certain that the home you purchased is one that you’ll live in for many years to come, there are various steps to take to convert the property into your long-time dream home. These touches can be as small as designing the house with the right decor, or, as big as making major renovations. When it comes to the changes you’re looking to make in your long-term home, it is important to consider a variety of factors. The things listed below are just a few things to think about when settling down for the long haul!

Potential Renovations You’re Considering

After deciding on your forever home, it’s time to consider those renovations that have been put off until the time was right. Moving into your long-term home means doing remodeling projects that will not only provide value to your home, but provide value to you and your family. Perhaps you’ve wanted to create a room for your artistic hobbies, or maybe a playroom for your young ones. If you’ve decided to settle down for the long haul, the time may be right to make those desired renovations.

When considering how you want to go about doing the projects, it is important to think about how it will impact your homeowners insurance. Depending on your location, magnitude of the project and your policy coverage, some renovations may cause your insurance rates to increase as a result. If this should happen, it’s time to think about changing providers. Sites like CoverHound offer competitive rates from reputable insurance agencies, so you won’t have to worry about which companies you’re matched with.

Consider Investment Furniture

Once you know you’re settling in for the long haul, investing in quality furniture is a great way to add the forever home touch. Whereas in the past you may not have considered valuable furnishings on account of a potential move, your long-term property gives you an opportunity to purchase more expensive couches and coffee tables. This can be beneficial both due to cost savings from cheaper furniture breaking more easily, as well as giving your home the long-term feel that it deserves.

An Interior Designer Could Turn Dreams into Reality

Working with an interior designer can be a primary key in turning your long-term home dreams into reality. Since these professionals are able to take your ideas and put them down into tangible outcomes, an interior designer can help you get the exact feel that you desire.

Whether in regards to the color schemes you want, or certain added touches on the interior or exterior, consider working with a designer to get exactly what you are hoping for. Especially if this is your long-term home, you want to be able to feel happy and fulfilled every time you walk through the door.

Make Necessary Repairs Early

This is important for those moving in for the long haul, as small repairs that would be inexpensive at the onset can become pricey if not handled immediately. If you know you’ll be residing in the property for years to come, consider hiring a home inspector to make a full assessment of the house to identify problem areas that need fixing.

By taking care of repairs early, you avoid the risk of them becoming major problems in the future, which will undoubtedly save you tons of money in costs.

Making the decision to settle down for the long-term is an exciting and important time for any homeowner. Knowing that you’ll be living in the house for many years to come, there are certain things that should be taken into account. The points mentioned above are just a few of the key changes that come into play when your regular home turns into a forever home. Keeping these in mind will help you get the most out of your investment and ensure that the property remains the home of your dreams in the future.

Why is there a foul odor coming from my drains?

April 11, 2017 by admin

You’ve given the kitchen a complete cleaning, and yet you still smell some lingering odors. Puzzled? Try sniffing the drains. A lot of mysterious kitchen smells are coming from hidden sources down in your pipes.

From Los Angeles to Sydney, plumbers are often called for this simple problem when you can easily take care of it on your own.

The Causes

There can be a few reasons why you are getting bad odors in your drains, though the main one is that there is a blockage or clog of organic material that smells. It’s not enough to actually block the water flow, but even a small build-up of food waste can start to rot and that’s what you’re smelling.

In particular, this can be a real problem if your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal. Food waste constantly gets clogged in it, and without proper cleaning, it will start to smell.

There is a small chance that you may have a more serious problem with sewage, but it’s highly unlikely. The best approach is to clean out the drains and see if that fixes the problem. If not, then call the plumber and see if there is more going on.

How to Get Rid of the Smell

Now that you have an idea why there are odors coming from your drain, you can take a few simple steps to get the problem cleaned up.

As we mentioned, garbage disposals are a special concern for drain smells. Let’s deal with that first. A popular technique for cleaning disposals is to take a handful of ice cubes and/or a quartered whole lemon (rind and all) and run through a cycle. The chunks of ice will break away any food clogs and the lemon will remove grease as well as freshen up the smell.

For the drain with no disposal, you have to take a less vigorous approach. A simple trick can be pouring a full kettle of boiling hot water down the drain. The heat will almost instantly melt any grease, which is usually the glue that holds food clogs together. When the clog washes away, the smells go too. This is a great and easy technique that you should do every week to prevent any problems rather than wait until you smell something.

Another trick is to pour vinegar down the drain, as the acid will kill a lot of bacteria that can be causing smells. For a stronger approach, pour about half a cup of baking soda down the drain and then follow up with the same amount of vinegar. The fizzing will break up small clogs and free any food build-up.

And don’t forget that drain basket. It’s a great tool to keep food out of the drain, but it can get pretty disgusting itself (especially the bottom side that you don’t see). Give it a good scrubbing once a week to keep it clean and smelling fresh. If you don’t have a drain basket, that could be part of the problem since all sorts of food bits and other material is ending up down in the pipes. Try getting a strainer basket and see if it helps with future smells, just give it a wash now and then.

Transitioning from Traditional to Eco-Friendly: Yes You Can

March 2, 2017 by admin

Source

When you think about changing things at home to make it more eco-friendly, what comes to mind? A montage of CFL bulbs and solar panels probably just played in your head, right? That’s totally normal. And it is usually why many people only think about making changes instead of actually making them: there are so many options and ways to change that choosing feels overwhelming. Let’s take a look at some that are easy to manage and that you can do right now.

Call Your Provider

Here’s the good news: the federal electrical grid requires power providers to incorporate sustainable and renewable power into their municipal supplies. This means that you are already getting at least some of your power from renewable sources. That’s great! If you would like to use only renewably sourced power, however, you will need to contact your provider and make that change. It often means paying a little bit extra every month but if you live in a state with a deregulated energy market you can often shop around for deals. Many states have sites designed to help you compare and contrast plans–click here for an example that is local to Texas.

Windows Windows Windows

Take advantage of natural light as much as possible. Arrange your furniture to allow you to use daylight for reading and working for as much of the day as you can.

Usually, this is where energy experts will recommend that you replace your windows with newer energy saving alternatives but that is costly and window replacement can eat up a lot of time. Instead, treat your windows yourself with film! You probably already know that covering your windows with clear plastic sheeting or film can help you dramatically reduce heat leaching during the winter months. Did you know, though, that there is also film that you can install during the summer months that will absorb heat and keep it from turning your windows into giant magnifying glasses? It’s true! Users report that using heat absorption film during the summer reduces the temperature in their homes by 10 degrees or even more–even though they let in just as much light!

Creative Cooking

A fireplace is a great source of heat during the winter. It can also be a great source of heat when you want to do some cooking. While we wouldn’t recommend cooking every meal in your fireplace (especially if you’re cooking for more than a couple of people), using it for a couple of meals each week isn’t a bad idea. You’ll get to use your camping cook gear year round!

Another option is to use your grill–yes, even when it is cold–to cook meals. This reduces your power consumption and, in many cases, helps you eat more healthfully.

Lighting Matters

CFL bulbs are not that much better than incandescents. Sure they use less power, but they also contain mercury, which is bad for the environment. The best bulbs you can use are LEDs. They’re bright, they don’t take forever to “warm up” and they use a fraction of the energy that incandescents and CFLs use. They are still pretty spendy, though, so don’t run out and buy a bunch right now. Simply replace your bulbs as they burn out.

Using solar powered lights is another good idea. You can use these in your yard and on your porch to reduce your power consumption. You can also repurpose them into indoor lighting devices. They won’t light up a whole room but they’re great for creating some ambiance.

Plant Some Stuff!

Even if you live in an apartment you can do some gardening. You don’t have to plant anything big or super high maintenance, but having plants is always a good idea. They can help scrub the air and, if you plant herbs, spices, veggies, fruits, etc–can reduce the number of trips you need to make to the grocery store, which helps reduce your carbon footprint.

These all might seem pretty basic but ask yourself: have you put any of these basic ideas into practice yet? Starting small and basic is the best way to build momentum for larger changes later on, so get to it!