There are so many things you need to think about when it comes to your home. Decorating your property and adding some personality is really important. It helps you enjoy the home much more and gives it a lot of character. Check out these awesome ideas that can help you add some personality to your home.

Mood Wall

Mood walls can often seem a bit gimmicky these days. They come across as the sort of thing you’d expect to have to do as part of an art project. But, in reality, they can be a welcome addition to any home. This is a wall where you can let your personality loose. You can paint the wall whatever color you want. And you can add anything you want in the way of artwork. Mood walls are a fantastic addition to their property and a brilliant way of adding some personal touches to the home.

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Frame Pictures

It’s important to have pictures and artwork displayed on the walls. Now, you’ve got your mood wall already, but you also want to have pictures on the other walls. These might be family pictures, or they could be paintings. But, if you want them to be displayed prominently you’ll need some frames. So you should check out Images & Details Framing and pop to their local store to get the right frames. You’ll be surprised by the impact the right frames can have for your pictures and your home.

Change Colors

Believe it or not, the colour scheme is possibly the most important visual aspect of any home. You can tell so much about a property by the colors on show. And, it’s entirely possible to completely transform the entire home just by changing the colour scheme. Have a think about the current color scheme you have in the home. And do what you can to change it to something a bit more captivating. As a rule, you tend to find that the home works best when the colors are vibrant and bright. Sure, you can go with white and magnolia as your primary color. But you shouldn’t be afraid to add splashes of color here and there as well.

Decorate Each Room Differently

Each room in the home serves a different purpose, and represents a different part of your life. So it stands to reason that they should have a different balance and feel to one another. You don’t want all the rooms in your home to look the same. This will result in the place lacking character and coming across as dull. So, the best approach to take is to make sure you decorate each room differently. Try to add some flair and capture the essence of each room when you decorate. This is an excellent way to make your home look as wonderful as possible.

Adding personal touches to your home is the best way to inject some life and personality. Your home is like an extension of you, and you should treat it as such. So, you need to do whatever you can to ensure you make it look and feel amazing. The best way to start off doing this is to make sure you add a personal touch to the place.

Our homes should be our haven. But let’s face it, in those hot summer months it can be quite unbearable to be in and outside. While it’s tempting just to give in to the heat, there are a few things you can do to make your home cooler. Without causing too much strain on the finances. With this simple guide, your home will be a cooler place in know time.

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Focus on your body temperature first.

Keeping your body temperature low is a step in the right direction. Drinking ice-cold drinks and applying a cold compress to your forehead and neck is a great place to start. Also by wearing clothes that are cooler like cotton or linen.

Check out your air conditioning.

Before it gets too warm, make sure your air conditioning is in good working order. It’s no good getting to a point where you need it, and it’s not working. Getting regular ac services drastically improve performance. It will also make sure it does not cost you more than it should to run it.

Keep your blinds closed.

It’s been proven that 30% of your home’s unwanted heat can come from your windows. It might seem simple, but something as simple as closing blinds or curtains can stop your home from becoming like a greenhouse.

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Use your doors wisely.

Keeping doors shut during the day will allow the cooler air to circulate the rooms you are using. But the opposite should be done at night as the temperature drops. This will allow all the cooler air in your home to circulate throughout reducing the temperature and making your home feel fresher.

Change your bedding sheets.

It’s a good idea to change your sheets through the seasons. Fleecy style bedding is perfect for the cold winter, but you will want something a lot cooler and thinner during the summer.

Let the night air in.

During the summer months, the temperature will drop after the sun sets. If this is the case for where you live, then make the most of it and open the windows in the house allowing the air to circulate. It will also allow you to have a cooler night’s sleep. It’s always difficult to sleep when your bedroom is hot.

Retire your oven during the summer months.

It may seem obvious but by not using your oven you’re going not to create any extra heat. Grilling and changing your cooking habits will be vital for keeping your home warm. The oven expels heat and will only add to your indoor temperature whenever being used.

Use extraction fans in the kitchen and bathroom.

Finally, the last piece of advice would be to make the most of your extraction fans in the kitchen and bathroom. These will suck in the warm air. A hot shower will generate steam as will cooking, no matter how you are doing it. So crack those fans on to help avoid increasing your home’s temperature.

I hope this guide will help your home stay cool in the hot months.

It’s a dilemma many of us have faced before. Should we do it ourselves? Or should we let someone else do it? There’s no simple answer to this question. There are many positive things about DIY, and there are many reasons why we should stay away from it. It’s time to weigh up both side of the argument.

For DIY

There is always something really satisfying about completing a DIY project. This is undeniable. Knowing that you’ve been able to make something with your own two hands is a fantastic feeling. And you will be reminded of your achievement whenever you see the finished product in your home. If you’re the kind of person that really likes to challenge yourself, then it’s understandable that you want to take on each and every DIY task.

You can sometimes save money by doing a DIY job too. Of course, it’s important to remember that this is not always the case. Sometimes, people spend so much money on tools and materials that it might have been cheaper just to hire someone to do the work. But in some cases when you already have the right tools, and the materials can be found cheaply, you could save a lot of cash. Many people who have a small budget to work with decide to take on DIY projects all by themselves.

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Against DIY

One of the main reasons not to DIY is your lack of skills. Sure, I don’t know what your exact skill level is. But I’m guessing it’s not up to a professional standard. This is the problem for most of us. We’re never going to be able to do the job as well as a real professional could do it. We might be able to scrape through and do a semi-decent job if we spend enough time and money on a job. But is it worth it when you can simply hire someone who could do that work in half the time? The finished product is always going to be better and more secure if it has been done by a pro.

The health and safety argument also has to come into it. Every year many people are injured, and some are even killed as a result of DIY jobs gone wrong. Before you go ahead with any task, you should be aware of the dangers of DIY. Every task is different, so every task presents different dangers and hazards that need to be confronted. If you’re not sure what you’re doing and are worried that you could hurt yourself, it’s probably best to call in the professionals.

Conclusion

The best advice I can give you is to use your common sense. If you make sure that you know what you’re doing and don’t take any unnecessary risks, you might be able to get a good outcome. But if you want the job done to the highest standard and you don’t want to take up your time, letting someone else do it is for the best.

Are you tired of looking at your room? It is time to change the aura of your room by adding new curtains on your windows. Curtains are made to turn a drab window to gorgeous in seconds. They are home adornment that should not be taken for granted apart from its multiple uses such as coverings from extreme heat or draft, and giving you security while alone in your house.

There are a lot of curtains specially designed for various purposes. Hotels, inns, dormitories and hospitals hang curtains to add aesthetic appeal to their rooms. The design of their curtains is similar to what your home curtains are. If you need new curtains for your kids, choose bargain curtains with cartoon character and fairy tale designs to fit in to their age. Your kids and little angels will feel happy and excited to sleep in their own room every time they see those bright colored curtains.

[Image courtesy of JamesDeMers/pixabay.com]

For the elderly, they too need curtains with sunny colors to divert their attention every time they feel alone and forsaken. Truly, curtains can help change your mood. Today, there are many types of curtain designs such as embroidered, linen, waverly and scarf panels available in the market. You can also opt to buy a blackout curtain, valance, drapes or casual curtains. There are unlimited curtain choices that are o: sale and if you are lucky enough, you can avail of promo codes and coupon codes.

Some homemakers are able to get high quality bargain sheer curtains by searching them online or flyers distributed outside food outlets and malls. If you are fond of reading magazines, you can find those coupon codes in between pages. Take note that these promos will expire so always take advantage of them while they are still available. Bargain hunting can save you a lot of money when you plan to change your curtains because you can buy as many as you can so your windows are not boring.

When you’re unhappy with your home, the correct course of action is often unclear. Is selling your home and buying a new one the way to go? It seems a little extreme. But there are many people out there who would tell you that renovating your property would be even riskier. So what do you do?

We’ll explore the options and methods in this article. If you’re currently struggling with this problem, we hope this helps drive you towards a decision.

Why are you unhappy with your home?

The first thing you should do is identify the problem you have. Without knowing specific reasons you’re not happy with your property, you will struggle to come up with decent solutions. Do you not have enough space? Do you have too much space? Do you not like the layout? Is there a weird smell? Do you hate your neighbours?

Whatever the reasons, you need to note them down. Otherwise, you may find that whatever action you take may not have solved the issue you had in the first place. Oh, and if the reason is that you hate your neighbours, you may find this article disappointing. We have no hints for neighbour disposal to offer you.

Have an extreme clean-out

All that clutter is giving you an inaccurate image of your home. A messy environment always looks smaller than it actually is. Having piles of clothes and boxes and miscellaneous items will make you feel cramped. So you need to pull up your sleeves and have an extreme clean-out!

[Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio/pexels.com]

The aim here is to make your home look as bare-bones as possible. Imagine for a moment that you really are going to sell it. What would you do? You would make that home look as attractive as possible in order to get a good price and land a sale fast. You need to revert it back to a very basic state, one filled with potential.

Tour your home

Cleaned your home? Good. Now you need to go through every room in the house and assess it. Ideally, you would assess your home over the course of a year. This way you know exactly what happens in each room when there are external changes. These changes will include light, temperature and noise. They also include all the different types of weather

This will really help you get your finger on what might be bothering you. By re-evaluating your living spaces, you may find that you only need to make simple changes. Maybe you just need to rearrange the furniture. Or maybe you need new blinds to adapt to light changes. But maybe you’ll find that you still feel a bit cramped in these rooms. Maybe making extensive changes will be the right way to go. In any case, this clean-and-tour method will have helped you make your decision.

Photo from Flickr

Visit open houses

So, you’ve made up your mind. Either you’re renovating or you’re selling. Here’s a great idea: visit open homes. That may seem like something you’d only do if you’re looking to buy a new property. Not so.

By visiting a new and open property, you can get a good idea of what a professional renovation looks and feels like. The most effective way of going about this, if possible, is to visit open homes in your neighbourhood. This is because the houses here may be very similar. This will allow you to see what upgrades have done to homes that are similar in layout to your own.

It is, of course, also an excellent way of scoping out property you want to buy when you sell your home. If you’re not sure, or are definitely just looking at renovation, we recommend keeping it to open houses. Arranging a private visit to a property will just waste the time of the estate agent!

The blueprint

If you have the blueprints to your home, then there are other possibilities open to you. You can take blueprints to renovation and building stores and ask them for advice. If the store is particularly modern, they may even be able to give you a digital rendering of what your renovated rooms could look like.

If you don’t have the blueprints for your home to hand, there will be ways to get them. Local councils are usually able to help. Previous owners of the property may also have them, or any building company that have worked on your home in the past.

Selling versus renovation: getting assistance

Selling can often seem like the easier way to deal with the whole thing. Getting the money for your current home and simply buying a brand new one is definitely an attractive solution.

Do remember that you’re not alone if you are thinking about renovating. Contractors or remodelers can give you practical tips. Websites like R.H. Homes are replete with suggestions and inspirational articles and guides.

Consider your commitments, career and social life

Moving home, of course, comes with its own unique stresses. If you move to a new home, there’s a chance you’ll have to change career, or that your child has to go to a new school. Your commute will change, as will your social life. If you’re heavily involved in your local community, then moving will take its toll on you and that community.  One of the main reasons people choose to renovate is so that they can avoid the need to move from their home permanently.

Considering the costs

Buying a new home seems like the most expensive solution, right? Well, not necessarily. Remember that the cost of buying a new home will be offset significantly by the money you make from the sale of your current home. It also depends on how you go about the purchase. Say you pay in instalments for a new home. You could actually end up paying less monthly than you would for extensive renovations.

What you need to get is a cost estimate for renovation.  A contractor or remodeler can provide this. You may be looking at something small, or you could be looking at a waller-devastating structural change to your layout. And if the renovations are complex and require you to live somewhere else for a while, there’s that cost to consider too

So what do I do?

We can’t tell you that! If you research all of your options carefully, you should be able to come to the right answer in no time. Weigh the risks and benefits. Remember that the purpose of this is to increase the quality and enjoyment of your life. Best of luck to you!

With the sunshine trying to make its 2016 debut and the coldest months behind us for another year, spring is officially on its way. That means it’s time for a spring clean, but what about the finishing touches? Here are three simple ways to bring this much-loved season inside your home; no matter what the weather’s doing!

Bring the outside in with a wall mural

One simple and relatively affordable way of changing the look and feel of an entire room is to invest in a wallpaper mural. As more and more manufacturers catch on to just how appealing these are to the savvy homeowner, the variety of designs on offer grows too. For a spruced-up spring room, select a sunrise, lake, garden, beach or forest design, like this one here from Art.co.uk. Be sure to pick a design that you won’t get bored of, and make sure you’ve got a spare pair of hands to help hang it. Watching the TV will feel so 2015 once you’ve got your mural to look at!

Image source

Reconsider your seating choices

Getting the seating right in your home is no simple task. It’s pretty easy to end up with way too many options, or way too few. A good starting place is to take a step back from seeing your home as you do every day. Instead, see it from the eyes of someone visiting for the very first time. If you were invited to sit down, where would you sit? Where would you not sit?

If there is one seating area that just doesn’t appeal, get rid of it! It’s only taking up valuable space. Be bold and replace it with something a bit different; a brightly coloured deckchair, perhaps, or a high quality bean bag. The latter is an especially good option, as you can change the colour and material of the cover as the year progresses. You can visit Comfy Sacks to learn more on this. As for the rest of the home, ask yourself; is my office chair good for my back? Are the dining room table chairs getting a bit wobbly? You’ll be surprised the difference some upgrading and DIY work will achieve.

Invest in a window cleaner

Dirty windows go easily unnoticed in the darker months. However, once the sun starts peeping out from behind the clouds again, it does a great job of highlighting any grime. While you might not believe it, clean windows can let in up to 30% more light that dirty ones. If that isn’t enough to convince you, the general environment can shorten glasses lifespan. Cleaning your windows both outside and in could prevent problems in the future. Also, more light means more heat; especially useful if this winter’s heating bills came as a nasty surprise!

Once you’re done (or the window cleaner is!), consider installing some window boxes to brighten things up even more. You can head to your local garden centre if you want to get things up and running straight away. Alternatively, take a look at this handy article from The Guardian if you’ve got a bit more time on your hands and want to grow and cultivate your own.

In just a few short weeks, spring will be here. It’s great that winter is finally ending, but before you jump for joy because it’ll soon be spring, it’s a good idea to give your home a ‘health’ check. Over the winter months when the weather is bad, our houses go through a lot, which is why it’s important to give them a once over come spring. It’s a good idea to check your home as soon as possible, so that if there is any damage, it can be treated asap. Else, if it’s left, it could end up leading to more severe problems.

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There are various areas of your home that you need to check, both inside and outside. That being said, the outside of your home is more important, as you’re less likely to notice any problems. If there’s an issue inside your house, the chances are you’ll spot it straight away. To give you an idea of all the most crucial areas to check, we’ve put together this useful guide. It includes all the info you need to give your home a once over, as well as how to deal with various issues.

Check your home’s foundations

The first thing that you should do is check your home’s foundations. This is the most important job, as if there is a crack or damage to them, water can seep into the concrete, causing all sorts of issues. The problems caused by damaged foundations can cost thousands to repair, so the sooner you spot any issues, the better.

Walk around your home, shining a torch on the foundations. What you want to look for is any cracks or other damage, or any areas where the concrete is darker, as this can mean that water is seeping in. To find out more about the best ways to check your home’s foundations, check out houselogic. If you notice anything unusual, don’t hang about, contact a foundations expert immediately.

Give your roof a once over

The next area that you need to check is your home’s roof. The best way to do this is by using a ladder to access it, that way you can have a good look. What you need to look out for are any tiles that are cracked or damaged, as well as any areas where there’s a tile missing. It may also be worth going inside your attic, to look for any areas where the light shines through, as this can be a sign that there’s a crack in one of the tiles.

If you notice any issues, such as a missing tile or a crack, it’s best to deal with it straight away. The good news is that if you’re a DIY pro, you can probably fix most roof problems yourself. You’ll just need a couple of replacement tiles and a nail gun to attach them. If you don’t already have a nail gun, check out TopNailerReviews to see which is the best model to go for.

Inspect paint and siding

Walk around your home, inspecting the siding and paint. What you want to look out for is siding that’s cracked or damaged and paint that’s bubbling or peeling. These are signs that during the winter, something has caused damage to your home’s protection – aka siding or paint. If there is any damage, it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. As without paint or siding to protect it, your home is more prone to the effects of the weather.

Siding can be easily replaced, so if it’s damaged, there’s no need to panic. Obviously, you can call in a professional to deal with it for you. However, it’s probably easier and cheaper to fix it yourself. As for paint that’s peeling or bubbling, the surface needs to be sanded and repainted with a specialist outdoor paint.

These are the most crucial home maintenance checks for spring. However, there are also a few others that you might want to do.

Once autumn hits, you will want to start winterizing your home. It always sneaks up on you faster than you think and its best to be prepared. There are many different ways to stay safe and warm and also save money by getting ready for the cold weather ahead of time. Here are a few.

Clean Your Gutters

Remove dirt, leaves and debris from your gutters and rinse them out well with a hose so icy rain and melting snow can drain easily. If your gutters clog, ice dams can form freeze and cause water to leak into your home. During the time you hose out your gutters, check for leaks and repair them to avoid flooding and other water damage.

Block the Leaks

To prevent flooding of your basement  make sure you have a water powered sump pump to help prevent any water from flooding your basement when heavy rain comes or from melting snow.

The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine – square – foot hole in the wall! You can find the leaks on a breezy day by taking a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas like windows and doors frames and electrical outlets. Then block up the leaks with caulk and use door sweeps under exterior doors. Even small cracks need to be blocked up. This even prevents insects from entering! Don’t forget to put up the storm windows and have the chimney inspected periodically.

Insulation

Adding insulation can be expensive but it saves you so much money in the long run. You need a minimum of a foot of insulation in your attic. To make sure there is at least one foot of insulation, you can go in the attic. If you see the ceiling joists, you do not have enough insulation because ceiling joists are ten to eleven inches at most. Be sure not to use insulation with the paper backing if you are going over insulation. It can cause moisture problems.

Check the Furnace

First of all, you need to make sure your furnace is working by turning it on. You should be able to smell it, like a temporary burning smell. If the smell lasts a long time, shut it off and call a professional. Clean and tune your furnace every year. Check your furnace filters monthly. A dirty filter restricts air flow and in some extreme cases, can even start a fire. Fiberglass filters need to be tossed out and replaced while electronic filters can be washed and reused.

Check Your Ducts

Homes with central heating can lose up to 60% of the heated air before it reaches the vents. Which is a huge waste of money and you end up with a chilly home. Ducts aren’t always easy to find but you can usually find them in the attic, basement and crawl spaces. Repair pinches in pipes and fix gaps with a tape that is metal backed, not duct tape. Ducts should also be vacuumed periodically to get out any dust and gunk that may be gathered.

Author Bio:

If you are looking for someone to help you winterize your home, contact Service Star at www.servicestarac.com. Service Star is a customer focused company that wants to be your first call every time for taking care of your home.

Who says that do-it-yourself home improvement is only for men? Not anymore today because women can do some home improvements by reading DIY books and visiting websites. With some power tools coupled with a little creativity and ingenuity, you can do what men are doing. Since hiring a carpenter to do some home remodeling projects is pricey, it is about time that you have to use your imagination to turn a wooden broken candle holder into a chic table lamp. There are a lot of DIY home improvements that you can research online that will guide you on how to start a project.

To start your home project, invest in high quality home improvement power and hand tools. Learn how to use them for a specific purpose. You will also need some materials such as adhesives, glue, nails, paints, lacquer thinner, varnish, and screws. Glues come in various forms for different types of projects such as plastic glue, metal glue, ceramic glue and glass glue or multipurpose glues. Hand tools consist of hammer, chisel, screwdrivers, pliers, paintbrush, tape measure, sledge hammer, adjustable wrench, saw and utility knives.

As a beginner in DIY projects, investing in good quality power tools can make your work faster and efficient. Buy them individually if they seem to be expensive for you. Power drills are very important in all aspects of carpentry whether for woodworking, metalworking, masonry and concreting. For faster and less labor-intensive installation of lighting fixtures, bathroom accessories, furniture making, house painting and kitchen remodeling, you will need reciprocating saw, cat’s saw, speed square, oscillating tool and air compressor.

DIY home improvements are becoming more popular today and more women are obsessed with doing home projects because they give fulfillment once the finished product is done. Instead of entrusting the project to somebody you do not know, why not do it yourself and save a fortune. When you have mastered your craft, you can showcase your project to your friends who might be interested in buying them. Do-it-yourself home improvements have become a source of income for some people because of their unique designs that you will never find anywhere else.

Shopping is something that we all enjoy. Different stores will typically provide for different needs. When it comes to needs that involve each of the different areas of the home, there is no store more important than home improvement stores.

When we shop, we tend to look for stores that specialize in different areas of life. If food is needed, we look for a great food market and if clothing is needed, we look for a great clothing store. The same holds true when we are in need of something to improve the look and feel of our home.

Home improvement stores provide a much needed service to homeowners throughout the world. As with most other specialty stores, home improvement stores provide, well, home improvement merchandise and supplies. You wouldn’t go to the local area market to purchase a new pair of jeans so you shouldn’t go to a general merchandise store to purchase something needed in the home.

[Image credit gettyimages.co.uk]

Now this brings up a completely different subject and that is utilizing the services of a general merchandise store when in need of a home improvement item. There are people who settle for the merchandise carried in a general merchandise store and they simply don’t know what they are missing out on. While the merchandise and supplies carried in a home improvement store are all specialty, name brand items, the merchandise and supplies carried in a general merchandise store are typically low end, no name items. They might be cheap but they usually don’t last very long at all.

There is no substitute for a great home improvement store and this is a fact that will not change soon. There are many different needs that can come about in the home and when they do, the best place to fill that need is at the nearest local area home improvement store.