It isn’t easy to maintain a home, and it isn’t easy to keep it nice and modern. Through one reason or another, it can actually become a little boring. But we’re here to change that for you. The home should wow your guests, both inside and out. You don’t even need to do that much! All you have to do is think outside the box and go for something you’ve never gone for before. If you’re still struggling for inspiration, read on to find out more.

Inside

A lot of people consider the inside to be the most important, so we’ll start with that first. When people first walk in, you want them to be wowed. The best way to do this is actually a lot easier than you think. Smell is the most important sense here. Have a nice candle burning, or even one of those scented plugins that releases amazing smells all day long. It isn’t necessarily about making your house look good! Then, for a bit of decoration to spruce the place up. First we’re going to suggest a whole new colour scheme. It is the only way to truly wow your guests. Think of something you’ve never gone for before. Even if it is just switching from the usual white in the hall and landing, to maybe a mink colour. It isn’t too dark, but it isn’t too light. But it does change the mood of the house. Then for the living room, we’re really loving the white and grey contrast look. Paint the walls the brightest white you can ever find. It’ll help to draw in the light as well as look good. Then for the sofas, try and get yourself some grey, to dark grey either leather or other material. It’ll contrast against the white so well. Now, we know white carpet is a nightmare, so you’re going to have to go for grey as well, but it really does look nice. Get yourself some white or black coffee tables and a TV stand and you’ve transformed the room.

[Photo courtesy of wolfields/pixabay.com]

Outside

The outside is easily as important as the inside. All you need to do is wow them from the minute they enter your drive. The first step is the driveway, line it with Italian cypress trees. It is a bold statement that really does set off the driveway, and we guarantee people are going to love it. If you have a front lawn, make sure it is nicely trimmed all year round. If you want to get that extra bit of green out if it, throw down some grass seeds and fertiliser every so often. As for the back garden, you need to make it as colourful as possible. Plant some of the most vibrant colours you can find, and again, make sure the grass is lush and green.

So, after following our tips your guests truly should be wowed. All it takes is a bit of dedication to get your home looking perfect again. If you’re struggling for more ideas on the interior, just check out this link!

It’s definitely getting hotter and it’s becoming harder to spend your time indoors. However, we can’t ignore the nightmare that is the muggy, musty house forever. What we can do, however, is beat it. Here’s how you prepare your home for the worst that summer has to bring and make it into that cool retreat from the heat that we all need. Just a few habits and additions can make the home a much more pleasant place to survive the heat.

[Photo courtesy of StockSnap/pixabay.com]

We spring clean for a reason

If there’s anything that’s worse than a home that’s too hot, it’s a home that’s hot, humid, and dusty. Dust isn’t just unpleasant and an allergen. It also makes it a lot harder to control the airflow of the home. It builds in vents and air conditioning units, make them less effective and efficient, driving up the costs. Go for a thorough spring clean of the home and try to stay on top of dust as much as possible. It’s a lot easier to both control dust and to circulate air by decluttering the home, as well. If there’s any furniture you can spare for the moment, move it into storage so you have more spacious, airy rooms that are easy to clean and cool.

Keep the outdoors to the outdoors

Your first thought when summer rolls around might be to let the sunlight in and throw the windows open. However, if you’re cooling the interior, that’s only going to invite hot air in. Solar heating also plays a massive role in increasing the temperature of the room. Use fans as a more energy efficient method of circulation in the room you’re using and close that window, using sun blockers to keep the heat out without completely darkening the room. Don’t neglect the heat that builds in the attic that can get upwards of 150 degrees in the evening. Seal it up by using isotherm insulation and making sure that you don’t have any leaks by way of cracked or missing roof tiles. In the evening, if it’s cooler outside, then you crack open the window and use a window fan to cool the house down.

Remember, energy equals heat

If there’s any reason to get more energy efficient, it’s to make the home a lot more comfortable. Every appliance you keep on when you’re not using it is just adding more unnecessary heat. This effect is in full force in the kitchen most of all. Extractors are well and good, but there are other ways to use less energy when cooking and thus create less heat. For one, you can cook outside. But you can also use a microwave or toaster oven instead of a full-sized oven or use the refrigerator to defrost frozen goods instead of the microwave.

Remember, working to make the home easier to cool isn’t just going to make summer a lot more bearable. It’s going to help you drive down the costs of controlling the environment of your home. Save your money alongside your sanity by following the tips above.

We all strive to keep our homes as clean as possible. Normally, this means giving it a good little clean as often as we can. However, our ‘good little clean’ might not be making our homes as clean as we think. Most of the time, we just clean the parts of our house that are most visible to other people and us. You know what I’m talking about, the surfaces that are visibly dusty and the floors that are clearly dirty. Rarely will we go that extra mile and clean parts of our home that aren’t as easily visible.

As a result, we end up with a much dirtier home than we think. Now, you may be thinking, why does this matter? If we can’t see the dirt that obviously, surely we can just keep on ignoring it, right? Well, the problem is, sooner or later all the lack of cleaning will add up. You can only ignore something for so long before it starts forcing itself upon you and making you take notice.

All those areas of your home that you neglect will become dirtier and messier to the point where they become a huge problem. Then, you have to deal with the stress of cleaning up the problem, which will be a lot harder that it would if you just dealt with it in the first place.

Today, we’re going to look at some of these forgotten areas in your home that are crying out to be cleaned. Read some of the advice, and you’ll know how to deal with the problems before they get out of control.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Shower/Bathroom

The first area of your home is the shower/bathroom. I’ve grouped two things together here because not everyone has a shower, but they still neglect the same sort of area in their home. You see, people with a shower will not clean it as properly as needed. In fact, most people rarely clean their shower and the area around their shower at all. I’m mainly talking about the walls near your shower or anywhere that gets splashed by water. If you don’t have a shower, then I’m just talking about areas in your bathroom that get splashed, and you neglect to clean.

Why do we neglect to clean wet areas? Mainly because they’re wet, so they don’t look dirty at all. There’s no visible dirt, what’s the worst that can happen? Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your home. Fail to clean wet areas, and it will lead to mould forming. Then, you no longer have clean walls, but horrible black mould appears that can be harmful to your health as well as looking ugly. To make matters worse, the mould is really hard to clean completely. It’s an almost impossible task for a regular person like you or I, you’d need to get a professional in.

Mould is particularly problematic for people with tiled walls in their bathroom. This is because it gets in the grout between each tile, making it even harder to clean. If you keep forgetting about this area of your home, then you’re just asking for problems. So, what you need to do is prevent mould from occurring. It’s so so so so incredibly easy to do this, honestly. Getting rid of mould is so difficult, but preventing it couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is dry any areas of your bathroom/shower that have been sprayed with water. Get a cloth and clean the wetness so no water is left and the surface is dry. You can even get some bathroom sprays that help kill germs which may be useful too. When the surfaces are dry, this means there are no conditions for mould spores to grow. I won’t get too scientific here, but mould grows when there are damp conditions, hence excessive growth in shower/bathroom areas. Anyway, science lesson over, add this to your cleaning checklist and prevent the spread of mould in your home.

[Photo courtesy of felixulllli/pixabay.com]

Gutters

Our gutters are often one of the most forgotten areas of our home. The simple fact is, we don’t pay them much attention at all. They sit up on our roof, and we rarely glance up there to take a look at the situation. Not only that, but they can be difficult to look at and check too. You need to get on a ladder, and it’s all pretty stressful.

So, we choose to ignore them and never clean them. Why is this a problem? Well, gutters can get clogged up full of so much debris and junk it’s not even funny. Birds can try and make nests in your gutters and bring up leaves and sticks which stay there and cause blockages. Plus, moss and weeds can grow in the gutters too, which again can cause blockages. Then, when these blockages get worse and worse, they end up causing major problems for your home drainage system. As a result, you may need to get a plumber in to sort things out, which can cost a lot of money.

All of this can be avoided if you just paid your gutters more attention. You don’t need to head out on your ladder every day, or even every week! This is something that can be done once a month or once every two months. Plus, if you’re not keen on cleaning the gutters as you’re scared of heights or just worried you’ll do things wrong and hurt yourself, there are services you can pay for. There’s no excuse, you need to stop neglecting your gutters before they become a massive problem. Also, if you keep them nice and clean, it will make the outside of your house look a lot better too. It’s a massive win-win situation for you.

[Photo courtesy of M.Minderhoud/wikipedia.org]

Skirting Boards

If you didn’t know, a skirting board is that little piece of wood at the bottom of your walls that runs all the way along it. A lot of people don’t even know this has a name, or what the purpose of it is. For many, it’s purely a decorative thing, but it’s also mainly used to protect the wall. Unfortunately, it’s an area of our home we forget about a lot when cleaning. This is because we don’t tend to really think about it at all. Like I said, most people don’t even know this area has a name!

The issue is, this is also an area of your home that’s prone to a lot of dirt and muck. If you fail to clean your skirting board, it can almost become unrecognizable. It will be absolutely filthy, which makes the rooms in your home look less clean than they are. Due to their location right at the base of a wall, skirting boards are magnets for dust, grime, and general debris. When left uncleaned, this dirt can properly set it and become so hard to clean. A cleaning job that should take a few minutes will take a few hours if you’re not careful.

So, you need to get on your hands and knees and start cleaning your skirting boards more often. My tip is to do this whenever you’re hoovering. You can even use a hoover attachment to clean up some dust from the skirting boards too. This way, you keep them clean and don’t let them get out of hand. The dirtier they get, the harder they are to clean, and the more they deteriorate too.

[Photo courtesy of slightly_different/pixabay.com]

Door Handles

The fourth, and final, area of your home crying out for a clean is the door handles. Think about how many dirty hands will touch your door handles every single day. Now, think about how many times you actually clean them. Scary, right?

I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure there are more germs on our hands than anywhere else on our body. So, if everyone is manhandling the door handles and they never get cleaned, it means our houses are just infested with germs. For the sake of personal hygiene, you should clean your door handles as much as possible. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort at all. You just need some antibacterial spray and a cloth to wipe them with. That’s all you need to do, and you’ll have a much cleaner and more hygienic home.

In fact, while we’re at it, you may as well throw light switches into the mix too. Again, they’re always touched and turned grubby by fingerprints, yet they’re rarely cleaned. The same rules apply here, get some spray and wipe them clean.

On that not, we’re at the end of this post. You can now see some of the forgotten areas of your home that are crying out to be cleaned. It’s not enough to simple clean everywhere that people can see. You’ll just create the illusion of a clean house when the reality is that your home is still quite filthy. Clean these forgotten areas too, and you’ll finally have a properly clean home.

What do we mean by the future of your property? Well, hardly anyone lives in the same house their entire life. At some point, most of us decide to make a move, and that means selling the property, hopefully for the highest price possible. If we’re lucky, it’ll be a fast sale to avoid the typical, ifs, erms and buts from buyers.

[Photo courtesy of Monam/pixabay.com]

The question is, how do we guarantee this type of future for your home. Well, you need to start preparing for it right now.

Annual Inspections

You should make sure you are expecting all sensitive areas of your home such as the roof. The roof is a crucial area to inspect because it’s open to the elements and it’s an area that you probably hardly ever look at yourself. According to http://www.triumphroofing.net/roofing/roof-inspection-services/ if you get your roof inspected regularly, you can avoid expensive repair costs because you’ll catch an issue before it gets worse. Of course, the roof isn’t the only area of your home that needs regularly inspecting.

You should also arrange for someone to come around once a year and check out your heating system. If you don’t do this, it’s highly likely at some point it will break down and catch you completely off guard. Essentially, that’s going to leave you with a nasty, expensive repair or replacement and it might make itself known just before you’re about to put the property on the market.

Upgrades

A house is like any other product. Eventually, it will fall out of style. That’s why you need to make changes to the home to make sure that it still looks like every buyer’s dream. One of the areas that you should pay particular close attention to is the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the first areas that home-buyers look at and ideally, you should be think about building a completely fitted kitchen with everything a buyer could want. Do this, and you’ll make your home a very attractive purchase indeed. You can have a look at some kitchen renovation ideas on http://www.housebeautiful.com/home-remodeling/renovation/.

[Photo courtesy of Hans/pixabay.com]

Maintenance

When you live in the house, you might not worry about the little breakages and damages that will almost certainly occur over the years. For instance, there might be scratches on the marble floor, marks on the walls and other issues. However, you should fix these as they crop up. Otherwise, when it does come time to sell you’ll be in a mad rush to get everything fixed in time.

Tech Treats

Last but not least, you may want to think about purchasing new tech for your home. It’s always a smart idea to make your house look like the home of the future as this is exactly what new buyers want to invest in. For instance, right now home smart controls are very popular, and they may even cause buyers to make bigger offers on your home. You can find out more about smart home controls on https://www.loxone.com/enen/smart-home/.

I hope you take this advice and start investing in the future of your property today.

There is always something we need to do to our home to make it better. While we think about improving our home or making it more stylish, we very rarely think about the safety aspect of our homes. There are so many little problems that are potential fire hazards that it’s probably easier for most of us to not think about it. But there are some simple things to do that can cut down the chances of getting a fire at home…

[Photo courtesy of Skitterphoto/pexels.com]

Candles

Between 2009 and 2013, on average there were 25 candle fires per day in the US. Although that doesn’t sound like much, it totaled 86 deaths, 127 injuries, and $374 million in damaged property. So make sure you do the following:

1.    Keep candles 12 inches away from anything that could burn.
2.    Use candle holders that are sturdy.
3.    Blow out all the candles before leaving a room or going to bed.
4.    Don’t use candles in the bedroom.

Cooking

Hopefully, everyone has some common sense when it comes to cooking, but here are some tips.

1.    Wear close fitted clothing while cooking.
2.    Don’t leave food unattended.
3.    If you get a grease fire, smother the fire in a pan. DON’T put it out with water.

Dryers & Washing Machines

Washers and dryers catch fire because of a failure to clean them.

1.    Don’t overload the dryer.
2.    Clean the lint filter after every use, and don’t use the dryer without one.
3.    Don’t restrict the air exhaust pipe and make sure the outdoor vent flap is open while the dryer is on.

If You Have A Fire…

Firstly, don’t try and be a hero. Call the fire department as soon as you can, but make sure that you get to safety. As fires are such a common hazard, the best idea is to have a plan in mind should this ever occur. Know all your escape routes from your home blindfolded because you won’t be able to see when there is thick smoke. Stay low, and get out as quick as you can because you may only have seconds. Staying as low as possible means you will get the most oxygen out of the air.

After The Fire…

Once the fire has been put out, you will need to stay somewhere else. In the meantime, if you have updated your insurance policy, you will have to put in a claim for all the items damaged. If there are parts of the home that haven’t been damaged, you can hire a restoration company to start the cleanup. There are companies like Pro Restoration who specialize in clearing up homes after house fires and help to restore your property. Once your home is back to its former glory, it’s time to take notes of what potential hazards there are, and minimize them as much as you can.

Preventing a fire is very much about common sense as it is about safety, and in your home, you need to make sure that you are sensible by not obstructing doors, cooking safely, and generally being vigilant.

Sick house syndrome has had a lot of press recently and it’s not surprising given that the one place in which you want to feel relaxed, nurtured and comfortable could actually be making you sick.

Image from ipcblog.org

If your health is keeping you up at night it could be the sign of an unhealthy home. Here are 10 ways your home could be affecting yours and your family’s health.

1. Damp air – damp air is the biggest cause of moldy homes.  Mold spores aren’t just unsightly and can cause damage to paintwork, walls and even furniture, they are actually really bad for our respiration and can aggravate conditions such as eczema and asthma. Whilst you may never be able to completely protect your home from mold attacks you can limit the spread by reducing the amount of moisture in the air thus removing the conditions in which mold thrives.
2. Dirty vents – if you use an air conditioning unit and haven’t been on top of its regular maintenance and cleaning then you could be circulating dust, bacteria and germs every time you turn it on.  This is because airborne nasties like to collect in the vents of air conditioning units and if they aren’t dealt with they can then find their way through the system and back out into the room just ready for your family to breathe them in. Check your vents and limit the circulation of bad air.
3. An old bathroom – if your bathroom has seen better days the fixtures and fittings are more likely to come lose and loose their waterproof seals. When water is allowed to get into cracks it becomes stagnant causing all sorts of nasties to breed and not just mold.  If you’re showerhead is looking a bit rusty and tired for example it could actually be filling the air with small particles of lead and other metals that can affect your liver and pulmonary system. An aging bathroom could be a serious hazard to your health.
4. Poor ventilation – a poorly ventilated room, particularly the bathroom, creates the perfect condition for mold and bacteria to take hold. It doesn’t allow for the good circulation of fresh air and this can actually make you feel lethargic, confused and generally unwell as your body has to work harder to take in oxygen.  Even if you work hard to eradicate the mold these conditions will just keep reappearing if poor ventilation is a problem in your home.
5. Dust – if you are an allergy sufferer you will know how dangerous dust can be.  Certain kinds of dust can trigger reactions ranging from a mild cough and sneeze to a full blown, life threatening asthma attack.  It can also cause itchy eyes, now and throat and can be very uncomfortable in little ones. It can also contain bacteria that affects the gut over a sustained period of time.
6. Musty bedroom – your mattress could be literally teeming with life if you don’t regularly vacuum it and let it air.  This is because it gathers over half your bodyweight in dead skin every year and this is the delicacy of choice for bed bugs.  Bed bugs sound harmless but they bite and you will soon notice little lumps and bumps that keep you itching long after daybreak.  
7. Chimneys and flues – if you have an open fire in your home and your chimney or flue isn’t working properly you are allowing smoke, ash and dirt to circulate through your home.  Just as you would avoid smoke inhalation during a fire as this can be fatal, likewise you need to avoid it on the smaller scale by having properly operating and certified ventilation systems.   
8. Asbestos – it is impossible to know whether you have asbestos or not, particularly if you live in an older building.  This is one nasty you really don’t want to be tackling on your own so you should always call out an expert to check that asbestos isn’t lurking in the fabric of your home, particularly if you are planning on undertaking any modifications or repairs. Not all asbestos is harmful but if it is it is toxic, which is why you should never remove it without the guidance and help of an expert.
9. Radon – another common life threatening substance that could be present in your home is radon.  Radon is a gas that is difficult to detect as it is both colorless and odourless but it causes thousands of cases of lung cancer in the USA every year.  Again you should consult an expert to test for radon, particularly if you are in a radon hotspot.  For more information check out the EPA website.
10. Household chemicals – household cleaners and chemicals such as bleach can be harmful if in the reach of little fingers so always store any poisonous items in a sturdy, raised or lockable cupboard. However these chemicals can also harm you during day to day used in two ways.  Firstly the overuse of chemicals in the home can lead to skin complaints and allergies particularly in the eyes, nose and throat. They can also prevent good bacteria from cultivating which can lead to a compromised immune system and more chance of picking up common colds and bugs.  Try and use more natural, plant-based cleaners for a healthier approach to home maintenance.

If you are worried about any of these common household problems there are lots of things you can do to maintain a healthy home including:

1. Regular maintenance – keeping your house well maintained means you are more likely to spot when mold or other bacteria is beginning to take hold
2. Good cleaning regime – housework isn’t the most exciting pastime but it will keep dust and germs at bay as well as make your home more comfortable
3. Open windows – help to ventilate that air and you can breathe deeply again
4. Be vigilant – keep an eye out for problems and act fast before they take hold
5. Call in the experts – if in doubt call in the experts, particularly if you don’t know what substance you might be dealing with. Your family’s health may depend on it

Everyone you know is doing their best to be friendlier to the environment, which is great. It’s about time that we started initiatives to make this planet a lot better. The great thing about promoting ways to improve our planet is that it starts from us, at home. Not only does that place the onus back on us to make the environment better instead of relying on councils, but it also helps to make our bills cheaper, which is an excellent by-product of looking after your home. In fact, there are some really simple things you can do to benefit the environment that doesn’t involve going to the recycling plant every few days, let alone get out of your bed! Okay, that’s not necessarily true, but you don’t need to leave the house!

Electricity is a big one that we all need to cut back on. The amount of energy that we waste in leaving appliances on is a big cause of our collective carbon footprint, not to mention wasted money. We use lights every day, so instead of the normal light bulbs, use a Compact Fluorescent one. It can save you up to 66% on your energy bills. Another few hints to cut back on your electricity bill includes not looking in the fridge! It sounds crazy, but by looking around the fridge to decide on your meal for the evening can cost you between $12 and $24 a year, and if you use colder water in your washing machine or set it to a lower temperature, this will save 40% less energy on your output. Also, it’s very simple, just unplug your appliances at night, and although you need to charge your phone, put it on airplane mode.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Going around the home itself, there are many home comforts that we can either cut corners on or just make little tweaks to improve our environment overall. For example, by adding more houseplants, we are increasing the amount of oxygen around the home, and by getting into the habit of planting in your garden, this is a good way to increase oxygen everywhere. Another one to get on board with is adding solar panels to your roof. There are many homes that have gone for this in a bid to cut back on unnecessary expenditure, and by going solar, you are placing less reliance on fossil fuels for energy and utilizing one of the greatest sources of energy in the universe, the sun! In fact, you can save 10% on your heating bill just by opening the blinds to let the sunlight in!

Chemicals are another source of problems for our environment, and they turn up everywhere, from our cleaning products to our hand creams! Instead of buying expensive cleaning sprays that can give you allergies, buy some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar or apple cider vinegar to apply to mold and dirt walls and surfaces. The acidity of the vinegar will clean it right up and the soda will give you a shiny finish on taps and silverware!

For as much as our generation loves to spend and impulse buy, we are also living in a very thrifty and frugal time. It’s the biggest juxtaposition of them all; even those who have the money to be able to get by easily in life are wanting to take the time to do things for themselves in order to save it.

This has led to an increase in DIY jobs and the learning of new trades in order for people to be able to get the job done quickly, efficiently and with little cost. But while some are taking the necessary steps towards getting qualified and knowledgeable, others are relying on online tutorials or information on forums to get the job done properly.

Here are the top three things that need to be left to the professionals to save incurring any further financial expenditure…

[Photo courtesy of gratisography/pexels.com]

White Goods

If one of your white goods is on the blink, do not attempt to fix it yourself. Whether your fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer is having a bad day, you do not need to make it any worse – either for the gadget or for yourself. Most of these appliances are hooked up to both electricity and water; a literally lethal combination if you don’t know what you’re doing. Search online for a reliable tradesman to come out, such as on City Appliance Repair, and make sure that you leave it all to them. Even if it looks like you haven’t done anything wrong, you could have accidentally voided the warranty by removing or touching something that you shouldn’t have. It’s a minefield.

[Photo courtesy of Tookapic/pexels.com]

Painting

Everybody loves to try and give redecorating a go at least once in their lives, but if you’re not the steadiest with a brush and are known for being a tad clumsy then step away from the paint! There are people out there who do this day in, day out, and will get the job done for you neatly and quickly. The last thing you want to be doing is paying out more for materials as you have to wipe up spilt paint, or spend longer on a project than you realistically have time for. Plus, if anything goes wrong, it’s not your fault – but if you hire a professional, the chances of this happening are very slim.

[Photo courtesy of ardeshir etemad/pexels.com]

Pest Control

This could end up getting majorly out of hand if you don’t know the ins and outs and what you are doing extremely well. Most people leave it up to the experts, but the few who don’t either get it one of two things – right or wrong. There are a list of preventative steps that you can take in order to keep things under control, and if these are adhered to then it’s bad luck should you reach a situation where you need to bring out and pay for pest control. If you have children this is also a reason for leaving it to a professional; poison, guns and traps are all things that should not be near a child.

Here’s a bit of a shocking fact for you – over a period of 30 years, a house and its contents could need as much as 50% of it repairing or replacing from the position it was in at the beginning of this period of time. Let’s face it, you have to be one of the unlucky ones if you are going anywhere near 50% and over if it’s not a house that you have bought as a do-up project, but the figures mainly come from what resides inside the house itself rather than the upkeep of the building.

So, what are the things that fall under the replacement category and what is the recommended lifespan of each thing – are you being shortchanged or are you long overdue a replacement?

[Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske raumrot.com/pexels.com]

Flooring

Good, solid wooden flooring can last centuries. Tiled flooring can, too – you can see it houses and churches in the United Kingdom that have lasted through several Kings and Queens and could probably tell a lot of stories … if they could talk. Planned care and restoration of both wooden and tiled floors can help extend the lifespans for future generations to appreciate. Laminate, lino and carpets are another matter entirely – if you are over the 10 year recommended threshold for the longevity of these products, then you should probably start looking at Online Carpet Sale and other such sites to keep your flooring in tip-top condition.

[Photo courtesy of  WDnet Studio/pexels.com]

Household appliances

All appliances have different recommendations as to how long they will last. A vacuum will last you up to 25 years if serviced and cared for, yet you may think of replacing it a lot sooner to keep up with the increasing demands of both efficiency and productivity.  Everything else pretty much has an average of 10-15 years – so your washers, dryers, dishwashers, microwaves etc should keep going for a fair while, but you may find that they will either go on a lot longer or cut short a lot sooner than expected; it’s always one or the other!

[Photo courtesy of  WDnet Studio/pexels.com]

Fixtures, fittings and furnishings

Paint will naturally start to lose colour/chip or peel away/look grubby over the years. Sometimes it can last for a good while,but it’s always worth acknowledging that a touch-up every couple of years will help it to stay in a great condition and look fresh. Hands on walls, especially where people are holding on for stability or pushing against things such as light switches, will always leave a mark; you can’t ever guarantee how clean a person’s hands are. The recommended lifespan of paint is just 7 years – yet you’d be hard pressed finding someone who actually makes the effort to redecorate their whole house that often. There are new trends in paint on the market, with wipe-clean options available for those marks that start appearing. Keep it in a good condition and you can probably exceed the lifespan and laugh in the face of the grim reaper when he comes round and starts picking away at your walls!

[Photo courtesy of fbhk/pixabay.com]

Your home will be your castle, so there is no wonder that you just want to retreat into it at the end of a busy day at work or with the kids. The last thing you will want is any unwanted attention aimed at your house or yourself! So, how do you deal with people trying to get to you when you are supposed to be relaxing in your own home? Well, here are my top tips for warding off all that unwanted attention from your home.

[Photo courtesy of samarath/pixabay.com]

Burglars And Intruders

One of the main forms of unwanted attention will come from potential burglars and intruders. Under no circumstance will you want these people anywhere near your home! Thankfully, there is plenty that you can do to deter intruders and burglars from your property. One of the best things is equipping your home with either a burglar alarm or a CCTV camera system. Once a burglar spots either of these on the exterior of your home, they will instantly be put off from attempting to enter your house as there is just too much risk. The alarm could go off, which would bring attention to the property, or their faces could be caught on the CCTV. One mistake that many homeowners make is that they leave their spare set of house keys somewhere outside in case they ever accidentally lock themselves out. That spare set of keys is basically an invitation to intruders to let themselves in! One way to make sure your keys don’t fall into the wrong hands is to switch from a traditional lock to a key fob style lock, such as the ones from Keycard Ninja. These types of locks can’t be picked like traditional ones, and rather than leaving the key fob outside in a hiding place, you can simply give it to your neighbor for safekeeping.

[Photo courtesy of TheDigitalWay/pixabay.com]

Pests And Vermin

Not all unwanted intruders in your home are going to try and steal your expensive tech and valuables. Some may try and make their own home in your house! Of course, I’m no longer talking about burglars anymore – I mean pests and vermin! These little creatures will try and make their way into your home no matter what. Thankfully, there are plenty of things that you can do to keep them well away from your property. One of the most obvious ways is to keep a very clean and tidy home. Most pests and vermin will make their way into your home to try and find food and water. So any leftovers or fresh ingredients that are left out on worktops in your kitchen are going to attract all these little critters into your home. So make sure that you clean up well after any cooking and baking. You should also regularly check the frames around your windows and doors. Small gaps can develop in these, which can provide entryways for small insects, rats, and mice. If you notice any new gaps, you should repair them as soon as possible.

[Photo courtesy of Meditations/pixabay.com]

Teenagers

Do you have some troubles with your neighbors’ teenage children? Or maybe you live in an area where teenagers regularly congregate and hang out. Even if these children aren’t targeting your house directly, their presence can still be very annoying and, in some cases, even intimidating. If your main issue with these kids is that they are hanging out in your area and demonstrating unsociable behavior, then you should speak to your local police about it. They will be able to disperse any gangs who meet up and move them on. If things get particularly bad and the teenagers get exceptionally rowdy, then the police can always escort them home. Unfortunately, sometimes teenagers can be extremely unruly and target certain properties for no reason. They might cover part of your home in graffiti or, even worse, cause damage to your house or garden. If this happens, you should contact the police who can then work at catching the culprit. If they are caught, they can then be forced to pay for any repairs and cleaning that is required. Depending on the severity of their crimes, they may even be convicted and forced to pay a fine. To make sure that you don’t become the target of any local teenagers, though, you should endeavor to speak to their parents at the first sign of any bad behavior. This should nip things in the bud before things escalate.

[Photo courtesy of Wokandapix/pixabay.com]

Spam Callers

There are some forms of attention that could even affect you inside your own home. And one of these types of annoying attention comes from spam callers. These days, many sales companies employ telesale employees who call random households to try and sell their products and services. This can be extremely annoying for people on the receiving end, and many homeowners feel that it is a breach of their privacy. Especially since the sales company has somehow got hold of their home phone number without their knowledge! But thankfully, you don’t need to deal with these annoying spam calls for too long. There is plenty that you can do to stop them calling. One of the best ways is to add your phone number to a do not call registry. The companies are not allowed to contact any of the numbers in these registries. Another way for dealing with these calls is to not hand out your phone number so freely. When you are filling out forms, leave the contact number section blank whenever possible.

[Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures/pixabay.com]

Door To Door Salesmen

Back in the fifties and sixties, door to door salesmen were very common. However, over the past few decades, they have started to be seen as a nuisance, and fewer companies send them out. However, there are still ones which do. If you don’t want to be bothered by these salesmen, you can place a sticker in your home saying that they aren’t welcome. Otherwise, see if there is an online registry to which you can add your address to which will blacklist it for sales companies.