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.

The entrance to our homes should, in many ways, be a priority. After all, it’s the first thing you see when you get back from a long day. And, it’s the first impression visitors, or passers-by get of your house. Yet, many of us let our entrances do what they will. At the end of the day, it’s an aspect a lot of us forget about. We already have enough work to be doing inside the house! But, you may find that all your other efforts go to waste if you don’t get this simple thing right. That’s why we’re going to look at the ways you can ensure the leadup to your home is red carpet worthy.

The Walkway

If you’re now thinking about incorporating a red carpet into your walkway, you can forget it. It would get grubby in no time! But, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of your walkway. Some of you may already have a paving stone walkway. Others may have nothing more than a worn trail in their grass. But, now is the time to incorporate the walkway of your dreams. It may be that you love your paving stones but would like to do more with them. Plain slabs aren’t very inspiring. So, take a look at the patterned options you could replace them with. Or, perhaps you want to stay away from paving stones and opt for gravel instead. This would look amazing, though it’s worth bearing in mind that you’d need to top it up occasionally! The right option for you depends on the work you’re willing to put it. Take your time deciding down what route you would like to return home each day.

Going for a Gate?

Think, too, about whether you would like to incorporate a gate and fence around your front lawn and entrance area. This can be a fantastic way to gain a little more privacy, and it often looks amazing, too. You could opt for a metal gate or a wooden option. Bear in mind that both need special measures to ensure they stay in good condition. A metal gate will need rust prevention to ensure it stays in the best condition and looks as good as possible. A wooden option, however, will need varnish to protect it from all weathers. If you’re planning to paint it, you’ll also need to invest in a specialist paint.

Bursting with Color

We all want to make a colorful entrance, don’t we? Make sure you get one every day by incorporating flowers into your entrance. You may want to border your walkway with flowerbeds. This would look amazing, though bear in mind that it could easily get out of control if you don’t take care. An easier option may be to incorporate plant pots along the way. These will be easy to keep neat, while still injecting that splash of color you’re after. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s an option you’re willing to keep neat!

Green living is not just for hippies. Anyone can do it, and more and more people are choosing to do it these days. You just need to change a few simple things in your living arrangements to get started. And once you start to live the green way, you’ll never look back. So, here are some ways in which you should start to run your home in a manner that’s more environmentally friendly.

[Photo courtesy of Vecislavas Popa/pexels.com]

Replace Bulbs with LEDs and Make Outdoor Lighting Solar-Powered

The way you use lights will have a big impact on how environmentally friendly your home is. You should do what you can to replace the bulbs in your home with LED bulbs. They last for decades, and this means that you will spend a lot less on replacing them. But most importantly, they are very energy efficient, meaning that your home will instantly become greener. They’re pretty cheap to buy, so there’s nothing stopping you from replacing all the bulbs in your home with LEDs. You should also replace the outdoor lights with lights that absorb solar energy during the day that can then be used at night.

Buy Efficient Bathroom Fixtures

Your use of water is also a green issue, and you should address this problem directly. You will be having a massively negative impact on your home if you are currently responsible for wasting too much water. The first thing you should do is replace the fixtures in your bathroom with water efficient fixtures. These are easy to get from most mainstream bathroom retailers. You can also change your kitchen faucets to make them water efficient too. When you start to use less water, your impact on the environment will lessen. It’s another step towards a green living future.

[Photo courtesy of Karolina Grabowska/pexels.com]

Update Your Backup Generator

If you have a backup generator that you sometimes have to rely on, it could be damaging the environment a lot. Most of these old generators are not particularly green. And by switching yours for a newer model, you can ensure you never waste more energy than necessary. Online generac reviews will help guide you as you search for a new and more energy efficient generator. Read as many reviews of all the potential products as you can. That way, you can get a clear picture of what the best option for you is.

Invest in Better Home Insulation

Finally, think about the way in which you heat your home. If you have the heating on a lot, it might be because there are problems with your home insulation setup. Heat will just escape from the home immediately if the insulation you have in place is inadequate and not doing a good enough job for you. It’s a good idea to invest in better and more up to date insulation if you think this might be the case for you and your home. It’s simple and not too expensive to get insulation fitted. And then you will have to use less energy keeping your home warm.

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.

While we may not be blessed with sweltering weather all year round in the UK, there is no denying that it can get a bit stuffy and uncomfortable in the home when the sun comes out. If you are searching for ways to make your home cool throughout the summer months ahead, read on.

[Photo courtesy of  Max Vakhtbovych/pexels.com]

Tips for your A/C

Of course, the easiest way to cool your home is with air conditioning, and there are numerous ways you can ensure your system runs more effectively. If possible, provide shade for your air conditioning unit, as this will boost its efficiency by five to ten per cent. You should also make sure that you clean your A/C air filter on a monthly basis. Air flow will drop by around one per cent per week due to normal dust build-up. Another tip is to make sure you do not use a dehumidifier while your air conditioner is turned on, as it will cause the cooling load to increase, which will make the air conditioner work even harder. And, if you have been meaning to get your air conditioning unit repaired for a while, now is the time with a company that provides a quick service, such as Farmen & Dermer AC repair.

Window solutions

Not only do you need to concentrate on your air conditioning unit throughout the summer, but your windows can be key to ensuring your home is comfortable. You should think about exotic infills for your windows. This is a new technology that ensures the space between the panels is filled with argon or krypton, which boost R-values because they are gases that have lower conductivity than air. You should also install mini-blinds or white window shades, as they can lower solar heat gain by as much as 50 per cent.

[Photo courtesy of  Quang Nguyen Vinh/pexels.com]

Quick tips

Now that we have dealt with the most important aspects regarding keeping your home cool during the summer, let’s take a look at some quick tips that will help you along the way:

• Grill – Forget about using the stove or the oven during the summer months; it is only going to make your home feel like a sauna. If you are already sweltering, the last thing you want to do is turn on a 400-degree oven. Instead, use the grill. After all, who doesn’t love a barbeque during the summer months?

• Get rid of incandescent lights – Now is the time to get rid of incandescent lights. Did you know that they actually waste about 90 per cent of their energy in the heat they emit? This is an awful lot of energy and an awful lot of heat. Making the switch can reduce the heat in your home as well as your energy bills.

• Heat-proof your bed – Is there anything more frustrating than being too hot while in bed? This may sound weird, but you’d be surprised how effective it is: fill a hot water bottle with water, and place it in the freezer, and then before bed put it under your feet before you go to sleep.

• Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise – Lastly, you may not realise it, but you need to adjust your ceiling fans seasonally. During the summer, make sure your fan rotates counter-clockwise, as this will create a chilled breeze that will make you feel cooler.

For some more tips on making your home summer-ready, click here.

Moving home is one of the most stressful things you can ever do. Not only that but is a very expensive endeavor to undertake too, which is why many more people are choosing to stay put and improve their current properties, rather than moving to a new place that better suits their needs.

If you want to forgo the stress of moving, but your current home isn’t how you would like it, here are some tips to help you improve your property so that you can stay put without having to compromise on your lifestyle:

[Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil/publicdomainpictures.net]

Tackle any Major Repairs

First thing’s first, if you’re going to be staying in your home for a considerable time, you are going to want to ensure that it’s in good condition, which means thinking about the cost of a new roof, window replacements and pier and beam foundation repair cost, depending on the condition of your property. Do an inventory, see which major jobs need to be done and work out a plan for getting the work done and paid for. It will make a huge difference.

Redecorate the Most Used Rooms

If you want to give your home a boost without spending too much money, one of the simplest things you can do is redecorate the rooms that you use most. It’s surprising how much of a difference a new coat of paint and some new furnishings can make. If you do it right, redecorating can make you fall in love with your home all over again.

Build an Extension

[Photo courtesy of  Brian Bullock/flickr.com]

If you have been thinking about moving home due to a lack of space at your current property, it may be more cost effective to build an extension instead. The average will cost around $150 per square meter, so it is not as expensive as you might think to get the space you need.

Install a New Kitchen

The kitchen is the hub of most homes, which means that giving it a new lease of life will also give you and your family a new lease of life. For just a few thousand dollars, you can install new units, appliances and floors that will bring the space up to date and allow you to use it to its full potential.

Landscape the Garden

If your garden isn’t doing much right now, you may want to consider hiring a landscaper to give it some purpose. If you create a patio or decking area, install a gazebo and plant some pretty flowers, you can turn your garden into a livable outdoor space, which will serve as an extension to your home and give you more of the space you so desperately need.

Add Eco-Friendly Appliances

[Photo courtesy of  Marufish/flickr.com]

If your home is expensive to run, and this is why you are thinking about moving, one thing you can do to cut your utility bills is install eco-friendly technology like smart thermostats, solar panels, and energy-efficient appliances, which will allow you to run your household for a fraction of the price you are now.

After a number of years in a home, many people decide that they’re going to try to stay there for the rest of their lives, and will renovate just to make their home more comfortable and attractive. For many though, home improvements are all about bumping up the value of the property for a sale. If you’re in the latter group, you may be wondering which kinds of renovation are the most worthwhile. Here are a few that tend to generate the best returns…

Roofing

The roof of your home is one of the most important aspects of it as a property. If you install a completely new roof or make some extensive repairs, you’ll see an immediate rise in value. An existing roof you can refinish is perfect, as it obviously costs less to restore than to replace, and will be more likely to garner a return on your investment than a completely new roof. If you know the roof on your house has seen better days, it’s time to start looking for some good roofing companies.

Fixtures

[Photo courtesy of High Contrast/wikimedia.org]

Over time, various rooms in a home can begin to look dated and worn-out. It may surprise you, but a large part of this is down to old, raggedy fixtures. By replacing the fixtures in your home, along with some other small tweaks like the cabinets and faucets of the kitchen, you’ll immediately be able to bump up the asking price on your home when you come to sell.

The Bathroom

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the bathrooms are a close second in terms of what’s important for valuation. If it’s practical for you to add a three-piece bathroom to a home that only has one other full bathroom, the market value will rise dramatically. While it’s a big mistake to sacrifice a lot of bedroom space for a bathroom, it’s usually a smart move to sneak another bathroom into any dead space in your home. Some families have even been able to install a three-piece bathroom in the space under their stairs, usually only measuring around 44 inches corner to corner. As a final tip, try getting a glass shower to make the room seem more spacious.

Income Suites

[Photo courtesy of Holland And Green Architectural Design/flickr.com]

These aren’t exactly common in most suburban homes, but income suites are one of the best ways to pile on value to your home. Build one of these somewhere in the property, and you’ll be amazed at how much the estimated value of your home can rise. Whether this is through a loft conversion, an outside room, a renovated garage, or any other area, income suites are very hot at the moment. This is because buyers will be able to use it to cover a portion of their mortgage payments, ensuring the home they buy will be cash flow positive. Real wealth that can supplement your income is a pretty attractive feature, don’t you think?

If you were unsure of what to priorities in your home renovations, hopefully these tips have pointed you towards a highly profitable improvement project.

If you love your home, but it’s starting to feel a bit cramped, what do you do? Moving seems like the obvious option, but there are lots of reasons why that might not be possible. Maybe time or money restrictions prevent you from doing so, or perhaps you’re near good schools, your work or loved ones and don’t want to be too far away. Maybe you just don’t want to move as you adore your home? Either way, there are other solutions to the problem that don’t involve upping sticks and moving to pastures new. Making the most of all of the available room is one way to go about it, and chances are you have a ton of unused space that you can work with. Here are a few options.

Bedroom Cupboard

Having a large cupboard in the bedroom is always handy. To keep it simple you could keep it as a storage cupboard. Add plenty of shelves and drawers to make the most of every inch, that way your wardrobe isn’t bursting at the seams, and it’s easier to stay organized. If you have a lot of books, you could turn it into your own little mini library! Another option is you could turn it into a walk-in wardrobe if it’s large enough add hanging rails at the sides and a large mirror so you can get dressed. Finally, you could consider an ensuite bathroom. Speak to a plumber such as http://www.plumberstives.com.au to find out if having the correct pipes installed would be within your budget. If you’re bored of fighting for the bathroom every morning, this is ideal. Your own space to get ready in and shower in peace without kids banging on the door- bliss!

[Photo courtesy of ParentRap/pixabay.com]

Attic Space

Attics in most homes are absolutely huge, and when you’re struggling for space in the rest of the home, it’s a shame to waste this. A full loft conversion with a proper staircase to turn it into a functioning bedroom is pricey, but worth the cost if you need the space and have the budget. Otherwise, having a basic loft conversion could give you a whole lot of extra storage space. You wouldn’t need to worry about having windows installed up there or a proper set of stairs, a folding loft ladder would do the trick. Have a company come and secure the floor, and an electrician fit a light, and you can turn it into the storage space of dreams. Instead of miscellaneous boxes everywhere, buy some drawers and shelving units and set everything up neatly. No more rummaging around in the dark or walking on beams every time you need something from the attic. All of your decorations for celebrations in the year can be put away neatly ready for use. You could have decor in the home for autumn/ winter and another lot for spring/ summer, and keep the off season stuff in the attic. You could even store your out of season clothes and footwear up there giving you far more space in your wardrobe and bedroom in general.

Cupboard Under The Stairs

The cupboard under the stairs is a great little storage area but often gets wasted. If yours is full of junk, clear everything out and repurpose it. It’s a handy place to keep things like your vacuum cleaner, mop, iron, ironing board and cleaning essentials. Install a couple of shelves to maximize the room. Alternatively, you could turn it into a cupboard for coats and shoes. It gives you somewhere to take them off when you come home without them cluttering up the hall. Again on shelves, you could have baskets of hats, scarves, and gloves. Have a light fitted in there making it easy to access. Depending on the size you’re working with, you could even have a downstairs bathroom installed. Most families will be looking for two bathrooms in the home when buying, so if you come to sell later down the line, you’ll add value to the property too.

[Photo courtesy of ErikaWittlieb/pixabay.com]

Kitchen Corner

If you have a corner of your kitchen that’s empty space, why not consider creating a pantry? You could have some stud walls put up, or even find a suitable shelving unit and attach doors. A pantry is so handy in the home, it allows you to neatly store all of your dry ingredients and makes it easy to stockpile. Digging through kitchen cabinets can be a pain, with everything neatly laid out it makes it far easier to find what you need. You’ll probably find yourself cooking more, and will save yourself some money too. Having some handy store cupboard recipes on hand using dry ingredients and flavored with herbs and spices is handy between grocery shops or during leaner times.

Unused Garden Space

If you have a large garden, you’re incredibly lucky, although most of us only use them for a few months of the year. To make the most of it, having a conservatory or garden room built means you utilize the space all year round. Since they’re fully insulated, they’re just like any other room in the house and are handy if you’re running out of space. You could create a dining room in the conservatory, freeing up space in the dining room or living room. These could then be used for something else. You could turn a garden room into a home office or a guest suite. Either way, stealing a bit of space from the garden to use as an additional room is a good move in many cases.

Basement

Another potentially huge space that’s being wasted in your home is the cellar or basement area. They often end up as dank and dingy storage areas full of spiders and miscellaneous boxes. But a basement could be transformed into another living area, a teenager’s hangout, a games room or even a wine cellar. As with a loft conversion, you could go all out to transform it into a proper, usable room. Or just do a simple conversion but turn it into a storage space you will actually use. Get a proper light fitting installed down there, kill off the pests and spiders and put up some storage shelves, cupboards, and units.

If there’s one thing that the super rich love doing, it’s pimping their mega-mansions. It’s almost a rite of passage for them – something they feel they have to do in order to feel a part of their exclusive club. The good news is that a lot of what they end up doing can be replicated in our own homes, sometimes at a tiny fraction of the cost. Here are some of the ways that the rich and famous have pimped out their homes.

Install A Waterfall

Water features are an essential part of pimping up any home. But now a home in Tiburon, California has taken the concept a step further by including a 10-foot waterfall on the inside of the house. The home itself looks more like a temple and has been dubbed “The Nirvana House” which is in keeping with the state’s new age vibes. The future owner of the house will be able to turn the waterfall up or down, from peaceful stream to raging torrent, depending on his or her mood.

[Photo courtesy of Alistair McMillan/wikipedia.org]

The house itself is listed for sale at more than $11 million on a San Francisco brokerage site. That’s pretty steep for most folks, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t include your own waterfall feature in your front garden.

Bullet-Proof Windows

When you’ve got an expensive home, there’s a lot of stuff you need to protect, including the occupants. Bulletproof windows not only stop bullets, but they also prevent the windows being smashed in and thieves entering your home. Bullet-proof glass comes in different grades. The weakest grades will stop a bullet, but repeated assault with a blunt instrument can still smash them. Companies, however, have developed glass hybrids which reflect impact energy and transfer it back into the person hitting the window, preventing breakage.

[Photo courtesy of GregoryButler/pixabay.com]

Heavy-duty glass is, understandably, expensive. However, it’s not necessarily out of the range of many well-to-do homeowners looking for an extra little bit of protection. A house near Central Park in New York recently sold for more than $25 million, complete with a triple layer of bullet-proof glass.

Indoor-Outdoor Pools

[Photo courtesy of Dylan Tweney/flickr.com]

Those who live in temperate climes have a dilemma on their hands when it comes to swimming pools. Should they be built indoors or outdoors? Well, why not both. The owners of a mansion in Snowmass, Colorado have decided to build a swimming pool with half of it inside their home and the other half outside, surrounded by a patio area overlooking the mountains. The exterior painting is designed to complement the outdoor part of the pool, while the indoor section is plain masonry. Will your new pool be as uncompromising?

Home Theatre

Home theaters are all the rage among the rich and famous, especially among actors who can enjoy spending hours watching themselves on the big screen. It’s not unusual for the super-rich to spend upwards of $2.5 million on a home theater, just to watch a DVD that cost $8. The most famous example of a home theater inside a mega-mansion is the theater in the Ziegfeld mansion.

Your home is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make, and when you come home each day, you should feel proud of your investment. So if your property is looking a little tired and dilapidated, it’s time to make a change! A few changes can transform your home and add curb appeal- who wouldn’t want to own the prettiest house on the street?!

Clean and Tidy

Having a general clean and tidy around the front of the home can make all the difference. Sweep up litter and leaves, move shoes and bicycles. Wash the windows and clean paths and the driveway using a jet washer. Moving bins either to around the back of the property or investing in wooden ‘bin sheds’ to neatly store them away can make the front of your home look far nicer too.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Tidy the Front Garden

Plants and shrubbery can dramatically improve the look of your front garden, but it’s easy for things to grow out of control. Now we’re into the spring season, expect a huge spurt of growth. Make sure everything is trimmed back and looks neat and tidy. If your lawn has seen better days due to the winter flooding, repair any bald patches with a box of grass seed and give it a few weeks to establish before mowing. If you have any daffodil and tulip bulbs planted in the front they’ll be in full bloom right now, but in a couple of weeks you’ll need to go around and deadhead everything.

Re-Paint

Fences, garage doors, gutterings and the house itself all might need painting. Over time it can become worn and faded in the sun, or look grubby and dirty which can bring down the overall appearance of the home. Using professional painters will give the best result, but if you’re patient and good with a paintbrush, you could do this yourself if you don’t mind heights and ladders.

Add Lighting

Lighting is necessary not only from a curb appeal perspective but for practical reasons too. Motion detection flood lighting deters burglars, but it’s also handy for whenever you come home, and it’s dark. No more fumbling around in pitch black looking for your keys! Alternatively, you could add some fancy looking lantern lights either side of the door. Smart lighting is popular and accessible these days, so it’s easy to put them on a timer or control them remotely using your mobile phone.

Add Plants and Flowers

All of the other steps will make the property look tidy and smart, but to really make it look great add some flowers! You could do this by adding hanging baskets or pots (or both) each side of the door. Any garden center will have beautiful plants to choose from, they’re likely to need replacing a couple of times a year where flowers only bloom for a number of months before dying back. Finish the look with a door mat, you can find loads of cute designs on sites like eBay.