Living in an older home means enjoying plenty of charm and stylish details that you just don’t see in new construction anymore. However, it also means living with items that can create potential problems if they start to break down or simply aren’t as efficient as what we have today. If you have an older home, consider replacing the following items.

Windows and Doors

Even though they don’t build houses like they used to, when it comes to the windows and doors on your house, what you can get today is vastly more efficient. The glass in old windows and doors is single-pane, which doesn’t retain the heat like today’s dual-pane windows do. In fact, modern dual-pane windows are about twice as effective at holding in air conditioning and heat as single-pane windows from just a few decades ago. Additionally, there are often leaks around the old panes and sills.

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Electrical Wiring

Old electrical wiring in a home has two main issues: safety and convenience. Electrical wiring lasts as long as the wire’s insulation. Once that goes, the wire becomes exposed and the risk of short circuits, shocks, and electrical fire increases. Wiring installed before 1960 will last around 70 years, while new wiring installed today can go at least 100 years. Additionally, homes with older electrical wiring often don’t have enough outlets to handle all the electronics we use today.

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Plumbing

Your biggest risk with old or substandard plumbing is having the pipes burst and dealing with water damage in your home. A serious flood could mean thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, leaving your home uninhabitable for weeks. There’s also the risk of mold problems that form because of leaks. While copper and brass pipes can last around 50 years, steel pipes sometimes don’t make it 20 years. If you know the pipes in your home are old, you might want to upgrade to plastic pipes that can give you another 40 or 50 years.

HVAC Unit

Depending on the age of your home, you might not even have a HVAC system or central air conditioning. If you do, keep in mind that the average life span of a furnace is 15 to 30 years, and the average life span of a central air conditioning unit is around 20 years. If you still have some years left on this equipment, don’t forget about the ducts. Most experts recommend a duct cleaning every three to five years to improve air quality inside a home.

[Photo courtesy of Daniel Wander/pexels.com]

Roof

It’s a given that older homes have older roofs. The problem with an older roof is that you could have issues with water damage, pest damage, and inefficient insulation. Once leaks begin to occur, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair the damage. If the problems are in one area, you could repair that section. However, if the roof is widely damaged, it could make more sense to replace the entire thing.

As you continue to enjoy the charm and character of your older home, make sure you’re prepared for the things you might need to replace down the road.

Home makeovers can be costly, but it is possible to make your home more appealing without splashing out a premium. How can you achieve this?

1. Throw out the clutter

This is a totally free way to make the space in your home look more inviting and presentable. All you have to do is throw away the junk and donate anything in your home that is no longer useful to you right now; or in the foreseeable.  Why keep that old typewriter you’ve not used in a decade? Do you really need to keep the hundreds of CDs stacked up in the corner? What of old, worn out toys? You will be surprised how much space you can free up by doing this.

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2. Refinish your mismatched furniture

Mismatched furniture is guaranteed to make your home look disorganised.  If you have all-black furniture and a couple of blue wooden pieces around, you can even things out by painting the wood pieces black as well.  Most of the time, the colour combination you feel great about may actually be upstaging the aesthetic balance of the space.  Primer Magazine has a great piece on dealing with mismatched furniture. The piece is aimed at young men, but the ideas can be implemented by anyone.

3. Bring in some nature

Go to any public park near you and get some pine cones you can put in a bowl. If there are no woods around you, simply pick a few pine branches anywhere and put them in a jar or vase.  If you still can’t find any, head off to B&Q, or any shop selling house plants, and buy a couple. The plants will not just give your home a beautiful relaxing ambiance, they can also improve the air quality.

[Photo courtesy of Samson Katt/pexels.com]

Similarly, look for beautiful rocks that can be placed strategically around the house. Instead of having broken chairs as door stops, interesting rocks will make more aesthetically appealing alternatives.

4. Remove decaying hardware

Replacing that wooden shelf that is already bent to the side with a lovely but simply constructed steel shelf can instantly lift the mood around the space.  A bent shelf paints an uncomfortable picture- bad Feng Shui no doubt too. A good steel shelf can be bought for relatively little, and will not just beautify your home, it will comfortably carry the weight that has bent over your old wooden shelf.  Apart from the shelf, look around to see any other hardware that needs replacing. Picture frames, wine racks, etc. are the major suspects.

5. Loft Conversion

[Photo courtesy of Efecan Efe/pexels.com]

You might be surprised how affordable a loft conversion may be. You may need to reinforce with steel from a company like cannonsteelsltd.co.uk but overall the price should be very reasonable, especially considering the increase in home value you achieve through the process. So this really isn’t a cheap process but is certainly one that can be great value because of the appreciation you receive in your house value. Give your guests a room of their own, nay a floor of their own, is a wonderful way to make them feel at home. Just make sure you don’t put all the clutter from the loft downstairs.

6. Reorder the space

Consider moving some of your big items to new positions. You’ll be surprised how much difference you can make just by rearranging your living space. A good tip is to put items of a specific colour together. This clustering can develop a theme to a specific area. For instance, you can have your blue books on one part of the shelf and the red ones on the other part. Grouping items by theme or colour will help you achieve a unified look free of charge. Just make sure that you don’t create too many themes to a single room, or you pull everything together with an individual theme. Nothing looks messier than a room that is disjointed and without flow. You can get some great ideas for theming your living space on pinterest.

With these tips, you can quickly enhance the appeal of your home without spending too much money.

Spring cleaning is something that needs to be done in everyone’s house. For some people it seems as though they actually look forward to this time and being able to get their house back in order and things cleaned up. For others it seems like an impossible task to get everything done with the busy life that they live. Regardless of how you feel about spring cleaning you will be happy to learn some great green tips to help you reduce your environmental impact.

Make Your Own Cleaners

Did you know that it is really possible to make your own cleaners? Simple ingredients that you already have around your home like distilled vinegar, Borax, olive oil, baking soda, liquid castile soap, and essential oils are all that you need to replace nearly every single cleaner in your home.

[Photo courtesy of Nathan Cowley/pexels.com]

Choose Eco-Friendly Cleaners

Thankfully, for those who do not want to make their own cleaners, there is a huge selection of eco-friendly cleaners on the market today. These can guarantee you the clean that you are looking for without the harsh chemicals that are dangerous for your family and harmful to the environment.

Line Dry Laundry

One of the biggest things about spring cleaning is that you are going to be doing a lot of additional laundry. This is the time when you should be washing curtains, blankets, and other linens that you might not wash all of the time. Line drying these items will save a lot of energy and will give them the wonderful scent of spring.

[Photo courtesy of PNW Production/pexels.com]

Use House Plants

Did you know that house plants can work like your own air filter? That’s right, having plants in your home can really help you to have cleaner air to breathe for your whole family.

Get Rid of Things You Do Not Use

De-cluttering not only helps you to feel better and more refreshed but it can also help you to have a more efficient home. When you are getting rid of things like clothes consider which ones you can cut up and reuse as things like cleaning rags. Also decide which ones you can sell or donate.

Invest in Reusable Mop Pads

[Photo courtesy of Tima Miroshnichenko/pexels.com]

There are many great companies on the market today (or you can shop handmade marketplaces) where you can find reusable mop pads. This is much better for the environment than the ones that you use once and throw away.

Have Your Attic Professionally Cleaned

Did you know that animal feces and contamination in your attic can make you sick? It is important that you clean up and remove potentially harmful contamination when you are spring cleaning. Make sure that no surface is left untouched during this time of deep cleaning. Just make sure that you pick a company that will work with you for green cleaning and will not be using harmful chemicals to get rid of these contaminates.

Resist the Urge to Use Paper Towels

While paper towels can be handy, they mainly just contribute to landfills and cause there to be a need to cut down more trees. Resist the urge to use paper towels in your spring cleaning and if you must choose environmentally friendly options.

Open Your Windows

Fresh air is a great way to make your whole house smell better. It is also a great way to make your green spring cleaning go easier.

If you really dread spring cleaning you can try some fun spring cleaning activities like these. You might even find that you are more motivated than before and able to get things done quicker.

As you go about your annual spring cleaning, it’s time to tackle the garage. The cluttered mess often means a weekend chore, but you can keep the garage looking stellar with a little organization. Get back to parking your car in the garage where it belongs with the use of storage cabinets and workbenches.

Dedicated Workspace

The mechanic in your life probably enjoys working on the car much more than you do. Inevitably they cannot find a tool they need. Giving them garage workbenches and storage makes working on the cars or other projects that much easier. Their tools are within easy reach. Plus, if they can find the tool they need, they are less likely to insist on a replacement. Fewer trips to the auto parts store mean more time working. The project finishes faster and you have more time for other things. The dedicated workspace makes working in the garage more enjoyable.

[Photo courtesy of Lisa Fotios/pexels.com]

Declutter Seamlessly

Decluttering the garage makes moving around the space easier. Workbenches with storage built-in let you store the tools for a specific project right at hand. Additional storage provides cabinets, drawers, shelves and pegboards for other items from gardening tools to a ratchet set. Everything has a place in an organized garage leaving fewer things to trip over on the floor.

Safer Storage

Add a garage cabinet with a lock on it for items you don’t want the kids to have access to such as paint or pesticides. Locking the cabinet regularly ensures little hands can safely play in the garage. Install a lock on the drawer on the workbench itself to keep specific items from being moved out of the workbench itself.

[Photo courtesy of Mikes Photos/pexels.com]

Increased Functionality

A garage workbench makes working in the garage more functional. If you enjoy gardening, you can use the flat surface to paint a new pot and store potting soil, pruners and shovels. A workbench on caster wheels moves around, so your tools are right where you need them. An attached pegboard is a great place to store loose tools that are hard to store in cabinets such as gardening tools. Attach a surge protector for electricity right at your fingertips for power tools.

Whether you choose a simple workbench for a nice flat work surface or one with all the bells and whistles, your garage benefits from the increased organization, functionality and safety. A workbench can be an aid whether you’re a regular mechanic, gardener or woodworker. Include a workbench in your next garage organization system.

You spend a third of your life sleeping, and even more than that physically in your bedroom. While many of us keep a desk in our bedrooms for space-saving reasons, it’s still best to keep your bedroom as comfortable and tranquil as possible, so that it can help you get a healthy, rejuvenating night’s sleep.  Many people ignore the colours of their walls, perceiving them as permanent or hard to change, whilst some people aren’t allowed to because of their contracts with landlords.  However, the colours of your walls can play a vital role in the atmosphere your room provides and the resulting level of rest you can obtain in it.

Imagine if the walls of your room were painted bright red.  You would probably have a hard time falling asleep, knowing such a shocking colour was waiting to assault your opening eyes.  While neutral colours won’t have the same effect as bright red, they don’t help calm you like some other colour combinations can.  Read on to see how these different colour combinations can create a tranquil yet modern atmosphere, providing you with the best night’s sleep you can get.

Browns and Greens – Deep Forest Relaxation

Imagine chocolate brown walls, cream-coloured trim, and emerald-green accent furniture. Sounds bold, but people often feel most comfortable in nature, and using browns and greens to mimic nature’s most common colour combination is one way to bring the wild inside.  Line the windowsill with plants and put a ficus tree in the opposite corner, and voila, your bedroom has been transformed from a drab cube to a tranquil, natural sanctuary, where even the most unsettled mind can enjoy deep rest.

[Photo courtesy of bottlein/pixabay.com]

Light Blues and Pastel Greens – Ocean Breeze Tranquillity

Some people may not want bold colours like chocolate brown and emerald green, but that doesn’t mean nature doesn’t have a palette to fit.  While not everyone has a sea-facing, wall-sized window, you can appreciate the calming effect of sea can have on the mind and harness that effect in your own bedroom.  Light sea-green walls with white trim (imagine cresting waves), with light blue furniture and sheets can provide a calming, oceanic atmosphere.

20 Shades of Grey – The Colours of Night Itself

Really only two or three shades will do the trick – a light shade of grey around the entire room, with one accent wall deep and luxurious, opposite the bed, and a large black and white print of a calm empty street at night.  Grey can be very calming and accenting it with a light green can bring in a little more nature as well.  Such dark colours wouldn’t be recommended for a home office, for example, but in the room in which you sleep, muting sources of background light can help you rest and even be good for your health.

Whatever colour combination you choose, be sure it is one that fits you. Searching online can help you get the right furniture, accents, and accessories to make your tranquil natural bedroom come to life.

We aim to ensure our home stays in good condition so that we don’t run into problems. After all, issues with your humble abode could end up costing you a small fortune. And could jeopardize your property sale in the future. But a lot of people focus on certain locations like the kitchen, and forget to look after areas which could cause you huge problems. Therefore, here are some areas you need to make sure you don’t forget to keep on top of in your home.

The loft

It’s easy to forget about the loft when you are in your home. After all, it’s not somewhere that you go into every day. In fact, some people admit to only going in their loft a handful of times during the year. But it’s so important you keep on top of taking care of your loft. For one thing, it needs a regular clean. After all, it’s so easy for dust to build up in the attic. And if left, it could cause things like pests to occur. And not only this, but you need to watch out for condensation in the loft. You need to deal with this quickly, so that you don’t end up with a damp problem in your home. And as well as this, you need to ensure there is proper insulation in the loft. That way, you can ensure the heat from your system stays in the home and keeps your family nice and warm!

The roof

Another place you might forget to keep on top of is your roof. After all, it’s not an area you might look at every day. But if you aren’t keeping on top of it, small problems might be getting a lot worse. And you could end up with issues like leaks in your home. Therefore, it’s so important to make sure you keep on top of the roof. Check out the shingles to make sure none are missing. And if you think there is a problem but don’t want to get on the roof yourself, you could consider getting a contractor to do it. After all, roofing companies similar to TexasStar Roofing will do a free roof inspection and will let you know if there are any issues. You can then get this sorted before it turns into a huge problem. And remember your roof will need to be replaced every 15 years. As we said before, if you leave it longer than this, it will cause issues with leaks inside your home, and you might not be covered by an insurance policy.

[Photo courtesy of blickpixel/pixabay.com]

Your bathroom

You might be surprised that a lot of people forget to keep on top of their bathroom. They focus on making sure other rooms like their kitchen and lounge are okay. But if you don’t keep on top of your bathroom, you could end up with plumbing issues before long. Therefore, make sure you unblock any drains in the bathroom before it becomes a major problem. And clean the bathroom regularly so that you don’t get issues such as condensation and mold in the room.

And remember to keep on top of your garden too, especially before the freezing weather arrives!