How to Find the Best Way to Upgrade Your Home's Patio

Investing in a home requires more than simply just paying your mortgage payment on time. When you want to truly get the most out of your home investment, it is important to update and maintain various areas of your home throughout the time of your residence. If your home has a patio, there are a few ways to upgrade and update the space to help add value to your home while also providing you an opportunity to truly transform your yard space for dining, entertaining, and future events.

Calculate Your Budget

Before you begin upgrading or updating your home's patio, calculate the budget you have available. Calculate how much you are able to spend not only on construction and replacements, but also on updates as well as decor and other items you may envision for space.

Consider Your Vision

Consider the vision you have for your home's patio before you begin implementing changes, updates, and new upgrades. How much are you able to spend on your patio renovation project? What purpose do your envisioned upgrades serve for your home patio? How long will it take you to complete the renovation you have in mind? Having a vision of your completed patio project can help you to stick to your goals and any timeline you have in mind for the completed area.

Hire a Contractor

Hiring a concrete contractor or another contractor who specializes in patio updates and upgrades is highly recommended if you are unfamiliar with the process of working on patio spaces yourself. Hiring a contractor is a way to ensure the vision for your completed patio is brought to fruition, even if you are interested in an entirely new patio or surface area to work with outdoors.

Smaller Updates

It is also important to keep smaller updates in mind when you are in the process of upgrading your home's patio area and space. Consider the type of decor as well as the overall aesthetic you are going for with your patio space. If you are unable to completely overhaul your patio space with new concrete and by hiring a contractor, there are plenty of other ways to go about transforming the outdoor space on just about any budget.

Upgrading and updating your home's patio is a great way to add value to your home. It is also a way for you to build an entirely new entertainment space for your loved ones as well as any guests you host at your home in the future.

Guest Post - What I Wish I Knew When I Moved Homes

Moving houses can be exciting. You can’t stop picturing yourself in a better neighborhood, in that spacious home with a marvelous kitchen. Most of the time, moving signifies a point of newness where you start a new life that is exciting and promising.

On the other hand, planning a move and actualizing it is a tough task to pull. Amidst the excitement, the whole process can be overwhelming and stressful. If you fail to prepare yourself properly, there is the possibility of some things going against what you anticipated. Before you get out the packing tape and start boxing your things, consider these 4 tips to make your move something you won’t regret later.

1.      Get rid of stuff that you no longer need

If you are like most people who hold onto things for a long time, your house could be full of things that you no longer use. Moving those things to the new home will only make your move difficult and expensive. Take time before the move to sort out such things and plan on how to get rid of them. You can donate, sell or trash the ones that are beyond repair.

In that breath, it is also good to sell your old house first before moving to a new one. This way, you will know how much money you have. You will be clear on the budget for the new home as well as all the repairs that might be necessary. However, you might need to sell your house faster for you to use the cash to pay for the down payment for your new home. But how do I sell my house fast? If that’s your predicament, you need to know that there are trusted cash home buyers in the region ready to give you an offer in the shortest time possible. Just scout for one and contact them to make a deal.

2.      Create a checklist

Moving to a new house is a tiring task. Your biggest goal should be to have your back and sanity intact at the end of it all. However, that is not going to happen if the boxes are to get mixed up and you have to sort them out after the movers are gone. You will also have it rough if some boxes are forgotten or misdelivered and you have to do a follow-up later.

You will save yourself a lot of trouble by labeling every box carefully. Ensure that you write a number and the room where each box belongs. Then list them on a checklist and make a copy. Keep one copy and give the movers the other copy. This way, both of you will have something to tick against to ensure that all boxes are delivered correctly.

3.      Figure out the essentials

If you are moving to a new geographical area, you must figure out the important things before making the move. The last thing you want to do is get stuck looking for a drug store or grocery store when you need them the most. Sure, Google is your friend, but Wi-Fi can fail sometimes. Research the area way before you move. Ensure that you figure out all the routes to your house and the nearest amenities.

It might also interest you to befriend the neighbors from the word go. These individuals have been there longer and they hold precious information that might come in handy when you need it. 

4.      Budget

Moving can be stressful and disruptive. The last thing that you would want is for it to disrupt your finances and land you into debt. It is advisable to have a budget in place before moving so that you are sure how far you can go with the expenses.

Put into consideration all the expenses involved in paying the movers and providing meals to your friends and family who volunteer to help you. Besides, consider the day-to-day expenses in the new house. It would be wise to allocate a bit more than you did in the previous house until you figure out the average costs.

Conclusion

Moving homes is a task that is easier said than done. Besides demanding enough finances, it is a process that requires you to be there physically. Even as you put a budget, you need to clear your calendar to ensure that you have enough time to oversee everything. Additionally, keep in mind the above tips. They will go a long way in helping you move successfully.

Author Bio: Avery is a real estate consultant who partners with CEOs, executives, and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional goals, human-to-human. After spending nearly a decade working with real estate and marketing, Avery knows what truly drives conversions, serious goals and good outcomes. It’s how well you connect with the heart-beating people you’re trying to help and communicate your understanding back to them. 

Cool Ways To Improve Your Kitchen on a Budget

Brightening up the kitchen adds life to the whole house. Since we spend so much time working in this space, keeping it beautiful is crucial to our well-being. A well-adorned space makes the chores less of a drag as we enjoy spending time and immersing ourselves in a room. However, redecorating is often surprisingly expensive. Fortunately, there are still many cool ways to improve your kitchen on a budget.

Explore Fixture Options

Kitchens are full of little fixtures and hardware that wear out after so many years of interactions. These features include handles, doorknobs, and even flatware. For the most part, nice new fixtures don’t cost much to replace, and you can find many attractive, decorative, and relatively inexpensive options by shopping smart online. Lighting, too, is less expensive than most people imagine. Adding LED panels, changing out covers, or even adding a simple ceiling fan is typically possible for under $100.

Many stores supply discounted furnishings and fixtures. These might simply be older models or samples of stock that didn’t sell. Other times, resale stores carry a broad array of items salvaged from remodeled or even demolished homes and structures.

Splash in More Color

Adding paint is always one of the coolest ways to improve your kitchen on a budget. Of course, the easiest way is to pick a new color and go to town. Repaint the cabinets, walls, and even appliances with a new color or texture. You can also touch up your paint or accent it with cool weathering techniques—or sand it down and stain it for a more rustic look.

Nowadays, unusual and fun types of paint are incredibly accessible. Experiment with metallics, accenting, and more. Adding a section or wall of the paint-on chalkboard is also a fun project that can add a playful spin to a kitchen.

Look at Drawers and Shelves

As with previous examples, there are many ways to approach a complete change of cabinets, drawers, and shelves. However, after adding paint, a new countertop, or similar makeover options, you may decide to keep your original pieces. Give your furnishings an even fresher lease on life with an interior makeover.

Drawer interiors and shelf surfaces are easy to protect and decorate using affordable contact paper. Not only does it add more color and texture to a space, but it also protects typically unfinished interiors from dirt, grime, and stains. For cabinets and drawers, there are many inexpensive organizer tools. Spring-loaded wood inserts divide your drawer into sections in a more attractive way than the more common plastic dividers.

8 Simple Ways To Add Style To Your Home

Getting a high-end house can be difficult for many, especially when they have a limited budget. But that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t add style to their home especially when they have the ideas and resources available.

Interior designing ideas available online have made it a lot easier for anyone to create a stylish home layout without hiring any expert home decorator. 

These interior designing ideas can be anything. From changing wallpapers, to adding a new coat of paint, to replacing the wooden floorboards. Home owners can make a lot of noticeable changes in their houses without breaking the bank. 

Let’s discuss some of the simplest and the most affordable ideas to make your home look elegant and stunning. 

1. Let Wallpapers Redesign Your House

Although wallpapers are one of the easiest things to think of when revamping your house, they still require an expert vision to completely redesign the look of the house. What designs will suit which walls, and how these designs will connect with the rest of the walls of the house, all these things require what we call a ‘design sense.’

One can also go with paint, but paint is costly, and designing with paint again requires an expert. However, wallpapers come pre-designed. Simply order the colors that you like from Walmart or Amazon and DIY the house renovation.

Just make sure to check home color palettes online and buy a mix of those colors for your home revamping.

Creating contrast is the best way to create a vibrant home ambience. If you are not a big fan of contrasting colors, you can play with bright and dull colors that suit the wall paint.

2. Choose Vibrant and Contrasting Window Treatments

Windows play a crucial role in creating the look of the house. If the windows are rusted, unfinished, or not having a glossy finish, they are less likely to look appealing. One thing to note here is that windows can make or break a deal when selling a house. So, if the windows are not properly treated or lack any appealing paint, they will decrease the overall value of the house 

When deciding on the windows, see if you would want to place curtains or shades on them, or you will keep them as they are. The color of the windows will highly depend on the setting you choose. Windows of the main rooms should have blinds as they look elegant and are easier to maintain. Inner rooms or the bedrooms can have shades or curtains, whatever suits you.

The color of curtains should be similar to that of the door as these will create a contrast with the wall colors and give a vibrant appeal to the whole place.

You can try the simple steel shades or bamboo shades if you want a laid back environment inside.

3. Wooden, Tiled, or Carpeted Floorboards?

First thing one notices when they walk into a house is the floorboard. Whether tiled or wooden, floorboards set the precedence for how the whole house would look. Usually all this starts from the porch section. So, to add a style to your home, make sure that floorboards are well selected. In North America and Europe, wooden floorboards are mostly used for insulation. Easter Europe has marble and tile floors because of the weather conditions. Wooden floors boards can also have floor papers. Or they can be carpeted to reduce noise. Selecting the design of the floorboards mostly depends on your choice.

Usually, Costco and Home Depot, both have a special flooring section where you can find numerous varieties of floorboards.

4. Lighting Makes all the Difference

If you want to make your house look lively, you need to invest in a quality lighting setup. Most houses have standard lighting fixtures. These are pre-added by the contractors and they make the house look plain and generic. 

The best place to find creative lighting ideas is the flea market. There you can find everything from uniquely designed light bulbs to standard chandeliers. Second hand stores offer a lot more budget friendly options. Although the products are used, you can make them look as good as new by cleaning them at home.

Have multiple light sources such as lamps, floor lamps, side lights, blind lights, and chandeliers, to make the space look lively and bright. If you are unsure how to install them, you can get help from roofers in Beverly.

5. Adding Furniture to House

What do you want your house to look like? Minimalistic, Cozy, Traditional, Modern? There are many other ideas that you can choose from. If you are not sure how furniture will look inside the house, then use furniture-specific 3D apps and see for yourself. Most furniture ideas can be found online. 

Bean bags are now replacing sofas. Most bean bags are cheap and you can even design your own bean bags. 

Since Work From Home (WFH) is now becoming a norm, everyone wants to have a desk and an office setup at home. You can get bean bags and cushions and create your own cozy working space. 

Or, you can get chairs and tables and create a traditional dining room environment. 

When looking for furniture, choose flea markets where second hand furniture is being sold. If the furniture is available in normal condition, you can polish it at home and make it look new.

6. Keep Your House Clean

Dust is the biggest killer of fancy and style. So, invest in a good air humidifier and a vacuum cleaner. Most households now have central vacuum cleaning because it is easy to manage and clean the whole house. 

Keep the windows of all rooms that you don’t use often closed. This way dust won’t settle inside and you won’t get embarrassed when you open them in front of the guests. 

7. Focus on Color Tone & Matching

Finally, make sure that your furniture has a proper color tone. If there is too much furniture in the room with a mismatched color tone, it looks unfinished and gives a hazy feel. So, make sure that the color tone of all pieces of furniture is similar. 

8. Give Your Personal Touch

A home is never a home until and unless it has your personal touch. Make it a beautiful place where you are more likely to spend time. If you like bean bags instead of sofas, then add them. If you want a minimalistic house with rugs, carpets, and hammocks, then that is fine as well. Add a few photo frames of yourself and your family and also your favorite plants in your home. In the end, it is all about how and what you want. After all, it is your home. So, give it a style that you love!

Bottom-line

Don’t indulge too much in impressing others by adding a style that doesn’t blend with you. Because it will be you who will be using the home the most. So, create a setting that makes you feel comfortable and cozy.