A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.

Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

It’s Time to Leave Your Parents’ House and Build Your Own

Most people assume that you should leave your parents’ house by 25. The argument supporting the age assumption is that by 25, you probably have a stable source of income, and you’re ready to stick it up and take on the responsibilities synonymous with adulting. Don’t let the numbers lie to you or push you into moving out. If you’re 18 and ready to be an adult, do it; if you still want to enjoy your parents’ company, you can also do it for a while as you figure out life.

 Most people assume that you should leave your parents’ house by 25. The argument supporting the age assumption is that by 25, you probably have a stable source of income, and you’re ready to stick it up and take on the responsibilities synonymous with adulting. Don’t let the numbers lie to you or push you into moving out. If you’re 18 and ready to be an adult, do it; if you still want to enjoy your parents’ company, you can also do it for a while as you figure out life.

To help figure out a favorable decision, I’ll talk about the signs that let you know it’s time to shift and be independent. 

Let’s get into it.     

You Don’t Enjoy Total Privacy 

Do you desire more privacy? Are you in a relationship and barely getting enough time to hang out or spend some private time with your partner after work? Perhaps you desire more privacy than the one offered by the thin walls separating your room from other spaces in your parents’ house. If you chip into the family’s bills and home maintenance, you deserve some privacy. Besides, everyone is entitled to some privacy rights, and your parents should respect that. But remember, since you’re over 18, the law may see you as a tenant, a boarder, or a lodger. Not an equal owner.  

A bit of privacy is not enough, especially if you’re past 18 and heading to your 30s. Shifting from your parents’ home and renting will give you enough privacy levels you deserve as an adult. 

However, constructing your own home will allow you to set up a space that suits your privacy needs. You’ll get unbounded privacy if you fully own your home. When you rent, you only have privacy when in private spaces. 

Therefore give a thought to building a customized home. With the help of qualified Sacramento house builders, you’ll enjoy a home that fully meets your privacy needs.   

Do Your Schedules and Interests Clash?

Do you have a busy work schedule and have to sneak into your room? Do you frequently come home way past midnight? Does it bother your parents? Or perhaps you’re a party freak and often find yourself drunk and tripping over your parents’ door during awkward hours.

If that’s the situation you’re currently dealing with, you need to move out. Look for a place or build a home that will give you the room to work peacefully or indulge in your interest without rubbing anyone’s shoulder. 

You Constantly Stumble on Hints To Move Out

Parents have witty ways of driving us out of their homes. The wittiness becomes pronounced if we seem to be aging and comfortable under their care. It’s not that they hate living with you. No, you’re their child, and they’ll always enjoy having you around. However, they wish to see you grow, be responsible and own a few things, including a home. 

If they constantly throw hints, you may need to start looking for a house and try to best design your place by going through house designs with a professional architectural firm that are seasoned in architecture and the designs that you are looking for. There is a lot of architectural firms that tick those boxed but one of those that people have been fond of lately has been Martinez Architekten, if you want things by your liking but in a professional manner getting a couple opinions from experts of the field is a must.

You Need Space

Do you feel cramped? Perhaps your car has no home. You’ve to park it far from your parents’ compound. Maybe the private space in your parents’ house cannot fully accommodate all your collectibles and belongings. 

Shifting from your parents’ house could mean living in an enormous space and having your own garage space. If you decide to buy a lot and build a customized home, you’ll design a home that suits your preference, space needs, and style. 

Are You Financially Literate and Have a Steady Income?

Can you afford to handle all the responsibilities that come with living alone? How’s your financial standing? Have you saved up enough to build a home? Living in your rented or built home gives you the field of unbounded personal growth. 

It’s time to shift from your parents’ home and build your home if you’ve thought about it. Build it if you constantly look up house design inspiration on Pinterest and already have a picture of a house design. 

If you’ve also figured out your finances, how you’ll fund the building projects, and have a budget, build it. Besides, financial literacy makes the process easier. 

A Wrap 

Although we love being in the company of our parents, deciding to move out and wading through life is scary. You have to hang onto the paddles you designed. Don’t be scared. It will help you grow and be a better version of yourself. It’s challenging and requires emotional resilience. It’s a phase we go through, but a necessary one. It may seem unattainable the first time you deepen your leg into it. But as soon as you pull the anchor and let the journey begin, everything will fall into its rightful place.

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Home Maintenance Ben Soreff Home Maintenance Ben Soreff

Must-Know Renovation Tips for Older Homes

Older homes offer a unique styles that some homeowners appreciate. Still, they often require specific renovations. So you should know renovation tips for them.

Must-Know Renovation Tips for Older Homes

Whether they’re on the coast of Maine or Rhode Island or tucked away in Massachusetts or Connecticut, older New England homes are picture perfect. New England has some of the greatest architecture in the country, including Colonial-era homes to 1920s apartments and more. Regardless, if you’re moving to the area or about to buy one of these older homes, there are some important tips to know for renovation. Read this guide on must-know renovation tips for older homes to learn more.

Don’t Gut the House

When working with an older New England home, your first instinct may be to gut it from the inside out. However, doing so may not be the best idea. For starters, gutting an older home is one way to lose its charm and aesthetic quality. Even if you want to update it with modern technologies and appliances, you can do so without sacrificing the charm that initially attracted you to the property. Take each project one at a time with the appropriate time, energy, and resources that respect the current property but still address your concerns. After all, if you live in an older colonial home, you want to protect that architecture as best you can.

Realize More Work Can Be Better

While this might sound contrary to not gutting it, you sometimes need to put in a little work to make the home stand out. Older homes, especially in New England, are notorious for having a plethora of minor and major issues. These can be as small as untreated landscaping or peeling paint or as major as sagging or sloping floors. New England winters can be brutal, so ensure the house has proper insulation as well. If you’re uncomfortable doing this work yourself, call contractors to help. They have the knowledge and experience to make all necessary renovations promptly with minimal risk of getting further damages.

Respect the Property

New England has some gorgeous homes, from the coasts of Rhode Island to the suburbs of Connecticut and Massachusetts. So there are some beautiful properties that deserve proper treatment to ensure they last for many years to come. As previously mentioned, New England has a large number of colonial-era homes that require consistent maintenance to avoid extensive damage. New England faces inclement weather during the summer and winter months due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, taking precautions like waterproofing your home and using proper insulation can reduce damages. These projects can get costly, so set an appropriate budget. Remember, the more work you do now, the less you need to worry about later.

Address Safety Concerns

Water isn’t the only risk for New England homes. One must-know renovation tip for older homes is to address safety risks. Older homes often have various issues that can affect the health and wellness of the homeowner. Mold, mildew, pests, foundation repairs, plumbing, and electrical wiring pose significant risks to the property and buyer. Do yourself a favor and inspect all at-risk areas before buying so that you know what to expect. If you’re unfamiliar with what to look for, hire a property inspector to evaluate the site for you. They’ll provide a detailed report with everything you need to know.

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Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

A Guide to Reinventing Your Home After Divorce

Going through a divorce is almost always stressful, but the one thing that can provide some comfort is being able to stay in your marital home, rather than having to move and look for a new place.

Going through a divorce is almost always stressful, but the one thing that can provide some comfort is being able to stay in your marital home, rather than having to move and look for a new place. 

While you might not have to worry about where to live, it can be difficult to stay under the same roof you shared with your former spouse while keeping everything the same. You might have a hard time looking past the memories you created there – good and bad. 

Thankfully, there are things you can do to reinvent your home after a divorce and make it feel more like your own. Your home should feel like your own personal sanctuary — a safe place you can turn to for comfort and peace. With a few adjustments and simple renovations, you can reinvent your home, making it your “happy place” for the future without dwelling on the memories of the past. 

Let’s cover a few helpful tips that can get you started on your happy home. 

Clearing Out Clutter

One of the best ways to start making your home feel more like your personal safe haven is to get rid of things you no longer want or need. Chances are, when your ex moved out, they took their personal belongings with them. They might have even taken some of your “joint” items. But, you can make things more cathartic and take them one step further by clearing out any extra items you don’t want, or items that remind you of your marriage. 

The easiest place to start is in your closet. 

You’ll likely see plenty of clothes you want to keep, but you may also get distracted from all of the clothes that are out of season. In addition to clearing out excess clutter, this is the perfect time to get organized. Store out-of-season clothing in air-tight and water-tight bins. Put them under the bed, on high shelves, or in a trunk or chest until the right season rolls around, and be sure to repair and clean any damaged clothing before putting it away. 

For the things you don’t want to keep, you have several options, including: 

  • Donating to a thrift store;

  • Donating to a homeless shelter;

  • Hosting a yard sale;

  • Selling online.

It can feel good to get rid of things you didn’t realize were weighing you down and to get organized when things feel chaotic. Take the time to sweep through your house and decide what to keep, and what you might feel better about getting rid of. 

Making Things New

Once you’ve decluttered and gotten things organized, consider reinventing specific items in your house. It’s a great way to hang onto things you love without living with the constant reminder of your former spouse or the life you shared. 

For example, if you have pieces of furniture that you’ve always loved but you can’t look at them the same way, consider painting them a different color or reupholstering them to fit your sense of style and personality. 

Alternatively, you could give them an entirely different purpose. Do you have an old dresser in the master bedroom? Bring it into the living room to use as an entertainment center. Did your spouse often use the nightstand to keep their phone, wallet, and watch? Turn it into a desk or an entry table and freshen it up with a coat of paint. 

By reinventing different items you already have and mixing them in with fresh decor, you can actually reinvent yourself and your home all at once. Doing so creates a warm, inviting, and comfortable environment that can make you feel safe and can provide stability for you and your children, if they’re living with you. 

Redesigning on a Budget

There’s no denying that divorce is expensive. 

Even if things end amicably, you’ll likely end up paying for an attorney. You might also have to pay spousal support or child support, and you could be going from a two-person income to a single income immediately. There are things you can do to financially recover, including creating a new budget and building your credit, but that can take time.

With that in mind, extreme home renovations might not be in your budget right away. However, there are plenty of DIY home renovations you can tackle, even when you’re on a tight budget. Start small and simple with things like: 

  • Repainting doors and cabinets

  • Changing light fixtures

  • Updating your kitchen backsplash

  • Painting the walls (now is the time to go with those colors your spouse never liked!)

  • Getting new window treatments

Even when it comes to decorating, you can liven up your home and show off your personality without breaking the bank. Hang floating shelves, install unique or mismatched wall hooks, or simply rearrange your existing furniture and decor to create a different layout. There are even design aesthetics that you can choose from that can be easily achieved with thrifted goods.

At the end of the day, your home can end up looking completely different with just a few small changes. There’s no reason why you can’t start to think of it as your own, and the sooner you make those changes, the sooner those negative memories of your marriage will start to fade, so you can enjoy your home sanctuary for many years to come. 

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Home Organization Ben Soreff Home Organization Ben Soreff

Clever Tips To Maximize Space in a Small Home

Living in a small home can feel cramped and uncomfortable. These tips will utilize the space you have in a way that will best serve you and your family.

Clever Tips To Maximize Space in a Small Home

Living in a small home can be challenging. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the lack of space and quickly lose your sense of order, but organization is key. The following tips are designed to help you regain order and better use your living space. If your home includes one, you can try some ways to reorganize your basement. By learning how to maximize your space, you’ll soon find that your small home is not quite as cramped as it seems!

Eliminate Clutter

To begin, you have to get rid of the clutter. Don’t be afraid of throwing things out—you don’t need them, and it’s not doing anyone any good sitting in your closet or basement. You can also donate items that you no longer use but that someone else may need, such as gently used clothing or supplies for a local school.

Finally, make sure there are no dead spots in your home where clutter tends to accumulate; this includes corners by doors leading outside and hallways near staircases.

Get Organized

The best tip to maximize space in a small home is to organize the space you do have. Maybe there is a room that could serve a different purpose. You can start to reorganize the space you do have to extend your living space. Every room having a purpose and organized contents can make a huge difference in your daily life.

Create a Closet Office

If you want to use a closet as a home office, choose one with doors that open outward. This will give you more space inside and allow you to easily get in and out of the room without moving things around each time.

It’s also essential to make sure that there is enough room for a desk inside. You can find desks of various sizes at stores like Ikea, Walmart, or even online. 

Invest in Shelving Units

Shelving units are a great way to store books, DVDs, and other items. You can install them in the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Shelving units can be intricate to match your style or simple and almost disappear within your décor. 

Go Vertical in the Living Room

It’s time to maximize the vertical space in your living room. The best tip to maximize space in a small home is to use wall space, shelves, and cabinets to store things that would otherwise take up floor space. You can also use a ladder to reach high shelves or wall hooks to hang things from the ceiling.

Clever Home Solutions

As you can see, there are many creative ways to use storage and make space in your small home. The trick is to be open-minded and think outside the box. Remember that even if you have a tiny house, it doesn’t mean you are limited when it comes to storage! Think about what you need, then start exploring all the possibilities that exist—you may find something perfect for your unique needs. Above all else, don’t give up until you’ve explored and utilized every square inch!

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