June 2021 - propertyunder20k.com

Top 9 Home Improvements That Will Pay Off

There’s no right time to start making upgrades or improvements to your home. Some people choose to do upgrades as ideas pop up, while others prefer to make all of their home improvements at once. Either way, making improvements to your home can pay off big. Not only does it make your home more functional and comfortable while you’re still living in it, but it can also improve your home’s value. When the time comes to sell, you’ll be happy you made those improvements.

If you’re looking for home improvements that pay off, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our list of the top home improvements that can help you list your home for a higher price and improve your enjoyment of the home.

Painting

When you first bought the house, the odds are that you were moving on a budget, and the only upgrade you could afford was a few coats of paint. This one is easy. It doesn’t take much time, energy, or money to paint your house, and it can have a dramatic effect. If you paint your house the right colors, you can make it feel like a completely new space.

If you’re planning on living in the house for years to come, you don’t have to worry about how other people will feel about the colors. Choose colors that promote what you want to feel in your home. For example, you may choose a calming purple for your bedroom but a vibrant yellow for your living room.

If you’re planning on selling your house, you’ll want to choose more neutral colors. These colors allow homebuyers to envision themselves in the home more easily since the space won’t look like it belongs to someone else.

Upgrade Your Bed

This home improvement likely won’t help you sell your house, but it can help you sleep easier during such a stressful time. You don’t have to purchase a new mattress to make upgrades to your bed. Instead, consider using pillows that can help you sleep better no matter what. For example, if you suffer from acid reflux, an acid reflux pillow can help you fall asleep and stay asleep with less discomfort.

A New Air Conditioner

A 5 ton AC system won’t only keep you cool more effectively and efficiently in the hot summer months, but it can also save you money. If your air conditioner hasn’t been replaced in a few years or decades, now is that time. New furnaces are more energy-efficient as well, which means that you’ll be paying less on your monthly electric bill.

Build a Deck

A deck adds additional living space that many homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for. With additional seating and a palace to add a barbecue, you’ll be happy you added a deck for spending your time out in the sun every summer.

If you’re planning on selling your house, build a deck with natural wood for a higher return on your investment.

Update Your Kitchen

This home improvement is one of the most time-consuming and costly on our list, but every home deserves a beautiful kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home for many families because it’s where everyone sits down to dinner together after a day spent apart. After raising a family in your house, your kitchen likely needs a little TLC.

Updating a few of your appliances can make cooking family meals easier and more fun while adding shelving can make your kitchen look brand new.

If you’re planning on selling your house, a newly renovated kitchen is a premium that buyers are willing to pay for. People looking to buy homes do not want to renovate the home themselves, so you’ll be saving them time and money, which makes them more likely to purchase your home.

If an appliance or kitchen overhaul isn’t in the cards for you financially, you can make cosmetic improvements like painting your cabinets or changing your handles.

Landscaping

The front of your house is the first thing people see. If your home makes a bad first impression on buyers, they are less likely to purchase it even if the inside of the home is beautiful. Make sure that your landscaping is simple and not too over the top. If buyers want to add to the front or back yards, they can do so themselves, but you want to appeal to everyone, so it’s important to keep your grass healthy at the very least.

Fix Up Your Basement

Your basement can provide you with extra square footage if you spend time down there. Unfortunately, many people choose not to finish their basements because it takes time and money. Fixing up your basement can help you appeal to buyers because it provides them with an additional space that they can use for entertainment or turn into an additional living space.

Add Hooks

Not every improvement needs to cost you thousands of dollars. If you want to improve your home’s functionality, you can add hooks near the doors for people to hang their coats. This is especially beneficial if you don’t have a front hall closet for jackets, coats, and hats.

Add a Pool

Adding a pool can provide you with a huge return on investment, but it can also offer you and your family an additional place to hang out during hot summers. A pool can help potential buyers see themselves relaxing in the home and enjoying their time at home, which will make them more likely to purchase your house.

Final Thoughts

Home improvements don’t have to break the bank to help you sell your home or increase its functionality. When considering home improvement, make sure that you set a budget for yourself and stick to it. It’s all too easy to go over budget, especially when renovating your home can be fun.

When it comes to making improvements with the goal of selling your house, do everything you can to make the potential homebuyers picture themselves living in your home, from staging it correctly to adding a deck or pool.

Matt Casadona

Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is currently a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys the San Diego life, traveling and music.

3 Things To Consider When Moving Into A Tiny House

The coronavirus pandemic showed many people the importance of spending time outside. It showed to people how essential it is to have your own place to spend your time in a cozy and comfortable home that welcomes you after a long day and that helps you relax and unwind. A tiny house offers you the opportunity of living with less and of adopting a minimalist lifestyle. It helps you connect with nature and admire its marvels because a tiny home can be built almost anywhere.

But how were some people convinced by choosing a tiny home for sale instead of a big and family-sized one? Well, most of the people and couples that want to move into a tiny house are millennials. They are the generation that is the first one that was an adept of the nomadic lifestyle. They are mostly working from home or remotely, so they have the flexibility to work from any place. At the same time, tiny houses on wheels are among the most looked after by this generation. This is because you can take it anywhere. You basically have the possibility of moving with your house, so taking the comfort and coziness you have built with you. Moreover, a tiny house comes with reduced maintenance costs, so living on a budget and work from everywhere are just a few of the benefits people are looking for nowadays.

Moving into a tiny house comes with many restraints. At the same time, there are many things you need to consider and be aware of before you actually move. There are a few things you need to think about before actually starting to build your house. These 3 things will help you make the entire process smoother, but also be prepared for everything moving into a tiny house means.

Financial Implications

Many people decide to move into a tiny house because of the reduced costs. If the space you live in is smaller, you need less energy and resources to heat it and keep it warm, to cool it, or repair any things that might have broken. While there are people who are already searching for buying or renting a tiny house, many others want to build it by themselves. The costs of moving into a tiny house depend on this.

For example, you may decide to build the house by yourself. With all the materials you need, it may cost you up to $30,000. If you want to hire a professional to do it for you, costs might go up to $70,000. So, the difference is huge. At the same time, there is the possibility of buying a house building kit from Amazon, especially built and designed for people who want to build their tiny house by themselves. The kit can be up to $20,000, so a lot more affordable than hiring a professional to build it.

No matter your decision, you will surely have to think about other costs as well. For example, the furniture, the bathroom, shower, windows, interior finishes, electrical, and appliances are other costs that will add up to the final sum. But because the house is tiny, you do not need so many of these, so the total costs will still be smaller compared with a large house.

But what if you do not have the money to build the house by yourself but you really want this? There are many ways you can finance your dream: through personal loans, mortgages, or RV loans. Depending on which of these options suits you the best, you will choose the ones that are the easiest to obtain and have the lowest interest rate.

Design

Another thing you need to consider before moving to a tiny house is its design of. If you build it by yourself, you need to think about how you arrange the furniture. The main thing about a tiny house is that it is tiny, so you have limited space. You need to select only the essentials, but also find a nice way to use the space available optimally. Thinking about the design will help you decide how big you need to build your tiny house. If you will be living alone, then you can decide how much space you need. But if you will be living with your family, you need to consider the space each member needs. This will allow you to decide on the right size for your tiny house, as well as the interior design.

At the same time, it is essential to think about the appliances and your future plans. Many people decide to build a tiny house on wheels, so this is something to think about. Will you live off or on the grid? It is important to consider your environmental impact too and choose to reuse building materials and use energy and water-efficient appliances.

Utilities

Utilities are crucial and one of the most important things to consider when moving into a tiny house. The solution for your utilities depends on your plans. If you want a mobile house, then you need to think about the utilities and you connect to each of them while you are on the move. But if you want to have a stationary tiny house, then you need to think about water, electricity, internet, gas, and so on. To have a low impact on the environment, you could consider renewable sources of energy.

Ending Note

Moving to a tiny house is something many people think about during these times. Living in a flat while a global pandemic is happening and you are not allowed to leave your house makes many people yearn for a house. Millennials are among the ones that are looking for building or buying a tiny house. But before moving in, you need to take into consideration a few things.

The costs of building a tiny house depend. If you want to hire a professional, the costs will be higher because you will pay labor too. You can also buy a tiny home building kit from Amazon. Next, think about the design and how many people will be living there. This is important because it will help you decide on the right size and design for your tiny house. Think about the utilities too and consider using renewable energy to lower your impact on the environment.

Author Bio: Charlie Svensson is a fast, engaging freelance writer working at a dissertation service. Skilled in content writing and blogging, he writes college essay papers at an essay writing service. The favorite topics of his posts are education, social media, psychology, design, and self-growth. Excellent adaptability of skills to reach diverse audiences.

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5 Summer Exterior Decorating Ideas

Summer is the season that offers you the most opportunities of spending time in nature with your friends. It is the season you spend in plain air. You may be gardening, preparing a barbeque, reading in the shadow of a tree, drinking a cocktail, and enjoying the sunny weather. If you have a house, you have probably thought about arranging your patio so that it is a welcoming and enjoyable place to spend your summer in. Have you already started looking for those exterior decorating ideas to make your patio or garden the best place to spend both your summer days and nights?

We have collected five of them, the ones that can help you transform your exterior however you want. Moreover, these ideas will help you create that vibe you want to feel when you spend your time there. It will be a place that will replenish your energy levels, help you relax and unwind. So, what are the best five summer exterior decorating ideas? You can find out below.

1. Area Rugs

If you are yearning for a place where you can walk with your bare feet and not hurt them, your exterior can be that place. Of course, it depends on how your house and the porch are built, but for sure you will find a place to decorate and make it look more pleasant. So, having a rug to cover all your exterior area will change its look completely. These places are usually very rustic made, with a lot of wood. To cover it a little bit and give your exterior a different, more welcoming feeling, you can put an area rug.

There are many rugs you can choose from. The shape and the model can also be diverse, depending on how you imagine the entire place to be. But if you want a summer feeling, you can choose rugs that have bright colors or beautiful hue combinations. You can go for something white and blue, but also bolder colors. If you have a rug, then if space allows, you can arrange an outdoor dining area as well. And you will enjoy your dinners in a new setting.

2. Add Plants

Plants are the thing that transforms any place. Moreover, having both indoor and outdoor plants is linked to improved wellbeing. Plants help you relieve your stress and replenish your energy levels. Besides this, they can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression and can help you relax. There are many plants you can choose from and that can be kept outdoors, especially during summer. Of course, it depends on the local climate conditions and how your garden or patio is lighted by the sun. But you can choose from a beautiful mix of decorative and perennials. Moreover, you can arrange a small garden where you grow your own vegetables.

3. Summer Pillows and Blankets

No matter how much you love summer and sunny days, some summer nights are chillier than others. And to enjoy a good night or evening outdoors, you need things that help you get comfortable and keep warm. There are pillows you can buy and add outdoors, some that have summer models and can make you feel the warmth of the season.

Palms, cocktails, and flamingos are among the elements that are added to many summer outdoors accessories. On top of this, you can have some fluffy blankets to keep you warm during the night. Even though you will feel chilly, that blanket will help you enjoy the summer nights at peace and in comfort.

4. Coolers

Summer nights are chilly, but the days are hot. And you will surely want something cold to drink, to cool yourself off. So, why not add some coolers to your outdoor place? There are many ideas you can choose from or you can unleash your creativity and invent something yourself. These coolers, besides their obvious benefit, will help you create a festive appearance to the place too. You can take a bucket and some ice cubes to keep your beverages cold. A brighter solution would be to fill some balloons with water and freeze them. Colorful balloons will give your bucket a summer look, which will increase your comfort.

5. Garden Stools

No garden or outdoors relaxing place is complete without some garden stools. They can make the place look bright and nice, while also filling the empty space. On top of this, they also have a functional benefit. They can be used as places to keep your drinks on. Besides, they can be filled with towels in case you have a pool. Garden stools can be used in a wide variety of ways and they come in many forms and colors. You can easily match the colors and theme with the whole place and create a bright, colorful, and summery place to spend your summer at.

Ending Note

Your garden, patio, or outdoor space is the best place you can arrange to spend your summer. During hot summer days, you will need a shadowy place. But on chilly summer nights, you will need something to keep you warm. Summer is the season when you can do a lot of activities, but also spend time with your friends in the comforts of your patio. Make sure you arrange your outdoor space to be a comfortable, cozy, and welcoming place.

A cooler will help you keep your beverages cold and enjoy the hot day. A garden stool would be a great accessory that helps you store things you need, like towels or blankets. It is also a great thing to keep your glasses on. Apart from these, an area rug would make the place more welcoming and enjoyable, especially if you like to be there barefoot.

Summer pillows and blankets would make the place more comfortable and cozier, while also keeping you warm. And plants? Plants will help you relax and unwind. They will give you that jungle feeling that will relieve your stress levels, help you to escape from the tensions and enjoy your time in your garden.

Bio Lines: Leon Collier is a blogger and academic writer from Edinburgh who has vast experience working with college paper writing service and essay writers UK. He loves to take on every challenge thrown at him and has the ability to deliver outstanding work regularly. When he’s not busy writing, he loves reading books and playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.

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What’s the deal with bunkers for sale?

For some reasons there have been a huge interest in abandoned bunkers for sale. Always there is an ad of a bunker for sale it gets at least ten times more hits than homes for sale. Surely, many just click on it out of curiosity but many are seriously interested. What is it that makes bunkers so attractive for buyers?

Although it is considered as the ultimate hiding place, the average underground bunker usually has no windows, just air vents and most of the times no electricity, toilet or running water.

Most subterranean shelters would be accessible through a straight up concrete shaft with a steel ladder, accessed by some sort of concrete or steel hatch on the ground.

The perfect historical restoration project

For all buyers who are interested in a historical restoration venture they are just perfect. It is a truly unique project that is sure to seduce. Unfortunately, there are not as many out there as interested buyers. That’s why, despite the bad state they usually are in they are not cheap.

Some people have been very creative and building their own amazing backyard bunkers. In this case don’t forget to get the proper permits before.

We could also see a recent movement of newly built bunkers – many especially for the upper class – that offer all modern comfort you can think of and look like out of a sci fi movie.

The “bunker for sale scam”

Sadly, whatever triggers a lot of interest in many people also inspires others to come up with a scam. In the bunker story it is no different.

The scam we have seen so far is this:

There is an ad with nice and very cheap bunkers for sale. Once you contact the advertiser, he will explain that he is very sick that is why he priced his bunker for a quick sale. Due to his condition, he is also not able to show the property but someone else can be paid to show it. Therefore, he will ask you for some money to see the bunker before you buy it. Needless to say, that after paying the money you will not hear from him ever again or have any way to get through to him.

Here are some red flags to look out for:

Price is cheaper than normal
The seller asks money to show you the property

Another good way is to use the Google Reverse Image Search with the images the advertiser has in the ad. You may find that he copied them from another website.

Bio

Our Property under 20k team are the founders of www.propertyunder20k.com and www.listproperty4free.com with the goal to search the cheapest real estate in the world and make it easy for others to find. The team is made up of landlords, real estate investors, architects and builders from several different countries. We just love to have a good strong cup of coffee while we write our experiences in this blog.

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5 Ways to Make a Small House ‘Bigger’

Having a small house comes with the benefit of ensuring that your bills are always lower. With a small house, you will also have minimal cleaning and maintenance needs.

The problems set in when you wish to arrange your items inside the house or host guests. The items would clutter easily, and just a small mess would feel more significant in your small house.

Besides, your guests would feel ‘squeezed’ inside the house. There are, however, a few tricks you may use to make your small house ‘bigger.’

In some instances, a little creativity goes a long way in making your house feel bigger. In some instances, though, you may need to make major adjustments to help you achieve the intended goal. Use these simple strategies to make your small house ‘bigger.’

I. Remove Accessories and Furniture on the Way

Elements like furniture and accessories which would cause blockage in the view into your room will make it look cramped. If your house looks small and you have accessories and furniture lined on the walkways, you may need to consider removing them to create space in those regions.

Removing such elements will help open up maximum space in the walkways. This will, in effect, make your house feel bigger than you actually thought.

If you do not have furniture or accessories in the walkways and the ones you have in the room are taller, it would help if you substitute the taller furniture with shorter ones. For example, you can go with shorter tables in the open and then remove your taller and large pieces of furniture to the wall.

The bottom line, in this case, is to be able to see the floor. Once you make your floor space more noticeable, your tiny house will feel dramatically bigger than it really is.

II. Check your Lighting

Did you also know that the lighting of your house would also impact how you feel inside the house? Well, if you go with poor lighting selections, there is a risk of your house feeling smaller even if it was large in size.

To use lighting in making your house bigger, you will basically need to allow as much lighting into your house as possible. To begin with, if you can access natural light, be sure to let it into your room.

It will certainly make it feel bigger. If you cannot access natural lighting for your house, it would help if you try artificial lighting.

Here are a few tips that may help make artificial lighting resize your room;

Do not use just one source of light in the room. Spread light using different light sources in your room to create space.
You may benefit from installing table lamps on sideboards and floor lamps in different corners of your room. This will ensure that light is distributed throughout the entire room.
You may also try long pendants. When installed correctly, they can help you to significantly make your room feel larger. This will most commonly be applicable if you have a high ceiling. Hanging a long pendant from your ceiling will help draw the eyes of the occupants in the room high up and down to emphasize its height instead of the smaller floor space.

III. Consider Switching Colors

Using color to expand your room’s size is more of an optical illusion. Well, it isn’t even a secret. Your light paint colors play a role in making your rooms feel bigger or smaller, and a good interior designer should help you with this when you’re selecting color options for your house.

If you wish to make your small room feel bigger, it would help if you ditch dark shades and go with light and bright walls. Dark shades aren’t recommended because they absorb a lot of light, implying that there is a risk of the dark shades making your house feel ‘squeezed.’

On the other hand, if you go with light and bright walls, the walls will be more reflective, which will be a massive boost for you if you’re trying to maximize the effect of natural lighting. To achieve the best effect of using colors to make your small hours feel bigger, you can use soft tones such as off-white, greens, and blues to pull up this trick.

Alternatively, you can also use lighter colors when painting your wall moldings and trims instead of using the same color schemes for the wall and moldings. This will help ensure that your walls appear further away and make your house feel much bigger.

Accent walls are also not outdated, and they can leave a massive impact on making your house feel much bigger. Therefore, you may also choose to go with accent walls. They will also add to the decorative space in your colors of choice.

IV. Make use of Glass and Lucite

Another powerful hack in making your tiny house feel bigger is actually investing in materials that you can see through. This is where the glass and Lucite also fits in so beautifully. These materials make any other items arrange behind them seem to be placed further back.

A simpler way to achieve this in your tiny room is to check if your shower enclosure glass is an opaque one. If that’s the case, you may want to use a clear and frameless alternative.

This way, you will be able to see all the way to your shower’s wall back to make your house feel larger than it really is. Another hack that you may try in this regard is going for glass or Lucite for your tabletops.

This will open up the view beyond to make your room feel bigger instead of squeezed. It may sound like just a tiny adjustment but one that is guaranteed to leave a remarkable difference.

V. Coordinate your Walls and Furniture Colors

Now, this piece wouldn’t have been wholly complete if we didn’t touch on the effect of using contrasting colors in your room. Ideally, if you go with contrasting colors in your house, they will not really work to your advantage if you aim to make the small room feel bigger.

The problem, in this case, is that the contrasting colors will break up spaces. This means that your house will remain looking smaller even than its natural size.

To ensure that the colors of your furniture and the walls don’t make your room feel smaller, consider going for pieces of furniture with color selections matching your wall color selections. This will ensure that the colors blend with the spaces to give the illusion that your room is actually bigger.

Final Word

Room redesigning can be a whole lot of work. It would help if you take it step by step to avoid being overwhelmed. If you feel that you can’t nail it still on your own, consider finding a professional interior designer.

Author Bio

Charlie Svensson is not only fast but also an engaging blogger and freelance writer for EssayAssistant. Other than his prowess in assignment writing help, Charlie is also a skilled blogger and content writer who also provides essay writing service.

His excellent adaptability skills for connecting with varied audiences also makes him a dependable dissertation help services provider. When blogging; Charlie likes to write about self-growth, SEO, social media, education and motivation blogging.

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