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.

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

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.

Image by Richard Hay on Pixabay

How to Control the Level of Humidity in Your House?

Humidity is important to your hair, skin, and overall health. But did you know that your home needs it too? When humidity levels go too low, your house and furniture will get destroyed and specific germs will start thriving. You cannot afford to live without humidity. Also, you can’t live with an excess of it. You need to ensure that the humidity levels in your house are at the ideal levels.

According to experts, the ideal humidity level in your house should be 45 percent. This will ensure that you get moisture that’s not only comforting but also not cramping. Humidity levels that 30 percent are extremely dry. On the other hand, if it’s above 50 percent, it will be too damp.

Apart from your comforts, other complications will arise when the humid levels are either too high or low. This includes damaging your paint, growth of mold, and odor. Controlling humidity levels will reduce dust mites and the risk of pest infestations. To maintain 45 percent, you need to use different strategies based on your humidity levels.

Reducing indoor humidity

If your home has high humidity levels, you’ve likely started feeling awful. Most homes have high humidity levels during summertime. When the humid levels are high, you’ll start feeling uncomfortable, sweaty, and miserable.

As we said earlier, high humidity levels lead to mold growth and damage your walls by creating condensation. Also, too much humidity will affect your respiratory system and disrupt your sleep patterns. The best way to know if your home has high humidity levels is by investing in a hygrometer. A hygrometer is a tool that’s used to measure the levels of moisture in the air. You can reduce humidity levels in your home by using the following strategies:

1. Invest in an air conditioner

Your air conditioner can help in reducing the levels of humidity in your house because it introduces cool air while consuming warm air. Control your humidity levels by turning up the air conditioner and changing the filter regularly. Anything that restricts the flow of air into your house is your enemy.

2. Use ventilation fans

When cooking using a hot stove or showering, you need to use your ventilation fans. If you usually turn them off after completing your activities, you should consider keeping them on for a longer period. This is an effective way to reduce humidity in your house.

3. Take cold showers

Hot showers increase the humidity levels in your house. Most people love hot showers. However, if your house has high humid levels, you need to switch to ice-cold showers. Lowering the temperature levels in your house will lead to less steam in the air. And this will help in adjusting your humidity levels.

4. Fix leaking pipes

As you try to reduce humidity levels in your house, the last thing you want to do is add moisture. Leaking pipes always add moisture. You need to fix leaking pipes and insulate them to prevent the formation of condensation. Some common signs of leaking pipes include wet spots, stained walls, and high water bills.

5. Clean your gutters

Gutters usually lead to water leaks indoors. And this is terrible for you and your home. You need to keep your gutters clean while ensuring that the downspout is extended six feet away from your house.

6. Dry your clothes outside

We all have clothes that can’t be put in a dryer. During the winter season, most people use indoor drying racks extensively. However, in the summer, damp clothes will increase humidity levels in your house. You must hang your clothes outside on a clothesline or drying rack. Before you do, you need to check the laws of your neighborhood since there might be some restrictions in place. If you want to hang damp clothes indoors, consider investing in a dehumidifier.

7. Relocate your house plants

Indoor plants are lively and beautiful. However, they usually release high levels of moisture. If you have lots of plants in your house, you should consider relocating them.

8. Open your windows

Sometimes, opening a window can help in reducing humidity levels. However, you should avoid doing this when your air conditioner is running because you’ll end up spending lots of money on cooling air that’s getting released outside.

Increasing humidity levels in your home

Low humidity levels can lead to a wide range of issues throat and eye irritation and flaky skin. As you’ve seen, high humidity isn’t good either. If your house has low humidity levels, there are several effective ways that you can use to increase them. As you are going to see, increasing the humidity levels in your house is easy.

1. Invest in a humidifier

One of the best ways to increase humidity levels in your house is by investing in a humidifier. Humidifiers are simple devices that are made up of a tank. All you have to do is fill it up with water. This will create a cool or warm mist depending on the model you invest in. The smaller your space, the smaller the humidifier you’ll need and vice versa.

2. Hang your clothes inside

If the humidity levels in your house are low, all you need to do is hang your newly washed clothes. Hanging your laundry will add moisture to your house. Another advantage of using this method is you’ll save a lot of money. Drying racks are quite expensive.

3. Add houseplants

Houseplants are among the most effective ways to increase humidity levels in your house while purifying your air. Plants are natural humidifiers because they help in absorbing moisture through the stems, leaves, and roots. You need to choose the plants that you’ll invest in carefully.

4. Don’t place lids

Cooking is one of the best sources of moisture. As you cook, you need to avoid covering your pots to allow the steam to enter into the air.

Conclusion

You have to ensure that the humidity levels in your house are within the ideal range to avoid destroying your house and harming yourself. With these tips, it will be easy for you to achieve your desired goal depending on the environmental conditions.

Author Bio:

Leon Collier is a blogger and academic writer from the UK who has vast experience working with best essay writing service UK and essay writers. 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. Photo by Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash

Moving on a Budget? 9 Tips to Save Money on Your Next Move

When it comes to moving your home, there are lots of expenses you have to consider. Luckily, there are also tons of opportunities to save money when it comes to moving as well. After saving for a home, you don’t want to break the bank when it comes time to move. Moving isn’t cheap, and it can be stressful when it comes to your finances and the actual move itself. With these tips, you can ease the financial burden of moving.

1. Consider Where You’re Moving To (Especially When Renting)

When you move somewhere new, your cost of living might change. For example, if you’re moving from the city to the suburbs, your cost of living will typically go down. If you’re renting an apartment, condo, or house, you should understand that your local market indicates rent. That means that if you live in a city like New York, your rent will be substantially higher than when you live in the surrounding suburbs.

2. Create an Ideal Budget for Moving

Budgeting is key when it comes to saving money on anything. When you’re moving, you’ll want to consider all of the expenses, from the gas money it takes to get to your new home to the packaging supplies and moving company. Luckily, finding out how much each aspect of your moving cost will be is easy and doesn’t require any financial planning experience.

For services and supplies, you can call companies in your area to get quotes. When it comes to finding the right moving company, make sure to get multiple quotes so that you can determine the best one for your needs and your budget. For packaging supplies, you can do a quick search online to determine just how much they’ll cost.

3. Find Cheap or Free Boxes

While you’ll likely need to purchase boxes for your move, you should start out by searching for free boxes before making a bulk purchase. Every cent matters, so try to get as many free boxes as possible. If you’ve saved the original boxes for your TVs or appliances, make sure to use those in the move. You can also find free boxes by asking your friends and family, and even your coworkers. If you work in a warehouse, your employer may be able to give you boxes for free.

4. Donate, Sell, or Throw Away Items You Don’t Want or Need

Look around your house for savings. Look at items like old furniture that’s been sitting in the basement for years or toys that your children no longer play with. We bet that you have tons of stuff piling up that you no longer need and don’t want to take with you to your new home. Typically, the more items you move, the more your move will cost.

By trimming down how many items you take with you, you can save a substantial amount of money. This is especially true if you’re moving across the country. You may find that it’s cheaper to purchase new furniture than hire a moving company to move your cheap, old furniture.

If you plan on purchasing new items when you move to your new home, you can hold an estate sale so that you can earn money during your moving process.

5. Empty Your Refrigerator

Once your moving date gets close, don’t go grocery shopping. Instead, take a look inside of your refrigerator and pantry to see how many meals you can pull together with what you have. While you may have to take a quick trip to the grocery store for essentials, you shouldn’t need to spend more money on food that may or may not get eaten.

6. Pack Yourself

You can hire a moving company to pack your house or apartment up for you, but that’s going to cost additional money. The more you pack up yourself and get ready to move, the less time it will take overall for movers to move your belongings, which saves you money.

While the upside to having the moving company pack for you is saving you time and packing things correctly, if you start early enough, you can pack up your entire home with ease. Start with a few items a day as soon as you know when you’ll be moving so that you can be ready without adding stress by procrastinating the packing process.

7. Get Help From Family and Friends

If you’re not moving too far away, you can enlist the help of your loved ones to help you move and keep your costs down. While you still may need a moving company for larger, heavier objects, you can load up everyone’s cars with other items to reduce your overall costs. Your friends and family can help you with everything from packing to cleaning, babysitting, and more.

8. Consider Moving Yourself

When looking at your budget, compare what it would cost for you to move yourself versus hiring a moving company. If it’s possible to move yourself and you have the time and ability, you can save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars by taking on the responsibility yourself.

If you have a one-bedroom apartment with easy access to a rental truck and are not moving a lot of heavy items, you likely won’t need professional movers. However, if you’re moving an entire house, you may need help.

9. Change Your Address As Soon As Possible

Missing out on bills can cost you, so it’s important that you change your address as soon as you move to your new home. If you haven’t set up mail forwarding, you could be missing bills that you have forgotten to pay, which can end up costing you in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Saving money when moving to a new home is important so that you don’t use up all of your savings between the purchase and the move. Moving to a new home is all about preparing for the future. Now that you’ve moved, now is a great time to review your estate planning wills and trusts and make sure that everything is in order so that you can financially prepare for your future and the future of your children.

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.

Do You Want To Know? Top 5 Wonderful Places To Buy Property In Marvellous Turkey

Have you ever been to beautiful Turkey? If yes, then you might know where to buy property. But, if you have not, then the good news is that most places have impressive portfolios of villas and apartments. Not only this, you can get citizenship in Turkey by buying property in some of the beautiful places of Turkey.

Some of the areas within Turkey have become famous destinations for tourists and foreign buyers because of the excellent infrastructure, western-style attitudes, and easy access to airports. Before buying a property or constructing a home in Turkey, you should know that there is price fluctuation from place to place.

However, by hiring a reliable home improvement contractor, you can make sure that your project goes well and turns out exactly the way you wanted.

By the end of this article, you will know that buying property in Turkey is a good investment idea. Let’s look at a few of those beautiful places in detail.

Istanbul “The Heart of the Turkey”

Istanbul is one of the great cities on Earth. For thousands of years, this point where east meets west has been a crossroads of civilization.

Turkey bridges Asia and Europe. Part of Istanbul is in Europe and part in Asia. That is why it is the heart of the Turkish real estate industry, attracting foreign buyers worldwide.

Most buyers are interested in entering into the mass construction on the city’s outskirts. The reason behind that has modern living with the latest infrastructure of the city. You have also got a tremendous domestic economy in Istanbul.

Fethiye “Tourist’s Paradise”

Fethiye is an amazing harbour town on the southwestern coast of Turkey. It is popular because of its stunning natural beauty, attracting tourists and foreign investors. Green mountains, the blue Mediterranean Sea, and marvellous landscapes show the beauty of Mother Nature which includes Ghost Village, the sandy beach of Oludeniz, butterfly Valley and the world’s most famous Blue Lagoon.

The local government of Fethiye did a lot to change and improve the city over the years, including the hospitals, schools, and local amenities services. Because of the central hub of the Turkish Riviera, its environment gives every retiree’s dream of living in the Sun.

Yalikavak “Mega Yacht Haven”

I have been to Yalikavank many times; it is one of my favourite holiday places in Turkey. Yalikavak is a town on the Aegean Coast of Turkey near Bodrum. One of the significant commercial developments in town is the Yalikavak Marina. It is called a secret sleepy fishing village.

About 15 years ago, turkey changed its real estate laws. So, those foreign investors can buy property as well. As the prices were meagre, investors rushed to the country.

One of the significant trades of this city is tourism. Many locals speak English fluently, which makes daily living easy. You can live there without knowing Turkish. After the construction of Palmarina, it is known as the mega yacht haven.

Antalya “The Best of Everything”

Antalya is the central heart of Antalya Province in Turkey. It is amazingly scenic, located on Anatolia’s southwest coast surrounded by the beautiful Taurus Mountains. It is the fifth most populous city in Turkey. Sandy beaches like Lara, Konyaalti, and Kaputas are world-famous beaches in Turkey. Not only is this, Antalya airport the tourist’s air travel hub in the country. It is located on the Turkish Riviera because that it provides sailing tourism as well.

The elegant fluted tower of the bible Minera mosque shows that the footprint of the elders is not gone. You will see it is very much alive when you take a walk through the vibrant and narrow streets of the old town kalonji district. When you come out through Adrian’s gate, you’ll be greeted by the country’s fastest-growing metropole with a population of 2.5 million.

To me, having a home in Antalya is a unique opportunity to own a piece of this ever-growing and ever-changing mythical city with endless wonders.

Kalkan

Located in Turkey southwest, Kalkan is a peaceful Mediterranean gem that boasts outstanding views, crystal clear waters, and well-preserved nature and history. Being a good one and a half hour away from the nearest airport makes it a destination only understood and appreciated. It has a laid-back atmosphere, quality of housing, and holiday facilities that allow for a fantastic lifestyle.

The famous kaputosh beach is just a few miles drive aways to the south towards another beautiful town, Kosh. A window is the greek island of maze offering a taste of a different culture.
If you buy a property in Kalkan, you won’t regret it. To me, home in Kalkan will benefit from significant levels of privacy and peaceful surroundings because it is the town of serenity.

Bio

Abroo Murtaza is the one enthusiastic and passionate writer who loves to write about traveling based on the interest of exploring new places, reading about them and then delivering the knowledge through her pen. Moreover, Abroo is also fond of writing about technology trends, gadgets like latest, mobiles, cameras etc. She thus strives to provide accurate information and knowledge in respective areas of interest and educate people on real terms.

How to Bring Architectural Masterpiece Designs to Your Facade with Few Expenses

If you need to redesign your house or have a property that desperately needs an update or upgrade the faces, then you’re on the right page. Too often, the upgrades that our property needs are beyond getting flowers for a new front lawn or just painting your way through. Thankfully, there are many options to choose from for what you can do to give your house the facelift that it needs. You can get materials of different colors across different parts of the house, from roof to windows, etc.

You would already know that giving your home exterior an improved look comes with its price. However, what you might not know is that you can do this with a very low budget and still get a magnificent result. You can do this to improve the look of your home, give it a better appeal, and increase the value. You need to execute this project cleverly and carefully.

By now, you’re wondering what you have to do and what your options are. In this article, we look at how to redesign your house with very few expenses.

Paint it

Although painting your exterior might not just be enough when talking about redesigning your property. However, it remains one of the easiest steps to take and one of the cheapest as well, so it’s worth mentioning too. While it can’t be the only step, it should be one of the first steps.

In painting your exterior, you can either go safe with the minimalist way or take the risk and go for a bold color. Experimenting with different colors may add more character to your building, and going for a white facade is more practical and classic. You can as well choose to combine the two concepts by using the bold colors as an accent while you have a dominant white facade.

Use glass curtains

One exciting way to redesign your house is to add more glass surfaces to it. There are different types of glass surfaces that you can add to your home to replace some sections. This will give your house a better aesthetic and add the 21st-century touch to an old house. Apart from changing the look of your house and making it more beautiful and fancy, it also gives more room for natural light in the building, making your home more energy-efficient.

Replace your roof

You can easily upgrade your home’s exterior by putting away the old roof and replacing them with something better and more exciting. It doesn’t matter how good your house looks or how much renovation you do; if the roof isn’t attractive, it will stand out. If your roof isn’t ideal for your house settings, it’s a fact that it will stick out very easily.

When you renovate your roof as part of the plans to redesign your house, you need to be practical about the way you approach it. There are different options to choose from, both the cheap and expensive ones. You need to look at the options and go for the one that fits into your budget. The good thing is that you can get very beautiful and long-lasting roofing materials at very cheap costs. You must reach out to a contractor or designer to provide some help with this.

Add feature lighting

It’s effortless to add feature lighting to your house. They are perfect for illuminating and highlighting your frontage, and they are inexpensive as well. There are numerous examples that you can take inspiration from in mounting a feature light on your home wall or front fence.

These feature lightings are pretty simple, but they are capable of changing the character and outlook of your house. So, you should make a point of replacing the outdated fixtures in front of your home with stylish and new designs to give your house a very modern look. You could also take this a step further by adding more lighting. This will make your home even brighter at night.

One hack to improve the look of your feature lighting without changing it is to repaint the old fixtures in black. This will give it an updated feel and comes in handy for your redesign, even if you don’t have a budget for lighting.

Add a gate and build a fence

If you love your privacy and you see it as a priority, then you might want to consider building a fence around your house and install a gate as well. Apart from giving you the privacy you love, it adds more style to your house and gives it a massive upgrade on the exterior. You just have to make sure that the fence and gate go well with the main building’s design so that it doesn’t appear too tacky.

Even if you aren’t strong on privacy, adding a fence and gate to your house adds some more elegance and class to your property. It lets light in and also gives you more security.

Rework your garage and driveway

Many people tend to ignore their driveway when they redesign the house, but it often stands out in a bad way. You might not see how important it is when you do it; you only see it when you don’t. But you don’t have to find out by yourself. It wouldn’t take much for you to redesign your garage to fit your home’s style, which improves the appeal of your house. You can add materials such as stained concrete, bricks, etc., for the update. You can also do some work on the garage door to make it more personal.

Conclusion

If you are going to redesign your house, there are different areas that you need to work on. You must know what accessories to use and the style that best suits your building. While it may appear complicated at the start, you will enjoy the look of it, and you will be glad that you took the time to redesign your house.

Author Bio

Leon Collier is a blogger, online essay writer, and academic writer from the UK who has vast experience working with the best essay writing service. He loves to take on every challenge thrown at him and can 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.

Photo by Brian Babb on Unsplash

5 STEPS REMODELING A HOUSE FOR AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN

The open concept floor plan has been around for many years, since the 90s. To this day it remains popular a popular house improvement among many homeowners, thanks to its flexibility and aesthetic appeal. One of the things that draw people to the open floor plan is the fact that many people feel rather confined by hard divisions in houses. In this article, we will outline a few considerations to make if you want to remodel your house for an open floor plan.

What are the pros and cons of an open concept floor plan?

Despite their appeal, open concept floor plans represent a great departure from regular structured layouts. They aren’t for everyone. Before you commit to remodeling for this floor plan, consider weighing the pros against the cons.

Pros of open floor plans

It’s flexible – With an open floor plan, there are no limits to how you can arrange your home. With some creativity and planning, you can have a great setup that allows you to cook, watch TV, and supervise the kids at the same time. You can also switch up the layout as often as you like when you feel bored with the current layout.
It offers value – The value of your home, both perceived and actual, will go up when you switch to an open floor plan. Homes with such layouts tend to attract more interested buyers than others. In some areas, they even often sell for more than the asking price.
It allows for the smooth flow of traffic – An open floor plan optimizes circulation throughout your house. This optimization will then improve workflow in areas where lots of people gather and work, like the kitchen and living room.
It optimizes for natural light – Walls can steal a lot of natural light from the house. When you take them down, the natural light flows between different rooms more easily and the atmosphere greatly improves.
Family bonds better – When you take down the physical ones, the metaphorical borders between family members fall with them. Open floor plans encourage household members to be closer to and spend time with each other, which improves their bonds.

Cons

It costs a lot – Converting a home to an open concept floor plan costs a lot of money, thanks to the taking down of walls and all the necessary structural adjustments. You will most likely have to work with engineers and architects besides a contractor.
Energy costs will go up – Big open spaces can easily rack up HVAC costs since they cost more to cool and heat. These costs will be felt most strongly during extreme seasons, like summer and winter. If you’re going to commit to an open floor plan, expect to pay more in utilities.
The atmosphere gets busier – When you take the walls down, you make it easier for people to engage in more activities in the space. When these activities overlap the atmosphere can feel busy and the house can easily get disorganized, even cluttered. For household members that like their private space, this can be a problem.
The house gets noisier – This ties in to a busy atmosphere. With more activity noise levels will rise, which can be intolerable.
It’s harder to demarcate sections – While the whole point of an open floor plan is to do away with hard divisions, you might still want clearly identifiable sections in your house. It’s harder to do that with an open floor plan, especially if your space is large. It’s also harder to designate storage space.

Is an open floor plan right for your house?

Despite their allure, open floor plans are not for every home. Many may need steel beams installed to strengthen their structure so that removing the walls doesn’t damage their integrity. To determine if an open floor plan is suitable for your house, you will need to work with a skilled and experienced structural engineer. They will assess your home’s structure to determine if your desired layout is possible. If it isn’t, a talented engineer should be able to help you figure out a way around the issue. You may expand corridors or even extend the home and have the desired layout in the extension.

5 step to converting to an open floor plan

Once you are clear about your desired floor plan, you can start working on the project. Such renovations need you to work with a team of general contractors, architects, and structural engineers. Below are the steps to take:

1. Create layouts and have your home assessed

You first need to get a structural engineer to check out your home and assess the existing structure and layout. They will then use their assessment to create the right kind of building plan for your vision. Once that is done, get a designer or architect to help with the creation of plans and layouts. They will supplement the engineer’s work by adding the latest design trends to your home.

2. Find a general contractor and get building plans

With your plans ready, seek out a skilled and experienced general contractor to do the actual work on your project. The contractor will also help you with getting building permits for the renovations, especially the ones for making structural changes to the house. They will also help with inspections to ensure all works comply with building codes.

3. The demolition phase

Once you have all the permits, the demolition phase comes next. The general contractor should take care of this, ensuring load-bearing walls were taken down and structural beams put up to maintain your home’s structural integrity.

4. The renovation phase

Once the structural reinforcement has been carried out, the renovation can now happen. This is where flooring, drywall, paint, cabinets, and other elements are installed.

5. Finishing touches

When the hard work has been done, you can select finishings like doorknobs, fixtures, and other little details to make your vision a reality.

Conclusion

Renovating to an open floor plan can feel daunting, and will certainly take work, but it isn’t impossible. With the right contractor and a razor-sharp vision, it should be possible to make it work.

Author Bio

Leon Collier is a blogger and academic writer from the UK who has vast experience working with SuperiorPapers, an admission essay writing service. 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.

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

Home Staging Like a Pro to Attract Millennial Buyers

According to Realtor.com’s 2020 Housing Market Predictions, millennials or those born between 1981 and 1996 are going to buy the most houses during the year 2020. So, it’s a good idea to target your listings to millennial homebuyers. However, you may not be able to sell homes to millennials with the same old staging ideas. You need to understand what they expect from their future homes and stage your properties accordingly.

To make it easier, I am sharing some home staging ideas as per the millennial home buying trends that will help you stage the perfect home for your potential millennial homebuyers.

A Practical Home Office

Millennials usually prefer self-employment. And, more often than not, they like a small, secluded office in their homes. Moreover, remote working is trending. So, even if you’re listing a compact home, try and incorporate a subtle office design when staging the property. Add a desk, a few books, some stationery items, an LED table lamp, a comfy chair, a rug, a plant, and top it off with some wall artwork. Minimal and attractive décor like this will highly attract millennial homebuyers.

Furnishing that Wows Millennials

Millennials prefer a tasteful mix of traditional and modern when it comes to furniture. They like furniture that makes a statement without being over the top. So, go for minimal, contemporary furniture pieces. Add a pop of color with throw cushions and curtains. You must steer clear of wall-to-wall rugs. Natural wooden flooring will accentuate the simplicity of the space and also make it look more spacious.

Also, any buyer would be more interested in the selling point of your listing. So, make sure the fireplace, moldings, kitchen storage, etc. are attractive.

Relaxing Outdoor Spaces

In a survey by Better Homes and Gardens, 77% of millennials who participated said that they want their outdoor space to feel like a retreat where they can relax. So, it’s a good idea to give the patio, porch, and balcony spaces equal attention as you would give to the interiors. You can add wicker chairs with some throw rugs and cushions or go for rocking chairs to give the space a proper outdoorsy flair. Don’t leave out the greens; the greener, the better. To complete the décor, add a coffee table and place a couple of magazines.

Smart Home

Millennials are used to getting anything with a tap on their phone. Imagine offering them a home that understands their habits. They would love a home with modern capabilities, such as voice assistant, keyless entry system, convenient USB outlets, IoT-operated appliances, etc. You can always add these costs to the pricing.

Game Room/Gathering Space

Every millennial buyer would love either a game room or a lively living space. You can get creative and mix these two together to show the potential of the home to adapt to the whims and fancies of the buyer.

One most important trend that you need to look out for, if you’re trying to sell homes to millennials, is the use of technology in real estate. Virtual home staging or 3D home design has gained massive popularity because of its advantages over traditional staging. But before we go into that, here’s a small definition of virtual staging to brief you:

Virtual staging can be referred to as online interior design, in which your property is staged virtually in pictures without the staging furniture. Most buyers, especially millennials, prefer viewing the property online so that they can shortlist without going to showings unnecessarily. This makes virtual staging a practical solution. Moreover, it has some added benefits:

Virtual home staging costs way less than traditional staging. You do not need to buy or rent furniture, which will tremendously save costs.
You will save on the cost of manpower for furniture installation and the cost of photoshoots.
Cost of minor fixes in photographs such as fixing broken doorknobs, window glasses, flaky paint, etc. will be covered.
With online interior design, you can customize home staging as per different listings and people.
Vacant staged homes are the hotspots for burglars. With virtual staging, you will eliminate this risk.

If you’re looking for the best in class virtual staging services, Styldod is your ultimate destination. Get in touch with us to find out how you can leverage our solutions and sell your property quicker with great return on investment.

Author Bio:

Rahul Agarwal is the Co-founder & Chief Business Officer at Styldod, where he has taught a computer to do interior design! Styldod provides the most hassle-free & inexpensive virtual staging solutions for real estate agents so they can sell their listings faster, and for higher prices. Rahul was also a co-founder of Mebelkart (which is acquired by Ask Me). He’s your everyday IIT Kanpur nerd who pushes the boundaries with his innovative entrepreneurial stints and is also a sound startup investor & advisor. Rahul attributes his success as a professional to the discipline he has learned from his district hockey days, being a swimmer and a gym enthusiast.

10 Things to Know About House Painting

Painting is one of the most enjoyable activities when you know how to do it properly. Most homeowners have been living with white walls for decades because they dread painting. You can easily improve the look and feel of your home by simply painting a new color. And this doesn’t take much effort.

Paint colors make a statement of the homeowner. You can use bold to mute colors depending on your preference. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to paint your house. Here are ten things that you should keep in mind when painting your house to make the task easier. You’ll probably enjoy painting after knowing these ten things. Let’s get started!

1. Preparing a room makes a huge difference

All great painters know that painting is easy when there are no objects in the way. Emptying your room as much as you can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. If you are painting your bedroom, remove the beddings and move your bed and other furniture pieces to the center. And cover them with an old sheet.

While it may seem unnecessary to wipe down walls, it is a critical step. Whether you see it or not, there is a buildup of dust, dirt, and oil that will affect the quality of your work. Remove the debris before painting to allow the paint to stick to the walls.

You should also fill the cracks and nail holes and tape off the window trims, adjacent walls, and light switches. Cover the floor using newspapers, old clothes, or a roll of paper. Prepping the room before painting is a critical step that shouldn’t be ignored.

2. Test the color

It’s quite difficult to know how a particular color will look on your walls before painting it. If you’ve been thinking of painting a new color, it’s important to buy a sample. Let the paint dry and observe its color during the day and at night.

This will give you a clear picture of how the color will look like after the paint job. If you are not sure about a particular color, buy a few samples, and test them. You’ll be amazed at the colors you’ll fall in love with. And even more surprised at how your favorite color looks in your home. Testing out colors before committing will save you precious time in the long run.

3. Color your world

Choosing and mixing colors can be frustrating for some. However, you shouldn’t allow the fear of mixing colors to make you choose plain colors like white, beige, or off-white. Trying out different colors will help you evoke different emotions while in the room.

For instance, dark colors add depth and texture to your space. This is especially true if the room is enormous with high ceilings. On the other hand, if your room is small with little or no natural light, bright colors can open up space. Don’t be afraid to mix colors. You’ll be surprised by the result. Colors are fun. Don’t be afraid to add them to your rooms.

4. Choose your finish wisely

While the color matters, the finishing does as well. High gloss paint finishes are easy to clean and durable. However, they usually highlight the imperfections on your walls. On the other hand, a flat paint finish hides these imperfections. However, it is more susceptible to damage. The egg shell finish hides imperfections, provides some gloss, easy to clean, and prevents damage. Choosing the correct finish will improve the look of your house.

5. You can change the paint

After painting a small area of the wall and observing it, you may discover that it doesn’t look great once the walls are completed. Fortunately, the paint is usually cheap. And you can change it easily. If you discover that a particular color doesn’t look great, you can simply paint over it. If the colors are too overwhelming, you can consider leaving one wall painted your preferred color. Always know that you can change the paint whenever you want to. So don’t be afraid to try them out.

6. Determine the amount of paint you’ll require

The last thing you want to happen is run out of paint while working on your project. Also, you don’t want to buy too much paint. You need to calculate the amount of paint you’ll need before going to the hardware store. You can do this easily by knowing the square footage of the room. You also have to think about the number of coats of paint that you want. If your walls are not primed, you’ll need two coats. Calculate the size of your room in advance to avoid buying too little or too much paint.

7. Priming is crucial

Priming is a critical step during the preparation period. Primer enables the paint to stick to by sealing the walls. After filling in the cracks and holes, primer becomes more essential. Even if you’ll use primer, it’s still important to clean the walls. Primer improves the look of your room while minimizing the amount of paint that you use.

8. Use the right brush

The use of a natural bristle brush with water-based latex paint will result in limp bristles that cannot absorb water thus making it harder for the paint to spread out. If you’ll be using water-based latex paint, always go for artificial brushes made from nylon or polyester.

9. Roll after brushing

The idea of brushing corners before rolling your walls can be confusing. However, it’s essential for you to brush before rolling. Invest in a high-quality brush and paint out an inch from the ceiling, corners, and baseboard. These are common areas that rollers don’t reach. Use the roller afterward to flatten the brush marks and smoothen the surface. Brushing the corners and edges can be a tedious activity but it’s essential when painting.

10. Invest in quality supplies

All your supplies need to be in top shape before getting started. This includes your ladder, rollers, and paintbrushes. Investing in high-quality tools will save you time and reduce the risk of injury.

Conclusion

These are some of the essential tips that you should keep in mind when painting your house. By following these ten tips, you’ll end up with perfect walls. And you’ll enjoy the work of your hands. Taking the time to prep your walls will pay off in spades in the long run.

Author Bio:

Leon Collier is a blogger and writer at assignment help UK, professional essay writers and custom essay service from the UK. He loves to write about everything: pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, education, marketing. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12

Image: Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Top Neighborhoods To Visit In Cairo

The capital city of the beautiful country of Egypt is Cairo, as well as it is well known around the globe, it is also very crowded and busy throughout the year regarding tourism, business ventures and future developments among the Arab region. When speaking about Egypt, Cairo is well known for its ancient history and artifacts around the city but there is more to see in Egypt than the capital but definitely it is a place to be noticed and visited as well not to mention, one of the top cities to live in when it comes to living in Egypt whether it is short term or long term stay. When considering the top places that you can choose from in the city of Cairo, there are actually very few places that arouse the interest of newcomers/expats or people trying to conduct their business within the country and they are included below in the article and worth reading if visiting Cairo is part of your future plans. Before booking a hotel, hostel or apartment, be sure that you have an idea of the area around it first so that you don’t spend most of your time commuting regardless the activity that you have in mind.

ZAMALEK

The well-known beautiful island in the middle of the Nile River, Zamalek is the home to some of the most beautiful sights and views within the outstanding city of Cairo. Among the many points of interests, Zamalek also hosts most of the city’s embassies as well as plenty of places and activities around the neighborhood that can be enjoyed regardless if you are alone or with beloved family or friends. Zamalek is Cairo’s nightlife hub, with plenty of bars, restaurants and shisha cafés, it is most of the local’s or expat’s favorite neighborhoods to visit because you simply can’t go wrong when it comes to this place specifically for all those who love the outdoor life and common activities among the society. Zamalek also includes many art galleries that can be seen as dynamic as well as interesting stores that can carry everything from antiques to the latest fashion trend. Last but not least, one of the main neighborhoods known for its security, which makes it great for walking around and feeling secure at all times during the day. If you are choosing to live in Zamalek, the view among the Nile will take your breath away by enjoying the scenery of cars and boats crossing the river all day/night long. Gezira Club is in the center of the island as it one of the many places that you can actually enjoy fresh air among the city avoiding all its polluted areas and negative causes that one’s health, the club has many sporting courts, a running track and an outstanding gym.

MAADI

Better known as Cairo’s natural greenery oasis, where you will find most of the locals speaking mostly about the parks, trees, and grass and adoring sights among one of the favored neighborhoods of locals and expats alike. Maadi is well known for its foreign influence among the area which doesn’t always mean that it is the best place for nightlife spots as much as Zamalek, but it is definitely noticed by its hotspot areas such as Road 9 which is full of stunning restaurants, shops, cafes and possibly a bar or two around the area. Old Maadi, Maadi Sarayat and Degla are the top areas known among Maadi for being the best walking neighborhoods in the capital city of Egypt.

NEW CAIRO (5^th Settlement or Tagamoa’ El Khames)

This newly modern area in Cairo, just built over a decade ago is among the very few places that many people can choose from when it comes to living or staying in the country especially because all of the hotspot locations as well as being close to all the important places as well within the city. This eastern suburb in Cairo isn’t known for the usual sightseeing visits as well as it is a calmer and openly spacious when regarding traffic unlike central Cairo, and it is known for being closer to the airport which is less of a hassle for those who are staying for a short stay and trying to enjoy their trip as much as possible.

You will find all the best international brands, restaurants, and shisha cafés and last but not least, Cairo Festival City which is known now as one of the best malls that Egypt has to offer. One of the greatest aspects of living in New Cairo is actually the many amazing compounds included within the properties and having the luxury to reside in such tremendous locations within these secured compounds. Road 90 is the well-known destination among locals and expats both for a great lunch/dinner and even shopping experience. New Cairo is also amazing when it comes to all the needed educational needs that most families may need when choosing to reside in the city, but don’t worry New Cairo has you covered with all the best schools around the area such as Chouifat, American International School in Egypt, Narmer American College and the new campus of the American University in Cairo. It is better to stay within the area of New Cairo to enjoy its modern atmosphere if you aren’t too interested in the greenery of Maadi or the historical yet loud scene that Zamalek can offer.

6^TH OF OCTOBER CITY

The city of 6^th of October is the western equivalent of the 5^th Settlement also known as New Cairo. This suburb located in Cairo is the home to many commercial centers full of restaurants, stores and many popular malls such as Mall of Egypt, Mall of Arabia and much more. 6^th of October City might be the best place to stay if you are choosing to stay close to all the historical artifacts in Cairo such as the Great Pyramids of Giza and/or the Saqqara pyramids. When it comes to traffic, it is one of the most recommended places regarding that issue however it is the furthest neighborhood in Cairo from the airport. One of the few flaws of this neighborhood is that there must be a car/cab needed most of the time as it is another place that will be hard to get around on foot unless you like to walk long distances to the requested places.

DOWNTOWN (TAHRIR)

When it comes to living in a crowded as much as it is touristic, it can be chaotic for most but it is highly recommended for those who are looking forward to being adventurous and looking to get the real experience within the beautiful capital of Egypt. You can tell that this area is well known throughout the history of places such as the apartments that were built many years ago, shop after shop, and restaurant after restaurant you will recognize all the old streets and night sidewalks that dominate the landscape alongside the countless displays of historical sites along the location. Its known for being crowded but it is definitely a place that you won’t need a cab/car to commute around as it is easier to use public transportation or even walk the distances as it is definitely worth the experience to witness some of Cairo’s notable places such as the Cairo Museum, Khan El Khalili and the Islamic and Coptic Cairo that be adored when first seen.

HELIOPOLIS

When choosing the best place closest to the airport, Heliopolis is the best place to reside in Cairo as well as it also includes one of Cairo’s biggest malls which is City Stars, where it is nearby and you can shop for everything that you want in case you are under pressure with time. There is also the well-known place of “Korba” which is a nice yet unique place to enjoy walking as Heliopolis has it’s fair share of fancy restaurants and bars. One of the flaws of living in Heliopolis would be the usual Cairo traffic and congestion through prime hours as well as it will take quite some time to reach the center of the city and even longer distance to get to the Great Pyramids of Giza.

GARDEN CITY

Located on the right bank of the Nile River, Garden City used to be the home to the many elites living in Egypt as some of the beautiful architecture still stands until this present day. Garden City hosts some of the many best restaurants and bars, it is also walking distance towards the area of Zamalek which is convenient to all those willing to visit or enjoy the nightlife and the best that the area of Zamalek has to offer. Garden City is the best place to reside if you are looking for a spectacular view of the Nile River as well as delightful walks towards the fascinating places nearby that can be enjoyed by any local or expat.

OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS NOT INCLUDED:

HARAM (THE AREA OF THE PYRAMIDS)

While it is considered the best place and closest place to the Great Pyramids of Giza, it is also not the favored place when regarding safety and distance from other well-known attractions in Cairo. It is also not the closest to central Cairo as well as the airport.

MOHANDISEEN

When speaking about crowded and a place being super hectic, Mohandiseen is one of the top places to be remembered when it comes to these aspects.

MANIAL

While it does have some amazing Nile River views, it doesn’t have much else to offer regarding amazing sights or experiences, which can be seen as not so pleasant for most tourists and expats.

NASR CITY

One of the top crowded and congested areas in the city of Cairo, as it does have few touristic attractions, it is definitely not worth staying whether for short or long term and would be better to reside or a book a hotel in closer areas if you are choosing to visit Nasr City often.

If you are looking to stay in a hotel, then it would be best to aim for one around the Zamalek or Garden City area; If you are looking for a hostel then it would be best to go to the Downtown area and if you are looking to rent, purchase/sell properties within the beautiful capital city of Egypt, then you can check out our full recommended properties list right here housesolutionegypt.com/

Author Bio

Mohamed El Zaafarany is a digital marketing consultant with interests in the travel and real estate industries who loves to connect businesses with their target audiences.

zaafarany.com

Image: Image by Nick115 from Pixabay