Simple Ways to Improve Your Curb Appeal

Your home’s exterior is the first impression a passerby has of it. The display of the landscape, shrubbery, lighting display, and numerous other additions have a significant impact on a home’s value. Commonly deemed “curb appeal,” the importance in performing regular upkeep of a house’s outward appearance cannot be overstated; it is a major component to what prospective buyers take into account when searching for a new residence. Keeping this in mind, you may want to consider these additions to sharpen your curb appeal:

Build a Pathway Nothing says “inviting” like a smoothly paved walkway leading up to a front door. Capitalize on this by installing one at your home, too. Consult a guide online to find the right materials and build one yourself -- or, hire a professional for projects with heavy materials or a yard with complex conditions to work around.

Groom Your Lawn A lawn with a trimmed, vibrant sea of grass will always benefit a home’s look. Be sure to maintain regular maintenance so that it is properly mowed, fertilized, edged, watered, and free of any invasive weeds.

Install Replacement Windows In addition to the energy savings to be had, replacing dated windows can make a huge difference on your home’s exterior appearance. Installing new, energy efficient windows will greatly improve your home’s value and add a polished touch to its curb appeal.

A Little Mulch Never Hurt Anybody In addition to the rich look it offers, mulch is extremely helpful to the health of a yard’s plants, soil, and shrubbery. It prevents weeds from sprouting and encapsulates essential rain and precipitation so that the surrounding environment has a balanced amount of moisture to sustain itself. Additionally, there is a wide array of textures that mulch comes in, each of which fosters a unique aesthetic and set of functions with bark chips, grass clippings, and shredded wood known to be traditional favorites.

Dapper up Your Garage Door Depending on its location in relation to the street view, the garage door can play a crucial role in your home’s curb appeal. Though it usually isn’t the first item on the renovations to-do list, there’s no reason it should be left unnoticed. To revamp your garage doors, your best bet will be to work with a contractor who specializes in the craft; work with the professional so that the remodeled look complements the theme and design of your home. The price of a garage makeover varies depending on the extent of the restoration (materials used and sophistication of design), but it’s safe to say that an average job will most likely have you spending a few hundred dollars.

Other Ideas to Consider: - Add a reading bench (placed under a tree for shade, if possible) - Plant shrubbery and flowers with vibrant colors

Maintenance Tips for Vinyl Windows

Well-kept windows are essential for maintaining proper visibility and a fresh curb appeal for your home. Although vinyl windows are excellent at enduring tough weather of all kinds, they can still get dirty and are prone to repair from time to time. Read below for some tips on how to properly keep your windows nice and clean.

Inspection The first question you may ask yourself is how often you should conduct maintenance for your windows. Although there is no set standard, it never hurts to give them a checkup every season – so about four times a year. When it comes to cleaning the windows, however, the best way to ensure a consistently shining look is to wash them every two weeks (on the interior, at least).

Sealing Gaps It’s very important to check the frame for any areas that look like they need to be sealed. If you’ve experienced any new drafts, a gap could be the culprit. This will want to be handled as soon as possible because air leakages will raise your energy bill. To combat this, inspect the area where the glass pane meets the frame and fill any gaps you detect with caulk.

Scrub Window Panes Equip yourself with a scrubber, warm bucket of water, cleaning solution, roll of paper towel, and a squeegee for gunk that is tough to remove. Tilt the sash in a position that makes scrubbing most convenient, remembering to dry with a paper towel afterward.

Exterior Rinse A hose is an effective tool for spraying away buildups of dirt and grit on the exterior of your windows. Also, be careful not to spray too hard as this could possibly damage the window.

How to Use Colors to Your Advantage When Decorating Your Home

As studies have shown, different colors can elicit unique human reactions. Before tackling your next redecorating project, it can be of great benefit to brush up on the psychology of colors and learn how they can be utilized to promote wellness in our homes. Take a look at the guide below on how to effectively use colors in the main living spaces of your home and hone in on the role they play in our day-to-day lives.

Living Room Nine times out of ten, people go to the living room to relax. Cater to the laidback atmosphere here by instilling colors that match this relaxed vibe. Green is a color renowned for being a calming mood-neutralizer that people have surrounded themselves with for centuries because of its tranquil-provoking benefits. Balance green with other earthy tones such as tan and grey to create an earthy, inviting zone where friends, family, and new guests can all together feel at home.

 Kitchen Hues of red, yellow, and orange are among the most popular colors to garnish a kitchen in. Although potentially intimidating due to its striking presence, reds are enjoyed because of the sense of vitality, strength, and passion it naturally instills. Pale yellows are valued for emitting a warm, revitalizing glow and for raising self-esteem levels, which might not be a bad option considering it’s the first place we start our day. Alternatively, peach colors nurture feel-good energies such as joy and creativity.

 Bedroom The bedroom is your personal dojo to unwind, so it’s essential to furnish it with none other than peaceful, relaxing qualities. While reds and yellows are empowering, they may not provide the appropriate mood for a space like the bedroom where winding down is top priority. Instead, narrow your selection to tones that make you feel safe. Subtle shades of blue are excellent at achieving this; also, diversification is key so make sure to incorporate other harmonious elements such as creamy whites, soft greys, and a gentle black.

 Dining Room The dining room is all about connection and conversation. Blue is the color of clarity and communication, thus is an effective choice for encouraging honesty in family discussions. Another renowned preference is orange, as it is a powerful in eliciting pleasure and high-spirits.

Bathroom Generally, the bathroom is the only other private quarters in a house other than the bedroom. Taking the role of where we bathe and freshen ourselves up, a fresh and wholesome tonality is most appropriate whereas dark, intense shades should be done without. Overall, a “clean” ambiance that complements the room’s essence is the most fitting approach to picking your bathroom’s coloration.

How to Improve Lighting in Your Home

The way lighting is used in our home impacts the mood, visibility, and quality of the work and activities we do. Consider these techniques below for inspiration on how you can enhance the lighting in your home.

Provide Balance with Table & Floor Lamps It’s not unusual that there may be areas of a room that are noticeably dark when the room's attention is focused in the center around a dining table. Even if there is no furniture, a quick fix to this is add a table or floor lamp in the predominantly dark section of the room. If there is a natural surface or counter to place it, use a table lamp; if not, a floor lamp will work just as well. Additionally, rooms with recliner chairs or couches should have at least one lamp next to them for sufficient visibility.

Introduce Overhead Light Fixtures There are a multitude of overhead light fixtures, each of which shed light in varying directions and volumes. These are three of the most popular lighting fixtures, all of which offer unique functions for directing light.

• Track lighting: a row of fixtures that hang from a track installed in a ceiling. These specialize in showcasing pottery, artwork, and other decor by distributing light via a row of separate fixtures; best fit for kitchen and living room spaces.

• Recessed lighting: fixtures installed into the surface of a home’s ceiling; installed with a custom trim. These fixtures offer a sharp glow that can be directed to highlight specific aspects of a home’s interior. Commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms, entrance halls, and workspaces

• Pendant lighting: Makes for a decorative counterpart to hang above a kitchen table, cooking area, dining table, or any space where a large concentration of light will be needed - areas where conversation and activity are highest.

Dress Your Windows Up Shades, drapes, sheers, and blinds are all practical types of light-limiting decor that can be used to control the lighting in a room. Get creative by combining drapes and shades to maintain multiple variations of lighting and keep pesky glares away from your television or computer.

Set the Mood with a Dimmer Switch Incorporating a dimmer switch to a room is superb way to influence the space’s tone and atmosphere, and can be utilized best for dinner, watching movies with family or friends, and working in office environments. To install a dimmer switch, you will have to replace the basic switch already in place. Watch the video below for a step-by-step tutorial.

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Use Candles for Ambiance Serving a double package of subtle lighting and pleasant fragrances, candles illuminate a minimal amount of the surrounding area they’re placed in and are a top choice when it comes to setting a natural, relaxed mood. Candles are great in calm parts of the house like the bedroom, bathroom, and living room.

Household Cleaning Tips 101

In today’s age, life moves pretty fast. It always seems there is some errand or responsibility to take care of, thus many of us find ourselves in a never-ending rush. By the time the weekend arrives, we enter a whole new slew of to-dos. Amidst this hectic weekly schedule, our home spaces can become, admittedly, pretty dirty. Whether it’s shower mold or a pile of scattered laundry, everything adds up faster than we think. To prevent mold from sprouting in the shower and avoid last minute clean-sprees before hosting company, maintain a consistently scrubbed, decontaminated home at all times by brushing up on these simple yet effective housekeeping tips.

Make a Schedule Designate a block of time for each week to take stock of any parts of the home that require upkeep. Each aspect of the home dictates a unique time frame of its cleaning frequency, so you will want to take this into account while constructing your routine.

 Fridge & Freezer Discard all old foods that are outdated such as milks and cheeses. Apply a vinegar-based cleaning solution to wipe all grease and food residue. Finish with disinfectant wipes.

Oven, Dishwasher, & Stove Use a vinegar-based solution to cleanse the surfaces, making sure to remove all debris, grease, and excess food.

Garbage Containers Sanitize your garbage, trash, and recycling bins to keep insects such as flies and ants at bay.

Floors Wash the base boards and surface area of the floor with the proper solution dependent on the type of flooring like wood, ceramic, granite, marble, etc.

Window Giving your windows a routine cleansing is mandatory for their appearance, visibility, and longevity. Gather standard window equipment: a scrubber, bucket of warm water, detergent, and paper towels to dry. Squeegees are also particularly useful at swabbing away clumps of grime. If any of your home windows are weathered and older than fifteen years, you may want to consider installing replacement windows.

Carpet In addition to vacuuming (which should be done on a weekly basis at minimum), carpets should be shampooed to maintain the quality of the carpet’s material and remove any soiled spots or stains. You can always freshen the house by sprinkling a carpet spray or powder prior to vacuuming to provide a fresh scent throughout the house.

Cabinets Wipe down cabinets with appropriate cleaning solution to remove any grease or food from cooking activity in the kitchen.

Furniture Dust collects everywhere on a constant basis. It seems to be most noticeable on glass-top and wood furniture, which is found throughout the dining room, bedroom, office, and study rooms. This furniture should be dusted with the appropriate cleaning solution at weekly intervals. Doing so will sustain a clean, fresh appearance throughout the home and support a healthy home environment.

Bathrooms Uh-oh, the bathroom. Thorough cleaning should be done on a weekly basis at minimum. There are not enough words to explain how important it is to maintain a clean and germ-free bathroom. This includes a thorough cleanse of the sink, toilet bowl, mirrors, and tub or shower. You will want to keep a disinfectant toilet bowl cleaner, toilet bowl scrubber, and a mold and mildew cleaner.