Storage Ideas for Smaller Homes

Living in a small home doesn’t necessarily mean you have to feel like you’re living in cramped quarters. While a small home may mean that you may have to downsize some of your belongings, there are several storage solutions for smaller homes. The key is to find the right ones for your home so that you and your family can live in comfort.

Utilize Wall Space

Many small homes often have less wall space, but instead of hanging pictures on the wall, consider putting up walls of bookcases. Bookcases will allow you to store your items within reach and, with the help of baskets and fabric boxes, you can keep many items out of sight.

Utilize Ceiling Space

Even large homes utilize ceiling space. For example, in some of the largest mansions, you often see a hanging metal rack in the kitchen. This will allow you to keep your pots, pans, and utensils within reach and keep them from taking up valuable cupboard space. You can also hang racks in other rooms for storing other items, including stuffed animals, towels, and just about anything else you want.

Double Duty Furniture

In a small home, your furniture should do double duty. For example, your ottoman should also be a place to store things. A bench can be used as extra seating for your guests, but can also be used to store items. Your bookcase can also be a room divider. It is a simple matter of using your imagination to get the most out of your furniture.

Hide Lesser Used Items

While you want to keep items you use every day within reach, items that are used less often can be hidden away. You can purchase small plastic storage bins that can be hidden under beds or even hang unused items in a garment bag that is stored in the closet. Smaller homes are actually becoming more popular as more and more people are trying to live more consciously and avoid taking on more financial obligations than they can. While living in a small home of three to four hundred square feet may seem impossible to you, with the right design, you will find anything possible.

The Right Time to Hire a Snow Removal Company

If you live an area that gets a lot of snow, you may spend more time than what you want on snow removal, but it’s something that has to be done. You need to be able to go out of the house and pedestrians and letter carriers need to be able to get through on the sidewalk. But shoveling snow is not easy. It’s extremely hard on the body even if you’re young and able-bodied and it’s even more difficult for older people and people with health problems. Shoveling snow is well-known for causing heart attacks and back and shoulder pain. If you have any health issues or simply can’t take the pain anymore, now might be the right time to hire someone for your snow removal.

You may be tempted to hire a teenager in your neighborhood to shovel for you and this can be a great idea if you do not have a large outdoor area to take care of. Many teens are looking for a way to make some extra money and will charge you a fair price. However, you must also remember that if you need the snow removed from your roof, it is best to hire a professional that is insured.

If you do not have any teenagers in your area willing to shovel your snow, consider calling a professional. Many landscaping companies offer snow removal services to help keep business going during the winter months. The downside is that this is an extremely competitive business and, by calling around and comparing rates, you may be able to get a decent price. The key is to check their references as you do not want to pay for the work to be done and then not have them show up.

When all else fails, consider investing in some professional snow removal equipment of your own. A snow blower is going to make the job much quicker and easier for you. For larger driveways, a snow plow attachment for your lawnmower or ATV may be more appropriate. You will still have to do the snow removal yourself, but the job will be done with a lot less strain on your body.

For those that are still stuck shoveling snow, the only thing you can do is take safety measures. Remember to shovel small amounts of snow and to get out there early instead of letting the snow pile up too much. However, the most important thing you can do is to take breaks. Shovel for a few minutes and then let your body rest for a few minutes. By doing this, you can prevent injury to your body. The job will get done; just maybe a little bit slower than you would like.

What You Need to Know About Water Damage and How to Prevent It

Water damage is one of the most costly problems a homeowner can face. If you have a flood, a burst pipe, or a malfunctioning sump pump, water can get into your home and cause many issues, including mold and bacteria problems. However, there are several things you can do to protect you and your family from this type of disaster. Even if you live in a flood zone, the following tips will help to make sure your home is protected at all times:

Inspect Your Pipes

At least once a year, but preferably twice a year, you should conduct a thorough inspection of your water pipes. You are looking for possible leaks, corrosion of the pipes, and the potential for a freeze up. One burst pipe or small leak can easily turn into a major problem that will cost thousands of dollars to repair. By taking the initiative to inspect your pipes on a regular basis, you can catch problems while they’re still small enough to prevent them from turning into bigger, more expensive problems.

Inspect Outside Your Home

Each year, your roof should be checked for missing or damaged shingles and they should be replaced if you find any. A small leak can lead to major damage inside your home. Be sure to check your windows and redo the caulking if necessary to prevent water from getting inside your home. Along with this, gutters should be cleaned. If you do not have gutter guards already installed, you might want to consider having them installed to prevent your gutters from becoming clogged.

Flood Insurance

The majority of homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damages caused by a flood. While most mortgage companies will require you to buy flood insurance in order to get financed, if your home is not in a flood zone, it will not automatically be included. No matter where you are, consider purchasing flood insurance as a natural disaster could easily cause thousands of dollars in damage that your regular policy will not cover.

Water Alarms

If you have a basement, consider purchasing an alarm system with water detection alarms included. A water detection system will consist of components that are placed in your basement so that if water gets into your basement, the alarms will go off, alerting you to the potential disaster. You can also have an alarm set up to go off if your sump pump or generator stops working to prevent problems when the power goes out.

Give the Garage a Facelift

A lot of emphasis is frequently given to updating kitchens or bathrooms or landscapes, but those aren’t the only areas of a home that deserve attention. The garage may be one of the most overlooked sections of a home when it comes to remodeling. However, with a bit of time and energy, your garage space can become a greatly organized and highly functional haven. And if you decide to sell your home, having a spruced up garage can be very appealing to prospective homebuyers!

Look Up

The thought may have never dawned on some people, but space near the ceiling of the garage is a perfect place to store rarely used items. Overhead racks that carry a high weight capacity can be installed using multiple mountings to ensure safe storage. Place items that need to be stored for an extended time in a spot where they will not take up valuable space closer to the ground of your garage.

Keep It Handy

If an item gets used on a regular basis, it obviously deserves to be kept somewhere you’ll have easy access to it. Keeping these items easily seen makes them so much easier to find the next time they are needed. A shelving hook system combined with various racks in one section of the garage can multiply the number of items that remain visible and handy to reach. Buckets can also be hung on some of the hooks to hold multiple smaller items like cleaning rags or bungee cords.

A Wall For Rides

For a household with biking enthusiasts, finding an out-of-the-way spot in the garage for each bicycle can be a very challenging undertaking. There are, however, a number of bike storage systems that can easily open up floor space for other items, like a car. A vertical rack can be mounted on the wall for each bicycle, or a floor-to-ceiling pole can be installed to hold two bikes, one above the other. There's even a hoist storage system designed especially for bicycles that might be a favored choice for some. Of course, plastic tubs and totes are always good for garage storage, especially when the see-through type are used; and bags of potting soil, winter ice melt, and even dog food fit well on low hanging shelves, making them easier to lift. In no time, with the right supplies, one can transform the garage from a jungle into an organized collection.

Getting the Most Out of Your Windows

Windows are one of the number one sources for leaks in homes and no matter what time of year it is, you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your windows. When the winter season comes around, you don't want to to be heating your entire neighborhood and you don’t the cold air from your air conditioner getting out in the middle of summer. Here are a few tips you can apply to make sure your windows are properly insulated to keep you warm and cozy all through the wintery months ahead.

Apply Weather Sealing

Do your windows have some drafts, but you aren’t able to replace your window right away? Using weather sealing can be a temporary fix. Weather sealing is a type of material that can be applied to the frame of a window in order to close any drafts. While it isn't a long-term solution, it will usually last for one or two seasons. Standard packs of the material can be found in any hardware store.

Use the Right Curtains

The curtains you use can make a difference in how well your windows keep your home warm. If you're unable to do any exterior maintenance on your windows during the winter months, consider hanging curtains made of heavy fabric. This fabric not only locks out light, but helps to keep out drafts. You may even want to consider getting insulated curtains for maximum warmth. As a side benefit, heavier curtains can help absorb sound, keeping the noise level down within your home.

Use Cell Shades

Cellular shades are a type of window covering that can be purchased at most hardware stores. These shades are cut to fit your windows. While they allow light to come through, they help to insulate the windows against the cold; this is particularly effective in homes that do not have vinyl replacement windows. These shades are also useful if you have a cracked window you are unable to replace right away because they help to stabilize the glass and block out any drafts that may come through the cracks.

Use a Draft Snake

Have you ever rolled a towel and stuck it underneath a door to keep the heat inside? That's the same concept a draft snake operates on. It's a tube of fabric placed at the window sill that prevents heat from your furnace or cold air from your air conditioner from escaping. Best of all, you can make your own draft snake by simply sewing a tube of fabric, filling it with dry rice, and sewing it shut. If you have an old sock, it can do the trick just as easily.

Caulk the Windows

The best option for insulation a window frame is to apply caulk. Caulk is easy to use and can be done as a DIY project, but you can also seek professional application if you're uncomfortable doing it yourself.