How To Make A Dream Bathroom Out Of Your Current Nightmare

A bathroom that you hate is a burden we wish on no-one. A place that should be your haven to relax, get comfortable and feel clean can often be anything but. Bad planning, degradation and poor plumbing can make it a room you’d rather avoid altogether. Having a bathroom you love is important, so we’re all behind a good total renovation. If you’re looking to transform your bathroom, our tips should help you do just that.

Preparation

Before you start gutting everything and paying money out anywhere and everywhere, make a checklist. Decide everything you need, who and how many this bathroom is meant to accommodate. If you’re looking to cut some costs, see what you’re willing to tackle with DIY sense and which you need professional help for. With each step further you take, consult your checklist. Going in without a plan is the quickest way to have a bathroom you’re far from happy with.

Budgeting

You might very well be willing to pay to have each and every inch renovated. If you have the cash to get your dream bathroom, then why wouldn’t you? However, that doesn’t mean you can just skip the budget. There’s no reason you should find yourself spending way too much on one aspect of the bathroom. That only means you might and find that you have to settle for less further down the line. No matter your financial situation and your plans, make sure you put a budget together and make sure you stick to it. There’s little worse than a half-finished bathroom.

Plumbing, Pipe, Wrench, Plumber, Repair, Maintenance

Pic found at Pixabay

Plumbing

If you’re completely reshaping the bathroom, you might very well be beyond the realm of DIY or having an interior decorator. Plumbing is unfortunately notorious for companies who are willing to sell you down the river and get paid to sub-par work. Make sure you hire a plumber you can trust, with the proper accreditation. If they have recommendations you can trust then that’s even better. Don’t worry, there are plenty of great plumbers out there who’ll leave you with a bathroom running squeaky clean.

Renovation

Do you want your perfect bathroom but you’re not sure how to put it together? Could you benefit from the expertise of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing? The right renovator can be a god-send. They take everything you want and their expert knowledge to produce the exact bathroom of your dreams. Bathroom renovations are a big undertaking so don’t leave anything to chance. After all, you don’t want to be doing another renovation a few years down the line.

Bath, Bathing, Girl, Bathtub, Cute, Water, Bubble Bath

Pic found at Pixabay

Soak it in

Now that you’ve got your nice, lovely bathroom all put together, make sure you really enjoy it. What’s the point of having a glamorous bathroom or a luxurious bath if you’re not going to take the time to soak it in? Get yourself some of the most deliciously pampering products available. Bath salts, scented candles, get the whole lot going and just let your worries drift away. After getting this far, you’ve definitely earned it.

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Saving Your Garden From Animal Damage

During the last global recession, there was an emerging trend for growing your own food in your garden. I know a few people who started doing this to save money, and discovered a lifelong hobby in the process! If you’ve been cultivating your garden seriously for a while, then you’ll need to protect it all from hungry animals. Here’s some simple and humane ways you can go about this.

A Wild Rabbit at Lossiemouth

Source: Geograph

Let’s start with rabbits. Although timid, these furry little guys can be a total nightmare when you’re not around to guard your plants. Like most vermin, rabbits aren’t exactly fussy about what they’ll munch on. Having said that, they do tend to gravitate towards pea pods, beans, and beets. I assume you’ve already got a fence that’s taller than a rabbit! However, if they’re really determined they’ll burrow under one of these with relative ease. The next best way of keeping rabbits away from your garden is making it smell dangerous. Soaking a few corn cobs in white vinegar and scattering them around works pretty well. Failing that, you could purchase some fox urine and use it to soak cotton balls. For an economical option, ask your local hairdresser’s for some excess hair, and scatter this around your garden.

Birds might be a little more common as a pest in your garden. The best defence against these is getting a cat – but let’s keep it humane. Birds are easily scared by any kind of intimidating shapes and sounds. Be very liberal with how you define “intimidating” here. Remember that these animals can fly, and have probably spent a lot of their lives soaring suddenly away from danger. Scarecrows can be pretty effective, but I’m guessing you don’t have the time or resources to make one convincing enough. A good alternative is to get a replica owl. Almost every smaller bird is fooled by these. That or they don’t want to take chances! Perch one on your fence or greenhouse, and all those pesky birds will stay the heck away!

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Source: Dr Tobler

Finally, deer. Don’t worry, I was as traumatized by Bambi as you were. These creatures are truly beautiful in their grace and general aesthetics, but if they see your plants they’re likely to go crazy! So how do you get around this? You could try scent-based deterrents similar to the rabbit ones. While these can be effective, it can often vary from deer to deer. For a fool-proof plan, I recommend getting some high-quality deer fence. Surround your entire garden with this, and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your beautiful garden isn’t being touched. Although getting tangled in plastic mesh will scare off most deer, it’s always a good idea to check for damages in the fence.

These tips will keep some of the most common critters in the woods and away from your crops. These solutions don’t cover everything, but after setting them up I’m sure you’ll notice far less damage from animals. Keep trying different measures, and your prized garden will be airtight!

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Keeping Your Home Healthy: Spring Maintenance Checks To Make

In just a few short weeks, spring will be here. It’s great that winter is finally ending, but before you jump for joy because it’ll soon be spring, it’s a good idea to give your home a ‘health’ check. Over the winter months when the weather is bad, our houses go through a lot, which is why it’s important to give them a once over come spring. It’s a good idea to check your home as soon as possible, so that if there is any damage, it can be treated asap. Else, if it’s left, it could end up leading to more severe problems.

Image credit

There are various areas of your home that you need to check, both inside and outside. That being said, the outside of your home is more important, as you’re less likely to notice any problems. If there’s an issue inside your house, the chances are you’ll spot it straight away. To give you an idea of all the most crucial areas to check, we’ve put together this useful guide. It includes all the info you need to give your home a once over, as well as how to deal with various issues.

Check your home’s foundations

The first thing that you should do is check your home’s foundations. This is the most important job, as if there is a crack or damage to them, water can seep into the concrete, causing all sorts of issues. The problems caused by damaged foundations can cost thousands to repair, so the sooner you spot any issues, the better.

Walk around your home, shining a torch on the foundations. What you want to look for is any cracks or other damage, or any areas where the concrete is darker, as this can mean that water is seeping in. To find out more about the best ways to check your home’s foundations, check out houselogic. If you notice anything unusual, don’t hang about, contact a foundations expert immediately.

Give your roof a once over

The next area that you need to check is your home’s roof. The best way to do this is by using a ladder to access it, that way you can have a good look. What you need to look out for are any tiles that are cracked or damaged, as well as any areas where there’s a tile missing. It may also be worth going inside your attic, to look for any areas where the light shines through, as this can be a sign that there’s a crack in one of the tiles.

If you notice any issues, such as a missing tile or a crack, it’s best to deal with it straight away. The good news is that if you’re a DIY pro, you can probably fix most roof problems yourself. You’ll just need a couple of replacement tiles and a nail gun to attach them. If you don’t already have a nail gun, check out TopNailerReviews to see which is the best model to go for.

Inspect paint and siding

Walk around your home, inspecting the siding and paint. What you want to look out for is siding that’s cracked or damaged and paint that’s bubbling or peeling. These are signs that during the winter, something has caused damage to your home’s protection – aka siding or paint. If there is any damage, it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. As without paint or siding to protect it, your home is more prone to the effects of the weather.

Siding can be easily replaced, so if it’s damaged, there’s no need to panic. Obviously, you can call in a professional to deal with it for you. However, it’s probably easier and cheaper to fix it yourself. As for paint that’s peeling or bubbling, the surface needs to be sanded and repainted with a specialist outdoor paint.

These are the most crucial home maintenance checks for spring. However, there are also a few others that you might want to do.

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How to Build a Greenhouse: Planning and Construction

With spring finally upon us, we can start to think about really getting back into the garden with some regularity to. I absolutely love the sunshine, not just because it is so much warmer than the dark winter months, but also because the garden is full of color and you can start to grow your own fruit and vegetables.

There are a huge number of different vegetables that you might want to consider when filling out your patch, but before you do that it is important that you have the right equipment required to do the job. Gardening is a specialist activity and if you don’t have the correct items, it will be much more difficult to get the necessary results.

What tools are necessary requirements?

Now I like to make sure that I have every base covered, you may not necessarily feel the same, but I think it would be prudent to cover for all eventualities especially living in a country like England where you’re not sure whether you’re going to get consistent rain or sunshine throughout the summer months. If you walk into a garden center or flick through a horticultural magazine you will be able to see there are a huge number of different items available.

Greenhouse

[Image source: en.wikipedia.org]

In my opinion the main items that you’ll need include a garden hose, a shovel and trowel. The shovel and trowel will allow you to make any digs you need to, be it large or small and a hose will ensure that your fruit and veg can get the water it so dearly needs even when the sun keeps on shining.

How can you benefit from a greenhouse?

For any keen gardener a greenhouse is an absolute must. They enable you to be able to experiment a little bit more with the types of fruit and veg you can grow. The main benefit is that you can control the growing process as you are in charge of the amount of water that the plants will see.

Once the sunshine comes you can’t keep me out of my greenhouse, I just absolutely love tending to my vegetable patches. Throughout the summer you can fill out your greenhouse with a wide selection of different products.

Fruit and veg can also have health benefits

We all know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away – or so we’ve been told for many years – but growing your own fruit and veg really is very rewarding. I’m not sure whether this is scientific, but I find the taste of my own produce much better than anything I can buy at the supermarket – which might have something to do with the lack of additives! With a small initial outlay you can get yourself started in being partially self-sufficient.

Not only will this have great health benefits because you will be eating more fruit and veg, it could also quite easily save you money in the long run as the capital you would have spent on fruit and veg previously can go on something else.

Perhaps you’ll get the chance to grow something a little more left field such as borlotti beans, pumpkins or even black Russian kale. This could also help you to broaden your horizons somewhat with your cooking, as well.

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Everything You Need To Know To Find The Perfect Apartment

The dream for most people is to buy a nice house and live happily ever after. But, the reality is a lot different. Houses are expensive and hard to find, which is why many first time homeowners go with an apartment. A brand new apartment is a great way to get on the property ladder and live in a nice home without spending a fortune. And when you are ready, you can sell it and move onto bigger and better things.

Still, it isn’t always as easy as that because finding a great apartment can be tricky. To help you find your perfect living quarters here’s what you need to consider.

Free Photography of Orange and Gray Building Stock Photo

[Photo courtesy of  George Becker /pexels.com]

Your Budget

Apartments may be cheaper than houses, but they are still expensive. In fact, the cost of an apartment is enough to put you in a spot of financial difficulty if you are not careful. As a result, you want to make sure that you don’t overspend as it could haunt you for the rest of your life. There is a simple solution to avoid this problem, however: create a budget. All you have to do is total up how much you spend in a month compared to how much you earn, and the difference is how much you can afford. Every apartment within that range is an apartment that you should take seriously.

Free White and Gray Concrete High-rise Buildings at Daytime Stock Photo

[Photo courtesy of Min An   /pexels.com]

The Location

The perfect apartment is an apartment that is in the right location. Just because it hits every other aspect of your needs doesn’t mean it is perfect because the location is more important than everything else. For example, if you want to live in Santa Monica you should look for Santa Monica apartments not apartments in LA or San Diego. Once you choose a place you want to live, do not waver. It is okay to compromise as long as the area is not miles away from your original destination. But, in a perfect scenario, you want to be slap bang in the middle of your dream area.

Your Credit Score

Almost every landlord will do a credit check before signing a contract, so it is important you know your credit rating beforehand. The last thing you want is to find the perfect place and then to lose it at the last minute thanks to your poor rating. At least if you are aware of it in advance, you can attempt to come to an agreement. For example, you could try and get a friend or family member to secure the contract by agreeing to pay if you cannot pay.

The Amount Of Money

The majority of the cash for the mortgage will come from the bank. But, you still need a down payment or deposit to secure the property. For the most part, a deposit is about ten percent of the overall cost. So, if you are buying a property worth $50,000 you will need $5,000 in cash. The bank won’t lend you this money as it is a sign that you can afford the apartment. As a result, you will need it secure before signing on the dotted line.

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Simple Tips on Organizing Kids Room

Organizing your home is one of the hardest things to maintain especially if you have young kids who loves to play with things they can grab at home. That’s why it is easier to keep things out of their reach especially those valuable items that are breakable vases, music instruments like fender ukulele, collector items, glass ornaments and more.

Free Empty Bedroom Set Stock Photo

[Image courtesy of Vic B/pexels.com]

When it comes to organizing you must know which room needs more attention and will require a long way to do so. Kids room are expected to be full of clutter, toys and bed sheets sometimes are scattered around their room since they tend to play a lot with them so it must be organized accordingly, their toys could be keep in a large box or open cabinets that can blend with room decors. You can also use floor-level open plastic baskets to store socks and underwear. and in a young age kids must learn how to make their own beds in the morning and how to keep their room clean and organized.

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Five Must Have Kitchen Gadgets

There’s nothing quite as fun as giving a room in your house a good kit out with new equipment; it gives you the chance to be creative, to indulge in a bit of retail therapy and to recreate a space that you might well have become bored with.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of creating a new room is the little gadgets and extras that give the room its unique sense of style.  Perhaps the most fun room to kit out is the kitchen, and to get you started we’ve come up with this list of five must-have gadgets for this important room.

A top notch blender

Let’s get one thing clear here: we’re not talking about those wishy-washy, twenty quid blenders!  A real, solid blender is an absolute essential for anyone who wants to keep their meals interesting.  Everything from luxury fruit smoothies to warming winter soups can be whipped up in minutes, meaning that as well as varying your diet, you can also avoid wasting food.  Excess fruit lying around? Hello, cheap sorbet.  Too many bananas?  It’s the perfect post-run milkshake.  If you’re unsure as to what constitutes a good blender, then consider whether it can easily be picked up with one hand – if it can, then it’s probably not great in terms of quality!

A good dehydrator

Lavish?  Yes.  Get one anyway?  Yes!  A dehydrator is never going to top the list of essentials, but that’s not the point of this list.  A dehydrator is actually incredibly useful for any home that finds itself frequently wasting fresh fruit and veg.   Essentially, they’re able to turn any fresh fruit into a lovely dried snack, which is a great way to stay healthy.  Fruits like pineapple make the perfect summer snack, and when dehydrated, they keep for far longer.  Marvellous stuff.

A versatile peeler

That’s right – it’s time to ditch that rusty old beast that you’ve had since the nineties and splash out.  A good peeler will come in useful time and time again, whether you’re quickly whipping up a good mash for shepherd’s pie, or simply for ensuring your fussy little ones don’t have to eat the skins on their granny smiths.  There are a variety of models available on the market that offer a three in one experience, with different blades for veg, soft fruit and for julienne-style peeling.  Like knives, spending more on a quality model will save you a lot of effort in the long run.

A slow cooker

A slow cooker is absolute heaven for a busy home-owner.  Get down to one of your local electrical stores and buy one, right now!  As well as giving you the softest, flake-off-the-bone joints of meat you’ll ever eat, a slow cooker means you can chuck your ingredients into the cooker in the morning, go to work and then return to find a perfectly done meal with a smell that’ll have you drooling all the way down the garden path to the back door.  Whether you’re partial to curry or stew, you need a slow cooker.

An automated coffee machine

Another extravagance, maybe, but there’s something really, really wonderful about an automated coffee machine, whether it’s a Tassimo or a Lavazza, a pod or a simple espresso machine.  Whilst it might be an expensive way to enjoy your coffee, there is nothing like hearing that wonderful buzz first thing in the morning, before going outside, watching the sun come up and sipping your first brew of the day.

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Audio Editing Software for Home Entertainment

Until recently, the best way to sing your favorite songs was to go to Karaoke bars. The introduction of video players and karaoke microphones made it easy for everyone to sing their favorite songs at home.

Well, creating noise, lighting fireworks are normal occurrence on New Year’s Eve. In our country singing video karaoke is always a hit during special occasion like this, our neighbour hired a machine and they sing all night. It would be nice if they have audio editing software like melodyne so they could record their songs and create a memoir of the of this year and be able to hear or see it next year.

DIY Shelf for Home Storage

Shelves are very important décor to maintain in our house, it helps us to organized and clean our house from clutter.  It also help our important decors and collection to be displayed safely and out of reach of small children.

Wooden Shelf

Anyway, my mother requested my father to create a new shelf to organize her products at home. My father finished it in a few days, using only available materials at home.  The shelve he created has a strong and durable design, the frame is made of paper tree wood and the shelf itself is made of left over plywood’s. The shelve has the height of 4 feet and and  about 3 feet wide, perfect to organized the products that my mother are selling at home.

The shelf can also be used as collection and stuff toy storage in the bedroom, it is also perfect as book shelf.

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The Best Way to Repair a Faucet

Faucets are an inseparable piece of any home and they are put to utilize each and every day. In this manner keeping the faucets in a working condition is important because various issues can cause plumbing problems in your home and plumbing repairs implies extra expenses in the household.

Bathroom Faucet

[Image source: us.kohler.com]

Replacing a Faucet

A water spigot can be fixed basically by replacing the washer or repairing the seat. You need to take after some fundamental steps, regardless of which sort of spigot should be fixed:

  • Turn-off the water supply and evacuate the spigot handle that is held to the primary area of the Faucets. This is held set up with a small screw and may have a plastic catch or plate that must be unsnapped.
  • Now evacuate the handle and examine the Faucets assembly. Utilize a customizable wrench to uproot the pressing nut. Presently curve out the shaft or the stern.
  • Remove the screw that holds the washer. You can utilize a penetrating oil to extricate the nut if required. Look at the stem and the screw and supplant it if important.
  • Replace the old washer with one of the accurate particulars Hot water Faucets need uncommon washers and the ones that are utilized for icy water spigots will have a tendency to get over-expanded and won’t suit the reason.
  • Reinstall the handle and afterward supplant the plate or the catch. Turn-on the water supply and after that check the Faucets for breaks.

In the event that you can’t alter the spigot yourself, bring in a plumber and have it replaced. You ought to additionally check if there are whatever other defective faucets in any of alternate bathrooms and have them.

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