Moving into a brand-new home can be exciting. You and your family will be the first ones to live there, which means you’ll get to be part of the decision-making process. From the design and sizes of the rooms to the bathroom fixtures, having a new build home is a chance to really put your stamp on a house. But, just because the house is a new build, it doesn’t mean there isn’t the potential for problems down the line. So, what do you need to do to make the transition as smooth as possible?

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Final Walk Through

Before your builder packs up and leaves, it’s important to visit the property and make sure the job has actually been completed. Test all the lights and plumbing, look for any accidental damages that may have occurred while your builder was working and inspect the exterior of the property too. At this point, it may be wise to hire a professional building inspector that could spot things an untrained eye wouldn’t notice. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Flooring

Don’t try and move in without having your flooring fitted first. It’s a real pain to have to switch all your furniture from room to room while flooring is laid down if you’ve already moved in. Two of the main things to do before moving in is to replace your flooring and curtains for a nice look. It won’t just look nice when you do eventually move in, but it will also mean your furniture can stay where it is, and you’ll have the privacy you need after a long day’s work. The hardest decision will be choosing between carpet and wood flooring.

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Choose What to Take

Many people find that their current furniture doesn’t fit in well in a new build house, or they want new things to go with their new property. If you know there’s furniture that you won’t need or use in your new house, it’s better to get rid of it beforehand, instead of taking it with you. If you’re trying to save money, an old dining room table could make all the difference to your moving costs. The less furniture your movers have to take, the cheaper the cost. Once you know what you’re taking with you, clearly label things for each room so unpacking is easier once you’ve arrived.

Moving Day

It’s easier to move the big house items first, like beds, sofas, tables and chairs. However, if there are rooms in the house with new carpet, you may want to stay out of them while moving things in and out, especially if the carpet is a light color. It’s inevitable that some dust and dirt will enter the house while you’re moving, so you may want to wipe furniture down before moving it into carpeted rooms.

Once you’ve settled into your home, you may start to notice minor things that need to be changed. Get in touch with your builder sooner rather than later if they were already in your agreement.

There are many benefits of restoring old furniture which is why it is important to stop buying new furniture and restore the pieces you already own. Restoring your antique furniture helps you pass along memories, it takes out a huge chunk of space in your local landfill, it helps you give back to the economy when or if you hire help and it saves the forests from being chopped down.

Keeping Your Family Memories

Furniture handed down through family generations have memories that are passed on with them. Several generations of your family used the furniture and when you keep it, you will be keeping them in memory of the family and making much more memories for generations to come. Restore them so they always will look like new and to make your house look beautiful.

Reduce the Local Waste

Restoring your old furniture will also help in reducing wastage. When you discard your old furniture, you fill the local garbage dump much faster. To avoid filling the local HUD, you can restore your old furniture. With restoring, you can make your antique furniture look amazing and you can still use them or even sell them if they are no longer wanted or needed. You will save money, make money (if you decide to sell), and you will reduce waste.

Improving the Local Economy

Antique furniture restoration can be difficult and time consuming. So when you do decide to restore, you may need someone to help you. Hiring an expert crafts person will help you make sure your furniture looks great and improve the quality of your furniture as well. When you employ these people, you help to improve the local economy by giving them a source of income. So, it helps improve the local economy.

Saving Forests

When people decide to stop buying new furniture and start restoring old furniture, more forests will be saved. Most furniture is made from hardwood trees which are found in hardwood forests. The forests are important for both humans and animals. The trees keep purity in our air and the forests should not be exploited.

Restoring your old furniture not only saves you money in the long run from having to buy new furniture all the time but it comes with many other benefits as well like the ones stated above. You will keep your family memories, reduce the local waste, help in improving the local economy and save forests because no more trees will need to be cut down to make new furniture.

Moving to a new home is always an incredibly emotional experience. As you prepare to leave the place you’ve called home for a long time, you will realize just how much you’ve enjoyed your time there. Of course, though, it’s not only joy, nostalgia, and excitement taking the stage, and you’ll have another feeling standing in the way of your move; stress. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring a procedure which will remove the element of dread from your relocation, all while making the job a lot easier for you.

To begin, it’s important to come up with a solid plan of action before you start working on the job itself. This plan should be made with your removalists in mind, as they will be the ones doing most of the hard work for you. Your plan should include the order, labeling, and methods you’ll use to get this job done. Of course, though, it also helps to think about unpacking at the other end. The way that you pack your items up will have a huge impact on your experience at the other end of your journey.

[Photo courtesy of Jillien Minera/unsplash.com]

Once you have a good idea of how you’ll be taking on your move, you can start to think about the resources you’ll be using to help you. Boxes will be a big part of this, and you have the option to buy them new or to go on a hunt for some free ones. But, most importantly, you need to think about your labeling system. Permanent markers are great for most applications. But, for items which can’t be written on, you might need some proper tags or labels to seal the deal.

After a little bit of shopping, you should be well on your way to being able to start your packing, and it’s time to consider the items you’ll be packing first. This sort of information should be covered loosely by your plan. But, for the most part, logic and organization will be the best tools to help you here. Starting with the smallest and least-fragile items, you should work on packing room by room. Each container or piece of storage furniture should have a box or two to itself which is clearly marked to help you with unpacking.

Some of the items around your home will be unlikely to fit into a box or other container, and you’ll need to devise a way to move these items easily, as well. This is where your labels come in. By marking which rooms each large item will be going to, you will make the job of unpacking a lot easier. Along with this, though, you could also consider investing in some plastic wrapping material. Not only will this protect your furniture and other big possessions, but it will also make them easier to move around.

Hopefully, this post will give you everything you need to start taking action and working towards moving home. In a lot of cases, people struggle with this sort of work. Stress and worry become big factors, making the whole thing a lot harder, and it can feel like there’s nothing you can do to make it better. In most cases, though, a little bit of work will go a very long way.

As a homeowner, you probably keep your house clean and tidy and looking great. But can you honestly say the same about your garden? So many people ignore what’s going on in their garden, and that’s often because they don’t know how to tackle those kinds of outdoors challenges. Well, it all starts with getting the right equipment and learning how to use it. Here’s more information on all the garden tools and equipment every homeowner should have.

Well-Designed Garden Pruners

Pruning is something that all gardeners must to do keep their plants as healthy as they can be. Make sure you have some well-designed pruners that you can use and rely on in your garden. It can be tiring for your hands, so it’s best to use pruners that have been designed with this in mind.

Small Weeding and Digging Tools That Are Easy to Grip

Weeding and digging is something you’ll probably be doing a lot of in the garden, and that’s why you should get yourself some tools that are easy for you to grip. It’s not always easy to use cheap tools because they are not designed in a very ergonomic way. That’s why you should try to use higher quality weeding and digging tools if you can. It’s one of those things that’s worth spending a little extra money on.

A Chainsaw for Tackling Unwanted Branches

When you have branches hanging down and getting in your way all the time, it can be very frustrating. Don’t just ignore them, though. It’s easy to get rid of them when you have the right tools. A chainsaw will help you with this and any other tree problems that might need to be remedied in your garden. It’s definitely worth considering. You can buy a chainsaw from this website. It’s an investment that will serve your garden well.

Compression Gloves

You’re going to need a good pair of gloves to rely on if you want your gardening to be comfortable and easy. You will cut your hands and experience all kinds of problems if you try to garden without using gloves. It’s not even worth considering. So, be sure to find yourself a pair of compression gloves that offer that little bit extra padding and keep you properly protected. It might not sound like much, but good gloves can make a world of difference.

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A Good Lawnmower

Of course, you’re going to need to mow the lawn on a regular basis if you want your garden to look great. The lawn is the focal point of pretty much every garden out there. And when you don’t cut it correctly, it either gets brown and barren or it gets overgrown. Neither of those outcomes are particularly desirable, so you should upgrade your lawnmower for better results. There are so many high-tech options out there today.

If you own a home with a garden, you want that garden to look great. But it will only look great when you have the right tools and equipment for the task of keeping that garden in check.

Your home is your fortress. Make sure no one can break into your house while you’re at work or on vacation. Don’t take your home security for granted. When you buy a new house or an apartment don’t forget about security check. This information will help you in eliminating your weaknesses, thus increasing your home security level. Over time, many people forget to re-evaluate their homes for security flaws. Some people forget to fix their window locks and replace the broken bulb. These little things can compromise your safety when you least expect it.

Re-examine your home security with the following steps:

Secure your entrances

Replace your entrance door with a durable solid core metal or wooden door. Avoid having a front door with a large window, otherwise burglars would break it  in order to get inside. Prefer installing thick bolt locks on all your entrances. Many burglars kick front doors to enter houses. That’s why you need to have a reliable lock to defend your home against any burglar.

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Don’t forget to change the locks when you move to a new apartment. You never know who has a set of spare keys to your new home. This minor investment would help you avoid any major loss.

Windows and glass doors

Deadbolt locks would secure all your windows and sliding glass doors. Sliding doors provide an easy access to burglars; don’t forget to lock them every night and before you leave the house. Burglars love broken window locks. Examine all your windows and change loose or broken locks.

Spare key

Hiding your front door key under the doormat is a cliché. Every burglar would search for the key under the doormat, flower pot or on top of your door frame. These most common hiding spots caused a lot of troubles in the past.

Give your spare key to a trustworthy neighbor or a close friend who would help you when you lock yourself out and water your flowers when you’re away. Even if you think your key is hidden in a secure place, a creative burglar would always find it.

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Take care of your garden

Trim the bushes in front of your windows. Burglars can hide behind overgrown trees and bushes; make sure that your garden plants are not blocking your windows. Avoid planting a tree in close proximity to your house. A burglar can climb the tree and enter your house through unlocked sliding door on the upper floor.

If you have a big garden, consider installing motion detectors around your house. Burglars don’t like well-lit places; they prefer hiding in the dark.

Home insurance plan

Home insurance policy would add an extra layer of security for you. Homeowners should get several homeowners insurance quotes before choosing the best option. Comparing the rates and quotes would help you evaluate your options and understand what’s best for you and your family. Keeping aware of security plans makes sense. If you have a home insurance plan you would feel more comfortable leaving your house for several weeks when you travel.

For most young people, buying a house is synonymous with freedom. Finally, you can do whatever you want in your home without worrying about what the landlord might say or about getting your deposit back. It is yours, and to put things clearly; you can put as many holes in the walls as you want to. Except, naturally, that buying a house brings a lot more than just a new sense of freedom. There are responsibilities — on the financial and on the practical sides for instance —, compromises and the discovery of new skills too. Buying a house together is truly the beginning of a new adventure. Unfortunately, for a lot of couples, it can also bring serious disagreements and difficulties to their relationship. In the end, the best way for yourself to prepare for this exciting journey into an unknown universe — the land of home ownership — is probably to hear about it first hand from those who made the journey and survived it!

Moving into your first home

#1. First things first: How much can you afford?

Does it need saying? Buying a home is naturally an important investment, and it’s likely to be the first of its kind for you. Most couples choose a combined mortgage option when they buy their first home, as it is one of the easiest options. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t look for other mortgage offers. To keep things basic, the more you borrow, the more you will have to repay. So it’s always a good idea to work with a housing loan calculator to determine first how much you can afford to pay back over a period of time. Sometimes, you might find that it’s easier to save or borrow from your friends or relatives to pay a large deposit on the house and be able to take a loan on a smaller amount.

[Photo courtesy of AlexanderStein/pixabay.com]

 How much can you afford?

#2.It’s all about money and planning

Don’t fall into the common trap of thinking that the cost of your home is the cost of your loan. It is far from it, especially if you hadn’t taken any renovation project into account when you agreed on a price. Affording home improvements can be especially stressful if you’re not used to it. But do you know that you don’t need to rely on an FHA loan to finance your home improvements? Indeed, first-time buyers can also focus on eco-friendly transformations that can be funded by governmental bodies, for example. For extensive renovation works, you can apply for a construction loan or borrow from your 401(k).

#3. Budget as a couple

In fact, the decision to buy a home together marks for couples the first struggle to keep a budget that cares for their individual and common financial needs. You may be used to keeping your own budget, but a couple budget is a whole new kettle of fish. For a start, you need to define your household needs in terms of mortgage repayment, bills, groceries, etc. These, while they are common, will be different to the kind of budget you had BEFORE you bought a house. Additionally, it’s essential that you and your partner agree on the long-term saving goals. There’s no point working towards separate goals.

#4. Combining furniture or buying new?

For some couples, buying a house is the first time they will be properly moving in together — it’s not uncommon for couples to spend time together but keep their separate apartments until they are ready to move in together properly. You might think that the hardest part about this is to share private details through the cohabitation. But believe it or not, most couples report that the hardest part of moving in together is combining their styles and furniture. Indeed, you need to be prepared to get rid of as much of your stuff as you expect your partner to. It’s only fair to keep the best of your common belongings, and it’ll avoid arguments in future. Besides you can also focus on buying new pieces of furniture together.

#5. You’re emotionally ready for the life together

Buying a house together might sound like a good idea. But you need to ask yourself first if you’re ready for this kind of commitment. Cohabitation becomes real when it’s in your own home. In a tenancy agreement, you can leave whenever you want. If it’s your home, you can’t leave. That’s why you need to be sure that you’re ready to move in together for real. Living with the person you love requires accepting levels of intimacy that you may not be prepared to deal with just now. For instance, as silly as it might sound, being able to talk openly about your choices, aspirations and desires for your relationship is a crystal-clear giveaway that you are ready for the move. The best test, though, is to observe how you interact with each other when you’re dealing with stress or financial issues, as these tend to be relationship killers.  

#6. You need to establish some basic rules

Buying your first home also means being ready to accept and share the responsibilities that come with it. You’ve guessed it right: Household chores are a big area of disagreement for couples. Indeed, as both partners often work in modern relationships, household chores need to be shared fairly between both of you. If you prefer doing the laundry while your partner enjoys washing up, then you can simply stick with your eras of expertise or preferences. Admittedly, nobody really enjoys doing chores, but you can work on the basis of things you don’t hate doing instead, as it’s a healthy way of sharing tasks.

#7. Create your decor together

Ah decorating. Who doesn’t love decorating? However, when you buy your first home together, you need to establish a fair approach to your interior decor. It’s not only a personal matter; it’s a matter of shared personal tastes. If you’ve got two different styles, it can be fun to blend both approaches to create an in-between style that will keep your decor eclectic and exciting. You will find the decorating exercise can get a lot easier if you can agree on a common palette of colors that can bring everything together. As a rule of the thumb, though, a good palette consists of five color schemes — by color scheme, we mean blues and grays, for instance, that offer many variations without one theme.

#8. Discover the joys of DIY

You can’t move happily in a house without knowing anything about the most basic home repairs. In fact, you will soon find yourself checking online tutorials to find out how to unblock the toilet or how to clean your grout. While nobody expects you to become a plumbing expert or a qualified electrician, your home maintenance requires some basic DIY skills. Tiling, painting, repairing wood or metal surfaces with filler compounds, or fixing the tap on the sink are essential requirements that every handy(wo)man needs to learn. And don’t leave it to the man in the house simply because he is a man! There’s no room for sexism in home maintenance!

[Photo courtesy of Free-Photos/pixabay.com]

Get your DIY tools with your first home

#9. Give your home a  housewarming party

You might be considering throwing a big housewarming party for your friends and neighbors. If you can; don’t skip on the party as it’s a great way to introduce yourself to a new neighborhood. But remember that once the party is over, you’re the one left to clean. So keep it civilized, friendly and alcohol-light!

In the end, there is a lot to consider when you decide to buy a home together. Your finances; of course; are a priority. But your relationship, your personal preferences and your ability to work together will transform your house into a home. Don’t be fooled: It won’t be perfect every day. But that’s okay because with time and goodwill great things happen.

Out of all the things you can do to ornament and add life and vigor to your garden, water features stand apart in their own special category. If done right, they can add mystique, romance, fun, and function to any garden at all.

Here’s a look at some of the best water features you can include in your garden and their unique benefits.

Pools

Swimming pools are the ideal addition to your garden if you, your family, or friends are interested in having some fun in the sun, and hiring a pool builder to install one might just change your life. Not only does a swimming pool by its very nature suggest a degree of wealth and luxury, but they’re also just incredibly versatile in terms of all the different ways you can enjoy them!

With a larger pool, you can get some serious exercise in by swimming laps back and forth. Kids can learn to swim in a pool. Family and friends can have their own water polo tournaments. Or, if you’d prefer, you can just lounge about on a deckchair getting a tan, and jump in when you want to cool off.

Image by Nowis via Wikimedia Commons

Ponds

A pond is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and relaxing garden features out there, and there are many different styles to choose from. Do you want a pond straight out of a European fairy-tale, with lily pads on the surface, flowers on the bank, and maybe some ornamental features at the bottom? No problem!

Or how about you turn it into a traditional Japanese koi pond and sit next to it for some Zen meditation and quiet contemplation on those hectic days?

Fountains

Fountains are a brilliant way to delight and intrigue guests and to create a sense of magic and wonder in your garden. The sky is the limit with how fancy or elaborate you can go with these, but there are a wide variety of options available suited to different budgets.

With a fountain, you can turn your garden into a scene from Renaissance Italy, or a modern, hip environment from the most fashionable city you can think of.

Bird baths

Not only are birdbaths available in a wide array of affordable and classy designs, able to act as a stunning ornament in and of themselves, but they also serve a feel-good purpose.

After all, our little feathered friends need a cooling drink from time to time, don’t they?

With a bird bath, you not only decorate your garden, but you also invite the local wildlife in and make them comfortable during their stay. A fantastic way of engaging with your local habitat.

Wells

Wells are an immensely practical item – that is, of course, why they were invented. In the modern day, most of us have the luxury of getting our water from a tap. For anyone who feels like enhancing their own sense of self-reliance, however, it could be worthwhile having your property surveyed, and potentially building a well if conditions allow.

Not only will this be one of the most interesting garden features most of your friends have seen, but a well can also be designed in a variety of classic styles harking back to romantic Bavarian villages.

Planning any trip away from home requires some doing, especially if it is a long one. For someone doing it for the first time, it becomes all the more daunting, even with the various guides, blogs and apps available online these days.

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The question, however, which comes up more often than not is from where to begin? If you follow this step by step guide on what to be prepared for next time you step out of home on a long vacation, then the task of getting there and getting back home again will become much less overwhelming.

Make a list

A thing to do list will go a long way in taking care of what you need before you set out and not worry about leaving home for long. Just add things you remember, even if you have to cross them out again. This will not only make travel easy but planning better.

Travel light

When going on a lengthy holiday, one does get tempted to pack as much as you can to last the trip. The truth is that you will require a lot less. Just  carry clothes for about ten days and then by specific clothes for the location once you reach there. This way you need not haul a bulky bag for months on end.

Take care of the loose ends

Leaving home for an extended vacation can have some annoying drawbacks. Apart from forwarding your contract details to a reliable person, the problem of having someone to pay any upcoming bills needs to be taken care of.

Prepare your travel kit

Plan your itinerary and give the details to parents and friends. Make copies of your passport, visa and other travel related documents and make several copies for yourself and passing on to friends and families. Finally do not forget to take travel insurance – it as an absolute must.

Plan your mode of transport

Cutting down on transfer travel time and cost makes a great difference to the entire journey. The actual charge for valet parking at any airport terminal, both for short and long term can be quite high, even after the significant discounts on offer. It is better, therefore, to have a private transfer arranged to avoid the hassle of standing in the long taxi queue and over payment. Try booking a reliable transfer agency like KiwiTaxi, online. You will not only save on parking charges but will ultimately spend much less on your transport costs. While flying may be an option in some places, hiring a recreational vehicle from KiwiTaxi, can be not only cheaper but also have ample baggage space especially when travelling with families and kids.

Once you have decided to make the big adventure trip, the one which will take you miles away from home for months on end, these are the minor things which will come to your help and need to be tackled. Remember, any vacation is supposed to be fun and relaxing, therefore, a poorly planned one can result in a major headache.

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Buying a new home needs careful planning and consideration. Most home-buyers focus on the price and location of the home they want to purchase. The house condition and its age is an important factor for most home-buyers because of the maintenance, upgrades and cost of repairs.

Finding the right home is not always an easy task just like finding the right car it can be an overwhelming process and emotionally draining to home-buyers.  But with the technology today and right research, there are many different resources where to get complete and helpful information that you need when purchasing a new home or car, just take for example cars.com when you are planning to buy a new car.  Their website have a huge selection of information and resource to teach you on your potential car purchase. They provide extensive reviews and essential information about a wide variety of different cars, it is either used or new.

[Photo Courtesy of Pascal Renet/pexels.com]

And just like doing a good research when buying a new car, a good research  and doing home inspection is a very essential too when purchasing a new home for your own satisfaction by visually evaluating the home’s condition and identifying the problems with the house.  Although, generally speaking, the seller is not required to make repairs if problems are discovered during a home inspection but not to disappoint or cancel the deal often times the seller agrees to make a repair.

Visiting different realtors and car dealers is essential to find the best deal especially when you are buying an old house or a used car.

Home improvements are great to add value to your property, but they can be a pain to finance. In fact, most homeowners tend to focus on personal loans or an FHA 203k loan – they can be used for refinancing and repairs instead of buying a new home – when they look for financing options. But, believe it or not, there is more than one way to finance your home improvement project without taking a personal loan. Below, you’ll find 5 ways that should do the trick for you.

Build an eco house

#1. Let the home raise money for the improvement

If you already have a first mortgage on your home, homeequitylineof.credit can be a valuable option for you. You can draw out money as it fits and choose to pay it back when you can, as long as you keep the minimum monthly payment. You don’t even have to pay interest either until you use the money. But beware, though: If you can’t make the payment, you could end up homeless.

#2. Go green and get funded

If you decide to go green and add eco-friendly transformations to your home, you might not even have to pay for it by yourself. According to archive.epa.gov you can find funding opportunities for green buildings, including grants and tax-credits. There is a variety of national and local programs available. For an updated list, you may want to get in touch with your local authorities.

#3. Find a construction loan

Construction loans are rare and they are difficult to obtain. But this short-term loan option allows you to pay for the construction or extension work. You will need to need to make major renovations to be eligible for this kind of loan. At the end of the construction process, you will need to get the end loan, which is a loan to pay off the first loan. However, construction loans are very cumbersome in terms of application and funding, as the money is only released at specific stages of the project. Finally, if the work can’t be completed within the agreed scheduled, you might have to pay additional costs until you can move in.

#4. Borrow your 401(k)

It’s common for 401(k) programs to let you borrow from your account and pay back the loan over a number of years – generally five – via payroll deduction. However, you can only borrow up to 50% of your account balance, which limits the amount you can get. Additionally, if you leave your job or change company, you will need to repay the loan earlier. In that case, the loan becomes a withdrawal on which you owe taxes and penalties.

#5 Reverse mortgage for 62+

If you are 62 or older, you can get a reverse mortgage on the percentage of equity that you own in your property. While a reverse mortgage is expensive, you don’t have to repay it until the home is sold or you’ve changed address.

Each way of funding your home improvements presents specific advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, unless you inherit a bunch load of money from a rich aunt, you will need to pick the most suitable borrowing option for your situation.