In the experiences of many, getting adjusted to life in a new home can have something of a rocky start. It’s only natural that we take a little time to adjust to a brand-new space. It might be yours, but it can still feel alien, especially as you start to discover the little quirks you don’t love as some of the other features. But the best approach to change your mood on something is the proactive one. If you want to start feeling at home in your new home, you have to hit it running.

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Taking care of the essentials

One of the biggest mistakes of homeowners is waiting to find out that their new home has flaws. The vast majority of places, unless they’re new builds that you designed yourself, are going to have them. The trick is not let them catch you by surprise. When you move in, start looking over all the essentials that might lead to problems. Start with the utilities, testing every light, every socket, and every tap, as well as learning where the mains and shutoff valves are. Consider the security of doors and windows, the possibility of air leaks in the windows and roof, and more.

Bring out the comforts of home

Regardless of what you didn’t like about where you lived before and why you moved from it, there’s a good chance that there will be some aspects of it that you liked. You might have even been able to bring some along. It might be some of the photo displays you put up. It could be familiar smells that aroma providers like www.livelyliving.com.au can help you replace. Bring out some of the more emotionally engaging parts of the new home first to really establish your identity in the home and make it feel more ‘you’.

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Making changes

A real issue is moving to a new home when you don’t really have any ideas on what you want to do with it or you have few pieces of furniture or décor ready to be put up. No-one likes living in an empty space. The best way to avoid that issue is to prepare in advance and start buying items to put them in storage. If you neglect to do so, however, then teams like www.therenovationcompany.com.au can help you get a running start at it. The longer your home feels like a “project” rather than a home, the longer it will take you to start feeling at home.

Thinking outside the box

Don’t neglect the outdoors while you’re making changes inside, either. If they haven’t been maintained by the seller, overgrown gardens and faded exteriors can remove any trace of welcoming from the home. Give the grass a cut, add some living space outdoors and give the front door a lick of fresh paint. It can make a huge difference to entering the home.

If you’re content to sit and wait for your home to suddenly become everything you wanted, you might find that you never quite end up getting that. Instead of waiting, take it into your own hands and finish what you started when you first moved in.

Have you been craving some extra space in your home? Maybe you have a little one on the way and you need an extra bedroom or you’d prefer to get work done in a quiet space. If you’re considering renovating your attic with the help of Summit Point Roofing, ponder these four tips.

[Attic bedroom” by Ben Husmann from Chicago, USA /wikipedia.org]

1. Will you be following fire codes and safety precautions? Usually, 50% of a finished attic has to be a minimum of seven feet high, seven feet wide, and 70 square feet. For safety reasons, you should have an engineer make sure that the house’s foundation and frame can withstand extra weight.
2. During the summer months, expect your attic to get much warmer than the rest of the house. Add ceiling fans to help regulate temperature.
3. With all that attic planning, you forgot about the rooms downstairs! Shuffling feet in the attic will carry through to the rooms below. Keep things quiet with heavy duty floor joists and add a carpet or area rug.
4. If you’re installing a bathroom upstairs, match it up with a kitchen or bathroom below. This will help streamline the plumbing, keeping costs down and limiting damage to the walls. Sometimes, a plumber will even be able to connect new pipes to the old ones, although this isn’t always the best option.

Are you ready to expand your home’s usable space and start utilizing that attic? Learn how today!

Moving into a new place is fantastic, and you can’t wait to decorate the home. A lot of people start to paint the rooms and refit the kitchen and bathroom in the home. But there are some home improvements people forget to do. Here are some of the top home improvements that you should not forget to make when you move into your new home.

Enhancing the security

A lot of people forget to improve the safety in their new home when they move in. It’s time to check the locks to ensure they are all working correctly. After all, you don’t want someone to break into your home at night as you have a broken lock on your back gate. You should consider changing the locks on your front and back door if you have just moved in. Otherwise, the previous owners could easily get into your home and take your stuff. You might consider improving your home by installing a burglar alarm and CCTV to ensure your new home is safe when you are away. By adding these security systems, you will be able to lower your home insurance too.

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Updating the roof

When you move in, you need to ensure you don’t forget to check the state of the roof. Over time, the roof may deteriorate because of the hot weather and storms that may occur. Therefore, you may need to get it repaired or even replaced so it lasts a long time. You may even want to do it for cost purposes because reflective roofs can save your energy costs by nearly half. You should look for a local company such as roofing company TX Roofing Solutions who will be able to come out and talk to you about options for your roof.

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Changing the energy supply

Another home improvement people often forget to make is checking whether they need to change their energy supply. There may be a cheaper option out there for your home. As we talked about here, you may want to consider instaling solar panels to improve the energy in your home. It might also be useful in the long run to switch from electricity to gas so that you can save a lot on your bill. You may not have the funds available later to make this home improvement. Even if you stick with the same energy source, you need to look around to find a cheap supplier.

Converting the loft

A lot of people forget to consider what home improvements they can make to the loft when they move in. It’s such a big room so you should make sure the utilize the space. Don’t just put your old stuff in there; make another bedroom to add value to your property. Before converting the loft, you need to ensure that it’s cost effective to do so, and there is plenty of space to do it. As this article reveals, you need also to check the building regulations when considering a loft conversion.

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You should also remember to replace the flooring if it’s in bad shape when you move in. You can also consider changing the bulbs to energy efficient ones which will end up saving some money.

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.

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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.