Most of the time, you hear and read about home improvements aimed at saving energy and heating costs; but we don’t really hear much about saving water, do we? If you think about it, though, saving water is just as important as saving on electricity and other utility bills. After all, water is fast becoming a precious commodity and we have to start conserving this resource NOW or suffer for it later. Here are some home improvements you can consider geared towards helping save water.
Upgrade to a new toilet. You may not know it, but flushing the commode uses up so much water; so much that it accounts for about 30% of the water consumption of a single household! There are newer models, though, which use up much less water – go for them!
Get a nice shower head AND take more showers than baths. I know, there is nothing like relaxing in a hot bath after a long hard day at work. I suppose every now and then wouldn’t hurt much, but make it a habit to take showers more than baths. In order to entice you to take showers more than baths, get a nice shower head that has a powerful spray. Newer models also use less water, so you do your part for the environment.
Check for leaks regularly. If you don’t do this, you may never find out that you have a leak until you get an astronomical water bill. By then, it will be too late – the water has been wasted and you’d have to pay for the bill. In order to avoid such things from happening, do regular checks and maintain your plumbing.
Though moving can prove to be difficult, it does not have to reach the point where you want to kill yourself. If I were you, I would go ahead and find a reputable moving company that I can afford way ahead of time. You might have to part with some of your hard earned money but the convenience of having professionals do the job will certainly save you more in terms of stress. But how do you find the perfect moving company for your needs?
Contrary to what you may be thinking, it is not a very good idea to look for a moving company online. To be honest, I am not very sure about this as I think that the Internet has a lot of good options. According to experts, however, majority of complaints as to moving companies involve those that operate online! If you do not feel like risking it then, I suggest that you check your local directory to find out about moving companies that operate in your area.
What’s the next step? Ask several companies to come visit your house to give you an estimate. They can take a look around and see what stuff they have to pack and move and then give you an idea as to how much it will cost you. If a potential moving company refuses to do this for you, never mind – go find someone else.
Once you have the details for several companies, you can sit down and compare their services and fees. From there, you can make a decision as to which moving company you will deal with. Good luck!
If you are in the process of moving or you are planning to move pretty soon, then you would know how much of hassle it can be. In the previous post, I talked about boxes and how important it is to have lots of them when you move. What else do you need to consider when moving?
One important consideration is to make sure that you have the necessities handy for your first night or so once you get to your new home. Boxes are all well and good but it would be more convenient to have the necessary items within easy access. You wouldn’t want to have to go through different boxes just to get yourself settled in for the night, would you? After a long day of hauling and you stuff, the last thing that you would want is to immediately unpack before going to bed.
Here are some things that you might want to put in separate storage so that you will find them easily once you get to your new house.
Personal items
Make sure you have these for EVERY member of the family. This includes a change of clothes, toiletries such as toothbrushes, towels, and the like. Place these in a handy bag and just take it with you in the car so you don’t have to look for it.
Eating utensils
Get a pack each of paper plates, disposal cups, forks, and the like. No need to open up the box for silverware on your first night.
Handy tools
Screwdrivers and the like should be taken along separately. These would come in handy in case you need to reassemble furniture and other things that you had to take down from the old house.
Moving is something that I do not look forward to. Actually, let me correct myself – on the one hand, I like moving because it presents change. Change is something that I look at in a positive light. On the other hand, moving can be such a hassle. Packing, finding movers, unpacking – just the thought of all the work gives me a headache. It does not have to be that difficult, though. Here are some tried and trusted tips that might just help ease the “pain” of moving.
Of boxes and containers
Do not make the mistake of NOT getting enough boxes and containers. I did this once, because I thought I was merely moving to a unit in the same building. I thought it would be fine NOT to get boxes. That was a big mistake. In the end, I still had to buy some boxes. More than getting enough boxes and containers, however, you should make sure that you get the right kind. The boxes should be made of sturdy materials and should be able to hold the things that you place inside them.
Another thing that you have to remember is that you should get the right packing material. I am talking about peanuts, wrapping, and the like. These are particularly important if you are moving a long distance as you should protect your things from breakage and scratches during the move.
If you want to save on wrapping, you can get old newspapers and used paper. You will not only be saving on money, you’ll also be helping the environment by re-using paper.
(to be continued)
If you are like majority of Americans, you are probably feeling all positive about the fact that spring is here. Well, for some, it’s not quite spring but we all have that silver lining to look forward. Pretty soon, the days of freezing temperatures, frozen driveways, and slushy paths will be gone.
Then again, there is one thing that homeowners must pay attention to when this wonderful time of the year comes around – cleaning up the mess that winter has created. Here are some things that you can look at as you plan on doing your spring cleaning.
Gutters
Ahh, these gutters serve a purpose but they can be nasty once winter gets through with them. Do make sure that you take a look at all your gutters and see if any damage has been done by the cold weather. Make sure that all the dirt and debris that has gathered is cleared up and that nothing is clogging your gutters.
Gaps and cracks
The cold of winter can create a lot of new gaps and cracks in your walls, windows, doors, and other similar areas. What you should do is do a once over and see if there are any gaps or cracks that need to be sealed. Otherwise, unwanted moisture might seep into your home, creating the possibility for more damage in the future.
Air conditioning
If you live in an area that requires the use of an air conditioning unit (and we all probably do), then this is a good time to make sure that your unit is functioning well. While it is not a must to use AC during spring, you would want to be prepared just in case you do need to use it.
Are you feeling that your home’s value is depreciating over the years? Although this is quite possible, there are always ways by which you can increase the value of your home. And I am not talking about spending a lot of money in various home improvement projects! Think curb appeal. Think landscaping.
What better way to increase the appeal of you home than to pay careful attention to what the buyer will see when he first arrives than to make sure the surrounding landscape is nice to the eyes? Here are some tips on landscaping; tips that will not end up costing you and arm and a leg.
Color is key.
What you want is to have splashes of bright colors. You do not need to pay for expensive landscape artists. Get some potted flowering plants with colors of red, yellow, and orange if you want to grab the attention of buyers. If you want to present the atmosphere of calm relaxation, go for cooler blues and green.
Use artificial grass to cover up dirt.
If you have no time to grow real grass or you have no money to get the real stuff, why not go for the artificial? Just because it’s artificial does not mean that it is going to look ugly. There are many options when it comes to fake grass these days – look for those that have warranty for years (10 years if you can). That will surely be a selling point for you!
Make your place seem spacious.
If you have a fence enclosing the yard, cover it up with foliage and paint. Play around with these elements to create an illusion of space. More so, remove or rearrange clutter, such as lawn furniture.
You might be thinking that I am not making any sense. Who in his right mind be thinking about air conditioning at this time of the year? Winter is just around the corner, why would you need air conditioning?
Well, what I am talking about is not really using your air conditioner this winter. What I have in mind is fixing up your air conditioning system. If you have had your central air conditioning system for many years, the chances are that you have not really taken the time to redo it. And if I am right, you really have to do something about it – even the best air conditioning system has its life span and it just might be nearing the end of that.
On the other hand, if you do not have central air, you might want to consider installing a system. Having central air installed is going to bring you a lot of benefits. One, if you want to increase the value of your house, then installing central air conditioning will certainly pull it up. Two, central air can actually lower your electric bills considerably. If you have a well-designed system (which is really not that hard to come by if you have the right contractor), insulation and air flow will be more efficient, saving you on bills.
So why do it now? Why not wait till you could actually use the air conditioner? This one’s another no brainer – it is winter, no one really buys air conditioner at this time. You get better prices at the stores and you can probably get better deals with contractors as well.
I know, you are probably strapped for cash at this time. Most everyone I know does not have extra money lying around. Why would you want to spend money on home improvement projects? Well, aesthetic improvement may not be necessary BUT there are some repairs that you absolutely must carry out before winter hits. If you wait to get them done, you just might have to spend more or suffer from the damages. Here are some must do repairs for you to consider before the months become freezing.
Cracked chimneys
The problem with cracks in your chimney is that water will definitely seep through. And when this happens, you run the risk of having the metal parts rust or having the bricks crack. The latter is especially true during winter when the water expands. And later on, when the chimney is in use, you can get hot spots due to the minor damages. Hot spots can cause further damage to the chimney and even worse, might cause combustible items nearby to ignite. And you know what can happen next.
Damaged roofs
You might think that as long as the roof covers the house, it is good. Well, in a sense that is true but even little damages on the roof can cause you big problems later on. If the roof leaks, for example, water can seep through and cause further damage as well as soak the interior of the house. Add to that extreme temperature and you’ll get even worse problems.
Also take note of the gutters – if they are clogged with leaves and other debris, the water will accumulate there and again, give you a big headache.
One of the most important things that homeowners pay attention to is how energy efficient their homes are. The fact is that sometimes, we overlook this aspect. As long as the house is comfortable and looks nice, the energy efficiency factor is sometimes set aside. If you think this way, you may be making one of the biggest mistakes as a homeowner. Why don’t we take a look at some signs that your house may be an energy guzzler?
Shoddy insulation
Shoddy insulation is bad enough. Missing insulation is even worse. Without proper insulation installed, your energy consumption will certainly skyrocket. You might even have to pay almost double of what you should. Check your insulation and save your money.
Heating and/or cooling
We talked about revamping your air conditioning system in the previous post. The fact is that older air conditioning units will eat up so much electricity. Now you may not be aware of it if you have been using your air con for many years but believe me, try using a new unit and you will realize just how much you can save.
Paint color
What color do you have on your roof right now? If it is dark, then you might want to consider repainting it. Dark color attracts heat more and this will cause you to have to pay more for cooling during the summer. This is also true for the exterior paint for the walls of the house.
You might want to check these factors out and see if you can improve the efficiency of your home.
I love bathtubs. I could end my post there. I really love them. If I had the money, I’d have several huge bathrooms in my house and put all sorts of bathtubs in them. And I am sure that there are many of you out there who are into bathtubs as well. Just some information for those who are in the market for some tubs – what are the different kinds of bathtubs?
Soaking bathtubs
Aren’t all bathtubs for soaking? Apparently, there are tubs which are meant for, well, you got it, soaking. They are deeper than the standard tubs, with water going as high as one’s chin while lying down. More so, these tubs do not come with any other attachments such as showers and jets.
Built in bathtubs
These tubs are what we normally have at home. They are not separate attachments which you can move around the bathroom, but are instead “built into” the room, as the name suggests.
Freestanding bathtubs
These are those beautiful tubs that you see with big claws as feet. As opposed to the built in bathtubs, they can be moved around and be relocated wherever you want them. Those big pedestal or clawfoot bathtubs fall under this category.
Special tubs
I suppose all the other kinds of tubs that do not fall under the conventional types above will fall under this category. From high tech tubs with jets and whirlpools to walk in bathtubs – you can find the tub to suit your special needs.
