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For people who like to cook and eat good food, the kitchen is the central place in the house. And if your kitchen is not that spacious, it could present a big problem. This is exactly the case in my relatively new apartment and it has been bugging me for quite some time. Here are some tips that all of use with small kitchens just might find handy.
Lose the table
Perhaps it has something to do with image or upbringing but some people have the tendency to bring in a humongous table into the kitchen. It could be that these people have dreams of having a huge family one day. But for now, while there are only 2 or 3 people living in the house, I think that it would be good to just get a small table – that would be enough for daily use and free up some space in the kitchen as well.
Annex adjacent rooms
If you are already tight on space, why not make your dining room and kitchen one big room? Knock down walls if there are any and create one spacious area where you can prepare food, congregate with the family, and eat at the same time? Though the idea may be repulsive to some, ponder on it a bit more and you just might find yourself liking the idea of having more space to move around. Oh, this is not limited to the dining room. Take a look at walk in cupboards, pantries, and the like.
Are you hosting Christmas dinner or lunch for family and friends this year? I feel for you, if you are. I know that it is supposed to be a time of giving and good cheer but if you are the host family, the task can be a daunting one. You already have the not easy task of preparing the meal but you also have to think about the Christmas decorations as well as making sure your house is respectable. You still have a couple of weeks left – counting some weekends. Perhaps you can embark on small home improvement projects before the big day? Here are more easy tips for you.
Set aside one day for all the small repairs that you need to do.
I am sure that you have more than one minor repair that needs to be done. Let me check my house. I have a leaky faucet, some window caulking needs fixed, and the screen door has a hole. These are all small things and it would be more time efficient to deal with them all in one day if possible. Do a once over and check all the small repairs and prepare to work on them in a day.
Redo your floors.
I am not saying that you should change to hardwood if your floor is made of tiles or vice versa. What I am trying to tell you is that you should make sure that your floor is extra shiny (if wood or tile) or that the carpet is spic and span. A clean looking floor does wonders for the house!
Make your house look good from the outside.
If the outside needs a coat of fresh paint, try allotting a whole weekend for this. If this is not possible – which is the case in many places in the US at this time of the year – then add ornaments and accessories that will spruce up your curb appeal.
For many households, getting a Christmas tree is part of tradition. I don’t know if you noticed, though, that as the years go by, it seems that less and less people are putting up their Christmas decorations. More so, it seems that those who still do so are taking action later in the year. Let me ask you – have you put up your tree yet? If you have, then good for you! If you haven’t, then you are like me! In any case, here are some tips to help you in picking out a tree.
Get your measurements right.
We only have 19 days before Christmas and I am sure that you are such in a rush to get that tree. Before you head out to the tree farm, however, make sure that you know you measurements exactly. The last thing that you want to happen is to get a tree that is too big for your place. Too small may fit but it still won’t look perfect. So, take your time to get the perfect measurements.
Know the different kinds of trees.
One tree is not the same as every other tree. There are countless species in existence and even though tree farms may be limited as to the species they offer, you should still do a little reading up on your trees. Before you go to the tree lot, make sure that you know what you want and what will suit your needs and preferences best. For in depth and reliable information, visit the National Christmas Tree Association.
Do you find yourself wondering where your weekends have gone? I have come to this realization lately – more often than not, my weekends are “wasted” sleeping all day because of very late nights out. I thought to myself, why not limit the nights out just a teeny bit and actually do something that I would be able to appreciate in the long run. The answer? Home projects that I can do over the weekend. Not only will I have concrete results, I will also increase the value of my home. So what are these? Read on.
Project #1: De-clutter the house
If there is one thing you can say about my house, it is that it is full of clutter. It just so happens that we both have the tendency to be pack rats. As a result, we have a lot of things that clutter up the whole house. I have actually started on this project – one weekend at a time. If you are anything like us, then you would probably need a couple of weekends at least to finish this project.
Project #2: Redo cabinets
When we first moved in, our kitchen cabinets looked really beautiful. Made of hard wood and painted a clean white, they provided a very good contrast to our red walls. Now, due to moisture and heat – all a part of kitchen life – the cabinets are looking a bit dowdy. I am thinking of using one weekend to redo these cabinets to restore them to their former glory.
Project #3: Replace lighting
Lighting sometimes tends to be overlooked. I am not talking about the main light fixtures – these always get replaced as soon as needed. However, the less useful lights sometimes get forgotten. Take a look around, you might have some bulbs that need replacement – get on it!
(to be continued)
We have been talking about a lot of secrets that can help you have a lawn that will be the envy of all your neighbors. Here is the last installment of this series.
Don’t water too frequently but water deeply
What do I mean by this? If you are an “enthusiastic waterer,” then you might have to face the temptation of watering every day. Don’t! Despite your best intentions, it is not good for the grass to be watered frequently. This is because frequent watering will only result in a tangled mess of roots near the surface of the soil. What you want is deeply rooted grass. That is why you should water only when needed. How do you know when the grass needs to be watered? Here are some signs:
1. If you encounter resistance when you push a screw driver into the soil.
2. The grass takes on a slightly bluish color.
3. You see footprints on the lawn and they remain there.
Don’t water at night
The best time to water your lawn would be at dawn or early in the morning. This is because you need the water to soak into the soil or evaporate quickly. This is because too much moisture on the surface will only lead to disease. If you water at night, this is what will happen eventually.
Watch the weeds…
…and pull them out immediately. One of the worst things that can happen is if you let the weeds get out of control. Your best bet is to immediately take action and get rid of them before you get a bigger problem.
So you’ve been advised not to cut your grass too short and to make sure that you use the sharpest blades available. What else can you do in order to make your lawn as beautiful as it can be? Here are some more secrets that you can try out.
Wait till the grass dries before you mow
You know how sometimes you get the urge to mow your lawn? This can come and go and sometimes, you just go ahead and mow even if it just rained. After all, you never know when you would feel like mowing again. Well, let me tell you this – if you want a beautiful lawn, you should never mow your lawn when it is wet. What is the rationale behind this? When you mow the lawn while it is wet, the mower will compact the soil. This would crowd the roots of the grass and result in dying grass. Then the bane of a lawn owner would happen – bald spots in an otherwise beautiful carpet of grass.
Make use of those clippings
Instead of gathering the clippings, bagging them, and hauling them out to the trash, you should just leave them on the lawn. This is especially true if you mow regularly and your clippings are relatively short. They should not be a problem as the short clippings will eventually their way down to the soil and serve as fertilizer as well. If you are worried about the clipping turning brown, you shouldn’t. Short grass clippings would not be seen turning brown – as I said, they would find their way down into the soil.
Not everyone has a lawn – especially folks who live in the city. It is a fact that most everyone wants to have a lawn, though, and when they do get the chance to have one, they would do most everything to make it look perfect. However, this is not always achieved. Whether it is due to lack of knowledge or time, it does not matter. There are things that you should do in order to take care of your lawn and make it look wonderful – thereby adding value to your home. Here are some secrets to make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.
Mow regularly using sharp blades
Who gets to mow the lawn this time? You! No, you! No, YOU! You are probably familiar with this exchange – people just do not like mowing their lawns. But if you have one, then you might as well take care of it by mowing regularly. Remember to use the sharpest blades that you can find as this makes the grass grow thicker. More so, it keeps weeds away. The sharp blades are imperative as they cut the grass neatly. This serves two purposes – the lawn looks nicer and the grass is healthier.
Don’t cut too short
Your lawn is not a golf course, where short grass is necessary. The general rule of thumb when cutting your lawn grass is to cut no more than 1/3 of its length. The reason for this is that cutting too short makes grass more vulnerable to disease, making your lawn maintenance an even tougher job. More so, the shorter you cut, the shallow the roots of the grass grow – and you want the opposite to happen.
(to be continued)
So we had a short discussion on what home buyers should do. But what if you are a home seller, what should you do? Here are some specific tips for you.
Tip #1: If at all possible, wait.
If selling your home is not imperative at this point, then wait. The markets are very much troubled, we cannot overlook that fact. If you know that the market is particularly unstable in your area, you should really hold off on selling your property.
Tip #2: Rent it out instead.
Following tip #1, while waiting for the markets to become better – and trust me, they will sooner or later – why don’t you rent out your house instead? Of course, this is only possible if you live in another location and you do not need the house to live in.
Tip #3: Spruce up your home.
We all know how a little retouching can up the value of your home. While waiting for your house to sell, you should do this and increase its value. We have had a lot of articles on redoing your house. Take a look at them to get some ideas.
Tip #4: Get the price right.
I understand that you would want to get the most money out of the sale of your house – any home seller has the same goal. But you must bear in mind that money is tight at the moment. If you price your house too high, you might be missing out on a good sale.
The redecorating bug bites all of us every now and then. If you got bitten by the redecorating bug recently, do not worry all that much. Despite the economic times, there are still ways and means by which you can satisfy that urge without putting too much of a strain on your finances. In the last post, we took a look at thrift shops and cast-offs. Here are some more tips for you.
IKEA
Not everyone will agree with me on this point but I have to suggest paying the nearest IKEA branch a visit. This Swedish store has tons of stuff that you can use to refurbish your house without breaking your budget. The fact is, not everything looks nice – at least to my untrained eye – but there are some good finds at their stores. They have very affordable prices and functional pieces as well.
PAINT
A change of color can be the best thing that you can do to bring new life to your house. Try for the light and bright colors instead of the usual white or off-white paint. You do not even have to immediately buy new furnishings. You just might be surprised at how much a new paint job can change things.
GET IDEAS
Visit your local bookstore – I prefer those stores which have really comfy chairs where you can sit while browsing through their books. You do not have to spend by doing this. Settle in and prepare to spend a couple of hours looking through interior design books and magazines and pick up some nifty ideas.
Pretty soon, with these tips, your redecorating urge will be satisfied.
Everyone does at some point. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is not the best time to redecorate, though. Then again, if you have a little extra to spare, there are still ways and means by which you can spruce up your interiors without spending too much. Want to know how to do that? Read on to find out.
Head for the flea markets and thrift shops
These are some of the best places for good finds. Antiques – or something like antiques – are best found for cheap at flea markets and thrift shops. Most of the time, furniture is what you can find. However, some thrift shops have specific sections for home items, like the kitchen. Rare collectibles for décor are also among the most sought for items. Flea markets and thrift shops are great for your bargaining powers so make sure you bring them along with you.
Don’t turn away cast-offs
If you have parents, uncles, aunts, or grandparents who have an eye for home décor, they might have some things that they want to get rid of. Take a look around their attic or storage shed. You never know what you might find. The chances are that they would even be grateful to you for getting “junk” off their hands. To make them even happier, why not have a garage sale so that they can get rid of the other stuff that they do not need (and you do not want) and make some money while at it?
(to be continued)
