The building and construction industry was responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions in 2018. 11% of this was directly related to not using environmentally-conscious materials during the building process.

You may think that building energy-efficient houses would be a lot of extra work. In reality, it actually doesn’t take much effort to figure out which materials and products used are going to be efficient.

Are you interested in learning more about affordable energy-efficient house plans? Do you want to find out what it takes to build a home that is energy-efficient for yourself?

Keep reading to find out more about what an energy-efficient house is and how you could build one in the future.

Why Build an Energy-Efficient House?

A lot of people want to use energy wisely since lower energy consumption leads to a smaller carbon footprint. While it is kind to the environment to build an energy-efficient house, it’s not the only reason someone may want to do it.

The main reason that you might want an energy-efficient house is that it can be cost-effective. If it’s built correctly, you’ll have a home with good insulation that lets you spend less on heating and cooling per year.

Being more eco-friendly and sustainable in your daily life is another big reason that you may want to build an energy-efficient home. You’ll be able to keep up with the latest trends, but also learn more about something that has a huge impact.

A lot of the newest appliances, fixtures, or other aspects that go into a home are going to be more energy-efficient as well.

By having a house that is already built to be efficient, there are minimal things that you’ll need to do to be more energy efficient.

Someone that lives in a home that sucks up a lot of energy and water will have to pay more attention to their lifestyle. In an energy-efficient home, the actual house will do that work for you.

An energy-efficient house means you get to have less stress while saving money and saving the environment. Instead of asking yourself why you should build an energy-efficient house, you should be asking yourself what you have to lose.

What Features Are Needed?

Clearly, an energy-efficient house has to be built differently than a standard house or it won’t have the same impact.

The United States Department of Energy has created a rating system called the Home Energy Score that informs people about where their home sits in terms of efficiency. It lets you compare energy use across the market and shows you where your home stands compared to others.

To get a better score on the rating system, you will need to pay attention to the following features as you build your home.

Windows and Doors

Windows and doors have to be sealed in order to keep the air inside the home at a consistent temperature. By using EnergyStar certified windows on a home, a homeowner can save as much as $583 per year on energy.

Make sure that you choose home builders that are experienced in sealing windows and doors properly.

Even with everything else perfectly constructed in the home, a bad seal can make all the difference.

High-Quality Insulation

Having poor insulation makes your home less comfortable and your costs higher.

Insulation that isn’t doing its job well will make your walls and floors feel colder. You may even notice with poor insulation that the temperatures between rooms are dramatically different.

Your insulation has a huge impact on your home for years to come, so choose high-quality insulation from the beginning that will last.

Let your home builders know which type of insulation you want beforehand by doing some research before the build gets started.

Efficient Plumbing

You can make your home more eco-friendly by only using the water that you really need.

The fixtures that you choose for your kitchen and bathroom can be more eco-friendly than the standard faucet. This will result in less water usage, which means a lower bill for you, but also less waste.

Another benefit of installing high-quality fixtures is that they are less likely to leak. This means there is one less thing that you have to worry about.

Also, consider the type of toilets and showers you choose.

A dual-flush toilet, for example, uses less water than your average toilet. Alternatively, a low-flow showerhead will save you gallons of water.

Light Fixtures

Choose light fixtures and lightbulbs that are energy-efficient when building an energy-efficient home. Any type of lighting you have, whether it is outdoor lighting or ceiling fan lighting, can be more efficient.

Don’t forget that you can also use natural light to your advantage when planning to build a new home. This amounts to no energy used and still gives you the light that you need during the day.

If privacy is a concern, window privacy shades are always an option to add extra style to your room at the same time as concealing the inside.

Choosing to Build Energy-Efficient Houses

There are plenty of energy-efficient houses already in existence and by focusing on the areas that they succeed, you can build the home you want.

If you’re already spending the money to build a home, you should spend a little more upfront to spend less on bills over time. Creating an energy-efficient home helps you now, but it also helps people in the future by creating less waste.

Do you want to learn more about maintaining your home? If so, check out our Home & Garden section for additional content like this.

The smart home was just a buzzword you heard thrown around a few years ago. Today, smart homes are becoming commonplace.

Studies show that at least 69% of United States households now have at least one smart device. That number is likely to go even higher in the future.

The good news is that it’s easier than ever to make a smart home. Follow the smart home guide below to get yours up and running in short order.

Determine Your Needs

There are many smart home products out there, and the chances are good that you don’t need them all. If you want to streamline your smart home setup, you’ll need to decide what’s important to you.

There are a few primary smart home device categories to consider:

• Lighting
• Audio
• Blinds
• Security
• Climate control
• Sensors

Determine what’s important to you and buy those smart home devices first. You can expand to other product categories later after learning how to get your smart home up and running.

Pick a Central Hub

Finding the best smart home devices isn’t worth much if it’s a hassle to manage everything. Each one of your products will have its own set of apps to control everything. Without a central hub, you’ll spend more time than necessary managing your home.

A smart home hub is a way to centralize all your smart home functions. Once you find the devices you want, look for a hub that works with your products.

Your central hub should also be able to connect with a smart assistant. Some hubs like Samsung SmartThings have their own assistant. Others connect with assistants like Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

Set Up Automation

The great thing about smart homes is that you don’t have to handle everything manually. Yes, you do have control over everything on your smartphone. However, you can also set up your home to handle tasks automatically.

Make sure you investigate the automation features available with your products and other online services. You can likely cut out most of the manual work for home management.

Manage Your Energy

Running a smart home doesn’t come without drawbacks. With all the electronic equipment you’ll add to your home, you’re going to increase your energy requirements. If you don’t want a higher power bill, you need to supplement your power sources.

One of the best ways to do this is to invest in solar energy. You don’t need to go fully solar in the beginning. You can invest slowly in solar panels to account for the added power you need.

If you’re looking for solar companies near you to help, do a quick search on Google to find local solar providers.

Now You Know How to Make a Smart Home

It doesn’t take a tech genius to set up a smart home anymore. Now that you know how to make a smart home for yourself, you’re ready to start. Research your top product choices today to find the right tech for the job.

Are you interested in learning more home improvement tips? Check our latest posts to learn more.

Did you know that a minor kitchen remodel can give you a nearly 78% return on investment?

Have you been considering a kitchen renovation project? More specifically, have you wanted to update your kitchen cabinets?

Renovating your kitchen cabinets can breathe new life into your kitchen.

Can’t decide between which type of kitchen cabinets to choose? Check out this article to learn about different kitchen cabinet styles and choose the best one for your home.

Slab

Slab cabinets are also known as flat panel cabinets. They do not have a frame or contoured design on the door.

Slab-style cabinets are a popular choice because they give a kitchen a modern, clean look. If you love the modern aesthetic for your kitchen, you can also customize your cabinets so that they don’t have handles.

Shaker

Another popular kitchen cabinet design is shaker-style. Shaker cabinets have five parts that include the sides, top and bottom, and the center panel.

Shaker cabinets are versatile and can go with many different kitchen styles. You can choose a wood finish to go with a traditional kitchen design. For a modern look, you can choose a bold color like blue or even green.

You can also go with the classic farmhouse look of all-white shaker cabinets.

Shaker-style cabinets also look good with a transitional kitchen style, which is a kitchen style that combines both traditional and modern designs.

Distressed

Distressed cabinets give your kitchen a rustic look. This is also a DIY option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to update your kitchen cabinets.

Maybe your cabinets are in decent condition, but the wood or paint color is outdated. You can look up online tutorials to learn how to give your cabinets a new, unique look.

Louvered

If you want your kitchen to stand out, you can choose louvered-style cabinets. This design consists of horizontal wood slats on the cabinets.

Louvered cabinets are also a functional option because they provide ventilation.

Beadboard

Beadboard cabinets are another unique kitchen cabinet style. This style consists of cabinets that are made of vertical panels.

You can even customize the look of the cabinets by choosing how wide the boards are set apart. The look of the vertical panels gives detail and texture to your cabinets.

One drawback to beadboard-style is that it may be difficult to clean compared to other styles. There are a lot of crevices where dirt can collect.

Open Shelving or Open Frame

A popular trend in kitchen cabinet styles is open shelving. There are different ways to adopt this minimalist trend.

You can install open shelves instead of traditional kitchen cabinets. You can also mix and match by installing both cabinets and shelves. This way, you can store your collectibles on the shelves and put away the practical items or appliances in the cabinets.

Some people are trying out this trend by taking the doors off of their cabinets. This way, you can experiment and see if the style works for you.

Another similar option is open frame cabinets which have a glass frame.

However, if you do go for open shelving, you’ll have to keep your cabinets or shelves organized and clutter-free. Otherwise, it might stress you out to have to look at your open shelves when they are messy.

This trend might even help you be more organized. It also allows you to easily change up the look of your kitchen by mixing and matching your different kitchen items.

Open shelves or open frames can also make your kitchen look more open and bigger.

Minimalism

Another kitchen cabinet design trend is a minimalist style. This means a sleek look for kitchen cabinets and fewer items on the countertop.

This also means more storage options such as pull-out cabinets for you to keep all your kitchen stuff organized.

What’s more, another minimalist trend includes hiding the range hood and including it with the kitchen cabinet design.

Color

Choosing between kitchen cabinet colors can be overwhelming.

One thing to think about is the kitchen style that you want. You can go online and search for that style to get different ideas of kitchen cabinet colors.

You should also think about how you want your kitchen to look. Do you want a bold, bright color? Or are you looking for a classic, neutral look?

Here are some popular cabinet colors to choose from.

White

White cabinets give your kitchen a classic, farmhouse-style look. With white, you can also add accent colors and details that can stand out.

Neutral Tones

Other popular colors include neutral tones such as gray, blue, or cream. Gray can give your kitchen a contemporary look.

You can also paint your cabinets blue, which can add color without being too overwhelming.

Two-Toned

You don’t have to stick with one cabinet color. Another option is the two-toned design.

You can pair white with a bright accent color. For example, the cabinets can be white, but the island can be green, blue, or yellow.

For a sleek look, you have black cabinets that contrast with white countertops, which you can see here.

Customize the Right Type of Kitchen Cabinets for Your Home

You can dramatically improve the look of your kitchen with the right type of kitchen cabinets.

When deciding on the cabinet style, you should consider what kitchen style you want. You should also take into consideration your wall paint color, flooring, and other design details. You want a cabinet style that will complement the features of your kitchen.

Do you want to learn more home decor advice? Check out more articles on our blog.

Did your home’s heating system just suddenly stop working? If so, it’s going to be very important for you to get it back up and running again in a hurry.

Fortunately, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to track down the heating repair help that you need. With more than 110,000 heating and air conditioning companies throughout the country, there is sure to be an HVAC contractor in Wilmington, DE you can trust.

But before you bring a furnace repair specialist on board to help you with your home’s heating system, you should make sure you have the right one. Take a look at some tips for finding a reputable furnace repair service below.

Start by Doing a Google Search to See What Your Options Are

If you haven’t ever had to do heating repair in your home before, you might not be familiar with which HVAC contractors operate in your general area. You should get things started by conducting a search to see what your options are.

Google “HVAC Delaware” and check out some of the different HVAC contractors that pop up. You might initially be surprised to see just how many options that you have.

Some homeowners are tempted to pick the first HVAC contractor they can find in Wilmington, DE to help them out. But you should avoid doing this if you can help it since that contractor won’t always be your best option.

Instead, you should use your Google search as a good starting point. It’ll provide you with a long list of names that you can research a little bit further.

Research the Individual Heating Repair Specialists in Your Area

After you have a list of heating repair companies in your hands, the next thing you’ll want to do is research each and every one of them. You can do this pretty easily in this day and age by visiting their websites and/or social media pages.

When you’re researching individual heating repair specialists, you should pay close attention to:

• How long they’ve been in business
• Which heating and air conditioning repair services they offer
• Where they’re located and which areas they serve
• What kind of warranties or guarantees they provide their customers

By doing your homework on all of the different HVAC contractors in your area, you’ll be able to see which ones are worth your time and which aren’t. It’ll help you begin to narrow down the list of names that you have in front of you.

Find Out Which Local HVAC Contractors Have the Best Reviews

Outside of doing research on each HVAC contractor that you’re considering calling on for help, another thing that you should make sure that you do is read online reviews for your different options.

You can learn so much about what an HVAC contractor brings to the table by sifting through online reviews for them. These reviews will let you know what others in your community have had to say about different HVAC contractors over the years.

If an HVAC contractor has nothing but positive reviews, it’s usually safe to say that they’ll provide you with a positive experience. But if they have negative reviews or almost no reviews at all, it should serve as a huge red flag for you.

See How Soon Different HVAC Contractors Can Make It Out to Your Home

When you’re in need of heating repair, there’s a good chance that you’re not going to be able to wait around for very long for an HVAC contractor to come help. This is going to be especially true in the wintertime.

If your home’s heating system isn’t working the way it should, it won’t be long at all before it begins to get unbearably cold inside your house. You’re going to need an HVAC contractor who can come out to your home to fix the problem right away.

Don’t be afraid to call around to a few different HVAC contractors to see what their availability is. If they tell you that they’re not going to be able to provide you with heating repair services for at least a few days, you can almost always cross them right off your list of options.

Check Out the Costs Associated With Each HVAC Contractor You’re Considering

You obviously want to have heating repair done in your home as soon as possible when your heating system stops working. But you don’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg for it!

It’s why you should try to shop around for the HVAC contractor that’s going to provide you with the best prices in your area. You should try to obtain quotes from several different contractors to see which one will fit into your budget.

You might also want to scour each HVAC contractor’s website to see if they have any heating repair deals running at the moment. Many contractors will provide their customers with coupons on their sites to entice them to give them a call.

You should be especially mindful of shopping around for the best prices if you suspect that you might need to replace your home’s furnace altogether. This will often cost you thousands of dollars, so being a smart shopper could save you a whole bunch of money in the end.

Have Heating Repair Done in Your Home Today

People tend to panic when they need to have heating repair done in their homes. This will sometimes lead to them calling on the first HVAC contractor they can find for help.

Instead of taking this approach, you should use the tips found here to find the best HVAC contractor in Wilmington, DE. You’ll be so glad that you did once you have the right heating repair company working in your home.

Would you like to read more informative articles on maintaining, repairing, and replacing the parts located in your home’s HVAC system? Find them by browsing through the rest of our blog.

According to one survey, about 45 million Americans watch birds as a pastime.

If you’re someone who loves watching birds but don’t want to leave your home, there are many ways of attracting birds!

But how do you attract birds to your home? Keep reading to find out!

Leave Out Water

First, you’ll need to make sure that the birds have plenty of water to drink when they come and visit you. One of the best ways to do this is by installing a birdbath.

Birds love moving water, and they’ll be more attracted to that than if you just have water that isn’t moving. You can find all kinds of bird baths that create motion, whether it’s misting, dripping, or bubbling up. The birds will be able to hear the water from far away and be curious about it.

They’ll start to visit and then even communicate their findings to their other friends.

If you have the space for it, try and find a bigger birdbath. Some people even install waterfalls or ponds in their backyard to bring all kinds of birds.

You should also try and make sure that you have different kinds of water sources. If you just have one birdbath, a lot of birds could end up coming and feeling crowded while they’re there. instead, try to add different features in different parts of your backyard. This may even help you attract different species as well!

If you live somewhere where it’s really cold and snow, birds can get their water from the ice and snow. However, if there’s a fresh source of water, they will all come to enjoy that.

If you want to upgrade your birdbath, you can even add a heater attached to it to give the birds a little bit of warmth before they fly away.

Make Sure They Have Enough Food

In addition to water, birds are always searching for food. You can attract birds to your home by making sure they can find plenty of food there!

You should do a little bit of research and find out what types of birds live in your area first. Each species has its own separate diet. If you want to find a specific species in your yard, make sure you leave out everything that they would possibly eat.

For example, if you want to attract more chickadees to your home, you should try planting sunflowers. You can also try leaving out sunflower seeds. But if you want to attract hummingbirds, you should plant some flowers that produce a lot of nectar.

However, if you’re not looking for a specific type of species, a safe bet would be leaving out foods like:

• Berries
• Fruit
• Nuts
• Buds
• Seeds
• Nectar
• Insects
• Eggs
• Fish
• Small mammals
• Worms
• Larvae
• Vines
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Grass

The best way to leave out food for them is by getting a bird feeder, like the ones from Nature Niche.

Use Bright Colors

When the birds are up in the air, they won’t be able to see a lot of details on the ground, but they will be able to see bright and flashy colors. They may be curious about what it is and decide to go investigate.

Birds also rely on colors to figure out who is a mate, who is a predator, and if that item is even safe.

For example, hummingbirds are normally attracted to the color red, so you may want to try and plant some red flowers that offer a lot of nectar. But on the other hand, goldfinches and orioles are attracted more to orange and yellow.

If you start planting blue flowers, you’ll likely attract more bluejays.

However, you don’t have to plant flowers that color in order to bring the birds down. Any item that is that color will work. For example, if you really want to see bluejays, you can also try hanging up a bright blue bird feeder.

Give Them Shelter

If you want to bring birds to your home, you can also them somewhere to rest if the weather gets too extreme. You can do this by planting trees that will offer a lot of shade and a place of rest for them.

Evergreens are a great option because they don’t lose their leaves even in the winter. But in the summer, birds tend to gravitate toward the shade that maples, oaks, and aspens can provide.

Give Them Somewhere to Nest

Lastly, you should make sure that they have somewhere to build their nest as well. Birds want somewhere safe to lay their eggs and raise their children. If you can provide that for them, you’ll even be able to watch some baby birds fly around your backyard!

Birds feel safest when they have some sort of cover. They may decide to build their nest in a thick hedge, hollow trees, or even tall grass. However, they will also feel safe in an old mailbox, your wreath, or even a bird home you build in your backyard.

Learn More About Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

These are only a few ways of attracting birds to your backyard, but there are many more things you can try as well!

We know that it can be frustrating not being able to get birds to come to your backyard, but we’re here to help you out.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure that you explore our website to find more articles just like this one.

Your home is supposed to be a safe place to come back to at the end of the day. Unfortunately, though, this isn’t always the case.

Property crimes account for around $16 billion in losses per year in the United States. Plus, homes are filled with potential fire hazards and other safety threats.

These facts and crime statistics are enough to make any homeowner feel uneasy, but you don’t have to leave yourself vulnerable. With the proper due diligence and a strong home safety checklist, you can help ensure the safety of you, your family, and your belongings.

You shouldn’t have to feel unsafe in your own home- luckily, you don’t have to. Keep reading for our quick safety checklist for home security.

Eliminate Fire Hazards

One of the main home safety concerns is potential fire hazards.

Here’s your basic fire safety checklist:

1. Ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in proper working condition
2. Clean out your dryer vent on a minimum of a monthly basis
3. Don’t overload outlets or extension cords
4. Never leave candles, space heaters, or other flammable objects unattended
5. Keep a working fire extinguisher on every floor of your home

The combination of gas, appliances, and electricity used in a home can create some serious dangers, so it’s imperative to do everything you can to avoid unnecessary risks.

Check Electrical Cords and Outlets

Again, ensure that no outlets or extension cords are overloaded. In addition to that, check to ensure that no cords are compromised, damaged, or in danger of coming in contact with water or wet areas.

Create a Safety Checklist for Babyproofing

If you have small children in your home, this calls for extra diligence on your home safety checklist.

Here are a few home safety tips to protect your small children:

1. Block off stairs and other potentially dangerous areas of your home
2. Keep poisonous chemicals and hazardous materials out of reach
3. Cover any unused electrical outlets

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive child safety checklist. Be sure to do your own research to ensure you’re doing everything necessary to keep children safe in your home.

Invest in Solid Home Security

No home safety checklist is complete without the proper investment in home security. While it’s not practical or (in many cases) affordable to take on full-time security staff, there are alternatives that can significantly improve your home safety.

A remote home security system is an easy and cost-effective solution to keep your home secure. Many of these systems also offer automated emergency dialing and remote monitoring for extra protection.

If your home will be vacant for long periods of time, use roller shutters and additional locks to ensure that potential burglars won’t have an easy way in.

Protecting Your Home and Family

While no home is completely safe from the ever-present hazards of crime, fire, and other potential risks, you can still do a lot to protect yourself. Now that you have a basic home safety checklist, you can take all the precautions necessary to protect your home as well as your family.

For more topics like this one, check out our other articles.

The world’s longest fence is over 3,400 miles long and keeps dingoes out of Australia’s backyard.

You may not need something quite that long to protect your yard, but you might be considering purchasing a fence to provide you with more privacy.

If you think about a fence, why not read our guide to the pros and cons of wood fences. Here we look at why wooden fences may be the best fencing option, as well as what you need to do to keep it in the best condition.

The Pros of Wooden Fencing

A large wooden fence gives you the privacy that you need to enjoy your backyard and property.

Sometimes it is nice to keep your yard to yourself, and a wood privacy fence permits you to use your space how you please without having to worry about prying eyes.

A wooden privacy fence installation will cost much less than you think. It is much cheaper than vinyl alternatives. Only chainlink fencing is cheaper than wood fencing, but it is not anywhere near as attractive and does not offer any privacy options.

Wooden fencing can be painted in any color that you desire to match with your house and garden buildings. This adds to the attractiveness and value of the fence.

One great advantage of wood fencing is also that it can come in a variety of different designs. You can build fences, arbors, and gates out of wood in almost any design you can think of.

Your imagination and great woodworker is the only limit.

The Cons of Wooden Fencing

Wood can be prone to damage especially if not treated correctly. Wood can be somewhat temperamental in different weathers.  It tends to get damaged when very wet or dry, so it is important to make sure you treat the wood correctly at installation.

Wood will also shrink and swell with the temperature. After installation, you may find that your fence could shrink a tiny amount and leave undesired gaps between the planks.

Gates may also become ‘sticky’ if wood swells in heat. You may find it becomes more difficult to open and close them if they are tightly set against the post.

A good designer and builder should account for these problems and attempt to design around them.

Wood as material tends to have a lifespan of around 40-50 years. This will depend very much on the type of wood with which you choose to build.

Better quality woods will last much longer. Speak with an expert to get advice on which woods work best in your climate.

Wood fence installation can be very labor-intensive and require a longer installation period than something simple like a chain-link fence.

Privacy Wood Fences are Attractive Solutions

If you want to bring some privacy into your backyard, then the most attractive solution will always be wood fences.

They are long-lasting and can look beautiful, especially over time once they have become a key feature of your backyard.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at some other interesting blogs on the site.

How germ-free is your household?

The ongoing coronavirus crisis means that it’s never been more important to be aware of surfaces you need to disinfect. If you want your house to be free of germs, it’s vital that you do a house deep cleaning.

Unfortunately, when doing these cleanings people tend to miss important areas of the house. Here are some surfaces you can’t afford to miss.

1. Don’t Skip the Doorknobs

Generally, the more something is touched the more it needs to be cleaned. Doorknobs are touched frequently throughout the day by various people, so they deserve special attention when cleaning. When cleaning a doorknob, you should first wash it with soap and water before going on to use a disinfectant wipe or spray.

When disinfecting doorknobs, make sure you use a product with an alcohol content of at least 60%. This will make sure the doorknob gets the required deep cleaning to fully disinfect it.

2. A House Deep Cleaning Should Include Light Switches

Just like doorknobs, light switches can be one of the germiest surfaces in your household. This means that they need to be cleaned and disinfected as a regular part of your house deep cleaning routine.

As with the doorknobs, wash light switches with a small amount of soap and water. Afterward, you should use a high-quality disinfectant product to finish the job.

When cleaning the light switch using soap and water, take extra care to make sure you don’t get any water inside the light switch.

3. Consider Computer Keyboards

You might not believe it, but your computer keyboard is actually one of the dirtiest surfaces in your home. The area beneath the keys is likely full of grime dust and food particles, and the keys themselves are likely home to a variety of different germs.

To properly clean a keyboard you should use compressed air, followed by shaking the keyboard upside down to shake loose all of the dirt. After this, you should wipe down the keyboard with a disinfectant wipe.

If you want to do a truly deep clean of your keyboard you can take all of the keys off. Every keyboard is different so make sure you check the user manual for your particular model.

4. Your Phone

Like your computer keyboard, your phone is one of the germiest surfaces in your household. To properly clean your phone, you should first wipe it down with a dry and soft cloth. This will remove any fingerprints, dust, or dirt. Next, use an alcohol-based spray.

Don’t forget to unplug your phone before you apply any kind of liquids to it.

5. Clean the floors

If you’re working and cooking at home more often than usual, you’ll need to clean the floor more often. You should mop your floors with a mixture of water and bleach. Ideally, this should consist of one part bleach and 5 parts water.

You can also take measures to make sure your floors don’t get as dirty in the first place. For example, check out this disinfection system for your shoes.

Stay Clean and Germ-Free

House deep cleaning is the best way to keep germs away from your house. As you can see, you need to pay extra focus on surfaces that are touched often, including the doorknobs, light switches, and floors. Heck, throw in your gadgets, especially laptops and mobile phones.

Need more home and lifestyle tips? Explore our blog.

With people continuously looking for a place to live, investing in a property and turning it into a rental is always a smart business move.

But there is more to simply purchasing an apartment that you can afford, obtaining the necessary permits and licences, advertising, and waiting for tenants to view the property and sign the tenancy agreements.

If you want to get a rental property that attracts the best tenants and gives you good returns, you have to choose the right apartment or flat to buy first.

Investing in the Best Property to Turn Into a Rental

If you have plans of buying one of the top-notch luxury apartments for sale in Dubai to turn into a rental, ensure you invest in the right one by looking for these features that tenants value:

Ideal Location

Location is one of the top factors people prioritise when they are looking for a place to rent. The main reason behind this is that tenants want to save as much money as they can when they need to go to the grocery store, restaurant, park, and even to their place of work.

When tenants are near these areas, they won’t have to drive or commute, which means they can do away with buying petrol or paying for taxi or bus rides.

Moreover, tenants will experience a higher level of convenience when they are within walking distance to such areas.

Due to these reasons, you will do well to buy an apartment that is located in an area that allows tenants quick access to these key places.

When tenants are close to the place of their employment, supermarkets, malls, restaurants, and other spots they frequent, they will be more willing to pay the rent you set for your apartment. They will likely stay for a long time on your property, too.

Move-In Ready

Most tenants want to move into a new apartment as quickly as possible. Because of this, flats that allow them to do so are always on top of their list of options.

With this in mind, a newly built apartment is the ideal property to turn into a rental. Since it is new, you can let people view it and accept tenants as soon as you have all the papers in order.

You won’t have to wait for the painters to paint the ceiling or the plumbers to do the necessary repairs on the plumbing system.

Even if you waited a bit to allow viewers to see your newly built apartment, if it is neat and tidy, you assure would-be tenants that you have high standards of cleanliness and maintenance. And they will try their best to meet and follow your terms.

Plenty of Storage Space

Storage space always scores high with tenants. When they have plenty of places where they can keep their belongings, you will help them minimise the items they have to throw away, sell, or donate.

Additionally, you save your would-be tenants money and the trouble of hiring a storage unit where they can keep their belongings temporarily or permanently.

If you are still looking for an apartment to buy, try to find one with several closets or cabinets. Make sure you or your real estate agent highlight these features when advertising the flat.

Ready to Use Appliances

People looking for a place to rent also want to save some money whenever and wherever they can. This is because they have to pay a huge amount upfront for the advance rent and security deposits.

For tenants who do not own any appliances yet, they will be drawn to apartments that have them, even if the appliances are only the basic ones.

When you place a working refrigerator, cooking range, washing machine, and microwave oven in the flat, you will make it even more attractive for anyone who views it. You can even draw in potential tenants who already have them since you give them the option to sell their current appliances and use the ones you provided.

If the apartment you want to buy does not have any appliances yet, consider doing it yourself. You don’t have to spend a lot on outfitting it. If you have ones that you are not using and still look good and work well, you can put them in the rental.

However, if you want to buy new ones, don’t hesitate to do so. Most high-quality tenants do not mind paying a little more rent for a property that includes all the essential appliances.

Available Parking Space

For potential tenants who own vehicles, living in an apartment that has a designated parking space is a huge perk they will surely appreciate.

Looking for a place to park is a problem vehicle owners do not want to face daily. If you can provide a permanent parking space, you will help them avoid dealing with this issue and getting a headache every time they come home.

You will make it easier and faster for your tenants to get to their flat as well.

As such, when looking for an apartment for sale in Business Bay to buy, find out if it comes with a designated parking space within the building. If it does not come with one automatically, ask about the process of getting one.

Access to High-End Amenities

A parking space is not the only amenity potential tenants are interested in. There are several others that can attract the best ones to your rental property.

Amenities such as swimming pools, fitness and wellness centres, and spa or sauna areas never fail to impress anyone looking for a new place to live in. With more and more people wanting to get close to nature, you won’t go wrong with buying a flat in an apartment complex that has landscaped gardens and outdoor spaces.

Interested tenants will also find a 24-hour reception and concierge desk and open-air cinema valuable perks of living in your rental.

A play area and a children’s swimming pool are also excellent amenities that impress and draw in families.

Investing in a property to turn into a rental requires a bit more research and study. Fortunately, you can seek the help of property experts and take advantage of tools such as a mortgage loan calculator to help you make wiser choices. You can be sure you are buying a profitable one by checking off these features as you narrow down your options.