With summer coming up fast, it’s time to start thinking about what home improvement projects are most easily or successfully done when it’s warm outside and the weather is nice. So to help you come up with a list of things you can and should accomplish in the next few months, here are three home improvement projects to tackle this summer.

Clean Out Your Pantry

In most areas, the summer is when pests start coming out in homes and around properties. Because of this, the summer is the perfect time to reevaluate your pantry and how you’ve been storing food inside your house.

According to Maria Conti, a contributor to DIY Network, your first priority should be getting all of the food that isn’t already stored in an air-tight container into an air-tight container. To make your organization easier, you may want to consider using clear containers so you can easily see what’s stored inside rather than having to label or open each container in order to find what you’re looking for.

Additionally, if you have kids at home, you’ll also want to be conscious of where you store certain items in your pantry. Food that you want your children to be able to get on their own should be stored lower and within reach. But food that you don’t want them to get into, or that they shouldn’t be eating without supervision, should be stored higher and out of reach.

Install New Windows

If you’ve noticed that your home has been having issues with the foundation that have manifested themselves in faulty windows, the summer is the perfect time to address these issues.

When installing new windows, Glenda Taylor, a contributor to BobVila.com, recommends that you opt for windows that are both energy efficient and low maintenance for you. With windows like this, you will not only be able to feel more comfortable and safe within your home, but you’ll likely also see a decrease in your heating and cooling costs since your home will be more energy efficient.

Seal Your Home

To keep your home both cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you’ve got to have things properly sealed. Without this, air will easily escape through cracks, holes, and spaces all around the exterior of your home. So before you start cranking your air conditioning this summer, Daniel Bortz, a contributor to Realtor.com, shares that you should go around your home looking for air leaks that you can plug in order to get a better seal around your home.

If you’re ready to take on some home improvement projects this summer, consider the ones mentioned above to get done in these warmer months.

Brand-new homes typically settle over the first few years of existence. Such settling is nothing more than a matter of the home bearing down on soil underneath and compacting it. It is minor enough that any damage done is merely cosmetic.

The Concrete Raising Company in Salt Lake City says that settling occurring many years after a house is built could indicate that other issues are in play. Settling should not be an issue after the third or fourth year. Any settling after that could signal that there are issues with underlying soil, the house itself was poorly constructed, or something else.

Below are descriptions of some of the most worrisome signs of house settling. If you’ve noticing any of them, you might want to have a professional inspection of your home. The sooner you do so, the sooner you can correct minor problems – before they become major.

Sticky Windows and Doors

Both windows and doors are squared when first installed. That means that they sit squarely in their frames and in perfect alignment. You can open them without much effort. As a house settles however, window and door frames may become slightly out of square. This is particularly noticeable with windows. Out of square windows seem to stick. You cannot get them open without Herculean effort.

Severely stuck windows and doors indicate that their frames are significantly out of square. This could be because one side of the house is sinking while the other is not. Such sinking throws off the entire level of the house.

Wall and Ceiling Cracks

Minor cracks are fairly normal when a new house settles. These types of cracks tend to appear where pieces of drywall meet. If your house is settling because of an underlying structural problem however, cracks can appear just about anywhere. Extremely serious settling will lead to those cracks eventually becoming wide gaps.

Slanted Floors

One of the most obvious signs of severe house settling are slanted floors. Assuming your house was built properly, all the floors would have been level from the start. The fact that they are no longer so is proof that one area of the house is lower than the other. However, slanted floors do not guarantee settling.

Floors slanted to one side of the house or the other indicate settling. Slanted floors that slope inward may be a sign that the main beams supporting the house are failing. In such a case, there may be no settling occurring at all. You have to check on the direction of the slope to determine what is causing it.

Broken Water Pipes

A severely settling house can put a lot of pressure on water pipes, causing them to bend and twist beyond their ability to withstand the pressure. The end result is bursting. Under normal circumstances, pipes should be able to go decades without any problems. If your home has suffered burst pipes on more than one occasion in recent years, you could be looking at settling issues.

Foundation Cracks

Cracks in the foundation are another sure sign of settling. Cracks are likely to occur in the mortar between bricks or cinder blocks. If you look closely enough, cracks will tell you exactly what direction the house is settling in and to what degree it has already occurred.

Repairing Settling Problems

There are different ways to address settling houses depending on the seriousness. The Concrete Raising Company says minor problems can often be addressed with something known as slab jacking. In most cases of severe settling though, pier jacking is the better option.

 

Most U.S homes are built using concrete, spaces such as garages, basements, patios, and pool decks are mostly composed of concrete material. Though the material is known for its durability, it can show some signs of damages over time, which needs immediate concrete repair Dallas. The most common factors to concrete damages include chemical exposure, heavy impact, and weather changes. Outdoor spaces are more prone to these factors making the material more prone to wear and tear.

Dallasdecorativeconcrete.com and austinconcreteartisans.com have listed the wear and tear concrete flooring signs to know when it’s time to have your surface repaired by a professional. Immediately identifying concrete damages will prevent further damage, it also makes your home or business area safer, stable, maintain its beauty and value.

Being familiar with these signs will make it easier to ensure the safety and stability of your home or business. The concrete damages signs you need to watch out for are the following:

• Visible Cracks

Cracks that appear on your concrete surfaces need immediate attention. The most common causes of concrete cracks include soil movement and weather changes. Harsh weather conditions cause the soil underneath your home to expand, making concrete cracks visible on the surface.

When you noticed visible cracks on your concrete, it is advisable to seek professional help from trusted concrete repair companies to determine what type of repair is needed.

• Uneven Surfaces 

Uneven concrete surfaces are another sign you need to watch out for. The leading causes of this are weather changes and weak concrete foundation. If this problem is neglected, it can lead to further issues such as breaking and crumbling, which can potentially cause accidents. It is important to take immediate action to prevent further damage and potential accidents.

• Water Accumulation 

If you are noticing an accumulation of water on your concrete surfaces after the rain, it is a sign that your concrete floor is unable to drain water naturally. Accumulation of water weakens the concrete making it susceptible to wear and tear. To protect areas of your home, you have an option to add a water-resistant coating during the concrete repair to prevent any kind of concrete damages. However, the material needs to be recoated after a year, depending on the damage.

• Old Concrete 

Concrete can last for many years. However, it could look old and worn out due to aging. All of the signs mentioned above can be visible on your concrete floors. An old concrete needs to be repaired by a professional concrete repair contractor to properly access what should be done to fix concrete flooring issues.

Some Other signs

Aside from what’s mentioned above, there are also some other signs that need to be observed, and that includes the following:

• Doors are sticking on the concrete whenever you try to open or close or open them. This is mostly caused by a damaged concrete foundation
• Cracks visibly showing up in your outdoor and indoor spaces
• Concrete floors are sinking
• Concrete floors are sloping, 15-20 feet slopes need to be immediately addressed by a professional

These concrete damages signs need to be addressed as soon as possible. To effectively restore the beauty of your concrete floors, make sure to hire a professional concrete repair contractor to ensure quality results.

Choosing a Trusted Concrete Repair Company

If you have noticed the concrete damages mentioned above, it’s an indication that you need to look for a trusted concrete repair company that would professionally help you resolve the problem. There are factors you need to consider in choosing a concrete repair company, and that includes the following:

Years of experience

While searching for a trusted concrete repair contractor, consider looking into their years of experience because that indicates how expert they are in what they do. Doing so gives you an assurance for quality outcomes.

Trusted Reputation

A concrete repair company that has built its reputation for years has many viable recommendations. Look into their review section and see what their past customers have said about their service.

Cost and Other Considerations 

The company’s costing for concrete repair projects should also be taken into consideration. Some companies offer a free no-obligation quote, this will help you determine if their costings fit your budget. But, don’t work with someone who offers a lower price, hire someone with a competitive price point to ensure quality.

Benefits of Concrete Repair

Delaying the needed repairs for your concrete flooring would actually make the problem worse, causing you to spend more money. However, immediately resolving the issue through trusted concrete repair contractor comes with several benefits, including:

• Prevents concrete damage from getting worse
• Reduce the risk of possible accidents
• Maintains the appearance of concrete flooring
• Keeps the concrete floors functional
• Identify underlying concrete damages
• Cost Saving

 

 

 

 

Whether you’re a musical person or you simply like the look of a piano in your home, many people choose to use a piano or other musical instruments in their design and decor. However, doing this isn’t always an easy task, since a piano takes up a lot of space and can be very overwhelming in some spaces.

If you want to keep a piano in your home but aren’t sure where to place it or how to bring in other design elements around it, here are three tips for incorporating a piano into your home decor.

Use It To Get In Touch With Nature

Although many home pianos are the classic black-and-white, if you choose to get a piano that’s more of a natural wood color, you can use it to help your home feel more connected to the nature around you.

According to Maria Conti, a contributor to HGTV.com, a piano with warmer tones in the wood can really warm up a space and help your room feel alive. Especially if you bring in other natural elements, like plants, you can easily create a space around your wood piano that fits well with the other decor of your home. Keep in mind, however, that you want the wood colors of your piano to be complementary to any hardwood you might have as flooring in your space, so make sure these colors don’t clash with one another.

Pick The Right Flooring For Underneath

When deciding where in your home to place a piano, one of your main concerns should be the flooring underneath it.

Kathryn Vercillo, a contributor to Houzz.com, shares that putting your piano on tile or another hard flooring can help make the room feel a lot more formal. However, you’ll get a lot louder sound from your piano when it’s played in a room with hard floors. To combat this, you may want to put your piano in a room with carpet, especially if you’ll be having kids practicing playing the piano on a regular basis.

Get Cozy With It

In some homes, a piano can seem like an elegant piece that doesn’t fit with the rest of the decor of the space. So if your home feels pretty cozy but your piano doesn’t there are things you can do to adjust this,

According to Sarah Lyon, a contributor to Apartment Therapy, one way you can make your piano feel cozier is to put a fur throw or other soft textile on the seat or bench of the piano. This can help soften the look of the piano and make it fit better with the rest of your room.

If you have a piano that you’re struggling to incorporate into the decor of your home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you fix this.

These days mobile home parks are very nice, well maintained communities of residents, most of which have been seeking an alternative lifestyle that doesn’t consume all their money and time. With this massive upsurge in the popularity of mobile home parks, property investors should be taking note.

In this post we’ll cover some of the main reasons why investors should seriously consider investing in mobile home parks, and if you need further convincing, just go online and do some research on expert sites such as Lee Kort.

You Can Acquire More Units for Less money

This truly is one of the huge advantages available when you choose to invest in mobile home parks. These parks often have hundreds of homes and lots inside them, and when you divide the overall purchase price by the number of lots, you’ll be surprised just how cheap each house and lot really is.

From the point of view of the investors, it means you’ll be getting a very healthy rental return on properties that didn’t cost much at all.

 

Mobile Home Parks Spread Your Investment Risk

With more traditional property investing, and the cost per unit generally being sky high, you’ll be limited in how many properties you can buy. If you only have a few investment properties and one or more remain vacant for a time, you’ll very likely suffer a negative ROI overall.

It’s a vastly different story when it comes to mobile home parks. The cost per unit is low, plus you have so many properties available that if a few sit vacant for a time, you’ll barely even notice a dent in your cash flow.

While nothing can ever be completely guaranteed, you have a far better chance of always experiencing a positive ROI when you invest your money in mobile home parks.

 

A Professional Management Team Looks After the Park for You

This equates to a really hands-off and passive income investment for you. At first glance a mobile home park with so many lots and residents might sound like loads of hard work for an investor, but with a professional management team looking after the running of the park, all you really have to focus on is the rent money flowing into your account each and every month.

The managers and the staff they hire will take care of all resident liaison, cleaning and maintenance of the park, repairs, security and more. They will also ensure all residents abide by the park rules.

 

Low Resident Turnover

The popularity of mobile home park living these days helps ensure a very high occupation rate. This means you’ll very rarely have a group of homes vacant at any given time. Once people are in, they’ll want to stay in and will be in no hurry to leave.

Another way to ensure low turnover rates goes back to the point above, and that’s having a decent management team on board. Not only should managers ensure the park is run smoothly and looked after, but they will also help instill a real sense of community and goodwill among residents.

Because of this close knit community spirit, people make a lot of friends with neighbors, which also helps keep the occupancy rate high and resident turnover really low.

 

Competition Among Property Investors Is Quite Low

Here’s the thing. When it comes to property investing, the majority of investors are still stuck in that traditional housing loop and have never even had the thought of investing in mobile home parks. Not because they’re not a great investment, quite the opposite, but simply because they have tunnel vision and believe traditional housing or commercial properties are the only true options.

Because of this mindset that exists, it leaves the door open to savvy investors who can think outside the traditional box. You can freely look into mobile home park investing without fear of missing out on a great deal because everyone else is driving up the price. Low competition means lower prices, generally speaking, so some really fantastic deals and opportunities are there, just waiting for smart investors to jump onto them.

As you can see, there are some very compelling arguments for taking the chance on investing in mobile home parks.

 

There’s nothing worse than mounting a new flat-screen TV only to have it fall off.  Although mounting a TV may seem like an easy task, a lot can go wrong. This is especially if you don’t have the right tools.

If you’re nervous about mounting a TV for the first time, don’t worry. Here we break down how to mount a TV and which tools you need to get the job done.

Dry Wall TV Mounting

If you’re like most people, you will mount a TV on standard drywall. The tools you will need a pretty simple, and you may already have them in your toolkit.

One of the things you will need is a stud finder. This will help you locate where the wood studs are. The next tool you will need to mount a TV is a power drill and bits. A variable speed drill will ensure that you don’t strip the screws.

Don’t have any studs? No problem. Hanging a TV without studs is easy. All you need to do is nail the wall plate onto the drywall and then hang the TV.

Another tool you will need is a level — preferably a 3-foot or 5-foot level. This will ensure that the TV is leveled. Next, you will need a socket wrench and sockets.

You will also need safety goggles. Whenever you work with power tools, wearing safety goggles is crucial. Lastly, you will need a wall mount kit that fits your TV’s dimensions.

Brick Wall TV Mounting

For brick wall TV mounting, you will need the aforementioned tools. Along with those you will need a hammer drill — to get through the brick wall.

Next, you will need carbide-tipped masonry bits. Unlike standard bits, these are strong enough to penetrate brick.

Lastly, you will need a concrete sleeve anchor. This helps fasten the mounting bracket to the brick.

Also, be sure to connect the power cord and cables to the TV before you mount it. Doing this will make it easier to get to the connection panels.

Now that you know how to mount a TV on brick and drywall, let’s talk about how to hide cables.

How to Hide Cables

A pile of cables and cords is an eyesore. Thankfully, you can effortlessly hide them.

One way you can do this is by purchasing a cord cover. These are made to hide cables below your TV. They come in an array of shapes and styles that will fit your home decor. They’re even printable!

Another way you can high unsightly cords is by installing a TV in-wall wiring kit. These allow you to hide wires and cables behind the walls. Not to mention, they are easy to install and are code compliant.

Are You Ready to Mount a TV?

As you can see here, you don’t need to hire a handyman to mount a TV. All you need is a few tools and a helping hand to successfully hang your television.

For more guides like this, follow our blog and subscribe to our newsletter!

You are almost there. You have spent years and months saving for a deposit. You have meticulously compared mortgage rates and found the best lender. Your offset account is ready, and you have found your dream home. It’s almost time to sign the dotted line and own your very own piece of this great land.

But should you?

Let’s say, after comparing lenders, you managed to find the best value home loan on the market. Great! You have a clear idea of how much you will be spending on repayments, fees, and other home loan related expenses. Excellent! But are you aware of the hidden costs involved in homeownership?

Some of these hidden expenses could have disastrous effects on your finances if you aren’t ready to handle them as they arise. What hidden expenses? How much money should you put aside? Is there any way to minimize these costs? Let’s have a look at the true cost of owning a home.

If it’s broken, you must fix it.

By far, the biggest hidden expenses of owning a home are repairs and maintenance. Depending on the age and condition of the building, maintenance of a home can be cheap and easy, or it could be a nightmare, an endless pit that sucks your bank account dry. A good example of scheduled maintenance would be a coat of paint to the home’s exterior.

In a location with mild weather, you may only have to repaint your home every ten years, but this could go down to as little as five years if you buy into an area with extreme sun or cold weather. Depending on the size of your home, a few coats of good quality paint could cost a couple of thousand dollars, and that’s if you paint the home yourself.

Painting is an easy task compared to some maintenance, and much cheaper. Significant structural damage could cost you tens of thousands of dollars to repair, and may leave you homeless for months. Owning a home is not all about the monthly repayments; you need to be responsible and prepared for the worst.

Fees and rates.

Other hidden costs surround a home that doesn’t involve water damage or freak accidents. Local councils will charge homeowners fees for holding land in their area; these fees are called rates. These rates are usually calculated on the base value of your land, to ensure all homeowners pay similar rates.

While council rates aren’t going to send you bankrupt, they can be several thousand dollars and must be paid every year. Other hidden fees can arise from your home loan, depending on your lender. If your lender charges you upkeep fees on your home loan, make sure you know them.

Pay for what you use.

If you are used to renting, it’s rare for you to pay for your water usage. This is not the case if you own a home, and if you use a lot of water, your first water bill might come as quite a shock. A homeowner is responsible for the connection of utilities, which may incur one of set up fees. Owning a home isn’t a set and forget investment; it takes lots of money and time to set up correctly.

Owning a home is a big responsibility; big expenses can pop up out of nowhere, and if you are left without a place to live or the ability to make repayments, you could be in big trouble. You have been on a budget for years, saving and planning for your dream home, good work! If you feel like you are ready to take the plunge, make sure you know the hidden costs of owning a home.

 

2019 was a big year for gardening tools which surpassed the 74 billion dollars of revenue tools generated globally in 2015. With gardening becoming an increasingly popular hobby among homeowners, more people than ever are interested in gifting and acquiring top gardening products.

But which products should gardeners be focused on when putting together their arsenal?

While there is a virtually unlimited amount of tools out there that can help you take your gardening game to the next level, we think that you should start by acquiring the helpful products below.

1. Gardening Gloves

No gardener worth their salt does anything in their yard without a great pair of gardening gloves. Not only do gardening gloves keep your hands and nails from getting caked with dirt but they also protect you from getting pricked when dealing with sharp foliage.

Gardening gloves are crafted from a lot of different materials. Our personal favorite is leather since they look great, flex well and clean easily.

2. Kneeling Stool

If you have back problems, having a stool that you can kneel on while working in your garden is going to be a life-saver. If you don’t have back problems, you’ll want to invest in a kneeling stool to avoid developing them down the line.

In addition to making bending over in your garden a breeze, the best kneeling stools have tool pouches at their sides which makes accessing whatever it is you’re working with streamlined.

3. Reusable Plant Labels

It can be impossible to identify what’s growing in a big garden. That’s particularly true when plants haven’t sprouted yet.

To stay organized, investing in reusable plant labels is a must.

High-quality reusable planet labels are made of graphite and can be written on in chalk which makes labeling and re-labeling areas of your garden simple. If you reside in an area where rain might wash the chalk away, you can use an online label printing service to create labels that are more resistant to moisture.

4. Pruning Shears

Any experienced gardener will tell you that one of the keys to growing healthy foliage is ensuring that you make a habit of pruning. For the uninitiated, pruning is the act of cutting excess branches from plants so more vital branches can get additional nutrients and grow stronger.

A good set of pruning shears will set you back less than $20.00 and should be able to easily cut through thick branches. Since pruning shears will be among the sharpest tools in your arsenal, you may want to invest in a shear holster.

5. Leaf Scoops

Leaves can wreak havoc on your garden. Leaf scoops aim to streamline the process of getting rid of light to moderate amounts of leaves with their trash-lid like design that enables gardeners to quickly scoop and dispose of.

Leaf scoops are 100 percent plastic so you can expect this top gardening product pick to be cheaper than rakes.

Any One of These Top Gardening Products Can Revolutionize Your Yard

Investing in top gardening products can have a profound effect on your outdoor space and the amount of time you spend toiling with gardening tasks. We hope that our product suggestions help cultivate your love for working with foliage and welcome you to browse more of our home content for additional tips and tricks!

Maybe you have retired, or you are starting a small business. Whatever the reason, you may be one of the many people who are opting to work from home instead of enduring a grueling commute or the day-to-day hassle that often occurs in an office.

So now you are maintaining an office at home. And because you are at home, there is a risk of your office attracting clutter if you are not careful. If you have children, you may find them leaving books, toys, crayons, half-eaten snacks, and other stuff on your desk. You may realize that there are several cups and saucers, mugs, and water glasses on your office desk, as well.

If you continuously shuffle items on your desk to find the document that you need, you are due to declutter your home office. Here are some of the things you can do.

Clean your home office daily. Cultivating this habit is a good idea. Unlike in a regular office setting where cleaners can dust your desk and maybe organize the things on your desk, so it looks neater, you do the dusting and organizing of your home office. It should look like a regular workstation, especially if you meet clients at home.

Remove household and personal items. Keep in mind that your worktable should not be an extension of your kitchen or dining table. Remove all things that are not related to your work, to retain a corporate feel. Keep small appliances, sports equipment, books, toys, shoes, clothing, and exercise gear away from office space. Be sure to check your filing cabinets and drawers where some unwanted items might have been stored.

Determine where your office equipment and supplies should go. Take a good look at your workstation and the area surrounding it. Identify the areas where you can position office equipment for easy access. Relocate items on your desk, office supplies, and storage cabinets, depending on how often you need them. Use organizer trays to separate documents you need to send out, file, or shred.

Declutter your worktable. You need space to work efficiently. Remove non-essential things taking up residence on your office desk such as personal mail, file folders, magazines, and newspapers. Return the file folders to your filing cabinet and put the old magazines and newspapers in a trash box for disposal later. Shred mail that has identifiable information. The only things you should have on top of your desk are your laptop/desktop, pens, note pads, desk lamp, and possibly a phone.

Your home office is part of your entire house. It needs special attention because it is your workstation where you may be entertaining colleagues and clients. It should be presentable and professional looking. You cannot afford to have unwanted items cluttering your work area and immediate surroundings.

Ensure that you dispose of your trash and junk properly. Contact a professional Miami junk removal company to remove and dispose of your unwanted items efficiently.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/office-shelf-desk-interior-design-332211/