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How Can Smart Home Improvements Raise Your Property’s Value

February 11, 2021 by Mandy

Smart home automation systems do increase your property’s value. According to a report, the smart home market worldwide is expected to reach $158 billion by 2024. These numbers indicate an increasing number of home buyers investing in intelligent home devices in their new homes, such as smart locks, smart smoke detectors, smart thermostats, smart garage door openers, and others.

Since more people demand smart functionality in their properties, you can increase your house’s asking price if equipped with some smart technological features. Here you will come to know how smart home improvements can raise your property’s value:

High Demand for Home Automation

If you add a smart home improvement system in your house, like a smart thermostat or smart smoke detector, you can attract property buyers in hordes and reduce the time spent by your house on property listings. People who want to buy smart homes span generations, including parents, grandparents, and kids.

Increased Convenience and Comfort

Smart home systems allow you to control different household functions with the touch of a button. For instance, if you have a smart garage door opener installed in your house, it connects with your home’s Wi-Fi system so that you can open your garage door for someone from your smartphone even while sitting at your office.

While sitting on your couch, you can open or close your curtains and blinds, change the temperature, and adjust the lights as per your taste.

Energy Saving

A smart home system allows you to save energy and reduce utility bills in the long run. Since a smart home is an energy-efficient home that leads to cost-saving, it quickly sells among potential buyers. Fortunately, most of the latest smart home systems are energy-efficient and minimize energy-use at the property. For instance, a smart thermostat creates a unique energy-saving schedule based on your temperature preferences.

Added Security

Smart home devices are highly effective in boosting your home security. One main priority of installing smart home improvements is to ensure the safety level of your house. Several security-oriented home improvement products are available in the market, including smart locks and smart smoke detectors.

Although smart devices may be pricey, they are worth the investment, as they not only enhance the security level of your house but also increase its value. You may control these devices through your smartphone. You also receive notifications whenever something unusual happens in or around your house.

Easy Property Sale

A property installed with smart home improvement systems is easy to sell in the future. As smart gadgets demand increases, more property buyers would realize the advantages of buying a home connected with smart devices. All in all, smart gadgets benefit both you and your potential home buyer.

Smart home improvement systems offer convenience and increase your property’s value and let the homeowners sleep with peace at night. So, if you are planning to sell out your house in the future, install smart devices in it and add a curb appeal to it. Don’t worry; you will get your money back by increasing your asking price and selling the property at a better price.

Filed Under: Finance Tagged With: home improvement, property, proverty value, real estate

Why Many Families In The UK Are Setting Up A Conservatory In Their Homes?

November 21, 2020 by Mandy

Introduction

  • Are you someone who enjoys the pleasures of an open garden with the cozinessoffered by interior space?
  • Do you know how you can increase the value of your home, entertain guests, and enjoy nature by building a new addition?
  • Have you tried to convince yourself of setting up a conservatory in your home only to push back the idea?

We all love to remodel our homes at regular intervals. Adding new furniture, changing up the placements, painting the rooms, redecorating the kitchen can all add value to our homes. It can also liven up the environment and enable the creation of a happier and more positive environment.

In the last few years, many families in the UK are setting up conservatories in their homes as part of their remodeling projects. In this article, we are going to look at some reasons why conservatories are becoming so popular in the UK. However, before we get to the list of reasons, let us first look at what really is a Conservatory?

Conservatory: Meaning and Definition

Conservatories are structures created from a range of materials, preferably, metals, glass, and wood, and situated on an extended place in your garden. This can be both the front garden, as well as the backyard. Most people prefer setting them up in the backyard for privacy issues.

If you have seen a Green House, you can be forgiven for thinking of the same as a conservatory. In fact, historically conservatories emerged as greenhouses intended for the cultivation of plants and vegetables in a controlled environment.

Over the past few decades, they have evolved into great leisure and family spots within a family’s households. Some people have started using conservatories for entertaining purposes and created a lounge-like atmosphere. Others have installed dining tables and tried to create a luxurious experience.

List of 5 Reasons why many UK Families are Setting up Conservatories in homes

  1. Increase the Valuation of a Residential Property-

Having a conservatory in your home is like having an extra room. According to realtors, people who have conservatories can command a far higher price for their homes, than people who do not have one. In other words, whenever you decide to let go of your property, you can expect a far higher market value on your home.

  1. Great for Leisure and Entertainment-

As we have already pointed out at the beginning of the article, most UK families host parties, events, and special occasions in conservatories. When you throw open the conservatory and the garden at the same time, the environment just changes in a magical way. Add to this the right lighting and furniture and you are looking at a resort-like setup in your humble home.

  1. An Area flooded with Natural Lighting-

How often have we felt enamored by the splendid English summers and wanted to enjoy a cup of tea nestled in nature? With a conservatory, you can enjoy the benefits of natural sunlight flooding a section of your house. We all know how summers are far more precious in the UK than in any other place in the world. A conservatory allows us to enjoy it in the best fashion.

  1. A fusionof the Home and the Garden-

Sitting in open areas exposes you to multiple elements of nature. Whether it is harsh weather or bird droppings, or even insect bites. However, if you have a conservatory, you can enjoy the natural splendor or a garden with the comfort factor of your home. You can decorate the conservatory with several potted plants to ensure a better look and feel.

  1. They are Stunning and Attractive-

If you set up a conservatory in your home, you need to be prepared for a lot of ‘wows!’ from anyone who comes and sees it. There are beautiful ways you can design the conservatory. You can either opt for older Victorian themes or slick new cutting-edge designs. Just looking at the conservatory in all its glory is a simple enough reason to get one.

The Final Word

Conservatories do not cost a bomb to get done. In fact, the cost of conservatory is pretty affordable if you find the right specialists for the job. With daylight and leisure becoming a rarer commodity in our fast-paced lives, it is probably a good idea to invest in a space, which slows time and allows us to enjoy our lives to the fullest.

Filed Under: DIY/Home Tagged With: conservatory, home, home improvement

3 Ways to Transform Your Basement

April 13, 2020 by Mandy

Basements are pure, untapped potential measured in square feet. There is so much more that homeowners can do with all that space than letting cardboard boxes and old exercise equipment gather dust. A finished basement adds value to a home, and a basement revamped for a purpose adds even more. Depending on what is done, a basement can also become a source of income. No matter the choice, a finished basement makes a home more fun to live in and easier to sell in the Denver real estate market.

Apartment

One of the more common uses for basements is converting part of it into another bedroom. Why not go a step further and transform it into a separate living space? Owning a full apartment is an excellent way to generate passive income, and living above it means less hassle maintaining it and keeping an eye on tenants. In an era of boomerang kids, a basement apartment can be a practical way to help children get established in their adult lives while still giving them the privacy and independence they need.

Good lighting and bright colors are essential for basement apartments since there aren’t as many natural light sources. It should also be built with the needs of prospective tenants in mind. A college student won’t be looking for the same thing a young family just starting out would. 

Business Enterprise

We live in an era of side-hustles where people either ply their hobby or a second job as a way to generate extra income. The great thing about side-hustles is that they can become someone’s main job and keep growing from there. They often just need a place where they can grow. Converting a basement into a business can provide that place. After all, Bill Gates started Microsoft in his basement.

Turning a basement into a business means renovating to suit the business’s needs. A bakery has different requirements than a hobby electronics shop or boutique hair salon. The same goes for any needed amenities like bathrooms for employees and customers.

A Multimedia Experience

Building a home theater, game room, or man cave is a good option; all those can even be one and the same, but why limit oneself? Telecommunications has morphed beyond electronics being made with a dedicated use in mind. How we utilize them in the home has also changed, as the various smart devices have shown.

Make a virtual family room where you can stay connected to distant loved ones via video calls. People living several states away can virtually visit and even share meals. The basement can also be made into a mini studio for those who create content for YouTube, stream games, or enjoy producing podcasts.

Any radical basement renovation project, or even milder ones like hanging drywall and installing a ceiling, will need things like permits and inspections. Depending on the nature of the project, there will likely be zoning issues to research before starting, and some neighborhood groups may require a vote for additions like an apartment or business. Get everything approved, and enjoy a home addition that adds value, enjoyment, and maybe even some profit.

Filed Under: DIY/Home Tagged With: basement, diy, home, home improvement

How to Deal with a Messy Home Even with a Hectic Schedule

December 12, 2019 by Mandy

It can be more than a little challenging to try to maintain your home while on a busy work schedule – especially if you happen to live alone. When there is so much to do, it is tempting to drag yourself to a hot shower and a soft bed without doing anything else. Unfortunately, with enough neglect, a home can get disorganized to the point where it begins to affect stress levels.

Even if you might not realize it, a disorganized home can do a lot to affect a weary mind. To alleviate such a scenario, it would be a good idea to take steps to clean your home. Here are a few ways to deal with a messy home on a hectic schedule.

Take the time to work toward cleaning your home

While you might not have too much time to work on sorting out your belongings, you do not have to rush to get the job done. If you can properly pace yourself, a lot of work can feel like barely any effort at all. For example, you can have an entire week focused solely on your bedroom. After that, you can allocate another week to the bathrooms. If you spend even just thirty minutes a day cleaning a specific area of your home, a week is more than enough to get the job done.

It might take a few months for a larger home, but it will not matter as you barely notice the effort you are making to organize your humble abode!

Once you have everything sorted, how about making a profit?

Once you have organized most of your belongings, you will likely end up with a list of possessions that you do not quite know what to do with. Most will likely end up being placed in storage, with a few being tossed away. Instead of resorting to that scenario, you can instead set up a garage sale to sell unused belongings. To have a smoother time advertising a garage sale, you can make use of a social media account to market your sale. Aside from a garage sale, you can also compare prices online for unused electronics. Who knows? You might have rare electronics you can sell!

Dealing with junk in the yard

The main issue that comes from dealing with junk in the yard is that it is typically too heavy to lift on your own. You might even have a junk vehicle stored in the garage or rotting in the yard. In such situations, you would be better off hiring the help of professionals. A good example would be a junk removal Fort Myers company, which can help get rid of your junk at a reasonable price. With any luck, you might even be able to sell any junk vehicles!

While you might be too busy to deal with cleaning your home, you do not have to do it all on your own. With the help of professionals, as well as the tips above, you can clean your home even with a hectic schedule!

Filed Under: DIY/Home Tagged With: home, home improvement, messy home

10 Baby Steps to Take in Creating a More Eco-friendly Home

August 29, 2019 by Mandy

Environmental problems are plaguing the planet right now. Climate change, global warming, plastic-waste crisis, and water scarcity are slowly destroying habitats and making the world a hostile place to live in.

While governments and organizations have made steps to control the damage and fix it, many industries and people continue to do things without consideration of the environment. If this continues, the earth won’t be able to sustain life as it used to. People, plants, and animals will die.

People must learn to be environmentally conscious and actively pursue green living. Changing your lifestyle is a challenging task, one that will require a lot of commitment and work.

You don’t need to revamp your way of life all at once. If you want to help the environment, you can start by taking these baby steps to make your home more eco-friendly.

Switch to LED Lights

American homes have about 40 light bulbs on average. If you’re still stuck using incandescent lights, you should know that 90 percent of the energy used by every bulb is wasted and turned into heat.

Swap your incandescent bulbs for LED lights, which use “75% less energy, and last 25 times longer,” according to Energy.gov.

CFLs also use less energy than incandescent bulbs do, but they also waste a lot when converting energy to heat. LED lights don’t just save energy, but they also reduce your energy bills.

Fix Leaks Immediately

Leaks are responsible for 900 billion gallons of wasted water yearly in the United States. You read that right—900 billion gallons. Every minute you leave a faucet dripping, water heater leaking, and a pipe broken contributes to the water crisis. As a result, a typical home can waste 2,000 to 20,000 gallons of water every year.

You can do the following to solve the problem quickly and prevent water waste:

  1. Turning off your water indoors and outdoors properly
  2. Tracking your water meter periodically
  3. Inspecting your home regularly for dripping water

Unplug Unused Appliances

When you leave your unused electronics plugged in, they turn into parasitic vampires that suck energy without doing anything. Keep your TV, chargers, and appliances unplugged to avoid unnecessary use of electricity and save money on your energy bill. If you can’t be bothered to do that, use a power strip with an on/off switch.

Clean with Cold Water

It’s no secret that water uses a massive amount of energy to heat. In fact, water heaters account for 18 percent of electricity costs in the typical American home, says the US Department of Energy. You can significantly cut down your energy use by cleaning with cold water.

Using cold water will actually help many cleaning products work better because hot water can break down some solutions and prevent them from doing their job.

Recycle Used Water

Don’t throw out the water you use to wash vegetables and your laundry. Use it instead to clean your bathroom, garage, deck, or yard. If you use biodegradable detergent or soap, you can even use the “dirty” water for your plants or to irrigate your garden.

Get a Recycling Bin (or Several)

Recycling is much easier if you have a designated place to put all your plastic bottles, jars, cans, newspaper, and cardboard waste in. Having a recycling bin will encourage you to segregate your trash and separate recyclable materials to repurpose them or divert them to the proper facilities.

Ditch the Paper Towels; Use Rags

The United States uses about 13 billion pounds of paper towels yearly, and the number continues to mount every year. Of the 13 billion, 6 million pounds of paper towels is wasted annually. Seventeen trees are cut down, and 20,000 gallons of water is used just to create 1 ton (2,000 pounds) of paper towel.

If every household were to use rags or at least reduce the number of paper towels they use, hundreds of thousands of trees can be saved yearly.

Clean with Nontoxic, Natural Products

Many household cleaners contain chemicals that are harmful to people, animals, and the environment. Stay away from products with toxic chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens, including phthalates, perchloroethylene, triclosan, and formaldehyde.

Switch to Water-Efficient Fixtures

Several places in the world, including the United States, are already experiencing water crises. In fact, 21 out of 37 of the earth’s aquifers are rapidly drying out. By 2050, two-thirds of the global population will be living in places with water scarcity.

Water conservation is a global concern, and you can do your part to help. Switching to water-saving fixtures, like low-flow showerheads, automatic faucets, low-flush macerating toilets, and water-efficient washers, can help significantly.

This solution will work better if you consciously conserve water in your everyday life. You can do this by taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when not in use, and using the dishwasher and washing machine only on full loads, among many others.

Choose Energy-Saving Appliances

Along with energy-saving LED lights, many efficient electronic devices are also available in the market. If you’re looking for a new washer, refrigerator, or even a hair dryer, choose one that has an Energy Star sticker. The star means that the piece of electronic uses less energy than other brands or models.

Energy-efficient appliances may be slightly more expensive than others, but they more than make up for it in long-term savings, quality, performance, and longevity.

Embrace Green Living

Saving the environment is everyone’s job, not just that of the government or the environmental groups. The world’s ecological problems may be getting worse, but it’s never too late for damage control and to save the environment. If every person, every household, does their part now, future generations may just succeed in finishing the job we started.

Filed Under: DIY/Home Tagged With: eco-friendly home, home, home improvement

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