I’ve you’ve been watching the property market closely in recent months and feel like your part of the state is starting to heat up, price-wise, you’re probably looking at your home and considering ways to improve it for a sale. Likewise, if you need to move soon because of a job relocation, family matter, or other reason, you should look at your property with fresh eyes to determine what needs to be done to make it appealing to buyers.

While the inside of your home certainly needs lots of love and attention, don’t put all your time, money, and energy into the interior and forget about the exterior. After all, when interested homebuyers arrive at your address for an inspection, the first thing they’ll notice is whether or not your property has decent curb appeal. Thankfully, there are various simple yet effective tasks you can complete to get your home looking its best from the outside in today.

Painting

If the paint’s peeling on the outside of your home, or on the fence that designates its boundary, do some painting before the For Sale sign goes up. Similarly, if the colors used previously really date the property or are too outlandish or otherwise unappealing, commit to a fresh coat of paint.

You can do this job yourself, most likely, even if you don’t have experience. Watch videos on YouTube for tips or talk to your local hardware store for ideas. Alternatively, hire a professional painter who can get the task done quickly and smoothly. Either way, preparation is key to a quality finish, so whoever does the painting should spend time washing and sanding back surfaces, taping up areas, etc. Once your home and/or fence has a fresh coat of paint, your property will immediately look newer, more modern, and more attractive.

Replace Doors, Windows, and Other Fixtures and Fittings

Take a look around at the outdoor areas to see if any fixtures and fittings need to be replaced to make your home look well cared for. In particular, concentrate on things like your front and back door, door knockers, locks, windows, garage doors, and mailbox. Over time, these things wear down and may become unfashionable, so it’s worth upgrading to get the curb appeal you need for a quick sale.

Also, it pays to fix up your driveway, especially if it has cracks in it (resurfacing is a good option), and install or repair a fence where needed, clean the roof, and pretty up the entranceway to your front door. Adding some décor items and greenery at the entrance will help to make people immediately feel welcome. Plus, make sure you have adequate outdoor lighting illuminating pathways and your yard, so interested parties can easily inspect your home after dark if they want.

Improve Your Lawn and Garden

It’s also necessary to spend time on your lawn and gardens so buyers can see the potential of the outdoor areas and how they and their families might make use of them. Start by mowing your lawn regularly, so it always looks neat and tidy. Doing this will also help with its overall condition.

Water your lawn regularly, particularly in the hot and dry months, and fertilize and aerate it at least twice per year. Rake up leaves which fall on the lawn, too, so these don’t form a mat when wet and suffocate the grass. You may also need to fill in noticeably bare areas of lawn with some small extra pieces of turf. If you struggle with finding the time to fit in these kinds of jobs or don’t have the skillset for them, remember that you can hire someone to do it for you. Hop online and search for “lawn maintenance services near me” for gardeners in your area.

As for other greenery, if gardens haven’t received much TLC in recent years, you’ll need to rectify this ASAP. Cut back trees and shrubs overhanging your house or pathways and remove dead trees or branches. Do some weeding and place mulch around your plants to help them be healthy and visually striking, too.

If your yard is looking rather bare, go out and buy new plants from a nursery or home depot. Alternatively, consider saving money by dividing bulbs currently in your garden, or getting cuttings from friends and families. You can also pick up affordable plants from garage sales.

Enhancing the curb appeal of your property may require the outlay of money, time, and energy, yet the results should make it well worth it. The more appealing your home is on the outside when people go to check it out, the more likely it is that you’ll find the right buyer.

 

 

 

In the house, certain appliances get a huge amount of use week in and week out, and for most families, especially those with young or multiple children, the washing machine is one of them. As such, if your appliance suddenly goes bust, you can find yourself in a sticky situation – quite literally – when you have soiled children’s clothes and nappies to wash, not to mention your own gear, but no functioning laundry to clean it in.

It pays to swap out your washing machine for a new one before it conks out on you. You don’t want to do this too early though, as this could mean an unnecessary added expense for your household. How to tell when to go down the path of repairing your washing machine and when to outlay the funds on a new one? Here are some signs to look out for.

Noisy Machine

Some noises coming from a washing machine are common and normal, such as when it sounds like your unit could take flight when it’s spinning. This sound typically comes from an unbalanced product and is an easy fix – bring in a washing machine repair specialist, and they’ll probably be able to stop it from shaking and moving about quickly and easily.

However, strange sounds coming from a washing machine aren’t always something simple like this, so get a professional to check your washer. A big issue that can lead to excessive noise is if the motor mount or drum needs tightening. This problem may be able to be fixed by a service technician, but it could be so costly to repair that you’d be better off with a new machine.

Bad Odor Coming from Appliance

Sometimes another sign that you need to buy a new washer is when you notice a terrible smell consistently coming from your appliance. Machines can get a buildup of mold or mildew in them over time. While you might be able to remove this through cleaning (e.g., via natural ingredients like bicarb soda, vinegar, lemon, etc.), if you’ve left it too long, no matter what you do you may still find that the machine, and your items after being in it, smell.

Also, note that there have been some issues with some older machines in the past, where they didn’t adequately self-clean themselves. This failure led to them being much smellier than other appliances and meant that for most people, the only solution was a replacement.

Power Sucking

If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are much higher than you think they should be, your washing machine could be one of the culprits. Older and less efficient machines don’t regulate the amount of water they use in comparison to the number of clothes in the drum (i.e., the same amount of water is used no matter what), so they waste water and energy usage as a result.

There’s nothing you can do to make your current machine more efficient, so if you want to slash your power bills, buy something new. The newer models with high Energy Star certifications are said to use around 45 percent less water and 25 percent less energy in turn than other machines. These reductions can add up to significant savings per year on your utility payments.

Regular Leaks

If you’re continually having to clean up big messes in your laundry because of water leaks stemming from your washing machine, it could be time to get a new appliance. Many leaks occur as a result of loose connections on the water hose or elsewhere, a rusted pipe connection, a cracked tub, or damaged sealant.

Some of these things are repairable in the short term, such as through the replacement of hoses or tightening of pipes, but others, particular cracks in the tub, usually mean you have to buy yourself a new machine.

Old Units

If you have an old washing machine that’s eight years of age or more, you’ll probably need to go straight to buying a new product, rather than wasting money on more repairs. While the latest washers can last around 11 or 12 years, older units are typically starting to get worse for wear once they hit that eight-year mark.

If your machine is an aged one, you might notice that the drum isn’t filling up with water appropriately, the spin cycle isn’t working correctly, or that your clothing isn’t coming out clean. These are all signs to start researching new washers.

Use the above factors to help you decide if now is the time to invest in a new machine, or if you might be able to use your current appliance for a few more years yet.

 

 

 

Home renovations can be quite a challenging task, but all the effort is ultimately worth it. You’re using that home for your everyday safety, security, entertainment, and so much more. It’s only logical to have a decent place all fixed up for you.

If you’re confused about where to start in order to make your house or apartment a better home, we’ve got some ideas.

These will hopefully make the process of renovation easier in the long run:

Go For The Windows

When you live indoors, being able to see and cherish the outdoors is a great blessing. If you have a decent view like a garden or yard, your home renovations should call for some larger, lighter windows. This will instantly give a more cheerful and brightly-lit effect to your home. If this isn’t in the budget, you can make things easier for yourself by simply painting the window frames by choosing a lighter shade.

Pay Attention To The Front Door

The garden or porch is in the background, but the front door is actually the part which first catches anyone’s attention. Opting for a unique door can be a great way to revamp the look of the whole house, especially if you go with something like a blue or teal option.

Again, a whole new door might not always be an option. You may have a perfectly good door, to begin with, so why not enhance that look with a beautifully carved doorknob? You don’t even have to match this up on the rest of the doors in the house. If you’re repainting your door, try to complement the lighting on that particular part of the house.

Revamp That Lawn

Do you love to entertain your guests on the lawn or porch? When you have a piece of grassy land adjoining your house, you need to take certain steps to keep it looking fresh.

Once you get some money together for home renovations, consider getting an automatic lawn sprinkler for your bit of earth. You definitely won’t miss all that watering, and the perpetually green lawn will boost your curb appeal.

Repair The Walls

If you have the resources for renovations, you have the resources for repairs. When there’s a serious issue like a weak wall in your home, you want to tackle that first of all. A home is a place that should protect you, so don’t leave it in danger of collapsing!

Get some decent hydraulic shoring rentals and start repairing any walls, pillars, or any other area that needs attention. Such repairs will prove to be the most useful in the long run.

Make Small Rooms Look Bigger

If you have a tiny apartment or house, your renovations could be centered on making them look bigger. Of course, you can’t always go around knocking down walls or building extensions, so look up some ways to make your existing space seem roomier.

These changes may include painting the rooms a lighter shade of color, removing some of the bulkier furniture, or even something as simple as getting some unique mirrors.

 

Organize The Kitchen Storage

Renovating also means de-cluttering, so have a look at your kitchen and see what you can do about its storage. You can go for DIY cabinets, repainting the existing cabinets, or getting customized cabinets to change up the look and experience of your whole home.

 

Wrapping Up: Getting That Perfect Renovation

Just a little amount of patience, hard work, and investment will help to make your home a little piece of heaven. Start out with any of the ideas above, and see if you don’t automatically feel happier the minute you walk in the door!