When it comes to this time of year, you always want to make sure that you are getting your garden ready for the hotter months. The truth is that there are many ways of ensuring that you do that, and it can be hard for that reason to know exactly where to begin. However, as long as you pay attention to a few key things, you should be able to ensure that your garden is truly summer-ready, and therefore that it is as great to use and be in as you would hope. In this article, we are going to look at a few of the elements which you will need to consider if you want your garden to be truly ready for summer.

Image Source

Plant Out Early

If you are hoping for your garden to be a full and colourful display of flowers and plants during the summer months, then you need to get started early on planting out around the whole garden. Whether you have grown from seed or you have just bought young or even mature plants, you need to make sure that you find a space for everything which makes sense, and that you get them out into the ground early enough for them to bloom in time for summer. However, you don’t want to go too early, as this can be dangerous. You need to wait until all possibility of any frost has passed – which generally means around mid- to late- May. as long as you get the timing right, your garden has a much better chance of success with the flowers and plants.

Refresh The Patio

If you have had a patio for a number of years, it is entirely possible that it has seen better days. It very often doesn’t take long for patios to become scuffed and dirty, and it can take some real work to spruce them up again. However, you will probably want to spruce them up if you want your garden to look its best for summer, so make sure that you are not overlooking this if you really want to be sure of that. You might want to take a jet wash to the patio to give it a good deep clean – or it could even be a case of rebuilding the patio entirely. In that case, go here and take a look at some of your options – you might find that styles have changed since you last built a patio.

Image Source

Prepare The Grass

It’s a good idea to ensure that you are doing everything you can to properly prepare the grass. It’s not just a case of mowing regularly, although that is also important. You also need to make sure that you are feeding it early on in spring so that it has more of a chance of survival throughout the hot, dry months. Regular watering is also a good idea, even if you think it doesn’t need it. You might be surprised at how easily your grass can suffer in the warmer weather.

If you would like to feel welcome every time you step into your bedroom and wake up rested and rejuvenated, it is important that you work on the design and comfort features, so it feels like home. We spend more time in the bedroom than any other parts of the house, so it is important that it is organized, represents our personality, values, and fits our needs. Below you will find a few tips on how to make your bedroom more comfortable and more spacious at the same time.

A Comfy Bed

Image via Wikipedia

If you often wake up tired or don’t sleep through the night, it might be time to look at your bed and its location. Sometimes moving your bed away from the door or window will help. However, if your mattress is older than seven years, you should think about getting a new bed, anyway. A divan bed with a headboard, matching the upholstery can create a five-star hotel look on a budget. Choose a mattress that is the best for your sleeping position by visiting mattress.review sites.

Plenty of Storage

In case you have a small bedroom, you will need to get clever when it comes to arranging furniture and making the most out of your storage. A storage bed with drawers can hide your winter clothes and coats in the summer, while you can get extra cabinets you place on the top of your wardrobes for extra storage. Leave as much floor space as possible free, so you can walk around, and don’t have to bump into chairs and bedside chests in the middle of the night.

Full Control of Light

Image via Pixabay

To add a bit more comfort to your bedroom, you might want to change your blinds and curtains, so you can control the light all day. You might need blackout curtains if you live in the middle of the city. If you don’t want to wake up for the sun rising on a Sunday morning, you can get some advanced blackout shutters as well that will guarantee a good night’s sleep and can be remotely controlled.

Personal Touch

To feel at home in your bedroom, you might also want to add your own things. From your favorite animal featured on the walls to an inspirational quote canvas, there are plenty of ways you can make your bedroom more personal and intimate. It is important that you choose colors that make you smile and feel good about yourself when designing the interior of your bedroom.

No Clutter

It is crucial that you don’t go to bed looking at a disorganized bedroom. Anything that doesn’t have a function, aesthetic value, or doesn’t make you smile has to go. Before you go to bed, tidy up and put your clothes away, so the last thing you see before you fall asleep is something orderly and beautiful.

Improving your comfort and space in your bedroom will help you get a good night’s sleep and improve your mood every day. Pay attention to the small details, declutter, and you will notice the difference.

Photo: Pixabay

Can you smell something? Can’t quite put your finger on what it is? Don’t worry; I’m sure that we can find a solution together.

There are a lot of different causes and sources of bad odors around the home, and, thankfully, the majority of them are incredibly easy to get rid of. Sometimes, the hardest part is trying to find out where the smell comes from in the first place!

To help you get to the bottom of the various fragrances and smells around your home, here are some of the most common bad smells that many homeowners need to deal with at some point. Plus, I’ll explain what you can do to get rid of it for good!

Rotten Eggs

Can you smell rotten eggs? That’s no reason to throw out all of the eggs that are in your fridge, as it probably isn’t the eggs that are actually causing the smell. In fact, it is more likely to be caused by some leaking sewerage somewhere on your property. Rotten-egg smell comes from hydrogen sulfur which is commonly found in sewerage, so you should check your bathroom pipes to see if you can find a leak. If you do, you will need to call a plumber to come and fix it as soon as possible.

Mold

Is it mold that you can smell? If so, it’s probably because there is a lot of moisture in your home’s air, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, and it is starting to cause mold to develop on the walls. This can be bad for the building as themold can lead to some serious structural issues if not treated in time. You will be able to buy some anti-mold paint from your local homeware store. This just needs to be painted on any moldy areas, and it should kill off the mold completely.

Stinky Pets

Are you sick of your pets making your home smell bad? You might need to start bathing them more often to try and keep them nice and clean. It might also be necessary to shop this website to get a scent machine. The pleasant fragrance should be enough to completely cover up any smells that your pets bring into your home.

A Chemical Smell

If you start to smell any chemicals, it could be a sign that you are storing yours somewhere that is too warm. Ideally, all chemicals, such as household cleaners and bleaches, need to be kept in cool locations. The best storage areas are in the basement, your shed, or in the garage. As long as they are kept away from direct heat and sunlight, they should be fine.

Dirty Appliances

Don’t forget that you need to clean your cleaning appliances, such as your dishwasher, fairly often. Otherwise, they’ll get quite dirty and could give off an odor. To clean a dishwasher, just set it off with just a cup of water and baking soda in. These natural ingredients will clean it as well as any cleaning product.

Say goodbye to awful smells in your home!

 

Photo Credit

After a long cold winter and the beginnings of spring have passed, you may now be starting to turn your attention to summer – a time when you can enjoy your garden. But after so many months not in use, there are one or two jobs that you will need to complete to make sure that it is totally ready for the weeks and months ahead. Do these and you will have an outdoor space that will be the envy of your neighbours and one that will be celebrated by your friends and family. So, here are a few summer jobs that you can complete to get your garden back to its best for the warm weather ahead.

Give Your Lawn a Bit of TLC

There is nothing like a neatly mowed lawn to form the foundation of your outdoor space, and you should make sure that yours is able to thrive after enduring the winter. You will need to start by resowing any dry patches, aerating it to encourage the growth of roots, and raking it thoroughly to allow light and water to reach the soil comfortably. You will also need to remove any unwanted weeds which have sprouted up over the past few months. When you are mowing your lawn, you should restrict the amount that you take off the top to around 1cm. If you cut it too short, it simply won’t look healthy, luscious and thriving. Finally, you can finish off the job by using a strimmer to tidy up the edges.

Get Rid of Weeds

We mentioned this job briefly in the last section, but now, we are going to go into more detail about it. It may feel like the job of taking care of weeds never ends, but if you are going to introduce any plants into your garden space (particularly woody ones), you should make sure that you check them carefully so that you are not introducing any parasites into your garden. If you find that you have left it too late and weeds are overrunning your garden, you could always invest in a specifically-designed weed-control product.

Clear Out the Shed

Photo Credit

Since you have probably already been spring cleaning the rest of your house, it makes sense that you do the same to your shed. Otherwise, you are going to find it impossible to get the things that you need. To start off with, you could remove everything from your shed. This way, you can clearly see which items are worth keeping and which ones have seen better days and it is time to throw them away. If you have acquired a lot of stuff over the years, you are going to need to be ruthless in your approach. Since the shed is empty, this provides you with the ideal opportunity to clean it out, before putting everything back in an organised fashion that allows you to locate it all easily.

Start Any Big Projects

If you have any big projects planned for the summer, it is better to start them sooner rather than later. For example, you may be wanting to add a patio or some decking to your garden, and you need to give yourself the time to complete the job well. Think about whether you are going to handle the majority of the job yourself or if you are going to call in the experts like http://www.stylemasterpatios.com.au/. Give yourself plenty of time to complete the big project and you are much more likely to end up with a finished product of which you can be truly proud.

Clean Out the Barbecue

If you are planning to have some outdoor parties during the summer months, odds are that you will want to get out the barbecue. Depending on what type of model you have, some of them can be extremely difficult to clean out properly – especially if it has been affected by harsh winter conditions. When it comes to masonry barbecues, it is unlikely that you will have all that much to do, but you may have to scrape off any rust which has built up if the weather has been particularly wet. If you are lucky, it may just be the case of giving your barbecue a little spring clean and dusting down. However, if the job is going to be more intensive, it is worth finding out about it now – so don’t delay another second!

Sort Out the Garden Furniture

Another key component involved in entertaining is the garden furniture, and you also need to ensure that this is all in good condition. Hopefully, you have stored them away during the winter months – or at least the cushions! If not, you will probably need to put in some more work in ensuring that they are brought back to a good condition. Give the frames of the furniture a good inspection in case any of the wood has rotted away, which could then lead to a nasty fall.

Paint and Treat Your Garden Fence

Photo Credit

The winter months may not have been all that kind to your garden fence, which is why it is so important that you get it back into tip-top condition as soon as you can. So, this may be the time to give it a lick of paint. Instead of the standard brown and beige colors, you could go with something which is a little more out there to impress your guests. To make sure that it is protected as best it can be, use a treatment like creosote.

Provide Some Shade for Your Guests

For the days when the sun becomes overbearing, you need to think about the ways that you are going to offer some shade to your guests. There are a number of different ways of doing this including investing in awnings or a garden parasol. If you are looking for a solution which is going to stand the test of time, you could always look into building a pergola with some train climbers going up it. Essentially, it is worth looking into some creative solutions to the issue of keeping the sun at bay.

Let There Be Light (and Heat)

When the sun goes down and you don’t want the party to stop just yet, you need to think closely about the twin issues of light and heat. If you are looking for a natural solution to warming up your guests, you could always look into creating a cosy fire pit area. Otherwise, plenty of advancements have been made in the past few years in the world of outdoor heaters, so check out what is on the market. As for lighting, there are plenty of different options including lanterns, fairy lights, and standing lamps. However, if you are looking for an eco-friendly solution, you could look into getting some solar panel lights.

Create a Living Room Environment

Photo Credit

When you are creating an entertaining area where your guests can relax, you should think about styling it on a living room so that they can enjoy maximum comfort. This doesn’t have to be an effect which is too complicated to create – you could simply invest in some scatter cushions and rugs for the area. Make sure that you have some sort of shelter so that your guests are protected if the skies do happen to open.

Add Some Color and Scent

Colour is one of the first things that you notice when you step outside to admire a garden area. If you find it difficult to grow and maintain plants, you could always look into getting some container plants and hanging baskets. When it comes to the flowers around your entertaining area, you should choose some which give off fine fragrances like roses and jasmine. Instantly, you will create the effect of being in paradise.

Introduce Some Personality into the Landscape

The final piece of advice that we are going to discuss in more detail is bringing some personality into the landscape. As well as the natural plants and flowers that you introduce, there are also plenty of ways of doing this with the water features, statues, benches, wind chimes, lighting – the possibilities are endless. You don’t have to introduce everything all at once. Simply adding a feature or two on semi regular basis will add interest to your garden and ensure that you don’t become bored with the space.

Of course, the quality of your garden space really depends on how much time and money that you have to spare, but these are just a few ideas to spark off your imagination. Even though we are still a couple of months away from summer, it makes sense that you start early so that your garden is all ready to go when the warmer months roll around. Create a garden that you love, and you will want to spend as much time out there as you can.

 

     

In life, we’re told not to judge books by their covers. After all, first impressions are often based on personal bias. As such, they’re rarely a reflection on what’s in front of us. But, when you’re buying a house, first impressions are more crucial than you realize. In fact, the majority of homeowners refuse to put an offer in without that ‘gut feeling’ a house is the one. And, guess what? The gut feeling they speak about is often nothing more than a favorable first impression.

As such, it’s worth considering this when you view your next house. While you may know by now what to look for when viewing properties, it’s less likely you’re aware of things to look out for from a first impression standpoint. Which is why we’re going to consider the three main pointers here.

The neighborhood

Image Source

Your first impressions should start before you even set eyes on the house. The neighborhood you choose to live in will have more of an impact on your quality of life than you could imagine. As such, pay attention to what’s outside as you drive to your viewing. Are there local amenities? Are there kids playing in the street? These and more are signifiers of whether an area is suited to your needs. It might even be worth driving around before arriving and getting the best feel for the place. Take some time, too, to stroll around the local park and get a feel for the people. All this can add towards your overall impression of the property.

The roof

The exterior appearance of a property is the most notable thing when it comes to a first impression. But, what you might not realize is that the roof is also worth appraisal. So, as you drive up to that property, get into the habit of looking up. More properties than you realize have roofing problems, and that could be a major-no go. Missing shingles can cause leaks which do untold damage. Instead, look out for ship-shape roofs, or options which use architectural shingles. You can head to sites like Wildwood Roofing to read more about the benefits of options like these. Needless to say; it doesn’t get much better in the first impression roofing stakes.

The entrance hall

And, the game isn’t up once you enter the property, either. The entrance hall is an area far too often neglected on house viewings. After all, you want to see what the rest of the property has to offer. As such, many of us fall into the habit of skipping this essential factor. But, slow it down and consider your first impression of the space. Of course, you can change decor and such, so try to look past that. Instead, pay attention to the general feeling you get. Is the area dark or light? Does it feel welcoming or claustrophobic? Given that this is the first room any guest will see in your house, it’s essential you spend time considering this.

Your house may look good on the outside and it may also be well-furnished inside, but how does it make you feel when you step in? What’s the atmosphere in your home like? If the first couple of things that come to your mind are the words ‘stressed’ and ‘tired’, then you need to fix the atmosphere of your house straight away. Here are some easy ways to do it.

1. Install a water fountain. Installing an indoor fountain can do wonders for the atmosphere of your home. It’s beautiful, it’s relaxing to see and hear, and it can serve as an air purifier and humidifier. There’s also the fact that your guests and visitors will not be able to stop themselves from being bowled over by its impressive look, especially if you go for a particularly fancy wall fountain model, where the fountain itself is integrated into one of the walls of your house. This type of fountain saves space and appears as an art piece rather than a simple humidifier or air purifier.
2. Use scented candles and scent diffusers. Improving the atmosphere of your house can also be as simple as giving it a new and refreshing scent, one that’s light enough to be pleasant but also strong enough to mask any mustiness that any house usually gets. One great way to do this is by keeping a couple of scented candles or scent diffusers in key places inside your house, such as the living room and some bedrooms. This will keep the scent circulating in your house without it being too overpowering. Scents that are perfect for improving moods and masking stuffiness and mustiness include citrus and subtle floral scents. For your safety, never leave burning candles unattended.
3. Control or modulate your lighting. Bright overhead lighting can help employees focus in an office setting, but it’s terrible at setting a relaxing atmosphere in your home. Either set up your indoor lighting so that you can adjust its brightness, or replace your harsh fluorescent bulbs with those that can output softer, warmer light. You can also look at light diffusing fixtures if you want to keep your existing lamps and bulbs.
4. Eradicate dust. Houses naturally gather dust over time, especially if they have a lot of belongings and furnishings that clutter up the place. Excessive dust not only affects people with dust allergies, but it also drastically lowers the air quality inside a house. There’s also the fact that keeping your home interior dusty makes you look lazy and neglectful. To resolve this, dedicate a day every week to dusting surface tops and cleaning your home. You can also set aside an entire weekend to de-clutter your house. Having less clutter means having less things to dust! Finally, if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, replace it with wood, cork or tile; these are not only easier to clean but they don’t harbor dust the same way that carpets do.
5. Open your windows. Sometimes, all it takes to get some good air inside your house is to open your windows and let the air circulate. Not only does this ensure that fresh air will always be flowing into your house, but it also prevents your home from having that hot, stuffy feeling that houses tend to have when air has no way of escaping from it. Your lungs will thank you, just as your family and guests will!

Improving the atmosphere in your house may seem like a tricky and expensive project, but with these 5 ways to help you get started, you should be well on your way to making your house feel like a home again.

Image Credit

Whether you live in America or China, we all have a very personal and unique idea of what “home” looks like.  Indeed, when we travel to faraway countries and set up a new life, the concept and moreover, the feeling, of home is particularly important.

The saying “tidy house tidy mind” describes this well, but the concept shouldn’t be limited to cleanliness or home organisation.  Like the engine room of a ship, there are a number of things that need to be taken into consideration when trying to ensure a consistent feeling of “home” within your abode, which is particularly important if you have children, and are living abroad; as this sense of stability can have a profound effect on their emotional development.

This article looks at how to ensure a consistent feeling of “home” no matter where you live in the world, as unless you’re a property developer, focused purely on the financials and spending your time looking into things such as lendinghome reviews, a home is much more than the bricks and mortar that keep the four walls and a roof above your head.  Home is where the heart is yet there are some very practical things needed to create a happy harmonious home whether you live in China, America or anywhere else in the world.

1. STAY ON TOP OF THE BILLS

Keeping up with household bills can be stressful if money is tight, but you want your home to feel like your castle – a sanctuary from financial stress – not a situation where each time you go past the mailbox you dread receiving another bill.

2. GARDENING

If you have a garden it’s important to keep it well maintained as if you come home each day to an overgrown garden or paint peeling off the fences it creates a feeling of chaos and things being out of control.

3. ORGANIZATION

If you live in physical clutter and chaos, it affects your mental state, and creates an inner sense of clutter and chaos too.  Keep things organised within your home so that you can feel more at peace and calm within yourself.

4. CLEAN & TIDY

Keeping your home clean and tidy sounds simple enough, but often, this can snowball out of control when left for a few days, becoming such a chaotic mess, that you don’t know where to begin.  The trick here, is to either employ a cleaner that undertakes a moderately deep clean, each week, or for you to do it yourself, little and often.

5. NEIGHBORS

No matter how hard you try, not everyone is getting to get on with you, particularly if you’re living as an expat from another culture.  However, if you can get on with your neighbours to the point there’s a sense of warmth and community between you, this will pay dividends on facilitating the feeling of “home” you crave.

In summary, no matter where you live in the world the idea of take care of your home and your home will take care of you seems true.