from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/clever-storage-ideas-to-help-sell-your.html
Thursday, 23 November 2017
Clever Storage Ideas to Help Sell Your Home
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/clever-storage-ideas-to-help-sell-your.html
Monday, 20 November 2017
How to prepare your house for sale using storage
To secure the sale of your home it’s vital that your property stands out from the fray, especially in competitive areas like London. Recent research suggests that clutter is a particular irritation that deters people from making an offer. Luckily, this is easily remedied by maximising the space in your home in a few simple ways, including decluttering and using affordable home self-storage. That’s why we’ve compiled these simple tips below to make sure your journey into the housing market is plain sale-ing.
- Declutter it. Clearing out clutter is a surefire way to free up some extra room in your home and allows you to utilise every nook and cranny inside your property. Remember, moving home is the prime chance to rid your house of any unwanted/unused items and make a fresh start. Sort through your belongings and mark items with one of four labels: keep, store, discard, donate. There’s always the option of trying to earn some cash selling unwanted items on classifieds sites like Gumtree or online auctions like eBay, too.
- Decorate it. Create an illusion of space by installing mirrors, and paint your walls neutral colours so they don’t provoke a strong reaction. Finally, think about your kerb appeal by trimming the lawns, hedges and trees, and perhaps getting rid of the beloved garden gnome.
- Depersonalise it. Stripping down the more personal elements of your home will make it easier for potential buyers to imagine their own belongings in the space, and therefore judge whether they can imagine themselves settling down in your property. Remove family photographs, ornaments and other unnecessary clutter; stow them in convenient self-storage ready for the big move.
- Store it. Properties convey a bigger and better image when unburdened by bulky items of furniture. Carefully select some key pieces to keep in each room, but use storage facilities to store away any excess. Available in a range of sizes for any purpose, storage containers are also a godsend for any other family heirlooms that are crowding your home, therefore acting as the perfect halfway house between your old and new property. Always ensure you choose a reliable storage provider approved by the Self Storage Association (if you’re in London or elsewhere in the UK).
- Clean it. The number one rule of home viewing preparation is make sure your property is clean. Big turn-offs for buyers include: smells, stains, dirty plates, unmade beds, dusty surfaces and general grime. Giving your home an intensive clean-through will rid your home of any distasteful elements and make it far more visually appealing to potential buyers.
We wish you good luck on the house sale, and remember – simple sells!
The post How to prepare your house for sale using storage appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.
from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/how-to-prepare-your-house-for-sale-using-storage/
Thursday, 16 November 2017
4 Ways To Update Your Living Room On A Budget
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/4-ways-to-update-your-living-room-on.html
Saturday, 11 November 2017
How To Buy A Good Composter
NOTE: I’m testing backyard composting bin! Would love to hear your favorites and ones you think I should try. I’ll add my findings and the best composters to this post.
If you’re the kind of person concerned about helping the Earth, you’re probably already recycling. Recycling is a great way to be kind to the environment without changing up your routine. You just separate your trash, and you’re done. You can take it one step further than that though.
Composting is becoming popular as more people begin to garden. Fertilizer can get expensive, so composting allows you to make your own at home. It’s nature’s way of making sure that organic materials return to the soil to create nutrients for plants. It’s all part of the cycle of life. No matter where you live, there’s a way for you to participate too.
Before people begin composting, the top concern is always if they can even do it. It’s common to hear the words like “compost” and “fertilizer” without thinking about the word “manure.” Don’t worry — you don’t need to hoard manure to help your plants perk up. Composting can be done in a couple of different forms.
Backyard Composting
Think about all those times you’ve thrown away bad leftovers or dinner scraps. That food could have fed your plants too! Backyard composting is named for the mixture of grass, leaves, hay and table scraps that people throw together for composting. This version helps you minimize the number of garbage bags you go through and reduces the amount of landfill waste in your local area.
This kind of composting is done by leaving yard waste in a hole in the backyard and adding table scraps to it at the end of each day. As the pile in the ground decays, nutrients are automatically leaked into the soil around it.
This composting method is an excellent way to go if you’re thinking about planting any trees or bushes. Plant the tree or shrub in your compost hole, and it’ll grow just as happily as with store-bought fertilizer.
As with everything, backyard composting does come with its drawbacks. It will smell, of course, and you’ll need lots of table and yard scraps to fertilize the ground you want to cover. Depending on how many plants you want to help with composting, it may be cheaper to go with fertilizer and compost in the future. It all depends on your gardening plans.
Worm Composting or Vermicomposting
If you live in an apartment-type housing situation, composting might be a little too smelly if you don’t have a backyard. Worm composting is great option to consider! All it requires is a composting barrel with a lid or even a giant plastic container. As long as you have a lid, you’ll be set.
Deciding on a container can be difficult, which is why composting bins come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For someone just starting out, or anyone living in a small space, the best composting bin is easily the Compost Bin by Geobin. It’s small, made out of recyclable materials and easy on the wallet.
Once you have your bin, throw in some bedding, moisture and red wigglers and set the box in a shady spot on your porch. Over time you’ll add more worms and table scraps to get a box of composting material that’s always ready.
Like ground composting, it’ll smell no matter what lid you put on it, so be aware that your neighbors might complain if they spend a lot of time on their porch. The box will also attract gnats because of the moisture.
Grasscycling
Even if you don’t throw away a lot of food, you can still compost. Instead of throwing the grass clippings from mowing in a trash can, use a wheelbarrow to dump the clippings and create a pile in a spot where it won’t be an eyesore. The grass will decompose and leave the soil under it as a resource to distribute to plants that need fresh nutrients.
This version of composting will eventually look bad, as a browning pile of grass isn’t exactly a stellar yard decoration. One way around this is to ditch the mower bag and let the grass clippings settle in your yard as you mow. They’ll naturally decompose and help new grass grow.
No matter what kind of composting you decide to go with, you’ll be helping the Earth by keeping local landfills small and nurturing healthy plants that contribute to the ecosystem. It’ll also save you a good chunk of change, which never hurts either.
The post How To Buy A Good Composter appeared first on Homey Improvements.
from Homey Improvements http://homeyimprovements.com/buy-good-composter/
Friday, 10 November 2017
How to match your office design with your brand
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/how-to-match-your-office-design-with.html
Thursday, 9 November 2017
Guide for Easy Gutter Installation
Gutter installation — as a cost-effective do-it-yourself project — can be completed within a day or two.
Properly installed gutters protect your property investment. Without an applied drainage system, rain has the power to wear down a home’s surrounding soil, damage its foundation, flood the basement or crawl space and seep into siding.
Once water is introduced into any of these locations, the consequential mold is costly to remove and may be dangerous. With roof supply or big box store materials and a few basic tools, you can add gutters to your home using this step-by-step guide.
- Prepare for Purchase
Before heading to the store consider whether you want to use vinyl or aluminum gutter. Vinyl is less expensive and easier to install. Pieces snap and click together into place. Aluminum is more durable long-term and pieces are joined together with crimping seamers.
Next, it’s helpful to draw the perimeter of your roof line and include measurements. This “map” allows you to approximate gutter length and the number of brackets, elbows and downspouts. You can also indicate elbow direction and downspout location.
Consider buying more material than necessary. Unused items can always be returned once installation is complete. You know how disruptive a supplemental mid-project trip to the store can be.
You will need:
- Gutter length
- Downspout
- Elbows
- End pieces — Specify right or left.
- Brackets
- 1/8” rivets
- Hex head screws — 1 1/4” for gutter and downspout, 1/4” zippers for elbows.
- Sealant — Silicone adhesive is fine. Specialized gutter sealant may be pricey.
Why zipper screws? They make it easier to pop elbows out for seasonal cleaning.
- Gather Your Tools
This job requires an extension ladder, drill and rivet gun. The drill can either be electric or hand. If you are hanging aluminum gutters, you’ll also need tin snips and a crimper.
- Mark Gutter Placement
Determine height along your roofline. It’s important that the gutter hang low enough to catch rainwater. If your gutter is placed too high, rainwater will spill over it.
A good rule of practice is to place a level along the slope of your roof, extending over the edge. Position gutter in the space below.
Allow for pitch, which is the downward slope rainwater runs through the system. Approximately 1/16th of an inch decline per foot is standard. Mark pitch with beginning and end nails connected by string on the soffit.
Pitch measurement can vary. As long as water runs down a regular slope, drainage will be successful.
- Construct Gutter Line
This step is easier to do on the ground. Connect pieces, if necessary, for entire length of area to be covered. Place adhesive sealing on ends and connections. Aluminum gutters will require crimping along each seam. Measure and cut holes for each downspout location.
- Hang and Connect
Drill brackets in regular intervals along roofline, matching your pitch alignment. Hang the gutter, snapping securely into brackets. Connect your elbows and downspouts.
This step is much like putting together a puzzle. Don’t be afraid to alter your original plan if you see ways for improving water flow and drainage once the system is in place.
- Determine Catch System
Water collected by your drainage system should safely clear the house and immediate soil base. Ways of accomplishing this include:
- Placement of stones under the downspout to encourage slow ground seepage.
- Use of a barrel or other collection vessel to hold water for re-use.
- Catch basin “kits” available from garden and landscape outlets.
- Consider Flashing
Flashing is a metal sheet which fits under the shingles on the edge of a roofline. Depending on the size and shape of your soffit, flashing installation may be a warranted additional step. Flashing further assures that water falls seamlessly into your drainage system without pausing long enough to seep into structure walls.
Keep Your Eye on Maintenance
Whatever drainage system you install, be sure to check and clear regularly. You’ve worked hard on this project, and regular maintenance should go a long way towards keeping it working perfectly!
The post Guide for Easy Gutter Installation appeared first on Homey Improvements.
from Homey Improvements http://homeyimprovements.com/guide-easy-gutter-installation/
5 Things To Consider When Buying Antique Furniture
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/when-buying-Antique-Furniture.html
4 Advantages Of Blackout Blinds
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/4-advantages-of-blackout-blinds.html
Tuesday, 7 November 2017
How to add value to your property
from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/how-to-add-value-to-your-property.html