Home Care — Page 43

5 tips to help you downsize

November 27, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

The pre-holiday rush is probably the last time you think about downsizing unless (a) you know how many presents your kids are getting, and it ain’t pretty, (b) you need to fit ten extra people in the house, or (c) you need a better excuse not to fit ten extra people in the house.

So, call it getting a head start on your New Year’s resolution list, and take a look at these five steps to downsizing provided by Erica Sofrina at Care2.

Incidentally, we’re going to throw in a tip to get you started: Take deep breaths.

Now, go.

Do the clutter test with everything you own….do I love it, is it useful, when was the last time I used it? If more than a year old, decide whether you are going to give it away or sell it. Be very thoughtful about what you save. Is everything you own worthy of a space in your home or office? Do you really want to spend time and money maintaining it and housing it?

Rent or borrow the things you only need periodically. There are companies and organizations you can join that allow you to rent the camping gear, tables and chairs for Thanksgiving dinner, fishing gear or skis you need every two years. Do we all really need the huge garages to house the things that we use infrequently? I borrow the tables and chairs for large parties from my neighbor whom I do favors for in exchange. This practice encourages us to get to know our neighbors and become a part of our community.

Full story at Care2.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care

5 Apps to Help Declutter Your Closets

November 25, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte 1 Comment

If you’ve ever longed for the futuristic closet in Clueless – or just dreamed of easily locating your shoes before work – look no further than your smart phone!

While we can’t promise the supercharged conveyor-belt in Cher’s closet, we can set you up with a virtual way to manage your wardrobe like a boss.

That way, you’ll stay organized, keep track of what you own and always be able to find that missing saddleback shoe.

Here are five of our favorite closet-organization apps:

Stylitics

iPhone, Android (free)

If you’re interested in coordinating your closet by color, style or pattern, this app makes that easy.

Styliticsbasically takes the thought out of getting dressed (which can help make mornings less stressful). This app sends push notifications or “style alerts” giving you trend and weather updates.

Bonus: Make sure you check out the outfit suggestion feature! Because the app keeps track of when a piece of clothing was last worn, it can actually suggests outfits for you based off how often you wear certain items.

Good Housekeeping @Home

Android, iOS (free)

If you’re looking to free up some room in your closet, this app is for you.

Created by Good Housekeepingmagazine, this app includes step-by-step guides to help you clear clutter and advice on staying organized.

BrightNest

iPhone (free)

BrightNest is more than a site full of helpful advice and how-tos. It’s also an app where you have the ability to save, favorite and schedule tasks (like organizing your closet!).

Download the free app for easy guides on topics like de-cluttering your wardrobe, storing seasonal clothes and donating unwanted items.

Closet

iPhone (free)

Pick out an outfit or plan your vacation wardrobe without getting out of bed with this brand-new app!

WithCloset, you can organize your clothes into categories (like winter, spring or dry-clean only), tag pieces as favorites, track how often you wear certain pieces and even estimate a cost-per-wear of each item.

Our favorite part? You can create multiple closets in the same account, so you can keep the whole house organized!

StyleBook

iOS ($3.99)

This app is closet organizer, wardrobe planner, packing list and inspiration library rolled into one.

WhileStyleBook boasts over 90 features, we think its most valuable feature (MVF?) is the personalized Style Stats.

You can see what pieces you wear the most and least, so when it’s time to audit your closet, you’ll know what items you should toss or donate.
/ By BrightNest

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care

Home Automation System On The Cheap with Ninja Blocks

November 22, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

I found this great hack on Lifehacker.

Home security and automation are rarely mentioned in the same sentence as the word cheap, but it’s totally possible if you’re willing to do a few things yourself. We checked out a $200 DIY kit called Ninja Blocks, and were able to get a home automation and security system up and running in about 10 minutes.

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Filed Under: Appliances, Blog, Home Care, Technology

Is Your Home Older Than Its Years?

November 21, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Would you throw away $20,000? You are if you’re letting your home age faster than it should. Here’s a simple maintenance strategy to keep your home young.

Would you rather spend $4 or $5,000? A cheap tube of caulk can prevent expensive mold damage and rot caused by water, your home’s No. 1 enemy. Image: Cindy Farmer/Veer

You know how Dr. Oz says that if you keep your body fit and your mind nimble, you’re likely younger than your chronological years? The same principle applies to your house.

An out-of-shape house is older than its years and could lose 10% of its appraised value, says Mack Strickland, an appraiser and real estate agent in Chester, Va. That’s a $15,000-$20,000 adjustment for the average home.

But good maintenance can even add value. A study out of the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University finds that regular maintenance increases the value of a home by about 1% each year.

So if you’ve been deferring maintenance, or just need a good strategy to stay on top of it, here’s the simplest way to keep your home in good health.

Focus on Your Home’s #1 Enemy

If you focus on nothing else, focus on moisture — your home’s No. 1 enemy.

Water can destroy the integrity of your foundation, roof, walls, and floors — your home’s entire structure. So a leaky gutter isn’t just annoying; it’s compromising your foundation.

Keeping moisture at bay will improve your home’s effective age — or as Dr. Oz would say, “real age” — and protect its value. It’ll also help you prioritize what you need to do. Here’s how:

Follow This Easy 4-Step Routine

1. When it rains, actively pay attention. Are your gutters overflowing? Is water flowing away from your house like it should? Is water coming inside?

2. After heavy rains and storms, do a quick inspection of your roof, siding, foundation, windows, doors, ceilings, and basement to spot any damage or leaks.

3. Use daylight savings days or the spring and fall equinox to remind you to check and test water-related appliances like your washer, refrigerator, water heater, HVAC (condensation in your HVAC can cause leaks) or swamp cooler, and sump pump. It’s also a great time to do regular maintenance on them. Inspect any outdoor spigots and watering systems for leaks, too.

4. Repair any damage and address any issues and leaks ASAP.

Don’t procrastinate when you spot minor leaks or drips inside your house. Ongoing small leaks can slowly erode pipes and fixtures, and even cause mold and mildew issues you won’t notice until it’s too late.

Say you’ve got a bit of cracked caulk around the kitchen window. It may not seem like much, but behind that caulk, water could get into your sheathing, causing mold damage and rot. Before you know it, you’re looking at a $5,000 repair that could have been prevented by a $4 tube of caulk and a half hour of your time.

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Care, Real Estate

7 Strategies for a Well-Designed Kitchen

November 20, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Get a kitchen that fits your lifestyle and your design tastes with these guidelines from an architect

What’s the most important room in your house? For me it’s the kitchen. I love to eat, cook and spend time with family, and the kitchen is where I can do it all. With today’s busy schedules, mealtimes are often the only times families have to spend with one another. So how can you have the perfect kitchen for your lifestyle, stay within your budget and maximize resale value?

One of the most important steps in any project is starting with a great design. It’s not just about looks, it’s more about function and adding value to your life. More than any other room in the house, a kitchen has to be well thought out, carefully configured and designed to accommodate multiple functions. You probably spend more time in your kitchen than any other room, and that’s exactly why it’s so important to start with a great design. Consider these seven ways to get there.

1. Avoid isolation. For many of today’s families, the kitchen is the heart of the home and should be a place where people can gather, entertain and relax — not just cook. That’s why an open plan, like in this kitchen, works so well.

The open plan isn’t your only option, but it isn’t going anywhere yet. Consider your family’s needs carefully before choosing a kitchen plan, and know that if resale is an option for you, most buyers these days are looking for an open kitchen.

Open vs. Closed Kitchens — Which Style Works Best for You?

2. Plan a functional layout. If you like to cook and enjoy making meals for family and friends, there is nothing more frustrating than a kitchen that doesn’t function well. Most designs today follow the basic kitchen work triangle of the sink, refrigerator and range to maximize functionality. But take your own needs into account too. Plenty of counter space for prep, especially next to appliances, like in this kitchen, can make your cooking routine go much more smoothly.

5 Ways to Define Spaces Without Walls

November 16, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Establish zones in an open layout without relying on typical barriers, using changes in material, level, color and more

Think of your favorite room. Imagine its textures, colors and openings. Picture all of the objects that sit in it. Now take the walls away. What’s left? Does it still feel like a room? What elements are intact to distinguish it as a space?

Walls are arguably the easiest and most recognizable architectural elements that define a room. Let’s stretch this notion and identify other ways to perceive space. Consider the following tips to create your home’s spaces without relying on the typical vertical barrier for enclosure.

5 Ways to Define Spaces Without Walls

Architects, interior designers, and more ∨Consider a versatile murphy bed when looking for guest bed furniture, find well-designed task chairs, and work with a contractor in your area to create a fun yet functional home office.
Collect and share photos of bath tile, bathroom cabinetry, shower curtain and bath mirrors to create your perfect home decorating style.

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Care, Home Remodel

11 Tricks to Make a Ceiling Look Higher

November 14, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

A lot of people dream of having high ceilings in their home. But consider this: Rooms with high ceilings are a pain to heat and to circulate air through; they also create challenges for sound and light control and often double the expense of painting, covering windows and adding artwork. Low and moderately high ceilings can be warmer, more intimate and more in proportion with human scale. Not to mention that changing a lightbulb is as simple as pulling out a step stool. Try that with a vaulted ceiling.

Frank Lloyd Wright often incorporated low ceilings in his Prairie-style homes. To compensate, he often made the rooms extra wide and deeply connected to the outdoor spaces. Using these concepts, and with the right furnishings and decor, you can make any ceiling feel just a bit taller.

11 Tricks to Make a Ceiling Look Higher

Architecture, interior design, and more ∨Find top local interior designers, residential architects and home builders for your next home remodeling project.
Find inspiring decorating ideas, from tufted headboards to custom window treatments, to help you redesign your bedroom.

Filed Under: Blog, Furniture, Home Care, Home Remodel

Home Theater Systems Going Wireless

November 12, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Appliances, Blog, Home Care, Technology

Home Fire Prevention & Safety

November 11, 2013 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Every year, house fires claim the lives of over 2,500 people and cause around $7 billion in damage. While house fire deaths are dropping (largely due to fire safety awareness), it’s still a number that is far too high for something so often preventable.

When it comes to household fires, heroics don’t start with firefighters, they start at home with you. Keep in mind that when discussing this topic, awareness is not enough. To read the following tips and do nothing is a disservice to your family and home. By taking action with the tips below, you can increase the odds of making sure that a firefighter never has to risk his life running into your burning home, and that if he does, your family will be safe and sound outside.

Smoke Detectors

Fire alarms are far and away the number one lifesaver when it comes to fires in the home. In fact, two-thirds of all fire deaths occur in homes with either no working smoke alarm, or no alarm period. In many cases, deaths are the result of an alarm not working properly, most often due to issues with the battery (no battery, dead battery, not connected properly).

Read the entire article on TheArtOfManliness – This post is brought to you by Kidde Worry-Free Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms. Find out more about the Worry-Free’s 10-year battery life here.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care