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I’ve rounded up some here and for more, check out my Pinterest boards here!
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Storm season is among us and we are at the mercy of mother nature. Well, not quite. Our homes are tough and yet they are vulnerable. They kind of share the same condition we humans do in that we can endure much, but we’re still vulnerable at times. When a storm is brewing, it can feel as if you just have to hope and pray that all will go well. You don’t have to rely on fate to help you out, you can just take some simple proactive steps to protect your home. It's easy to get started and here’s how.
Trim your garden
Storm force winds are incredibly strong. Many of us just do not realize how powerful they are. Winds that are over 100mph are deadly. To protect your windows and your loved ones in the event of a storm, trim your garden trees, plants and bushes. You should also rake your garden for stones and take them out of the soil. Trimming tree branches can avoid wood landing on you, your car, your home and your pets.
Install storm shutters
Broken glass becomes more than just a hazard during a storm. It can be deadly if it falls on someone and it can be painful if you step on it. Not to mention, if you are cut by glass and you’re wading through dirty flood water, your open wound can become infected. So the first thing you may want to do is to install some storm shutters on the outside of your windows. These hatches can be shut from the inside if you have a latch or rope attached to them. Make sure that the latch is made out of steel and not iron.
Standby power
A simple diesel power generator stored away in your shed or loft, could be a godsend when you have suffered a bad storm. Your power might be out for a few days, and cooking and heating will become the two most sorely-missed things. A small power generator running on diesel can last for up to 20-30 hours. It can help you to stay warm, boil water to cook food and also, help you to charge and use your electronics. Some semblance of normal life can be restored and it can really boost your confidence.
Repair mindset
No matter how hard you prepare, sometimes mother nature just wins. So always have the contact details of a restoration company on your phone. They will restore flood, fire and storm damage. This can help with repairing walls, broken windows, wet carpets, broken slabs and wiring in the home. You should also devise a plan for how you will repair your home, such as clearing debris from outside the home first, clearing the lower flower and repairing the vital needs such as central heating, boilers, oven, etc.
Mother nature doesn’t take any prisoners, including your home. These are just some of the ways you can protect your home during a storm, which one do you think is the most effective.
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If you decide to opt down the property route as a source of income you will need to be organized, attentive, willing to take calls and provide assistance to your tenants if you truly want to be a good landlord. Below are some examples of what you can do to facilitate the idea that you are an efficient landlord.
Provide a Warm Welcome
If your tenants are new to the area it will help them settle in if you put together a folder of information which demonstrates where all the local amenities are so that they are aware of the nearest shops, gas station, and transportation links. You could also provide some toiletries, cleaning products and basic groceries for moving in day in case they do not have these basic items when they first move in. This will also create a good impression on your behalf that you are attentive and would like the property to remain clean.
Keep The Property In Good Condition
Ensuring that all the kitchen and bathroom facilities are all up to date and working well as well as repainting the walls will keep the property in good condition. This will help to attract more prospective tenants who will be willing to move in and pay rent, which will certainly encourage business.
Be Organized With Paperwork
It is good practise to make a copy of the contracts that you and your tenant have signed, both digitally and on paper should you need to refer back to this at any point, after they have moved into the property. You are also likely to have more than one property to manage so you will want to ensure that you keep your paperwork all organized
Be Attentive
You will need to be attentive and be able to answer calls or queries should your tenants need emergency assistance such as a burst pipe or the boiler breaking down. This will help to maintain a good working relationship with your tenants if you are able to resolve any structural issues with the property and they will be more likely to pay their share of the rent and look after your home well.
Create a Business Relationship With Your Tenants
Though it is important to be a welcoming and helpful landlord, you also want to maintain a professional working relationship with your tenants and not become too friendly with them. This might lead to problems with them paying their rent on time if they do not regard the contract they signed as a business transaction. You can also use the services of a property management company when you need assistance to ensure your tenants do pay accordingly each month due to your busy schedule.
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Improving your kitchen has so many advantages. You can enhance the appearance of your home and even add value. By revamping your kitchen you’ll improve your enjoyment of cooking, and perhaps create a space for socializing. There are lots of easy ways that you can beautify your kitchen, let’s consider a few.
1 . Clean first
Before you start revamping your kitchen you should give everything a good clean. Kitchen’s should be deep cleaned more often than the other rooms in the house. Areas like the oven need a little bit of extra attention. To save some money on products you can try home remedies for cleaning. Some of the best home remedies include baking soda, lemons, white vinegar, and olive oil.
2 . Kitchen Accessories
Accessories are one of the best ways to revamp a kitchen. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to give your kitchen a brand new look. Choose beautiful tablecloths, cushions, ornaments, decorative jars, and rugs. When you’re choosing accessories, think about the style you want to create in your kitchen. Are you looking to create a minimal style? Something elegant and contemporary? Perhaps you want your kitchen to look shabby chic, or quirky? It’s helpful to decide on your style before you start shopping. If you’re looking for a beautiful range of napkins, check out Richard Haworth's napkins.
3. Beautiful Plants
To give your kitchen a zest of life, add some plants and flowers. Plants are an eco-friendly and easy way to brighten up a room. For a few plants that are easy to care for, check out these:
- Asparagus Fern: These fluffy-looking plants are a beautiful option for a kitchen space. They can thrive in a dark corner, or in a bright place. All you need to do is ensure the soil is moist. If you forget to water an Asparagus Fern, it doesn’t mind too much!
- Kalanchoe: These plants produce lovely pink flowers, they retain water well so they don’t need too much extra care. A Kalanchoe plant can withstand very high temperatures.
4. Take Out The Clutter
Clutter makes any room look a real mess. Sort through all the items in your kitchen and remove anything that you no longer need or use. You can recycle these items or donate them. Alternatively, you might like to sell them using second-hand apps. Once you’ve removed the clutter you’ll have a more attractive kitchen, and more space. To avoid collecting clutter, try to practice mindful spending habits. For every time you buy something, think carefully about whether you need it.
5. Paint In Bright Colors
This year, it’s all about bright and bold color schemes. Give your kitchen walls a refresh, and go for bright pastel colors. Whether it’s pastel green, yellow, or orange, choose a shade that you love. Bright colors help to create an inviting atmosphere and make a statement with your decor. If you’re not sure which colors to choose, check out the ‘Paint Tester’ app. The tool uses virtual reality features, to help you test out colors on your walls.
6. Add Art
Artwork is the best way to improve any room. There are so many different options, depending on your preferred style. You might like illustrations, photography or paintings. You might prefer a digital print of a quote? Remember, artwork is about expressing yourself. Think about how you can use your decor to express your personality. When you are choosing art, it can be useful to answer the following questions:
- Which kind of style would suit my kitchen?
- Do I have enough space for a large canvas?
- What’s my budget?
- Which kind of style do I prefer (pop art, minimal, traditional, surreal)?
7. Improve storage
To improve the look of your kitchen it’s worth taking a look at your storage. Think about how you could adjust the storage to improve the look of the kitchen. Here are a few questions that might help.
- Do I need more storage options?
- Do I have room to add more storage?
- Could I adjust my storage to create more space?
When you’re improving your kitchen space, you might want to sketch out a few ideas first. Write down which colors you’d like for your accessories and the type of artwork you’re looking for. Create an approximate budget to help you limit your spending. You don’t need to spend a huge amount to create a lovely room. When it comes to improving your home, it’s all about getting creative!
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Isn’t it great when you have worked really hard on your home, it looks fantastic, and you feel like you? But sometimes, you aren’t quite there yet. It can be easy to find yourself in a place that isn’t you at all and it needs so much work – it can be overwhelming. You might feel as if you have so much to do and no idea where to start. But there will always be a few set things that you can do around the home that make a huge difference (and can get the ball rolling).
But what are they and why do they matter? Of course, how your home looks will always influence how you feel in it. Having a nice and tidy home makes a difference. So, to help you to keep things organized and well-decorated, these are the things you need to be able to focus on.
Redecorating The Rooms
First of all, it could be as simple as redecorating. Sometimes, this can be quite a big job. But if you know that the space is just old and outdated, a bit of a face lift could be perfect. Think about what you need to do to bring each room to life, from fixtures and fittings to just a lick of paint.
Extending Your Home
Maybe you even want to make some big changes? When that’s the case, it could be one of your goals to extend your home. Think about getting some extra space in and hiring the contractors to transform how your home looks. It could completely transform your home and make it look amazing.
Upgrading The Basics
But then also, you might want to think about upgrading some of the essentials in your home. If you need to replace the electrics or rewire, get a HVAC company in to put in a new system, or even get new windows – do it. These can seem and sound boring but they make such a difference to how the house runs and looks and feels too.
An Outdoor Renovation
Finally, you might want to take a little look outside too. You may find that it’s a good idea for you to sort the garden and make sure that it’s landscaped and looking great. If it’s a bit messy or you feel like you don’t have a good outside space, you might want to change that. It’ll be fun for you to have an outdoor space you can use and it also frames your home too. When the outdoors looks great, it makes your house feel finished.
No matter where you are with your home or what stage of renovations you’re at, you might want to make sure that you’re picking out one (or more) of these options and focusing on it this year. And when that’s done, you’ll find that your home will look so much better. You could then even move onto another option until it feels finished and pretty much perfect.
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If people arrive and see a filth parking lot and a run-down environment, they will get absolutely the wrong impression of what it's like to conduct business with you. Because 95% of buyers make their choice on whether or not to enter a store on how it looks from the outside, freshening up the exterior will almost certainly improve the footfall to your retail store.
If you want to give customers the best possible image of your business, you need to have good curb appeal as well as a great interior and we will look at some of the things you can do here.
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Give it a good clean
Customers will not be attracted to your business if the outside of your building is unkempt and chaotic. It also gives the impression that your company is sloppy and inattentive, which is not a good impression to leave with a potential client. Spend some time cleaning up the outside of the building: pick up litter, wipe down windows and walls, remove graffiti and animal mess and use a pressure washing service to give it a good blast.
Freshen up with a new coat of paint
Consider the last time the outside of your business was painted. A good paint job should survive for many years, so it's probably time for a touch-up. Painting the exterior of your building is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve its appearance.
A chipped, flaking paint job exposes the material beneath and exposes it to the elements of sun, wind, and rain, which can harm the structure of your building as well as look exceedingly unattractive. You could even take advantage of the opportunity to fully change the colour palette. To make it stand out even more, paint it in your company's colours.
Keep on top of the landscaping
The environment surrounding the building, as well as the building itself, need some delicate loving care. Overgrown bushes, fallen leaves, and out-of-control weeds give it a dishevelled and unwanted appearance. Trim bushes and shrubs, pick up fallen leaves, and, most essential, mow the lawns on a regular basis to keep it tidy. The difference between an untidy landscape and one that has been maintained is astounding, but keep in mind that it is something that must be done on a regular basis; it is not a one-time activity.
Give it some greenery
A touch of green on the outside of a building will always improve its appearance and make it more appealing. It does not have to be elaborate; strategically placed pots outside the door, as well as a few hanging baskets or bushes at the entryway, can make a big difference.
By improving the curb appeal of your business, you will see a much higher footfall. It makes you look like you care about the finer details, which is what every business wants to be seen to do.
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Interior Design Services via online design for any of your interior design needs or design dilemmas.
Can be used for:
General design advice or feedback
Remodeling questions
Furniture arrangement or a furniture space layout drawing
Concept ideas for a room direction and ideas / input
Paint color selections
Art, accessory, furnishing selections and more
Please email with any questions: JSInteriorDes@aol.com
(Payable via Venmo, $100/hr)
