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You love your child and you want to give them a wonderful birthday party with great food, fun games, plenty of activities, and all their friends. However, you’ve also invested a lot of time, effort, and money into your home’s interior design, and the last thing you want is for a child’s birthday party to cause any damage or make (too much) mess. With that in mind, here are some of the things you can do to protect your home during a kid’s birthday party.  Photo by Ivan Samkov
Store Fragile Items Kids will be kids, and excited kids will be clumsy, so it’s a good idea to remove any fragile, breakable, or precious (whether they’re worth a lot of money or you just really love them) objects away from the party area. If you’re letting the kids run wild in the living room or dining room, those are the rooms to clear. If they’ve got the entire downstairs, you’ll need to do more. Make sure everything’s covered, and consider whether it’s worth just storing things in a spare room or whether you need to get them out of the house and even rent a storage unit. Although it’s extra work and cost when you’re already dealing with a party, taking your stuff out of the house could be the best option you have if you want to ensure you can have things back to normal once everyone’s gone home. Protect The Floor If you don’t have too much time or you’re pretty sure the kids aren’t going to run around too much, then you might not have to remove everything that could be broken or damaged in some way. However, it’s still a good idea to take care of your floor and protect it as much as possible. Spilled food and drink can cause havoc and easily stain, and it’ll be hard work to remove trodden-in cookie crumbs and pizza crusts from the carpet or rug. If you have a rug, you can take that up and put it somewhere else, leaving the tiled or wooden floor underneath. Yes, it might still get messy, but at least it’s easy to clean. If you have carpet, you can invest in a cheap rug to place over the top (or more than one if it’s a large room) - make sure it really is cheap, though, as the easiest thing to do when you’re clearing up is simply to throw the rug away. Leave The House If you’re really worried about the house getting messy and you don’t want to compromise on the fun your child deserves for their birthday party, then it’s probably best not to have the party at home at all and instead book a party somewhere special. If you find somewhere that specializes in birthday parties, you’ll find all the hard work is done for you, your child (and their friends) will have the time of their lives, and your home won’t suffer in any way. It’s possibly the very best option of all.
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When it comes to investing and building wealth, there are so many options for you to choose from, and the best investments for you depend on your personal choices, your risk tolerance, and how much you have available to invest. Everyone is different. What is right for one person isn't suitable for someone else. Getting the right financial advice and ensuring you're making sound financial decisions can help you avoid the common pitfalls of investing, watch your money grow, and not dwindle away over the years. With that in mind, this post looks at some of the most popular investment options in the US right now. Property There are approximately 22 million landlords in America right now, and most of them are mom-and-pop investors with around 1 or 2 properties each that they rent out. But if becoming a landlord isn't for you can invest in real estate in different ways. You can choose REITs, which are real estate investment trusts, which are groups that own income-generating properties and sell dividends to investors. You can choose to invest in commercial or residential properties in this way, from malls, hotels, and offices to Multifamily property investments, which are your apartment complexes. If you want a more passive method of generating an income and building wealth via real estate options, this could be the right choice for you. Alternative Investments If you want to diversify your portfolio or look for something away from the standard investment options, investing in things like gold, art, cryptocurrency, jewelry, or hedge funds, for example, can be an excellent way to generate an income or invest your money. If this piques your interest, working with brokers or private wealth management firms can help you make the right investments and avoid the common pitfalls of investing in options like this. Stocks The most common and well-known type of investment is investing in stocks. You can invest in individual stocks or dividend stocks, and what is best for you depends on a few different factors. Individual stocks are an ownership in a company. While these can offer higher returns than, say, government bonds, they also come with higher volatility. They are typically more suited for experienced investors with a higher risk tolerance and a well-diversified portfolio. Dividend stocks are regular cash payments that companies pay to shareholders. Dividend stocks are usually associated with more stable, secure, and profitable companies as opposed to your fast-growing enterprises. And while returns might not grow as fast as companies in the growth stage, the dividends are attractive for many investors and can provide a regular income. Before you make any type of investment, you need to do your research and be sure you know what the risks and returns are and you are confident in what you are investing in. There are many scams associated with investing; however, for those who want to grow their finances or generate more passive type of income, investing needs to be something you are actively doing, not just thinking about. Your home is a private sanctuary and it's a place where you should feel secure and not violated. When you go into your house at the end of the day and you shut the door behind you and lock it, you should feel as safe as you can be and feel confident about that. Home invasions have decreased over the last year for most people, but they are still very prevalent and they are still very much a worry. You might not think about what a home invasion could do to your home on the inside or the outside, and you might not think about the personal impact it can have on you. However with the right security screens, the right locking system and even cameras installed, you could ensure that your home feels as secure as you want it to feel. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the ways that you can make your home more secure.  Image source: Pexels
You deserve to feel safe and secure within your home and these are the tips that are going to help you to do just that.  Pexels
There may be a point and time in your life when you find yourself living alone. It may be by choice or maybe it’s not your first choice and it’s just something you have to deal with. In either case, it’s important that you make the most out of your situation. It’s not so bad and you may even end up liking living by yourself once you get more comfortable with the reality of it. Here you can review four tips for when you live alone so it can be a positive experience.
 Photo by Scott Webb: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-gray-bullet-security-cameras-430208/
Anyone who owns a home needs to know that a simple home improvement that makes a big difference is updated security. Security updates can be easy and affordable to install. With maximum security in place, you can rest assured that your home is protected and safe. Using these tips, you can find the best ways to improve your home’s security. New gates Homeowners will be surprised to know that a gate can improve home security within minutes. Installing a gate does not take a long time or cost a lot of money. Yet, it requires professional work if you want it to be durable and long-lasting. Investing in a company like Tulsa Home Guard will allow you to install professional gates so you can maximize the security of your property. Adding new gates to the front and back will offer more protection and guarantee to deter any intruders. Make your alarms visible Making the security alarms visible in your home will ensure that they can be seen by potential intruders. An intruder would be silly to attempt to enter a property when the police can be alerted in seconds. Therefore, make your alarms as visible as you can to deter intruders. Install CCTV cameras outside CCTV cameras will also work to deter intruders. When someone sees that your home is secured with surveillance cameras and you can watch them, it will make them lose interest. Although some intruders can be clever enough to cover the cameras, they will still be seen when doing so. Plus, with the other security measures in place, they can still be caught. Store spare keys in a locked, safe place Another tip to keep your home secure is to store any spare keys away in a locked, safe place. You will want them to be out of sight and difficult to find. If you leave them at a door or under a mat, they will easily be found. Locking them in a hidden box is the best bet. Lock your car away Although your car is separate from your home, you will want to keep it secure and safe at all times. Therefore, it is good to lock your car away and out of sight so that it can remain safe. It is good to lock the car in a garage, if you have one. Or, use an external unit where you can maximize its security. Doing so will guarantee that you can remain calm regarding the protection of your car. Double locks on the windows and doors Installing double locks on your windows and doors is an excellent technique if you want to make them difficult to break into. Double locks will require a special key and reduce the likelihood of someone easily entering. In conclusion, it really is simple to secure your home. Installing alarms and cameras, along with adding new gates, can be all it takes to make your home less vulnerable and more secure. If you’re looking to sell your home, then the aim is likely to get the best possible sell in the lowest amount of time. You don’t want to be waiting for the market to take notice, you want to get interest fast. To that end, you want to make sure that you’re ready to get the ball rolling. Finding the right help can make that a lot easier. Here, we’re going to look at some of the professionals that you may want to look into working with.  Source - CC0 License Realtors The very first step you should take in selling your home is to find the right realtor, or real estate agent. This is the person who knows the area and recent sales, as well as bringing a decent selling record themselves. They can help you get the ball rolling in terms of getting your home valuated, putting a sale listing up online, and managing any buyers that come your way. The best realtors are active in lining up your property with the potential buyers that are most likely to show an interest in your property. Just do bear in mind that it’s usually the seller who has to pay the commission for not just your own real estate agent, but the agent helping the buyer with the purchase, too. Inspectors Your realtor might be able to hook you up with a home inspector if you ask them but, otherwise, you should take the time to find them, yourself, as well. Aside from the basic valuation you need to do of your property, you might want to take the time to hire independent home inspectors who can take a look through the property to present a report on its condition. Not only can this help highlight any issues that you might want to take the time to fix before any buyers start taking a closer look, but this level of transparency and openness can help buyers get the idea that you’re worth trusting. Some buyers will have their own property inspectors or insist that you use one, so this can help to head off those concerns, as well. Lawyers Buying or selling a house is, at its basic form, a legally binding transactional contract. You might think that sounds relatively simple and, indeed, in the best cases, it goes smoothly, without issue. However, that’s not to say that property is a legally simple matter, by any means. It’s certainly not. The process of selling itself can experience a host of legal issues, property disputes can arise, and you might be looking for legal advice on how to handle remaining property tax. Whatever the case, it’s a good idea to have some real estate legal assistance on standby. They can also offer you help during the buying process, as well, which may go hand in hand with selling your home.  Source - CC0 License Storage facilities Aside from facilitating all of the necessities of selling a home, you should be thinking about how to best get it ready for the buyers, as well. One of the first steps that you want to take is to get rid of the clutter in the household. If you don’t already have a property to move your belongings to, then you might want to look at hiring a self-storage facility that can serve as the temporary accommodation of the items that might be making your property look a little too lived in. When they’re looking around, most buyers want to be able to envision their life there, and that can be difficult if there’s a little too much of you and your family still in there. Home stagers That said, you don’t want to leave a home entirely bare. There is a happy middle ground between showing off your home with all of your clutter in there and having a completely empty property. With the help of home staging services, you can rent and display furniture and decor pieces that help you show off the kind of potential life that can be shown in your home. Home staging design tends to opt towards more neutral looks, appealing ot as wide a base of buyers as possible, but chooses furniture and decor pieces that are designed to best fit and suit the space, to give the best possible image of what living there might look like. Photographers In a lot of cases, your realtor is going to take care of this part for you but, if you want to make sure the very best chances of selling your home, then you want to ensure that there are good photographs to post in your listings. A property photographer is important for making sure that you are able to accurately capture the dimensions and space available in each room, but can also play a role in showing off the curb appeal of the property and framing it against the landscape in a way that is as flattering as possible. You want to strike a balance between clear and informative portrayal of the property, but also making it look just that touch more attractive.  Source - CC0 License
Repairmen One of the single best tips to help you sell your home is to make sure that it doesn’t have any lingering issues that a potential buyer is going to immediately spot. Some buyers might simply point them out with the expectation that you fix them, but some might be put off the sale by the fact that they can spot blatant issues in the first place. Find your local tradespeople to help you take care of the necessary fixes in the home, or take the time and effort to make those fixes yourself. Similarly, you may want to consider hiring a local gardener or tree service provider to help improve your curb appeal, too. Depending on the particulars of your situation ,you might not need every one of the professional services above. However, if you’re beginning the home selling process and you’re wondering what you might be missing, this is a good list to start with. Are you on the fence about renting an apartment while you search for your dream home? Let’s be realistic. Finding your dream home can take a long time, and more often than not, you’ll be looking at several years of researching and waiting for a property to become available. So, why should you purchase a home you have no intention of keeping in the meantime? While buying or renting is a common dilemma, there are some compelling reasons to consider this option. Here are some of the best reasons why people choose to rent rather than buy and why it works for them.  Unsplash - CC0 License
A stress-free move-out So, you’ve finally found your dream home and are ready to move in? Congratulations! But if you already are a homeowner, you know that you’ll have to sell to afford to buy, and this can be extremely stressful. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the chaos that can ensue when you decide to leave your own property. There is so much to do when you need to sell your home, pack your belongings, and make sure you can do everything on time. This is a daunting task filled with uncertainty. Needless to say, this can feel like a rollercoaster ride, from setting the right price to packing boxes , the process can take a toll on your nerves. However, when you live in a rented apartment, there are a lot of things you don’t need to worry about. When the time comes to move out, all you need to do is give your landlord notice and pack your bags. Typically, you won’t have to worry about packing many belongings, as renters tend to own less than homeowners. Partially furnished comfort One of the perks of renting is that many apartments come partially furnished with high-quality appliances. While, as a tenant, you are likely to need to buy furniture, there is no denying that buying a bed and a table will always be cheaper than kitchen appliances. As you don;’t need to invest in or move your own appliances, the transition is a lot smoother. You can enjoy the convenience of a fully equipped kitchen, ready-to-use washer and dryer, and even stylish bathroom without having to spend a cent. This presents many advantages from the perspective of a prospective buyer. First of all, you don’t need to purchase temporary appliances that you are unlikely to take in your dream home once you buy. Secondly, this alleviates the stress of moving in and out of a rental. Hassle-free maintenance Every homeowner knows about the cost and hassle of taking care of all the repairs and maintenance needs. But, as a tenant, you only need to pick up the phone and call your landlord to let them know that something went wrong. Whether it is a leaky faucet, a malfunctioning HVAC unit, or even a broken window, the responsibility typically falls on the landlord to fix these issues. As a tenant, this leaves you with considerably less stress, as you don’t need to worry about keeping the property in tip-top condition. In conclusion, if you are looking for a specific property that is unlikely to appear on the real estate market any time soon, you may want to move into a rented property while you wait. This will not only save you a lot of costs and hassles, but it can definitely make the transition a lot smoother when you move out.  Image Credit: Jason Dent from Unsplash.
Real estate is almost always a recommended industry to get into. There are multiple ways you can get into this, ranging from investing to becoming a real estate agent. These all boast a great income, and they’ll all be interesting jobs. No matter which one you go for, you’ll want to succeed in real estate. That’s often easier said than done. With the various moving parts and multiple other factors, it can often be complicated. It could be worth using a few real estate tips to help you with this. By using them and being practical, you shouldn’t have a problem seeing success. It’s worth diving into five of the most notable of these. Succeed In Real Estate: 5 Practical Tips 1. Create A Plan For Success Nobody ever sees success without some kind of plan. You’ll need to develop this as early as possible, as well as to actually stick to it. The more comprehensive you are with your plan, the better you’ll end up. You’ll need to include quite a few things in this plan, many of which will already be obvious. Your real estate goals, strategies to make money, your unique selling proposition, and similar areas should all be covered in this. Be as detailed as possible when you’re putting this together. While not everything will go to plan, it’s still worth having this in place and trying to stick to it. 2. Network The value of networking can’t be understated in real estate. By networking, you can get to know other professionals in the industry, and many of these could help you succeed in real estate. It’s worth putting a bit of time and effort into it, and you might be surprised by the possibilities it opens up. Some people could actively help you with your career, while others could put you in touch with people who can help. Though these mightn’t pay off straight away, they could help you more and more in time. Your real estate career could end up skyrocketing because of it. You’ve no reason not to network. 3. Know Your Terminology No matter what kind of real estate you focus on, it’ll come with quite a bit of terminology. A lot of this can be confusing if you don’t know anything about it. While some terms could be obvious, others will be far from it. Make sure you know about them from the start of your real estate career. If you’re focusing on funding, for example, you’ll need to know about a side letter agreement in private equity. Spend some time researching all of the terminology you need to know, as well as what they actually refer to. 4. Find Out What People Want If you’re focusing on the customer side of real estate, you’ll need to consider what people want in their properties. Even if you plan on investing, you’ll have to keep on top of various trends. A lot of this focuses on what people want. You’ll need to deliver this if you want to succeed in real estate. The better you can deliver this, the more likely it is you’ll see success long-term. While that could mean making some adjustments every once in a while, it’ll be more than worth it. You should see more and more success in the future. 5. Have Some Savings Even when you’re on the road to success in real estate, there’ll be a few tough times. You mightn’t generate as much revenue as you would’ve thought. Your income could be relatively tight. It’s worth being prepared for these times, as they can be too difficult to get through if you’re not. Having some savings to rely on during these times is recommended. Hopefully, the lean times shouldn’t last too long, and you wouldn’t need to rely on your savings too much. Make sure you have enough to last you a few months, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Succeed In Real Estate: Wrapping UpIf you want to succeed in real estate, you’ll need to be prepared to put the work in. That’s the case no matter what kind of career you’re planning on having in the industry. Thankfully, it doesn’t need to be as overwhelming as you’d think. All you could need are a few real estate tips. Focusing on these and being practical should be more than enough to help you see success. With some time and effort, you’ll end up seeing more success than you would’ve thought.  Pixabay CC0 License
The home improvement process is an ongoing commitment that never truly ends. However, with winter fast approaching, it’s imperative that you implement the necessary updates ahead of a very busy period. There’s still time to complete the upgrades, but it’s important to start now. The first step is to understand which jobs need doing. Focus on the following matters and you won’t go far wrong. Complete Structural Repairs If your home’s exterior isn’t in great health, the adverse weather to come over the coming months could spell disaster. For your property and your finances. So, even if your home managed to survive through the warm weather, now is the time to take action. It’s best to start at the top with metal roofing repair and guttering upgrades to prevent leaks and other damage. Broken windows will also need to be fixed while any vulnerabilities with the home’s foundation must be checked. If there are any potential hazards in your backyard, such as a large tree that looks like it could fall, you must treat this issue ASAP. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Go Green Creating a more eco-friendly home is beneficial for many reasons. It protects the environment, can support your family’s health, and reduces your carbon emissions. The latter incentive also translates to reduced energy bills. Given that you are likely to consume more energy in the winter months, now is the perfect time to go green. This guide to stylish and eco-friendly upgrades will point you in the right direction. You will start to see the financial benefits right away, clawing back a significant part of the investment over the winter months. This is followed by continued monthly savings throughout 2024 and the years to come. Increase Comfort It is likely that you’ll spend more time at home in the winter. Therefore, home comforts can make a huge difference to your daily life. Starting with new bedding to promote a better night’s sleep should be your first goal. It’s a very easy upgrade too. Additional upgrades can include fixing the shower pressure or getting a deeper bathtub. A hot soak after a hard day of work feels like heaven. Mounting your TV on the wall or finding new storage facilities to create more space for home entertainment can work well too. Using Smart tech to automate aspects of your home management is another move to make life more comfortable. Not least when using robotic vacuums to clean it. Add Security Features Protecting your family and property is an ongoing priority. Nonetheless, it takes on an added importance at this time of the year. Stats show that burglaries increase in the winter, and it’s not hard to see why. People have bought new goods for the festive season. And it’s dark. Therefore, it’s vital that you're prepared for this challenging season. Adding home surveillance cameras and alarms will work wonders. Motion-sensor lighting is another wise move while it’s essential that all doors and windows have robust locks. Where possible, landscaping to create better visibility of the yard can also deter intruders. Aside from preventing the fallout of a break-in, taking precautions will put your mind at ease. Now the year is drawing to a close, it’s a good idea to start preparing your home for the winter months. If you live in an area that experiences particularly harsh winters, it’s important to prepare your home now so you can be nice and toasty without worrying about anything going wrong around your home. Here is an essential winter checklist that you should get started on right away.  https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-on-a-pile-of-dirt-11573798/ Insulate your pipes Any pipes that are exposed or run along a wall in an unheated area (typically outside) are at risk of freezing when the temperature drops, causing the pipe to burst. Head to your local hardware store and look for pipe insulation. If you don’t know what it looks like, it looks almost like a giant pool noodle that you can cut to size, wrap around your pipes and seal with duct tape if needed. If you’re really unsure, ask an employee for advice. Clean out guttersI
If your gutters are full of leaves, branches and debris, now is the time to clear them out. If they freeze during colder weather they could not only affect drainage in your home, but also damage your roof. If you’re not confident doing this job yourself, call in a professional who should be able to do this in around 2 or 3 hours. Have your furnace checked It's important to ensure your furnace is operating safely and efficiently, so call in your local furnace repair company to come and do the job for you. If any repairs are needed, have them fixed as soon as possible to ensure your home is nice and warm during the colder months. Repairs and inspections also ensure that your energy bills won’t soar through the roof. Inspect trees and branches Take some time to check trees around your home that could potentially fall or break if there’s a bad storm. Signs this might happen are dead limbs, branches that are slightly broken, and trees where the root is visible. If you’re worried about any trees or branches surrounding your house, call in a professional to come and safely remove them. Prevent door locks from freezing If you live in an area that gets particularly cold, then you may have experienced your door locks freezing, making it difficult to enter or leave your home. You can buy a lubricant from the hardware store that you spray into where the key goes. This will help prevent freezing and keep the chamber lubricated. It’s especially important to do this in the winter, but experts recommend doing this once every season. Drain your sprinklers It's unlikely you’re going to be needing to water your lawn over the next few months, and if you leave water in the pipes during the winter they could freeze and crack the pipes. It is possible to do it yourself (check the manufacturers website) but it’s recommended to get an irrigation contractor in to blow out all of the water using compressed air. Block drafts If you regularly feel drafts from your windows or doors, it’s a good idea to use draft stoppers to keep in the heat and keep out the cold. You can buy draft stoppers online, or you could make them using foam and a pillow case. If you’re feeling a draft from your baseboard, get some caulking and fill in these gaps to help keep your home nice and toasty. Have your fireplace cleaned If you use your fireplace often, there’s a good chance it needs a good clean and inspection. Built up soot is bad for air quality and can cause house fires, so it’s a good idea to clean as much of the area yourself, and then call in a chimney sweep. This is especially important if you’re burning wood or coals. Plus, there’s nothing quite like lighting the fire for the first time in the winter months! Mulch your flower beds If you find that your flower beds die during the winter, it might be because you’re not mulching your flower beds. Adding a layer of wood mulch helps regulate the temperature of the soil, and might just save your beloved flower bed from dying off yet again. Cover garden furniture Your garden furniture is about to face an array of weather changes. From dry cool days, to snowy, windy, rainy, wet and icy days. The weather will take its toll on your furniture, whether you’ve got wooden or metal! Use some plastic sheets to cover and secure your garden furniture so you can enjoy it for many years to come. |
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