Do's And Don'ts Of Home Decorating

In order to get a better deal, the sellers generally try to decorate their houses before presenting it to the buyers. It is important to present your product in the best possible manner so that it sells easily.

Mark Nash, a Chicago based realtor, states that the buyer would like the house if it were decorated according to the latest trends. Nash, who constantly surveys the real estate market and gets himself updated with the latest changes occurring in home designs, has prepared a list of do's and don'ts that can be used as guidelines before presenting the house to buyers.

He feels that buyers are making changes in their home designs to suit their changing life styles. For instance, adding a luggage room will be an advantage for those who are frequent travelers or providing an extra laundry room just besides the master suite as an extra comfort. Apart from this many new trends have come into the market such as use of chandeliers, fireplaces, use of natural colored decorative pieces like a terracotta style wall hanging, wooden floors and glossy finish that gives a grandeur look to the home.

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Apart from these do's, there are certain don'ts, which have to be considered. These include use of less glass cabinets in the kitchen, avoiding installation of bowl-type bathroom sinks, proper decoration of window moldings and avoiding concrete in the construction of exterior walls. However, most of the times people tend to forget certain vital points such as proper ventilation and illumination, ensuring that all the electrical wires and sockets are properly sealed and functioning well and that all the taps in the bathrooms and kitchen are not leaking. These are also very important in decreasing or increasing the value of a house.

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6 Features That Will Make Your Luxury Home More Sustainable

In recent years, sustainable features in homes have become more popular as home builders and individuals alike consider the impact of their carbon footprint on generations to come. Adding green features to a home holds many benefits for the homeowner. Not only does it reduce their carbon footprint, but it also saves them money. Below, we'll explain how you can help do your part by installing these six environmentally friendly features in your home.

#1 - Eco-Friendly Flooring

Eco-friendly flooring not only looks amazing, but the material used comes from a sustainable source. Therefore, using that material does not reduce its long-term supply. There are multiple options for eco-friendly flooring, such as cork, linoleum, bamboo, wool, recycled glass tile, recycled metal tile, reclaimed wood, recycled clay, stone tile, and rubber.

#2 - Solar Hot Water Unit

Installing a solar hot water system provides water that has been heated by the sun to your home and swimming pool. As a result, less energy is consumed. Solar hot water systems are typically able to produce hot water for a majority of the year. In colder temperatures, if the unit is unable to sufficiently heat the water, a gas or electric booster can be used.

#3 - Solar Electric System

Solar electric systems are the cadillac of sustainable homes. They use solar panels to collect power and provide sustainable electricity to houses. This not only saves people money on electricity and reduces their impact on the environment, but it also increases the resale value of the property. It allows individuals to lock in energy costs for years to come.

#4 - Recycled Material
Recycled material can be used for so much more than just flooring. There are companies that also use these materials to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind, luxury furniture. Recycled material can also be used in different features throughout a house, such as the shower tiles in the bathroom and the backsplash in the kitchen.
#5 - Energy-Saving Appliances
Investing in energy-saving appliances is an easy way to make any house greener. These efficient appliances are designed to operate in a way that uses less power. They're just as effective in terms of function as traditional appliances, yet they can save homeowners money on the electric bill. Major manufacturers produce energy-efficient appliances, making them available in a wide range of colours and styles.
#6 - Insulation
Using the right roofing insulation is a great way to reduce the amount of energy that is consumed for cooling and heating. It helps keep the cold air in during warmer weather, and keeps the warm air in during colder weather. Insulation can easily be added during the homebuilding process. It is measured by an R-value. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.
These features represent just some of the ways that homes can become more sustainable, but there are countless more methods as well. When it comes to creating a living space that is kind to the environment, every little bit helps.

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Home Improvements With Most Value and Least Investment

Home Improvements With Most Value and Least Investment - When making improvements to your home, it is essential to know where to spend your money. Simply investing a large amount of money doesn't guarantee a value for your money. In case you're planning on selling your home, you should focus on the things that appeal to the buyers. Let's take a look at a few home improvements that add the most value to your home without having to invest too much.

Light Goes a Far Way
In the real estate world, an inky and cramped house can spell disaster. Here, the lighting can be your saving grace. If you own a house with small, light-blocking rooms, knocking down some walls to open up your floor plan is an option to consider. Combining your dining room, kitchen, and living room areas into one massive space promotes a more casual and modern lifestyle. Your small house will feel light and airy, exuding an illusion of a broader living area.
Young families can also benefit by such layouts, as they allow parents to keep an eye on their little ones. Some of you might not like the idea of tearing down your walls. In such cases, just widening the doorways makes a striking difference.

The First Impression
In the case of selling your home, a potential buyer might be jittery to step inside your house if the exterior doesn't look appealing. If you have an old house, the exterior is sure to be faded and dull. To make the first impression a lasting one, start by painting and detailing your house with colors that match the age of your house. The walkway or the driveway is what leads potential buyers to your home. Paving is a must, if you want the entrance to your house to be welcoming.

Not Just a Garden
A well-manicured front yard adds value to your home. The garden not only requires grooming, but landscaping as well. Today, outdoor living is becoming a growing trend among people, as they wish to reside in tranquility within the comfort of their own home. Spruce up the patio with classy furniture, add some raised garden beds, and a small water feature that will give future buyers a dose of scenic living.

Add a Deck
As discussed earlier, modern day homeowners crave a taste of outdoor living space. So if you do plan to add a deck, don't just add a few planks and call it a day. Come up with an idea for an interesting shape for the deck and also consider enhancing the deck with additions such as a built-in fire pit, raised garden beds, and benches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8646790

Alternative Foundations

Foundation is one of the most labour intensive and expensive parts of any building. In standard building a massive amount of concrete is used for it. Though it is firm and strong, it is also expensive and environmentally costly. Fortunately there are alternative foundation solutions.

source image building.co.uk

The most common mistake that first-time alternative builders make is that they do not think of the foundation and use standard solutions. The standard concrete solution is well-proven and very common, but it annuls a lot of the positive environmental impact that natural building entails.
Concrete is made of cement. Cement is created by burning limestone. Cement production is one of the highest sources of CO2 production and has numerous negative side-effects that derive from large scale quarry mining. Using concrete foundations is therefore not something that we would recommend. Instead you could consider the following options.

Earthbag foundations are made of polypropylene bags that are filled with soil, sand or gravel depending on the needs of the site and what material is locally available. The filled bags are stacked more or less the same as straw bales or bricks would be. Earthbag foundations are about as simple and inexpensive as possible as most of the used material is free or extremely cheap.

Another alternative is tire foundations. It might seem radical, but is actually quite well established. Used tires are filled with soil that is tightly packed together. The tires are then again stacked. The advantage of this method is that the main building material - the tires - are recycled and the rest - the earth - comes locally and costs nothing. Care must be taken though to avoid direct sunlight to the exposed tires. This applies to polypropylene bags used in earthbag construction as well. The cover can be achieved with simple plaster.

There is also the option to go medieval and use mortared stone. In areas where stones are readily available this is possible the best natural building method. Large stones are stacked together in the dig with mortar or cement. This provides immensely strong structures that can withstand literally centuries. The drawback is that even though the material is cheap, the labour is not and it does require a lot of (unskilled) labour. If you have time on your hands, it is a good alternative low-cost building option to consider.

In conclusion, whereas the foundation is usually the most expensive part of yor building, there are alternatives that can save you a lot of money without the negative environmental impact that cement foundations have. It is well worth taking an extra minute to think of possible alternatives to cement foundation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnsonite_M_Smith

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