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Everyone wants to create a happy and healthy home environment for their families. Sometimes the general busyness of everyday life can make this a challenge. There’s no doubt that family life gets pretty hectic; and the days, weeks and months can pass in what seems like a blink of an eye. While your to-do list keeps growing, there are some jobs that you shouldn’t put off until a later date. 

To keep your home a safe and healthy place for your family; you will need to make sure it is well-maintained. Keeping up with the maintenance of your home may not seem like a fun thing to do; In the long run, it is worth it. Knowing that your home is well cared for and looked after is a good feeling. It means you are unlikely to be in for any nasty surprises further down the line. A little time and money spent maintaining your home now can also save you lots of stress and cash in the future; A well-looked after home will also help your home to maintain its value and will undoubtedly give its curb appeal a boost. So, which jobs should you tackle when trying to keep your home well-maintained?

Maintain Your HVAC

Your HVAC is an essential part of your home, and vital for keeping your temperatures just right, and ensuring that everyone is comfortable. Your HVAC is probably something that you don’t give too much thought to until it breaks, so it’s worth taking care of it.

Maintaining your HVAC, particularly your air ducts, is crucial to creating a healthy home environment. Over time air ducts can become clogged up with all kinds of dust and dirt which can affect the quality of the air in your home; this is Why you should clean your air ducts and keep your HVAC maintained.

Clean Your Guttering

Cleaning your guttering is a crucial job, gutters perform such an essential role in channeling rainwater away from your home. You will need to check your guttering to keep it free from debris. Leaves and other debris can clog up your guttering and leave it unable to drain away from the rainwater as it should. A clogged up gutter can then cause water to run down the exterior of your home. Over time this can result in problems such as damage to your exterior walls and mold to grow on your interior walls. Luckily by checking your gutters and your downpipes that they run into to make sure that they aren’t clogged or damaged makes it easy to prevent any issues.

Check Your Roof

If you find broken roof tiles on the floor or notice that your roof appears to be damaged. This is something that you should remedy quickly. Damage to your roof can quickly cause problems such as mold and rot; as your home will be exposed to the elements. Missing tiles also makes it easy for pests to gain access to your roof space.

We all know how unpredictable the weather can be. One minute the sun is shining, the next minute there are thunderstorms, a week later and it is snowing, and then a few days after that, the sun appears to be shining again. It is impossible to know what to expect. And because of this, we need to take extra special care when it comes to our outdoor furniture.

After all, the last thing you want to have to do is replace your furniture every time the weather turns nasty. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Rattan all weather furniture has been designed so that your furniture can maintain its quality and can look fantastic no matter whether the sun is shining or the rain is pouring. Below, we will reveal why rattan is the perfect option for enhancing your garden, as well as providing you with some guidance on creating your own beautiful rattan furniture covers.

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Rattan all-weather furniture is UV resistant  

Most of us delight when the sun is shining. The whole country seems to experience an uplift in mood once the warm weather begins. We all get excited about barbeques with friends and taking a trip to the seaside with family. Nevertheless, outside furniture is not a big fan of the sunny weather. You would be forgiven for being more concerned when thunderstorms, snow, and rain are occurring.

However, it is actually the sun that can cause the most damage. This is because the UV can actually result in the furniture fading and losing its colour dramatically. Once this occurs it is virtually impossible to get your furniture looking as good as new again. Thankfully, you need not worry about this if you purchase Rattan outdoor furniture. The material is UV resistant, and so if by some miracle the sun comes out to play for the majority of the year, you won’t have to worry about the quality of your furniture being damaged.

Rattan outdoor furniture withstands all weather conditions

Being unaffected by the sunshine is obviously highly important. Nevertheless, we all know that the sun only shines for a proportion of the year in this country. Therefore, the need to be able to withstand other weather conditions is just as crucial, even if they may not be as damaging to the furniture in question. Thankfully, rattan all weather furniture offers this.

You need not worry about rainfall damaging your furniture, nor do need you to worry about windy conditions causing problems either. This is highly important because the main reason why people find themselves replacing their outdoor furniture sooner than expected is that it has been affected by the weather. It also means that rattan is ideal when creating a low maintenance garden. Most people are time poor today, and rattan can help with this. With artificial grass, plants that are easy to maintain, and rattan furniture, you have the perfect formula.

Rattan all weather furniture ensures no mildew growth

There is nothing worse than noting a build-up of mildew on your furniture. This can easily happen in weather conditions of damp – and we all know that these conditions are guaranteed to occur. Of course, mildew can be cleaned away. Nevertheless, this is an added hassle for you. And you don’t need to be reminded of how dangerous it can be if you allow mildew to build up and you don’t tend to it. Thankfully, you need not worry about any of this if you buy rattan furniture as it is anti-mildew.

You don’t need to worry about any rust with rattan furniture

And last but not least, rust is another pesky occurrence when it comes to outdoor furniture as well. This can seriously damage your furniture. Not only does it look bad, but it can weaken the quality of your furniture too. Again, there are ways of combating this issue. Nevertheless, they require effort on your part, and a lot of times you are merely papering over the cracks until it occurs again. Luckily for you, Rattan furniture is also anti-rust, and therefore this potential issue is eliminated too.

When it comes to buying furniture for your garden it is of the utmost importance that you choose a material of high quality. Rattan all weather furniture is definitely this. It can withstand all weather conditions and therefore you need not worry about having to replace your furniture anytime in the near future.

How to make rattan furniture covers

There is nothing that makes furniture more special than having a hand in the creation yourself. You can really showcase your personality and your own unique taste through doing so. You don’t have to go for something elaborate or difficult. In fact, one of the best options is to create covers for your furniture.

Pieces of furniture made out of the likes of rattan can actually be enhanced because covers give them their finishing touch. Not only this, but they can be easily removed and thus it is a great way to decorate the furniture for various events. So, why not make your very own rattan furniture covers? This shouldn’t take you to long to do nor should you find great difficulty in doing so either. Furthermore, you will revel in the opportunity to show your family and friends what you have managed to make yourself.

Instructions for creating your own rattan furniture covers

So, how do you go about impressing everyone and showcasing your skills by making rattan furniture covers? Well, the first thing you need to do is make sure you get your measurements right. You will need to measure the furniture – this includes the front and the back, as well as the sides.

This is important because it will allow you to decipher how much fabric is necessary. It is always recommended to have more fabric than needed. Thus, once you have taken your measurements, add on an extra 5 or 6 inches to the length and the width. After all, you need to remember you have the hem to deal with as well.

Once you have obtained your fabric you should now attach it to the furniture piece in question. The best way to do this is simply through the use of sewing pins. Now you need the rest of the fabric to travel across the sofa or chair and drop down until it actually touches the floor in the room. Once you have done this make sure that you tuck in the extra fabric so it is neatly gathered inside the back and the side. You can then hold this in its place temporarily by the use of pins.

After you have everything in place you then need to use scissors to cut any excessive fabric around the bottom of the furniture piece. Nevertheless, don’t neglect the hem. You will need to leave roughly one inch for this. Now everything has been cut correctly, you can remove the fabric from your rattan furniture piece. You should fold the hem and pin it to keep it in place. Once you have done this you can then begin to sew across the seam, and don’t forget how important it is to remove the pins once that part of the fabric has been tended to.

Once you have done this you need to go back to the beginning process of attaching the fabric to the centre of the piece of furniture in question. You should tuck the cover into the sofa effectively via the inside back and the sides too. It is likely you will need to use pins to hold these into place. Screw these into place so that they hold but you must make sure they are screwed in areas that are not visible.

So there you have it; an easy but simple way to make your own rattan furniture covers. Remember to take the time and effort to source some fantastic fabric too. After all, there is definitely a lot to choose from on the market these days.

You also don’t have to cover the entire furniture piece; you can get more experimental as you get more competent. And before concluding, it is worth bearing in mind that you can actually protect the quality of your rattan furniture by covering it in this way. You won’t have to worry about a replacement in the near future, and if you get bored of the style you can merely update the cover.

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The expectation that a home should be safe is one that can only be upheld by its owner. Once houses are built, they slowly but surely begin to deteriorate, and it’s your duty as the owner to either find the problems and fix them. Do not risk your home becoming unsafe or worse, uninhabitable. For an overview of how to keep your living space happy and healthy, here’s how.

Clean And Declutter

A large part of maintaining a safe living space is making sure that your home is clean. This could be something simple like cleaning the carpet. Which causes bacteria, also clean the wet rooms of any mold or insects and put outside preventing infestations.

Equally regularly decluttering your home works well with cleaning, as to enable a more straightforward job cleansing your home. Also, the act of decluttering prevents dark corners and crevices. Which inevitably build up with dust and debris and create an attractive environment in your home for pests.

In consideration of this step, all you need to do is repeatedly eliminate things and furnishings that aren’t necessary. Routinely clean your home, by hoovering, washing dirty dishes, surfaces and mopping floors.

Routine Observation

There could be problems occurring within the home that you haven’t yet noticed. When taking care of your daily duties as a parent, student, employee, etc; it’s easy to forget or put aside a much-needed inspection for your home.

If you’ve been meaning to take some time to look around your home properly, basements and all- but you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for, a home inspector could be a feasible option for you.

Alternatively, perform your own inspection. Note down any hazards that you think could impair the health and safety of your home. For instance, there could be a strong musty smell in the dry-food store room; indicating that damp and mold are present. Droppings may be around the attic warning you that pests could be living in your home.

If a happy, safe living space is important to you, attempt to commit to at least one of the options mentioned. Whether it be devising a DIY home inspection or hiring the services of a home inspector.

Interior/Exterior Upkeep

Once the cleaning, decluttering and home observation has taken place, you can begin investing some time and money in fixing the issues in around your home. In terms of safety upkeep, priorities should include things like booking a routine boiler service to inspect your heating system, checking the alarms in your home and taking care of any structural issues. In doing so, you can create a home that feels safe and prevent problems within your home exacerbating.

Unless you’re a qualified home inspector or have a lot of hands-on experience with maintaining homes, it can be challenging to know where to start and what to look out for to keep your home functioning and adequately maintained. By regularly cleaning, decluttering, and inspecting or hiring a professional to look at your property, plus investing some time and money into fixing any repairs, you can ensure your home is fit to keep a roof over your head.

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Our homes should be a place of rest and recuperation; a haven from the trials and stresses that await us outside. But if you are having trouble relaxing in the place that should be your refuge, then you need to take steps to alleviate the problem.

So, are these the reasons why you are struggling to relax at home?

#1: Your home is cold

If your home is colder than it is outside, then you have to ask yourself why. You are never going to truly relax if you are constantly chilled to the bone, or running the risk of huge energy bills by having the heating turned up to the max.

Tip: For starters, you need to use your common sense. So, close doors and windows to prevent unwelcoming draughts, and dress warmly to add to your comfort.

Then check your home for any problems, such as any cracks in your doors, windows, roof, and flooring.

Fill in any gaps with caulk, consider replacing old doors and windows, hire a roofing company to repair any damage, and consider insulating your roof and flooring to preserve your heat.

#2: You aren’t getting enough me-time

We all need a little me-time away from the stresses of our busy lives. But if you’re a mom, or if you share your house with friends, then getting time alone can be difficult.

However, you need to find opportunities to do so, as you will eventually risk losing your sanity if you don’t get the time and space you crave.

Tip: Find times in the day when me-time is possible, such as when everybody else is at school or at work and use our de-stressing tips to help you spend your time productively.

You might also want to find a corner of your home that you can retreat to; your personal space that others are not allowed to infiltrate.

Fill it with the things that will help you to relax, such as books, magazines, music, and scents, and schedule time each day to enjoy your happy space, away from the noise of others.

#3: Your home is untidy

A tidy home is a tidy mind, or so the saying goes. So, if this is true to you; if the mounting housework is getting you down and stressing you out, then you need to get on top of the mess before it (perhaps literally) gets on top of you.

Tip:  There are all kinds of things you can do to manage your untidy home. You might have a good clear-out for a start, as this will help you to declutter your belongings.

You could create a housework rota to share the burden so you don’t have to deal with any household mess alone. And you might want to form good habits, such as making an effort to clean up your mess as you go, as this will alleviate the chances of it piling up and overwhelming you.

Finally

For all we know, there may be other reasons why you are struggling to relax at home, and if so, make every effort to overcome those issues that face you.

And if you have any tips of your own, perhaps in relation to what we have discussed within this article, please let us know, for the sake of any of us (or all of us) who are trying to improve our relaxation time at home.

While you may feel like you need to save energy more than any, it’s actually not going to do much for your wallet at all. Saving the energy you use at home, on the other hand, is great for the environment as well as your personal finances – and it’s easier than ever as well.

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If you’re ready to improve your lifestyle at home slightly and make sure that your practice what you preach, you’ve definitely come to the right place.

Here is a handful of great ways to save more energy at home and become a more sustainable household; it sends a powerful message to your kids as well, by the way, and they’ll learn as early as possible that sustainability is a requirement and not an option.

First: Cutting down on electricity

Since this is all about saving energy, we might as well start with it right away; in order to use a bit less of it at home, you need to find more ways to keep the little you have inside. This means that you should keep it nice and cool during the summer so that you’re not tempted to turn the A/C on full all the time – and, of course, make sure that it’s a bit warmer during the winter.

High-quality windows can take care of both of these for you in one go as they’ll be able to insulate your home so much better. Look for double or triple glazing and remember to swap out your curtains for blinds when it’s warm out and change back to thicker curtains as soon as the sun disappears again.

That way, you’ll be maintaining the temperature you want and the air outside won’t be allowed to sneak in anytime soon.

Next: Save more water

A sustainable home knows that saving water is important for the environment. There are many ways to do this too, luckily, and one of the first things you should buy are plastic water tanks. That way, you’ll be able to keep the rainwater when the sky finally provides some water and you won’t allow anything to go to waste.

Another tip is to cut down on those showers by installing a water saving showerhead. By doing this, you’ll also be saving energy, by the way, as your home needs to warm the water up and you’ll notice the result on the electricity bill at the end of the month as well.

Try to use the eco-friendly option on your laundry machine and dishwasher too. Your clothes will be just as clean but the environment will be a lot happier as well as your personal finances, in the long run.

Making your home just a bit greener and more sustainable is actually something that everyone should do. If you’re able to invest in solar panels, you should do this as soon as possible too – they’re a lot cheaper than they used to be back in the days and you will save so much money.

Is your current home unsuitable for your growing family? Finding something new can be exciting and stressful in equal measures, there’s lots of different elements you’ll need to get right. Here are a few things to consider when finding the perfect new home for you and your young family.

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Budget

First things first, when it comes to searching for a new home you’ll need to know what you can afford. If you already own a home, you can find out what it’s worth on a site like William Pitt, otherwise the bank will let you know what your maximum price is when you’re applying for your mortgage.

Once you have your budget, you can instantly narrow down your choices and start looking through the properties that you’re able to afford. While it can be nice searching through high end homes, it’s best to keep focused on the task at hand when you’re realistically looking for a place to live!

Space

Having enough space for a growing family can be a tricky one. As your children get older, chances are they’re going to want their own room. And if you’re not entirely sure that your family is completely, you might need to consider an extra room for another baby later down the line. If you work from home, will you need your own office?

Are the living spaces and garden big enough for your family to live and grow in? Be sure to take space seriously, at the very least, make sure you have room to extend later down the line if you need to.

Accessibility

When your children are small and you’re using a pram or pushchair every day, you need a home that’s going to be easy to get in and out of. For this reason, apartments or homes with lots of stairs to get up might not be the best option.

It’s something to consider when you’re drawing up the checklist of things you want your new home to have.

Safety

As a parent, keeping your child safe will be one of your absolute top priorities. So it makes sense that you’ll want to find a home that’s safe. Security is an issue to consider, you might not have the luxury of being able to live in a gated community, but do some research on the area.

There are lots of crime stats and other data you can find freely just from Googling. Properties that are right by main or busy roads can also be worth avoiding when you have kids, all it takes is for one door to be left open and you could have a small child wandering out into the road.

Things like swimming pools and large ponds can also be dangerous for children, if you plan on buying a home with these features then think about the costs involved in filling them in or fencing them off. Consider the overall safety and security of the place before you sign on the dotted line.

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You’ve probably heard homeowners praising minimalistic design at some point in your life, but what’s the root of the hype? Is minimalism really that great? You can probably see the appeal from an aesthetic standpoint, but you might be doubtful about minimal home design in terms of comfort. The idea of a sparsely-decorated household might not sound very homely, and that’s what puts some people off the idea of adopting such a design style. But you can have the best of both worlds. It’s possible to have a minimal home that feels warm, cozy, and personalized. Let’s discuss some ways in which you can achieve that.

Develop a spacious layout.

The goal of minimalism isn’t to create a bare home that’s lacking in design; it’s to focus on the essentials of your household. It’s about getting rid of the belongings you don’t want or need so that you keep only the most important parts of your home (both in a practical and an aesthetic sense).

Developing a spacious layout will make you feel happier in your household. It’ll create a more open and welcoming environment in which to live. Your surroundings have a big impact on your mental state. You might find that decluttering drastically improves your perception of your home.

But you can do more than simply throw out a few old things when it comes to creating a spacious layout. Minimalism is about a visual effect, after all. You need to make sure the layout of your household is well-organized. If you improve the storage options in your home then you’ll make each room feel much bigger.

You could put up more shelves on the walls, for example, so that less floor space is taken up by your possessions. Using more vertical space will make your home feel larger. You could also store belongings under beds. This will help you to create a more comfortable home.

Put a statement piece in every room.

The thing to remember about minimal home design is that you don’t have to be excessive. Your household doesn’t need to look bare, in other words. To ensure your home retains some character, you should put a statement piece in every room. You might use a lot of white to retain a neutral and contemporary aesthetic, but there should be a pop of color in every room. They should be some sort of intriguing focal point.

Maybe you could put up a vibrant canvas on the wall in your lounge to serve as a centerpiece, for example. Even a plant can make a big statement in a room. Take a look at the picture above. The smallest statement pieces can still have a big impact. You might even want to check this site out for shutters, blinds, and other window treatments. That could really add a sense of class and sophistication to the rooms in your house.

The point is that you can adopt the “less is more” approach and still fill your home with intriguing design pieces.

Think about color.

We briefly mentioned that white is a favored color in minimalistic design because it’s neutral, but any sort of light tones work well. The goal is to make your house feel open, as mentioned in the first point. You’re trying to create an inviting environment.

That’s the purpose of minimal design. You’re not just trying to create fashionable design but comfortable design. You’re not trying to use overly dark or bright colors. Neutral earth tones will reflect light and make your home look bright and welcoming without being too garishly bright and colorful.

As a homeowner, keeping your home warm in the winter months can be somewhat of a challenge. If you haven’t thought ahead, you might be experiencing some cold times ahead of you, and we want to help you avoid this. Nobody deserves to be cold in their own home, so we have come up with some tips to help you keep your home warm in the winter months.

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Check Your Insulation

Check your windows and your doors to see if you are feeling a draft. If you are, then you need to get this fixed ASAP. You can’t be having cold seeping through your windows, as you are going to need all the warmth that you can get. If you notice that there are any issues with your windows, you need to call a professional to seal up your windows for you.

If you can’t afford to do this, in the meantime if you make sure that you have thick, thermal curtains, these are going to defend you from the harsh cold. They should be able to keep the cold behind them, so as long as you keep the curtains shut, you are going to be okay.

Control The Temperature

The next thing that you need to do is control the temperature. Have a thermostat put into your home, and if you already have one, use it. For those of you who don’t currently have one, a company like Thermostat Center will be able to help you out here. You often see online those funny posts where parents have put notes on these items for their kids not to touch them, but when it is cold, you need to be using this device.

It will regulate the temperature of your home, and keep your whole family as snug as a bug in a rug. This is what you need in winter time, as you don’t want people to be getting sick. Without controlling the temperature of the house, you are leaving yourself and others open to the possibility of coming down with a cold, or the flu.

Use Candles

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Finally, using candles is an excellent way to keep your home warm. In recent years, you may have noticed that candles seem to be used far more for their aesthetic purposes, but they are also a source of heat. That might sound obvious because you need a flame for a candle, but some people neglect this use of them completely.

So, if you find yourself cold, start lighting all the candles around your house. If you have children, be careful as this is a fire hazard, but you will also find that your home warms up after a short period of time.

We hope that you have found this article useful, and know how to keep your home warm in the winter months. Make sure that you follow this advice, and you and your family are going to have a cozy, cold free winter. We wish you all the best and hope you enjoy the winter season!