Category Archives: Homeowners

Homeowners

How to Give Your Home a “Smart” Financial Stress Test

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Do you ever feel like your money is literally flying out the window? Parents have ribbed their kids about turning off the lights and closing the door for as long as there have been homes, but there’s quite a bit of truth behind one of the most common household pet peeves. Wasted utilities can be a monetary black hole in the budget of any family, and in many cases, the ways we’re wasteful aren’t always immediately obvious.

Thankfully, today’s smart home technology can enable every family to do some smart snooping for inefficient habits, and set up intelligent scheduling to keep a home comfortable while minimizing costs. Here’s some helpful advice to consider: Continue reading →

Homeowners

6 Affordable Home Renovations for Your Pet

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It is estimated that over half of people internationally have a pet living with them, and statistics show pet ownership steadily rising every year. With so many people welcoming pets into their families, it stands to reason a pet’s specific needs would eventually make its way into home design. But, while some people go all-out building over-the-top pet palaces, the best design schemes marry a pet’s comfort with their human’s convenience without busting the budget. Here are six affordable home renovations for your pet that are stylish, functional and won’t cost you an arm and four legs Continue reading →

Homeowners

Home and Appliance Upgrades That Can Save You Money

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Home and appliance upgrades can lighten your wallet. However, in the long run, you can actually pad your wallet with money you save by investing in certain upgrades.

Not all home upgrades are created equal in terms of saving money. Explore some of the smartest home upgrades you can invest your money in to save some green. Continue reading →

Homeowners

Boost Your Home’s Energy Efficiency This Spring and Summer

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Energy saving strategies can change with the seasons, so it’s important to re-evaluate your home’s energy efficiency throughout the year. Check out this simple guide for tips to boost your home’s energy efficiency during the warmer months.

Maintain Your Cooling System

Keeping up with routine maintenance and cleanings of your air cooling system will help it to work more efficiently. According to the United States Department of Energy, you can lower a cooling system’s energy consumption by a whopping 15% simply by performing routine maintenance and changing air filters consistently. The Government of Canada also recommends proper maintenance of air conditioners to make sure they run as effectively as possible.

Plan to replace or clean air filters on a semi-regular basis, usually every few months. If you have pets, more frequent changes can benefit your system. Besides keeping tabs on air filters, checking to make sure the evaporator coil is working properly before the hottest months is a proactive step you can take. If you don’t have experience with air conditioner maintenance or cleaning, it’s a good idea to hire a professional.

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Homeowners

Gardening With Children: Gardening Tips and What to Plant

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Cultivating a home garden is a great way to teach your children where their food comes from while fostering a sense of independence and a healthy respect for the environment. Most of all, it’s a fun activity the whole family can enjoy. Keeping their dexterity and attention span in mind, here are some tips on gardening with children that will get you growing in no time.

Location, Location, Location. The most important consideration when deciding what you want to grow is where you want to grow it. Are you planting indoors or out? In summer or fall? How much sun exposure will you have each day, and how extreme are the temperatures?  Checking a hardiness map for your area will help you decide what, when, and where to grow, and involving your child in the research makes for a fun geography lesson.

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Homeowners

Health Hazards in Your Bathroom and How to Avoid Them

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Your home’s bathroom should be a place of relaxation and peace. Yet, there are many potential hazards that could affect this environment and pose hazardous health risks. These are some of the most common and how you can avoid them.

Slippery Surfaces

Those shiny floors might achieve the modern bathroom style you’re going for, but they can also be very dangerous. Slip and falls are a serious health hazard and may be prevented by installing non-slip flooring material. If you purchased your home with slippery flooring materials and you are not yet ready to renovate, consider investing in quality rubber-backed bathroom mats. Place them in especially slippery places, such as in front of the shower and bathtub. Continue reading →

Homeowners

Creating the Perfect Indoor Garden for the Home Chef

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A good chef knows that herbs and spices can make or break a dish. Growing your own plants in a garden will supply you with fresh ingredients that can take your home cooked meals to the next level.

If it’s chilly outside where you are, or if you don’t have enough space for an outdoor garden, don’t fret. You can create an indoor garden for all your cooking needs.

Popular Plant Options

The sheer number of plant options you have can be overwhelming. But for the home chef, it’s best to stick to plants and herbs that can be used for a variety of dishes.

Basil

You can buy potted basil at the grocery store, or you can choose to start from seed.

This herb is used in everything from pasta sauce to fancy cocktails, and it can be easily grown indoors. Basil loves a lot of sun, so be sure to position the pot or the container close to a sunny window. Continue reading →

Homeowners

Spring Cleaning: High Tech vs. The Old-Fashioned Way

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A good old-fashioned spring cleaning does the home, and the homeowner, good.

Some spring cleaning tasks tackled “the old-fashioned way” bring tried and true results. While other chores have a modern day, high-tech upgrade that can make your life easier. Keep reading for more options to help you accomplish some of the most popular spring cleaning tasks.

Vacuuming and Cleaning

There’s no escaping the need for vacuuming and general cleaning year-round. But spring cleaning is the time to get to hard-to-reach places and give your floors a refreshing, deeper clean. Continue reading →

Homeowners

Household Chores for Children

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Parenting experts say that involving children in the execution of household chores teaches them responsibility and gives them a sense of accomplishment. It also helps cement their role in the family by helping them feel they are contributing to the household. But how young is too young to start children out with their own designated chores?  Parents ultimately know best, but experts agree that children as young as two can start learning simple tasks that help out mom or dad.  As long as each task attempted is accompanied by specific instructions, realistic expectations, and copious praise, you can teach your children these age-appropriate household chores. Continue reading →