May 25, 2013

How to Save for Your Home Renovations

Credit cards

Image via Wikipedia

Home renovations need to be planned in order to be completed successfully and within your budget. You save money in your checking or savings account when preparing for a home renovation, or you can use a Tom Joyner card that acts like a credit card and allows you to shop anywhere credit cards are accepted.

Your first step in saving for home renovations is to draw up plans and determine the scope of your project. This will help you to understand what materials you will need and determine how much you need to save.

Start saving as early as you can. If you plan to start your project in three months, then develop a plan where you spread out saving for the project over that three month period. This will also allow you to take advantage of any interest income that your savings may generate.

Short-term sacrifices will be necessary to save the money you need by the deadline you have set. Family vacations, evenings on the town and non-essential purchases should be stopped. Remind yourself that it is only a temporary measure until you save enough for your remodeling project. Find a full-color magazine picture of the kind of remodeling you will be doing and post it somewhere in your house where you can see it for inspiration.

Every spare dollar you have should go onto your Tom Joyner card or into an account to save for renovations. The dollars you save will go towards adding equity in your home. If you look at remodeling as an investment that will give significant returns, it can be easier to save.

A designated account is the best way to save for remodeling projects. If the money is not easily accessible, then you will not spend it before you start your project.

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Making a Small Space Look Bigger

A dorm room at the Harvard Law School.

Image via Wikipedia

Anybody wants to make the most out of whatever available space they have. This is especially so if the person lives in a small space, such as a loft or a dorm room. Here are some tips for making the most out of a small space.

Let There be Light

Many smaller spaces tend to be darker because of a lack of light. However light helps to give an area the feeling of being bigger. With the windows that are available, either keep the blinds or curtains open doing the day, or install some blinds made of a thing material that will allow the light through.

The same theory applies to the color of your walls. Dark colours will close in a space, where light colours will open it up. If white walls are too plain for you, stick with a very pale color, and aim for doing a feature wall.

Smoke and Mirrors

When you don’t have it pretend that you do. To make a small window seem bigger, affix a curtain rod that extends beyond the size of the window. The curtain you then use will give off the illusion that the window is bigger than it is and will also add to the feeling of more space.

Mirrors are another useful way of creating the feeling of more space. Buy a large mirror – something old and funky – and lean it against your wall. The reflection of the room in the mirror will trick the mind into thinking it’s double the size.

These are just two easy ways to make a small space look bigger.

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Basic Landscaping Techniques

DSC02824 Curb Appeal

Image by godutchbaby via Flickr

Landscaping is a great way to spruce up your home. It gives it effective curb appeal and can even add value if you are thinking of selling.

Many people steer clear of landscaping under the misconception that it can cost a lot of money, or that a professional should do it. As with anything around the home, with some basic knowledge under your belt you can do just as good a job as a professional.

Here are some basic landscaping techniques to get you started.

  • Search the internet and gardening magazines and compile a folder (physical or on your computer) of gardens you like. You can like the entire garden or just one aspect of it. If it’s just one thing you like, make sure you include a note with the picture.
  • Once you feel you have enough pictures, sit down and work out exactly what you like and want. When you do this, be mindful of the space you are working with and other factors, such as money.
  • Next, draw up a plan of where things will go in your garden. You don’t have to draw well, but try to keep things realistic. When you are drawing up your plan, be mindful of geographical features. Is the ground uneven? Does water collect in a corner of the yard where you were thinking of putting a garden chair? Keep such things in mind when designing your garden.

Landscaping isn’t just for those with lots of cash. Give it a go yourself!

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