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Spring is here, and it is not just the perfect time to clean your home from top to bottom; it is also the ideal opportunity to refresh your interior décor. While giving your home a deep clean is an excellent way to make it sparkly and like new, refreshing the décor goes beyond this and helps to breathe new life into your living space. Although thoroughly cleaning your home is an inexpensive way to keep looking at its best, redecorating can often be seen as a costly exercise. If the cost of refreshing your home’s interior is putting you off making this change, don’t worry. It is possible to spruce up your home and give it a new look without spending a small fortune. Thinking outside the box and introducing some innovative ideas will get your home looking better than ever without you spending all your cash. 

Are you keen to get your living space looking fantastic by refreshing the décor to create an exciting new look? If so, you will find the following tips help you to revamp the look of your home and make it look expensive without overspending:

Create an Accent Wall

When most people think of refreshing their home’s décor, stripping it back to basics and starting all over again usually comes to mind. However, redecorating every wall in your home would be an expensive task. The prohibitive cost of decorating every wall surface will likely put your makeover project way over budget before you have barely begun. But it is possible to revamp your walls and make them look entirely different without going over budget. 

Creating an accent wall in each room will get your living space looking like new in no time, and the great news is that there are many accent wall ideas for you to try. Walls that have a prominent feature are often chosen as an accent wall. You may choose a wall with a fireplace as your accent wall, as this is a popular choice. Alternatively, you may want to select the wall your bed is against as your accent wall. Simply choose the wall that you believe will deliver the most visual impact. Next, you need to decide on what you will use to make a feature of the wall. You may choose to paint it with a bold color, add a statement print wallpaper to the wall, or use wood planks to create a paneled effect. Each of these options can elevate the look of your living space quickly and easily.

Adding an accent wall to each room is an excellent way to save time and money, helping your home look better with minimal effort.

Give Your Floors a Makeover

Your walls may be the most prominent space to decorate, but your flooring choice is equally important. Flooring is often overlooked by homeowners when decorating. However, your home’s floor surfaces are subjected to so much every day. From dirty feet trampling over them to foods and drinks spilled upon their surface, your home’s floor surfaces are one of the hardest working areas of your property. Your flooring also strong influences the finished look of a space, meaning it deserves attention in its own right. Unfortunately, replacing carpets, tiles, and wooden floors can be extremely expensive. But that doesn’t mean you must let a worn-out floor surface spoil your plans to refresh your home. With help from some clever alternatives, your floors will look in great shape quickly. 

If you no longer like your carpet but do not want to spend money replacing it, you have a couple of options to choose between. Firstly, you could pull up the carpet, remove it, and then restore the floorboards underneath. Sanding down the floorboards and painting them is often far cheaper than installing a wooden floor. Alternatively, you may wish to buy a large area rug and use this to create a focal point on the floor. 

Sometimes, showing your existing carpets or wooden flooring a bit of attention is all that is needed to get them looking like new. Simply getting carpets shampooed to remove stains and restore the color can make a significant difference. While wooden floors can be given a new lease of life with repairs to remove scratches and dents. Either of these options can help to improve the appearance of your flooring with ease. 

Introduce Accessories

Refreshing your floors and walls offers a surefire way to improve the appearance of your home. However, it is the finishing touches that will complete the transformation of your living space. Introducing accessories into your home is a great way to enhance the entire look and help to make a true interior design statement. Selecting some accent colors that complement and contrast with your wall and floor color will ensure that the entire interior design scheme is brought together as part of your home’s refreshed new look. 

This final stage of your home refresh does not need to cost you a fortune. The great thing about decorative accessories is that they can be as expensive or as cheap as you like but will still contribute to the overall visual impact of the room. There is no need to lavish cash on designer mirrors and expensive ornaments. You could add texture with the help of a few throws on your couch and new covers for your pillows. Texture brings layers of depth to the room, helping to make your interior design scheme look both interesting and attractive. 

Sometimes, simply switching around ornaments and artwork you already own between rooms is enough to refresh the appearance of your home. If you do want to try adding some new accessories to your home, look no further than your local thrift store or garage sale to find items you can repurpose to create a decorative touch for your rooms. 

After working on getting your home redecorated and refreshed for less, you will be ready to sit back, relax and enjoy your beautiful new space.

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Spring has officially spring, which means ‘tis the season to start thinking about sprucing up the home and making it more appealing for the lighter, brighter days ahead. One room that can really benefit from being refreshed for spring is the bedroom, and below, we’ll take a look at a few ways you can do just that.

Strip the beds

Start by stripping the beds and giving them a good clean. When the time comes to make them again, instead of using the old winter sheets, get some nice, soft, cotton ones in a floral spring pattern from www.latestbedding.com. If florals aren’t your thing then pastels, or crisp white linens will also look amazing and give your bedroom a refreshing spring feel too. It’s all about, lightness, brightness and freshness in this season.

While we’re talking about your bed, it’s a good idea to get a new one if you’ve had your current one for a long time. Investing in a good night of sleep is always a good choice, and you can look at tempur-pedic mattress dealers if you need an extra level of support. It’s just an idea while we’re on the topic!

A flourish of flowers

Spring is a time of year when buds shoot up and flowers start to grow again after the barren winter months, so it goes without saying that flowers are a big part of spring decor inside too. In the bedroom, this means having a bunch of fresh spring flowers on each of your nightstands and on your vanity too, if you have one. Place the flowers in opaque green or clear vases for a clean spring look that will make you happy every time you’re in your room.

Spring scents

In the winter months, the scented candles on your nightstands have probably smelled like cinnamon or gingerbread or pumpkin spice – warming scents that make you feel cozy in the coldest months of the year. Now it is spring, you are going to want to replace them with fresher scents such as lemongrass and sweet orange or florals like tea rose and lavender which evoke the spring gardens outside of the bedroom and help you to relax and drift off to sleep each night.

Clear away the clutter

Spring is fresh and light, which means having a lot of clutter in the bedroom does not really sit right. If you have been hoarding stuff over the cooler months, then now is the perfect time to have a clearout and get rid of any excess cushions, fabrics, and winter clothing, which you can pack away until the cooler weather comes around again, leaving your space, light bright and open and your mind clear enough that you can drift off in an instant when you head to bed.

Layer the look

When sprucing up your bedroom for spring, you are going to want to get rid of a lot of old stuff and bring in a lot of new items for the refresh, but you should hold on to some of your winter furnishings so you can create a layered look. For example, layering your thick winter rug with a smaller cotton one will add texture and style, and a touch of the spring in a way that is more interesting than just having the cotton rug alone, or layering your thick velvet headboard with a lighter lace material can make for an interesting look that evokes the season without any big changes too.

Pastel paints

If you’re up for a more dramatic change, then repainting the bedroom in pastel shades of lilac, sky blue or sunflower yellow, can all be very relaxing, while adding a touch of spring color into the room and giving it a really refreshing feeling.

Or bring out the botanicals

Alternatively, if you are looking for a more dramatic bedroom decor this spring, then you might want to look into botanic print wallpapers and fabrics which can be hung on the walls to create your very own spring garden in your bedroom. If you do plan to do this, then perhaps, stick to one feature wall as heavy botanical prints can be a bit stimulating, and you still want to be able to sleep in the bedroom.

Replace curtains with voiles

If you have heavy curtains in the bedroom, try replacing them with lighter voiles, which lend an airier look to the room while also letting more light in. Pair them with a blackout roman blind that you can lift during the day, only pulling down and night and you will get the best of both worlds.

As you can see, when it comes to letting spring step into your bedroom, there are a lot of small decor changes you can make that will have a big impact, and enable you to really celebrate the season in style, even when you are in bed. So, what are you waiting for?

Maintaining your home’s exterior on a regular basis is crucial for keeping up with repairs and for safeguarding and preserving your property. Therefore, it is imperative to keep your eye on the condition of your home.

These Are 10 Exterior Home Features You Should Periodically Inspect:

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Roof: 

Check for any damage indicators, such as missing or loose shingles. Examine the decking and ceilings for water stains, which may indicate a leaking roof. To ensure they are free of dirt and working effectively, check your gutters and downspouts as well.

Siding: 

Check for any indications of paint that is peeling, flaking, or cracking. Make sure the window and door frames are securely fastened and in good shape.

Windows: 

Regularly opening and closing your windows will ensure that they are all in good working order. To prevent further damages, replace any shattered glass panes as soon as you can. Furthermore, ensure the caulking surrounding the window frame is intact and not damaged or flaking away.

Doors: 

Check all doors for signs of wear and tear, such as paint peeling or dents in the surface material, including screen doors, garage doors, and entry doors. Make sure the locks on each door are operational by testing them. In addition, make sure your security system is operating properly if you have one.

Decks: 

Often inspect your decks for wear and tear signs of loose boards or protruding nails. Ensure that any railings are in good shape and are properly fastened. If there are stairs leading up to the deck, look for rot or instability.

Fence: 

Inspect fences for decaying wood or rusted metal parts and look for damaged boards or posts. Inspect all gates to make sure they function correctly, open and close, and latch shut securely.

Patio and walkways: 

Look for cracks or other surface damage in the patio stones, pavers, bricks, concrete, etc. when inspecting walkways. Ensure all routes and walkways are level, smooth, and weed- and debris-free.

Landscaping: 

Maintenance of your home’s landscaping is essential for both aesthetic appeal and security considerations. Any overgrown trees or bushes that might be impeding walkways or other sections of your property should be pruned back. Look for pests like aphids or grubs that could harm your lawn or garden beds as well as any disease symptoms on plants.

Driveway and parking areas: 

Check for cracks, potholes, and other surface material degradation that, if ignored, could pose a tripping hazard. Check for oil spills if you have an asphalt driveway because they can harm the substance. Should there be any repairs, make sure to contact reputable paving companies for quotes.

External Lighting: 

Check to see that all outdoor lights are operational, and replace any burned-out bulbs or rusted fixtures. Make sure that the timer and motion sensor-controlled lighting are set to the proper schedules and make any necessary adjustments.

Maintaining your home’s exterior on a regular basis is crucial for maintaining its value, averting worse issues, and showing that you’re a responsible homeowner. You’ll be well on your way to maintaining a secure and lovely house by paying attention to these 10 suggestions!

If you’re someone who has always wanted to own a property or invest in property, the best times to do it are when you’re young and sprightly. Your 20s and 30s are the best years for opportunities in property investment. 

Why? Well, you’ve got time on your hands, whereas investing in a property later on in life is a lot more challenging to get paid off in time for retirement.

Not only that but if you’re looking to buy your first property, then the lender you use, will only be willing to allow you so many years to pay the loan off. With that being said, here are some of the benefits of investing in property for your 20s and 30s. 

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Provides you with financial security in the long-run

By investing in property early enough, you’re giving yourself some financial security, particularly in the long run. Property is probably one of the most stable investments you can go into and it’s something that will pay you back later on in life and perhaps in the short term if you decide to let it out.

That financial security is something that many would like to have in their lifetime and it’s something that will help pay for all those lifestyle bills and events in life that come up. It’s the type of financial security you’ll come to appreciate.

Helps with diversifying your investment portfolio

There’s nothing more exciting than dipping your feet into the world of investment. There are a lot of investment opportunities beyond property and it might be something you want to explore in more detail as you get older. However, as it’s been mentioned, time isn’t on your side once you’re on the other side of 40.

That’s why it’s important to act fast now and diversify your investment portfolio while you’re young and while you’re still able to make mistakes.

It’s an investment that benefits you when retiring

Investing in property is one that will surely benefit you when it comes to retiring. Not everyone wants to be working until they’re over the age of 60 but for many, that is the typical age at which they work until.

Financially, investing in property, if done correctly, could mean that you can retire earlier than planned and enjoy life more. Whether that’s apartments or townhouses, the right investment properties could be cashed in for hundreds of thousands, which is ideal for retirement.

You could end up paying off a mortgage sooner

When investing in property, you want to choose a mortgage or lender that you’ll be able to pay off sooner rather than later. The sooner you pay it off, the sooner you can be financially free and out of that lending cycle.

By doing this in your twenties or thirties, you could get out of that mortgage a lot sooner than you thought.

There are plenty of benefits to investing in property during your earlier years of life if you’re able to. Use these tips to maximize your financial success through investing in property.

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Whether it is because you have welcomed a baby or pet into your household or due to a change in your career, you might now be ready to upgrade your living space. Luckily, buying a new home and going through the challenges of getting a  mortgage isn’t the only option available. 

With the right strategies, you can transform your current home and create a living space that truly reflects your lifestyle, needs, and goals. In this guide, you’ll find five essential tips you need to upgrade your home in 2023. Let’s get started. 

Set an Accurate Budget

The first step to transforming your home on a budget is to know how much you’re comfortable investing in the upcoming project. Setting a budget will guide you through the choice of materials and help you implement money-saving strategies throughout. 

If you are unsure how much you should expect to spend on a home renovation, working with an architect or designer can help. 

Assess Your Needs

Before getting started with transforming your home, it is important to understand what your end goal is. Are you looking to expand part of your home to build an extra bedroom or living space? Or, are you looking to create more functional spaces within your existing home?

For example, over the past years, the percentage of the population working from home nearly tripled, and more people than ever are now working out from home. This means that you might wish to implement a home office or private gym within your property. 

Make sure to look at both your current and future needs to make a long-lasting investment. 

Boost Your Home’s Sustainability

When transforming your home, make sure you are doing so with sustainability in mind. For example, you might consider investing in renewable energy sources such as solar panels. Alternatively, you could look to switch to more sustainable lighting futures and home appliances. 

Additionally, don’t forget to improve your home’s insulation. With adequate insulation, you can avoid wasting energy and make your home more livable.  

Investing in sustainability might involve significant expenses, but eco-friendly features can boost the market value of your property, reduce the cost of bills, and lead to significant returns. 

Implement Technologies

When upgrading your home, keep in mind the importance of implementing smart technological features. Amenities such as a home theater, home assistants, and smart doorbells can help you keep your home safe, avoid wasting unnecessary energy, reduce your bills, and create a more engaging and comfortable living space. 

If you are unsure how to get started with making your home more technology-friendly, this guide can help: https://smarthometechnologies.com/home-theater-phoenix-arizona/ 

Find the Right Contractors

Last but not least, make sure to work with the right contractors. To ensure that the professionals you are partnering with fit your needs and goals, make sure to spend time researching each contractor’s portfolio, values, style, and cost. 

Some of the professional figures you’ll need around you to improve your home’s project include architects, interior and exterior designers, local authorities (especially if you need building permits), and contractors. Get started looking for the right partners to work with today!

Often the tougher the meat, or the more fatty it is, the cheaper it is. Although many people avoid these cuts because they aren’t always as gorgeous as a prime cut – they are packed with flavor. 

They might not all start tender and juicy, though; with tougher cuts, you’re going to need to put in a little more work. It will be worth it in the end, though. 

Let’s take a look at some tasty ways to make those tough cuts juicy and delicious! 

Against The Grain

As you look at a tough cut (or any cut), you’ll see that there are long muscle fibres, and those present you with a grain. If you cut along those grains and fibers when preparing the meat, you’ll end up needing to chew – a lot! Instead, look for the grain, and cut it in the opposite direction. When cooked, the meat will pull apart beautifully. 

Low and Slow

Even an expensive hunk of meat will benefit from a low and slow cook. But for tough meat, it is a must. With an expensive cut of meat, the meat is typically more supple, and a quick seasoning and sear in a pan are enough. With a tough cut, use them against the grain cutting method, and then a hearty beef stew recipe is going to turn a tough cut into a melt-in-your-mouth cut. 

Through slow cooking, the meat, the juices are soaked into the meat, the muscle fibers are broken down, and the collagen in the meat breaks down too. 

Tenderize 

One of the fail-proof methods of softening meat up is by using a meat tenderizer. It is a very effective way to help the muscle fibers break down. The trick, though, isn’t to hammer it too hard, instead an even pressure across the whole piece of meat. If you don’t have a tenderizer, another option is to use a fork to ‘stab’ the meat all over. The idea is to help break down the fibres. 

A crosshatch slice with a sharp knife across the meat will also work. 

Marinade 

Although marinades are ideal for packing meat and veg with flavor – they can serve another purpose too. With tough meats, you can use some more acidic ingredients to help to break down the proteins. You’ll see this commonly with chicken in buttermilk or salmon in lemon juice. 

Using acidic ingredients is similar to a pre-cook – the trick, though, is to make sure you take the meat out after about 2 hours because the acids work quickly and can make the meat too soft. 

Salt Bae

While the salt bae is a funny meme, they aren’t wrong! Let the meat see the salt. It pulls moisture from inside the meat and creates a brine. 

The brine, in turn, gives the meat a richer flavor, softens it up, and gives a deeper color too. You can let the meat sit in salt for about a day before you need to cook it for maximum impact. 

Learning how to prep tough cuts of meats is great for keeping the cost of feeding the family down; here are some other options: 5 Tips To Help You Plan Your Family Meals « THE FRUGAL MATERIALIST.