Are you inspired by amazing kitchens in the magazines and on Pinterest? However, most of us don’t get to cook in our dream kitchens. Instead, we live with the quirks of our kitchens every day. Thankfully, your kitchen can be somewhere that you love. These are some easy upgrades, but they will help a lot to make your kitchen feel more organized. 

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Add Or Change Lighting

If the lighting in your kitchen is dim or hate the overhead fixtures, change it. Changing an overhead light fixture is a lot easier than it sounds if you’re Kitchen Remodeling. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Buy a vintage light fixture, or look in places like Ikea. Don’t forget under-cabinet lighting. That might be all you need to improve your kitchen. 

Change Drawer Or Shelf Liners

When was the last time that you changed your shelf liners? Do you even have shelf liners? Putting down a clean, nonstick liner will give you the chance to take everything out of your cabinets, and put everything back in a more organized way. There are lots of uses for a non-slip liner. You don’t have to use white either if you want something more interesting. For drawers, you could also insert oil cloth. 

Add A Rug

Do you have ugly floors in your kitchen that you can’t replace? Whether you’re living in a rental property or own but can’t currently afford a flooring upgrade, ugly floors can be annoying. It can make a big difference to put down a fun rug to cover up some of your floors. Choose a color that goes with the rest of your kitchen, and disguise your ugly floors until you can switch them out. 

Replace The Faucet

This is a really simple, straightforward way to upgrade your kitchen and make it look smarter. You can do this in rental properties too. Anyone is capable of changing faucets. You can also find faucets for very affordable prices, so you don’t need to spend much to make the upgrade either. A new faucet can update an outdated kitchen more than you might think. 

Update The Hardware

Changing out your old knobs or drawer pulls for something a lot more modern or decorative can change the look of your cabinets a lot, especially if your existing ones are boring contractor-grade. You can buy new handles for very low prices. Look out for more interesting options in kitchen stores, vintage stores, or flea markets. If you rent, you can easily swap the pulls, keep the original ones safe, and swap them back when it’s time to move out. 

Add More Storage Space With Small Wire Shelves

Wire shelves and under-cabinet baskets will make sure that you are using every inch of space that you have available in your cabinets, and even in your fridge and freezer. Buy some shelves and baskets and use them to give yourself more room and give your storage space a reorganize so everything is tidier and easier to find.

Get A Great Dish Rack

If you buy a cheap dish rack, you’re going to have to go through a few replacements, which can cost more in the long term, and end up just getting on your nerves. Instead, choose something a little more expensive, but better quality and more hard-wearing. You can keep a heavy-duty dishrack for a few years. If your dish rack can hold up for a long time and cope with a heavy pile of dishes, it will be worth the extra money. If you don’t have a dishwasher, it can make a big difference to have a dish rack that is not only reliable but that looks good on the counter too. 

Cover Ugly Countertops

Putting in brand new countertops in your kitchen is not a small change. If you’re not in a position where you can do this just yet, you can make some improvements to what you currently have. Try one of these tips to disguise a counter you hate. If you’re a renter and can’t make any permanent changes, cover a part of your countertop with a large cutting board that you like the look of. A cutting board looks good and is very functional, as well as hiding part of the counter. 

If you can make changes to your counter, and you’re feeling a little more ambitious, you could try painting your countertops to disguise an out-of-date material until you are in a position where you can replace them. 

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If you are living in a home that’s a little smaller than you’d ideally like, you’re not alone. While moving property or getting an extension may seem like your only options, neither are that appealing. Thankfully, a creative mindset will allow you to avoid either of those expensive solutions. Crucially, the updates won’t only make the home seem larger – it will become a happier setting too.

So, what are the best projects to create this desired result in the fastest possible time? Here’s all you need to know.

Let There Be Light

A lighter, brighter room will feel significantly larger than a gloomy one. So, one of the best ways to make the home feel bigger is to install bigger windows (or skylights) and dress them appropriately. Extra long curtain rods will give you the chance to find drapes that offer privacy and warmth at night. Or maximum light when open during the daytime. The versatility is a wonderful thing.

You can support this further with the use of LED lighting and other internal lighting features. Aside from giving you the chance to set different moods and a modern appeal, it is a move that can actively reduce your energy bills.

Revamp Room Layouts

Feng shui is a practice that has been used for centuries, and it can certainly boost your approach to interior design. This guide to kitchen layouts perfectly highlights how the right layout can transform the look and atmosphere of a room. In truth, similar ideas can be used in virtually all rooms. Saving valuable floor space by utilizing the walls and removing bulky display cabinets can be very useful.

Living spaces should save enough space so that they can be enjoyed by your family. Unfortunately, a cluttered look will prevent you from achieving this goal. Leaving clear walking paths will prevent this from becoming an issue.

Go Open Plan

Open plan living spaces have become very trendy, and it’s not hard to see why. It opens up the space to create the illusion of a bigger home. Taking down an internal wall can turn two spaces into one. The kitchen, living room, and dining room spaces are the most common choices. It also gives you the chance to implement a consistent interior design throughout the property.

Alternatively, you may find that sliding patio doors are an ideal solution. They combine internal and external spaces into one while also increasing the natural lighting. It can also add value, making it a wise upgrade from an ROI outlook.

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Go Digital

Modern technology can change many aspects of your home. Perhaps one of the best benefits, though, is that it removes the need for as many physical assets. Switching to paperless billing can remove the need for a home filing system. Likewise, using digital streaming services will often allow you to cut down on your CD or DVD collection. The fact that your catalog is instantly available helps too.

The switch to digital can take place immediately or over time. In the case of losing the need for physical products, those unwanted goods can be sold too. Whether you do this online or via a garage sale, it’ll earn you some extra money as well as storage space.

Give Each Home Space A Purpose

Many homeowners are guilty of moaning about a lack of space yet fail to make the most of what they have. If you fall into this camp, it is essential that you put things right ASAP. A compact office desk will allow you to turn the space under your stairs into an office. Or you could look to transform the guest room or garage into a more functional part of the home. It will bring a whole new dimension to the property.

On a similar note, you should look to get more out of your garden spaces. A beautiful backyard can facilitate relaxation, family fun, sporting activities, and hosting friends. Allowing spaces to go underutilized is simply not an option.

Look At Alternative Extensions

Even the right interior design choices may not create the results you deserve. As such, you may be forced to look at an extension of sorts. However, the cost and hassle of a full building extension can be a little off-putting. Converting the basement or attic may offer a more convenient option. Again, your garden could be used to great effect too. Summerhouses are a prime example of this.

Above all else, every upgrade should be made with your personal needs in mind. After all, there is no greater way to make the home feel bigger than ensuring that it feels like yours. You’ve got this.

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Owning multiple homes is a great way to build wealth and earn a second income. You can rent them out to vacationers or just plain old-fashioned tenants while you’re not there.

Managing second and third homes, though, isn’t always straightforward. For many people, dealing with one property is time-consuming enough, let alone two or three. 

Fortunately, this post is here to help. We discuss how to take proper care of your real estate portfolio and, hopefully, craft a profitable enterprise for yourself. 

Ask Yourself If You Can Afford It

Firstly, you should ask yourself whether you can really afford to own a second or third home. Remember, if you take out a mortgage, you will have to pay it back in installments – and that could reduce your return on investment. 

Consider Your Tax Advantages

Naturally, tax advantages will depend on where you live. However, usually, you can deduct things like mortgage interest, insurance and taxes from the property’s income. You can also get breaks for deprecation.

When you subject these costs, it reduces the size of your taxable income. As a consequence, your tax bills are lower. 

Prepare Yourself For Being A Landlord

Being a landlord isn’t the same as earning passive income. You have to be active to stay on top of tenant needs (assuming that you don’t hire a property management company to work on your behalf). 

In many states, you have a duty to ensure that the properties you own remain safe and habitable. Consequently, you’re liable for callouts in the evenings and at weekends when things go wrong (which they inevitably will do). 

If you really don’t want to manage your own rentals, you can always get a property management company to do it on your behalf. These professionals essentially take over the job of running your real estate empire for you. In return, they take around 10 to 15 percent of the rental income. For many landlords, this is a price worth paying. 

Make Links With Local Contractors

When things go wrong in the middle of the night, you don’t want to be the one getting out of bed to solve the problem. Moreover, you probably don’t have the necessary skills to fix issues around the home, either. 

For that reason, it’s a good idea to forge links with local contractors. These are people who you can call upon in an emergency, such as plumbers, electricians, boiler engineers and dumpster rental services. The more of these people you have on your team, the easier your job will become. 

Always Run The Numbers

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Sometimes, it can be hard to work out whether your second and third homes are making you money or not. There are so many costs involved in their upkeep that your actual profit margins often remain a mystery. 

Double check that you’re not operating at a loss. Add up all of the income and expenses from your property and work out how profitable the capital is. Ideally, you want to be making around 10 percent a year to compensate you for the risk and hassle involved. Don’t forget to include property value appreciation in your calculations (if it applies in your area). 

Get The Whole Family Onboard

Running a second or third home is rarely something that you do by yourself. Instead, it’s something that requires the involvement of the whole family – and not just from a financial perspective. When you view a second or third home as part of your empire, other members of the family step in and take up the slack. For instance, you could ask your children to live in one of the properties and act as minders, ensuring that they remain safe and secure. 

Be Clear On Your Budget

There are numerous costs associated with running a second home. Many financial professionals recommend purchasing them with cash (and avoiding a second mortgage). However, if you do decide to take out a loan, then you’ll need to budget for this. 

You’ll also need to budget for other items. These include furniture and appliances, HOA fees, homeowners insurance, property taxes, utilities and so on. 

Once you have a clear budget, you can begin to define the value of owning additional properties. You can then compare this to, say, putting money into a mutual fund for five years or more. 

Work With Somebody You Trust

Lastly, you’ll want to work with an agent or mentor you trust. They’ll be able to provide you with shortcuts you can use to ensure that you’re managing your property correctly.

If you want to make sure that you find a property that is suited to your needs in every way, then you have come to the right place. Here you can find out which properties are available while also being able to make the most out of your purchase overall. Want to find out more? Take a look below.

Finance should Always Come First

Before you even start looking at a property, you have to make sure that you work out how you are going to pay for it. If you are not a cash buyer, then you will need to take out some kind of mortgage. You will also need to make sure that you have enough cash to put down a deposit for the property as well. This may not sound hard to do, but when you take into account the surveyor fees as well as the inspection fees, you may find that things add up. Most of the time you will need to undergo some kind of finance check as this will help you to know if you can actually get a mortgage before going ahead with your application. The check will normally be in the form of an Agreement in Principle, which you can get online with ease. If you need a mortgage then Strong Home are a great solution.

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Identify what you want and Need

The next thing that you need to do is identify what you want and then what you need from your home. This will help you to get a good idea of what you can afford. If you know that it is incredibly important for you to be close to a school or even work, then you need to take this into account when searching for your property. If you want a swimming pool or double parking then this is great, but if it is not essential then you should not prioritize this over something that is.

Searching the Market

As a buyer, you may have to sell your home first, before you even think about trying to find your dream home. This is a recipe for disaster. If your home is not up for sale then when the perfect property does come along, you may find that you are not able to secure it. This is the last thing that you need, so make sure that you do what you can to get yours listed before you get too serious about finding your dream property.

Be Realistic

When you are ready to make an offer on a home, be realistic about how much you can afford. Break down how much the payments are going to be, plus interest and factor in any extra bills that you might have as well. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can get the right property without breaking the bank every month. If you want to get some help with your finances, then do not be afraid to seek it from a financial advisor.

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Last year alone, home improvements carried out in the United States amounted to $457 billion. Admittedly, the pandemic and the need for the population to work from home boosted the figures. There are several reasons why people love to carry out home improvements. Indeed, the most apparent reason is to improve aesthetics, but there are more. Below is a list of the things that make home improvements worth it. 

1. Increases value

The property market is highly competitive and can mean so many things to different people. However, one element that cuts across all divides is property appreciation. Real estate tends to increase in value every few years due to market demands and other prevailing factors. Therefore, when you own a residential property, you can be sure that it will still be worth your initial investment or even more when you decide to sell.

Thankfully, home improvements contribute significantly to this increased value, and this is how that happens. First of all, after some years of living in the property, it may become necessary to take care of deterioration. Specific prevailing conditions may make it imperative to build an extension of the home or improve the garden area. These projects you embark on automatically increase property value. Moreover, when you decide to sell it, prospective buyers will consider the additions made to the property and may want to purchase at the selling price.

2. Saves cost in the long term

Very few people acknowledge the cost-saving benefits of home improvements. Indeed, the average cost of a simple home improvement in the US is $11,000, and for some people, that can be on the high side. However, after the project, you would have prevented costly repairs in the short to long term. Once you understand it from this angle, it becomes easier to have a broader perspective on home improvements.

Take this scenario, for instance. According to bhg.com, a primary bathroom improvement can cost as much as $8000. When it’s completed, though, a homeowner can save at least $12,000 worth of major plumbing repairs in the next five to seven years. So, it may not be a bad idea to consider bathroom ideas 2022 projects in the meantime.

3. Improves safety, security, and function

According to houzz.com, 80% of the time, home improvements enhance household safety and security. The report also indicated that enhancements made to the property increase function and purpose. Sometimes, structural damage occurs on the blind side of the homeowner. When that happens, it becomes almost impossible to detect until more severe deterioration has been caused.

This is where home improvements can be worth your investment. As you embark on this project, it becomes necessary to take care of all detected deterioration within and outside the physical structure. For instance, cracked walls can be fixed, and plumbing and electrical wiring issues can all be resolved when the project is completed.

Undoubtedly, home improvements offer cost-effective benefits. If you’re already planning a home improvement, keep in mind that there is more to gain than lose.

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The last thing any of us wish to do when starting to cook a meal is fighting with our drawers and cabinets, as well as digging into the bottom of our pantries and storing cupboards for access to the tools we need to make a particular meal. That said, when kitchen and surface space is limited, sometimes it can be tough to keep everything we want to hand.

However, oftentimes, playing ‘cabinet Tetris,’ which is constantly reorienting and battling with the stored appliances and kitchen tools within your home, can get old quickly and may even lead to you experiencing harm from a falling air fryer or unco-operative toaster.

Thankfully, no matter how humble your kitchen, there are some ways by which you can improve its space or at least the utility within which you interface with that space. In this post, then, we’ll discuss a few measures you can use outside of storing everything away between each meal, saving you time, energy, and daily enthusiasm to cook. 

Without further ado, let’s get started:

Reposition Your Kitchen Table

It may be that positioning your kitchen table, or a side table within your kitchen space can give you a little more surface area on which to chop vegetables or prepare certain foods in bowls before you bring them over to the main surface area. Not all kitchens have huge amounts of room to deal with, and so making do with integrating the dining and kitchen space for cooking needs could be a very real and worthwhile compromise, provided you clean up properly.

Restore Your Kitchen Cabinet Design

Custom kitchen cabinets that open at the corner of a fixture, or provide you with more space upon opening the door (easily getting out of your way), as well as removing the handle necessities, instead opting for a push-open panel design, all of these measures can help your kitchen stand out again as a beautiful, renovated environment while offering enhanced utility regarding your day to day management of storage. This is especially true of drawers or cupboards that open diagonally, perhaps in order to store wine bottles or cutlery. An investment like this can potentially unlock more and more space within that area, then, which is impressive to say the least.

Wall-Mount & Shelf-Mount Certain Fixtures

A few extra shelves or making use of your wall space can help free up some storage from the main surface area of your kitchen for the better. For instance, integrating a wall-mounted spice rack can give you easy access to all of your herbs and spices without having to take up a long wall at the back of your open surface. The same goes for placing an eggs basket on your shelf, or even integrating new shelving units on the inside of your pantry. This way, you can more reliable store things in a visually appealing manner, without having to fight for access to them.

With this advice, we hope you can enjoy more or more useful kitchen space without having to fight just to cook with your appliances.