Your garden is a place that can be forgotten about when the weather changes but it is still an important part of your home. So, if you would like to enjoy the space outside all year round, here are some ways that you can create a garden that can be enjoyed during the colder months.
The colder and wetter weather means that things can be a bit slimy at times. Moss and muck can make your paving areas and deck slippy and gross. All Clean Pressure Washing is a great way to keep the place clean without the need for harsh chemicals. Keeping the place cleaner and slime free means that you will want to spend time in the garden without the worry of gaining an injury by walking across the garden.
Plant evergreens
When the weather turns cold, the leaves turn to a beautiful shade of orange. As lovely as it is, it doesn’t last. Those autumn colours disappear and we are left with 50 shades of brown. Don’t let this be your garden, make sure that there is some colour with evergreens. Evergreen is a plant that keeps its green colour all year round. Plants such as lavender and bull bay can add a splash of colour during those winter months.
Garden furniture
You might have a lovely selection of garden furniture that looks great during the summer months. Ask yourself, this question, is it suitable for during the winter? If it is, great! Keep it out and use it during the colder months so that you can sit and enjoy your garden when the weather is nippy. If it isn’t, you might need to think about investing in a study garden bench that can be used all year round.
Clear away the mess
During the summer, the garden can get messy with rubbish and extra stuff. Before the weather changes, it is a good idea to have a clear-out and get rid of all of those broken items that you don’t need anymore. Recycle what you can to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfills. You might discover that your garden is a much nicer place when it is cleared of the summer rubbish.
Add a burner
If you enjoy sitting outside, you probably want to have a little heat while you are enjoying your garden. At night, you could consider lighting a wood burner or fire pit. This can be a great way to enjoy those chilly evenings. If you are not a fan of having a fire, you could invest in a patio heater that uses gas or electricity that will give you some extra warmth.
As you can see, there are a few different ways to make your garden more exciting and enjoyable over the winter months. If you have the option to enjoy your own outdoor space, you should make it as wonderful as you can so that it can be enjoyed no matter what the weather is.
Looking after your home is important and there are many ways that you can help maintain the property so that it remains in good condition. With that said, there are plenty of tips for helping keep the home in tip-top shape. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your home in a good condition all year around.
A maintenance checklist is a great way to cover all of the areas of the home. There are certain things that you’ll want to note and upkeep that you wouldn’t typically do when it comes to your weekly cleaning schedule. With that being said, look at cleaning your gutters or giving your dishwasher or laundry machine, a deep clean.
Having a checklist like this is helpful to ensure nothing gets missed off when it comes to maintaining your home. It can be very easy to miss things off and to let things get worse and simply forgetting each time to make the fixes.
It’s beneficial to create a maintenance checklist at the start of the year so you know that you can document what needs to get done.
Take Care Of Your Air Con
Air conditioning for those in hotter climates is critical. It can certainly be felt when it no longer works. It’s important to take care of your air-con because there will come times where it breaks down and needs your attention. Air conditioning can do with regular check-ups as well as cleaning filters.
It’s also important to get the professionals in to check on the air conditioning, especially as it becomes an old model. Air con is a costly thing to repair and replace, so you certainly want to keep an eye on it to help save yourself money!
Air conditioning is a great addition to your home and something that you certainly want to make sure you maintain, make sure it’s on that maintenance checklist too.
Regular Gas Checks
Regular gas checks are a must when it comes to your home. Gas is a dangerous thing to have in your home and so whatever system you have in place, you want to ensure it’s well protected, insulated and that everything is working as it should do.
A gas check isn’t something that most people will be able to do easily and it’s important to have a professional come in and to check that the gas you have is safe and that no updates need doing to it.
If you’ve not done a gas check for a while, then consider this as your reminder to get one done.
Clean Regularly
The next thing you’ll want to do is to clean your home regularly. The reason why things in your home will often break or need replacing is that the cleanliness isn’t there. Things like your microwave or the interior of your oven will need daily cleaning and if not, the material of the appliance will become compromised. The quality of its purpose will be less effective and eventually, you’ll need to replace it with a newer model.
However, if you’re willing to put in the time and to clean the appliances and every part of your home, then you’re more than likely to spend less money on having to replace everything as a result.
Keeping up with the cleaning is not something that everyone does successfully but it can pay off for the upkeep and appearance of your home, to have a regular cleaning routine in place. If you don’t have the time, then you can always hire a cleaner to come and clean your home.
Insurance is an important part of looking after your home because you never really know what could happen to the property either when you’re in it or out of it. Having home insurance and contents insurance is good to provide you with some protection, should anything break or go wrong and that needs fixing.
There are lots of different insurance products on the market, so it’s good to think about which ones are going to be the most beneficial for you and your household. Some insurances will end up costing more than others, so it’s good to be attentive.
If you’re struggling to decide what insurance to have and who to go with, you can always look on comparison sites. This can be helpful in understanding which ones are best for your home and are going to supply all the necessary coverage that you need as a homeowner. It’s better to keep your home in good condition with insurance than to go without and potentially risk having to pay thousands as a result of damage.
Maintain Your Garden
Garden maintenance is not something that everyone enjoys in particular. For some, it can be a bit of a nightmare to face, especially if the exterior space is quite big. With that being said, it’s important to do what you can to maintain your garden, whether you do it yourself, or you get a professional gardener to come in and do it on your behalf.
When maintaining your garden, make sure you focus on all the exteriors including the outside of your home. For the garden, it’s a good idea to create a space that for you, is manageable. You don’t want to go creating a space that becomes too difficult to maintain and to keep up. If you haven’t got the hours available to spend on it, then it’s probably best not to invest your money into thousands worth of features, plants and flowers, etc. Keep it basic where it needs to be and only scale up if you’re willing to take on the challenge of it.
Keeping your home in good condition is easier said than done but it can be done regardless. Think of your home as an investment property and when you’re spending money, you’re likely going to eat away at the overall value of the home. With that said, regular maintenance and care are key.
Maintaining warmth at home is essential to stay cosy and healthy throughout the winter. Getting in after a cold day to a warm home is so pleasant and comforting. If you are looking for smart ways to keep your home warmer this winter, follow this guide.
Although most people associate being warm with being inside, you might want to make use of your garden too. Although you can wear a coat and lots of layers, it isn’t quite the same feeling as you’d get with outside features and furnishings.
For instance, kitting your garden out with a box of blankets, warm cushions, and a fire pit will ensure that you can have fun outside while staying warm throughout the winter.
Using customised fire pits from a company like S&S Fire Pits will ensure that you get the look and size that you want to suit your garden and winter needs.
Log fires
Speaking of fire pits, the warmth that you get from natural flames is like no other. It is super cosy and more cost-effective in the long run. So, if you want to save some money on your heating bills then why not make use of your log fire?
You should ensure to get your chimney cleaned once a year to get rid of potential dangers and blockages. Then, you can make use of your fire throughout the winter to stay warm and cosy.
If you don’t have a log fire in your home, it is something to consider to save you money and also feel super cosy throughout the winter months.
Close your curtains
Although you might not think that open curtains can hinder the warmth of a home, they can. Closing your curtains will ensure to trap the heat in and not let it escape or come into contact with the cold windows.
Fix your windows
Should you have damaged windows, you will want to consider fixing them immediately so that no air can escape. Leaking air will hinder the warmth of your home and you will be throwing money away.
Maximum insulation
To maximise the potential of your heating, it helps to use insulation. Like curtains, insulation will trap the heat inside so that the temperature can be maintained.
Poorly insulated windows or doors can lead to heat loss. Yet, your home is more likely to lose up to 30% of the heated air in winter through the roof. Indeed, there could be two main issues when it comes to under-roof insulation. Firstly, your insulation solution lets the cold air through, and the warm air out. This can be remediated with professional insulation services. Secondly, your insulation is getting damp because the roof structure has a leak. If this is the case, you want to reachout to professional roofing engineers, such as the Able Roofing team, who can provide rapid, long-lasting, and effective repair works.
Use layers
To lower the cost of your heating bill and still stay warm at home, it will help to layer up. Walking around in a vest and shorts is guaranteed to make you feel cold and want to whack the heating up. Whereas wearing layers will keep you warmer.
Using blankets as well as clothing will enhance your warmth and keep the heating as low as possible.
Set heating timers
Should you want to walk into a warm house after spending a long day out in the cold, you can install smart heating that uses timers. That way, you can switch the heating on when you are out so you can come back to a nice warm home. This will allow you to maximise your warmth and keep your central heating system in great condition.
Every homeowner should look for ways to save money around the home. From DIY projects to energy efficiency, it feels like there is always something you can do differently. One factor that people often ignore, though, is safety. But just how are safety and saving money related? Here are three reasons why a safe home saves money, protects your family, and keeps your finances secure.
A Safe Home Reduces Repairs
Throughout your home, there are repairs that you might have put off for a little too long. Some of these repairs are small, like the dripping tap or the wobbly banister. Whereas there could be other repairs that you’re not even aware of yet, which could be an issue.
Making these repairs can put your home at risk, and the longer you leave them, the more of a risk they become and the greater the cost of the repair. Your dripping tap is wasting water, even if it’s just a small amount each day, and cracks in the walls or a gap in the roof could escalate, demanding an expensive repair later on.
It can be tempting to tackle these yourself, but th3re are some dangerous repairs that you must leave to the professionals, especially if you want to ensure a job well done.
A Safe Home Protects People
A safe home will also keep others safe. The last thing you want is your partner, kids, parents, or even guests to suffer an injury in your home because you didn’t act on something quickly enough. Maybe this is the wobbly banister, but it could be more serious problems, too.
Outside, a worn and torn driveway can spit up rocks that might damage vehicles or get in someone’s eye. When the winter comes, the driveway could freeze over, increasing the risk of slips, trips, and falls.
To avoid this, you’ll need to consider a driveway replacement as soon as possible. This – along with other essential fixes around the home – will reduce the risk of injury, protect your loved ones, and keep medical bills (or even legal charges) down.
A Safe Home Can Deter Burglars
Security is something you mustn’t ignore, so you must consider the most effective ways to keep burglars out of your home, whether you’re at work, on vacation, or even enjoying your backyard on a blissful summer evening.
By ensuring your home is secure and making it harder for thieves to get inside, you can reduce the emotional trauma of a break-in and also eliminate the risk of theft. While you should have home insurance to cover any large purchases that you can replace, peace of mind is just as important.
So, look around your home, secure any gaps or access points, and don’t think you’re being melodramatic by installing security systems.
As Safe As Houses
The safer your home, the safer you’ll feel. If you’re someone who wants to ensure not a penny is wasted no matter what, turn your attention to your home and consider whether there are any safety issues that you need to fix immediately. You might be surprised what you find, but solving problems will make you feel better about your home.
If you’ve been living alone for some time now, you might have noticed that it’s not an easy feat, and those bills can soon start to leave you feeling like you’ve got none of your own money. It doesn’t have to be that way, and there are many things you could change and improve on if you want to have a little bit more spending money by the time you’ve paid what’s due at the end of each month. Everyone has at least one bad spending habit and learning how to kick it is important if you’re trying to save money.
One of the first things you should consider is how much you’re spending on food, as people often treat themselves to take out food once a week or more. It’s tempting and it can save you a lot of time when it comes to cooking, but it’s a lot more expensive than it has to be. If you learned to cook your own meals, you would only be spending a small percentage of the amount that you’re currently spending on take-out – and it could be just as tasty if not more! Not only is it cheaper, but you have a lot more variety available when you can make any dish that you feel like.
Meal planning
Another way you can make your food money stretch a little bit further is if you actively planned out your meals. It’s simple, but it can take a lot of work if you’re aiming to get it done in one go. It’s become a trend for many people living the frugal lifestyle, and meal planning can save you money and time in the long run. If you get a week or two worth of cooking done in one day, you can store it and freeze it until you’re going to eat it later in the week.
Invest in your own equipment
Having your own equipment at home can be expensive at first, but it will soon pay for itself as you use it more often. Just consider what you need at the time, and make sure you have it ready. Of course, if you invest in something that’s of decent quality, you will only have to pay for it once. A lot of people try to save on cooking equipment, but it’s not often a good idea. You should make sure to read up on the products that you’re purchasing, like this juicer & blender reviews – it can tell you a lot about how much you’re going to get from your money.
Be more energy conscious
Being careless with your electric bill isn’t doing you any favors, and you should make sure you aren’t leaking money unnecessarily. It might not sound like much, but things like leaving the lights on, the heating on, or any other appliances can soon cost you a lot of money. Just because it’s a small amount over the course of a month, think about how much that total is coming to after a whole year. Not only is it good for your wallet, but you would also be doing a better job for the environment.
Cheap insulation tricks
If your home has trouble holding the temperature, it could be due to problems with your insulation. It’s common to have these kinds of problems, and they often occur around windows and doors due to the seals wearing down. However, if you can’t afford to have them repaired, it can be quite troubling. Not to worry, though, there are cheap easy ways to deal with that kind of draft. For example, it’s not hard to find a cheap draft excluder in a typical home store or online for that matter.
Evaluate your bills
Identifying where all of your money is going isn’t always obvious, so sometimes you have to resort to checking the numbers. Consulting your bills and bank account is a good way to give you a clear picture of what you spend your money on, and what you could possibly cut down. A lot of people often have running subscriptions that they don’t use often, or sometimes even forget about. Even if it’s a cheap subscription, you should make sure to cancel it as soon as possible – that’s just a total loss of money.
Even if it’s just a small change in your spending, any saving is worth your time. There’s no point in needlessly spending it on things that you don’t really need or want.
The essence of a Do-It-Yourself project is to save money. You roll up your sleeves to complete home improvement tasks that you might otherwise pay a professional to do for you. Here are seven fantastic tips to help you save more during your DIY project.
Hone Your Skills
DIY projects on home improvement may differ on the level of skill required to complete the task correctly. You may need to study first before venturing out to your power tools. The internet is chock-full of instructional videos and how-to-guide articles that you can use to learn.
Rushing to start the renovations without fully understanding the process may lead to rookie mistakes that will cost you more in materials and repairs. Your project plan should include a learning phase that will make your project run smoother and faster in the long run.
Borrow Tools
You may require specific tools, hardware, and other supplies to complete your project. Every avid DIYer needs to invest in a basic tool kit. However, purchasing heavy equipment and tools for a single project can be expensive.
You can borrow or rent a tool far cheaper than you can purchase it. If your friends or family do not have the equipment you need, a tool rental center can help you source the jackhammer you need for your tiling project.
Check Out The Clearance Section
You’d be surprised by how much you can save by first checking out the clearance section before heading to the regular-priced products. Online sites such as Mark’s Plumbing Parts have a dedicated clearance section with items marked down for cheap. You may also look out for seasonal sale offers such as Black Friday to purchase tools at a discount.
Repurposed Materials
If you are carrying out a whole house renovation, you may need to watch out for items or materials you can reuse in other projects. An excellent example is a piece of old furniture that may only require a simple brush up to provide wood for a new storage box. Do not throw out any junk until you are sure that you can’t reuse the product anywhere else in your home.
Give Yourself Time
The thrill of starting your bathroom renovation may push you to jump headfirst without adequately thinking it out. You may end up paying more for materials and tools if you lack an appropriate plan of implementation and schedule. Stay calm and avoid rushing the project.
Prepare Cleaning Supplies at Home
Most DIY tasks may require a thorough clean-up from the mess and junk generated. You can save more on the cleaning supplies needed by making them from home. It may not only be less expensive but also safer for the environment.
Enlist Help, Whenever Possible
Certain tasks in your DIY project may require an extra pair of hands to complete. You may consider asking for help from friends that enjoy DIY projects. You need to determine whether or not they expect financial compensation. Exchange of professional skills is an excellent way to ensure everyone benefits from the interaction.
Conclusion
DIY projects are typically frugal, proving to be excellent money savers for adventurous homeowners. The tips above can help you complete your home improvement works frugally.
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