The right piece of furniture can transform a room and create an exceptional space. When decorating your home, it’s vital that you pick furniture that looks amazing but you need to think about functionality too. Usually, you’ll head down to the furniture store or maybe check out some antiques, but have you thought about custom built furniture? 

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This is an option that a lot of people overlook, but having your furniture custom made to order will help you get so much more out of the space that you have. These are some of the amazing benefits of custom built furniture in your home. 

Make Better Use Of Space

Maximizing the space in your home and being as efficient as possible is important, especially when space is limited. Unfortunately, this can be tricky if you buy cookie cutter furniture from a store. It’s not designed for your home so it’s never going to fit exactly into the space you have. But when you get your furniture custom made, it will fit perfectly into the space that it is intended for. This is particularly good in awkwardly shaped rooms where lots of space is usually wasted. You can use custom built furniture to add more storage to rooms and create multifunctional pieces. When you use custom built furniture, every single room is arranged in the most efficient way possible. 

Get Better Quality Furniture

A lot of the furniture you buy is mass produced in a factory and the quality of it won’t be great. Even though it looks ok, it will soon start to wear and you’ll end up replacing it on a regular basis. But if you work with custom woodworking services to design and build furniture, you will get a much higher quality product at the end. Handcrafted, custom built furniture will be far more durable and will last a lot longer. Even after ten years when the furniture is a little worse for wear, you can still refinish it. But if you have some cheap, mass produced furniture made from chipboard and veneer, it’s far more difficult to do that. 

Develop A Unique Style

Developing a unique home decor style can be tough when you are limited by what you can buy. Although you will be able to find furniture that is close to what you want,  you will always have to make sacrifices. Sometimes, that’s not a problem, but in many cases, you just can’t find the right furniture to fit your vision for the room. Custom built furniture is so great because you can do whatever you want with it. You are not bound by existing styles and although you can take inspiration from them, you can also break those conventions and create something that is unique to you. 

We’re all used to going into a store and picking out furniture so we don’t consider the possibility of having it custom made. But, in most cases, it’s the best option, so next time you are renovating your home, go down the bespoke furniture route instead.  

Things have changed, and giving back to the environment has never been more crucial than it is today. Companies worldwide have started to do what they can to promote cleaner living further and have made significant strides while doing so. Many households have also dramatically changed their way of living in order to participate in a movement that aims to curb the rate at which pollution and deforestation are ruining the planet. But, many people wonder what they can do to help or where to begin as well as where they can go in order to be part of a bigger picture – that said, here are some tips on what you can do to promote change and give a little back to the environment.

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Reduce

Reducing the amount of waste we produce is one of the three crucial R’s to a cleaner and greener lifestyle. How can you reduce the amount of waste you create? It’s simple. You can make less waste by buying products in bulk – this will lessen the amount of plastic packaging you ultimately throw away. Another method of reducing waste is buying products with less packaging. For example, instead of buying fruits and vegetables that come in plastic bags or containers, buy fresh products packaged in biodegradable material. Because water has become scarcer over the past years, it is now a precious commodity that should be used sparingly. Reducing the amount of water you use by taking showers instead of baths and watering your lawn in shorter intervals can also make a major difference.

Reuse

Reusing products or items more than once before disposing of them will automatically reduce the amount of waste you produce, instead of using something new each time. A great example of reusing is refilling a bottle of water again instead of buying a new one every time. Also, reusing shopping bags that are environmentally friendly instead of using new plastic bags every time you buy groceries is one of the most effective and effortless ways of reusing items.

Recycle

Everyone knows about recycling by now. Recycling means separating materials that can be reprocessed before disposing of your garbage. Recyclable materials include glass, aluminum, and cardboard. You can even remove something that is recyclable from an item before throwing the rest away – for example, some parts of your computer can be recycled to make new ones again.

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Renewable energy sources

Governments have taken massive steps in an effort to move away from fossil fuels that are incredibly harmful to the environment. Some of these steps include the further development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. Solar energy, for instance, is one of the most effective sources of renewable energy there is – seeing as the rays from the sun that reach the earth each hour is enough to power the entire earth for a year. While the sun’s rays that hit the earth every hour are over 440 quintillion joules, the world only uses about 410 quintillion joules each year – the problem is capturing all that energy. 

Community Solar

Choose solar has launched an initiative that will provide the people of The United States of America with clean, renewable solar energy. This initiative is genius because households will have the chance of using solar energy without the need for installing solar panels on their roofs that may be costly. The idea behind community solar is to have a main solar farm that generates solar energy, afterward delivering it to the utility company, which then supplies households and businesses with this renewable energy. 

The best part about this idea is that it will be easy for the public to acquire and maintain. Many states have been working on combining community solar with utility bills to make the billing process much more effortless. One of the many benefits of solar energy production is that it’s much less expensive than fossil fuel energy production. Except for installation and maintenance, the actual energy production doesn’t cost a dime because sunlight is absolutely free. You can find more information about this game-changing initiative at www.choosesolar.com.

The most important thing to remember is that even though you may feel like you’re not making a big difference by showering instead of taking a bath, or saying no to plastic bags, is if everyone does their small part, it will make a monumental difference in the long run. That’s the most important key factor about cleaner living – it’s a team effort!

Ev vehicles

EV vehicles are the future. We all know it. We can feel it in the air. The time is now to do our part in making the switch to an environmentally-friendly ride, and there’s no better way to start than with an electric vehicle! Not only are they more efficient and better for the environment, but they’re also incredibly fun to drive.

Here are a few tips on doing your part to give back to the environment:

1. Make the switch to an EV – Making the switch to an EV is one of the best things you can do for the environment. Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint, but you’ll also be saving money on fuel costs in the long run.

2. Educate yourself and others on the benefits of EVs – Once you’ve made the switch to an EV, it’s important to educate yourself and others on the many benefits of driving an electric vehicle. The more people are aware of the positives, the more likely we are to see a widespread switch to EVs.

3. Advocate for better EV infrastructure – One of the main barriers to wider adoption of EVs is lack of infrastructure. We need more charging stations and other support systems in place before EVs can truly become mainstream. If you’re an advocate for change, start by pushing for better EV infrastructure in your community.

We hear all the time that gardening is an amazing way to ground ourselves, ease our anxieties, and generally get our homes looking the way we want them. ‘You’ll love it,’ they say. ‘You just aren’t giving it a chance.’ 

But, what these green-fingered fanatics don’t realize is that, for some of us, an outside space that needs attention feels less like a way to destress, and more like the stress itself. In these instances, far from seeing the possibilities, we look at that tangled, overgrown mess and shut the doors because we just can’t deal with it. 

Such is the curse of not having green fingers. But, as with anything, there is a means to achieve the garden of your dreams regardless. In fact, whoever said that you needed green fingers to get stuck in here couldn’t have been more wrong, as we’re going to prove by considering three alternative, and very tempting, plans of action. 

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Seek easy-to-find inspiration

If you aren’t green-minded then trawling through garden landscaping websites or magazines won’t be much fun. Luckily, there is an easier, and typically more interesting alternative, and it comes in the form of turning instead to easy-to-find inspiration. After all, every house on your street will have gardens that you can steal ideas from. Equally, grabbing garden landscaping ideas from your local public gardens can mean a fun day out AND inspiration from some of the best designers in the business. All without your once having to go out of your way with a pursuit that, quite frankly, altogether fails to keep you engaged. 

Trust the professionals 

Once you have a rough idea of how you’d like, there’s nothing wrong with calling for backup. After all, there are professionals to take care of everything from design through to maintenance, saving you a task and ensuring a finish that you’d probably never achieve alone. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of a well-finished garden, with none of the hard work that you’ve been avoiding thus far. That’s a win-win if ever we’ve seen one, and it’s a benefit that doesn’t require a green finger in sight. Well, at least not where you’re concerned. 

Don’t be afraid to simplify

Don’t forget either that, sometimes, the pressure to get gardening can lead us to overcomplicate the matter, but there’s no need. If you aren’t garden-minded and you don’t want anyone else coming in and out of your space, then simple is best. It may be, for instance, that you’d prefer to add a patio or decking area to cover a large portion of your outside space. Or, you could simply lay turf that doesn’t require much more maintenance than a quick cut every few weeks. Like with anything in life, knowing what you can realistically manage, and taking steps to make that work, is guaranteed to see you a lot happier with the results in the long-term. 

So, forget green fingers. It’s time to find another way to make your garden work for you at last.

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Moving is among the most stressful life events you will ever experience, right along with losing a job, losing a loved one, or divorce. But why is it stressful? The general disruption, the packing, the scheduling, and mostly the moving costs. 

When you live somewhere, you get attached to the four walls, and it becomes your comfort zone. And disruption of this attachment can become stressful. 

However, relocation cost is the major stressing factor. On average, a local move costs about $1,250, and long-distance is about $4,900. These evaluations are based on a simple two or three-bedroomed house. 

Fortunately, you can cut down the expenses by following these tips:

1. Declutter

Fewer items mean fewer belongings to relocate. Moving companies charge you based on the weight of your items. When you declutter, you minimize your stuff in volume and weight. 

One of the best ways to have a hassle-free move is by donating or tossing items you don’t need. Take time and move room to room, evaluating items you need versus those you no longer need anymore. 

Decluttering will also give you an easy time when packing. And if you hire a moving company for packing and unpacking, you can be sure they’ll charge less due to fewer items. 

You can also sell some items to get extra money for other expenses. 

2. Source Packing Materials from Local Shops

Packing materials can be another nuisance expense you can easily cut down. You don’t have to spend a fortune on them. Get boxes for free from local shops or friends and relatives. 

The usual spots like liquor or grocery stores can be a great source of free boxes. 

Alternatively, you can search for websites that give boxes at a low cost or free. 

Remember your zip-top bags, sheets, and pillows can be packing materials. You can also save money on packing supplies by utilizing containers or laundry baskets for packing breakables or smaller items. 

3. Rely on Professional Movers

Moving your stuff from one place to another is unnerving. It can also strain your wallet, and you risk breaking your valuables. Hiring a reliable moving company like Allied Van Lines saves you the trouble. 

Moving companies are insured to cater to any liability. It means if your items get lost or break while on transit, you’ll get compensated. 

And as you pick movers, verify if they’re paid based on your load or hourly basis. For a local move, hourly movers are the most ideal. Paying a flat rate on your load will save you some bucks on a long-distance move. 

4. Choose a Season and Mark Your Calendar

Summer is usually the moving season. Movers tend to charge high due to high demand. But if you want to save some money, plan your move during winter. 

Relocation rates also tend to be extremely high on the weekend. Therefore, schedule your move on a weekday. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are ideal days for relocating. 

The Bottom Line

There is a lot that happens during a moving process. But some common sense, a bit of planning, and creativity can go a long way. These relocation tips are designed to help you keep your sanity and more money in your pocket during the transition.