Home Sweet Home

What separates good interior decorating from bad decorating? A lot of it comes down to personal taste. Some of the most popular trends in home decor are often the most hated. Things that were popular in the 70’s then reviled, are popular again. When it comes to interior decorating, it can be hard to keep track of the ever-changing trends. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on an online forum where people shared their interior decorating pet peeves. Here’s a sample.

Bowls of pebbles

Why spend lots of money on a nice centerpiece for your coffee table when you can just buy a glass fishbowl and fill it with rocks? Rocks are free. Somewhere along the line this particular home decor shortcut has become extremely popular with homeowners. Perhaps it’s popular because rocks are a way of bringing elements of the outdoors inside without using plants which need constant attention to keep them alive. Which brings us to…

Fake plants

Fake plants don’t fool anyone. They look like plastic because they are plastic. While they don’t require daily waterings and plenty of sunshine, you do have to dust each fake leaf individually every few weeks. Honestly, that might be worse than taking care of an actual plant.

Decorative twigs

Another variation of the pebbles-inside-of-glass-bowls look are arrangements of small twigs and branches. Like rocks, collections of twigs are not living things and require no maintenance, which makes them a popular choice. Still it makes you wonder, why are their dead twigs scattered about this room?

Ornamental words

You’ve no doubt seen some combination of “Live, Laugh, Love” displayed in dozens of homes during your life. These three in particular are the biggest offenders but the word “relax” often adorns the wall just above the bathtub, and the words “family” can often be seen among arrangements of photographs. Of particular offense to the French is when the words Bon Appetit are hung in the kitchen.

The color gray

Another popular home decor shortcut is the gray color scheme. Sure it makes things easy since any accent color will go well with it but some would argue that gray is the most boring color of all, even less interesting than black and white which at leasts creates some contrast.

Shabby chic

The term “shabby chic” is one that’s often thrown around by crafty DIYers but no one has been able to supply a satisfactory definition. It almost always involves trying hard to make new pieces of furniture look old by distressing the wood or purposefully chipping the paint just enough so that it’s old in a cool way, but not old in an ugly way.

What does all of this mean?

So what do these commonly hated, overused home decor trends tell us about interior decorating? Only that everything is subjective and at the end of the day, what really matters is your own personal taste. All of these examples, with the exception of ornamental words which are objectively bad, are a matter of personal taste. In fact, many people in the forum came to the defense of some of these design trends. If you want to install baseboard heater covers and paint them purple or put a bowl of rocks on every single surface in your interior home, it’s your prerogative. Just make sure you’re doing it because it’s what you like, and not because it’s popular.

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When you’re getting ready to sell your home, your willingness to invest a little time, money, and effort into fixing it up first can make all the difference. Not only will you sell your home faster but you can boost its value as well. The following projects are ones you can fit into your busy schedule because each of them can be done in a weekend or less.

Do some repainting

A fresh coat of interior paint makes a huge difference. Even if you think your walls are in pretty good shape, this project is still a good idea because homeowners tend to get accustomed to the state of their interior walls and until they’re repainted, they aren’t aware of how worn they’re looking. Depending on the size of your home, and how many friends or family you can find to help out, you should be able to easily do one or two rooms in a weekend and perhaps the entire home. Just make sure when painting that you take care to protect your floors, furniture, and anything else that you don’t want to get paint on. Plastic sheeting and painter’s tape is a good investment. If you don’t want to paint all the walls in your home, consider doing just your entry door, and the interior doors and trim.

Upgrade the hardware

Updated a dated home can cost a fortune and take weeks or months of extensive remodeling. If you don’t have the time or money for that, though, you can at the very least upgrade all the hardware. In a single weekend, you should be able to replace kitchen and bathroom sink faucets as well as shower heads. You’d still have time left over to replace outlet and light switch plate covers as well as light fixtures, and cabinet pulls.

Install baseboard heater covers

Another way to update your home quickly is baseboard heater covers. They install very easily over your existing baseboard heaters so you can do this project by yourself and still have time left over to work on the next project.

Steam clean the carpets

Unless your carpets are extremely worn and dirty, you probably don’t want to spend the money to replace them with new carpet, hardwood, tile, or laminate. You can rent a steam cleaner that can drastically transform dirty carpet that looks like new. A weekend should be plenty of time to get every room in the home. Note that this is a job that’s easier if you’ve already begun moving out some of your bigger items like sofas and recliners into your new home or into storage.

Do some landscaping

A tidy front yard can be a powerful selling point. It’s so powerful in fact that prospective buyers probably don’t even realize how much it impacts their decision to buy and how much to offer. It’s worth taking the weekend to weed planter beds, plant new flowers, bushes, or trees, and take care of any other lawn maintenance or landscaping work that will create more curb appeal.

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A home remodel can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars depending on the scope of the project. Furthermore, the majority of remodels end up costing more than homeowners anticipated. If you don’t want to go into more debt than you planned, or lose your home that you borrowed against, or leave the project unfinished due to insufficient funds, then the following tips can help.

Don’t go in with an open budget

No matter how much money you have in savings or how much equity you have in your home to borrow against, or how much available credit you have on your credit cards, you shouldn’t go into a remodel with the mindset that you’ll pay for it whatever the cost. There are many different  things that can drive up the costs of a remodel and if you haven’t done your research to come up with a realistic estimate, you can be blindsided by the bills that start to pile up. Decide on an amount up front that is the maximum you want to spend on remodeling. Next make a list of what you want to accomplish with a remodel. Finally do extensive research to come up with realistic estimates for these projects and prioritize the ones most important to you if it will cost more than you want to pay.

Do one room at a time

If you plan to remodel multiple rooms, plan to complete them as several smaller projects as opposed to one big one. The more you try to tackle in one go, the more likely there are to be unforeseen costs and delays which can cause a remodel to go over budget. It’s easier to budget for a one- or two-room remodel and once it’s done and paid for, you can set your sights on the next project.

Work with what you have

The most expensive kinds of remodels are ones that entail changing the floor plan, electrical systems, or plumbing since they require subcontractors to come in and tear down walls. This is expensive in and of itself plus it’s more likely to lead to complications which will require even more money. If at all possible try to remodel within the existing space and layout. That means no additions and no moving tubs, showers, or sinks to different locations in the bathroom or kitchen. If you need to get more space out of a remodel, focus on creative storage solutions like foldaway beds, bunk beds, beds with storage underneath, storage ottomans, etc…

Tackle the easy projects yourself

You can also save money by limiting the work that you’re paying contractors to do. There are certainly jobs that should be left to professionals especially if it’s work that requires a license, special equipment, or special training. So while you shouldn’t be doing anything with your electrical wiring, you can do simpler tasks like replacing light fixtures, and while you shouldn’t be doing plumbing work, you can replace a bathroom or kitchen faucet. Other DIY projects to consider are peel and stick vinyl countertop application, cabinet refacing, or baseboard heater cover installation.

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Taking the big step to move in together comes with many challenges. An important one that many couples overlook is the difficulty of unifying two different living spaces into one. Whether one is moving into the other’s space or the two are moving into a space that’s new to both of them together, their various tastes, color preferences, styles, and histories will have to come together to create a unified space. If you don’t want the relationship to end just as it’s really starting to move forward, consider the following tips.

Communicate honestly

If you’re ready to move in together you should be at a point in your relationship where you can communicate honestly with each other regarding what you want and don’t want for your new home together. Get everything out on the table. If there’s a piece of furniture your significant other has that you can’t stand, let him/her know. You may find that you’re in agreement about many things and it would be silly to both live with a design decision you both hate for fear of offending the other person.

Start with what you agree on

After you’ve sat down and hashed out your likes and dislikes, you can set out taking care of the things you both agree on. Pieces neither of you are wild about can be sold off and the funds set aside for a redecorating budget. An agreed-upon base color can be painted on the walls. Purchases like a new bed or sofa that you both agree need to be made can be completed. By getting a solid start on what you agree on, you’ll have a foundation from which to address the things you may not agree on.

Find ways to unify conflicting pieces

There will undoubtedly be some things that clash with each other somewhat and neither of you will be willing to budge. All is not lost. In many cases, these conflicting pieces can be made to go together with some kind of unifying third piece. An area rug might be just the thing to complement two different pieces that otherwise couldn’t have looked good together. New baseboard radiator covers can help an outdated looking baseboard heating system better fit in with more modern home decor.

Don’t get hung up on making everything match perfectly

One very important thing to remember that can resolve a lot of disagreements is that not everything in your home has to match perfectly with everything else. In fact, professional decorators unanimously agree that every good interior design requires some contrast to give it that authentic look. So don’t strive for the magazine cover or catalogue look. You don’t want to live in a home that looks like it was staged by a realtor to make it easier to sell. It should like like your home and it should reflect your varied tastes and life experiences. If you work hard together and are both willing to make compromises you can have a space that is both unified and a little eclectic.

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Is your home in serious need of redecorating but you know you don’t have the time to overhaul your home decor? Well not every interior decorating project requires a huge investment of time. The following interior decorating tasks take only a few minutes so you can work them into your busy schedule.

Properly display art

Most people have a tendency to decorate their homes with too many smaller pieces of artwork and no larger pieces. And when most people hang paintings or photographs, they’re up too high. The nice thing about larger pieces of art is that they’re naturally going to function as focal points for the space. Since they take up more space, you don’t need as many pieces. By selecting one larger piece of art for a space, you save a lot of time. As for hanging artwork on the walls, you want to hang them so that the center of the piece is at eye level. Eye level for a human of average height is approximately 57 inches.

Rethink your lighting

A properly lighted space requires multiple light sources putting out light from different heights and at different angles. If a room only has a single light fixture up from above, then you’ll need to use some floor or table lamps to illuminate the dark corners. Task lighting such as under-cabinet lighting for the kitchen or a desk lap for a home office or den are also quick additions.

Install some baseboard heater covers

Old baseboard heaters can be a huge eyesore for an otherwise attractive space. If your heaters are looking worn and showing their age, then you can quickly install some snap-on baseboard heater covers to immediately transform their look.

Rearrange the furniture

Sometimes redecorating doesn’t have to cost you anything. Sometimes all a room needs is a new layout of the larger pieces. People have a tendency to get locked into a certain arrangement of furniture despite the fact that moving things around only takes a few minutes of work. Even if the new arrangement isn’t objectively better in any way, simply changing things up can make it appear better to you.

Hang new curtains

Windows come in all shapes and sizes but the curtains we cover them with are usually limited to a handful of default sizes that are often ill-fitting. Instead of shopping for pattern first, pay attention to dimensions. A common mistake is not having enough volume--they have to be stretched out nearly all the way to cover the window. Purchasing extra panels so that there’s a nice ripple to them is an easy way to correct this. Another common mistake is having curtains that extend just beyond the dimensions of the window in all direction when larger, floor-to-ceiling curtains would add more drama.

Add in a few accessories

Inexpensive throws, pillows, and rugs are the easiest way to add color, texture, and pattern to a space. You can display them in seconds and easily swap them out when you want a new look without breaking the bank.

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Is the lack of free time a reason you’re always giving for putting off the home improvement projects you know your home needs? While many projects can take days or even weeks and hundreds or thousands of dollars, there are plenty of smaller scale projects you can do yourself for little money. And best of all, each of them can be done in one day or less so you have no excuses to put them off.

1. A recessed pantry wall

If your kitchen is too small to include a walk-in pantry, the cost to remodel and add such a space will be outrageously high. But if you have a wall nearby, you can fashion a shallow pantry. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first is to build shelving onto the wall. Make the shelves deep enough to hold one or two rows of canned foods. You can make it floor to ceiling so even though the shelves are shallow, they can hold a lot. If the wall in question has no electrical wiring or plumbing, you can remove the drywall and insulation and build the shelves in between the wall studs so you’re not taking up any additional space in your home.

2. Match electrical outlets to backsplash

Plain white or off-white electrical outlets look that way so they’ll blend in with the surrounding wall and not draw attention to themselves. But that’s a problem if you’ve got outlets in an area where you’ve tiled a backsplash or where you plan to have one tiled. There, a white electrical outlet will disrupt whatever color scheme or pattern you’re going for. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution: paint the electrical outlet.

3. Paint your ceiling a new color

You’ve heard of accent walls, but how about an accent 5th wall--the ceiling. In the majority of homes, ceilings are painted the same color as the walls and no one ever looks up at them. If you paint the ceiling a different color, you’ll be taking advantage of a space that is almost never used. It’s a great way to create some drama in a room that was previously bland.

4. Install some new light fixtures

Is your bedroom too small and your bed too large to fit in matching nightstands? If so, smaller end tables on either side of the bed and matching sconces mounted to the wall above them can be a great solution. Bedside lamps will take up virtually all of your table space so by mounting them on the wall you make room for a coaster to set your drink on or a place to lay down your favorite book when you go to bed at night. You can also upgrade light fixtures in the bathrooms, kitchen, or any other room in the home.

5. Put in a luxurious shower head

One of the best things about staying in an upscale hotel is the oversized and very luxurious shower head so why not splurge a little on one for your own shower? All you need is some pliers to remove the existing one and some thread sealing tape to make a tight seal when you install the new one.

6. Install baseboard radiator covers

If your baseboard radiators have seen better days--perhaps they’re scuffed up, rusting, or dented--you don’t have to completely replace them. You can purchase snap-on baseboard radiator covers that are easy to install over existing baseboard heaters to give them a completely new look in almost no time at all.

7. Display souvenirs from a recent trip

Designate a space in your home to display souvenirs or other memorabilia from a recent vacation. You can hang some photographs from the trip and lay out a few things you collected during the trip on a small table below. To keep things interesting, you can swap everything out the next time you travel.

8. Update your cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom

Instead of hiring a contractor to tear out old cabinets and install new ones, you can resurface them. There are a few different ways to do this. You can purchase new cabinet doors and drawer fronts and replace your old ones. You can repaint or restain your cabinets if you like the look but not the wear and tear that’s accumulated on them. Finally, if the cabinets are in good shape but you’re just looking for something different, you can swap out all the drawers and pulls to give them a new look.

9. Put in unique interior doors

In most homes, every interior door is exactly like every other interior door and they’re all white with the same rectangular and square shapes carved into them. Consider replacing at least one or two of them with something with a different pattern or color. It’s as simple as unscrewing the door from the hinges and then screwing the new door into place.

10. Revive something old and put it on display

If your decorating budget is tight, visit a local thrift store or antique shop and buy something used. You’ll know just the right piece when you see it. Old furniture can be repainted or reupholstered to give it new life and it’s still usually cheaper than buying brand new.

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When buying a home, you’re understandably anxious to move in as soon as possible. But you can save yourself a lot of trouble if you take the time to resolve a couple of home improvement projects before you do. The following projects only get harder once you’ve moved in so it’s better to be patient, and put off moving day to make sure they’re taken care of first.

Change the locks

Before you put your belongings, and even more important, your family, into the new home, you need to ensure that anyone who might have access to keys to the home aren’t able to get in. No matter how much you trust the previous owners and even if you know them personally, this is a good idea because you never know who they may have given keys to.

Replace or clean the floors

It’s easier to install new flooring or to have the carpets cleaned when you haven’t yet moved all your furniture in. If you’ve ever had to do this, you know how big a pain it is to move all of your furniture out of a room and have the floors replaced one room at a time.

Repair or replace the roof

If the home inspection turned up any issues with the roof, then you need to take care of it before move in day. Roofing issues can turn into roof leaks and you don’t want your furniture or other belongings being damaged by water. You may be able to get the home seller to pay for the work or at least lower the sale price for the home a bit.

Remove popcorn ceilings

Despite the fact that popcorn ceilings look hideous and are hated by all of America, they’re still surprisingly common, especially in older homes. Though they’re not too difficult to remove--all you have to do is moisten the area then scrape it off--it is difficult to clean up if the shavings fall all over and around your furnishings. If you tackle this project before moving in, simply lay down some plastic sheeting and when you’re done removing the popcorn ceiling, roll it up and throw it away.

Fix any leaks

The roof isn’t the only way water can get into your home. If the home inspection reveals any problems with the siding, foundation, or any other parts of the home where water can get it, don’t want till you move in to take care of it.

Child-proof it

You don’t want to spend a single day in a home that isn’t child- or pet-proofed because that’s all it takes for something to go wrong. So if you have young children and/or pets, make sure that any stairs in the home are blocked by a safety gate. Also make sure any cupboards or drawers where you plan to store chemicals, knives, or other hazardous things are child-locked as well.

After move-in day

With these projects out of your way you can move in and then continue the work of making it yours. All the other projects you have in mind whether it’s replacing the cabinets, upgrading the lighting, or installing baseboard heater covers.

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There’s something about a tidy, uncluttered space, that puts us at ease and makes us feel more relaxed. For most Americans, however, that’s not our typical day. Millions of Americans lament that they simply have too much stuff and not enough places to put it. While one good solution is to declutter and regularly get rid of things you’re no longer using, you may still find yourself with more things than places to put them. The following remodeling tips will provide you with creative storage solutions so you have a place for all your things

In the kitchen

The kitchen is a particularly challenging room when it comes to reducing clutter because the modern kitchen requires so many different tools and it seems there’s never enough cabinet/drawer space. Everyone has that cupboard/drawer in their kitchen where everything that doesn’t have a designated place gets crammed in. The following space-saving tips in the kitchen can finally give you enough room for everything:

Drawer inserts. One way to reduce clutter is to get things off the countertops and a good way to do that is through drawer inserts that can be made to house knives, spices, or cooking utensils. They can be custom made to fit in any drawer in the kitchen and they free up counter space.

Appliance garages. Appliance garages are custom-sized cabinets that are just the right size to hold a single small appliance such as a blender or toaster that you don’t use every day and don’t want to keep out on the counter when not in use.

Odd-shaped drawers and cupboards. You’d be surprised how much wasted space there is in a kitchen with uniformed, symmetrical cabinetry. By being willing to include some odd-shaped cabinets, such as tall, skinny drawers that pull out to reveal a spice rack, or a tip-out tray to store brushes and sponges just below the sink where you’d usually just have a false panel you can make use of space you didn’t know you had.

In the bathroom

The bathroom may be the trickiest room in the home because it tends to be quite small but like the kitchen, it needs to hold a lot of things from hair products to cleaning products to grooming items. The following ideas can help you find a place for everything:

Recessed medicine cabinet. Medicine cabinets used to be big, blocky things that stuck out from the wall taking up valuable space but medicine cabinets can also be recessed, fitting between beams in the space between the walls. Instead of a mirror that swings on hinges, the mirror can open on a sliding track.

Hidden electrical plugs. Electric razors, toothbrushes, and hair dryers tend to clutter up the bathroom counter-space because they’re used daily and need to be plugged into an outlet. You can keep them stored away without the hassle of plugging and unplugging them by having electrical outlets installed inside the drawers that house them.

Niches. Like medicine cabinets, niches can be built into the spaces between the walls to store items that you don’t mind being in sight. It frees up valuable counter and drawer space and keeps things off the counters as well.

In the utility room

Home builders have caught onto the fact that homeowners like larger utility rooms but older homes have small utility/laundry rooms and there simply isn’t room for all the odds and ends that end up being stored there. If stuff is piling up on top of the washer and dryer, the following tips may help:

Valet rods. A valet rod is an extendable metal rod that can be installed on a wall or inside of a cabinet. When you need to hang dry clothing, simply extend the rod and place your hangers on it. When not in use it hides away neatly.

Ironing board insert. Ironing boards are big and take up a lot of space which is why an insert that pulls out to reveal a ironing board built into the cabinets is such a useful space-saving idea.

Toe-kick storage. There’s often unused space at the very bottom of the utility room. Toe-kick storage can be used to hide away food and water dishes for pets or a step ladder to reach things stored up high in the utility room

Everywhere else

There are all sorts of ways to incorporate creative storage throughout your home such as furniture with built-in storage. You can also create a less cluttered look by simply using minimalist design principles like straight lines and lots and lots of white. Sleek, modern baseboard heater covers, for instance, don’t physically create more space, but they somehow make a room look less cluttered.

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   Before you set out to redecorate your home, it’s always a good idea to start with a clean slate. That means getting rid of all the junk that’s been accumulating in your home for however long. Studies have shown that a living space free of clutter is beneficial to our psychological health plus it will allow your furnishings to stand out more since they aren’t surrounded by too much stuff.

 Start with a goal

 The minimalist approach to interior decorating has become extremely popular in recent years but it isn’t for everybody. Before you even start, have a clear goal in mind of what you want the finished product to look like. If you’re going for a minimalist look then you’ll have to be even more judicious about which things to keep and a lot more liberal about throwing stuff out. How much stuff is too much is up to you to decide.

 One room at a time

 Whatever you do, don’t attempt to declutter the entire home in a single go. If you try to do too much, you’re sure to get burned out quickly and that will only serve to discourage you the next time you consider starting again. Treat the decluttering process as a series of smaller projects where each room is a single project. Never do more than one room in a week unless you really feel up to it. Depending on how much stuff you have to get rid of, even the thought of one room might be too much for you. If that’s the case, set a timer on your phone for 20 or thirty minutes and spend just that much time each day. Even if you’re only getting through one drawer or box a day, it will feel like progress and you’ll have the stamina to keep going.

 Be realistic

 As you start to declutter you’ll inevitably stumble across things you haven’t used in years but you’ll be hesitant to throw it out. After all, maybe this is the year you’ll need it. Be honest with yourself and consider the likelihood you’ll use it and then get rid of it.

 When you’re finished

 When the clutter has been gone through and gotten rid of, a final step is to prep your home for redecorating. A white or off-white base is usually the easiest to work with. Repaint your interior, clean or replace your carpets, and install some white baseboard heater covers and you’re ready to introduce color and texture through furnishings that will really stand out.

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For homeowners with pets, it can often feel like you’re being permitted to live in a space that actually belongs to your furry friends. Homeowners put up with a lot to accommodate their pets but they should still feel free to decorate the space as they see fit. The following interior design tips will help you find that balance between a space that’s comfortable for you and your pets.

Don’t rule out wood flooring

The age-old rule for owning pets has always been no wood flooring since little paws will make a million little scratches over time. But you don’t have to sacrifice wood flooring if that’s something that’s important to you. You simply have to go with a harder wood that’s naturally more scratch resistant. Oak is one of the hardest wood flooring products you can buy and because it has more grain that your typical wood flooring product, it does a better job of hiding any scratches that do accumulate. If you don’t like the look of oak flooring then you might consider hydrocork. If you don’t care about wood flooring then any durable hard floor option like vinyl or tile will work. Carpet traps odors and is harder to maintain with pets about but if you’re up to the challenge that’s an option as well. There are odor resistant, short pile carpets available that tend to hold up better with pets.

Hide the pet accommodations

Are food and water dishes and litter boxes cramping your style? Of course pets need to eat and drink and do their business but many homeowners prefer these accommodations be out of sight. Consider placing food and water dishes in a bottom drawer that’s close to the floor. You can place something under them to raise them high enough so they’re comfortable for your pets to reach. When it’s time to eat, simply open up the drawer and when they’re done, close it again. There are also stylish litter boxes that are disguised within ordinary looking furniture like end tables.

Durable fabrics

Softer fabrics like microfiber are less likely to be clawed through by pets. Leather, though more expensive will endure a lot more abuse than faux leather and minor scratches and wear and tear will actually make it look better. There are also ultra-durable fabrics like crypton that are stain-, water-, and odor-resistant.

Customized dog/cat doors

Off-the-shelf dog/cat doors tend to look like an afterthought and they disrupt any interior design scheme you have going on. Instead of making your home’s design take a back seat to your pets’ needs, consider modifying or somehow customizing your dog/cat door so that it looks integrated with your interior design.

Baseboard heater covers

Baseboard heaters offer a number of advantages over central heating but their proximity to the ground isn’t one of them if you have pets about. Baseboard heaters need good airflow to work properly and pet hair can clog them up faster than the eventual build-up of dust. Also the heating elements could pose a risk to curious pets. A good solution is a nice baseboard heater cover which not only protects your pets but make it easier to keep clean. Just make sure to run your vacuum attachment across the baseboard heater covers every time you’re vacuuming the room.

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 Baseboard heaters offer a number of advantages over forced air heating systems. They’re completely silent since they are typically heated by electricity. They’re also more energy efficient since they allow you to heat only the spaces in your home that you want to be warmed up. They’re especially great for bedrooms since you don’t have to pay to keep communal areas warm during the night.

 A concern many have about baseboard heaters, however is that they’re unsafe. People often hear of fires started by space heaters and equate them with baseboard heater fires. In actuality, baseboard heaters are very safe. They aren’t like space heaters because the heating elements are encased in a metal case. That said, there are still a few safety tips that if followed will make them even safer.

 Don’t block airflow

 Baseboard heaters need airflow to work properly. While space heaters need at least three feet of clearance to avoid a fire hazard, you’re fine with just six inches of clearance for baseboard heaters. Anything closer than that and you still don’t have to worry too much about a fire but you will be wasting electricity since a baseboard radiator with no airflow can’t heat the room.

 Don’t crank up the thermostat

 It’s a common misperception that turning up the thermostat to the highest setting will heat the room faster. It won’t, it will warm just as fast, the only difference is that it will continue growing warmer and warmer until turned down. Instead of turning the thermostat up and down, leave it on the lowest setting necessary to reach a comfortable temperature and wait patiently for the warm to warm up.

 Vacuum regularly

 Dust can also block airflow to your baseboard heaters, so make sure you’re vacumming regularly, and when you do, use an attachment to vacuum the area directly beneath and around the radiator. You can also run your vacuum hose directly over the grill.

 Install baseboard heater covers

 Since small children or pets can be harmed by coming into direct contact with baseboard heaters, it’s a good idea to install a baseboard heater cover that puts additional space between the heating elements and accidental contact. It also makes your baseboard heater cover easier to clean and more attractive as well.

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Unless you’re just doing a few simple DIY projects like installing baseboard radiator covers or doing some interior painting, you’re most likely going to have to hire a contractor or two. Large-scale projects might even entail bringing in a general contractor who will hire a number of subcontractors with various specialties. With so many strangers coming and going inside your home for a few days or even weeks, it’s important that you as the homeowner take some precautions to protect yourself and your property. Here are a few tips.

Don’t hire just anybody

Your top priority should be to carefully select your contractor(s). There are a few things you can do to limit the chances of hiring a dishonest person who will take advantage of you. First you should make sure that the contractor has a license to do the kind of work they do. Checking their BBB rating is another smart idea. Make sure the contractor is well-established in the community—that they’ve been in business for at least a few years and have a good reputation. Company logos on uniforms or vehicles is a good sign that it isn’t a fly-by-night operation.

Get the necessary permits

Obtaining the necessary permits from the city will ensure that your remodel adheres to local building codes. A reputable contractor will take care of all this for you but it’s a good idea to verify yourself that any necessary permits have been obtain before work begins. Failure to do so could mean further remodels down the road to be in compliance and it could negatively impact the value of your home when you try to sell it. Jobs that typically require a permit include additions, anything involving electrical or plumbing work, and anything related to HVAC but there may be others based on where you live.

Be careful how you pay

A good rule to live by when paying a contractor is to never pay too much up front and never pay with cash. It’s very unlikely you can get your money back when you pay with cash and the contractor doesn’t complete the work to your satisfaction. If you paid with check or credit card, however, you can often call and cancel the check through the bank or dispute a charge through your credit card company. By only paying a small percentage up front and the rest in installments, you provide incentive to the contractor to keep his/her end of the deal.

Ask about insurance

Most states require contractors to have insurance. This protects your property from any accidental damage and it prevents you from being liable for any injuries that might occur on your property during the remodel. If a contractor can’t supply proof of insurance, then it isn’t worth the risk.

Keep records of everything

Finally, keep a record of all written correspondence between you and the contractor. You should also have a copy of the contract you signed with the contractor that details the specific materials that will be used and an estimated timeframe and cost for the project. Receipts from materials orders as well as any permits that were required are other good things to have. You may end up not needing any of it but if there’s a dispute, you’ll be glad you have a written record to look back on.

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Spring is the ideal time for home improvement projects. The weather is just right for exterior projects and if you need to open up the doors and windows to get some fresh air in after doing some interior painting, your energy bills won’t skyrocket. But many homeowners won’t be remodeling this year because of the high costs for many remodeling projects. If you would like to do some remodeling and add some value to your home, but don’t have the financial means, you might want to consider one of the following six projects that are great for springtime and inexpensive as well.

1. Siding repair

Your home’s siding can take a beating so it’s always a good idea to assess the state of your siding each spring. Completely replacing the siding will cost a few thousand but as long as there’s no extensive damage, you can just repair the problem areas for a few hundred.

2. Paint the front door

Instead of spending several hundred on a new entry door. Give it a fresh coat of paint. It won’t cost more than a few bucks if you already have painting supplies and less than $100 either way.

3. Re-stain your deck

Now that the weather is warming up you’ll want to entertain guests on your deck. But after the winter there’s a good chance it could benefit from being re-stained. You can do it in a single weekend.

4. Clean out air ducts

After running your heat through the winter, chances are your air ducts could use a good cleaning. This is especially important if anyone in your home is allergic to dust. Plan on spending a few hundred dollars for a professional cleaning, maybe a little more if you have an older home and your ducts need some upgrades done.

5. Spruce up your front lawn

Boost your home’s curb appeal by paying some attention to your lawn which is probably looking pathetic after the winter. The cost to re-fertilize it is minimal and it’s a job you can do yourself if you want to save even more money.

6. Install baseboard heater covers

If you want to make some aesthetic upgrades to your home’s interior, there are few projects easier than installing baseboard heater covers. Simply measure how many feet of covers you need. Once it comes in the mail, simply snap them into place.

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Buying your first home is a major milestone, but many first-time home buyers are so anxious to sign the papers, that they make a lot of first-timer mistakes in the process. The following six tips are things that first-time home buyers should know before they even begin the process of looking for that first home.

1. Understand the financial aspects

A surprising number of first-time buyers don’t really understand how a mortgage works and consequently, have no idea how much home they can afford. So many anxious first-time buyers waste a lot of time initially trying to find the perfect home only to find they’re nowhere close to affording it. Instead, first-time buyers need to take a hard look at their own financial situation and understand what’s in their price range given their income, savings, and credit score.

2. See potential, not problems

Unless they’ve just won the lottery, most first-time home buyers don’t have the luxury of picking out a home that fulfills all their hopes and dreams. Getting that dream home often takes decades of trading up starting with a real fixer-upper. In almost every case, first-time home buyers will have to sacrifice on many of their wants. It can be easy at first, to dismiss a lot of good homes because of things the buyer doesn’t like but as time goes on, and the reality of their financial situation sinks in, first-time buyers eventually realize they’ll have to make some compromises. A better way is for first-time buyers to adjust their expectations from the start and realize that the homes in their price range are going to have some imperfections. Learn to differentiate between problems that are more easily fixed, and problems that are a money pit. For example, if a home has unsightly baseboard radiators, the homeowner can invest a little money into baseboard heater covers to make them more sleep and modern. If a home badly needs a new coat of paint, the new homeowner can paint it. Major problems like issues with the roof or the presence of harmful materials like asbestos or lead-based paint, on the other hand are more trouble than they’re worth which brings us to the next tip.

3. Hire a home inspector

It’s the home inspector’s job to help buyers differentiate between the easy-to-fix issues and the more problematic issues. A good home inspector will not only be able to spot problems that need immediate attention, but he/she will also be able to be give you a fairly accurate estimate of how much it will cost to make those repairs. This information is invaluable at helping you decide on a fair bid for a home. The information may also give you some bargaining power: you can require the homeowner to make certain repairs before offering the amount they’re asking for.

4. Hire a good real-estate agent

First-time buyers often forgo a real-estate agent because they don’t want to pay a percentage to him/her and want to get the most for their money. Ironically, it’s the first-time buyer who can most benefit from having a real-estate agent. It’s a good idea to pick an agent who is patient and ready to help guide you through the process and help you understand how it works and not just someone who will do all the work for you.

5. Space vs. convenience

The convenience of a home in the city means sacrificing space while the freedom of more space means sacrificing the convenience that comes with living closer to all the action. First-time buyers must accept going in that they can only have one or the other and need to carefully consider their priorities before settling on which kind of home to look for.

6. The down payment

The size of the down payment is one of the most important factors that will determine how much of a mortgage a home buyer can be approved for and what kind of rate they can get on that mortgage. First-time buyers often can’t afford a big down payment but it’s still important to save up at least a small down payment. Many first-time buyers make the mistake of trying to buy a home when they have practically no savings at all with which to make a down payment. This severely restricts the number of homes that will be in their budget.

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