Modern Living

How To Prepare For a Custom Home Build

Are you tired of looking at homes, never finding one that meets all of your expectations? If so, you should consider building a custom home. The process might seem overwhelming, but when you follow a few simple tips, you’ll find yourself living in your dream home in no time. 

Create a Budget

When deciding on a budget, you first have to consider whether or not you need to take out a loan for your home. Once you know what amount you are preapproved for, you can flesh out the rest of the budget. 

Experts recommend that you plan for roughly 75% of your budget for the design and build of your home and 25% for the cost of the land. It’s essential to leave a buffer in your budget to plan for contingencies and emergencies during your build. If you don’t include some wiggle room in your budget, you could run out of money before the builder finishes your home.

Purchase Land

Before you can build a home, you have to have somewhere to put it. Whether you are looking for land for sale in Suffolk VA, or another part of the country, you want to ensure that you pick the best land for your situation.

Do you want to live on a well and use a septic tank, or do you want to be on municipal sources? Has the land already been cleared for your home, or is that something you need to factor into your costs? When you consider everything about the land, you won’t have any surprises when the building starts.

Interview Contractors

Not all contractors will be suitable for your job, so you want to interview a few of them before deciding on one. When talking to them, ask for references and ensure that they are licensed and bonded. If a contractor rubs you the wrong way, don’t hire them. You’ll be working closely with them for months, and you want to choose someone you get along well with. 

Effective Ways To Protect Your Home From Storm Damage

When the weather outside starts to warm up, severe thunderstorms become a near certainty. In certain parts of the United States, these storms can do lots of damage. It is your job as a homeowner to mitigate the risks posed by severe weather.

Every year, storms in the United States do over $136 billion worth of damage. Before the spring and summer storm season arrives, you need to work on getting your home prepared for the bad weather ahead. Here are some effective ways you can protect your home from storm damage.

Assess The Condition Of Your Roof

One of the main areas that can be affected by high winds and torrential rains is your roof. Before your area is bombarded with storms, you need to get an idea of how well your existing roof is holding up. The best way to get this information is by hiring professionals to perform an in-depth inspection.

During this inspection, roofing contractors Killeen TX will look at the condition of your shingles. If there is significant damage to your roof covering, you might need to consider getting a new roof installed. While a new roof can be costly, it is a good investment that can provide you with a great return. With the help of roofing contractors, you can get your new roof installed quickly and correctly.

Get Your Gutters Cleaned

If you want to limit water damage to your home, then you need to realize the importance of a functional gutter system. Gutters that are filled with leaves and other debris will have a hard time draining properly. This can lead to the gutters getting weighed down and collapsing. This is why hiring professionals to clean your gutters before storm season arrives is important.

As you can see, there are many things you can do to protect your home from storm damage.

Popular Material for Fireplace Surrounds

Fireplace surrounds are a perfect way to make your fireplace come alive for any season. Mantles work well for gas, electric, and wood-burning fireplaces. Additionally, you don’t need to have a fireplace for a fireplace surround to work; you can also use them for faux fireplaces. There are many popular materials that you can use for fireplace surrounds; here are some of them now.

Stone

Stone fireplace mantels are a great way to go if you’re looking for a classic, earthy style. Stone fireplace surrounds can be installed with various types of stone, such as marble, soapstone, or limestone. You could even go with something like river rock veneer Phoenix AZ. Additionally, stone fireplace mantles are available in nearly any size imaginable, so finding one that will fit your fireplace should be easy. Stone will give your fireplace a deep, rich look all year-round.

Glass

Glass fireplace surrounds are growing in popularity very quickly. Glass mantles give your fireplace a more elegant look and modern touch. Glass fireplace surrounds have been popularized by celebrities who have gorgeous homes with beautiful fireplaces. So it is no wonder why the fireplace glass surround is catching on these days.

Wood

Wooden surrounds are often made out of cedar, red oak, or maple and provide an elegant look to any fireplace. Wood requires careful handling, so consider professional installers to install it. Wooden surrounds also need regular maintenance such as painting and varnishing every year or two, depending on use. If cared for correctly, your wooden fireplace mantel will last a lifetime.

Pick Your Preference

Fireplace surrounds can be a great way to add decoration and style to your fireplace. Hopefully, this article has provided some inspiration if you’re in the market for fireplace surround ideas. Whether it’s wood fireplace mantels or stone, there are many different styles of fireplace surrounds available at any home improvement store or online retailer.

Why Investing in a New HVAC Unit is a Good Idea

The average homeowner has to work very hard to keep the systems in their residence functional. A functional HVAC unit is something most people will take for granted. Trying to keep the inside of your home comfortable with an old and unreliable HVAC unit is nearly impossible. This is why replacing your old HVAC unit is important.

Over $280 billion is spent on new HVAC units every year. Replacing your old HVAC unit can be beneficial and here are some reasons why.

Reduce Energy Consumption

Staying on budget is something most homeowners are passionate about. When trying to stay on budget, you have to accurately predict monthly utility costs. If you have an old HVAC unit in place, making accurate predictions about the cost of your monthly energy bills can be difficult. Most older HVAC units will use lots of energy when trying to heat or cool a home.

If you are tired of paying astronomical energy bills, it might be time to get a new HVAC unit installed. By investing in air conditioning installation replacement Maple Grove MN, you can make your home more energy-efficient. The initial cost of your new HVAC unit will pay off considering the energy savings it will provide in the future.

Increase Indoor Comfort

An old HVAC unit will struggle to keep the inside of a home comfortable. If you are tired of the inside of your home being too hot or cold, it might be time to replace your existing HVAC unit. With a modern HVAC unit, you will have no problem keeping the inside of your home comfortable. Before you choose a replacement HVAC unit for your home, you need to consult with professionals. They can help you find the right replacement unit with ease.

There is no denying just how many benefits a new HVAC unit can provide.

How To Improve Your Safety As You Get Older

It’s important to understand the different ways you can stay safe and continue taking care of yourself into old age.

Ask for Help

As you age, your body gets weaker, and your mind may become less sharp. Never hesitate to ask for help. It may become difficult to remember things or complete simple tasks you used to be able to do. Instead of having to do everything yourself, ask a family member to help or consider hiring an aide. A home health aide plan Rye NY will set you up with an aide to come to your home and assist with daily activities, including grooming, bathing, dressing, and some light housekeeping.

Make Your Home Accessible

Your home is likely not set up for safety and accessibility, so it’s important to install necessary changes as you get older. Instead of risking the chance of falling and injuring yourself, place railings and grab bars throughout your home. If you still have trouble walking around, try using a walker for additional support. For wheelchair users, you may consider replacing some stairs with ramps or installing a chair lift.

Additional Safety Measures

Whether or not you have someone else living with you, it’s important to have additional security. Be sure your home is equipped with working alarms in case of any intruders. Get a wearable medical alert system in case you fall and need to call emergency services but can’t reach your phone. These often come in the form of bracelets or necklaces with an easy-to-push button. In the case that you need to go to the emergency room, keep a folder with all your information, including your ID, list of medications, insurance, and emergency contact information.  

Be aware that as you get older, your body may need extra support and assistance to safely perform daily activities.

How To Maximize Your Pool Enjoyment

Nothing beats a cool dip in the pool on a sweltering day. Swimming on its own is great exercise and plenty of fun, but there’s more to pool life than just splashing around. If you’re cleaning and treating your water just for the occasional swim, here are several ways to maximize your pool enjoyment.

Hire Professionals

If you want to make the most of your swimming pool, you have to use it! Instead of spending every weekend cleaning and messing with chemicals, hire a pool company to do it for you. With regular maintenance and pool opening service St Charles County MO, you’ll have more time to appreciate your pool instead of just working on it.

Revamp Poolside Landscaping

No matter how lovely your pool is, when the surrounding landscape looks bad, it’s not as satisfying. Make your pool stand out even more with a colorful backdrop of flowers, hanging greenery and lush potted tropicals. If you’re looking for privacy, plant quick-growing arborvitae to conceal your pool.

Get a Little Shady

Jumping in the pool may cool you down, but on oppressive days it doesn’t take long for you and your children to turn red. Prevent a serious burn by stretching a canopy cover over one end of the pool. This is a glorious way to get some shade while remaining in the pool, especially if you don’t have trees.

Light Up Your Pool

Everybody loves swimming after the sun goes down and the pool feels extra warm. Make it even more magical by installing underwater pool lights, deck lighting or floating candles. Solar-powered pool lights also work well under water if you want to avoid electrical wiring.

If you’re lucky enough to own a swimming pool, make the most of it! With regular professional maintenance, improved landscaping and lights, your pool will be your new favorite spot.

What Is Residential Hydroseeding?

Part of your home’s curb appeal relies on the lawn surrounding your residence. Supplying a place where your children and pets can play or that you can enjoy during family barbecues and other events held in gardens and on patios, the lawn can provide the foundation for a host of outdoor living activities. As a result, when your yard begins to look bedraggled, it quickly becomes apparent. You can take steps to improve the appearance of your lawn through the use of residential hydroseeding.

A Means To Revitalize Your Lawn

Landscaping services offer residential hydroseeding Ramona CA as a means to bring your lawn back to peak health. For instance, hydroseeding can install a new lawn in bare prepared soil or refresh an existing lawn. Specifically, landscapers utilize a spray mechanism to release a mixture of lawn seed, mulch, fertilizers and water over the areas where you would like fresh lawn to grow. The new grass will, over a few days and, depending on your local, regional weather conditions, begin to grow in place.

Advantages Over Other Methods

Besides hydroseeding for revitalizing a lawn, the other standard method focuses on laying sod. However, several drawbacks tend to happen with this type of lawn repair. First, a landscape company must bring the sod in, and it has a specific shelf life before the roots die and it becomes unusable, so this method needs quick installation. Next, the weight of sod requires large trucks to bring it to your home and a team of workers to install it for you. In addition, the installed sod then needs careful watering to ensure the roots take hold properly. One day of inappropriate watering can mean the sod dies, and you must begin the process again. Finally, laying sod often costs considerably more than hydroseeding, providing a significant disadvantage for many homeowners.

Because of these reasons, homeowners who want a fresh lawn often turn to residential hydroseeding for the easy answer for a beautiful new lawn.

Easy Ways To Update Your Home

Has it been years since you’ve updated your home? Or, perhaps you’ve just purchased a home that desperately needs a facelift. No matter why you want to change the way your home looks, you’re likely looking for easy ways that can help your home feel better. Here are some ways you can update your home without breaking the bank. 

Update the Paint

Paint is the easiest, most affordable way to significantly impact your home. If you currently have loud, bright colors on the walls, consider changing the paint to something more neutral and use accent pieces to highlight and bring in pops of color. If you’re going to add an accent wall, go for a painted design instead of a solid color. For example, have your painter make stripes or a chevron pattern. The design will be more appealing and bring more character into the space. 

Replace the Cabinets

You might not realize it, but the cabinets in your kitchen have a big effect on how the space feels. If you have old, outdated cabinets, no matter how modern everything else is in your kitchen, your kitchen will feel outdated. Finding new cabinets that fit the exact specifications of your kitchen can be difficult. That is why you should speak to custom cabinet makers Austin TX. The cabinet makers will measure your kitchen and get your feedback about what type of cabinets you’re looking for. So, you’ll have the exact look you want and won’t be stuck with any weird spaces from where the cabinets didn’t quite fit. 

Change the Flooring

Does your flooring look like it has seen better days? If you have torn or destroyed parts of your flooring, you should consider replacing it. Most flooring companies have a wide variety of affordable heavy-duty laminate and vinyl that look amazing and can take a beating. So, once you install it, you won’t have to worry about updating it again for 20 to 30 years. 

What To Do When Hail Damages Your Roof

Some storms develop hail, sharp ice rocks that fall from the sky. When these pieces fall to the ground, they can injure people and places. Roofs are particularly vulnerable, and hail can create issues for the shingles and the home’s exterior security. If a storm rages on the rooftop, owners may develop water damage and see leaks. If hail harms your house, implement the following steps.

1. Call Out Professionals

Inspect the premises as soon as possible. If you know a hail storm rolled through your area and suspect damage, reach out to a roofing company for evaluation. The experts can look over the structure and determine what caused the problem and how to fix it.

2. Take Pictures of the Damage

Insurance may help with this restoration because the destruction occurred from a natural event. Take photographic evidence of the deterioration. Put this with the roofer’s report. If you have personal belongings within the home that became damp, you should include images of these.

3. Inspect for Water Intrusion

Openings up top allow moisture to enter the upper areas of your home. This water intrusion saturates material and could lead to mold growth. It’s critical to ask the experts if your place shows signs of mildew or fungus.

4. File a Claim With Insurance

Speak with your agent about how to file insurance claims St Louis Mo to receive financial assistance with the repairs. Ask about your deductible and if the organization requires any particular forms to approve your request.

Expect to have an insurance adjuster survey the roof. The agency must authenticate the claim and determine how much funding you may receive to assist your remediation needs.

5. Restore and Repair the Facility

Work with a group to eliminate any dampness and rebuild the roof. Ask several places for estimates, and discuss their work schedules. Tear out anything that has possible wetness, dry out the vicinity completely and use new parts for the restoration process. Work to minimize long-time complications.

Hail is hard and dangerous. When it falls, it has the power to put holes within the roof of your home. Be aware of weather reports, noting when hail occurs in your region. Once the storm passes, have someone look at your top and determine if it requires repair. If it does, look for a place to fix the trouble and reach out to your insurance agent for aid.

How To Improve Your Home’s Privacy

Do you like to have boundaries? Are you looking to enhance your space and keep your business to yourself? Those things may seem challenging when your home is close to another. To give yourself more privacy, consider one or more of the following measures.

1. Invest in a Good Fence

If you have an open yard, you may feel like others constantly watch your actions, putting you on edge. The backyard isn’t peaceful but full of exposure. That’s not the way you want it. Create distance and seclusion by working with one of the many expert fence installation companies in Forest Lake IL.

2. Add Cameras Along the Perimeter

How does a camera improve your isolation? It’s likely to keep others away and give you a good idea of what is happening around you. Consider your vulnerable areas, such as personal places where you don’t want people peeping. Then, have security specialists wire cameras there. Because they are visible, it’s unlikely that someone would enter that space, giving you the privacy you desire.

3. Don’t Forget Your Blinds

Open windows offer gorgeous views. But that goes both ways. So, if you want to conceal some of your activities and moments, then add blinds to the windows. These versatile options give you control over what others see.

4. Increase Your Landscaping

Particular foliage may act as natural barriers. Trees and large hedges, for instance, block out views and may create additional shade. These obstacles could increase the property’s exterior with the bonus of boosting your confidentiality.

Don’t feel uncomfortable or nervous in your own home. Instead, consider how you could make the retreat of your dreams. Rely on selections such as fencing, landscaping and blinds to create impediments. Then, add cameras to bolster security methods. These options establish personal privacy walls.