Home Curb appeal

With spring well on its way the house selling season will soon be upon us and thus, for those considering a house sale, now is the time to start making preparations.

With relatively little investment homeowners can simply and easily transform their home’s appearance in order to make it more attractive to potential buyers. This applies to both the property’s interior and its exterior. By keeping in mind some simple top tips the homeowner can ensure that their property is noticed at a distance and the interest of potential buyers is captured.

Wooden fixtures and fittings

Wooden fixtures and fittings are prone to rotting and flaking paint which can destroy the appearance of a property’s exterior. However, simple repair work can be carried out upon such fittings and fixtures to ensure that the home’s exterior is neat and tidy.

Rotted wood should be stripped away from the healthy wood and then filled. Once the structural integrity of the wood has been suitably repaired it can then be painted to create an exceptionally attractive finish. This principle applies to all wooden fixtures and fittings including window frames and even the front door. Healthy wooden fixtures and fittings that are suitably finished can totally transform the image of the house.

 

UPVC fixtures and fittings

On modern homes the majority of fixtures and fittings that would have once been constructed from wood are now made from UPVC. While UPVC does boast the benefit of natural immunity to rotting, it is prone to collecting dirt and tarnishing over time.

Due to being white in colour, dirty UPVC is readily noticeable. Thankfully, this can easily be rectified with a damp cloth or more conveniently, using a domestic pressure washer.

Standard UPVC fixtures may include the door, the back door, window frames and guttering. Tarnishing often takes the form of the yellowing of the white plastic. This process can be reversed relatively easily using off the shelf cleaning products.

Exterior walls

By far the largest and therefore most noticeable surface area on the exterior of any home is the walls. If these walls are rendered or finished with some other textured material the cost of repair could be substantial. However, the homeowner may decide that such costs are worthwhile in order to enhance their home’s curb appeal.

The solution is significantly more straightforward if the exterior walls are painted as a simple coat of paint has the potential to transform the image of the home. It is important that fixtures, fittings and exterior walls are improved in conjunction with one another as bright, freshly painted walls will look out of place with an old, tarnished front door.

The curb appeal of a house can be increased significantly through simply freshening up old fixtures and fittings and even exterior walls. Cleaning, restoring and painting such surfaces can greatly enhance the visual appeal for potential buyers and thus draw them to the property. This is important in order to take advantage of passing trade and to make a good first impression during viewings.

Article written by Amy Fowler on behalf of interior and exterior door specialists: UK Oak Doors

Building a home office – outside

A DIY Home office… in a shed?

During the last couple of decades the need for a home office has grown substantially, but many people struggle finding space for one in their home.  The people at Tiger sheds and Tiger Log cabins would have you believe that there are few problems in life that can’t be solved with a little DIY in the shed, and this problem is no exception.  If your struggling with space for a home office let’s see if we can’t convince you that the humble garden shed is the solution to your dilemma.

Many industries have changed the way we work, whereas the need for tools and the ability to interact with the right people used to tie us to a set working space, the increasing number of industries that deal with information and have jobs that can done using only a computer and a broadband connection means that more and more people are working from home.  Working from home is harder that it sounds though, sure your commutes becomes a breeze and you have the freedom to work the way we feel most comfortable, but for most of us our houses aren’t designed for working, when we’re on the clock there are too many things to distract us and when we’re off the clock it becomes too difficult to set the stress of your work load aside.  If you struggle with the obvious solution is to set aside an area in your house that is just for when you’re at work, a home office.  We don’t all live in big houses though with a spare room we can just set aside like this, and even if we do the distraction of our family who isn’t at work can sometimes really damage your productivity.  What you really need is an office in a separate building…. Queue the garden shed!

Ok so if your garden shed is a musty dark place filled with tools and compost, this might seem like a weird idea, but bear with us.  Imagine your shed if you removed all these tools, insulated it, ran electricity out to it, set it up for Wi-Fi, and furnished it with a desk, laptop and comfy office chair.  All of a sudden you’re working in the beauty of your garden, far away from the distractions of home and in the right frame of mind for working.  Working in nature, what could be more inspiring than that?

Still not convinced?  Well we’re not the first to come up with this idea; did you know that Roald Dhal wrote all of his books from a garden shed?  In 1954 after moving to a home in Great Missenden Dhal had a custom built shed installed in his garden which he went to in order to avoid the distractions of his home life when he was working, no one was allowed in his shed accept for him and look at the results, I suspect you’d struggle to find a child (or adult) that doesn’t love his books.

From a DIY point of view converting a garden sheds, or even building one especially is a lot easier and cheaper than adding an extension to your home and often easier than converting an existing room in your house.  If you want something a bit more up market you could go the luxury shed route and install a log cabin in your garden.  We’d obviously be happy to help you out with this at Tiger Log Cabins, but also the internet is filled with free plans so you can build your own.  Putting a log cabin together is fairly straight forward and in a lot of situations you don’t even need planning permission, (but check your exact circumstances as the laws on this are quite variable)

So have we converted you? Are you as excited about garden sheds as we are?  If you are looking to build your own log cabin or office shed check out our shed blog for more ideas, we’d love to see your results! http://www.tigersheds.com/garden-resources/

 

Ewan Cambell MacDougall is a UK based blogger who has contributed this post on behalf of the team at Tiger Logs cabins.  For more information on how a log cabin can benefit you in your garden check out there blog.

Eco friendly ways to removing kitchen odors

Removing kitchen odors in your green home can be tough.

Odors can generate from any part of your home. It can come from your wardrobe, the trunk of the car or even from a poorly ventilated room. As the space in the kitchen is confined, it is more susceptible to retaining odors than other rooms in your home.

Before starting the process of de-odorising, the area should be cleaned with water along with soap or a detergent. Once this process has been completed, we can try out these eco friendly ways to remove kitchen odors :

  • green home - eco friendly cleanScrew pine leaf: This is used as an ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes. It also has a pleasant aroma.The leaves are tied into knots and kept at different places in the kitchen. Once the leaves wither, fresh ones are used in its place.
  • Charcoal: This is an ideal odor absorbing agent. You can keep a chunk at specific places in your kitchen. You could also keep one inside your refrigerator to get rid of the smells.
  • Vanilla essence: Soak cotton balls with the essence and drop them around your kitchen. It would give out a wonderful smell.
  • Baking soda: These are a good absorbent of odor.Keep some in an uncovered dish for a few days and keep changing the soda till the entire odor has been removed.
  • Lime peels: Put some lime peels in an open dish and leave it around your kitchen. The smell of citrus will eliminate the bad smells in time.
  • Old newspapers and bread slices: They are efficient in absorbing odors.You could crumple up some newspapers along with some bread slices and put them inside your refrigerator to get rid of bad odors.
  • Tea bags: Place a few tea bags inside any closed space.The tea leaves will, apart from absorbing the bad odors,also release the tang of tea.
  • Orange and cloves: Poke holes in an orange peel and stick cloves in them. Leave these around the kitchen or in any confined space for a few days.
  • Mint extract: Put a few drops of mint in cotton balls and toss them in any confined space. Leave them there for a few days to get rid of odor.
  • These are safe, efficient and chemical free ways of getting rid of bad odors not only in the kitchen but in any place of our home.

I hope these eco friendly ways to removing kitchen odors have helped you keep a green home!

Five steps for a budget minded kitchen remodel

When you remodel a kitchen you are essentially designing it to suit your specific needs and desires. While kitchen remodels can range from $15,000 up depending upon what is done it can also be done a lot cheaper, Sweat equity, discount purchasing, and salvaging current cabinets, appliances, sinks, etc. will keep the cost down for those on a strict budget.

Here are five steps to remodel your kitchen on a budget:

One – Plan what you want the finished product to look and act like. Note those things that cannot be easily changed such as gas or electric supplies for the stove, plumbing for the sink(s), etc. Plan around those constraints.

Two – Budget what you are comfortable spending. Do this well in advance of pricing any new items such as appliances, cabinets or flooring. Over spending early causes skimping at the end of the project.

Three – Salvage everything in the kitchen that you can and “up grade” them with paint or cleaning. For instance, kitchen cabinet are often still strong and useable but could use a good coat of paint or perhaps some new doors or drawer fronts. Make sure to upgrade or replace worn items such as the garbage disposal and ceiling light fixtures.

Four – Purchase new cabinets, flooring etc. from discount or salvage outlets such as Habitat for Humanity. Consider spending the money needed for new counter tops as this is the single most obvious kitchen improvement. New faucets, electrical outlets and switches and cover plates complete the new remodel look.

Five – Take everything out of the kitchen except the cabinets you plan on keeping. Patch holes in the wall then prime and paint the surfaces. Paint cabinet as required. Put down the new flooring. Return the appliances to their locations.

Now enjoy your newly remodeled kitchen. Who knew that an article on how to remodel the kitchen on a budget could be so useful! However, if after reading this article and you still are not comfortable with a kitchen remodel, you should look into hiring a kitchen remodeling contractor like Pro Source Construction. Pro Source Construction can evaluate the kitchen needs you have and return a quick estimate.

Kitchen Remodeling Experts
Pro Source Construction
789 Leigh Street Eugene
Eugene, Or 97401

How to clean pet stains from carpet

clean pet stains on the carpet
Anyone who owns or has owned a pet knows how unpleasant it can be to clean up after them. When a pet decides to relieve themselves on the carpet, don’t let it sit – you’re better off cleaning it up as soon as you see it to lessen the chances of permanent stains. The quicker you get the job done, the less amount of work you’ll have to put into cleaning pet stains from carpet.

For new pet stains on the carpet, make sure you remove as much of the liquid or solid as possible before treating the area itself. The more you can soak up before it dries, the easier it will be to get rid of the odor afterward. Press a thick layer of paper towel over the wet spot and cover that with some newspaper. If you can, slip some newspaper under the spot as well. Stand on it for a minute or two to soak up as much as you can. Keep doing this until the area is only a little damp.

It would be a good idea to place the urine-soaked towels in the place your pet is supposed to go to the bathroom, whether it be the litter box or outdoors. This will help encourage your pet to go where they’re supposed to and let them know what they did is not necessarily a bad behavior – as long as it’s done in the correct spot and not on the carpet. Next, you will want to rinse the area with cool water and sop it up. Or, if you have one, use a wet vac.

If the carpet pet stain has already had a chance to set, you might have to experiment a little to see what works. If the pet stain contains any solids, wipe up as much of it as you can with paper towels. You can use a pet odor neutralizer once the area is reasonably clean. Remember to follow the directions on the container, including testing it on a small area of the carpet first. If the area still looks stained, you can find a good carpet pet stain remover at the department store to get the rest of it up.

You don’t want to use any kind of cleaning chemical or steam cleaner when lifting a stain from the carpet. A lot of chemicals have ammonia. It carries the same scent as urine and doesn’t bother your pet. In fact, it may entice them to use that spot again. The heat from the cleaners will permanently set the stain – and the smell – by binding it directly to the fibers.

Make sure the area is completely free of any old cleaners you may have used there before, or neutralizing cleaners won’t work. Even if they weren’t used recently, any traces left behind will reduce the effectiveness of the new cleaner. And if the stain has been left alone long enough that it has had the chance to soak through to the padding underneath, chances are you will have to remove and replace that portion of the carpet.

Of course, if your carpet is of the expensive kind, you are probably better off hiring a professional to handle cleaning the pet stain from your carpet instead of doing it yourself.

How To Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets

Home improvement resources

Have you ever got the urge to finally fix that leaky faucet, repair a leaking roof, or weather proof the front door and then remember the reason why you hadn’t before was because you did not know how to do it? Well, that’s where we can help. Home improvement resources can help you get the basic information you need to tackle the job yourself or at least let you get started. We can also supply you with the information you need when looking for a home improvement contractor in case you can’t find your tool box (in which case you should not be doing any improvements anyways).

Handyman services in your area can be a great resource. Why tackle the job alone when their is a dozen or more contractors waiting to bid as low as they can on your home improvement project. From plumbers that can come in to fix your backed up kitchen sink to foundation repair experts that can come in and build you a basement for your single level home. Be aware when choosing the right home contractor and make sure to get their list of home improvement references to check them out. Although we do not directly check into all of our contractors listed, every once in a while we will feature one here on our blog and let you know we can trust them. Keep an eye out on our blog for ways to check your local handyman out before hiring them. We will let you know sign to watch for and ways to check their background.

home improvement resources

Home improvement resources is a great way to learn some tricks of the trade straight from the professionals. We will feature free online home improvement videos from professionals in the industry they we occasionally come across on you tube. These videos are produced by industry leaders and provide simple to learn home improvement tips and tricks.

Then our blog will provide you with some useful home improvement tips and tricks with step by step home improvement instructions. Complete with diagrams and caution tips to help you avoid some in home accidents. Be warned though, these tips are for demonstration purposes only and we do not recommend you attempt any job without first consulting your local building code and without the proper skills. We assume no liability for your work. So if you happen to burn your house down trying to learn how to solder joints, don’t come knocking on our door. We are just the messenger.