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5 of the Luxuries Homeowners Most Want

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house and pool

When all of your basic needs are covered by your home, you start to think about the other things that can add value to your life. And the luxuries that can improve your house don’t only have to be the preserve of the wealthy. Of course, a bigger budget makes a difference, but there is no reason why you can’t aim to recreate similar features in your own home. So, let’s look in more detail at a few of the luxuries that homeowners most desire.

Open Floor Plans

Nowadays, modern homeowners see rooms as an inhibition of their creative ideas and tend to favour open floor plans. So, rather than having a clear sense of division between the different rooms, people tend to want their spaces to be multifunctional. Perhaps you could look into taking down some walls or simply widening up your doorways to open up the space in your house.

The Latest Technology

As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, homeowners are looking for the ways that they can make their lives that little bit easier. There are so many features which can be controlled using your smartphone that it makes sense that you will want to utilise them. Of course, there are plenty of expensive options out there, but companies like Google and Amazon are competing to make voice-controlled systems increasingly smart and sophisticated.

Outdoor Living

outdoor lounge setting

Next up, for the times when the sun is shining, people want to take advantage of outdoor living options. Outdoor kitchens are steadily becoming more popular as people install items like a built-in gas grill, a small fridge, and luxurious patio seating. But one of the favoured options still remains an outdoor swimming pool. If you are lucky enough to have one already, you may want to look into pool renovations. But there are also plenty of smaller and more affordable bathing options.

Game or Theatre Rooms

Most people would love a room of the house which is purely geared towards entertainment, and both game and theatre rooms fit the bill nicely. All you need is a spare room of the house, and then you can invest in a projector or TV, a games console, some comfortable seating, and whatever else you need to enjoy the space.

Spa Bathroom

Finally, nothing says luxury living more than a spa. And while not many people can afford to put one in their homes, you can make your bathroom more spa-like with things like walk-in showers, underfloor heating, and towel warmers.

Everyone wants different things from their homes, but these are just a few of the common desires that people are after. For many people, a home is always a work in progress and you always have the opportunity to add new features to your property to make it that little bit more appealing and luxurious for you and your entire family.

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Healthy Advice for Hands Like a Hand Model

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You use your hands every day for various things, from typing to doing DIY. They can take a real bashing from the environment and all the things you use them for too. You don’t want to deal with dry skin or split nails, so taking care of your hands is important. If you take steps to protect them, you can avoid damaging them and keep them looking and feeling beautiful. If you want your hands to look like they belong to a hand model, you can take a few steps to help your skin and nails stay healthy and strong.

tummy flower

Keep Them Moisturised

Moisturising your hands and nail is one of the most important things you can do to keep them looking good. But don’t wait until your hands feel dry or your cuticles are damaged to do something. You can use routine treatments to moisturise your hands, so they stay soft and beautiful. Hand lotions and creams are great for keeping your skin soft, hydrated and nourished. You can also get treatments designed especially for cuticles, as they can be delicate and damage easily. Try keeping a hand cream or lotion in your bag or by your bed so you can easily reach for it when you need it.

Switch Your Nail Polish

Wearing nail polish is a must for many women, but it can have some negative consequences. The polish itself and the products you use to remove it aren’t always kind to your nails or your skin. One option to explore is whether there’s a better nail polish that won’t damage your hands. You can choose a water based nail polish, which is free of various chemicals that could hurt your nails. They still look great, and they’re also good for the planet. It’s also a good idea to give your nails a break from the polish now and then

heart hands

Protect Your Hands

Taking steps to protect your hands from the things that could damage them is another thing you can do. For example, if you’re going out in the cold, wearing gloves will prevent the cold air from drying them out. Wearing gloves when you wash the dishes or do any cleaning will protect your hands from chemicals and soaps that could dry them out or do any other damage. Protect your hands from injury too by being careful no matter what you’re using them for, and possibly wearing protective gloves for some jobs too.

Change Your Diet

Sometimes the best thing to do is to help your body from the inside. Your diet can have an effect on your skin and nails, sometimes leaving your skin dry and your nails brittle. It’s important to get all the right nutrients so that your hands and the rest of your body can stay healthy. Some of the things you should make sure you get into your diet for healthy skin and nails include protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin C.

Get healthier hands by making some changes to your lifestyle and routine. They will look and feel better if you treat them right.

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Create a Cooler, Comfortable Home

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Dealing with the heat of summer is easy for some, but more of a struggle for others. The one place where you want to feel comfortable, no matter what, is in your own home. If you feel like it’s not cool enough during the summer, the best time to start thinking about making some changes could be in the autumn and winter. It’s better to make some changes while it’s cool enough to do it, or at least consider how you might be more prepared when it starts to heat up. Air-conditioning will keep your home cool, but there are cheaper and more natural ways to do it too.

Control the Sunlight Entering Your Home

All of the light coming into your home can really heat it up throughout the day. Then the heat can get trapped and make everything uncomfortable. Having better control of the sunlight helps, and there are plenty of ways to do it. If you’re looking for a stylish option, custom made plantation shutters are a smart interior choice. For anyone who wants something purely practical, even blackout blinds can do the job. Keeping your home dark will help to make it cooler, and you can still let some light in if you have something like Venetian blinds or slatted shutters.

living room couch interior

Keep Everything Open

Closing up different rooms when you’re not using them might seem to make sense, but it’s not the best idea when you’re trying to keep your home cool. Cooler air won’t flow through to these rooms, so they can heat up and make the rest of your home heat up too. Opening up doors to let air flow through the house is a better idea. Even better, you can consider making the layout of your home more open-plan. That doesn’t have to mean knocking walls through. You could rearrange your furniture for a more open and airy feel too.

Create a Cooler Bed

Getting to sleep during the summer can be one of the worst things. If you struggle to sleep when it’s hot, running your AC or a ceiling fan all the time can seem like the only option. But if you make some changes to your bed, you could start having much more relaxing nights. Changing your sheets to cooling cotton is a good start, but you can also add a few things to your bed. Try getting a cooling pillow so that you don’t have to keep turning yours over to the cool side. You can even make your sheets slightly damp or put them in the freezer for a bit before going to bed.

Shade Your Home

Another way to control the light coming into your home is to create more shade around it. Planting trees around your home or adding awnings and similar features can help to protect your home from the harsh light and heat of the sun. This is something you’ll want to think about a while before summer arrives so you can get ready.

Get ready for later in the year by thinking about how to prepare your home for summer. You can create a cool home in a more natural way and save money on your air-conditioning.

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The Dos And Don’ts Of Buying Period Property

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englisg townhouses

If you’ve been looking to buy a property in the near future, you might have already spent some time checking out your local housing market to see what kind of home you can get for your budget. Has any type of property taken your eye yet? From bungalows and maisonettes to townhouses and semi-detached houses, there is certainly lots to choose from. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about going for a period property? This is a great choice as an older home will certainly come packed with loads of original features and character. Plus, they are very popular right now, and you can guarantee that your new home will be bang on trend if it’s a period property.

However, period properties aren’t always as good as they may at first appear. For instance, you might end up buying an old house that has a few structural issues that could be expensive to deal with. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are some dos and don’ts of buying period properties that you need to try to stick to.

Do Get A Survey

Before you finalize the purchase of the house, you will be given the chance to get a survey carried out on the property. It’s a really good idea that you do this, even though some can be quite expensive. But if you choose to go with an affordable firm, such as The Home Inspection Hub, you should find that it doesn’t eat into your budget too much. This survey will flag up any potential problems with the building’s structure. For instance, it will tell you if it could be prone to rising damp. So, you won’t end up buying a period property that will cost you a lot of cash further down the line!

Don’t Feel Obliged To Design A Vintage Decor

Even though most people create a vintage decor for their period property, you shouldn’t feel obliged to follow this trend. You should choose an interior design that matches your personality; don’t feel like you have to follow the crowd! In actual fact, very contemporary designs can look really great when juxtaposed against older structural features. So, don’t be afraid to play around with a modern design!

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Do Get The Electrics Checked

Do you know exactly how old the electrical system in the period property is? If you don’t have a clue, or you know that it is over a decade old, you should really get it all checked out by an electrician. Electrical wiring can fail over time, and it is better to be safe than sorry to get it all checked out, especially if there is a chance it is more than a couple of decades old!

Don’t Put Off Insurance

With any period property, it is paramount that you get some good-quality insurance. These types of homes are more likely to need building work carried out. So, invest in building insurance and then you don’t have to worry about any repairs or maintenance damaging your bank account!

Fingers crossed you find your dream period property!

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The Pros and Cons of Home Renovations

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Renovating your home is undoubtedly a huge project to take on. If you choose to go ahead with it, you’ll be making huge and lasting changes to the most important asset you have and the place where you spend most of your time. The stakes are high, so should you go ahead with these changes? It’s a tough question and one only you can answer.

To help you make your final decision on whether or not a big home renovation is right for you, we’re going to have a look at some of the key pros and cons that you should factor into your decision-making process. Read on to start learning more.

Pros

Functionality Can be Maximised

The way in which you use your home is, of course, the most important thing of all. You want it to be accommodating to all of your needs because if it isn’t, you’ll never feel quite at home there. One of the major upsides of choosing a big home renovation is that it can maximise your space and have it offer you and your family more each and every day.

Your Space Can be Opened Up

Offering yourself more space is an obvious aim when you’re renovating your home. By opening things up and making your living spaces more open plan, you can make the whole home feel bigger. This is what many people try to do when they’re undertaking big changes like these, and there’s no reason why you can’t do the same. It’ll completely change how you experience your home.

The Benefits of Your Location Will be Retained

Many people who choose to make renovations to their home do so because their home isn’t working for them but they don’t want to move out because they like their current location. It’s pretty obvious and it makes sense. It’s hard to get a perfect location and a perfect home, but maybe these renovations could help you get that balance just right.

You Don’t Need to Go it Alone

There are plenty of people who can help you out if you don’t have the skills required to do the renovation work by yourself. It’s up to you to find the right renovation builders for your project. If you make the right choice, you’ll find that the process is smooth and easy, which is exactly what you want. There’s no need to go it alone and suffer everything that comes with that.

kitchen with wooden floors and benchtops

Cons

The Inevitable Disruption

There is going to be disruption for you and everyone else in your home to deal with when the renovation work is being completed. Sadly, there’s not much you can do to get around that. Good companies will keep it to a minimum, but there will still be noise, mess and maybe some other hassles that you’ll have to put up with for a little while.

The Task of Keeping Costs Under Your Control

Keeping the costs of this whole project under your control is not always easy. There are so many different things that need to be paid for, and before you do that, you should plan things out and make sure that you know how much you can afford to spend before you actually get the work underway. And from there, don’t let those costs spiral.

Bureaucratic Challenges

If you’re extending your home or having big renovations carried out, you might need to ask for planning permission from the local authorities. And you should never start work until you’ve ticked all of those bureaucratic boxes. On top of that, you should take into account the status of your building. Some older listed buildings can’t be altered, and you’ll get into trouble if you ignore that.

Taking Time on Planning

You’ll have to spend quite a lot of time planning your renovations before you get started. Otherwise, you could end up doing the wrong things and making mistakes, which is not what you want. That will waste your cash or cause you no end of hassle. So don’t underestimate just how much of your spare time you will have to spend on planning these changes.

man with hammer

When all’s said and done, whether to push ahead with your renovation plans will be entirely down to you. It could be exactly what your home needs, or it could be better to look at the alternatives. Just make sure you weigh up all of the pros and cons, and then measure them against your own personal circumstances and finances.

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