Category - Home Maintenance

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Home Maintenance • Shop the Room!

3 Key Home Maintenance Jobs You Don’t Want to Forget

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by Josie

Nationwide, the average home maintenance spending is around $16,000 every year, which is significantly higher than what many experts recommend, but this spending is essential to keep your home in top condition. Decorating and making your home stylish is important in order to make your house feel like a home; but maintaining your home is just as important. Neglecting maintenance tasks can leave your home vulnerable to damage that will cost a lot to repair in the long run.

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Cleaning your guttering 

Your gutters need to be cleaned out at least twice a year to prevent debris from building up and blocking them, which can lead to water damage that costs an average of $681 to repair. There’s also the risk of the guttering becoming heavy and breaking away from your home altogether. It’s a messy job that needs to be done right, which professionals can help with. They’re also likely to spot and clean problematic areas and prevent them from becoming an expensive repair job down the line. Arrange for professionals to clean your guttering every six months to stay on top of it.

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Have a deep clean

It’s easy to do lots of small cleaning chores around the home, like laundry, washing up and cleaning the bathroom, but doing a deep clean once or twice a year is essential for keeping your home clean and hygienic. This includes jobs like taking everything out of cupboards and closets to clean inside, cleaning windows and curtains, and dusting and removing cobwebs in every nook and cranny. You may not even realize that these things are dirty until you start to clean them, but the end result will be worth it. Your home will smell and look fresher, as well as being spotless.

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Maintain your kitchen and bathroom

Kitchens and bathrooms are usually the most expensive and most used rooms in the home, so they deserve a little extra attention to keep them looking and working their best. Regularly inspect the grouting around tiles and clean or repair as required. There’s no point having a beautiful bathroom or kitchen that you’ve decorated exactly how you want for it to be poorly maintained and start to look neglected after just a year or two. You should also check for any small leaks that could easily go unnoticed, anything from a dripping tap to a hole in a pipe will be wasting water and your money, as well as having the potential to damage your property.

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Keeping up with regular maintenance jobs throughout the year will keep your home looking it’s best, as well as helping to save you money on big repair jobs.

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DIY IDEAS • Home Maintenance • Shop the Room!

3 Clever Money Saving Tricks From The Kitchen Remodelling Pros

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by Josie
Our expert kitchen designers share their tips on getting the perfect kitchen remodelling project, all while cutting costs and staying within your budget! 

Across the nation, homeowners are enhancing the look, appeal and value of their properties by spending thousands to renovate their dream homes. According to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost survey, between March 2017 and March 2018, the average American homeowner spent $6,649 on home improvements. Many homeowners will spend considerably more than the national average, as the cost of a kitchen remodel alone comes in at more than $22,000. So if you’re planning to invest your hand earned cash into a kitchen redesign or makeover, it’s essential you take steps to protect your money in order to achieve your ultimate dream.

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House and Home

1. Know your credit score

With a complete kitchen remodel costing thousands of  dollars, many homeowners will borrow cash to cover the cost. If this is the case for you, it’s wise to check your credit score before applying for a loan. Last year, 57% of people checked their score at least once. By checking your score, you are providing yourself with peace of mind that you’ll be accepted by the provider and that your kitchen remodel plans can go ahead as expected. Thankfully, the majority of Americans have a ‘good’ credit score of about 700. Should you disagree with a finding on your credit score, you can dispute with the Credit Bureau. Once you raise your query and provide evidence to support it, they’ll make the necessary adjustments. At this stage you can plough ahead with your loan application.

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House and Home

2. Get your hands dirty

While it’s best to leave the installation of your kitchen cupboards, tiling and the laying of your new floor to the professionals, there are jobs you can do yourself which will save you a wad of cash. Rather than relying on your contractor to prepare the room, remove old tiles, cupboards and flooring yourself to save on labor costs, which the Huff Post reports eats up 17% of most kitchen remodel budgets. Meanwhile, tasks such as painting the walls, glossing the skirting boards and refreshing the paintwork on the doors are easily done by the most novice of DIY-ers.

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3. Only replace what you need to

The saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. And, homeowners’ budgets up and down the country can benefit greatly by sticking to this rule. With the typical kitchen remodel coming in at $22,145, that’s a big chunk of cash for any individual to part with in one go. Therefore, carefully review your kitchen to determine which features must be replaced and which ones can be given a lick of paint and reused. According to The Denver Post, by simply fitting new appliances, worktops and flooring at a cost of $4,000, homeowners can still enjoy a luxurious kitchen and reap the benefits of adding as much as 5% onto the value of their home.

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House and Home

When the time comes to remodel your kitchen, it’s best to financially plan ahead and check that your credit score is healthy. Additionally, opting to reuse and recycle items where possible and carrying out some of the work out yourself is the ultimate way to keep your finances in check.

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