Four Ideas for Transforming Your Basement

Of all the places in our home that get our attention, the basement gets the short end of the stick. They can be quite large and yet many people just use them for storage or for nothing at all. If you have a basement you aren’t sure what to do with, we want to help you out. We’ll give you a couple ideas for transforming your basement to get your creative juices flowing and get you in the right mindset for change.

Playroom

If your house is smaller but still has a basement, it’s a great place for the kids to have their own space. Not only does this keep their toys and games out of the way of the most used rooms in your house, but it also lets your kids feel like somewhere in the house is uniquely theirs. You can go small with just an open area for play and some storage shelves, or you can go all out with an indoor jungle gym and games table. The scope is up to you.

Home Gym

Every home could always use an exercise area. The basement is great for this because, as with the playroom, it keeps items such as dumbbells and weights out of the way of everywhere else. Your home gym is up to your own interpretation and budget. Get some fancy weight machines or exercise equipment, or just get one barbel and floor mat—whichever works better for your situation.

Spare Bedroom

Want to bump up the number of bedrooms you can say your house offers when you put it up for sale? Try turning that space in the basement into another bedroom. There are a few things to remember about renovating the basement into a place you’ll actually want to spend a lot of time, but just try to make the area as cozy as possible.

Office Space

For all of those who work from home, you don’t need to spend every hour of work at your dining room table. Of all the ideas for transforming your basement, this is arguably the most practical use. Having separate rooms for work and leisure will allow you to focus more on both, whether you’re on or off work. All you really need is a functional desk, a comfortable chair, an internet connection, and you’ll be ready to tackle the challenges of the day.

The Pros and Cons of Renewing Your Tenant's Lease

As a landlord, offering a lease renewal can be extremely beneficial, especially if you have fantastic tenants. However, there are a few things that should be noted before you offer your tenants a renewal. Take a look at the pros and cons of reviewing your tenants lease to help you make a measured decision about what is the right thing for you. 

Pros

• You will save time and money - the cost of finding a new tenant can be huge. You will have to advertise the apartment, arrange viewings, fix any wear and tear from the previous tenant and potentially incur losses if the property is empty between tenants. Having a tenant simply renew their lease will be much more convenient for you, both in terms of your time and money. 

• If you have good tenants, you should keep them - if you have tenants who look after the property, pay their rent on time and are good at communicating, then you should do everything you can to keep them. Some landlords even choose to offer a month's free rent around renewal as a thank you for being good tenants, so this could be the incentive your tenants need to renew. If for whatever reason you decide not to renew your tenants lease, you risk having a bad tenant move in. You might have issues with missed payments and damage to the property which will cost you a lot of money in the long run. If you do opt for a new tenant, make sure you get references, avoid cash buyers, take deposits and have a written agreement in place. 

• You reduce the chance of having your property vacant - if your property is vacant between tenants, not only are you missing out on rental yield but you will still need to pay the mortgage if you have one and also utility bills. If you rely on this income in order to pay the mortgage or other bills, and you are happy with your tenants, you should do everything you can to encourage them to stay. Plus, having people living in the property and keeping it clean and warm will help to maintain it. 

Cons

• You won’t have a chance to improve the property to increase the potential rental yield - if you want to increase your monthly yield, one of the only ways is to renovate the property. Upgrading elements in the property can impress potential tenants and will increase the amount of money they’re willing to pay each month. If you renew a tenant's lease, it is far more difficult to make these upgrades. This is something to think about when completing your lease review. 

• Limited scope to increase rent - there has been an increase in the amount of rent-controlled areas in the last few years. Local governments have enforced restrictions on how much a landlord can increase the rent on a property by, meaning you won’t be able to make much more money by keeping the same tenants. This depends heavily on the initial type of agreement and also the new tenancy agreement. Yet, it seems that keeping the same tenants in your property makes it more difficult to increase the monthly cost. 

• You miss the opportunity to find a better tenant - if you find that your tenant isn’t particularly clean or has missed a few payments, but you are worried about the property being vacant so renew the lease anyway, you miss the potential to find a better tenant. This is a risky one as it could go either way, yet the cost of taking longer to find a good tenant can often be less than quickly finding a bad one. 

New Plumbing Features You Can Add to Your Kitchen to Increase Value

As you know if you’re at all familiar with real estate, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms when it comes to determining the value of a home. Today’s buyers are looking for convenience, aesthetic appeal, and modern features. While countertops and cabinets get a lot of attention, plumbing fixtures are just as important aspect of a contemporary kitchen. From washing dishes to cooking a meal, all the typical tasks in a kitchen require water and proper drainage. That’s why, if you’re looking to create a more valuable kitchen, these plumbing features are a great place to start.

A Drain in the Floor

Kitchens are subject to plenty of spills, and sometimes it can be a real pain to clean up a mess. When your kitchen has a drain in the floor, you’ll no longer have to get down on your knees to wipe up a spilled liquid. All you’ll have to do is splash some water on the floor and then use a mop to push it down the drain.

A Stop Tab Beneath the Kitchen Sink

You never know when something could go wrong with your dishwasher or pipes. When a sudden problem arises, it’s nice to have the option of shutting down the water to your kitchen. A stop tab might not be a flashy improvement project, but it will undoubtedly increase the value of your home.

A Retractable Hose Within the Sink

Cleaning pots and pans becomes a lot easier when you’ve got a retractable hose with a high powered sprayer. This is a basic amenity that many buyers will expect your kitchen to have. Once you’ve gotten accustomed to using one, no kitchen sink will seem complete without it.

A Food Waste Disposal System

Whenever you’re cleaning up after a meal, a decent amount of food waste winds up in the drain. In a typical kitchen, this waste must be scooped up and thrown in the trash, lest it block the plumbing system’s narrow pipes. A disposal system is an awesome feature that seriously changes the equation. It’s a major project that often requires the installation of wider drainage pipes, but it makes cleaning dishes a whole lot easier.

These projects will make your kitchen more functional and increase the value of your home. Call in a local professional in residential plumbing, and you’ll have a revamped kitchen in no time.

How to Monitor Indoor Air Quality for Healthy Spaces

What is indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring?

Indoor air quality monitoring is the real-time collection of data on the various indoor pollutants present in your space. These pollutants range from tiny particles and invisible gasses to harmful chemicals and compounds. Some of which include particulate matter, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and more. Exposure to high concentrations of indoor pollution can cause a variety of adverse health effects including fatigue, irritation, and even increased risk of heart and lung disease. In this blog, we’ll cover how to pick the right monitoring solution for your needs and use the data to improve your building’s health. 

How to pick the right IAQ monitor for your space.

Indoor air quality monitors, often referred to as IAQ sensors, come in a variety of designs and use cases. At qlair, we recommend using a multi-pollutant IAQ sensor that tracks particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity. These pollutants pose a significant risk to occupant wellbeing and building efficiency. 

IAQ monitor design types:

• Touchscreen data display: If you want to see the status of your air quality from the device itself, choosing a monitor with a touchscreen display can be a great option. These monitors present data on the pollutant levels in your space so you can check the status at any time. 

• Discrete monitors: Most hardware options do not showcase their data directly on the device and require a software solution to view data. This can be a good option if you want to ensure building operators know air quality levels, but not necessarily occupants and staff. 

IAQ data collection types:

• Multi-pollutant sensing: This sensor type monitors more than one air quality parameter. Unlike a carbon dioxide monitor that strictly monitors one gas’ concentration, multi-pollutant sensors gather a variety of indoor air quality data pertaining to several indoor pollutants. This is a good option if you are looking to get an expansive read on the status of your indoor air quality. 

• Single-pollutant sensors: These include hardware such as radon detectors and carbon dioxide monitors, and only gather data on one specific indoor air quality parameter. If budget is limited, or you would like to focus your attention solely on one IAQ parameter, this will be the way to go. 

Choosing the right location for your indoor air quality monitors.

Before aimlessly deploying your monitors throughout your indoor space, it is important to have a clear plan of attack. Some spaces are of high priority – like conference rooms, athletic facilities, and other areas with high occupancy. It is recommended to start here. 

By tracking the areas that have had issues in the past, you can confirm the source of the issue and take steps to resolve them. Expanding your monitoring area will result in a larger data set to analyze and can be helpful in tracing trends associated with air quality and building activities. This should be the goal.

However, large indoor air quality projects can be daunting, so starting off small is a great first step. Uncover the most important spaces to you and your occupants and begin gathering data.

Tracking progress and monitoring the effects of changes.

Many indoor air quality monitors come with a software solution to help you visualize your building’s data and act on them. If you use a solution like qlair, data can be viewed at any time from the web or on your smartphone with a dashboard and app. 

These applications and systems are imperative, as they provide valuable insights into what adjustments must be made to improve air quality. Once any new solution or strategy has been implemented, you can ensure they are effective by tracking progress via the web or mobile.