Tips for Organizing Your Home Before the Holiday Season

The holidays are quickly approaching and if you’re planning on hosting festivities this year, now’s the perfect time to deep clean and organize your home. Even if you aren’t hosting a big shindig, these tips can also be helpful if you’re planning on selling your home or just want to add a little more organization to your life!

Prioritize what needs to be done first

We all have rooms in our houses that are more cluttered than others and although we may have the best intentions, there’s no way we can get to everything in a few short weeks! That is why you’ll want to prioritize what rooms need to be cleaned and organized first. It’s easier to manage your expectations that way. 

Set a cleaning schedule

After prioritizing what needs to be done, you can then plan a cleaning schedule around it. THis will give you a timeline of what tasks need to be done first and how long you have to do it. We find that a schedule just helps us stay on track and not miss anything along the way.

Enlist the family for help

Cleaning and organizing isn’t a one man job - it takes a whole household to make the mess so it should take the whole household to clean it! Now understandably if you have young children, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but if you turn it into a game, they may be less inclined to complain. 

Limited edition scents can add to the festive feel

You can make the whole house a little more festive by using limited edition holiday/seasonal scents to deodorize your home. There are air fresheners, soaps, and cleaning supplies that are themed around the holidays, but you can also use essential oils and an oil diffuser to achieve that seasonal fragrance, too.

Organize the entryway

Organizing the entryway is one of the best ways to keep your home tidy because that tends to be the place where everything is dropped and forgotten. When the kids come home from school, instead of leaving their jackets, backpacks and shoes by the door, have them take their belongings to their room. When it comes to guests, set up a space in your laundry room or hall closet where guests can hang their jackets, instead of leaving them on a coat rack near the door.

Declutter the guest room and bathrooms

If you plan on having guests stay over during the holidays, you’ll definitely want to take the time to declutter the guest room and bathrooms. The name of the game here is to give your guests a space that feels like a home away from home and they can’t really do that if the dresser or closet is filled with everything under the sun and there’s no space for their things!

Declutter and organize the children’s spaces

Cleaning the kids’ rooms and play areas is always something that feels like a monumental task, especially around the holidays! You have to make room for the new stuff they’re bound to get throughout the holidays and, let’s face it, there’s probably a lot of stuff your children don’t even use anymore! This is the perfect time to go through their stuff and donate items that have been all but forgotten. Not only will doing this teach your kids about charity and giving to the less fortunate, but it also teaches them how to clean and organize their toys as well. 

Cleaning and organizing can be a daunting task even without the holidays coming up, but for new homeowners that are hosting their first gathering… It can be down-right overwhelming. Hopefully these organization and decluttering tips can help get the ball rolling!

Tips for Preventing Kitchen Fires in Your Home

Anyone who’s experienced in the kitchen can tell you how quickly a sudden flare-up can evolve into a spiraling inferno and cause harm to anyone too close to the flames. These events are even more tragic when you know that so many of their causes are completely preventable. To ensure your home remains a safe place in your day-to-day life, use some of these tips for preventing kitchen fires in your home.

Maintain Your Appliances

When you’re not familiar with the technical aspects of your kitchen’s appliances, it can be easy to miss even the most common cooktop issues, which could allow those issues to grow into full-blown hazards that place your kitchen at greater risk of breaking out into a fire. It may seem like a burden when your schedule is split between working and parenting, but it’s important that you find the time to keep your appliances clean and to stay diligent about potential issues. If you do spot a problem with your appliances, don’t hesitate to call the appropriate professionals to diagnose and repair the problem.

Wear the Appropriate Clothing

You don’t need to have a chef’s uniform at the ready, but one of the most-forgotten tips for preventing kitchen fires in your home is to wear clothing that’s appropriate for the task. For instance, you shouldn’t wear breezy morning robes or flowy fabrics while you cook because they’re at greater risk of getting caught in flames and bursting alight. On the other end of the spectrum, you don’t want clothes that leave too much skin unprotected because intense heat or boiling liquids can cause burn injuries.

Install Smoke Alarms

Really, the primary cause of most kitchen fires is negligence. You should ensure your attention is always focused on cooking, first and foremost, but it’s easy to become distracted in the kitchen when you’re trying to multitask. Make the effort to set precautions such as smoke alarms in place—they act as safety measures that can quickly alert you of trouble if your attention is diverted elsewhere. Smoke alarms don’t prevent fires themselves, but they give you a greater chance of catching and preventing fires before they can spiral out of control or at least allow you to evacuate before the situation becomes more dire.

How to Take Responsibility for the Air Quality in Your Home

If you want to improve the air quality in your home, you must take responsibility for what is going on inside. It doesn't matter if you have a gas stove or an electric stove if you use candles, or even if you smoke - all of these things contribute to poor indoor air quality. This blog post will cover five ways that can help improve the air quality in any space.

Open Windows and Doors Throughout the Day

Open your windows for at least 15 minutes each day, even if it's just a little bit. This can help get rid of any stale air that might be in the house as well as bring fresh air inside. It is better to open several windows rather than one big door or window because this will help circulate the air throughout the house. The more fresh air that can enter your home, the better off you'll be.

Use Natural Cleaning Supplies

Using chemical cleaners is not suitable for your health because even though you can't smell them, they are still there. Instead of using harsh chemicals to clean the house, try more natural products that will eliminate germs or bacteria without giving you a headache in return. You don't have to stop with just what you use to clean the house, but also think about what you are using on your skin. When in doubt, just try a more natural alternative and see if you can notice any difference in how you feel.

Keep Plants in Your House

Plants are a great way to add oxygen into the air. They can even help reduce some of those harmful toxins that may be lingering inside. Try and keep at least one plant per 100 square feet, but make sure you take care of them too. Check out this blog post from "The Sill" for some great ideas on plants that are easy to keep alive.

HVAC Contractor

The temperature in your house can have a significant impact on how fresh the air is. If you are always hot or cold, this probably means that there's an issue with your home's heating and cooling system. There may be a leak somewhere causing weird smells to come from vents, or maybe it just needs some TLC, so give a professional HVAC contractor a call to take a look.

Invest in a House Cleaning Service

If you are too busy or not feeling well, hiring someone else to clean your home might be worth the investment. This way you don't have to lift a finger and can still enjoy cleaner air inside. Many environmental factors could result in poor indoor air quality like mold, bacteria, viruses, pollen, allergens, dust mites, and more. Regularly scheduled cleaning by a professional can help remove or minimize these sources of poor indoor air quality.

Don’t let poor air quality in your home start affecting your health. Take the right steps to keep you and your family safe and healthy. 

7 Smart Ways To Upgrade Your Home Exterior

House exterior design is a way of ensuring that your home looks exceptional from the outside. It also ultimately affects how the neighborhood or even potential buyers perceive your house. Curb appeal is an essential factor in visually increasing the appearance of your property. Whether you have a contemporary or conventional home, you can improve the exterior of your house in various ways.

There could be minor cosmetic changes like changing the color of the walls or cladding as well. On the other hand, if you prefer dramatically changing the overall look of the exterior of your house, then you could consider adding an extension, landscaping your garden, or replacing your current roof structure using an accessible roof hatch. 

As with any house makeovers, it needs to be done akin to your home's current design. Keep scrolling for our exterior design advice, and by the end, you will know what is appropriate for you.

HAVE NEW CLADDING, RENDER AND PAINT

There are several reasons why you might want to consider replacing the current exterior finish of your home. If it has an old building with stone cladding, pebbledash, or mismatching bricks, you can remove or cover them with new material for a modern look. 

If this task is too tedious or expensive, you can cover it with masonry paint in a neutral shade to help unify the various materials. Rendering and repainting are ideal if the original work is damaged, but if you want to give your house a brand new look, then cladding your home's exterior is the best way to go.

UPDATE YOUR FRONT DOOR AND WINDOWS 

As we mentioned earlier, upgrading the facade of your house doesn't always require a significant renovation. All you need to do is consider all things and be observant. One prime example of this is upgrading the look of your front door and windows.

Choosing a new door or painting over it is such a simple task that you can easily accomplish on your own. You can choose from the many modern and traditional looks. Still, for your door, you should try to match it as close as possible to your neighbors for a refined look, or if you're living in a period property, you can restore your home to its former glory by hiring a skilled professional to mimic the old design.

Upgrading your windows is another viable option since changing them will dramatically alter your property's whole ambiance. Just be considerate with the overall durability of your new windows since it also serves as a barrier against external elements.

ADD AN EXTENSION

A striking contemporary extension can effectively change the appearance and appeal of your home. Adding an extension doesn't need to be expensive, as more minor alterations such as adding a front porch or a bay window can add a lot of interest and character to your property.

A single or two-story extension to the side or front can help balance the proportions of your home to create a distinct architectural style. Meanwhile, installing a front porch will bring life to a featureless frontage and provide additional storage space. It would be best if you built it in conjunction with your house's architectural design and proportion. 

LANDSCAPE THE GARDEN

After doing building renovations outside your house, matching the surroundings with the architecture would make sense. Pay attention to your garden landscape and any outdoor space visible from the front of your property, and observe if it has a similar theme to the design and style you like.

There are several ways to improve your garden, but you can start with choosing a planting scheme. You also have the option of building an outdoor kitchen, fountains, fireplace, or even a swimming pool if you don't have one. These accents would help create more interest and character in your home.

INSTALL OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Nothing will improve the appearance of a house better than a variety of lighting colors. Outdoor light fixtures are proven to bring depth and definition to flat facades and add to your property's security features. Motion sensing lights have become widely popular due to their innovative features that provide excellent security. 

To boost the exterior aesthetic even more, try installing soft lights to highlight the design of your house or ground lights to accent trees and bushes. Porch lights can also make a huge difference by creating a welcoming feel to the front door.

MAKEOVER THE DRIVEWAY

Having your driveway makes a property more appealing from both an aesthetic and practical perspective. There are several driveway surfaces to choose from, but the most favorable is gravel for many reasons. It is more affordable than any complex landscaping options and prevents flooding since its drains well. However, it does easily spread onto the driveway, so you might need topping up and raking every so often.

Increasing your property's curb appeal is possible but make sure to include your driveway. No matter which material or design you choose from, giving your driveway a significant makeover will help boost the overall aesthetic appeal of your property, whether it's up for sale or not.

REPLACE THE ROOF

Roof renovation or replacement is a costly upgrade, so you might need to spend some time researching this option. The roof is often the most dominant feature of the house, so changing or improving the existing look of the tiles will dramatically alter your property's appearance. 

Nowadays, there are several roofing options to choose from, no matter what design you prefer. Consider your property's location and the usual weather occurrence in your area and base your roof's material on it. Thankfully, there are several roofing options to choose from with different textures and designs.

Many people view a home for its practicality and functionality, but its appearance is important too. An updated and well-maintained exterior premise establishes your capability to care for your home and increases your chances of captivating potential buyers. In addition, nothing feels better than coming home to a beautiful house inside and out.