Creative Ways To Style Your Floating Shelves

Have a ton of floating shelves in your home? Or maybe you want to add some but aren't sure what kind to get or where to put them yet. For those who need help placing and decorating their shelves, here are a few creative ways to style your floating shelves!

Add Interest With Brackets or Corbels

Do your floating shelves feel flat? It might be because they're nothing more than a straight plank of wood on the wall. If you want to add depth and interest to your shelves, consider using brackets or corbels to make them look less flat and add a hint of color and texture to your walls.

Create a Vignette

A vignette is a collection of items arranged in an artful way. Since vignettes have multiple colors, layers, patterns, and textures to them, they really draw the eye.

Need an example to get the inspiration juices flowing? For a cute fall-themed vignette, take a small, shallow wicker tray. Place a pot of dahlias or goldenrods, a pumpkin decoration, and a wood candleholder with a delightful pumpkin spice candle inside.

And that's only one option for vignettes. You can use whatever you want in your display and arrange pieces as you see fit.

Use Corners

Another creative way to style your floating shelves is to use corner shelves. Yup, there are shelves for corners. Corners are neglected parts of every home, and it's about time they got the recognition they deserve.

Triangular shelves in the corners of a room are exceedingly charming. They're ideal for storing spices or pots of herbs in the kitchen, which means you can finally clean off your windowsill and enjoy the unobstructed view.

A Stairwell of Memories

The #1 spot for family photos and other sentimental trinkets is the front entryway. But it's hard to arrange all your standing frames and trinkets on one small console near the door.

The solution? Hang shelves on the knee wall (the wall framing your staircase) and fill that extra vertical space with memories.

Best Tips To Help Create a Healthier Home

Your home should be your sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of daily life. That’s why you should ensure that you’re doing everything you can to create a safe and clean environment for yourself and your family. Read on to discover the best tips to help create a healthier home.

Purify Your Air With Plants

Being around plants can help you feel calmer and more relaxed, reducing your anxiety levels in the process. Furthermore, filling your home with house plants like English ivy, aloe vera, and peace lilies can help absorb CO2 and release oxygen. This process helps remove pollutants from your home and filter your indoor air to improve its quality.

Improve Your Water Quality

Contaminants in your drinking water can cause serious health issues. Given these concerns, increasing the quality of your tap water can play a critical role in keeping you and your family healthy. Installing a home filtration system, for example, can help eliminate pollutants before they ever reach you.

Bust Your Dust

House dust can contain hazardous particles, including pesticides and other harmful chemicals found in and around your house. Vacuum your home at least twice a week, and make sure your vacuum has powerful suction and a HEPA filter to capture dust and debris. You should also ensure you’re wiping down hard-to-reach areas where dust can accumulate, such as ceiling fans.

Test Your Home for Radon

Radon gas is a colorless and odorless gas that emerges from the natural decomposition of soil and rock beneath your house. This gas can cause many serious health problems, including lung cancer. Most hardware and home stores offer home radon test kits, and if your levels are high, you should act right away.

Deal With Mold Right Away

Mold can induce allergy and respiratory problems if you continuously expose yourself to it. You can prevent mold from building up in several ways, including using dehumidifiers and leaving your bathroom fan on after showering. When you do spot mold, you can clean it with bleach or other specially designed cleaning products.

Following the best tips to help create a healthier home can improve your overall well-being. More importantly, every time you enter your home, you’ll feel safer and more comfortable.

Cost vs. Long-Term Value of Swimming Pools

If your idea of the perfect backyard involves lazy days floating on a raft and sipping margaritas or your kids splashing around and having the time of their lives, it is likely that you have considered building a swimming pool.

Many homeowners believe a swimming pool can boost their home's value significantly, but it's not the case all the time. It is recommended that you explore the cost vs. long-term value of swimming pools first so you know what you are getting yourself into.

According to home improvement site Fixr, the average in-ground swimming pool costs around $21, 919. But that only covers the building of the pool. Remember that you might also need to spend money on swimming pool repair at one point or another.

In addition, it pays to also keep in mind that you will have to spend money on its annual maintenance. If anything, swimming pools can be a great investment if you live in the right place and it is the right size.

Considering a Swimming Pool? Key Factors to Keep In Mind

Cost

At first glance, a swimming pool can seem like a wonderful addition to any home. However, getting one would make more sense if you live in a warm climate or an area with temperate and fairly short winters.

Similarly, investing in one would be much more appropriate if you live in a high-end neighborhood. Since there is a huge chance other homes in the area also have a pool, you won't be left behind if the time to sell your property comes.

According to HomeAdvisor, the cost of building a swimming pool can range from $14,112 to $41,424. The average cost sits at $27,588. The figures account for both the above-ground and in-ground swimming pools.

Now, let's examine the cost of maintaining and running a pool. Depending on the type and size, the filtration and heating will cost you around $8,000. However, that's not all. There are also other extras you need to keep in mind. For instance:

• Diving board: $300 to $5,000

• Enclosures: $4,800 to $14,300

• Pool covers: $300 to $2,000

If the cost deters you, but you still want to have one, consider getting a smaller one instead, perhaps a plunge, lap, or cocktail pool. The material you will use can also greatly affect your overall cost.

While concrete is considered more durable, it will cost more than a pool lined with tile or vinyl. Using fiberglass shells can cut your cost by as much as 50 percent. Moreover, going above ground instead of in-ground can help you save even more.

Resale Value

While it's safe to assume a pool can increase the value of your home, it is important to set expectations right—it might not be as lucrative as you think. There is even no guarantee you will get your investment back, according to HouseLogic.

On average, a swimming pool can only increase your home's value by as much as 7 percent. Of course, as mentioned earlier, there are several factors to consider, including your location.

Undoubtedly, if you live in a posh area with a warm climate, having a pool can surely help your property get noticed. However, it is also crucial that you have some space in your backyard left for other activities.  

Other factors that can help determine if you will get a good return on your investment include the type of pool you have, the condition of your pool, and its age. Buyers might pass on your home if you have a pool that is old and in poor condition.

Also, while you love your pool, remember that not everyone will feel the same way. Case in point: couples with young children often consider swimming pools a safety hazard. This can limit your potential buyers to older couples or families with teenage kids.

Final Thoughts

Getting a swimming pool can be a costly commitment. That said, it is ideal that you think carefully before investing in one. The bottom line is that you need to ask yourself one ultimate question when it comes to swimming pools: do the costs outweigh the return? If such is the case, you are better off considering other home improvement projects with better ROI.

How to Sell a House Quickly and Easily

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Selling your home is probably going to be one of the biggest financial transactions that you ever make, and that is why you need to be absolutely sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Luckily, there are some simple tips and tricks that you can use to ensure that you start getting fair offers right when your home hits the market.

Take Care of the Major Mechanical Systems

Trying to sell a home with major mechanical problems can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. While you probably won’t need to fully replace every system, you should still have a few professionals inspect and service key devices. That includes your water heater, water softener, pool pump, HVAC condenser, and furnace. It is also a good idea to have professionals inspect your roof, electrical system, and plumbing to make sure it will pass the inspection.

Give Your Home a Quick Cosmetic Overhaul

There are quite a few cosmetic upgrades that you can carry out to make your home much more appealing to potential buyers. In most cases, homeowners should consider deep cleaning their homes and applying a fresh coat of paint to the interior walls, doors, baseboards, and window casings. Another inexpensive way to make your home more appealing is to clean up your front yard so that there isn’t any clutter around.

Price It Competitively

Putting your home on the market at the wrong price could lengthen this process by weeks or months. The easiest way to get a good idea of a fair price is to check other homes in your area that are similar to your home. You can then make small adjustments to the average price in your area depending on any changes you have made to your home in order to sell your home quickly.

Work With a Professional

While some of these projects and upgrades can be good investments, you should still speak with your real estate agent early on so that they can give you suggestions. Depending on the age of your property and how quickly you want to make a sale, they might even tell you to sell your home as is. That is often a good idea for relatively new homes that don’t need extensive upgrades.

These few tips are a great start, but you also want to be sure that you notify your CPA or financial advisor before your home hits the market. That type of transaction is going to have a huge impact on your finances, and you want to be sure that you retain as much money as possible.