House Tips
When it comes to House, we've been there, done that, now serving 24 tips in 10 categories ranging from Construction to Safety.
Quick decor upgrade
For a quick upgrade of decorations for your bathroom, pick two to three colors for your towels. Alternate the colors and this will set them out from the wall.
Owner builder or Contractor
One very important question to answer when you decide to remodel is, "Do I do this remodel myself or hire a contractor?" There are a few things that can help you answer this. If you are retired or have all the time in world to do your own remodel, then all you need to ask is if you feel secure in doing the work. If you do, then you can do it. If you don't have the time to start and finish your remodel all at one time, you might consider hiring a contractor. Time is of the essence when remodeling. You don't want to start something and not be able to finish.
How to decide "where"
Once you have decided the State and General location in that state, deciding where can be hard. Pick the five most important points for you on the location. Close to work, close to school, close to city, price range, house, apartment, etc. Once you have selected the five most important, you can narrow your search down to the "where".
Packing Resources
Buy a tape gun and order your boxes directly from a manufacturer.
The tape gun will save enourmous amounts of time when
sealing boxes. They cost about $10 at an office supply store,
such as Staples. This device easily saved me about 4 hours when
packing my two bedroom apartment.
For boxes, you can get boxes for a fraction of the price (compared to
U HAUL) if you order directly from a manufacturer. One example
is www.chiswick.com, but there are others as well. The
disadvantage that unused boxes cannot be returned for credit.
I suggest ordering boxes that are 12 x 12 x 14. They are a good
in between size that fits almost everything, but does not get too
heavy even if you fill it with books.
For a two bedroom apartment, 40 boxes were about right. You can
always go to uhaual to buy extras if necessary.
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Plan Square Footage
When looking at house plans, consider looking at plans that are smaller and larger then what you want. People often make changes to a plan and changes will often increase or decrease the size of the plan.
Decks - Fall and Winter
Choosing a deck design to serve the winter months can be difficult. If you are in a snow area and you want an enclosed deck, make sure that your roof can handle the weight of the average snow load. If you are in a rainy area, make sure you have good drainage away from your deck. For an enclosed deck you might want to look into a wood stove and for an open winter deck you could add a fire pit for some outdoor warmth. Be imaginative.
