Make Your House a Home

Although buying a house can be an exciting endeavour, it can take time to make it a home. However, this isn’t to say that there aren’t some shortcuts that can be taken to ensure that there is a warm atmosphere in the home. The following are some tips that can keep you warm during the winter months, as well as giving the home some much-needed ambience during the darker nights. Lag Your Piping The art of pip lagging may be one that is somewhat aged when compared to other approaches, but it’s one that works, and it’s cheap to do. Lagging is essentially putting foam around your water pipe to ensure that there is no loss of heart, and what’s more, no tools are required. Although there may be other things you need to do to ensure heat isn’t lost, lagging the hot water pipes can be the ideal starting point. Consider Wall insulation Although its common knowledge that wall insulation can help save on fuel bills and retain heat, there are still many people who haven’t enjoyed the benefits. Although wall insulation comes at a cost, the money will often be recouped in what you save on fuel moving forward. What’s more, wall insulation ensures that your home retains as much as heat as possible, which is vital for the colder seasons. Use Your Curtains Properly It’s not unusual for the weather to be sporadic, so it’s a good idea to make use of the sun when it's available. Opening the curtains when the suns out ensure you’re making using of natural heat in the day, allowing you to conserve energy for nightfall. The sun will often heat the home substantially in the day if the curtains are open, and eve Not only is this more cost-effective, but you can ensure that you don’t have to ration your energy as much. Draught Excluders Are Still Useful Given all the technology that is put our way, it’s to dismiss simple and cost-effective ways of keeping the home warm. Although basic in their approach, draught excluders do a sterling job of keeping heat in the room. Even if all the rooms need some form of draught exclusion, the process is generally quite cheap. Bleed Your Radiators (If Necessary) For the most part, radiators carry out the duties without a hitch, but there can be times when we need to intervene to ensure that they’re working at the best. Air bubbles present in the radiator could mean that the radiator isn’t creating as much heat as it could. [caption id="attachment_447" align="alignnone" width="500"] Happy young family using a tablet pc at home by a fireplace in warm and cozy living room on winter day[/caption] Arrange a Boiler Service It’s not only problematic radiators that can restrict hear in the home, as boilers play their part too. Although we can take them for granted, it’s a good idea to get your boiler serviced before the cold month's strike. If you’re unfortunate enough to have your boiler break down at the wrong time, then there could be some discomfort until a repair can be arranged. Fortunately, the method to rectify this is simple and merely requires you to bleed the radiators. You will need to use a radiator key, which can be purchased from any DIY store, and simply twist the valve until the hissing stops and water appear. Once this happens simply close the valve. More information on arranging boiler service check out - https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/guides/annual-boiler-service-article.html Invest in Some Rugs Wooden floors can look great around the home, but they can also leave rooms feeling cold. Although there are alternatives, such as heated flooring, those looking for a cheaper solution can simply invest in some rugs. Whether you decide to use one large rug or a series of smaller rugs will depend on the layout of the home, but either approach can be more cost-effective than modern alternatives, while still adding character to the home. Find the Right Temperature for You It’s understandable that some people are concerned about having the heating on too high, as they will waste money. However, having it too cold can cause some discomfort. Finding the perfect temperature for you ensures that you can time your boiler accordingly, meaning that you’re not wasting energy when not at home. Those looking for something they can control when out and about may want to invest in a smart option, which allows you to amend settings from an app. Soft Lighting Creates Ambiance As well as ensuring your home has heat flowing through it without escaping, you can also create a warm abidance that contributes towards the cosiness of your home. Harsh bright lighting can make it hard to relax, regardless of how much heat you’re conserving. Swapping your bright lighting for something a little softer doesn’t have to be expensive, as a few lamps can be just as effective as opposed to spending hundreds on electrical work What’s more, this can be done throughout the house, and you can even combine with modern technology to streamline the operation. For example, those who can’t afford smart lighting may find a Bluetooth-enable light bulb just as effective. Display Your Proud Moments Given the advancements of technology, you’re more likely to see photographs on someone’s social network as opposed to their wall, but this doesn’t mean that memories and achievements don’t look amazing and create a homelier feel overall. The frames you use can be tailored to your décor. For example, those with a modern abode may decide to use clip frames, whereas those with more rustic surroundings may decide a wooden frame is best. The possibilities are endless and framing photographs, certificates and diplomas are a great way of adding warmth and charm to the home. Some of us can struggle when it comes to making a house feel more comfortable, especially if you’ve only just moved in. However, some simple approaches can ensure that your home is prepared for the winter and inviting to friends and family.

The 4 main benefits of working with a professional contractor

Before you engage in any major improvement project that will require construction work to be done whether it involves your home or office space, it’s very important that you consider getting a professional contractor to be in charge of the project. If you are wondering why, in this article we are going to share with you the 4 main benefits of working with a professional contractor.

1 Professional contractors will always have the necessary licenses

It’s important to know that most of the home improvement activities that you engage in especially those that involve a little bit of construction work require a license. Whereas this will mostly be dependent on the jurisdiction you’re in, licenses are usually necessary because such work has to be done by licensed professionals because of the potential hazards that come with the job. This means that working with a professional contractor ensures that you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

2 Professional contractors will always have insurance

As a rule in most jurisdictions, any laborer working on a construction site must have an insurance cover and is also entitled to workman’s benefits. Because your home or office space essentially is a construction site during the time improvement work is being done on it means it’s a legal requirement for the workers on your site to have insurance. The benefit of working with a professional contractor is that they will have this covered and every employee under them will be their responsibility therefore taking any liability from you.

3 Professional contractors are specialists

When you intend on doing any major improvement work on your home or office space, the main reason it’s in your best interest to hire a professional contractor is because they are specialists in the field and this means they have all the necessary knowledge and expertise to get the job done and ensure it’s a very high quality job.

4 Professional contractors will get the job done quicker

When working with a professional contractor, depending on the agreement you have with them on the timelines for the project, in most cases they will get the job done much quicker because they have a team they are working with in addition to their familiarity with such kinds of jobs. As long as the scope of the work and the timelines have been agreed, your project will be completed much faster. As a caution, not every contractor is the same therefore it’s always important for you to do the necessary due diligence in order for you to settle on a seasoned contractor with a proven track record of producing quality work.

These are the top traits of a good contractor

Before you engage any professional contractor for your home or office space improvement project it’s very crucial for you to do your due diligence because not all contractors are the same. It will therefore be in your best interest to be able to identify the kind of contractor who has a proven track record of quality work as this type of person will guarantee you success in your own project. In this article we are going to share with you the 4 top traits of a good professional contractor.

1 The contractor must have a good reputation

Generally speaking, a contractor’s reputation will be determined by the collective reviews of his/her past and present clients. This therefore means that any professional contractor you come across who has a good reputation is a reflection of the quality of their work. The same can be said for a contractor with a bad reputation as this is an indication that they will not give you a good job.

2 The contractor must have sufficient experience

Professionals will usually get better and better the more they get to practice their trade and this is especially true for contractors. This therefore means that a contractor with plenty of experience is more likely to produce for you a good job when compared with one with minimal experience because the former has gotten an opportunity to practice and hone their skills. It’s therefore a good idea for you to prioritize experience and ensure that it’s experience doing good work.

3 The contractor should be a very good listener

It’s common for contractors to have their own ideas and biases when it comes to how they do their work and in some cases, these biases may creep in as they are doing your work because they were not paying full attention as you were giving them instructions. As you are interviewing professional contractors, it’s always a good idea to ensure that they are good listeners as this will ensure that there’s minimal breakdown in communication between you and him/her during the course of doing your project.

4 The contractor should have integrity

It’s very important to work with a professional contractor who has the utmost respect for his/her profession and also respect for you as their client. This therefore requires the contractor to have a lot of integrity as it’s this quality that will ensure that they respect their end of the contract, they charge you fairly, and are always willing to own up to their mistakes and correct them. The best way to ensure that you end up with a contractor with these traits is focusing on your due diligence and most of this will entail getting reviews from their past and present clients.