After you have given your windows, walls, and floors the appropriate weather protection treatment they need, you can go on and think about your decorative elements. For your windows, don’t ditch your light curtains just yet. You can use materials that are translucent enough to as much natural light as possible to pass through. As for your floors, this is the time for you to give your carpets and rugs a rest – roll them up, give them a good cleaning, and store them for the next season. You can then shift your focal points to the walls and take the colors of summer through the rainy season. Opt for the warm and bright hues of reds, oranges, and yellows in your wall decor and art pieces.

Image: sixninepixels / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Check for dried leaves and twigs that might have accumulated on the roof and along waterways. When the outpour comes, these dried leaves and twigs could cause clogs on your eaves and drainages. A quick sweep of these will save you from water trouble during the rainy season.
2. Do a roof inspection. You can hire your trusty handyman to do a once over of your roof after it has been cleaned. Have him check if there are patches that could be blown off in case of a strong storm or if there are areas that are damaged and need to be replaced. Ignoring these will have you scrambling for buckets inside your home to catch leaks in your ceiling.

The rainshowers are surely a great respite from the stifling summer heat. However, we’re expected to have really strong typhoons this year so do be prepared for calamities.

Image: Damian Brandon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Even indoors, we should think about how clean the air is.  There are lots of pollutants invisible to the naked eye, and these eventually find their way inside our bodies.  So, how do we keep the air indoors clean and safe to breathe?

First off, make it a hard and fast rule to keep smoking out of your house.  Second hand smoke causes innumerable lung and cardiovascular diseases.  Children are the most susceptible to respiratory tract infections caused by second hand smoke.

Next, make sure that your home has enough ventilation.  Air should be able to circulate.  Be sure to turn on the exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom.  Keep your windows open to let the air in.

Excessive moisture indoors can make the air damp and moldy.  This causes coughing and wheezing.  Have your house checked for leaks, and repair them early to nip the problem in the bud.

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Setzkasten © marshi

You could’ve sworn you nearly blurted out a thousand expletives in four different languages when you almost tripped on that yoyo lying on your living room floor.  If there’s one thing that is sure to send your blood pressure soaring, it’s seeing toys scattered around the house.  As much as you’d want to keep everything organized, you always seem to run out of storage spaces for every caboodle you and your kids have.  You may even feel the strong urge to ask about Uncle Bob’s Storage solutions to help you with storing your stuff.  All is not lost, though.  There still are some shelving solutions to help unburden you of that mountainous mess.

Since space is always a problem, consider getting some cubbyholes installed against a wall.  You can even have them painted in different colors, to help brighten up your kid’s room.

You might want to consider under the bed storage on wheels.  Your kid can stash away his tiny Lego blocks in a box which fits under his bed.  It should have wheels, so he can easily pull it in and out whenever he fancies.

See- through plastic bins with handles can also serve as containers for toys.  Your little one won’t have a hard time picking out his toys if he can quickly see what’s inside.  Get those which you can stack one on top of the other, so you can save on space.  If there’s enough room under the stairs, you can stack them there.

Mesh laundry bins can double up as storage for your kid’s baseball bats and other sports equipment.

If you think about it, you may not even have to spend to come up with extra storage for your kids’ toys.  Just look around your house for unused boxes, buckets or bins which can serve a double purpose.

The front yard and exterior of the house are the first things the prospective buyer sees. Care should be taken to make the first impression a good one. The lawn should be mowed at least once or twice a week. Bright, attractive flowers such as marigolds are inexpensive and serve to brighten the yard and entrance.

Windows should be washed until they sparkle, while a good power-spraying will rid the house exterior of cobwebs and dirt. Dingy, tired doors benefit from a new coat of paint and the installation of bright new door handles. An inexpensive welcome mat adds a warm, inviting note.

Inside the house, it is important to convey a sense of space and light. Clutter is a major turn-off to prospective buyers, making the house seem smaller than it really is. Clearing excess papers, children’s toys, books and magazines costs nothing but a bit of effort on the seller’s part. Once the excess clutter is removed, it is a good time to dust and scrub. Particular attention should be paid to replacing light bulbs and cleaning fixtures since homebuyers love light.

Tidy closets will give the impression that the homeowner is the well-organised sort who has paid attention to all details of home maintenance. All cupboards should similarly be straightened to emphasise their storage capacity. Loose knobs must be tightened or replaced.

Clean floors are a must in a house that is up for sale. If the carpet is soiled, the seller should rent a carpet steamer. A little effort on the homeowner’s part may make costly carpet replacement unnecessary. Sellers should also consider removing one or two pieces of furniture from the living room to make it look larger.

If walls are anything other than white or neutral in colour, the seller should consider painting them. While many buyers like colour on their walls, most are particular and will not necessarily like the seller’s choice. Light colours also look clean and tend to open up the space, making rooms look larger. Most people are handy enough to tackle this job on their own, painting the entire house for the same amount they would pay a professional to paint one room.

One of the most important areas of the house to update and improve is the kitchen. Many sellers cannot afford to replace their countertops with granite; however, granite tiles are an option, and they are much less expensive to install. Even re-grouting kitchen counter tiles will improve the look of the kitchen. Worn taps can be replaced inexpensively, and new knobs and pulls will transform the appearance of dated cupboards.

Finally, sellers should take care that bathrooms appear bright and fresh. Peeling wallpaper must be removed. A badly stained bathtub does not require replacement, but it should be refinished by a professional. A new shower curtain and towels will not cost much and can make a big difference. Scented candles placed next to a basket of rolled face cloths create an attractive, spa-like atmosphere.

Even in the most competitive market, meticulous homeowners who attend to the small things will attract the attention of buyers. Fortunately, tackling these details does not require a large outlay of money. Close attention to detail and a willingness to perform maintenance tasks themselves can help many homeowners sell their homes on a budget.

This is a guest post by Michael Turner, interior design enthusiast and UK blogger who is currently doing research on behalf of a roman blinds supplier.

So, what exactly constitutes a rotten neighbor? Simply put, he’s someone who disturbs your otherwise peaceful home existence.  They do annoying things such as play loud music all day or just let their dog bark his lungs out in the dead of the night.  They behave as if they were the only people on the block.

The first thing to do is to talk to your neighbor.  Just remember not to do it in the heat of anger, as you might say or do something you’ll later on regret.  Calmly walk up to him and squarely tell him what’s bothering you about his behavior.  In retaliation, he may say some negative things about you as well, so be open to his criticism.

Try to strike a compromise.   Come to a decision which will ultimately benefit you both.

If that doesn’t work, call the police.  Your neighbor may then realize how bad things have gone that you have resorted to such a measure.  It’s either that, or he may just get more furious.  In that case, start writing every incident down, so you can make a formal report or complaint to the authorities.  Court dramas are nasty, but if it has to reach that level, then so be it.

Many would say that one’s personality could be judge on how organized his or her comfort room is.

Your home may be clean and presentable for visitors but if they will enter your restroom, will they find comfort to stay? You, yourself as a tenant will refuse to use it if that room is not pleasantly accommodating.

But a bathroom is not just about cleanliness. It also has to be user-friendly. Some house owners would not realize how helpful is having a bathroom heated towel rail. Such kind of towel rack does not only heat sheets before using it on a wet skin but also serves as a towel dryer. It is like sanitizing a cloth for your skin protection. Likewise, heated towel rail can be use to organize your towels too.

Safety in the bathroom also has to be importantly considered especially on wet rooms such as the shower area. That is why the floor on wet rooms must be waterproof, commonly fixed with tiles or vinyl. If without such flooring, a slippery floor when wet could endanger lives and caused accidents especially if you have kids at home. There are wet room kits and other accessories available for you to choose from. Find the one that produced total sealing against water leaks.