April 23rd, 2012
Probably my favorite decorating show is called House Hunters. My second favorite show would be any of the bevy of ones on HGTV that focus more on first time home buyers. I love to watch the home buyers having to face reality especially if they’ve never done it before. The secret to still getting a home that you’re happy with is to get a good realtor who can just walk you through the entire process.
Even though buying a home is a dream of mine I still don’t know a ton about it which is why I’m going to really research my realtor a lot when I get to that point. I love looking through the Calgary listings MLS Property Search and just getting to know about all of the different properties available and what houses cost in different price ranges. On this site you can even save your searches. His story about becoming a Calgary Realtor is really inspiring as he explains how to he wanted to devote all of his time to this instead of just having it as a part time job. This is readily apparent by the many contact options he has from Facebook to Twitter to email so you can learn a lot more about him. When buying a home so often you focus so much on the house. Get a qualified realtor to walk you through the rest of the process.
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April 22nd, 2012
Decorating with pattern indoors is so simple and easy. The same thing goes with color. Outdoors though it’s a whole different story. Usually if you’re on a budget you’re stuck with cement. I think going with more of a natural stone look opens up your color palette and also patterns.
I was looking through all of the different patterns that are available at System Pavers. My favorite pattern is actually the herringbone look. I’ve seen it plenty on indoor flooring and it’s nice to see it outdoors too. Plus it’s a classic take on the chevron pattern that’s so popular on fabric too. Even subtle differences like getting a tumbled look on your patio pavers makes a big difference because this is on such a large surface.
You can also get a free consultation through the same basic process. As someone who spends a lot of time looking at interior design magazines and TV shows it’s difficult to show me new and innovative ideas for landscaping. This site definitely accomplishes that though.
The other cool thing about this site is that you can get a free rendering so you know more about how the paving stone is going to look on your specific driveway. You just have to submit a simple form to get it for free. Focusing on pavers makes a driveway, patio, or walkway so much more interesting than just using concrete stabs.
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April 21st, 2012
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about solar panels. I was looking through a site today that is called “solar is made easy” and that’s all changed. I just needed someone to break it down for me. The site has a lot of info for UK installations but I still learned a lot that applies to my life here.
You can get quotes from up to five services. You just need to know about the time your house was built and how many rooms your house has. This type of green energy is available at many different price points. The site even goes over the “Green Deal” and talks about how to get grants for this project. It also includes the savings you can expect to get on your current energy bills and what the British will save on both the Export tariff and Generation tariff.
Thanks to this site I learned the difference between solar electricity and solar heating. I was shocked to see the savings per month the site quoted. I love the idea of using it for a pool. The first question I always ask whenever someone has a pool at their home is whether or not it’s heated. I’d never considered how expensive heating this would be. The site definitely got me thinking more about my energy consumption.
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March 6th, 2012
Overall I love my apartment but there are a few little things that I’d change if I actually owned it. The first is that there isn’t a backsplash. It didn’t bother me at first and I didn’t notice really but after having to clean the walls all the time it has become apparent. I think any type of backsplash would be difficult because there are about five outlets on one walls and they’re all white. I would love a copper backsplash but I think a faux anaglypta one would actually look better just because then it could be a painted version that would blend right in with the outlets. I doubt it would be easier to clean though.
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March 5th, 2012
I watch tons of house buying shows. There’s a different approach that both professional and homebuyers take. When someone is buying a home they worry about the color schemes and the layout. When someone is purchasing the home to flip or remodel they focus mostly on the outside. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone buy a home based off of its windows and doors. However, they probably understood what a selling feature this can be and also how it would affect their carrying costs. If you ever lived with a single paned window in Utah like I have then you know how on cold mornings you can put your hand against it and literally feel the cold coming in.
You can get several different types of quotes from the site All Double Glazing just by using a simple series of drop down menus to find the double glazing cost. This includes quotes for doors, windows, double glazing, and conservatories. If you think that it’s too expensive then there are also articles about getting a grant for it. There’s also info about dealing with high pressure sales people. It helps you to get the knowledge you need to look at both home buying and home renovation from a more professional and less emotional standpoint so you don’t regret your purchase.
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Gilmore is a 27 year old who loves decorating and is a self-proclaimed expert on just about everything. At least she likes to think so. Copyright 2011. Consult a design professional before beginning your project.