You have left your backyard unkempt for a long time. There are dead leaves on the ground, and your lawn is not green. But you have decided to make a change and spruce up your backyard. To make your neighbors jealous, we have some simple decor ideas that will make your backyard appealing to the eye. To achieve outdoor design greatness, follow our backyard makeover tips.
Before we get into our backyard makeover tips you should clean it
Before you can redesign your backyard, you have to clean it. Cleaning your yard will make it easier to do additional work on it. So get your rake and start scrapping the lawn. Make sure to get all the debris out of the way. The gist of it is to get rid of everything that does not belong in your backyard. When everything is complete, you can get into ways to design a backyard.
Keep the grass looking fresh
The one thing that makes a backyard look terrible is long and brown grass. To avoid these two mistakes, you better get to work. If you do not have them, you should invest in a mower or a string trimmer. Out of the two, the trimmer is the cheaper option. However, a grass machine will do a better job because it can cut the grass more evenly. When your grass is trimmed, how do you keep it green, especially during the hot summer months? Invest into some sprinkles. They will spray the grass with water on a timer. It will make your job easier, and it will keep your grass “evergreen”.
Sprinkles will keep the grass green this is one of our backyard makeover tips
Second, on our list of backyard makeover tips is to bring nature close to you
Having a garden in your backyard will not only make it look beautiful, but it might produce some fruits and vegetables. To prevent the garden, from looking out of place, you should plan everything so that it fits in with your backyard’s design. A more environmentally friendly option would be to have a small orchard. Because they do not need as much water as gardens. It is also easier to make trees work in your backyard. Make sure to protect your garden during the winter season.
Gazebo
A gazebo can tie your backyard together. Gazebos are easy to build and are very cheap. If you do a little bit of planning, you can probably install it yourself. However, if you have some particular demands, you should hire professionals to handle your gazebo installation. When everything is done, you can do a lot of activities:
Why installing a gazebo is one of our backyard makeover tips is because you can play board games outside with your friends.
You can drink cold lemonade on a hot summer night under your gazebo.
A gazebo can bring your friends together
Conclusion
We hope that our backyard makeover tips help you make your yard stand out in your neighborhood. You should also maintain your whole rental property.
Do you think your home’s walls could use some decoration? In that case, decorating with art pieces could be a very good idea. Tasteful art can make your home look all the better without crowding your space, while larger arrangements are purposefully eye-catching. In order to help you, we have put together this guide to decorating your Fairfax home with art.
The attic is the most neglected room in the house. Whenever something is taking up space in our home, we store it away in the attic and forget about it.However, with some stylish yet simple decor ideas, you can turn that attic into a warm and welcoming guest room. To help you, we have tips for turning your attic into a guest room.
If planning to remodel a Maryland house before selling it or after moving in, you should know that permits are required. We should warn you right away that the repercussions of remodeling without the building department issuing building permits aren’t just a fairytale. For instance, they have the power to fine you, or even worse, make you undo renovations. That’s right! However, we know you’re conscious enough not to remodel without obtaining the necessary permits first. In the end, you wouldn’t be here, listening to what we have to say if it was the other way around. Now, let’s get down to business!
First things first
Before organizing a full home renovation and getting started, be sure you get that permit. Whether it’s a DYI home remodeling project or a contractor is the one rolling up the sleeves, the case is the same. On no account should you start with the project before getting a permit.
When do I need permits to remodel a Maryland house?
When tackling a project requires permits? Not every home remodeling project requires a permit. If opting for simple home improvements for every budget, such as painting the walls, changing a bit of this and a bit of that, doesn’t require a permit. On the other hand, if your project will affect the home’s structure, get in touch with the local building apartment. It’s necessary that you explain thoroughly what your project implies, what parts of the house you want to change, and how. Furthermore, you need to apply for a building permit when making changes around a house, such as placing a fence over four feet high or erecting a gazebo.
To best way to find out if you need a permit is to contact your local building department.
If you’re not sure whether you need a permit to remodel a Maryland house, contact your local inspector and check with him. Better safe than sorry, right? A broad term as it is, Maryland has differences on the inside. Permit requirements vary from one place to another, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a neighboring town or city had different rules than yours.
Which remodeling projects usually require a permit
Here’s the list of remodeling projects that require a permit in most cases; however, contacting the local building department is the best way to find out:
running new electric cable or electric to an outbuilding
adding electrical subpanel or new circuits
installing a new furnace, air conditioner, or water heater
moving plumbing pipes
installing new windows or doors
changing the roof, extending the roofline, or installing a skyline
installing a fireplace
adding new room/s or garage
changing a garage into a room
adding or tearing down the wall/s
making bathroom in basement
building a new deck
installing a pool
Should you need creative ideas on home improvements along with tips and tricks, pricehomeimprovements.com has proved to be one of the best sites for getting inspiration and learning the ropes.
How to get a permit to remodel a Maryland house?
The application process for remodeling your house in Maryland functions in the following way:
Contacting and discussing the project with the building department
Filling in the application meaning:
Determining the type of permits you need (carpentry, electrical plumbing, etc.) and
Drawing up plans required by the building department
Submitting the application along with applicable fees
To remodel a house in Maryland, you need to take care of the paperwork and get a permit first.
Movers can help during the home renovation process after receiving a permit. Surrounding yourself with a team of professionals before starting with renovations of a Maryland home will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle.
Interestingly enough, you can clear out the way first with the right assistance as well. Junk removal service is a way to go if your house is ‘overcrowded’ with stuff, esp. heavy items.
Paying the fees
The bigger the project, the bigger the fees. That’s the rule. Installing a fence, for instance, can cost you $50. When it comes to room addition to your Maryland house, they’ll charge you several hundred dollars.
Getting approval, fingers crossed
In general, it takes them a few days to review your plans whit bigger projects. With smaller, you’ll get a permit in the twinkling of an eye. However, not all projects are approved. The bottom line is you won’t be kept in suspense for too long. You can also make changes to your project and get to remodel your property in Maryland after all.
Whether you will get a permit to remodel a Maryland house or not depends on the decision of the local building department. Examining your document shouldn’t last more than a week.
What comes after you get to remodel a Maryland house?
After your project is approved, the house is decluttered, and Excalibur Moving and Storage provided you with storage space for your belongings, you can start building. However, this can’t go without an inspector coming to check whether there are no deviations. Inspections happen often, can be a drag, but you’ll get used to it. Meeting codes for footing depth, railing spacing, and the rest is what got your approval. Our advice – stick to the plan. Even the smallest changes made can backfire, resulting in shutting down the project. It’s advisable that you post a paper obtained from the building apartment somewhere where it’s visible.
What happens if I fail to meet regulations and codes?
If you don’t pass, don’t worry because you still get to remodel a Maryland house. Everyone gets a second chance or a redo if you like. Yes, it means additional expenses, but in the end, you’ll raise the value of the house (that’s what investment is all about) or bring your living space to perfection. In either case, it’s worth it.
We hope that our guide on the permits you need to remodel a Maryland house has helped you understand your obligations better so your renovation can go smoothly. Good luck!
Planning to move to Texas and live in this state? Well, you are definitely making a good decision! Living in this state will give you a lot of opportunities and a lot of things to discover and see. But, before you plan a long-distance move and organize the entire process, you should think about your future place of living. In other words, you can discover some of the most popular home styles in Texas. By knowing the styles, it will be easier for you to choose your new home and to organize the entire process with ease. So, let us present to you some of the styles and how to plan your relocation process.
What are the most popular home styles in Texas?
Before relocating to Texas, finding a perfect home is one of the essential tasks. Here is a list of the popular home styles that you should consider:
Farmhouse.
Contemporary.
The Mediterranean is one of the most popular home styles in Texas.
Ranch.
All these home styles are suitable for a living and beautiful in their own way. No matter which of these homes you decide to purchase, remember that you have to do good research about the price. In other words, you should do good research about real estate trends in Texas. To get back to these styles, let us give you a better image of them.
Farmhouse
The old-fashioned and one of the traditional home styles in Texas is Farmhouse. This style is almost 200 years old and it is known as the German style. Farmhouses are specific because they are big and they are mostly settled in rural areas. Most farmhouses are having a barn on the property and people who are living in farmhouses are having an opportunity to do agriculture. Just remember to check all the things when buying a house in Texas, in this case, a farmhouse.
By living in a farmhouse, you will have your own peace.
Contemporary
Known as the modern style, contemporary house is one of the most popular home styles in Texas. You can find contemporary in both urban and rural areas. But, there is a difference between modern and contemporary styles. Modern style is known for homes that are built in the 20th century, and contemporary style is used for homes that are building these days. In both cases, you can expect that you will find affordable prices and that these places have new construction. In contemporary cases, you will mostly find open floor plans. Also, you will find modern design houses in Texas which style is contemporary.
The Mediterranean is one of the most popular home styles in Texas
Who does not like the Mediterranean style in general, right? Well, it is the same situation when we talk about popular home styles in Texas. If you choose the Mediterannean style, you have a feeling that you are on the European coast. Speaking about indoors and outdoors they are united. Most homes that have this style also have large and heavy wooden doors. Also, the Mediterranean style can be improved even more. If you decide to buy a home that has this style and you want to make some changes, just remember to avoid home improvement scams and to organize the entire process properly.
The Mediterranean style will give you the feeling that you are on the coast in Europe.
Ranch
Finally, we cannot mention the ranch-style as one of the most popular home styles in Texas! If you are looking to live in the country and you want to have your own peace, ranch-style is definitely an option for you. You can improve your ranch in the way you want to. Building barns, having your own property, etc. are some of the benefits you can get if you buy a ranch home-style. Since we are talking about Texas, you can expect a lot of options. The trick is just doing good research and see what are good solutions. For instance, when people are searching for modern ranch houses in Wyoming, you should do the same thing when we talk about Texas.
No matter which of the most popular home styles in Texas you choose, remember to organize your relocation properly
Now, when we talk about the moving process, remember that you should have a smooth move. Once you have chosen some of these home styles in Texas, it is time to organize your moving process properly. The best way to achieve your relocation process is to have professional moving assistance you can rely on during the entire process. Keep in mind that reliable and professional movers will transport everything to your new place with ease and in no time. In this way, you can expect that you will relocate in a simple way.
Gather good packing supplies for your belongings
The safety of your belongings is one of the crucial things in every relocation process. No matter if you are moving across the street or to another city, you have to protect all your goods in an appropriate way. By using packing supplies, you can expect that all your goods will be safe and secure. You just have to acquire adequate supplies on time and pack your goods before the moving day comes.
Gather appropriate packing materials.
Rent a storage unit for your goods while preparing your new home
In the case that you are planning to do more improvement in your new house, what should you do with belongings? Well, renting a storage unit is always a good idea. By having a storage unit, you will not have to worry about the safety of your goods. Since we are talking about Texas, you can find a lot of reliable options. A good solution is to contact Evolution Moving and ask this company to provide you with a facility! Be sure that all your goods will be safe and secure.
Let’s summarize
To summarize, no matter which of these most popular home styles in Texas you choose, you are going to love it. Each of these styles is specific and beautiful in its own way. Just think about which one is the most suitable for your lifestyle and enjoy your new place of living!
Regardless if they are big or small, home renovation projects are stressful and expensive. So, having a friend that can do the work can make a lot of money. Plus, you already trust that person. Here are some of the upsides of friends helping you renovate your home. Make sure you familiarize yourself with them before you employ those near and dear to you.
So, prior to trying tips to organize a full home renovation, you need to know who can help you do it. If it’s your friends, then you need to know the upsides of friends helping you renovate your home. And below you’ll find them.
There are many upsides of friends helping you renovate your home.
You know them
Since they are your friends, you probably know their strengths, abilities, and skillsets. So, you have an idea of how they can be used to the advantage of your home renovation project. Hiring friends may be a great way to get good-quality help, especially if you don’t have the knowledge or skills to DIY. They can be like an advisor to you, and since you already know their capacities and expertise, you can be sure you’re getting reliable advice. Also, since you know your friends, you’ll not have to run a background check. You already know whether they help is a good option or not.
Upsides of friends helping you renovate your home – It will bring you closer
When you’re in the process of finding out how to organize your house renovation, it’s good to know you can rely on your friends. They can help you build your dream home to life. And that common experience can bring you even closer and cement your relationship. Besides, building a home together is an ultimate bonding experience.
You’ll save money
One of the obvious upsides of friends helping you renovate your home is that it will save you a lot of money. The labor costs of professional contractors are somewhere between $30 to $125 per hour. So, their work can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on your project.
By having friends helping you renovate your home, you’re trading their and your time for that extra money. So, regardless if you’re planning home improvements for every budget or larger project, those savings can be substantial.
Friends can be a great help when renovating a home.
Tips to use when friends helping you renovate your home
Since you’re going to hire your friends to help you renovate, and you’re using them as your designer, builder, or tradespeople, you must do it right. There are many upsides of friends helping you renovate your home and numerous occasions when using your relationships can be beneficial to your renovation project. Let your friends help you on your project, but make sure you do that in the right way. Here are some tips you should consider using:
Make sure you create a professional working relationship with your friends.
Consider using a real contract.
Have the same rules as you would with any professional.
Established boundaries and expectations and talk about them with your friends.
Virginia is a great place if you are looking for that historic vibe. But, there is always the question of renovating vs. building a home. Regardless of what you decide, you should definitely opt for some of the most popular Virginia home styles. Not only will you participate in conserving the historic vibe of the state, but you will find that it can be very functional.
Almost every city in Virginia has something characteristic when it comes to home styles. For example, you can find the Tudor Revival style in older suburbs like Arlington. It reached its popularity peak during the 20s and 30s. However, its features give it a medieval touch. In fact, the decorative half-timbering steeply pitched roofs will make you feel like you are in a fairytale. But, if that is not your cup of tea, we have some more styles you may like.
We selected some of the most popular Virginia home styles and listed them in chronological order. The order is based on the timeframe they were most popular. They include:
Colonial Revival
American Foursquare
Bungalow
Cape Cod
Ramblers
Neo-colonial
Colonial Revival and American Foursquare – the oldest among the most popular Virginia home styles
So, the Colonial Revival style derives from the Georgian and Federal styles which were popular from 1880 all the way to 1960. They mimic the styles of early American housing. The features you will encounter are:
Two or more stories
Symmetrical facades
Small portico
A center hall
These houses are often formal with hallways and doors that clearly mark the beginning of one and the end of another room. They are a great option for families and if you decide to move into one, professionals can help you anytime, anyplace, and at an affordable price.
Pick the home type that suits you.
The American Foursquare style popped up around the same time as the Colonial Revival style. But, it was popular only up to the 1930s. As the name suggests, these types of homes have four rooms on the ground and an equal number of rooms on the second floor. They were built like squares and they feature wide porches. Also, they were designed to make maximum use of the lots that can be found in small cities.
The Bungalow and Cape Cod-style homes are great
The blooming of Bungalow-style homes can be traced to the first half of the 20th century. Usually, they are 1-1 1/2 stories high and have a low-pitched roof. Also, you will find that they have broad eaves that often extend to cover the large front porches. Unlike the previously mentioned colonial houses, the Bungalow building style has no distinct formal features. Rooms just flow into one another which can give of a vibe of comfort. You should keep that in mind if you are looking to renovate your Virginia historic home. Also, you might want to add some more lighting in your home since the covered front porch creates quite a bit of darkness in the living room.
Bungalow style homes are a great pick.
Around the same time when Bungalow-style homes were a thing, another type of housebuilding was on the rise – the Cape Cod style. Popular from the 1920s up to the 1960s, these homes had the objective to keep you warm throughout the long and cold winters of New England. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that these homes were build to be economical and easy to build, maintain, heat, and cool. Their signature feature is the chimney located at the center of the roof. The front door is right beneath it. Moreover, it is windows flank it on both sides.
Ramblers are among the most popular Virginia home styles for seniors
Unlike the aforementioned Cape Cod style, Ramblers are much more spacious. They were most popular from the 50s to the early 70s when the development of large tracts of land began in Virginia. They are single-story homes and their entire width is facing the street. Also, it has a built-in garage that like the house, faces the street. This makes them very noticeable. So, if you decide to move here, just go over to a2bmovingandstorage.com and arrange a move right now.
Ramblers are great for senior years.
Even though many dismiss the Ramblers style and call it soulless, they have many advantages, like:
They are good for seniors since mobility can be an issue when you get older. Since there are no stairs, this problem is solvable.
It provides excellent options for expansion, either upward or outward.
You will have much greater privacy because of the relatively large lot.
You don’t have to create a new foundation if you are looking to expand the house vertically.
Last but not least – Neo-colonial homes
In recent years the Colonial house style has become more popular. But, it has some very specific traits. These were borrowed from the Georgian, Federalist, as well as Colonial Revival styles. These homes go by the name Neo-colonial. They are economic to build and maintain. In fact, the economic side is the main driver of this type of build.
The main characteristic is that they are on multiple levels which makes a small footprint. Consequently, they have a lower land cost. Moreover, they are inexpensive to heat and cool. But, they greatly differ from the Colonial Revival homes we talked about at the beginning. The biggest difference is concerning features and building materials. While the former use many costly building materials and are considered “high-maintenance”, the situation with Neo-colonial homes is the opposite. They use high-tech features and low-maintenance, modern building materials. So, if you are looking to move to Virginia, this type of home might be perfect for you.
Living areas in these types of homes are more spacious and have much better natural lighting. Also, by combining the traditional strict demarcation of rooms you will get great open spaces and huge rooms. This is one of the many features that make the Neo-colonial style so desirable.
The choice between renovating vs. building a home often depends on many different variables. Both options have their pros and both of them have their cons as well. Therefore, the best choice is the one that will serve the bigger picture. So, renovating vs. building a home, who wins the battle? Let’s weigh in.
Renovating vs. building a home – An overview
Building a new home means you’ll design and built a house from the ground up. So, and everything will be newly built and installed. Renovating a home means you’ll make changes to an existing structure for different reasons. But, here’s an overview of both options:
Building a new home. You and your team will collaborate to make decisions about every element of your new home.
Renovation. When renovating, your wishes need to accommodate a space that is already built. You can use tips to organize a full home renovation, but since the frame is already built, you’ll have borders.
Renovating vs. building a home which option is the right.
Pros and cons of home renovation
Home renovation has these pros:
You’ll retain your existing home that’s full of memories.
Profit. If you learn how to organize your house renovation and perform it, you’ll add value to your home. So, when you come to sell, you could make a good profit.
You can make your house environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.
Make your mark. For many people, home renovation is a lifelong goal.
But, before you start to make any change to an existing home, you need to know these renovation cons.
Ongoing costs. A home renovation project may go wildly off the rails in terms of price. Plus, there are hidden costs that will only become apparent when you start digging into the project.
Unseen issues. Renovating is a process full of twists and turns.
Renovation is time-consuming and there are many questions to consider. Such as will you be able to live in the home while renovating or you’ll have to rent somewhere else? Can you afford that? What will happen if the project runs over on time or/and budget? Do you have the time to commit fully?
Pros and cons of building a home
Building a home brings these pros:
Everything will be new and under warranty. So, the maintenance cost and repairs should be minimal.
Opportunity to use sustainable materials and build an environmentally efficient home.
You can plan for new technology.
You have endless options in design. There is no layout or structure to try to fit your ideas into.
Opportunity to choose the layout and floor plan that works for you.
You can locate and design to have the best natural view. You can learn how to decorate your garden and everything will be up to your taste and needs.
Know the pros and cons of building home.
However, building a home also has some cons. Here are them:
Higher cost. So, make sure you consider this carefully and try not to blow your budget.
Difficulties. Just because the home is a new build, it doesn’t mean that there will be no problems. Also, there is always a chance of nasty surprises popping up later on.
Longer wait time. On average, it takes about even months to construct a new house. But, that’s without planning and approval stages.
Where you’ll live until the home building process is done?
So, before making your final decision, make sure you carefully weigh these pros and cons.
All of us have that one room in our houses where you keep the stuff that you might need someday. In most cases, it is a garage filled with tools, screws, hoses, bicycles, gardening tools, etc. The one thing that’s the same in all people’s houses, is that, usually, this room is just a hot mess. But, if you’re lucky enough, you have an out-of-sight hot mess that not many people can see, called THE SHED. But, now and then, you should at least try to clean it and pack it up a little. So as not to trip over something. Try to make some improvements. Enough said, today is your lucky day. We made a list of tips for organizing your outdoor shed.
A home isn’t only what you see on the surface. It consists of numerous complex components. And when you’re buying a home, you may be able to settle for minor cosmetic repairs. However, you need to be sure everything beneath the surface is in shape. That’s why an extensive home inspection is valuable and necessary. But, what is home inspection and when should it take place? Here you’ll find the answers.
