Tag Archives: budget

Common Problems In Victorian Homes: House Of Haute Style Or Horrors By Zoe Clark

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1Ominous yet romantic, Victorian homes are a living example of timeless elegance and longevity, which is one of the main reasons why houses dating to this era are extremely popular among homeowner hopefuls. Still, every piece of property has its perks and downsides, and the same is true of Victorian homes. Underneath their beauty and complex trims, houses built in the second half of the 19th century can hide serious hardware issues, which is why home buyers need to be extra careful when inspecting their home-to-be with over 100 years under its belt. Here’s a brief list of the most common problems lurking beneath lavish Victorian frills to help you tell a money pit from the real value deal.

1. Weak-legged Victorians

Foundation issues are all too real a problem in old houses. However solid, the base of many a Victorian home can shift due to land subsidence, resulting in further structural hitches such as cracked or bulging walls, door and window defects, and even plumbing and wiring problems.

When inspecting your future love nest, look for floor and wall flaws, door and window latching problems, and foundation chipping or flaking. In case you detect signs of foundation glitches, a structural engineer may need to step in and see whether, where, and how the damage can be repaired.

2. It never rains but it pours

2Roof defects are a chronic problem of old property, and Victorian homes are not an exception. Leaks, faulty flashing, missing shingles or tiles, and poor insulation upstairs are red flags which you shouldn’t ignore when looking for a place to settle down.

During preliminary home viewing, check the walls and ceiling for signs of staining and peeling paint that may point to water intrusion. Broken or damaged roofing material can be replaced, insulation can be upgraded, and flashing flaws can be taken care of, but you’ll need to be aware of the total repair costs before you can call the property a home-sweet-home.

3. Budgeting down the drains

If the basement of your Victorian property find is smelling a bit worse for old age, it may be a good idea to check it for signs of mildew infestations. Mold and musty odor below ground level can point to plumbing faults, perimeter and underfloor drainage issues, or even foundation waterproofing hitches, which you’ll need to tend to and upgrade to contemporary standards before you move in.

In case you smell trouble in the basement, hire a professional to conduct a thorough inspection and estimate the upgrade scope and cost. This will help you get a better image of the post-move repair and upgrade expenses which play an important role in initial capital required to make the place livable.

34. Marrow-chilling prospects

Victorian doors and windows do look spectacular, but unless they’ve been updated in the past decade, you’ll probably need to have them checked, replaced, or repaired before you drop your gear on the floor.

When inspecting your future Victorian-age property, take a quick look at the frames, panes, and surrounding insulation: stains, cracks, mold, and other forms of damage can add a few figures to the post-purchase update bill. Also, be aware that certain features of an old home can’t be remedied due to their historical value – which is a real deal breaker.

5. Looming layout layovers

4Victorian homes usually have narrow hallways, tiny kitchens, tight and steep staircases, and modestly sized bedrooms, which can be problematic if you’re set on buying property for house flipping projects that promise a big bang for your buck. Modernizing a true-blue Victorian home will probably require extensive layout redrawing, and such endeavors are by far the costliest update in the fix-ad-flip lot.

For this reason, be very careful when selecting old houses to flip: Victorian charm is an asset only if the renovation doesn’t involve comprehensive floor plan changes and wall relocations.

Modern Victorian style is in – but the fact that antique houses are currently in high demand on the real estate market doesn’t mean that just about every old place is worth your cash. Double-check the critical property points before you sign the contract: a little extra care and inspection can save you thousands in the post-purchase update process. Good luck!

Author bio:

Zoe Clark is a journalist, freelance stylist and blogger. She is a visual storyteller and aesthetician by heart who often writes about decorating and DIY ideas. She loves sparking creativity in people and giving them ideas for their own spaces.

 

 

Money Saving Home Decorating Ideas By Lubna Ali Khan

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1~ You can always go out in your backyard to find beautiful things like cones or flowers and bring them in your home to add a beautiful and natural feel to the room.

 

2~ A room’s floors can add to its beauty because floors are an important element. Redoing hardwood floors can be very expensive so you can place rugs or carpets instead. They create a sense of warmth and coziness in the room. You can look for amazing overdyed rugs for sale and pick the ones that are the best match for your home.

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Photo credit: http://www.mybutterfly.com

 

3~ Decorate with affordable toss pillows. Toss pillows are relatively affordable and the right pattern and color can really add an impact to your space.

 

4~ You can look in magazines or on the web to find a room that speaks to you. You can choose picture of a high end room and then mimic that in your space. Look at all the details of the room that you like and recreate those details in your space by going to inexpensive and budget friendly stores. Look at the placement and execute your design.

 

5~ Make sure that those budget friendly things are not low on quality. The last thing you want for your home is to look like you have designed it with a bunch of second hand items. Plus it won’t come together like you want it to.

 

6~ Calender’s are an excellent budget friendly way to get artwork in your home. Basically they’re printed on quality paper and they look good when framed. You can get inexpensive frames from yard sales, discount stores or thrift shops. If they look old then you can always paint them a nice color to give them a fresh new look.

 

7~ Take your time and don’t feel like you have to rush in and design your home all at once. If you do that you won’t be happy with it because you rushed into it.

 

8~ Take your old furniture pieces that are worn out but are in a great condition and paint them white to make them refresh and new again. Painting anything white totally brightens up the room.

 

9~ If you don’t have the time and money to spend on curtains then you can take some spare bed sheets and make curtains out of them.

 

10~ If you keep your eye out then you can get really good deals on furniture. You can go to auctions, yard sales or garage sales to buy inexpensive furniture or decorating items.

 

11~ You can make your own picture frames by repainting old frames and gluing pearls or beads on them to make them more sparkly and pretty.

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Photo credit: http://www.theotherduckling.co.uk

 

12~ If you’re tired and bored of looking at the same sofas everyday then instead of buying a new sofa set or dining chairs you can simply change the fabric as the trends change over time. This is an inexpensive way to make your home look completely different and better.

Author Bio: This article was written by Lubna Ali Khan. She is passionate about home improvement, beauty, arts, writing, healthy living and entrepreneurship. She blogs at alrug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Egg Tree

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1240362_617105098362634_1359028214_nI am always on the lookout for great decorations and I actually love it when I come across a decoration that I can make that looks great and has potential for making a few relatively cheap that i can make as gifts. This is one of them.

Starting with a foam base, plastic eggs 9plain or with designs to fit your decor (or the recipients) and Easter grass (pictured we used crumpled paper shreddings (make yourself with your office shredder or sometimes you can get these at the dollar store). You will also need a glue like E-6000 (and we used bobby pins to help make them quicker). Hot glue will give you lots of problems with this craft as it does not like styrofoam at all.

Start at base and glue layers of eggs then grass (we put two small holes about a 1/4 apart and insert bobby pinued through these – and then glued before pushing onto styrofaom – this eliminates the need to hold until glue grips well).

This can be made for a permanent decoration or if giving to a recipient each egg could hold a surprise – although who would want to open something so nice.

End The Party For Uninvited Guests

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It happens every time….. you get unwanted and uninvited guests….. well, I can’t help you with them. BUT, I can help save drinks at your next outdoor party with this great idea. Its also very cheap so that is also a bonus. Have printed cupcake cups stashed all around for your guests to top their drink off with to prevent bugs from slipping into their drinks. You can go ahead and poke a hole through the middle of the bottom so your guests can easily slip them over their straw (you can use a small dowel or sharpened pencil). This also gives you an area to write each persons name on the top around the straw so people don’t lose their drinks and have to get another and waste your money by wasting drinks…. especially at a children’s party. Thank me later…..