A spacious home is something we all dream of. It’s what makes a house saleable. And it’s what makes a property worth investing in. But did you know that a few simple works of trickery could help you make your house look and feel a lot more spacious than it is? Here’s how.

When a home is cramped or cluttered, it can often make you feel uncomfortable, irritable and generally unorganized. Here are 5 great tricks to make the rooms in your house feel bigger.

Image via: Kay Wettstein von Westersheimb 

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1. Let the light in

Nothing is more flattering to a property than natural light. It’s the best form of light to have in your home and it can actually open up your rooms by giving them the appearance of being bigger. Floor space may be tight but if you can let in enough natural light, you can create an illusion that your room is more spacious than it is. So make the most of windows and choose curtains / blinds that do not obstruct the sunlight during the day.

2. Use mirrors in the home

If natural light is lacking, you can help to bounce the light around the room using the trick of mirrors. Not only can mirrors be used for practical reasons, but they can be key features in any room. For small spaces such as bathrooms and en suite bathrooms, choose illuminated mirrors for extra effect. (View a stylish collection online: Bathroom Cabinets UK – Illuminated Mirrors)

3. Paint with light colours –

When painting a room, it’s important to think about size and colour. Choosing light colours and neutral colours can actually make your walls and your entire room look larger. Dark colours may feel cosy and warm but they could actually make the rooms in your house look cramped.

Image via: Honky Architecture & Interior Design

4. Choose glass furniture –

If you feel that you’re running tight on floor space, glass furniture could do the trick in giving you the illusion that there’s more room. Glass coffee tables are very stylish and modern or you can opt for a glass dining set.

5. Display glass artwork –

Just like mirrors can reflect natural light around the room, so can glass artwork. This is a great way of making your rooms appear bigger whilst modernising your home. Glass artwork can be arranged on the walls or you can display a feature piece on your mantelpiece, on a shelf or on a table.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Market price is one important consideration for first time home buyers like you, but you also need to think about what a home is going to cost after you purchase it. Home utility costs can run the gamut in pricing from highly affordable to wildly expensive. You might move into your new home only to find the cost of utilities too great to bear. Remember these tips for estimating utility costs when purchasing a new home so that you can be as informed as possible.

Image via: steveSIMMONS architect

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1. Measure the Home

A home’s size is one of the most important factors to take into account when estimating the cost of utilities. Get accurate measurements of the whole house and see how they compare to your current home. A larger home will require more energy for heating and cooling, and will tend to use more water as well. A spacious lawn surrounding a home will also drive up water consumption as regular watering becomes necessary. Measure the size of any home you’re considering to get a better idea of the cost of utilities.

2. Check All Appliances

When you tour a home that you may be considering for a purchase, be sure to take a good look at any appliances that might come with the deal. A fully equipped kitchen can be a major selling point for a home, but not if every appliance is over 20 years old. Outdated appliances will cause energy consumption to skyrocket, making the cost of utilities higher. Inspect kitchen appliances, water heaters, air conditioners and any other appliances that will come with the home.

Image via: Benjamin Benschneider

3. Inquire About Insulation

A house needs to be insulated in order to achieve a decent level of energy efficiency, so you should ask about insulation whenever you look at a possible new home. Inquire about insulation in outside walls: when was it installed, and what materials were used? Be sure to look for an insulated attic as well. Lots of heat can escape a home through its roof in the winter. A well insulated home will reduce energy consumption, so remember to ask about this to help estimate utility costs.

4. Conduct a Professional Evaluation

An energy auditor can help you learn the facts about your possible new home’s energy consumption and efficiency, and hiring an auditor is one of the best ways to estimate utility costs. A comprehensive energy audit will inspect all appliances and utilities for efficiency, look for any air leaks or breaks in insulation, and figure out how much energy it will take to keep your future home comfortable. Look for an energy auditor in your area who can inspect possible new homes thoroughly and professionally.

Image via: Dick Clark Architecture

5. Ask for Copies of Past Bills

Finally, ask for copies of utility bills from the previous owners, if available. If you are buying from the home owner, or purchasing a home that has been recently occupied, you may be able to see some actual utility bills. Alternatively, look into websites like www.UtilitiesDirect.co.uk to help you estimate utility costs. You can get free quotes on gas and electricity, helping you estimate utility costs. This is an important consideration in the home buying process, so remember these tips to help you figure out what your home will cost you after the deal is closed.

For more home buying & selling tips on Stagetecture, click here.

During the spring months, termites, insects, and other pests seem to come around, which can be quite frustrating for any homeowner. If you would like to avoid pay too much money for bug extermination during the spring months, there are many things that you can do on your own. While professional extermination may still be necessary, there are also plenty of DIY tips that you can follow to reduce the amount of money you would have spent on extermination.

Image via: Chuck Choi

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Use Insecticides and Bug Sprays

If you are having trouble with insects finding their way into your home, using insecticides can help to target the problem and eliminate them for good. There are many insecticides on the market that are designed to get rid of a number of insects, which includes ants, spiders, beetles, crickets, and many other pesky little insects that are bothering you. You can purchase organic insecticides and bugs spray that work efficiently to eliminate the bugs without causing pollution or damaging any plants within the area. You can even make your own insect repellants and insecticides. One homemade spray would include three cloves of garlic mixed with mineral oil and water. You can spray this regularly outside of the home to reduce the insects in the area.

Keep the Home Clean

While it is not always an easy task, keeping the home clean is one way to save money on bug extermination because there will be fewer bugs in the home. Most insects are attracted to certain scents, particularly sweet scents. Keeping your home clean can help to reduce the number of insects inside the home, but it will not necessarily get rid of them at all. The kitchen is one of the most vulnerable spots, especially since food tends to splatter and spill in this area of the home, so do your best to keep that area the cleanest.

Image via: Zack|de Vito Architecture + Construction

Buy a Lizard

If you already a fan of reptiles, buying a lizard may be in your best interest. It is said that home with lizards often have fewer bug problems, especially since lizards are at the top of the food chain and are willing to eat a variety of insects. This can help you to cut back on the cost of an exterminator because there will not be nearly as many bugs inside the home.

Contact Affordable and Professional Extermination Companies

If you absolutely need to hire an exterminator to help you with the bug problem in your home, make sure that you contact an affordable extermination company that would be willing to do the work at a decent rate, a rate that is not going to cost you an arm and a leg. You can check out information on pest control from exterminators on http://www.pestcontrol.us, along with finding out about any special discounts that are currently being offered.

While the insects and bugs enjoy the spring weather, there are plenty of ways that you can eliminate these pests from taking over your home and your backyard. You can cut the cost of using an exterminator by doing some of the extermination on your own in different ways. The more that you do to get rid of the problem with the bugs, the less you will have to spend on professional extermination services.

For more pest control ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Protecting your home and family is crucial – both while you are at home and not at home. Most homes are broken into during the peak winter and summer months, when people are away on vacation. Moreover, during the last ten years, over 5 million homes have been burglarized and 28% occurred when the occupant was home. These scary statistics should give you a glimpse of how important home security is. While having state-of-the-art locks and windows can help prevent break-ins, you generally need some other preventative measures to fully defend your home.

Image via: Moroso Construction

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Here are 5 home exterior security options.

Considering a guard dog to your family

There are plenty of dog breeds that work for adults and children, so that your guard dog can also make a great family companion too. More often than not, guard dogs are more bark than bite, but a loud enough bark should scary away anybody attempting to burglarize your home. You can either invest in a professional guard dog or purchase a breed, like German Shepard or Doberman, which will really look the part and protect you home.

Install smart phone enabled locks in your home

Thanks to the advent of smart phones and other devices, you can actually purchase a number of different apps that can automatically, and even remotely, lock the doors of your home. This is a great tool in case you forget to lock up before you go to sleep at night or go on a vacation. Many of these apps are as simple as a download and minimal configuration of equipment.

Invest in a good home security system

If you have a bigger budget for your exterior home security needs you can also purchase a high-end system that will secure all your window and doors with sensor-activated alarms. Best of all, many of the high-end security systems have patrol officers on the ready who will be dispatched if they see a sign of forced entry or a signal for alarm. This is not only a great way to prevent theft, but also apprehend potential burglars in the act so that you can protect your community as well.

Here, there and everywhere in the high tech world you can find a number of different small and inconspicuous cameras. By rigging your home with these cameras you can always be on the ready to see who is at your door. A number of brazen burglaries are done by force, so having a camera is a great way to see who is at the door before you open it.

Image via: David Johnston Architects

Consider safety lighting for your outdoor home

Another great way to protect your home is to get powerful floodlights that are motion activated. Turn on the mechanism at night or before you go out of town and anyone who tries to break into your home will be met with a blast of bright light. To the burglar it will look as if someone is at home and has turned on the light. Bright floodlights are one of the most effective ways to deter a burglar and safeguard your home.

For more home safety tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Keeping a roof over your head isn’t just a matter of paying the bills. Home owners need to be proactive in home maintenance in order to make sure problems don’t arise. Roofing problems can lead to leaks and water damage, among other things, which quickly destroy roofs and lead to expensive repairs. To ensure a long life for your home’s roof, follow these maintenance tips and nip potential problems before they start.

Image via: Rob Karosis Photography

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Don’t Neglect Your Gutters

Clean gutters are the key to a healthy roof. Gutters are designed to direct the flow of precipitation off your roof and away from your home, but they only work when they’re clean. A clogged gutter quickly turns into a heavy tube of soaking debris that blocks water flow and puts additional strain on your roof. Leaks are more likely to develop in your roof’s weak spots if your gutters are clogged, especially during winter when snow and ice can pile up for several days.

Trim Intruding Tree Branches

Trees are beautiful, but they hold in their branches the power to wreak havoc on your home. Naturally falling debris such as leaves, twigs and seeds can quickly pile up on your roof, clogging gutters and requiring frequent clean-up jobs. This, however, is the least of your concerns. A heavy storm could send much larger and more threatening pieces of debris hurling down onto your roof and causing serious damage. Don’t let problems like this take you by surprise. Keep tree branches away from your roof to minimize your maintenance concerns and keep the possibility of dangerous accidents to a minimum.

Make Regular Inspections

Most roofing problems don’t spring up overnight, although it may appear that they do. A leak that you notice in your roof today is likely the result of damage that grew over months of neglect. Nip those problems in the bud by giving your roof at least two good inspections every year. Check once as fall begins to set in, and once again when spring comes around. This will help you identify any possible problems before and after winter, the season that puts roofs everywhere to the ultimate test.

Image via: Darwin Webb Landscape Architects

Prepare for the Worst

Your roofing concerns may vary depending on your climate, but always plan for the worst case scenario. Home owners everywhere should look into fortified roofing options if they are concerned about their roofs’ lifespans. Spending a little extra to make sure your roof is set up strong from the start will make a big difference down the road. Don’t be careless with your roof–plan for the worst and set up a strong shield from the very beginning.

Don’t Cover Up Problems

If you’re like many home owners and have a shingled roof over your head, don’t paint it. Cover-up jobs only hide underlying problems, allowing them to fester and grow over time. When you paint over your shingles, weak spots and potential leaks only become more difficult to identify. When your roof is in poor enough condition to warrant a paint job, it’s probably time for a more thorough home improvement project.

For more maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve never had any desire to learn the art of plumbing. And yet, when you’re scratching your head, mystified about the cause of your leaky faucet, your clogged toilet, or the water stain that seems to have appeared on your basement ceiling, you might wish you had picked up a home repair guide at some point and studied common plumbing issues. Luckily, it’s never too late to learn something new. And your ability to troubleshoot problems with your pipes could let you know when an issue is something that you can handle, thus saving money that you might have otherwise spent on a professional plumber, although you can also tell when you’re in over your head. So here are a few tips and tricks that should help you to get a handle on your home plumbing and troubleshoot any common issues that could arise.

Image via: FINNE

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Most common problems with plumbing

The first thing you’ll need to do is become aware of the most common problems you’re likely to face where your plumbing is concerned, and there are a few. For example, you may find that the toilets and drains in your home seem to get clogged frequently. Or you might suffer from leaky faucets. You could also have issues with the hot water in your home, as in it doesn’t get hot enough or it turns cold before you’ve finished a short shower. Leaky pipes and water stains are also a problem, especially in older homes. However, an awareness of common issues that could pop up will give you a starting point when it comes to learning to diagnose and perhaps even fix or prevent some problems on your own.

Fixing drains, clogged pipes , and toilets

As for what to do once you’ve discovered an issue, there are a couple of options. An old-school home repair guide may suit some homeowners just fine, but if you’re looking for a little help from modern sources, you can’t go wrong by hopping on the internet to troubleshoot and find instructions and video tutorials, often from professional plumbers, that will help you to figure out what’s causing the problem and find a solution. Clogged toilets and drains, for example, may need nothing more than a plunger or some Drano to fix. Then again, you may need to start flushing more frequently to prevent the toilet from backing up, or snaking the drains on a regular basis to remove hair clogs.

Image via: Schmitt Company

Leaky faucets are often a quick fix, as well, since the most common cause is a rubber ring that has deteriorated (they’re cheap and easy to replace in most cases). As for hot water issues, you might just need to turn up the temperature on your water heater (although you shouldn’t go above 120? Fahrenheit if you want to avoid scalding) or flush the tank to remove a buildup of debris. Of course, you could be facing more serious issues, in which case you might contact Aqua Plumbing & Air or another local vendor to provide you with a professional opinion and some expert assistance. But if you can troubleshoot a plumbing issue on your own you may find that you can also address it without too much fuss or expense. In the long run, this could save you a ton of money.

For more plumbing and maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Adding a water element to your existing home decor is always a great idea. The charm and elegance that is added, thanks to a water feature, makes it a popular element for many home decorators to use around the world. Most homemakers enjoy adding a new water feature to their garden or even to their living room because it makes their home tranquil and inviting. After work feeling peaceful near a water source after a long, hectic day is both relaxing and soothing for the mind, body and soul.

Image via: The Wilson Group

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Adding water elements to your home

Most mothers love the idea of adding a beautiful pond to their backyard or garden area. They want to add this special feature to enhance the beauty and charm of their home exteriors. With so much wonderful trends that take over the interior decor, mothers can finally add something beautiful to their garden, which allows their children have a nice time. In fact, a garden with water features is a perfect place to have games and even a tea party for little girls. If you’re running out of space in your garden, then you can also look for pond liners and other similar artificial pond elements that will help you create a magical effect.

You can also purchase a variety of home decor elements that will help you add on to your existing pond area. The www.swallowaquatics.co.uk website is a fantastic site that offers a plethora of options for you to choose from to embellish your garden area. You’ll find furniture, garden accessories, lights, orchid accessories, spring bulbs and a lot more. You can also add beautiful party decor elements to your garden and you will have a blast inviting company over to enjoy your great outdoors. Your garden area will turn into an important part of your exterior and you will look forward to thoroughly enjoying it.

Image via: Bercy Chen Studio

Outdoor water features

Installing a water feature to your outdoor area is a lot easier today than what it was years prior. Now you can add lighting, splash pumps, artificial garden rocks, pebbles and similar exterior decor elements that are perfect for decorating your garden area. There are expert technicians and professionals that can install a pond within a few days’ time. You can also install a gazebo or a garden shed to your outdoor area or patio, which will add more beauty, space and shelter for you to celebrate special occasions with friends and family.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

It is easy to think that the security of your property will be dealt with by the police or the Neighbourhood Watch scheme or by anyone else who cares to protect your home and its contents.

However, you are the person who needs to take control of the situation and make sure that the place is fully protected, and here are a few ideas for getting started on doing that.

Image via: William Hefner

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Look Around

Sometimes finding flaws in your home security can be as easy as walking around the place at night and looking for shady areas or potential entry points. Overgrown bushes, unlit areas and open windows are the kinds of thing which burglars will look for so you should be aware of them too. Even if you can’t spot any possible problems then you could ask at your local police station for their security assessment advice, or look online for it. A few simply little changes can make your place look a lot less attractive to potential burglars.

Get an Alarm or CCTV

Thieves tend to look for the property with the weakest security and target it. If there are, for example, 10 houses on a street and only 1 of them doesn’t have a burglar alarm then this is the one which is likely to be most at risk. Many modern security devices are inexpensive and easy to set up. By choosing a big, reputable name like ADT you will give yourself genuine peace of mind with their innovative home security cameras.

Check the Locks 

If you haven’t changed your home’s locks in quite some time then you might be using devices which are no longer the best on the market. This kind of security technology has advanced greatly in recent years and it is well worth seeing whether you can make a step up to a better model without spending too much money. You will sleep a lot better at night knowing that your doors and windows are as well protected as possible.

 Image via: Wayne Windham Architect

Be Alert

We often complain about the lack of policemen on the streets these days but that just makes it even more important to be alert and to be aware of any unusual activity near your house. You are the person who needs to take responsibility for looking after your property and part of this means checking out what is happening in the area. The CCTV camera systems we mentioned earlier will play a big part in this but you should also make the effort to pay more attention to what is happening around your house.

For more home safety tips on Stagetecture, click here.

We don’t like to talk about it but unwanted pests such as rodents and unwelcomed furry friends in your home in the winter can be a nuisance. Today, my guest blogger from ‘Do My Own Pest Control’ will share information to keep your home and family safe. Next week they will be my guest on Stagetecture Radio – on Wednesday, January 16th at 12pm EST.

Join me as I interview their expert next week on ‘Your Weekly Home at Stagetecture’- Episode 11 We will talk about green measures to keep unwanted pests from your home, easy ways to keep rodents out of your home and more!

I asked them to guest blog and share with you how to ensure your home is safe this winter.

Image via: Chelsea Atelier

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Ridding your home of unwanted pests

Winter is upon us in United States and the cool air has settled in. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones who have taken notice of the climate changes; some unwelcomed guests will take this opportunity to try to move in to your home in search of warmth. I am of course referring to our furry friends, the rodent. As temperatures dip down, rats and mice alike will scurry into human dwellings and take up residence for the winter.

Persistent and crafty, rodents will find a way to enter a home anyway they can. Mice have been known to squeeze through space about as wide as a nickel; there are even some rare cases that mice have slipped through gaps as wide as a pencil.

So the moral of the story is to prepare before these critters get in. Now that you know they are capable, where should you look? Rodents can infiltrate your home from multiple locations. Common channels of navigation for rodents include ventilation grills, sidewalk gratings and large sidewalk cracks. They can gnaw through wooden doors and crawl into spaces where pipes meet wood siding. They have been known to scale vertical wires, pipes and tree limbs.

DIY Tips to keep pests out

The next topic of discussion for excluding rodents from your home is what one would need in terms of materials. Once you have located the vulnerable points around your home, you’ll need to cover them up. The first suggestion that comes to mind is galvanized, stainless or non-rusting metals; examples of which include:

Look for sheet metal that is 24 gauge or higher. Expanded metal, 28 gauge or higher.  Perforated metal, 24 gauge or higher. Hardware cloth (steel wool), 19 gauge or higher with 1/4” or less mesh

Another good option for plugging those entrances is Cement mortar. A mixture of one part cement, three parts sand mix or richer is sufficient enough for cement to keep the rats at bay. Along the same lines, concrete works just as well. A mixture of one part cement, two parts gravel and four parts sand mix or richer will do the trick! And just as an extra precaution, adding broken glass to mortar or cement will deter rodents from burrowing through it as it dries.

Image via: Zuniga Interiors

Preventative pest control

Now how do you apply these preventive measures? We discussed a good deal of options but it might not have been clear as to which one should you use in any given case. Let’s run through some examples so we can get a better picture. Creative use of materials combined with knowledge of rodent behavior will help you exclude rodents from buildings, thus you are not limited to just using one method for a multitude of openings. It is recommended that you should patch holes around plumbing with concrete or mortar. For covering drains, vents or chimneys, use 1/4” hardware cloth. Along the bottom of a door, use sheet metal flashing. For drains, place a metal circular rat guard around the entrance of the drain to prevent rats from wedging themselves between the building and the pipe to crawl upwards.

Be sure to check up on your newly place defenses every couple of weeks; take this time to also check for new vulnerable spots around the homestead. Take note that the mice and rats trying to return to their old hunting grounds are probably the most stubborn and strongest of the bunch!

Luis Alberto Simauchi Jr. works for Do My Own Pest Control and his time there has made him a sustainable home improvement enthusiast with a particular interest in sustainable pest control methods.

Join us on 1.16.13 when I interview Do My Own Pest Control – Stagetecture Radio – Episode 11

Download on iTunes after 1.16.13 to hear anytime – iTunes – Episode 11

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.