Category: Eclectic Homes

You’re going to close escrow on a new home and it’s time to perform the final walkthrough. Whether you’re buying a newly constructed house or a resale, the walkthrough is your final opportunity to confirm that the house you contracted for would be your house you’re getting. Be particularly vigilant if the house is a quick sale or foreclosure as owners in distress frequently remove things they shouldn’t. Don’t treat the walkthrough as a home inspection, but regard it as an assessment of items and work promised. Repairs Following a home inspection, sellers frequently agree to make certain repairs. Make confident the repair invoices are left for your review and also check that all have already been completed. Look for the warranties on appliances and instruction booklets. In a new home, confirm that inadequate construction work was remediated. Appliances Carrying your purchase agreement, be certain that all the appliances which…

Pool vacuums allow you to remove dirt and debris in the bottom and sides of a pool without draining out the water. Suction is provided to the vacuum by the pool’s filter pump since it attracts water through the skimmer. While pool vacuums change in design and price, preparing a vacuum is comparable. Professional pool providers use a simple process to ensure that no air gets into the vacuum hose so that the vacuum works with maximum efficiency. Turn off the pool-filter pump in the timer-control box or use a manual switch. Loosen the grips that secure the cover in the leaf basket and then lift off the cover. Lift out the basket and remove any leaves or debris. Put the basket back into position and secure the cover by massaging the grips. Open the manage of this pressure-relief valve on the cover of the filter housing. Turn the pump…

Getting a leggy, dining room table to the house can be almost as challenging as getting a proverbial square peg into a round hole, but where there’s a will — and removable legs — there’s a way. You can damage a nice table during a move, so proper packing is key. After taking apart a table, then there’s a way to keep everything out of getting separated. When you get it in the dining area, you will need every bit readily accessible in order to reassemble it. Pull apart the tabletop and lift out any extension leaves. Wrap the table’s leaves in bubble wrap or blankets to keep them from becoming damaged or destroyed during transport. Use tape to secure the blankets around the leaves. Push the tabletop back together. Turn on the table upside down carefully and then put it on soft carpeting or a blanket. Unbolt the table’s…

When the tub surround is installed, there’ll be a gap that remains between the top of the ceiling and the surround, which necessitates covering sheetrock. Simply use water resistant drywall or”green-board,” with this application. A typical problem that drywall installers encounter is”slanting.” Slanting happens when the drywall doesn’t sit flush into the studs or framing around the top of the bathtub surround. The surround has a thin lip that is used to attach the surround to the framing with screws. The screws do not countersink into the surround lip, so when you install the drywall, the bottom of the drywall piece is held out from the eyebrow thickness as well as the heads of the screws, sometimes as far as 1/2-inch, compared to its position at the top adjoining to the ceiling. Furr-Out the Framing Assess the gap, in the top of the bathtub surround lip up into the ceiling…

A home loan is an investment for the creditor. In return for supplying adequate capital for the purchase of a home, the lender wants assurance that its investment will be returned with interest. Consequently, if you’re seeking to apply for a home loan, make sure that you provide adequate evidence of your capacity to afford future mortgage payments. You should also provide evidence of your reliability concerning credit lines, generally by submitting a copy of your credit report or by supplying a personal reference that will attest to your payment history. Mortgage Program Lenders determine your capacity to afford a mortgage by assessing your financial health, credit and employment history. The target is to see whether you have enough assets and income to afford your mortgage payments for the entire duration of the loan. Documents the lender will request include your most recent bank and brokerage statements, pay stubs, W-2s,…

A floodplain, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), includes any place next to a body of water. FEMA agrees that this is a fairly broad interpretation; it does not delineate how far away”near” is and it does not admit that there are other characteristics of floodplains that aren’t easily identifiable. Knowing if a house is in a floodplain is crucial to keeping yourself and your house safe during a storm and also to properly insuring your house. Visit FEMA’s website (see Resources) to find flood maps for your region. Enter your address in the box on the left side of the page to pull up a map of your region. Proceed to freeflood.net and then enter your address in the search box. This website will tell you if your property is located within a 100- to 500-year floodplain and whether it is very likely to be damaged by…

I love to gather friends, family and neighbors together to see as the sun sinks to the horizon on warm summer nights. I enjoy the chaos of children running in and out of the house and yard, flashlight tag and conversations over the fire pit or barbecue. I’ve been noticing that when I have designated fun items at the beginning of summer, impromptu parties and entertaining are a breeze, and when they are shatterproof, all the better. I generally prepare a huge crate of some type and stock it with utensils, melamine plates, glassware, platters, napkins and the like. I would love to share a few items that can help you set a casual yet trendy outside entertaining area with just a bit of preparation, and no broken glass encouraged. — Sasha from Lemonade Makin’ Mama Crate&Barrel Jelli Green Flatware – $1.95 I love the cheerful apple green colour of…

After the (let’s call it what it is) anxiety of buying holiday gifts, I really look forward to the time when I could sit down and wrapping them. With lovely newspaper in hand, I tape and garnish with beautiful ribbon or twine. Taking my time, I relax into the task. That is when I feel that the joy of the season upon me. — Justine from Design Skool Angela Liguori Pikku’s wrap paper is a new holiday tradition of mine. Angela Liguori Wrapped Cotton – $8 Angela Liguori of Studio Carta imports this odd and beautiful string-wrapped cotton ribbon from Italy. Angela Liguori Tight Weave Cotton Ribbon – $10 In loose or tight weave, Studio Carta’s Italian cotton ribbon is offered in a plethora of colors. IKEA Julmys Gift Bags – $2.99 Every year before the holidays, I go to Ikea for a few basic, cheap wrapping. This year’s favorites…

The drain hose to a washing machine conducts the discharged, filthy water from the pump to your home’s drain. On a few washers, the hose is one piece, though other units use a hose assembly. The assembly contains two seams linked by means of a separator plate on the washer’s back panel. The cabinet, that’s the steel cover of the washing machine, usually must be removed to access the pump-out hose. Over time, the hose may become clogged, crack or split, leading to leaks, so it has to be replaced. Unplug the washing machine from the electrical outlet. Turn off the hot and cold water supply spigots. Remove the screws securing the control panel to the peak of the washing machine. The screw could be located at the front or back corners of the panel. If there are no screws, add a putty knife between the panel and the top…

A well-manicured landscape begins long before the initial seeds hit the ground. Every home landscape differs, but the process is similar regardless of how the finished product looks. Whether you do the job yourself or hire a landscaping company, an understanding of how landscaping works prepares you for the process. Planning Prior to break ground for any landscaping project, you need a plan that defines what you’re doing. The program should include the scope, budget, dimensions and details of the undertaking. For example, if you’re assembling a raised planting bed from bricks, the plan would outline the magnitude of the planter, including width, depth and height. The landscaping plans maintain the project organized and also help you compute materials needed. For a large-scale project, a landscape designer or architect can help you create a plan that will do the job. Ground Preparation The ground requires at least some groundwork before…