Category: Eclectic Homes

A home equity credit line, or HELOC, is a revolving credit line which allows homeowners to use their houses as collateral. These credit lines can be used for a variety of purposes like education, home improvements, medical bills or major appliance or automobile purchases. Homeowners who are thinking about applying for a home equity line of credit must evaluate their financial situation and their house’s value to decide whether they will qualify. Types of credit are offered by banks, banks, mortgage companies and credit unions which typically grant loans. Evaluate your current debts with regard to your earnings to determine whether you’re a candidate for a home equity line of credit. The whole amount of your monthly mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, mortgage insurance, property taxes and the potential home equity credit line payment ought to be less than 28 percent of your total household income. When you include extra debts like…

Age-restricted communities are collections of housing units, detached or attached, available for sale or for lease. The legislation that governs these communities is known as the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 (HOPA). While age-restricted communities have been built for decades, the current changes to the law offer these communities greater flexibility in deciding what services and amenities they provide their residents. Designation The Fair Housing Administration within HUD regulates age-restricted communities, or active adult communities, as they’re more commonly known as. The basic regulation that governs the neighborhood, aside from not discriminating against people on the basis of race or faith, is that one member of their household must be over 55 in 80 per cent or more of those occupied homes. Prior to the more recent regulations put in place in 1995, active adult communities needed to demonstrate that they’d social programs and other activities geared toward…

Cleats are one of the simplest methods of hanging something on walls, but they’re often overlooked. Attaching them requires slightly more time and effort than attaching cupboard hangers, keyhole hangers or picture hooks, but their capacity to support heavy loads, particularly when the cleats are attached to wall studs, makes the effort worth it. I’ve used a French cleat, which includes two interlocking parts cut most frequently at a 45-degree angle, many occasions over time for various types of projects, including a TV cabinet, a headboard and just a birdhouse. Chris Hill How Cleats Work Cleats in general attribute two parts. One is joined to the job (job cleat), and one is attached to the wall (wall cleat). Here it isn’t hard to observe how the two parts of a French cleat fit together. The base part is attached to the wall socket (notice the screw holes). I advise attaching…

Minimalist conventional style began in the 1930s as an affordable reply to the depression. It took shape, massing and information out of earlier styles like Tudor and colonial revival and simplified them. The concept translated well in these decades. The need for housing grew quickly following World War II, and getting homes built rapidly became an economic necessity. Building a house with just enough detail to provide individuality satisfied many buyers and represented their need for a sensible and affordable solution. This trend hasn’t stopped since. Originally homes constructed in the style were often one level with a side gable roof and a single or two gables facing the front as secondary elements. This finally translated into two-story versions, often mimicking similar conventional styles but exhibiting restraint from articulation. Post caps and caps, crown moldings, and door and window trim apply the use of classical detailing, even in a much…

A good deal of the home-selling process is challenging: Plenty of legal documents, title searches, negotiating over cost. Additionally, there are lots of simple steps homeowners can choose to make their home more interesting and marketable. A few of these require a good deal of elbow grease, such as a thorough cleanup, but specialists say they increase the chances of a sale, even in a slow market. Inspection Buyers will want an inspector to check for problems before they close, the Bank Rate site states. By paying for an inspection prior to putting the property on the current market, homeowners can learn about problems before prospective buyers spot them. Repairs Homeowners must make any necessary repairs before the home goes on the market, the MSN website recommends. Many buyers want a home that does not have problems; should they spot damage which has not been fixed, they’ll suspect the house…

You may have heard of, or perhaps created, a house stock before. This record, often used to record belongings for insurance purposes, can also be a really helpful tool if you’re attempting to declutter, prepare for crises, clear area for a remodel or simply get organized. Have a look at these tips to create a comprehensive home inventory and enhance your belongings at exactly the exact same moment. Lauren Leonard Interiors Make Your Inventory Pick your own checklist. The first step in making a house inventory is getting your hands on a comprehensive checklist — one from your insurance business is best. Review the checklist before getting started. TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders Work through your house, room by room. After your checklist, work your way slowly through the entire home — you may want to divvy up the job over several evenings. Document a brief description of each item, just how…

When you initially think of concrete floors, you likely think”cold,””prison like” or”industrial” But with its ability to take on colour and a polished sheen, coupled with its many benefits, concrete may become your new favourite on future projects. Be prepared to have your head blown by how lovely, elegant and warm a concrete floor can look. Christian Gladu Design TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design Here are merely a few of the advantages of concrete floors. Sustainability. Concrete floors are a sustainable option if you use an existing concrete slab, avoiding the consumption of fresh substances. And they shouldn’t be relegated to basements or garages. When the cement is sanded down and sealed or polished, it appears perfectly elegant in a conventional kitchen or living area, particularly when layered with Oriental rugs and pretty furnishings and fixtures. Kailey J. Flynn Photography Easy care. The only maintenance required of concrete floors is…

Anyone who has a dog for very long knows that they offer daily reminders about devotion, patience and love, and can lift our mood with a look and a wag. Designers, architects, contractors and DIYers: We would really like to see just how your dogs make your home a house or keep you company in the workshop or on the job. We wish to meet them! Please place your best portrait of your dog from the Comments section below. We’ll be featuring some of the greatest photographs in an upcoming story for the homepage. Update: Watch the follow-up feature and add more photos here! Theresa Fine Ty the Chihuahua of Milton, Massachusetts, sits at his place on the living room sofa wearing a gentlemanly sweater. Watch more of the 1920s Tudor Corynne Pless Bailey the Yorkie guards the best chair in this farmhouse-style home in Georgia. Lauren Liess Interiors Just…

This week we’re continuing the recon part of the kitchen organizing mission. Your mission for now: Check out Part 1: Organize Your Kitchen Drawers.Read and bookmark this story and let the ideas marinate. When you are cooking and cleaning, take notes as you see the good and the bad on your kitchen cabinets. Take stock, write the contents of each cupboard on a sticky note, and stick the note right on the cupboard doors.Think about what could make your cabinets better and ask questions. What should you move to a more convenient place? Do you need any organizers to maintain things neat?Collect never-used things for donation because you go, and throw or throw the broken stuff.When that you have a free afternoon to really dig in, reevaluate both of these ideabooks and initiate the task. LDa Architecture & Interiors How to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets Period: 2 to 3 hours…

Thanksgiving has come and gone (see you next year, pumpkin pie, turkey and food coma!) , therefore it an proper time. Although there’s nothing wrong with tradition — it is what makes this season so unique — it may be time for you to trade in some of your tattered, old fashioned decorations for newer, shinier models. Before you venture out and brave the holiday buying insanity, however, look no farther than your decoration stash. Throughout the years you’ve likely gathered an embarrassingly large decoration set — after all, the majority of us are to more than a few of these supercheap after-Christmas sales. Rather than keeping these bits boxed up until the end of time, then put them to work with by making your own festive holiday masterpiece. All these ideas, which range from rapid crafts to complicated DIYs, will provide you a brand new, sparkly centerpiece or decked-out…