7 Things To Do Before You Move Into A New House

7 Things To Do Before You Move Into A New House

Moving to a new place can be quite a stressful task. Anytime you move it comes with a lot of changes which can be uncomfortable. This is why it is crucial to put some things in place before you pack up and move. Doing these things would make you better prepared and would also make the new place you would be moving to more comfortable. Florida realtor, Danny Margagliano with 30a Local Properties (https://destinpropertyexpert.com) says, "Many of my customers that are moving asked me my number one piece of advice. Every time it's the same thing, you can't have enough of boxes." Here are some of the things you can do to prepare you for moving easily and stress-free.

Get proper supplies for moving

It is important to get appropriate supplies when moving so that your things do not get damaged during the moving process. Getting strong and adequate boxes for whatever item you want to pack is necessary. For instance, using a weak box to move dishes or valuable artwork is just calling for trouble. After sorting items and putting them in their proper boxes, the next step is to label all the boxes. When doing this be mindful that fragile items would be handled carefully. Reducing the risk of damaging them en-route.

Get a moving company

Moving can be quite a tedious task. Therefore it is essential to make sure you enlist the services of a trusted, licensed, and fully insured company. This way, you can rest assured that your property is in the hands of competent people.

Forwarding the mail 

As you would be moving to a new place, it is important to forward your mail before leaving your present house. You can get in touch with your local snail mail provider service and choose the day you would want to start receiving your mail at your new address. Neglecting to do this would make you miss out on receiving valuable letters or packages.

Transfer or cancel all utility service

 A few of the primary utility services to keep in mind includes electricity, gas, telephone, heating services. If you don't cancel it or transfer them to your current location, it could lead to several issues. First and foremost, it could delay service from being transferred to your new residence. Secondly, both services may remain on, and you will be paying for someone else's utilities. Either scenario is not a good one for you.

Look for suitable schools around

If you have children that are still going to school, the best thing to do would be to look for suitable schools and register them before-hand.

Finding new healthcare providers

If you would be moving very far away from your current health care provider, look for another one close to your new place of residence. You can ask your current health care provider to refer you to another Doctor. Be sure to verify that the new physician accepts your current health insurance. Alternatively, you can contact your health insurance company directly to find a doctor that is in your network of providers.

Clean up your new house

Before moving day either perform a walk-through yourself, I have your realtor do one for you. This way, you will know whether or not the home is clean and move-in ready. In some cases, the former residents will have taken care of cleaning the house for you, and in other cases, it will be up to you. Cleaning a space when it is still empty is much easier than having to clean it when it is filled with people and pieces of furniture.  

Final thoughts

There are still many other things to be done like painting the new space, changing the locks of the new place for security reasons, cleaning out your former home, sending out moving announcement to friends and family members, changing some electrical fixtures if necessary, hiring internet services, equipping the new place with fire extinguishers, and looking for a new pharmacy. The list can seem endless. If you follow the tips above for moving into a new home, the entire process will be a smoother one.

started on the moving process.

Guest Contributor, Daniel Margagliano

Modern Decor That Will Bring Life to Your Traditional Home

Modern Decor That Will Bring Life to Your Traditional Home

Living in a traditional home can be a very comforting experience to a degree. Just think about it: everything seems old like a relic from a bygone era and for those who are nostalgic that can be a very calming and relaxing experience. Yet, in order to make life more comfortable, sometimes traditional homes need to be upgraded. If you’re currently living in a traditional home and you’re looking to make it more modern, here are some tips that will show you how to do it:

Add some bold colors

Traditional homes aren't known for having boldly colored decor pieces or furniture. Instead, homeowners tend to prefer neutral colors that are easy to match with the rest of the home. If they do experiment with colors, they usually like to incorporate them into textiles and fabrics used for sofas and bed covers, mostly. Therefore, if you’re looking to revamp your old home, make sure to add furniture pieces that are yellow, bright green, purple or even turquoise, as that will be a great way to add some life to your traditionally-designed space. In case you don’t like vibrant colors that much, you can still stick to pastel tones as the main design theme, while bold colors can be used to make your place more exuberant. Painting a room white or beige can look very classy, but remember that adding colorful paintings or modern plants in minimalist pots will transform your home for the better.

Have some clean areas

A lot of modern home design is about minimalism, so if you have too many antique furniture pieces or other decor items at your home, make sure to declutter the space to make it more breathable. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of all the valuable items and family heirlooms, but always make sure to have at least one clean area in each room, so your house will feel more like a home, and not like a museum or an antique store. Besides, decluttering the place will give you more room to experiment with modern design options. Having too many furniture pieces or decor items will make the home look too crowded and dark which is something you should definitely stay away from.

Details are important

Having a silver vase or a nicely framed painting from your local artist will surely make your home feel more contemporary. Similarly, you can also hang your favourite movie posters or even frame record covers instead of more traditional wall art. This will add a modern vibe to your place even if you decide to keep everything else traditional. Besides, having a vibrant tribal rug will make your home look more boho-chic without losing its original charm. Additionally, you can also incorporate old decor items such as candle holders with something more up-to-date, like silver or glass cube vases.

Update what’s old

The best way to blend traditional and contemporary is to make your home more eclectic and colorful. For example, replacing the old fireplace with the modern one will ensure you a similar vibe and happy moments in front of the fire, but without struggling to get the firewood to keep yourself warm. Also, keeping your old elegant sofa is fine, as long as you opt for modern pillows or even decide to change the fabrics of the furniture into something more current. When it comes to kitchen and bathroom, you can keep the old styles, but make sure to fix everything that’s old and run down, and replace all the appliances and furniture with something that is easy to use. A lot of brands sell modern kitchen appliances that look vintage, so if you prefer traditional kitchen design, there’s no need to compromise anymore.

Living in a traditional home can bring a lot of joy to you and your family. Just keep in mind that, in order to make it work, you need to replace or at least fix everything that’s not functioning anymore. Additionally, playing with various decor styles and contrasting old and new will surely infuse your home with a unique and eclectic atmosphere.

Guest Contributor, Tracey Clayton

Common Home Emergencies and How to Deal with Them

Common Home Emergencies and How to Deal with Them

Every homeowner faces a few home emergencies that end up in expenses and repairs. This happens regardless of how well maintained your home is. Therefore, it’s best to be prepared for them as much as you can be prepared for an unexpected repair.

There are two main components of such preparations. Firstly, you need to have some money put aside to be sure you could purchase spare parts or hire a professional to make the repairs for you. Secondly, every homeowner should know how to do a few basic repairs quickly and have the proper tools to do so.

A power blackout

There’s not that much that you can do to prevent a blackout since it’s usually a problem with the power grid. That’s why it’s best to prepare for a blackout by preparing the supplies that you’ll use while the power is out.

If this happens every once in a while, you might want to invest in a generator that will keep your home powered through the blackout. The emergency kit for a blackout should artificial lights, some water and food, a supply of medication, and a way to communicate with emergency services.

A blocked toilet

A blocked toilet is one of those unpleasant emergencies that you need to react quickly upon without waiting for the professional to come and to make actual repairs. The first step to fixing a blocked toilet is to shut down the water supply coming to it. That will prevent the toilet from overflowing and give you time to make actual repairs.

This is where it’s best to call the plumber to help you out since it might require you to take out a pipe to remove the clog within it.

Small fires

It’s crucial to be prepared for small fires, especially if you live in a large city such as Sydney. That often means that you need to alert the authorities right away since it might be difficult to evacuate quickly.  It’s best to hire an electrician from Northern Beaches to install a small smoke detector. This is useful in the most sensitive parts of the home such as the kitchen.

It’s also useful for a home to have a small fire extinguisher and for you to learn how to use it before it’s ever needed.

Damaged roof

A damaged roof is probably the most serious emergency on our list and it will require a rather costly repair. Things are made even more difficult if the leak happens during the winter when you need to close it right away.

The best way to go is to inspect the roof on a regular basis. You may need to rent scaffolding and inspect the roof for damage or leaks at the start of every season. It’s easier if you catch the problem before it starts damaging your ceiling or requires the whole roof to be replaced.

Water leaks

Water leaks aren’t that big of a problem to fix, but they can be rather complicated to find or even notice. It’s usually noticed only when you figure out that your water bills are getting higher or that you’re losing water pressure somewhere in the house. 

When you notice the problem in the first place, it’s best to cut off the water for the whole home to avoid the waste. That’s where you need to hire a plumber to replace the busted pipe and install a new one.

Small home emergencies happen regardless of how well maintained your home is. That means you need to take the time to prepare for them, to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

Home-Buying Process: How to Make It a Breeze

Home-Buying Process: How to Make It a Breeze

Buying a home is a great feeling and a beginning of something new in your life, but it’s not exactly the easiest job in the world. Even if you have enough money, know exactly what kind of a home you want, and have already found an amazing place to buy – and this scenario is quite rare – things can still get difficult. That’s why you need to invest time and energy into making this process easier, and here’s how to do that.

Organize your finances

As mentioned before, having just enough money to buy a house is rare in this day and age, and people have to organise their finances before they can buy a home. There are lots of ways to do that, and you can start by figuring out just how much money you’re going to need and how much your monthly expenses are going to be. Also, don’t forget about paying off any debt you may have, as well as getting pre-approved from a lender. These are the only ways to be able to buy a home – unless you’ve just won the lottery or inherited a large sum of money.

Rely on a realtor

Finding an amazing home on your own sounds like the easiest job in the world, but it’s actually far from that. Unless you’re a professional, you won’t be able to access tons of properties that are on sale but are known only to real estate agents. That’s why you might want to find one yourself and let them do everything in your stead. Realtors can hear you out and figure out exactly what you need and then narrow the search to a handful of properties you can check out personally. They can also negotiate the price for you and save you a considerable amount of money, which is always a good thing.

Visit display homes

If you know what you want your future home to look like, the entire house-hunting process could be much easier and quicker. But, if you’re not absolutely sure, you may not do everything that quickly at all. That’s why getting inspired is so crucial, and one of the ways to do so is by visiting display homes in your area. These places are spiced up and look amazing, helping you pinpoint exactly what you want your home to look like. That’s how, for instance, new luxury display homes in Sydney show us that modern homes rely on the exterior as much as the interior, especially when equipped with an amazing swimming pool. Take these details into account when finding your own home, and you’ll surely be able to do so in a quicker, better, and easier way.

Stick to great neighbourhoods only

Getting a great home is one thing, but getting a great home in a great neighbourhood is something completely different. There are probably lots of available homes in your area, but not all of them are in the right spot. That’s the reason why you should stick only to the neighbourhoods you actually like. Picking the right one might be a challenge, especially if you have a family, so look into all the important details. Investigate crime rates, public transportation, as well as nearby schools, parks, shops, and other amenities. These things separate amazing neighbourhoods from average ones, and you need to stick to the former only.

Again, buying a new home is a great thing, but it’s also quite difficult, so don’t be afraid to invest all your time and energy into this process. After all, you’re doing something great for yourself and your family, so it’s definitely worth your while!

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Bathroom Design: How to Make It Warm and Welcoming

Bathroom Design: How to Make It Warm and Welcoming

Even though it’s probably the tiniest room in your home, the bathroom still deserves a ton of attention. Every bathroom needs to be as warm and welcoming as possible, and if that’s the atmosphere you’d like to create as well, here are a few design tips you should follow.

Use stone tile

Even though most people prefer ceramic tile when redoing their bathroom, you can always explore different ideas as well. Stone tile is one of these ideas, and it could easily turn into one of the best ideas you’ve ever had.

Incorporating stone tile into your bathroom might seem a bit strange at first, but if you do it right, this is a project that will make your bathroom the nicest and cosiest space in your home. Still, don’t forget that stone has its pros and cons, so check out all these features before you start incorporating stone tile into your bathroom.

Explore wood

This is a controversial decision not all homeowners are going to support, but the reason is still unknown. We’re all afraid that wood won’t work well in wet and moist environments, but the truth is quite the opposite. If properly protected, wooden furniture and décor pieces can be easily incorporated into your bathroom and stay there for years and even decades.

You can add a wooden vanity and mix it with the aforementioned stone tile, contrasting the colours and textures of these two materials. You can even add a tiny stool or a table, especially if you’re lucky enough to have a massive bathroom. Finally, you can add small decorating pieces made of wood, taking the entire design of your bathroom to a whole new level in just a few easy steps.

Add a rug

Speaking of unusual solutions that actually work better than you’d think, here’s another idea you need to look into. Yes, adding a rug to your bathroom may seem strange at first, but if you give this idea a thought, you’ll realise that’s actually an amazing way to introduce a new dose of cosiness to this space.

Still, not just any rug will do, and you need to make sure the rugs you choose are comfortable, warm, and visually appealing. You might look into some comfy rugs, as those offered by Miss Amara NZ, as these are made from high-quality natural materials, feature amazing designs, and are great for your bathroom. Keep in mind that having a rug in your bathroom will help you feel better all year long, especially during those freezing winter nights.

Try out new materials

No matter where you live and what kind of a bathroom you have, the chances are it will be packed with the same materials as every other bathroom in the world. Ceramic, metal, steel, and chrome are so common nowadays that you can rarely see a bathroom without all of these. But, what if you used other materials instead?

Copper, golden, and brass details could make your bathroom special, while still remaining as practical and functional as those old school choices. What’s even better is that these elements will help you turn different parts of your bathroom into focal points, which is something all bathrooms deserve. With local rent reports like this showing us that the prices are on a slight decline, landlords can also implement such solutions to make their properties more attractive to potential tenants.   

Install in-floor heating

If you want to make your bathroom warmer than before, this is the right way to do it – literally! Installing an in-floor heating system is something all homeowners should consider, no matter where they live, how old their home is, and how big their bathrooms are.

These systems come with a number of benefits – from practicality to easy maintenance, and everything in between – and the best thing is that you can install them on your own. It may take some time, energy, and patience, but it’s definitely worth the investment you’ll make, particularly in the winter and fall.

Just because your bathroom is not large, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of it. This is particularly important if you’re one of those people who spend considerable time in the bathroom, getting ready for their day and relaxing before going to sleep. So, show this space all the love and attention in the world, turning it into a warm and welcoming area where you can relax and take your mind off everyday problems.

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

How to Make Your Bathroom Look Expensive

How to Make Your Bathroom Look Expensive

Your decorating budget doesn't have to be big to create a luxurious bathroom. If you know how to match and contrast colours, if you are the master of accessories and you know how lighting can bring the best out of existing features, you can spice things up without breaking the bank. Here are the most effective ideas.

Inexpensive luxuries

Although not many bathrooms feature specialised seating, having one is indispensable for larger families. Instead of perching on the side of the bath, bring in a classy stool that you and your partner can both use, while a pair of upcycled garden chairs can prevent kids from fighting at the sink when the toothbrush time comes. Swapping boring bath mats with Persian rugs, or custom linoleum patchwork doesn’t cost much, especially since it saves you from having to replace the old tile floor.

Nature indoors

If you couldn’t make those luscious ferns and philodendrons take root in the dry, air-conditioned environment of your home, keep in mind that they will thrive in the bathroom. Tropical plants trailing down from windowsills can spruce up the element of luxury in any bathroom, while bundles of eucalyptus branches, exposed to shower steam, release the plant's natural therapeutic oils. If you're aiming for a clean and classic hotel finish, consider potted orchids, which also thrive in humid, low-light conditions. Even a few well-placed succulents like aloe can bring a sense of vitality to your bath space.

Mirrors and lights

Have you ever wondered why everyone looks better in hotel bathroom mirrors? It all boils down to lighting. If you illuminate mirrors evenly on both sides, you can eliminate shadows. You can use rather rectangular wall lamps or hanging brass bulbs. If you have a penchant for glowy, low-lit, spaces swap simple bulbs for recessed LED lights hidden in alcoves or behind opaque bath panels. Although at the end of a stressful day nothing really beats a relaxing bath under candle lights but instead of a modern mood lighting considers soft, dimmable floor spotlights.

Black and white

Reinvent your bathroom with a classical and striking noir palette by choosing black and white elements, accessories and fixtures. Classy black soap dispensers, tumblers, and dishes are a great inexpensive way to accent your décor. Even bathroom appliances can help you with this décor idea since manufacturers of best washing machines today offer their front and top loaders in black or white colour schemes. If you don’t know where to start, chose a remarkable black or white centrepiece such as a freestanding stone bath with a contemporary curving design.

Neutral wainscoting

Even a simple change like painting the wainscoting a neutral colour other than white can change the mood of your bathroom completely, from nursing white to luxurious. Nowhere does it say that wainscoting and beadboard must be white. For such a painting project, first, you'll want to sample the new colours. Use a piece of wainscoting or trim to try out the colours, so you can move it around the bathroom to get a look at different lighting angles.

Scents and essences

Use essential oils, scented soaps, and multi-layered shampoos to replicate the feeling of being pampered and relaxed while staying in a luxury hotel spa. Transform the boring shower routine into a multi-sensory experience. Give your hair a full spa treatment using products made of natural ingredients, like rosemary, cucumber or green tea. This way, every shower will have the additional benefit of improving your mood.

The bathroom is often cited as the most expensive room in the house to renovate, second perhaps only to the kitchen. However, you don't have to gut everything to make your baths space feel expensive. Most of the ideas listed here are budget-friendly and easy to restore, which makes them ideal for homeowners who are renting.

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

A Plumber's Guide: What Your Address Says About Your Business

 A Plumber's Guide: What Your Address Says About Your Business

The plumbing industry is booming. Some reports have found that in the United States, the number of working plumbers has increased by 1.7% over the past five years, which has resulted in $110 billion in revenue. Even greater news is that the plumbing industry is expected to continue to perform well through 2026, with an expected 16% potential growth. 

But, as with any booming and growing industry, competition is fierce and reports estimate that no individual plumbing company accounts for more than 1% of the entire industry’s revenue. In order to stand out from the competition, you need to make sure that you have a strong business strategy in place. 

This strategy should include elements such as knowing your niche, specializing in certain types of properties, marketing your services correctly, having a logo, having a business card, actively engage on social media, and have a clear lead generation and sales process in place. For the purpose of this guide, we will focus on what your address says about your plumbing business and how the right address can significantly improve your marketing and sales efforts. 

The Importance of a Business Address

In business, as in life, first impressions matter. In today’s digitally connected world, your first impression is your online presence, which should provide potential clients with all the relevant information about your business.

If your business address is not listed, it’s listed in a residential area, or it’s somewhere people aren’t familiar with,  potential clients might question the legitimacy of your company. Potential clients could think that your plumbing services are a side gig, therefore that you’re not a professional, or they might be skeptical about sharing their private information (such as home address and phone number) if all they find is a name and an address in a neighborhood they’re unfamiliar with. 

This is why having a professional business address is key to plumbing business success. 

But a Business Address is Expensive…

Yes. But it doesn’t have to be. A virtual office for plumbers could enable you to have access to a renowned business address, as well as a place to meet with clients, workspace, access to business tools and resources (printing, faxing, copying, secretarial support, customer service support, etc.). The great news? Virtual offices come at a fraction of the cost, which means you can significantly reduce your overhead costs and instead use the funds to buy equipment, invest in marketing, create your website, etc. 

Not only can a virtual office help you with the above, but it can also come in handy when you’re applying for a plumbing license, contractor license, and plumbing permit. Keep in mind that oftentimes, these certifications require specific documentation, including a business address. While some organizations accept residential addresses or P.O. Box addresses, some don’t.

Your Business Address and Marketing + Sales

To be successful today, it’s imperative that you have an online presence. This doesn’t just mean having active social media profiles, but making sure that your plumbing business shows up at the top of the page when people search for plumbing services in Google. 

One way to improve your chances of being ranked higher is by registering your business in Google My Business. What Google My Business does is that it puts your company on Google Maps, and it’s especially useful for local searches. If someone in your town or city searches for a plumber, by including good SEO you will be the top of the list and most likely to be called.

Ranking higher on search engine searches means that more people are likely to visit your website, which can translate into more leads and, therefore, more sales.

More than that, a renowned business address can go a long way in establishing trust and a sense of legitimacy with potential and existing clients. It also adds some privacy to your life, as you won’t be receiving any business mail in your home address, but rather through a virtual office. 

Conclusion

There’s a lot of potential and opportunities for growth in the plumbing industry. As you’re setting up or growing your plumbing business, try to take advantage of the available tools and resources you can leverage to reduce expenses, increase your exposure, and make a good impression. 

Plumbers need to have a professional and positive image if they want to attract new clients. Keep in mind that clients are inviting you into their homes or offices, and they want to make sure that whomever they’re hiring is legitimate and trustworthy. 

If you want to make a good impression from the get go, have a professional business address in an area people are familiar with. So, what can your address say about your plumbing business? It can say that you’re running a  legitimate and trustworthy operation, or it can say the exact opposite. 

Guest Contributor, Mat Calica

4 Factors That Make All the Difference in Your Bathroom Remodel

4 Factors That Make All the Difference in Your Bathroom Remodel

Usually, when talking about bathroom remodels, people tend to think that it simply can’t be done without a lot of patience and a huge budget in place. However, this is not always the case. The fact is that you can completely change the look of your bathroom on a budget if that is the only change you wish to make.

On the other hand, if you are looking to conduct a more elaborate remodeling project you will need to set aside a hefty sum. So, depending on what you wish to achieve with your bathroom you will need to calculate the budget accordingly. With that in mind, here are some factors you should consider beforehand to make the remodel go as smoothly and as stress-free as possible.

Know what you want

Before you actually start hiring contractors left and right and start browsing various stores in search of the items you wish to incorporate into your new bathroom, you should first decide what you want to achieve with your bathroom remodel. If it is only a new look, you are going for the entire remodeling project shouldn’t last too long or require too big of a budget. However, if you are planning on completely relocating your existing plumbing and drains, do know that it will cost you much more and it will require appropriate funds. So, make sure you determine exactly what you want to achieve before you move on to the next step.

Determine the budget accordingly

As mentioned, in order to determine the budget, you need to first define the scope of the project. If you are just changing a few things up in order to bring in a breath of fresh air to your bathroom you can easily focus solely on the cost of a new paint job, some new fixtures and a couple of new décor pieces. However, if you are looking for more elaborate plumbing upgrades, make sure you account not only for the estimated price of the project but the contingency as well. With projects like these, things can easily go wrong or you may even come across an issue you didn’t even know was there so you need to make sure that you are financially ready to cover anything that might come your way.

Know how you want to achieve it

Once you have clearly defined your project, decide how you want to proceed further. If upping the style of your bathroom is the only thing you are interested in, turn to ever-so-fashionable Aussies for some inspiration. To up the style in their personal oases, many Aussies choose to incorporate a custom made vanity from Sydney in their bathrooms. Introducing such stunning yet simple pieces in any bathroom can easily elevate the style and pizzazz of the room to an entirely new level. On the other hand, if you are after bigger projects, you will have to clearly determine the order in which you want things to be done as well as the final goal you want to achieve in the space.

Come up with a plan and stick to it

Finally, once you have all the answers and you know how you want to approach the matter, it would be wise to come up with a game plan and stick to it as much as possible. While it is easy to change your mind mid-way about the new wall paint you wish to have in your bathroom, doing so when relocating plumbing and drains can not only be extremely expensive, but it can also significantly set back the entire project. Additionally, keep in mind that the contractors you have hired are usually working on a tight schedule, so making any bigger changes mid-project can even result in them not having enough time to finish the work in one go because they need to move on to their next client and the next project they are hired for. There are numerous mistakes you can easily make when remodeling your bathroom, so it would be wise to get familiar with them so that you can avoid making any of them.

Bathroom remodels are usually stressful for people because more often than not, they don’t really know what they want to achieve with the space. However, if you have a clear idea in mind, based on which you can estimate the necessary time and the average budget you will need to set aside, successfully finishing this project should be as easy as one, two, three. 

Guest Contributor, Chloe Taylor

Beauty in Cohesiveness: 4 Excellent Tips for Creating Rooms That Flow Well Together

Beauty in Cohesiveness: 4 Excellent Tips for Creating Rooms That Flow Well Together

An important aspect of designing appealing interiors, creating a sense of connectedness in a house is no easy task (unless you’re a professional interior designer, that is). If you take a look at their homes and the way they are decorated, you will notice that there is always something that ties the whole space together and creates a visual flow. Now, you can choose to pay them to do that for you or you can learn how to do it yourself and spend your hard-earned cash elsewhere. Read on!

Make your home look cohesive by using the same design style

When it comes to decorating your home, deciding on the design style that you’re going to use throughout your house is the key to doing it successfully. When you have a defined style and you know what pieces, colors, and patterns you should be aiming for, the whole decorating process becomes so much easier as opposed to not having a clear idea of what your home should look like. Whether it is coastal, traditional, contemporary, or farmhouse, pick a style that speaks to you and that perfectly captures your personality. The last thing you want to have is a contemporary coffee table mixed with a vintage chair and an industrial lamp, as it will look messy and not cohesive at all. Instead, opt for pieces that complement each other so that the way you design your space looks intentional and well-thought-out.

Connect the rooms by using similar colors throughout the home

Now, as much as you may like colors, it’s important to avoid painting every room in a different shade. This is especially important if you’re working with smaller square footage, so try using a palette that consists of 2 to 3 similar hues to create a sense of connectedness. When someone loves renovating and updating their spaces as much as Australians do, they do whatever it takes to make their home more appealing, and a good paint job is sometimes all you need to refresh your dated property and make it cohesive. When they’re in need of stunning property facelift, they turn to house painters from Brisbane to make this cosmetic improvement and ensure their home looks as appealing as possible. A relatively inexpensive upgrade, painting is definitely one of the easiest ways to visually connect your space and create a sense of unity in your home.

Keep the floors consistent to create a visual flow

Another way of creating a sense of cohesiveness between the rooms is by choosing the right type of flooring. Keeping the floors consistent is a must when looking to create a visual flow and connect all the rooms in your home. Although different areas of your home will require different types of flooring (e.g. tiles in the bathroom and hardwood in the bedroom), as long as you use the same color palette for your flooring, your home will look like a cohesive whole. Nowadays, you can even get tiles that mimic the look of hardwood, so have that in mind when designing your living space. However, if changing your floors is not an option, you can still use area rugs that are the same color or material as an alternative to connect the rooms in your home.

Repeat the materials to achieve a cohesive look

Materials can be used as a common thread that will appear in each area of your home and help create a sense of unity. If you find yourself being drawn to a particular material, consider using it throughout your home, even if it’s something as simple as brass or gold detailing on the cabinetry and lighting fixtures. Marble pattern can appear on your floors, your benchtops, or your coffee table, while velvet can be used for the pillows in the bedroom, a sofa in the living room, and chairs in the dining room. Finding that one element and repeating it in each room will help tie the space together without going over the top. You can apply this design trick to any material of your choosing and create a nice connection.

With these four tips up your sleeve, we’re sure you’re going to create a home that will be worth showing off. Not only will you be saving a ton of money by designing your home by yourself, but you’ll also give it that authentic personal touch that no interior designer can do for you!

 Guest Contributor, Mike Johnston

About the author: Mike Johnston is an avid freelance writer and blogger from Sydney, Australia. He is a regular contributor to numerous lifestyle blogs and online magazines, where he writes about interior design (his specialty!), travel, family, sustainable living and other related and unrelated topics. Mike’s goal is to create insightful and compelling content that will help readers navigate through these vast and ever-changing fields.