Building Your First Home: The Essentials

Building Your First Home: The Essentials

Since the real estate market is currently not quite blossoming, many people actually decide to build their first home rather than buy it. Aside from the fact that this enables them to flat out create a house of their dreams it also allows them to choose the materials their new house is going to be built from, among other things.

That being said, building your first home is no easy job. Aside from making sure that you have the necessary budget for the project you also need to ensure that you’ve picked the right area, contractors and materials. With that in mind, let’s see what the essentials of building your first house are.

The budget

As mentioned earlier, you need to ensure that you have enough resources to see your project through before you actually get down to organizing it. This will require you to do some thorough research and try to find out the estimated prices of things your budget will need to cover. Chances are that you probably won’t have that amount of money stacked and ready to go, which means that you will most likely need to find some alternative budgeting options. This will probably require you to apply for a loan which means that you’ll also need to ensure that your credit history and credit score are healthy and optimal.

The location

Aside from securing the funds, you will also need to find the perfect location. First, you should check out all the available pieces of land and see which location suits you best. Here, you should assess how far away you’d be living from your job/your kids’ school if you were to build your home at a particular location. This will help you significantly with the elimination process. Another thing that can help you when choosing a piece of land is how much work will it require in order to connect your home on the water and electricity grid. The more work the piece of land requires pre-building, the more expensive the project will be, so keep that in mind as well.

The contractors

The contractors you choose for the job also play a huge role in this type of projects. By ensuring that you’ve found the best possible fit for the task at hand, not only will you guarantee quicker and more seamless completion but you’ll also ensure that everything’s done the way it was originally intended. With that in mind, in some countries, such as Australia, hiring different contractors for different parts of the project is actually quite a common practice. That’s why so many Aussies chose to hire professionals in Sydney Commercial Carpentry when building their homes to ensure that all their desires are being met – and sometimes even exceeded – and all the right materials are being used.

The materials

Finally, when it comes to choosing the right materials, the majority of homeowners want to ensure that they’ve gone green and sustainable as much as possible. It’s important to mention here that if green and sustainable is your goal as well, aside from looking at the material’s stats and traits, you should also see where it is from. What this means is that while bamboo, for instance, is a very sustainable material, the place it originates from is Asia. So, when you account for the distance it needs to travel to get to you, it will actually lose quite a bit of sustainability. That’s why it would be best to focus on finding salvaged and locally-sourced materials for your building project.

These were just the essentials of a house building project you should keep in mind when building your first home.  Aside from them, make sure you think ahead of time when deciding on particular features, layout and similar things because who knows? The fact that you’re building your first house doesn’t have to mean that you’re also building your forever home. So, consider including some popular elements in your house design that will boost your property’s value and make it more appealing to potential buyers if you ever decide to sell it.

 Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

Design Tips Perfect for Older Adults

Design Tips Perfect for Older Adults

While not everyone can completely remodel their home to fit their aging needs, there are a few design tips that can ensure every older adult has a more pleasant and safer life. The best way to start your renovation is to look at senior homes and seek some inspiration for safe and stylish senior life. Let’s see what older adults need and prefer when it comes to interior design.

Practical entryways

Every house starts with a good entryway, so make sure to make it practical and safe. For instance, fumbling for keys while you hold grocery bags can cause you to get distracted and lose your balance. So, it can be smart to place a small table or bench next to your entrance. This addition will not only boost the practicality of your entryway but also increase its aesthetic appeal.

Safe bathrooms

Many falls at home happen right in the bathroom due to slippery showers, baths and floors. So, consider investing in practical grab bars you can find in many places in senior care facilities. These ensure a more practical and safer entrance and exit out of the bath. But, their stainless steel look can also boost elegance in your space. You can also place them next to your toilet for when you need extra support getting up. Additionally, consider ditching baths and investing in a practical step-in shower and hand-held showerhead. This combination will ensure the most practicality and style.

Good lighting

Any dark corner, poorly-lit room and shady stairway can result in a potential fall or a bump. This is especially important for stairs, hallways and entryways that usually hide the biggest number of obstacles, so it’s no wonder every modern aged care facility is well lit from the entrance to the last room. For instance, if you look at retirement living at Mark Moran Vaucluse you can see that the facility is filled with layered light, both natural and artificial. Their design experts chose to shower the rooms with light to prevent injuries and promote wellbeing. So, make sure to take inspiration from these respectable facilities and light up your space, especially those nooks that can hide sharp corners and other hazards.

Smart doors

In order to boost mobility between rooms, try to invest in pocket doors. They always stay out of the way when opened and they prevent them from getting caught on clothing or walking aids. Additionally, you can also replace all your doorknobs with more practical levers. These are easier to grip and handle, especially for seniors with arthritis and similar afflictions.

Easy-to-climb stairs

For older people, stairs are often a true nightmare. They are exhausting and dangerous, so make sure to equip any stairs in your home with handrails, preferably on both sides. Clearly visible and separate steps can also make your ascend and descend safer, even if your vision is impaired. There are cheap stickers you can get that will allow you to mark your steps and prevent trips and falls.

Anti-slip floors

Oftentimes, danger lurks under your feet. With age, you start to lose your balance and speed, so slips can end up with a serious injury. The easiest way to prevent slips yet keep your home stylish is to invest in nonskid mats under your rugs. If you use a walker or wheelchair to get around, it’s best to opt for a low-pile carpet that won’t get caught in your wheels and walkers. You can also ditch your area rugs and embrace the popular minimalist style that’s also very easy to keep clean.

If you follow these senior design tips, you’ll have a home that will allow you to age with grace, safety and style. You’ll get to enjoy your home for many, many years to come, but whenever you notice you can’t take care of your safety, make sure to find a good senior care facility.

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

How To Build A Simple Wood Bar

How To Build A Simple Wood Bar 

Adding a wooden bar to your kitchen or dining room is a great way to up your entertainment game. It often becomes a place to hang out with friends and gives you a reason to offer better drinks and refreshments when having guests.

Even though it seems like an expensive and complicated item to add, it can be a DIY project as well. All you need to do is to have the proper materials and to figure out what kind of bar would fit your home. The rest could be done along the way if you have the tools and are reasonably handy.

The drawing board

The first step in making your own bar is to measure out the room you plan to install it in and to create a rough draft that will be your guide for the rest of the work. The drawing should have the measurements from which you can divert but only by making the bar smaller, not larger than you’ve initially planned.

There are standards to follow when it comes to the size of the bar. An average bar is 42” high and 24” deep. Obviously, this is a guideline not the law.

Materials

The main thing to consider when choosing the materials you’ll use is what kind of drinks you plan to serve. If you plan to have a beer tap, you’ll need to install a drip tray out of stainless steel. If not, all you need is wood which you can get from the local shop. Most households don’t have a tap and don’t brew their own drink, and can use the bar only for storage and mixing cocktails.

The materials you use also have an effect on how the drinks are stored. For instance, if you order gin online, make sure to find out how lighting and temperature affect its storage.

Tools

Building a bar isn’t a small task and you’ll need a set of professional tools to make it. For the most part, a project of that difficulty usually isn’t something that anyone can try. That means that you probably already have the tools and some experience if you’re getting into it.  If you don’t have some of these more sophisticated tools, they can be rented if you’re only using them for this project. You may also consider CNC router that can be used to carve or cut out patterns in hard material.

You’ll need a chop saw, impact screw gun, random orbital sander, and an ordinary screw gun. A finishing nail gun and caulk gun are also needed.

Framework

A bar needs to be sturdy and to remain in place even when the drinks are on top of it and when people are leaning on it. That’s why you need to make a good framework that will remain intact even the bar needs some repairs. The top and bottom frame should be cut at the same time and at the same length because they need to be parallel.

Screw in the studs from top and bottom and erect the framework so you’re sure that it stands and lines up.

Bartop

This should be the last step and the moment when your bar comes together. The rough cuts of the bartop need to be made with a table saw and that’s a dangerous and a two-person task. You’ll probably need some trimming work done afterwards as well.

This will create the whole framework of the bar and you can add the front facing piece which can be decorated as lavishly as it fits your home.

A bar isn’t that difficult to make but it requires you to have some woodworking skills and to be careful with your tools. If done right, a wooden bar will make your home better looking and more fun.

 Guest Contributor, Diana Smith