One of the worst things that can happen when you’re feeling safe and secure at home is to see or hear a pest making your home their home. So to help keep this from happening to you, it’s important that you take preventative steps to ensure that your home doesn’t become a place where pests can gain easy access and find the comfort and sustenance they are always on the lookout for.

To help you in doing this, here are three ways to keep pests away before they become a problem at your house.

Keep Your Food Sealed And Away

While pests can be drawn into a home with any chance they get, something that’s sure to entice them into visiting or living in your home is if they have easy access to food. Knowing this, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep your food sealed and away from pests.

To do this, you’ll want to keep your home, especially your kitchen, free from food crumbs. By cleaning up whenever you make or eat food, you’ll keep smells and food crumbs to a minimum. And when you store your food, be it ingredients or food that you’ve already made, it’s best to keep everything in air-tight containers so that the scent doesn’t travel too far and nothing can crawl in or chew through the container in order to get its fill.

Don’t Make It Easy For Pests To Infiltrate

Before pests even make their way into your kitchen, they’ll have to get through the exterior of your home first.

Unfortunately, pests can get into a home through even the smallest holes or cracks in the exterior. So to give yourself the best chance of keeping pests out, you’ll have to be vigilant about blocking up holes, sealing up cracks, and keeping your doors and windows closed up as much as possible. If you’re able to do this, you should be able to keep the vast majority of pests out.

Make Natural Predators Feel At Home

Every pest or animal that might try to get into your home is going to have a natural predator. Because of this, you can use this knowledge to your advantage to make your home seem scary and less appealing to any pests in your area.

To do this, find out what is the natural predator for common pests in your neighborhood. Then, either introduce those predators, like cats or birds, so that they can naturally keep the pests in check.

Just because there are pests where you live doesn’t mean that they have to be in your home, too. So if you’re worried about this, consider using the tips mentioned above to help discourage pests from entering your house.

If you love living in an older home that boasts plenty of charm and character but you’d like to bring your home into the 21st century, you’ve come to the right article. Simply continue reading in order to discover a guide full of helpful tips that will help you bring your old home into the present day. As there’s no reason why you can’t live in a home which retains its original charm but is comfortable to live in and offers modern conveniences that will enhance your life.

Use professional movers to shift excess items to a storage unit:

When it comes to completing home renovation projects in an old home, it’s a wise idea to remove as much extra clutter as possible. As well as items such as furniture and family heirlooms that you don’t want to get damaged in your renovations. The easiest way to shift your excess belongings to a storage unit which you’ve hired is to hire experienced Los Angeles movers.

Invest in having self regulating heat tape placed in your home:

If you live in an old home that has older pipes, in order to prevent your pipes from freezing over and bursting in the colder, winter months, it’s well worth placing self regulating heat tape around your pipes. Alternatively, if you want to replace the pipes in your home, it’s still a great idea to treat your brand new pipes with self regulating heat tape, to prevent your pipes from experiencing potential issues in the future.

Consider placing a kitchen island in your outdated kitchen:

If your kitchen doesn’t offer a lot of counter space and storage space, which is typical for older kitchens, you may want to reconfigure your kitchen so that you can install a modern kitchen island that still suits your home’s aesthetic in your kitchen. If you don’t have enough room to do so and have a kitchen which is still closed off, you may want to talk to a builder to see if it’s structurally possible to remove a wall, to create an open plan kitchen.

Invest in having underfloor heating placed in your home:

Older homes are notorious for being hard to heat and having cold floor boards, however there’s a simple way to ensure that your home is warm and toasty, when it’s colder. Simply invest in having underfloor heating placed in some of the rooms in your home. In particular in your bathroom, lounge and bedrooms. Although if you’re not limited to a strict budget, you may even want to have underfloor heating placed in your hallways.

Install skylights into your home:

If your old home doesn’t get enough natural sunlight, especially during winter, one of the easiest way to let sunlight stream into your home, is to install skylights into your home.

In conclusion, there’s definitely no reason why you can’t live in a home which boasts modern features that will enhance your everyday life and still retains its original charm.

 

If you would love to live in a home that has been custom built to fit your family’s needs, you’ve come to the right place. As if you continue reading you’ll discover a few helpful tips that will help you successfully design and build your dream house.

Integrate geothermal heat into your dream home:

In order to keep your home warm and toasty during the cold winter months, it’s a great idea to opt to have a geothermal heat pump installed. As geothermal heat pumps are known to be reliable and efficient as well as cost effective. As an extra bonus, if you are concerned about the effect that your day to day actions have on the environment, you’ll be pleased to learn that geothermal energy is a clean, renewable form of heat.

Make sure to hire the services of an experienced lawyer:

In order to ensure that you’re legally covered for any eventuality that may arise as a result of building your own home from the ground up, it’s a great idea to have an experienced lawyer on call. If you’re interested in retaining a lawyer it’s a great idea to visit Kazmilaw.com for more information.

View the portfolios of multiple architects before making a decision:

One of the most important decisions which you’ll need to make when it comes to building your ideal home is which architect to hire. It’s a wise idea to view the portfolios of multiple architects, to get a sense of their unique style to see whether they are a great match for your project or not. As it’s wise to select an architect who has designed houses which look similar and have similar floor plans to your dream home.

Consider the placement of your home of your plot of land:

For example, it’s important to consider the way that the sun hits your plot of land, in order to orient your home. For example, you may want to position your floor plan so that your lounge makes the most of the late afternoon, early evening sun. Just as it’s a wise idea to ensure that you place your home’s bathrooms so that your neighbors won’t be able to easily look into any of your bathroom windows.

Think about your property’s outdoor spaces:

It’s a great idea for example to have a deck built that backs onto your home, which you’ll be able to use as additional lounging space, during the hotter months of the year. If you have children, you may also want to consider fencing off your property so that they’ll be able to safely play in your yard, without running out onto the road and getting injured. Also consider whether you are interested in having a pool installed on your property.

In conclusion. If you are excited about having the opportunity to build your dream home, which perfectly suits your family’s unique needs, from the ground up, it’s well worth using the handy guide above in order to start planning your upcoming build.

 

If home renovation excites you and you’re always looking for brand new ways to improve the functionality and look of your home, you’ve come to the right place. Just continue to discover a few clever ways to improve all of the rooms in your home.

Turn your garage or spare room into a home gym:

If you would love the convenience of being able to work out in the comfort of your own home, rather than having to drive to a gym everyday, it’s a great idea to turn your garage or a spare room in your home into a home gym. For example, you may want to invest in a few pieces of gym equipment such as a treadmill, an exercise cycle and an elliptical machine as well as free weights such as an adjustable dumbbell.

Make sure that your home has high speed fiber optic internet:

If you want your internet connection to be fast and reliable in every room in your home, it’s a great idea to ensure that your home has high speed fiber optic internet. Especially if you plan on working from home, conducting business from home such as video calls or streaming TV shows and movies from home.

Ensure that every room in your home offers adequate storage:

A functional home features plenty of storage, which will prevent your home from looking cluttered and disorganized and which will make it a breeze to find specific items that you may search for. For example, if you require additional storage space in your kitchen, it’s a great idea to have a kitchen island installed which features secret extra shelving. As another example, you may want to install his and her cabinets in your master bathroom. If you currently only have one bathroom cabinet and have enough room for stylish yet practical his and her bathroom cabinets.

Install smart lighting:

Another way to improve every room in your home is to have smart lighting installed in your home. Such as light bulbs which you can control with an app on your phone or via voice controls. This is a great idea if you hate having to go back to rooms such as your lounge, when you’ve forgotten to turn off the lights. As you’ll be able to turn any light in your home on and off with the touch of a button. Depending on the smart light bulbs that you opt for, you may also be able to dim the lights in your home via your phone.

Place vinyl flooring in each room of your home:

Unless you are lucky enough to have hardwood flooring through your home, you may want to purchase wood look vinyl flooring in many of the rooms in your home.

In conclusion, if you want to transform every room in your home, so that it can meet its full potential, it’s well worth trying out some of the room improvement tips that have been outlined above!

 

If your current outdoor living space is underwhelming and you hardly ever take advantage of it, you’ll spend far more time enjoying your outdoor space, if you make an effort to transform your outdoor living space. If you’re in need of a bit of inspiration in order to get started, just continue reading to discover a few effective ways to totally transform your outdoor living space.

Attract birds to your outdoor space:

Imagine how lovely it would be to be able to listen to melodic bird song when you’re enjoying your outdoor space such as your garden or deck. If you’d like to attract birds to your outdoor space, it’s a great idea to hang a birdhouse from one of your trees and to place a decorative bird bath in your outdoor space. Another way to encourage birds to visit your outdoor area is to purchase high quality wild bird food from Valley Farms.

Purchase a hot tub for your outdoor space:

If you don’t have enough room to have a swimming pool installed in your backyard, it’s a great idea to invest in buying a hot tub for your outdoor space. Which you’ll be able to enjoy all year long. If you want to ensure that you’re ready to bathe in a luxuriously warm hot tub, make sure to purchase a pair of the best toenail nippers and to treat yourself to a DIY pedicure, so that your feet will be ready for summer and lounging in your brand new hot tub.

Purchase weather resistant outdoor furniture:

You’ll be far more motivated to spend time outdoors if you have weather resistant outdoor furniture which you can sunbathe on or read a book on. If you want to host your family members and friends on a regular basis, it’s also a wise idea to purchase a weather resistant dining table and dining chairs, so that you’ll be able to invite your loved ones to summer barbecues. The reason why you should purchase weather resistant furniture is so that your furniture won’t tarnish when it’s left out in the elements such as the hot sun, rain or snow.

Ensure that your outdoor space has plenty of lighting:

If you hope to make use of your outdoor space in the evenings or to host parties at night outdoors, make sure that your outdoor space has plenty of lighting. Such as motion activated lights and solar lights.

Purchase waterproof Bluetooth speakers for your outdoor area:

It’s also worth purchasing waterproof Bluetooth speakers for your outdoor area, so that you’ll be able to play music when you’re entertaining dinner guests for barbecues or lounging in your hot tub. You may even want to listen to podcasts while you’re sunbathing on your outdoor furniture. The options are endless.

In conclusion if you are currently underwhelmed by your current outdoor lounge and want to create a functional, attractive outdoor space that you’ll want to use all year long, it’s well worth getting started.

If you are considering the idea of sending one or more of your children to a top boarding school which you can entrust with your child’s educational and emotional development, you’ve come to the right place. Simply continue reading to discover a few important facts about boarding schools, which should help you decide firstly if a boarding school is the right choice for your child and if so, which boarding school they are likely to thrive in.

Always opt to send your child to an accredited boarding school:

In order to ensure that you send your child to a boarding school that meets a high level of standards, that you’ll be able to trust with both the welfare of your child and the educational attainment of your child, ensure to send your child to an accredited boarding school. If you reside in Canada, make sure to search for Canadian Accredited Independent Schools. For a comprehensive list of boarding schools which meet the highest standards in Canada.

Select a boarding school which can prove that it is regularly audited:

For example, you may want to look further into sending your child to a boarding school which has BasicSafe software, which schools can use to ensure that they meet all of their auditing and safety requirements each year. As the welfare and safety of your child is of the utmost importance and it pays to take the due diligence which is required in order to investigate whether each of your shortlisted schools passes its audits and safety requirements each year.

Consider the number of each students in each house of residence:

Normally boarding schools are broken up into smaller houses of residences where a house parent will be in charge of monitoring the wellbeing of the students who live under their roofs. If your child has a quiet disposition they may prefer to attend a boarding school which offers smaller, more intimate houses of residence, where they’ll have an easier time settling in and finding a group of like minded friends, who they’ll consider their boarding school family. Alternatively, if your child is extroverted they may enjoy the hustle and bustle and energy of living in a larger hall of residence. Where they’ll be able to make plenty of new friendships that are likely to last a lifetime.

Consider selecting a boarding school that is within easy driving distance:

Many boarding schools allow their borders to go home for the weekends. So if your child is likely to miss the comforts of home, it’s definitely a better idea to send them to a boarding school that is located within easy driving distance of your home. Which will ensure that your child will still get to enjoy home comforts on the weekends.

So if you have been seriously considering whether sending your child to a boarding school could help your child thrive and grow as a young person, hopefully you found all of the boarding school info listed above useful.

 

Whether you’re currently considering designing a brand new home for yourself or your family from the ground up or you’re simply looking to renovate your current home, it’s well worth staying up to date with the latest architectural design trends. To discover a few trends which you may find inspiring, simply continue reading.

Cladding panels:

If you are looking for an aesthetically pleasing way to decorate your home’s exterior, especially if you want to modernize your home’s exterior, it’s well worth considering the possibility of investing in cladding panels. Especially as modern day cladding panels come in a wide variety of materials and styles. For example, you can opt for large, modern slate cladding panels if you want the exterior of your home to have a fresh up to date look. As another option, if you like the look of wood for the exterior of your home, you may want to opt for 3D wooden wall cladding instead.

Remember before you start making extensive and costly changes to your home, it’s a smart idea to speak to a lawyer. If you’re in need of an on call lawyer it’s well worth reaching out to the friendly experienced team at Goulart Legal for advice.

Partitions:

While open planned living spaces have been popular for the past few decades, many individuals now find that it’s more relaxing to have separated areas for different activities. If you’re interested in enjoying the best of both worlds and being able to enjoy the benefits that come from living in a home that boasts open plan living spaces as well as smaller spaces that are cordoned off, it’s a great idea to invest in having a few custom built partitions for your home.

Outdoor living spaces:

If you live in an area which is fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of good weather, you may be interested in building an outdoor living space which features weatherproof furniture and which can be easily accessed from floor to ceiling glass walls. Especially if you want to be able to enjoy the views of your garden, even in winter. As you’ll still be able to see your garden through your glass doors from your lounge.

Hidden technology:

Most current architects will always opt to find clever ways to hide modern technology. For example they may design kitchens that hide modern kitchen appliances behind cleverly disguised cabinets. Or they may design spaces for TVs which are hidden in lounge walls. So that when homeowners aren’t watching TV, their TVs can be hidden out of the way. This is a particularly great idea if you don’t want your TV to be the central focus of your living room.

Walk in showers:

Walk-in showers or wet rooms are increasing in demand and were inspired by the luxury showers which you can find in many boutique hotels and resorts around the world.

In conclusion, regardless of whether you are interested in building a brand new home from the ground up or are just keen to renovate your home, hopefully you were inspired by the modern architectural ideas that are listed above.

 

Retirement is the point where we finally settle down and enjoy all we’ve worked for. The problem is that it can take years to save enough money. Smart planning is often not enough when markets go in the wrong direction, according to retirement experts like Robert Nico Martinelli and others.

How much money do you need?

The first step is knowing how much you will need to retire at your desired lifestyle level. While that may seem obvious, many people overlook this step.

What is your retirement lifestyle?

This is an important question because it helps determine how much money you will need to save each month or year. If you have a fairly modest income now but dream of cruising the Mediterranean every winter with your spouse for six months out of the year, don’t be surprised if it takes more than 30 years to achieve this goal.

How long do you expect to live in retirement?

While no one can predict longevity, most planners use 75 as the average life expectancy at age 65 for both males and females. Women are slightly longer lived on average than men are. This means that women should plan for about three years less than men who retire at 65.

How much will you withdraw annually from your savings?

Once you know how much money you need to retire, the next step is determining how much of that income can be safely withdrawn each year. The general rule-of-thumb is four percent, though this percentage was worked out many years ago when interest rates were higher. Today it may not be safe for retirees to withdraw more than three percent of their total investment portfolio per year, even if they are willing to reduce spending later in life or take a lump sum distribution all at once.

What rate of return do you expect on your retirement investments?

The average annualized return for stocks since 1926 has been about nine percent, according to Ibbotson Associates’ Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation Yearbook.

If you are planning on retiring in 10 or more years, you have a decent chance of seeing six percent returns at least once during your investment lifetime. If you plan to retire in less than five years, however, it is highly unlikely that you will earn the kind of return needed for successful retirement planning.

What risks do you accept?

Last but not least, figure out what risks will affect your portfolio and make sure they won’t hurt too much. Few people like risk – even if it can be managed – but we all need some level to stay satisfied—or even aggressive—with our investments over time.

The more risk averse you are, the more time you will need for your investments to grow, or the less aggressive you will be able to be. And this could hurt your returns significantly in many cases.

For example, if you want a portfolio that can see eight percent annualized returns and figure an investment lifetime of 25 years before retirement, it would take a very conservative approach to get there. You might end up with only six-percent annualized returns during the majority of that time because of payouts and market volatility throughout your journey.

 

During the golden age of the muscle car, there were many questions asked by enthusiasts like Eugene Bernshtam and other potential buyers. Here are some of the most common questions answered.

1). How much horsepower does a muscle car produce?

About 425-440 hp, usually on high octane gas. Some of the big block cars could make upwards of 500 hp. With modern fuels and tuning, this could be increased.

2). How much torque does a muscle car produce?

It is about 535 ft/lbs, again using high octane gas and compression ratios to get the most out of it. Some big block cars made over 600 ft/lb of torque.

3). How fast do muscle cars go?

They’re called “Muscle Cars” for a reason! Some will go over 150 mph, and others up to 175-180 mph. If you could get them on a road course, they’d be able to keep up with European and Japanese sports cars of the same era. This was usually not done, however.

4). How much do muscle cars cost?

They’re expensive! Depending on the model and year, you can buy one in decent shape for $35,000 to $55,000. However, this is just for a base model. If you want special options available in that era, expect to pay a lot more.

5). How big is a muscle car?

They’re about the size of a mid-size family sedan. The idea was for a sporty appearance and enough room inside for 4 or 5 people, with no excess amenities that would add weight or cost. Most have large engines under the hood and weigh around 3,500 lbs.

6). Why are muscle cars so collectible?

As time passes, the price of these classics continues to climb. This is because fewer and fewer are left in decent condition. They were affordable back then, but today their value only goes up as they’re harder to find for daily driving.

7). What do car collectors look for when buying a muscle car?

The condition of the engine, transmission, and suspension are very important. Most people will buy a base model muscle car and restore it to factory specs…or even better. Custom interior, paint jobs, engines – these can add to the value of your vehicle.

8). Are custom muscle cars better than original?

Depends. Most people want a muscle car to look like it did back in the 1960s and 1970s, so they’ll look for factory originals if possible. On the other hand, some people want power and speed with good looks, so they might consider a well-done custom job if it’s done right.

9). What are the most collectible muscle cars?

The 1967-69 Camaro SS, 1968 Shelby GT500 (especially ones with four speed transmissions), 1970 Challenger R/T, 1971 Hemi Cuda Convertible, 1969 Chevelle SS396. Some other collectible muscle cars are the 1969 Charger R/T convertible, 1966 Nova SS, 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6, and 1971 Boss 429 Mustang.

10). Can I race a muscle car?

Yes, in stock class racing series. Events are held all over the country throughout the year, so check with your local track to see when they have an event coming up or check out this schedule. You can also find a local car club in your area or via online forums.

Everyone loves a good birthday cake, whether it’s chocolate, vanilla, or Colin the Caterpillar, but if you’re a large family whose birthdays all seem to fall around the same time of year, birthday cake fatigue can quickly set in.

The humble birthday cake may be a long-established tradition, but every now and then it’s perfectly fine to break with tradition and opt for something that your family will actually be excited to gather around and tuck into.

Here are a few suggestions for tasty alternatives to the classic birthday cake.

Pie

Pie has more variety than cake, meaning its much harder to get bored of.

If the birthday haver has a favourite pie, you can bake and put your candles in that. It might be fruit, chocolate, banoffee, custard, pumpkin, or even savoury (not everyone has a sweet tooth after all). Either way, it’ll be more special for them than an old-fashioned cake with vanilla icing.

Cheesecake

This is another option that can easily be adapted to suit different tastes.

There’s the classic New York cheesecake, or you can top it with fruit coulis, or make the filling with lemon or chocolate, or bake it or make it burnt.

If you don’t want to make it yourself, you can always order a professionally made cheesecake online. Companies like Desserts Delivered Bakery deliver fresh cheesecake direct to your front door within 24 hours of ordering. It’ll be a delicious, impressive birthday treat.

Doughnuts

For an eye-catching, deep-fried alternative to the birthday cake, make doughnuts.

Doughnuts piled in pyramid and topped with a drizzle of colourful icing and sprinkles makes a centrepiece that’s just as impressive as any birthday cake. You can make a variety of fillings and cut them into quarters so that everyone present can sample every flavour. It’ll be a birthday to remember.

Sundaes

This is the perfect option for children (though it works for adults as well), as it’s easy to set up and gives them the freedom to choose what they want.

Set up a sundae bar in the corner of your kitchen, with the toppings in separate bowls, where guests can get creative by concocting their perfect ice cream.

For toppings you can have different sweets and candies, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sprinkles and sauces. Just be prepared for the clean up afterwards.

Trifle

Trifle is filling, flavourful and easy to make look impressive.

For spring and summer birthdays, layer summer berries in jelly, sponge, fresh cream and custard on top of each other or, for autumn and winter birthdays, winter berries, ginger sponge, cream and chocolate custard.

Brownies

A plate piled high with chocolate brownies, decorate with edible flowers, sweets or fruit makes for a surprisingly attractive – not to mention easy to make – birthday cake alternative.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are simple, light and come in a variety of flavours.

In fact, just like ice cream sundaes, you can let your guests create their own cupcakes, with a simple vanilla base, then different icings, candies, sprinkles, fruits, chocolate and nuts. It’ll keep you full, and keep you, your friends and family entertained.

Chocolate fondue

Will anyone complain when the find out the traditional birthday cake has been replaced with a chocolate fountain? We don’t think so.

Chocolate fountains will keep birthday guests occupied for hours as they dip marshmallow, fruit, and savoury bites like cheese into a curtain of melted chocolate. It’s a fabulous centrepiece that will ensure any birthday party will be one to remember.

There are many alternatives to the birthday cake, any one of which will satisfy your sweet cravings and possibly start a new and exciting birthday tradition.