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Beautiful Houseplant Ideas for Newbie Gardener

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Homesfornh.com – Being a beginner gardener is not an easy thing to do. It requires cleverness to learn about growing plants and how brave you are to start gardening. Sometimes, you need to do little researches from many references to teach you which step you should take when growing a plant, especially a houseplant. This kind of plant is usually put indoors to decorate the room interior and put outdoors to get a shady look on the porch. There are many steps to consider as a newbie gardener, and one of them is deciding the plant you want to grow. Currently, there are many beautiful houseplant ideas for the newbie gardener.

Sometimes, growing this beautiful houseplant ideas needs skill and patience. Even each plant has characteristics to adjust to the environment. Some plants are hard to grow away from their natural habitat, but there are houseplants to choose from and may adjust your newbie skill. You can choose the ornamental plants that you want according to your expression and character in decorating the interior of your home. For that, let’s discuss this topic one by one.

Spider Plant

Spider Plant

The spider plant is a flowerless houseplant that has long leaves in natural green colors. This leaf at least consists of light green leaves with a white line in the middle of the leaf. This plant is easy to thrive indoors and outdoors. It is right for you to start indoor gardening for your houseplant. Spider plant adjusts any season, as long as you give it adequate water. The leaves will start to wrinkle and wilt when it is underwatered. Make sure that it gets enough moist soil to retain the fresh and healthy leaves.

Monstera

Monstera

Monstera is an identical plant that has aesthetic holes on the edge of the leaves. It becomes a popular ornamental plant in tropical areas. This plant has large leaves in green shades and a glossy surface. Monstera plant is compatible with your newbie skill in gardening a houseplant. It lives in a warm temperature with enough humidity.

Anthurium

Anthurium

Anthurium has dozens of species. Some of them are Anthurium Magnificum, Anthurium Clarinervium, Anthurium Kokedama with red flowers, etc. It is easy to grow anthurium for a beginner. As long as you put it under indirect sunlight, it will grow well. It needs enough nutrients are available in your home such as potting mix. Even you can thrive this plant in a glass of fresh water, but this plant also can hold dry soil in less humidity.

Rubber Plant

Rubber Plant

The coffee plant or as known as Rubber Plant is the kind of ornamental plant that has tree stems. It is an evergreen plant with dark green on top and reddish-gray color for the underside leaf. This plant is tolerant of the low-light environment, but for the best treatment, you should put it under bright indirect sunlight. It is fine when your room has low humidity because this plant retains any level of temperature, as long as it is not a sudden changing temperature. It is safe for you to have this plant indoors as the first trial as a new gardener.

Bromelia

Bromelia

Bromelia plant is a beautiful houseplant ideas with a big flower in the middle of the plant. It needs water more than other plants because its natural habitat is in a moss spot. You can try to plant this plant if you like to have a rainforest nuance for indoor decoration. When the flower is completely dead, you will see the pups emerge from the soil, near the main stem. This process shows that you did well to thrive this plant.

Sansevieria

Sansevieria

Snake Plant or Sansevieria is a tropical plant that can grow by cutting stems. There are at least seventy species of Sansevieria on the earth. Sansevieria Trifasciata is a common species to see indoors. It has yellow lines for both edges on each leaf. This is a beneficial plant to purify the moldy air. Sansevieria helps you to clean up the dirty air such as cigarette smoke, dusty air, and other smoke. We have mentioned that it can thrive by cutting stems then you can easily grow it on fertile soil. By propagating this plant, it will be ubiquitous plants in your home. You only need to put the cutting side on the fertile soil.

Amazon Elephant’s Ear

Amazon Elephant’s Ear

Alocasia Amazonica or Amazon Elephant’s Ear is an original plant from Southeast Africa. It is an aesthetic tropical plant that is catchy to thrive indoors and outdoors. As a beginner gardener, you can try to plant this beautiful houseplant ideas. It needs moist soil then you should water it frequently. Even though this plant tolerates to grow in a full sunlight spot, but it is better to put it in a shady spot with bright indirect sunlight. The gigantic leaves reflect its healthy condition when it begins to fade, brown, or wrinkled, it means you should check the humidity level of the soil, warm temperature, and adequate water.

Chamaedorea

Chamaedorea

Chamaedorea or Parlor Palm is an evergreen ornamental plant. It has long leaves like other palm species. It is easy to thrive Parlor Palm indoors for beginner gardeners. The stems of Parlor Palm are bamboo-like and have strong fiber roots. Hence, this plant will grow faster to be bushy. It has shiny leaves in light green color.

English Ivy

English Ivy

English Ivy or Hedera Helix is an evergreen plant with vine stems. This plant is an easy plant to thrive for a newbie gardener. English Ivy is generally grown to cover a wall and thrive indoors for a hanging plant. You can easily grow this plant for your trial as a newbie gardener. Cutting this leaf to propagate a new bud for your English Ivy plant is a beneficial and efficient way. Make a versatile look for your home indoors and outdoors by having English Ivy grow. By watering it regularly, this plant will give you a gorgeous viewpoint.

Calathea

Calathea

Calathea plant is an aesthetic ornamental plant to thrive indoors. This plant has various species you can find in every plant shop. Some of them are Calathea Ornata, Calathea Orbifolia, Calathea Roseopicta, and many more. As a beautiful houseplant, it is attractive to grow this plant in your home. All the species do best in bright indirect light, you can put it on a shady spot. As the perfect houseplant for beginners, sometimes this plant needs rainwater as its original native in South American forest. You can see it directly by their leaves when your Calathea needs water or fertilizer.

Thus our discussion of Beautiful Houseplant Ideas for Newbie Gardener. There are many other plants for the beginner you can try that we have not mentioned yet. We hope you can find one that suits your need to plant. No matter what kind of plant you choose, don’t forget to watch out for the plant whether it is underwatered or overwatered because it leads to damage. The color fading leaves, curling leaves inward, and dropping leaves are the signs that your plant has a problem with watering needs. Happy gardening!

Tips for Repotting Your Ornamental Plants : Make Them Grow Well

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Homesfornh.com – An ornamental plant grows every day. This process makes them bigger or even grew a new bud. It is usually has a pot to thrive your ornamental plant, especially for indoors, then you should change the pot. Repotting your ornamental plant is an essential solution for your grown plant. This activity tends to change its soil ingredient or change the medium to grow. Even though it seems like an easy thing to do, it has some benefits to share. For that, in this article, we will discuss Tips for Repotting Your Ornamental Plants. But before that let’s discuss the advantages of repotting your ornamental plant

  • Let your plant grows well
  • Make your plant looks neat
  • Provides enough space to grow
  • Gives new nutrients to the soil
  • Renew the period of living plant in a pot

We know that this is not a new thing to learn in gardening. Changing the medium may affect your plants’ life. The best decision is repotting your ornamental plant if you see that your plant is not growing well or their growth is slower. Some tips for you may help you safely repotting your ornamental plant. Let’s discuss these various tips one by one.

Observe The Soil, Pot, and Plant

Observe The Soil, Pot, and Plant

The first thing to do is an observation. You need to make sure that your plant needs repotting. Take a look at the soil, if you find it begins to solid, it means that your plant is starving. Your plant consumes the soil nutrient to grow and this condition shows that the soil starts to less its nutritions. It is simply because the roots spread out inside the pot to seek ‘food’.

Observe The Soil, Pot, and Plant

Moreover, if you see the roots grow through the holes under the pot (drainage holes) it means your plants need larger space to grow. The root can push up your plant from its soil and it blocks the plant to grow. After observing your plant, you can decide to move it or change the soil with new nutrients. Don’t forget to prepare a new pot that has bigger diameters. The plastic pot is recommended because it keeps water inside the pot better than a pottery pot that will absorb water and left your plant’s roots to get less water.

Arrange The Ingredient of The Soil

Arrange The Ingredient of The Soil

The first tips for repotting your ornamental plant requires some things to prepare. One of them is preparing the new nutrients for your plant. It means that you will change the soil from its current pot. Make sure that you know your plant’s characteristics to grow. Many ingredients in the soil adjust only some kind of plants. It depends on your plant whether it lives in moist soil, composting soil, and dry soil. Therefore you can manage the soil to create the right medium to grow.

Arrange The Ingredient of The Soil

In arranging the ingredients for new soil, it is better to put a coffee filter for the bottom layer. Pour enough husk to cover the coffee filter. Add some pebbles to let water touch the husk, then put adequate soil to cover the husk to create good drainage and let the roots breathe well.

Use The Sharp Tools to Take Out Your Plant

Use The Sharp Tools to Take Out Your Plant

A garden trowel is a basic tool to plant your ornamental plant. You can use this gardening tool also when repotting your ornamental plant. Garden trowel has a sharp edge that beneficial to take out your plant. It makes it easy to dig weeds, pour fertilizer, and mix all ingredients for healthy soil.

Use The Sharp Tools to Take Out Your Plant

Another tool that helps you to move your plant is a gardening fork. This tool is essential to smoothen the soil. The loose soil helps the roots to seek minerals and nutrients to grow well. You can also use the hoe to smoothen the soil. Hoe is useful to dig the soil and get adequate minerals and oxygen for respiration.

Move Your Plant Gently

Move Your Plant Gently

This is the main point of the tips for repotting your ornamental plant. Moving your plant out from the current pot with gardening tools. You need to move it gently because it may ruin the roots if you pull out the stem suddenly.

Move Your Plant Gently

Dig the soil after smoothing the soil to make it easy when you pulling it out. Hold the stem, then turn around the pot to pull out the plant. After the plant is pulling out, then look at the roots. If the roots are threadlike and bound around the pot, then you can prune some roots by using a sharp tool such as a pruning shear. Pruning the root is essential to cut the dry roots which prevent your plant to grow well. Don’t forget to loosen the soil if the recent pot has poor soil.

Cover It with The New Soil

Cover It with The New Soil

After you loosen the roots from the current soil, you can put it in a new pot. The fresh layer will adjust your plant life to thrive well. The transitional process from the recent pot to a new pot needs some days to let your ornamental plant adapts to new soil. By covering it with potting mix nutrients give a new shot for them to survive as an indoor ornamental plant.

Cover It with The New Soil

The benefit of new soil is providing a nutrient boost that prevents pests, diseases, and mold to infect your plant. The poor soil may lead to further damage then you should cover the old soil with enough nutrients in potting mix. The upper soil on the new pot requires an annual treatment, it needs to replace 2 to 3 inches of soil.

Give Some Water Drops

Give Some Water Drops

This is the last step for you to do. After you cover all sides around your ornamental plant, you can give water drops. The new soil needs adequate water to keep the soil moisture. You can use a watering can that has little holes for the best watering drops.

Give Some Water Drops

There are many types of watering you can buy. Even though this tool is not an important tool but it helps you to manage the water drops and lessens the water tension when pouring water on the plant.

That is our discussion about Tips for Repotting Your Ornamental Plants: Make Them Grow Well. Growing an ornamental plant indoors needs special treatment. It needs more attention from you because growing indoors is not their original habitat. Creating an outdoor atmosphere influences your ornamental plant to grow well.

Besides, the condition of the soil is beneficial in the growing process. Sometimes, your plant grows faster than it should. Repotting your plant becomes an emergency step to do. It is not all about moving your plant from the old pot to the new one, but it also provides new soil by giving enough nutrients in potting mix. We hope that what we have discussed above is beneficial for you when your plant needs repotting. Happy Gardening!

Types of Calathea Plants to Beautify Your Home Interior

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Homesfornh.com – Calathea is a tropical plant from South America that has foliage leaves and is generally used as an ornamental plant. This plant has various species that thrive well for indoors and outdoors ornamental plants. Calathea likes a shady room with a stable temperature and jungle-like environment. Some types of calathea plants have striking striped leaves and various aesthetic colors of their patterns. The leaves are oval-shaped and have interesting patterns on each leaf. Like the other plants, the wide leaves of Calathea respond to the exposure sun in a shady spot for its photosynthetic process. This kind of plant looks amazing to simply put in your living room.

Calathea plant creates a tropical atmosphere indoors. It makes your living room fresh and beautiful. Since it has a variety of species, you should see some information about aesthetic Calathea plants. There are many Calathea species to choose from as ornamental plants. Even though these plants are in the same variety, but each Calathea has different requirements for their living environment. There are some Calathea species and how to adjust their lives. Let us discuss them.

Calathea Ornata

Calathea Ornata

Pinstripe plant or Calathea Ornata is a species of Calathea that has beautiful pink stripes on its large leaves. As a houseplant, Calathea adjusts indoors treatment. This plant well thrives in the temperature around 18-29°C. Watering this plant is required when the soil is dry. Give fertilizer twice a month to keep this plant healthy.

Calathea Zebrina

Calathea Zebrina

As its name, Calathea Zebrina has a print animal of zebra on the leaves. It has bright green leaves and darker green lines that emerge zebra pattern. This species needs bright indirect sunlight. It requires high humidity, then you should do the watering routine. It makes the leaves still healthy and shiny.

Calathea Roseopicta

Calathea Roseopicta

Calathea Roseopicta has a beautiful pattern like roses. It has purplish-red lines on a dark green leaf. The underside color of each leaf also has purplish-red color. You should clean the dirt on your Calathea leaves like bugs and leaf-spot to maintain its beautiful foliage. The common problem in Calathea is a browning leaf. It means your plant thrives by the wrong mineral, try to pour rainwater if you face this problem.

Calathea Crocata

Calathea Crocata

Calathea Crocata has dark green leaves with purple-red colors. It has fresh yellow flowers that stand to follow the light. Calathea Crocata blooms at least for 2-3 months before the flowers begin to wilt. This types of Calathea plants needs bright medium light and thrives well in the temperature around 16°C. A stable temperature retains its fresh leaves to avoid the slightly wrinkled condition. It requires high humidity with well-drained soil and needs water when the foliage leaves start to curling.

Calathea Orbifolia

Calathea Orbifolia

Goeppertia Orbifolio or as known as Calathea Orbifolia is a kind of prayer plant from Bolivia, South America. This plant has bold oval leaves. The foliage plant has striped with silvery band leaves. Its root well thrives in soggy soil. This plant needs medium light from indirect sunlight. You can put this plant at a temperature around 18-24°C. It needs enough fertilizer once a month and requires to water this plant regularly. It is better not to repot too often because this root will be easily rotten and should adapt to the new soil for frequent times. 

Calathea Makoyana

Calathea Makoyana

Calathea Makoyana or Peacock plant is an original plant from East Brazil and a tropical area in South America. As its name, this species has peacock feather patterns for each leaf. Light green leaves with white lines form a unique pattern that enlivens a fresh nuance. Meanwhile, the bottom side of each leaf has purplish-red colors. Calathea Makoyana needs bright light in a shady spot. It needs humidity of around 16-24°C. Repotting this plant once every two years in the growing season. This plant is well to put in a bright indoor. You can give this plant enough fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.

Calathea Rufibarba

Calathea Rufibarba

Calathea Rufibarba has a different shape from other species that have large leaves. This plant has long green leaves with curly edges and blurry white patterns. At a glance, Calathea Rufibarba looks like an evergreen plant. The feather-shaped leaves grow well to follow the sunlight. Like the other Calathea species, it needs moist soil at all times but not sitting in water.

Calathea Warscewiczii

Calathea Warscewiczii

This Calathea species stands best in bright to medium light. This plant thrives well when the soil remains moist. Check the humidity by finger on the top inch or 2 when it is almost dry. When the leaves are less dynamic, it means that your Calathea needs water. This foliage has cone-shaped leaves that look beautiful. This plant lives at a warm temperature of 18-29°C to retain the original shape of foliage leaves.

Calathea Lancifolia

Calathea Lancifolia

Rattlesnake Plant or Calathea Lancifolia is one of the Calathea species with long green leaves. It almost looks like Calathea Rufibarba that has feather-shaped leaves. The distinction between both is the patterns on each leaf. The dark green marks on a bright green leaf show the striking patterns. This plant needs a new environment to adjust the growing roots, repotting this plant after two years will give fresh space to grow. Springtime is a good season for repotting your Calathea. 

Calathea Majestica

Calathea Majestica

Calathea Majestica is a large green leaves plant with pink-striped patterns. This plant looks calmer and beautiful to attach to your cozy living room. You might see this plant has a similar long shape with Calathea Ornata species. That’s true that this plant is one of the Calathea Ornata species. This plant needs bright indirect light and generously watering times in summer.

 That is our discussion on Types of Calathea Plants to Beautify Your Home Interior. Calathea plant has dozens of species. This plant is beautifully used as ornamental plants. It is nice to have a Calathea plant in your home, especially for your living room. This plant needs special treatment to adjust its environment from South America. The information above may useful for you to thrive your Calathea indoors. Happy decorating!

Spring Floor Cleaning Tips

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Cleaning your floor during spring cleaning can be difficult, so here are some spring floor cleaning tips to help make the task a little easier. Ensuring that the floors are clean can be one of the most important tasks to take care of when it comes to spring cleaning, but it can also be one of the most monotonous ones to deal with.

Keep reading to learn some great tips for cleaning your floors during spring cleaning and to make it just a little bit easier on you. If you are ready to get to work, grab your floor cleaning supplies and let’s get started!

PRO TIP: Read this article on carpet cleaning chemicals are they safe.

Freshening Up Your Carpet Flooring

If you have carpet flooring, spring cleaning can be a long and difficult time for you because carpet cleaning is one of those floorings that can take forever to clean. When doing spring cleaning, you will want to make sure that you are cleaning the carpet first since it will probably take you the longest to deal with.

The very first thing you should do when cleaning your carpet flooring is to vacuum it. This will make it easier to do the rest of the cleaning without having to worry about crap on the floor getting in the way. Once you have vacuumed the flooring, you should wash it thoroughly with warm water and soap.

While washing your carpet flooring, you will want to make sure that you are checking for stains and other such things in your flooring. If there are any stains present in your carpet flooring, take proper measures to wash those out of your carpet. After this, your carpet should be fully cleaned and ready to take on another year of grime and problems.

PRO TIP: Read these 5 floor cleaning mistakes to avoid before getting started!

Remember To Sweep Fully

When you are performing spring cleaning on your floors, it is important that you remember to sweep every inch of your floors. You are probably sweeping your floors daily, or at least you should be, but it is unlikely that you do a deep clean sweep every single day. If you do already do this, then you are already ahead of the game when it comes to spring cleaning.

Sweep behind your stove, fridge, freezer if you have a separate one and any other home appliances that you have located on your hardwood floors. A lot of grime can get stuck underneath these appliances throughout the year, so it is important that you remember to sweep under them thoroughly.

This also applies to laminate, tile, and vinyl flooring. These flooring types need to be swept thoroughly during spring cleaning as they get filthy over the year. Once you have swept your floors, just go over them with soap and hot water, and touch them up if they need any work.

Conclusion:

Cleaning your floors is something that you should always remember to do when you are performing spring cleaning. They get dirty easily, and thus if you do not clean them, that filth will just pile up. You now know some great spring floor cleaning tips, so get out there and get cleaning!

Why Hire Pro Painters to Paint The Interior of Your Home

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Men painting the wall blue using rollers in empty home interior

Hiring a professional painter to paint your home’s interior is not always the first-choice homeowners choose to make in an effort to spruce up their home and save money. While it may be more common to hire professional painters to paint the exterior, here we break down why hiring pro painters for the interior of your home is the right move.

You Save Time

Before painting, there are many things to do for prep work. When you hire a professional painter or crew, you don’t have to worry about all that. The painters will patch up holes and complete any other work to prepare for painting. You can spend your time doing the other things you need to do. See more here to find yourself a dedicated professional painter today.

Quality Work Is Promised

Painting interior walls, yourself, is a tricky process, and if you’re not a professional, you may end up with drip marks or uneven color tone. When you stick to hiring a professional painting crew, you avoid these risks as they know exactly how to paint for optimal results. To find competent painters, search for interior painters near me online.

Work Is Insured

While professional painters should not be making mistakes, if any errors do occur, the professionals are insured. This means you are insured and that you are not responsible for the damage. The painters will take care of any issues, and all of this can be discussed with your contractor ahead of time.

Efficiency and Affordability

When you decide to paint your home yourself, you not only have to buy the paint but also the paint materials. From painting clothes to various brushes, the cost for painting your interior walls will add up quickly. Another benefit of hiring a crew is that you do not have to pay for the cost of these added materials. Professionals will come with the right tools to use, and you won’t even have to think twice about it. Having the right tools will also allow the project to get done efficiently, save you time, and ensure that the painting is done with quality.

The Details Are Taken Care Of

Hiring professional painters will make it easier for you to feel reassured in knowing that all of your demands will be met. Painters know how to pay attention to the small details, and this will ensure that the painting turns out even better than you could have imagined. Professional painters have an eye for detail, and areas that you may have missed had you done the project yourself will be handled accordingly by the professional painters. You don’t have to worry about missing any spots or nooks and crannies associated with the project by hiring painters.

It may even be cheaper to hire professional painters than to do it yourself. On top of that, you know that the painting quality will turn out greater by hiring professionals. Make the smart choice and hire professional painters to redo your interior walls.

How Often Should You Paint Your Home?

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Painting your home can be time-consuming and resource-draining. However, there is nothing that keeps your home spaces bright and festive, like a fresh coat of paint on your walls. But wait, before you rush into painting your home, you must know about other aspects to have a great experience. Recall that painting is a costly affair that will need to take place only when it is necessary.

It is normal for new homeowners to continue pondering when they should improve their homes’ hues with fresh paint. That notion makes sense; paint is a critical part of the interior and makes a world of difference in many ways.

Here is a comprehensive analysis of factors that will determine how often you will paint your house. Click here if you want your house exterior to be taken care of by professional painters.

Residential Painting Basics

The type and quality of paint you used in your previous painting process will determine the duration before the next painting event. Generally, low-quality paint will fade away fast. This simple aspect is essential to pay attention to overall.

It makes it a necessity to apply a brand-new high-quality coat. Still, always know that everything comes at a cost. Poorly done paint coatings will require a redo more often than thick-high-quality coats.

These are simple residential painting basics to keep in mind as you go about your residential painting process.

The Weather Conditions and General Climate Matter

Did you know that your neighborhood’s weather conditions will dictate how frequently you will go to acquire a new gallon of paint? Places with strong sunlight, oceanic breezes, extreme humidity, and blowing sands could destroy your paint coating at a quicker rate.

The harsher the conditions, the higher the frequency of paint revisions. Recall that replacement may take place yearly or after 2 years in these harsher situations.

Is it the Interior or the Exterior?

The position of the paint will play a crucial role in determining its lifecycle. Your exterior paint will usually last longer than that of your house’s interior. A standard quality paint should take at least five years to degrade (for the interior) and a longer time for the exterior.

However, your exterior might wear off faster if you reside in high salinity areas like the seaside. High rainfall areas also call for frequent replacement of the exterior paint. In essence, paint protects the house from mildew and mold attacks.

The Type of Plastering Used

Always know that the previous painting did not take place in a vacuum. There is a coating that holds the paint.

Therefore, your paint’s durability will significantly rely on the quality of plastering that you used underneath. Generally, smoother plastering will result in long-lasting paint and lower replacement frequency.

The Type of Family or Inhabitants within the Home

Yes, your family will determine the life of your painting. Families with a higher number of children are likely to replace their wall paint more frequently than adult-only families. In essence, kids will write on the walls, make scratches and dribbles. This makes the walls dirty, making it necessary to replace the painting as soon as you can.

The Portion of the House

Low traffic areas will not require frequent repaint events. But the high-traffic ones will usually require more regular paint jobs. Think about your kitchen and your bedroom. The kitchen is everybody’s place. It will be prone to scratches, spills, and frequent abrasions.

On the other hand, moist areas like bathrooms may be victims of faded paints. This reveals how often paint in these areas of the house will need to be repainted. Conversely, you’ll spend only a few hours in your bedroom. This explains why it will take a long while to replace the paint in this space.

You will notice that you will have various factors that contribute to painting frequency, as such, you can adjust your painting schedule accordingly.

4 Affordable Ways to Post Rooms for Rent and Find Tenants

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Most landlords dislike seeing their property vacant. The longer the property stays empty, the more money the landlord loses. You hear stories of so many people who have turned their properties into a constant income source to pay their bills and earn profits. Renting out rooms is not an easy task. Most of you will also be shunning away from putting it online as you do not want to spend money to post rooms for rent.

Fortunately, we live in an era where the process to post rooms for rent has become much simpler and more comfortable. There are so many ways out there, but you always try to narrow it down to the cheapest possible way.

A model house with a signboard.  Image Source: Canva

Here are some of the most affordable ways to post rooms for rent and find tenants for your property:

1. Free Listings

According to Zillow’s report, 83% of all the tenants use online portals to find rental rooms. If your property is not listed online, you might be missing out on an enormous pool of probable tenants for your property. There are dozens of platforms that help you post your property listing for free. You just have to register, post pictures, and you are all set.

The drawback of this kind of listing is that your listing is temporary. It gets removed from the site after a while. Also, these free platforms will show your listing to all kinds of audiences. You might want to avoid that as you, as a landlord, will have some preferences about your tenants.

Since many people post on these free sites, there is a chance that your listing might get lost among thousands of other listings.

2. Your Social Media is your very own tenant finder

Yes! You heard that right. People tend to dive into roommate finder portals to post rooms for rent. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram have more than 49% of the world using them. You can just post the pictures of your property on Instagram, Facebook, etc., and create a free listing of your own. Facebook also has a feature of Marketplace where you can create a listing for free. You can then share this listing on your FB page. You control the details you wish to show, and the time phase you want the people to see. Moreover, the audience will be the people you know or the mutual friends of your friends. Hence, it will be easier to get background checks done on them.

A person using social media on laptop.  Image Source: Canva

3. Post where it matters

This might seem like something that you can skip but in truth is the most crucial step of all. It is essential to decide the kind of audience you want to see your listing. There are hundreds of platforms out there, and each of them caters to a different audience – If you are someone who accepts pets, list on websites like PeopleWithPets.com. If you are someone who wants seniors to live in your property, post rooms for rent on sites like After55.com. Try to attain maximum exposure on the most potential audience instead of wasting your resources on all kinds of platforms.

4. Paid Listings

What? Didn’t the title say affordable? Although paid listings require you to pay a minimal amount to advertise your property listing, it has significant benefits that make it affordable. These benefits are nonetheless the drawbacks of free listings. When you try free listings or social media to post rooms for rent, you enter a bowl of uncertainty. You cannot predict when you will get your tenants. Sometimes, it might take weeks or months, which will lead to a loss of potential income from your property. That is why it is better to try paid listings. Paid platforms make your property listing a priority. You will indeed put in front of the right kind of audience, and your listing is not temporarily, unlike free listings. The prices vary for different platforms, and you have the liberty to choose the one that aligns with your budget.

A key with a “for rent” keychain.  Image Source: Canva

That property of yours is the ‘numero uno’ source of constant income. Hope these tips help you find the right kind of tenants for it, the kind that becomes a family.

What to Look For in Experienced Home Builders

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Making your dream home come to life requires extensive research and consideration over every little thing. Aside from home design concepts, budgeting, and planning out your project timeline, you’ll also have to consider how to select which builder to create your home. Part of this process includes figuring out a way to separate the best builders from all of the rest. This is not an easy task, but good builders are easier to find than you might think. Here is a list of clues to look out for when you are feeling out the experience and expertise of the potential home builders you are considering.

A Specific Focus

Top home builders focus specifically on building custom homes. This focus means that most quality builders focus on only a small handful of homes every year, ensuring that they are attuned to their client’s needs. The builder’s eye for detail should be evident. They should be able to provide you with suggestions that show off their knowledge of home construction and their ability to tailor designs to your preferences.

Home Builders and Strong Backgrounds

Reputable builders have solid education in construction management. They should provide you with insight into your project and show examples of other work related to architecture, engineering, budget planning, and finished projects. Not everyone will have an educational background in construction, but if they seem to have enough knowledge and have enough experience and previous projects to prove their worth, make sure you consider them as a possibility. For example, if a builder has worked with construction projects and home construction builds his or her entire life, then they have enough experience to be considered. Homebuilding is a type of craftsman skill, so it’s essential to remain open to the background of every builder you consider hiring. You never know who the real experts might be!

Feel Satisfied with Interview Responses

Be ready with a set of established interview questions so that you can reflect on the builder’s responses and see if their ideas feel right to you. Please note the builder’s achievements and whether they are relevant enough to the project you need to complete. Be sure to ask your builder about every piece of your home construction project. If they are the real deal, they will have an answer for all of your questions and should be able to walk you through every step of the way.

Look for Cooperation

Top builders are accustomed to working with teams and essential groups of people who play a role in the construction process. It would help if you inquired about previous projects and the teamwork level between crew members. You want to feel confident that whoever you hire is a team player and works well with others.

Ensure that your builder agrees to your terms and that the expectations you have for them are agreed upon. For example, you may request that your builder works as a liaison, overseeing the design team and building inspectors. Each home project will require different needs for its completion; find the builder that understands yours.

Look for High Quotes

If you come across builders with quotes that feel surprisingly fair or even low, this is a good indicator that they lack the experience you need. Custom home builds are quoted based on the specifics of the home project. Any builder that offers a vague estimate without a cost breakdown is unlikely to have the expertise to handle the vision or financial considerations needed for your project.

Check their Credentials

Look into their customer references and their current standing with your state’s board of contractors. Conduct a background check and see if there were any previous lawsuits or claims against the builder. If they have a website, check for testimonials and reviews. Look at photos of their previous work and home construction projects so that you can decide that they can provide the home construction that you’re looking for.

Find Options from Strong Resources

In addition to friends and neighbors, seek out builders from other places and people you can trust. Ask local realtors and websites that feature profiles of custom home builders. Some of these sites even classify their builders by area. Some reliable options include those recommended by your bank. You can conduct a detailed check on the builder’s financial credibility before approving them to build your dream home. You can also hire an attorney who can walk you through the contracting process and the best record-keeping options as the project commences.

Check for Clarity

Hiring the right custom builder is a very tedious process. You want to make sure that you’ve made the right decision and that whoever you work with can complete your home with the proper understanding of precisely what it is you want. Figure out a way to test your potential custom home builders to see if they understand what you want in your home design. Ask them to create a digital representation of your new home so that you can see that they know what you are looking for.

Check for Loopholes

Depending on where you live, the laws for construction home building will differ. For example, in Texas, you do not have to have a license to be a homebuilder. You may meet someone with a great portfolio and expert knowledge of home construction. If they do not have a license, that is not necessarily a problem if they are located in one of these areas without the need for a license.

The Bottom Line

Even though custom home builders are expensive, you want to splurge on the right builder. It’s a safer bet to go with someone who requires more in fees for their services than someone who offers a fair or even low price to complete your home project. Designing a home that matches precisely what you want is something that requires a talented and skilled professional. Make sure that the person you hire is worth your money.

What’s The Need of Replacing Door Thresholds from Time to Time?

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A door consists of various elements. If you’ve ever been to a DIY door and furnishing superstore, you must have seen so many doorelements and products in different aisles. Door threshold and threshold ramp being some of them. Door threshold is a simple sloped piece extending across the door’s bottom to the walkway surface and is slightly elevated to keep water from entering the house.

Additionally, a well-fitted door threshold is good for improving energy efficiency of your home.

Purpose of door thresholds

Door threshold ramp are generally used as the main door opening. These are basically placed for closing the gap between floor and door. Besides, it provides resistance against the following:

Weather

One of the major purposes of installing a door threshold is to seal the main door for protecting the interior against extreme weather conditions in summer and winter. It also prevents home interiors against rain and snow – that would, otherwise, find a way into the living area.

Air leakage

Door threshold prevents air leakage. This means it stops leakage of indoor air. This results in reduced cooling and heating costs as it eliminates need of electronic appliances for optimization of indoor temperature.

Pests

Keep unwanted pests and insects away from your home – thanks to door threshold ramp. Without a threshold, a large gap between the floor and the door’s bottom allows snakes, tiny rodents, or scorpions to enter your home.

When does a door threshold need changing?

Your door threshold may need replacement over time. Since it is intended to withstand a lot of daily traffic, pressure, and climate conditions, a threshold is likely to deteriorate eventually. However, it’s not a tedious task to replace your door threshold. All it requires is a set of basic tools to remove screws and lift the weathered threshold.

However, when thinking of installing a new threshold, you need to choose the one that perfectly suits the style and requirement of your home. Plus, it should be able to cover the complete width of your door.

Reasons your door threshold needs replacement

Here are a few reasons yourexisting door threshold needs replacement:

  • Weathered, warped, or cracked: Door thresholds are often slammed, stepped on, kicked, and also exposed to weather conditions. That’s why it’s likely to weather, crack, or warp over time. Doors can take a beating over their lifetime. If you notice that your existing threshold has cracks and many stress fractures, it’s time to replace it with the new one.
  • Non-functioning: One reason to install a door threshold is to block the outside air entering your home from underneath the door. If you feel that your threshold is not able to block air leakage, it’s certainly not functioning well. Whenever this happens, it’s time to start looking for a new threshold.
  • Water or insect-damaged: Another sign of water damage is when wood starts to deteriorate andstarts to break apart. Another common type of damage to a threshold is insect damage, which is usually caused by small rodents or other pests/insects. When you notice any such damage to your door threshold ramp, it is time to replace it.
  • Energy-inefficient: Conventional door threshold and frames, especially the wooden ones – wear out over a span of a few years. If you notice a draft around a door, it’s when outside air leaks into the indoor and vice-versa. This is when the threshold becomes energy-inefficient and also leads to rise in energy bills over time. To prevent any further energy-inefficiency issues, you need to replace the threshold as soon as possible.

If you decide to replace your main door due to any such damages or gradual weathering or deterioration, it’s time to start looking for a new threshold. It’s best to consult professionals to help you determine the right door threshold for your home.

5 Ways A Rug Can Enhance The Interior of Your House

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Whether you’re shifting into a new home or going through an overhaul, you will need to figure out the correct placement for your floor rugs. Honestly speaking, finding the perfect rug for your interior can be quite challenging, both in style and in size.

But the good news is that there are some amazing ways to enhance your home interior. Here are the best tips suggested by a leading provider of modern rugs in Melbourne.

1. Define different rooms with rugs

We love interiors that can seamlessly blend different rooms. Here, you can use an area rug to define or separate spaces. This technique is especially helpful in defining studio apartments or larger rooms. Place similar style/coloured area rugs to create a visual connection between different rooms. One of the safest bets in the realm of rugs for home decor is a Morrocan rug. They work beautifully with almost all kinds of decor. They have a richness and sense of fineness to them. That’s why you could never go wrong with them.

2. Create a centre of attention

Area rugs can make a huge impact by acting as a centre of attention of your home interior. To achieve that, you need to create contrast by opting for a hue that perfectly compliments your space. Also, layering an area rug on top of another can help you create a focal point in any space.

3. Compliment rugs with each other

Area rugs are a work of art in their own way. They not only act as a decorative floor element but are also great for walls. When you are using more than one rug in a single room, it’s always best that the rugs complement each other.

4. Add character with traditional rugs

If you want something sophisticated placed in your interior, there is no better way than installing traditional rugs in Melbourne. They are a great way to introduce a sense of character to neutral spaces, such as living areas. You can also add traditional rugs with a contemporary pattern to achieve a unique home interior.

5. Choose natural rugs when confused

Natural rugs can never go wrong. They are one of the most popular choices when it comes to floor rugs in Melbourne. Whether you want something cosy underfoot or an affordable solution, natural rugs are available in a number of options to cater to your unique needs. Give your interior a powerful presence by building an awe-inspiring colour scheme around a statement rug. Otherwise, add natural rugs to your home as an accent piece.

Summing up

When placing an area rug, keep in mind that it can create an optical illusion. Therefore, make this work in your favour. When in doubt, go for bigger rugs and make a small room appear larger. So, which of these rug ideas is your favourite?

Do you have any suggestions? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.

Summary: Need inspirations to jazz up your home interior? Why not place area rugs in it? Here are some chic ideas to help you.