Category: Buy & Sell

If your home’s indoor humidity level gets to be too high, it can cause all kinds of complications. Mold and mildew might start to grow. You might also find that your cooling costs will go through the roof.

But if your home’s indoor humidity level gets to be too low, it’s also going to present problems. You’re going to struggle to keep your skin moisturized when there is a lack of humidity in your home, and you’re going to have a tough time heating your home up as well.

For these reasons, you need to work hard to find the ideal indoor humidity level. You don’t want the humidity level in your home to be too high or too low at any point.

So, what is a good indoor humidity level? That is the million-dollar question that tons of homeowners ask themselves each and every year.

Find out what the best indoor humidity level is below.

What Is the Best Indoor Humidity Level?

First things first: Let’s start things off by telling you what the ideal indoor humidity level should be in your home. This will give you a goal to work towards as you move forward in your house.

In a perfect world, you want your home’s indoor humidity level to sit at somewhere between 30 and 50%. You don’t want it to be any higher or lower than that since that is when the problems might start.

Generally speaking, you’re going to find that your home’s humidity levels will usually rise up above the 50% mark in the summertime if you don’t do anything about them. They’re also going to dip down under the 30% mark in the wintertime if you’re slow to take action and reverse this trend.

It’s important for you to know how to keep your home’s indoor humidity level in the 30 to 50% range. We’re going to discuss this next.

How Can You Bring High Humidity Levels Down?

If you ever find that your home feels very humid inside, you’re going to have to do something about it. It’s going to be very uncomfortable living in a home that’s filled with humidity all the time.

You’re also going to suffer some of the consequences that we touched on earlier if you aren’t able to bring your home’s high humidity levels down. Getting them down to a comfortable humidity level indoors is important.

So, what should you do if you have a high indoor humidity level? You should start by getting into the habit of turning your home’s air conditioning system down.

Many people are under the impression that AC systems simply send cool air out into a home to keep it comfortable. But they also work to remove the humidity that’s in the air in a home at the same time.

If yours isn’t able to do this, you should think about replacing your current AC system. You should also think about outfitting your home with an air filtration unit that can work wonders for those with high humidity levels in their houses.

Whatever you do, you shouldn’t feel like you have to suffer in silence as the humidity levels in your home creep up over the 50% mark and continue climbing. You’ll be asking for trouble if you take this approach to deal with humidity.

How Can You Increase Low Humidity Levels?

Most people understand the importance of lowering high humidity levels in their homes. They often set out to do it because of how uncomfortable it makes their houses.

But what people don’t always realize is that it’s just as important to increase low humidity levels. They can be every bit as problematic for both you and your home.

Fortunately, it’s not all that difficult to increase the humidity levels in your home when they’re on the lower side. You can do it by doing things like:

• Lowering the heat in your home ever so slightly
• Putting containers of water on elevated surfaces throughout your home
• Boiling water on your stove when you’re doing other things in your kitchen
• Leaving your bathroom door wide open when you’re taking a shower

Each of these things will bring up your home’s humidity levels to a more acceptable place. You’ll be surprised by how much they help when it comes to increasing the humidity in your home.

Do You Know If Your Home’s Humidity Levels Are Ideal?

While it’s not all that difficult to get your home to the ideal indoor humidity level, many people have a hard time doing it. Why? It’s often because they don’t monitor their home’s indoor humidity level closely enough.

If you don’t already have one in your home, you should invest in an indoor humidity gauge that will show you exactly where your home stands with regards to humidity. You might actually want to pick up a few of them and scatter them all throughout your home.

These gauges will give you a glimpse of how high or low the humidity levels in your home are. They’ll also help you keep a closer eye on which rooms in your home have more humidity than others.

By keeping watch over your home’s humidity level, you’ll put yourself in a position where you’re able to make adjustments on the fly to increase or decrease the humidity you face. By doing this, you’ll be able to achieve a healthy indoor humidity level.

See Where Your Home’s Indoor Humidity Level Stands Today

When is the last time you checked out the indoor humidity level in your home? If it’s been a while now, you should change that today.

And if you find that your home’s humidity is too high or too low, you should work to change that as well. You could protect your home and the health of both yourself and others who live with you by aiming to keep your indoor humidity level between 30 and 50%.

Find out some of the other things you should be doing in your home to make it safe by browsing through the articles found on our blog.

Surely, you have already heard the saying that says there is no place like home. It is a popular quotation that we mostly knew today. This quotation never gets old. It is because of its powerful message to every one of us. It is real and always timely to every year that is passing in our lives. That is why it remains to be one of the famous quotes that have been circulating in society. In fact, it has a great influence and impact on different families up to this time. One of the top reasons for its popularity, too, is the feeling that people can easily relate to its message. Because we surely feel it in real life. That is why we can surely confess that this famous saying is a great and beautiful message to every one of us. 

We all value the worth and role of our home to our family. That is why we take care of it. We make sure that everything is in its good state. One of the famous ways that we make our home incomparable is to personalize it. It means that we design our homes based on our interests. This includes the color, style, theme, and many more. 

Many people are doing this whenever they want it or a big change in their lives. It is not unusual in modern society today, unlike before, which is not a famous activity that people do in their home. Because the practice of many homeowners before is they just maintain the ambiance and look of their home. Then, if there are things that need to be repaired or totally damaged, that is the time they will change them. 

Now, modern families have this new practice already on how they take care of their own home. They just do not maintain their look but make sure that they are getting a new ambiance for a fresh start and sometimes for luck almost every year. As we look back, we will realize that many things have changed already in these many years that have passed. But these changes that have happened also have great benefits in our lives. Now, we learn more about how to appreciate designs through personalization. If you are wondering how to start beautifying your own home, it is just so simple. You only need to know what you want, and then you are ready to go. If it is clear to you already, you need to ask for help from the experts about designing and enhancing your place through home staging Melbourne. You can find them on the net.

As soon as you contact them, let them know what you want for your home. They would have a clear picture of what you want your home to look like in this way. 

Last year brought bumper sales for pools and hot tubs across the world. Trade soared by 25% as families sought ways to keep themselves entertained while hunkered down at home.

Are you ready to jump on the bandwagon? This is how to buy a hot tub that ticks all the boxes for you.

How to Buy a Hot Tub That Fits Your Space

Many homeowners make the mistake of buying the first hot tub that catches their eye. For maximum enjoyment, it’s important to choose the perfect spot for your hot tub.

You need a structurally sound and level surface comprised of concrete, brick, pavers, or crushed rock. Whichever surface you choose, it needs to withstand the weight of a hot tub filled with water as well as the maximum number of occupants.

You can place your hot tub on a deck, as long as you reinforce it beforehand.

Remember, a hot tub needs a power source too. So make sure there’s a control panel with a 50-amp breaker and the ability to run 240-volts of power nearby. Most households run on 110-volt power, so there’s a good chance you might need an electrician’s help with this part.

When you’ve found a suitable spot, make a note of its dimensions, so you know how big a hot tub you can buy.

Size Considerations When Buying a Hot Tub

Most square hot tubs are between six and eight feet long. You’ll also need space to accommodate steps, a cover, and equipment to run the hot tub.

The number of seats you choose depends on how many people will use the hot tub at a time. It’s always better to over cater since you never know when unexpected guests will arrive for a dip.

If you want a lounge seat that allows you to recline, this option takes up the space of two ordinary seats.

Types of Hot Tubs

There are two main types of hot tubs – inground and above-ground tubs. Most homeowners prefer above ground hot tubs because they’re portable and easier to install.

Above-ground spas also offer more options when it comes to hydrotherapeutic features. They’re easy to maintain and the hard exterior shell’s durable and available in a range of attractive finishes.

These types of spas can accommodate up to 10 people.

If you decide on an inground hot tub, you’ll need to hire a contractor to help you install it and you can’t take it with you when you move.

You can also buy an inflatable hot tub from some retailers. These are a low-cost temporary option and could suit those who’re renting their home. You can use it either indoors or out and it’s easily transportable.

Naturally, these types of hot tubs have a short lifespan but they’re a fun option for those who haven’t laid down their roots yet.

You’ll find a variety of hot tubs for sale at furniture stores like watson.com, northeastfactorydirect.com, or homedepot.com as well as specialized spa retailers.

The Finer Details of Hot Tubs

One of the major benefits of owning a hot tub is its therapeutic qualities. These depend on how many jets you have in your hot tub.

High-powered jets that mix air and water give the best massages. The more jets you add, the lower the more your water pressure decreases, so you’ll have to add extra motors if you want to run a hot tub with many vigorous jets.

If you’re hoping for a deep tissue massage, consider whether you want the jets to focus on your shoulders, lower back, or feet.

These types of hot tubs will run up your energy bills considerably, so you’ll need to weigh up your options concerning affordability vs luxury.

Other luxurious extras available for spas include sound systems, lights, water features, and bubblers.

Your Options for Water Purification and Filtration

Stagnant water’s far from hygienic or relaxing, so keeping your spa clean and sanitized is a top priority. You’ll need a combination of chemicals and mechanical devices to pull this off.

The bigger your hot tub, the bigger the pump and filter system you’ll need. Bromine and chlorine work well to sanitize spas although chorine has a strong smell that’s off-putting for some.

There are a few other systems, like ozonation and specialized filters, that can help reduce the number of chemicals you need to keep your hot tub clean.

Microbe resistant filters are a good option since they’re easy to clean, don’t smell, and work more efficiently. Most hot tubs have one or two filters, but some may use up to five filters.

You should change your hot tub filter every year for the best results.

Keeping the Water Warm

Insulation’s an important aspect of any hot tub. Most hot tubs have a hollow shell that’s filled with insulating material designed to reduce energy consumption by reducing heat loss.

These foam-filled spas aren’t as efficient as modern roto-molded spas and are difficult to repair when necessary. Roto-molded spas feature insulated cabinets filled with air that captures heat from the pump motors.

A spa cover’s essential to keep your hot tub water warm when you’re not using it.

Now’s the Best Time to Buy a Hot Tub

Hopefully, this article answers most of your questions about how to buy a hot tub that meets your needs. Now that the frenzy’s died down a bit, you might even find a few sales and discounts available on last season’s hot tubs.

While you’re shopping around, never hesitate to ask the relevant hot tub suppliers for extra advice and information.

Keep browsing our blog for more ways to add a little luxury to your environment.

If you’re like most Americans, you probably hate the process of moving to a new home. In fact, studies have shown that 45% of Americans hate it so much, they end up waiting until the last minute to pack, leading to additional feelings of stress.

Most people that are trying to sell a house want to know how long the process will take, what factors affect the process, and what they can do to speed it up.

So how long does it take to sell a house? Keep reading for a guide that will give you a breakdown of what you can expect.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

The moment you decide that you’re ready to sell your house, it’s time to get to work. By taking advantage of the period of time before your home appears on the market, you ensure that it will sell as fast as possible.

Here are three things you can’t forget to do.

Eliminate Clutter

Potential buyers don’t want to see clothes thrown around closets, knick knacks on every surface, and unwanted items taking up space. Make a point to go through your home and eliminate as much clutter as possible.

Try to separate the items you want to get rid of into three piles: a pile for donations, a pile to sell, and a pile that you will trash.

Make Any Needed Repairs

If your home requires any major upgrades, it might not be worth it to spend the time and money to complete them. However, small and minor repairs can often make a big difference.

Look for walls to repaint, faucets that need tightening, broken or outdated cabinet handles, and anything else you’ve been putting off for as long as you can remember.

Work on Your Curb Appeal

If you were a potential buyer who showed up at your home, would you be interested in buying it? If not, you’ll need to work on its curb appeal.

Mow the lawn, touch up the landscaping, and look for any other way to add freshness and life to the exterior of your home.

List and Show It

Depending on how much work your home needs, you can expect the preparation process to take anywhere from one to three months. After that, it’s time to list it and show it off to the world.

During this time, you’ll wait for offers from interested buyers. Assuming that you have a talented real estate agent, this could take less than a month.

Keep in mind that the region you live in also affects how long your home stays on the market.

Accept the Offer

After an interested party submits an offer, it’s common courtesy to respond as soon as possible. The legal stipulations surrounding how long you can delay answering vary between states, but many offers are time-sensitive.

Some offers will last for 72 hours, while others will only give you a window of 24 hours to respond.

Home Inspection

After you have a buyer, they then have around five to ten days to hire a home inspector to come and check everything out.

The actual home inspection will only last a few hours. You’ll then have to wait a couple of days as the inspector finishes writing their report.

Depending on the market, certain buyers might offer to waive the home inspection in order to expedite the selling process.

Adjust the Previous Offer

If the home inspection dug up anything of interest, the buyer might then present you with an adjusted offer that takes what the found into account. In other cases, they might request that you complete the necessary repairs.

This period of re-negotiation should last no more than 48 hours. Ideally, the two of you will come to an agreement without a problem.

Close on the House

After both parties agree on a price and any necessary repairs, the closing process begins. In most cases, this will take around 30-45 days. After the house closes, you finish the selling process by giving them the keys.

The buyer uses this period of time to finish all of the necessary paperwork. The county’s records department, the title company, and the buyer’s lender also have work that they need to complete.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a House?

If you do some quick math, you’ll find that the average time to sell a vacation home, condo, or traditional house takes somewhere between 55-70 days.

As mentioned, remember that the region you live in affects how quickly your home sells. Certain markets and regions are easier to sell in, whereas you might struggle to find a buyer in others.

The time when you put your home on the market can also affect how long you have to wait. Summer is often the “high season” of home selling, where it’s easier to find a buyer. September signals the “low season”, and after that point, it might become more difficult.

You’ll also have to take the present market conditions into consideration. Selling a home in 2020 might be difficult due to the recession caused by COVID-19, but experts have high hopes for 2021.

Sell Your Home and Begin the Next Stage of Your Life

Moving is never fun, but understanding the selling process is important. How long does it take to sell a house? That depends, but by following this guide, you should have a general idea, as well as an idea of how to expedite the process.

Do you now have a better idea of how long you can expect it to take to sell your home? If you do, take a moment to browse through some of our other articles for more helpful guides and tips.

So you’re interested in buying a foreclosed home?

When shopping for a new home, taking a look at foreclosed homes is a great way to save a big chunk of money. Traditionally, a foreclosed home will have an asking price that’s substantially less than other homes on the market.

Yet, the process of buying a foreclosed home can be a bit tricky for the uninitiated.

Keep on reading for our full breakdown of how to buy a foreclosed home, and the steps you need to take before you can take your first step into your new house.

The Process of Buying a Foreclosed Home: Which Type of Foreclosure?

Before taking a deep dive into the different processes for buying a foreclosed home, you’ll need to identify the actual stage of foreclosure first.

There are four different types of foreclosure, and each one has unique properties that you have to keep in mind. For instance, properties can still be owned by their original homeowner, but still be considered a pre-foreclosed home at the very first stage.

Let’s take a look.

1. Pre-Foreclosures

At the pre-foreclosure stage, the mortgage lender has just notified their borrowers that they’re in default. This is the very first step before the property is offered for sale at auction.

If the homeowner has a buyer on stand by, they can sell their property at this stage, where they can avoid the whole bulk of foreclosure proceedings.

For these kinds of homes, you’ll be able to find them listed in county and city courthouse buildings, or online.

2. Short Sales

The next type of foreclosed homes can be found in short sales.

In the simplest of terms, a short sale happens when the lender is willing to come to the negotiating table and accept less for the property than what is originally owed on the mortgage.

In this case, the borrowers don’t actually need to be in default for the lender to agree to a short sale. However, there must be a solid reason behind wanting a short sale.

Generally, these can span all types of financial hardships, or the residence itself is underwater, which means that the property is actually worth less than the outstanding mortgage balance.

You can find these properties listed as short sales, with a glaring “pending bank approval” attached.

3. Bank-Owned Properties

Do you know what happens to foreclosed properties that don’t sell at auction?

Well, they go back to the bank and get listed as real estate owned (REO) properties. These types of properties tend to be managed by the financial institution’s specialized REO department.

You can easily find this type of property online, listed as REO or bank-owned properties.

4. Government-Owned Properties

For properties that were purchased using loans guaranteed by the federal government’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or even the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), these properties are repossessed by the government when they go into foreclosure.

This is a special type of property that can only be sold by brokers that work for the federal agency or they’re government-registered brokers. You can take a look at these properties by checking out the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website.

How to Buy a Foreclosed Home

At this point, you’ve probably gotten a pretty solid understanding of what the market has to offer when it comes to foreclosed homes.

Let’s take a look at the steps you need to take before buying a foreclosed home.

Step 1: Getting Mortgage Preapproval

Before even creating a list of foreclosed homes that you’re interested in checking out, you’ll want to tackle getting preapproved for a mortgage first.

Of course, the fastest way to purchase a home would be by paying in cash. However, that’s usually not an option for most homebuyers. Therefore, you’ll want to go through the process of prequalification, and getting preapproval on a mortgage before you start searching in earnest.

Step 2: Hire a Broker or Agent With REO Specialization

As we’ve previously discussed, if you’re looking at government-owned properties, then you have no choice but to contact a government-registered broker.

If you’re looking at other types of foreclosure homes, you’ll still need the expertise of a real estate agent that specializes in REOs. The buying process of foreclosure homes can become quite convoluted, and you’ll want to save time and money by having a specialist on board.

Step 3: Buy a Foreclosed Home

Depending on the recommendation of your agent, and after checking this home buying checklist, you can start bidding at an auction, or start negotiations for an REO.

Afterward, you can put an offer on a home that fits the lower range of your budget. You’ll have to keep in mind that you’ll still have to pay for inspection costs, closing costs, insurance, renovations, and repairs, as well as property taxes.

Therefore, be conservative in your bidding.

Step 4: Home Inspection and Resolve Liens

Now you’re ready for arranging a home inspection. After checking whether you’re allowed to do so after putting an offer on the house, you’ll want to have a reputable inspection service come in and do a thorough scan of the house.

If the inspection looks good, you’ll want to start taking a look at the remaining liens on the house. Unfortunately, some foreclosed homes can have more than one loan, so you’ll have to deal with a solid title company (with the help of your broker, of course) to go through the liens, and ensure that there are no surprises remaining.

Once you’re done, and you feel good about the deal, you’re ready to move into closing procedures and get the keys to your new home.

Ready to Buy the Home of Your Dreams?

While the process of buying a foreclosed home can look a bit scary at first, we hope that our guide was able to shed light on the whole procedure for you.

However, your home buying journey doesn’t have to be painful. As a matter of fact, it should be fun and knowledgeable. You can check out our mortgage and real estate sections for more tips and tricks that can teach you and keep you up-to-date with the latest real estate news.

There is no easy road that you will take in life. Every road is a challenging one that we need to overcome. You will surely learn and discover many things that will help you surpass the next coming roads that will come into your life.

There is no accident in life. Even your dreams in life have a reason. It means that we are dreaming of a great purpose. Most of us are doing the things that we are doing right now for our family. It is not just solely for ourselves but also for our family. When we were young, it was not yet in our minds. But as we grow older and become aware of the thing around us, little by little, we are already forming the goals we want to achieve for our future. One of these common goals that we all want to achieve is having our own home. When we turn into a fully adult already, we are making our goals and working for it to happen.

As we know, it is not easy to acquire a house and a lot nowadays. The cost of it is not easy to achieve unless you have worked hard for it. It is one of the reasons why people today are working hard in their everyday lives. They want to work now for them to achieve the desires of their heart in the future. If we have enough money already in buying our dream home, we must seek professional advice on how to get the best place to live in the market. It is an investment that is for a lifetime already. So, we have to be careful about getting our final decision.

There are many choices of homes in the market nowadays. There are numerous providers and real estate that are different from each other. It just depends on our considerations and needs on what we will choose among homes’ choices in the market. It’s tough to choose, but you will surely get the right one for you as you go along with the proper process before deciding. You do not need the best home among the market choices, but what you need is the perfect one for you, as the choices of homes at Brad Dahler. It is because they got the best location for homes. Here, you will feel the breath of fresh air because of the ideal location. You are near to the beach and close to nature. It’s peaceful to imagine and what more to live already. If you are interested now, you can easily search and find them online. They got a wide range of ideal places to live along the beach. Surely, you will be easily captivated by how amazing their offering is to their clients. So, live your dream now.