Tips & Tricks Archives - Page 2 of 2

Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Appliances

Spring cleaning – it’s that gritty process you’re thankful only occurs once a year. But giving your house a facelift is a great way to start off the fair-weather season the right way, even if it takes some effort and a few rolls of paper towels. However, when we freshen up our homes in the springtime, we normally neglect our appliances. In fact, there may be a couple that you only clean in the case of a spill, or have never cleaned at all. But how exactly do you go about cleaning your appliances? Is it possible to do it yourself? In short, there are some easy steps you can take to spruce up the cleanliness of your kitchen appliances without hiring a professional cleaner or shelling out for expensive chemicals. Keep reading to see our top tips for cleaning out each appliance this spring: Microwave Place a microwaveable container filled with water and a few lemon wedges in the mic, and nuke it for 3 minutes. The vapor and lemon will loosen any stains and smells living in your microwave. Let it cool down, and give it a wipe. Easy peasy! Oven Similar to your new microwave strategy, place...

3 Spring Updates For Your House

Spring is a time for renewal and rejuvenation. After months of a cold, dry, and dreary Minnesota Winter, we all feel ready to embrace the Spring weather. If you’re feeling the urge to update your home, here are three ways to embrace the Spring season in your home with style. 1. Flowers and Plants Brighten up your house with some freshly cut flowers or potted plants. Next grocery haul pick up some fresh flowers or plants from the grocery store or order online at marketplaces like Amazon for added convenience. Another way to welcome the Spring into your home is to plant an indoor garden which will make your house feel Spring-ready as it brings the outdoors indoors. You can build a beautiful Spring garden inside by installing a rack, hanging capabilities, or an indoor trellis. To make sure you choose the right plants for your house read The Spruce guide to indoor plants for your best indoor garden. If you’re worried about remembering to water your plants, there are many custom, self-watering systems available for installation. All the plants and flowers in your house will improve air quality; making the house feel healthier and happier. Between mini-cactus desk plants...

How To Organize Your Closet

As we transition into the fall and back-to-school, it’s important to keep a tidy closet space to stay organized. Here’s some tips from House Lift to organize your closet: Design Your closet space should work for you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider if you want a walk-in, California, or hidden closet, ask yourself the following questions to see what kind of closet you need: What are your style needs? How do you plan to use your closet? How will your family use the closet? Is your family messy or organized? Do you value function or style more? Organize If you create places for all of the things in your closet it makes it easier to clean and creates a more tidy look. Try shelf dividers to keep your folded shirts, organize jewelry on a jewelry tree, install a pegboard on the wall for backpacks or raincoats, find a shoe rack to lift shoes off the floor, or buy matching storage boxes to hide sweatshirts, scarves, or sunglasses. Simplify The easiest way to streamline your closet is to invest in hangers that match. Matching hangers not only tie your closet together, but also highlight your wardrobe. If you or your kids...

Tips For A Kid-Friendly Home

A beautiful and kid-friendly home is within reach, here are a few tips as you design or remodel your bathroom, living room, and kitchen to create a stylish and family-friendly home. The Bathroom To achieve a safe and convenient bathroom, consider installing a separate shower and bath, instead of a combination of the two. Design a “wet zone” to keep the water confined and place the shower next to the bath with a glass wall dividing space from the rest of the room. For flooring, large-format tiles are easy to maintain, and the designs are both modern and classic, so you can enjoy function and style. The Living Room A living room adjacent to the kitchen not only gives a communal feel to your home, but also allows you to keep an eye on your children while they’re playing or doing homework. This layout will bring your family together in unexpected ways that matter most. Unless you have a separate playroom, you’ll need to keep this space tidy while housing the kid’s toys. Find furniture that’s stylish and storage-friendly, like an ottoman or sofa with hidden storage. Designate a few bookshelves or cupboards for books and toys. This way, your...

Top Updates Before Selling

To impress potential buyers, there are five areas of your home to focus your decorating efforts. Don’t worry — these are quick upgrades. Your real estate professional can help you determine your target buyer so you can tailor your upgrades to the local market. Here are the top upgrades for the five high-impact areas in your home: 1. Curb Appeal First impressions matter in real estate, increase your curb appeal with these simple changes: Reduce clutter: if your porch or yard has been cluttered for a while it’s easy to ignore it. Tidy up your yard and pressure wash your driveway, porch, and garage. Upgrade accessories: pick out a new welcome doormat and add a simple, seasonal wreath. Choose timeless accessories so your photos won’t look dated if a holiday passes. Add accessories: your porch shouldn’t be bare but don’t go overboard with accessories. Think of your porches’ accessories like jewelry; they should enhance your home, not overpower it. Add some colorful and stylish potted plants to your exterior entryway or an understated outdoor cafe table and chairs for coffee and morning showings. Paint your door: a beautifully painted front door is always a favorite. It’s an important part of...

4 Ways to Smarten Up Your Home

Your home just got smarter, and more efficient. With smart home technology, you can control cooling, heating, doorbells, locks, and lighting from the comfort of your smartphone. Smart technology isn’t just a way to make your life easier, but also a way to save energy, strengthen security, and differentiate your home on the market when you decide to sell. The convenience, luxury, and security smart technology creates can change your life forever, for the best. To help get you started, we’ve highlighted some essential smart upgrades for your home below. Thermostat A thermostat may seem like the most basic feature of the home, but it has a large impact on your energy bills and overall comfort. Half of your monthly energy costs are controlled by your thermostat, and a smart thermostat can reduce your energy expenditure greatly. What if you could use your phone to tell your thermostat you were on your way home? Or what if your thermostat could sense your proximity and calculate the exact time to make your home warm and cozy when you arrive? A smart thermostat can learn these household’s patterns and adjust heating and cooling according to when the home is occupied or not....

Building a Deck – What To Plan For

Whether you’re looking for another DIY home project or you simply want to add a deck to your house for functional purposes, the process is completely doable and enjoyable no matter your handyman abilities. Depending on the type and design of deck you want, there are variations in the procedure. In addition, you should consider your needs and your lifestyle before beginning the design process. Planning Your Deck Before diving right into the construction process, it’s important to consider the type of deck you want, what function you want it to serve, the size you can afford, and your budget. It’s a smart idea to start small, and then if down the road you decide you want to upgrade the size and quality of building materials, you can. Will the deck be a simple aesthetic piece, or will it be a frequent place of gathering for your large extended family? You should also consider the current layout of your yard — trees, bushes, patio space, etc. — before creating a game plan. Size and Shape A common homeowners’ rule of thumb is that the deck size should be no more than 20% of the size of the house. If you...