Day: August 20, 2015

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Custom home plans Luxury home designs Luxury house models

The Ins and Outs of Building a Custom Home

Florida luxury home builders

Custom homebuilders are in high demand right now following an uptick in designer home models. Current housing trends such as open floor plans are not available in many older homes, and combined with other wants and needs of the modern family, custom home plans are a great solution. Many people just don’t want the maintenance and frustrations of an old home anymore.

While it’s true that many buyers spend upwards of $1 million for their luxury home designs due to high expectations, it doesn’t mean that all custom homes have to cost that much. Luxury home builders often charge more for incredibly unique home features. However, even with a small budget, many people are able to make it work if they have a reasonable list.

One of the biggest things to keep in mind about custom home plans is that you should stick with basics, but good quality basics. Many people ask for a fully-wired smart system to make their home accessible through smartphones or tablets, but keep in mind that software will have to be update quite often. A money-saving option however, is geothermal systems, because they use 25-50% less energy and can reduce emissions, which in the long run can save you a lot of money.

You should also make sure that whoever you hire to make your custom home plans work is using great materials that will last for years, and that they know exactly what they’re doing. There are many horror stories of people who just did not do any research first, and then had awful experiences because of it. Don’t be that person!

Do you think you’ll be getting in touch with any custom home builders or luxury home builders? What are your plans?

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Donation pickup Military order of the purple heart

Got Old Clothes Or Unwanted Furniture? Call For A Donation Pick-Up!

Organizations that accept clothing donations

When’s the last time you put on a shirt only to find out it didn’t fit you anymore? While it can seem like a waste of your money, the truth of the matter is that there are many uses you can get out of clothes you don’t need. Charity donation is an essential and thriving industry that relies on people recycling everything from clothes they no longer need to knickknacks clogging up the garage in order to support their environment. Does your daughter have toys they no longer play with? Look up your local charity pick up! Charity does everything from free up your living spaces to helping people in need. It even reduces national waste! Look below to learn a bit more about charitable donations in the United States and how you can be part of a greater force for good.

The average American buys ten pounds of used clothing every year and is a common option to turn to for those on a budget, such as college students and families in need. The textile recycling industry provides the United States with over 16,000 jobs and workers handle everything from refurbishing, recycling, delivery and more. The environment also feels the effects of charitable clothing donations, as a whopping 90% of clothing and textiles thrown out could’ve been recycled in 2011 alone! Clothing and general textile waste can reach as high as 12 million pounds per year and every little effort goes a long way in counteracting it.

If you’ve got items you’re not using anymore, consider visiting a local charity and dropping them off. Make sure your clothes are gently used and any toys or furniture have minimal scratches and denting (remember, people are going to be buying your unwanted items!). If you find your busy schedule is conflicting with the ability to donate, you can always call for local donation pick ups. It’s as simple as setting your items outside your door and calling them over. Giving to charity has never been easier with local donation pick ups and you’ll find everything from your newly refurbished living spaces to the environment thanking you!

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Cleaning service st. petersburg fl Cleaning services st petersburg Maid service

Dependable Cleaning ServicesMake Coming Home from Work a Treat

Cleaning services clearwater fl

Most people love a clean home, but in today’s busy world, house cleaning often gets overlooked, or moved to the bottom of the to-do list. If you are a parent who works outside of the home, housecleaning is often the last item on your list. After a long day at work, many parents would rather spend time with their children than vacuum stairs. Unfortunately, 84% of Americans believe having a clean carpet is necessary to having a clean home.

If you feel like you do not have the time and energy it takes to keep your home as clean as you like, hiring a dependable maid service may be the answer to your situation. Maintaining a home, being a good parent, and working or volunteering outside of the home combine to take up a lot of your time and energy. Hiring a dependable maid service, however, can actually add time back into your otherwise hectic schedule. In fact, if your family cleans daily, you can gain back 730 hours, or 30 days a year, by hiring a cleaning service.

A trusted house cleaning service can complete weekly cleaning tasks, like cleaning bathrooms, kitchens and carpets, as well as provide seasonal special assignments like a spring cleaning service. Nothing feels better at the end of a long day than coming home to a freshly cleaned and dusted home. An experienced maid service can accomplish more in a few short hours in your home than you could complete in a month. Over 894,920 maids work U.S. and they are trained in being both efficient and reliable.

In addition to helping homeowners, hiring a dependable maid service is also a good investment for renters and employers. Did you realize, for instance, that employees in a clean office have an 80% reduced probability of catching a cold or influenza? Additionally, regularly cleaning an office can reduce employee absenteeism by as much as 46%. Renters also benefit from maid services. In many cases renters are people who value their own time. If you are a renter who wanted to mow the yard, take care of maintenance and upkeep, you would buy a house instead of leasing an apartment. As a renter, you will appreciate the time you get back if you pay someone to clean your apartment on a weekly basis.

Having a clean home is a priority to many Americans. Completing the tasks it takes to achieve cleanliness, however, is a time consuming endeavor. If you are a family whose schedule is full of time at work and other volunteer commitments, as well as being a parent, consider hiring a trusted cleaning agency to give yourself back the time you deserve.

Categories
Home essentials Property listing Retirement

Want To Spend Your Retired Days Lounging Lakeside? Find Out How Here

Hampton lake recreation

For many late Gen X’ers, the dream is pretty simple: retire with comfortable savings and move away to the location of their dreams. Oftentimes, living by the water is an ideal situation or in a retirement community, with plenty of people their own age to engage with and plenty of activities to participate in. So what if you found out you could do both of those? If you’re thinking about retirement living and looking at real estate, there are many private communities with lake property and resort-style amenities at hand.
Living The Healthiest Life For You
So you’ve worked hard all your life and now it’s really time to enjoy those golden years! Why not do it in style, with the money you’ve saved during your career? MONEY recently surveyed its readers, and almost 50% of people who were retired reported being happier than they had expected. And no wonder! You have leisure time, no pressing deadlines, and time to spend with the people you care about in your life.
However, you want to maintain a healthy life style to keep your quality of living up. According to reports, the retirees who are the happiest do three to four activities regularly and retirees who report being the most unhappy only do one or two. Staying busy is crucial, as is maintaining your exercise levels. The CDC reports that if you’re 65 or up, decently in shape and healthy, you should be doing two and a half hours of aerobic activity a week and muscle training at least once a week. A private community can help with both of these things!
What Are The Perks of Living In Such A Community?
For one, the idea of community is a key factor. You wouldn’t be isolated or alone in your new home; instead you would have plenty of things to do with your day–be it out on the water, with your spouse or family, or other activities around the area. You would live in a safe neighborhood and vibrant community, with the opportunity to make new friends and continue being social. Additionally, you would have resort-like amenities–it’s like being on vacation every day! If you chose a lake property, you’d be close to water and be able to enjoy the beautiful views and all the recreation that having water nearby affords. Indeed, Generation X is responsible for almost 30% of all new home sales. Clearly, this isn’t something that just a few people are doing–your generation is on the move to bigger and better things!
Where Can I Find Real Estate Like This?
If you’ve been looking at new real estate and wondering where to find a place like the one described above, it’s really quite simple. Many places, especially in the warmer climates offer an abundance of private communities for those who are retired. Check online or contact any family or friends down South for recommendations. A retirement counselor may also be able to offer some guidance or tips for where to look.
Retire in style, comfort, and luxury! It’s your time to kick back and finally relax.