Cleaning your house is one of those chores that everyone has to do, but most people don’t enjoy.  Since it’s so time consuming and something that has to get done daily or weekly, you want to try to get it done as quickly as possible, but be efficient as well. Unfortunately, there are many mistakes that you may be making that are slowing you down.

You don’t follow the “top to bottom” rule.
When you start cleaning a room, start at the very top and work your way to the floors.  While you may want to do the things you like the least first to get it out of the way, you may be hindering your progress by doing so. For example, getting your vacuuming out of the way first may seem like a good idea, but when you go to clean off other surfaces later, you’re likely going to be getting dust and crumbs all over your nice vacuumed floor and have to redo it.  Starting at the top and working your way to the floor is the best way to make sure you don’t have to redo anything after it’s already completed.

You wash windows on a sunny day
You might not think much about washing windows on a sunny day may, but it could actually make your cleaning job take more time and be more difficult.  The heat from the sun could cause your cleaner to dry before you get the chance to wipe it away. This causes streaks, forcing you to start over.

You rinse dishes before the dishwasher
Many people choose to rinse their dishes in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher, but its not necessary.  While you should get food scraps off the plate, it doesn’t require rinsing as it’s been proven that doing so does not get your dishes any cleaner.  Save money and time by just loading the dishwasher without a pre-rinse.

You don’t let tile cleaner sit
While it’s listed on the back of most cleaning supplies, we don’t always follow the rule of letting the cleaner sit before trying to wipe it away, especially when we are in a rush. Letting your tile cleaner sit for a few minutes will make wiping away the soap scum and stains much easier as it breaks down and dissolves. 

You don’t multitask
You clean the house room by room and then go to do the laundry or run the dishwasher last.  Does this sound like you? Instead, load the dishwasher and get that going while you are cleaning the rest of the kitchen or throw in the laundry while you’re cleaning a room near there.  While you let your tile cleaner sit, instead of waiting around, start wiping down a different surface or clean the toilet. Managing your time better by seeking opportunities to multitask will help get you through your chores in no time.

You don’t have the kids help
If you have kids, have them help you clean and make it fun.  Have them participate in more than just cleaning their rooms. Make it fun for them by putting on some music and playing a game – see if they can do their chores before you finish yours and winner decides what to eat for dinner that night.

You don’t clean your cleaning supplies
When your cleaning supplies gets dirty, instead of getting rid of dirt, it will just spread it around.  You’ll work harder to get rid of the stains or dirt but will not have any progress. It’s important to get new cleaning tools as needed.

Most people don’t think about color frequently. When it comes to painting the rooms in your house, you’ve mostly likely thought about what color would make the most sense. You want to choose a color that goes well with the furniture you already have, but also goes with your own personality.

When you were thinking about colors, did you think about how each color may have an effect on your mood? Colors can affect people in different ways depending upon several factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and even the climate you live in.   While colors can mean different things depending on the culture, the same general effect each color has tends to be similar. 

Color can affect more than just the way someone feels in a room. It can also influence how a room is perceived. For example, lighter shades and colors tend to make a smaller room look and feel larger, while using darker colors and shades can make a room feel cozier.

If you’re painting a room or even your entire house, read ahead and see how each color can potentially affect the way you feel while you’re in the room.

Red

Painting a room red can raise the energy level within the room.  It’s known as an extreme color that can stir up excitement and is good for stimulating conversation. It’s a color that makes a big first impression.

           Best room – dining room or living room
           Worst room – bed room

Yellow

Yellow is a happy, cheerful color; however, should only be used in smaller areas. As a lighter color, it can help make a hall, entry, or other small place feel expansive.  Too much yellow is a bad choice as adults lose their temper and babies cry more in yellow rooms.           

                        Best room – kitchen, dining room, or bathroom
                        Worst room – bed room

Blue

Rooms that are blue are often seen as relaxing and calming. It is said to be able to bring down blood pressure and slow down your heart rate. Using softer shades evokes this type of feeling, while darker shades tend to bring sadness. People are also known as being more productive in blue rooms.

                       Best room – bedroom, bathroom, or weight room/gym
                       Worst room – N/A

Green

Green is a color that symbolizes earthiness and nature. It encourages unwinding and togetherness, which makes it great for almost any room in the house.  It is also known as a color to help with fertility.

                        Best room – bedroom
                        Worst room – N/A

Purple

Purple is seen as a color associated with wealth and creativity, being as it’s a sophisticated and dramatic color. It’s often seen as a great secondary or accent color, not the main star. 

                        Best room – bedroom
                        Worst room – N/A

Neutrals

Neutral colors are those that can work with any other color. Black, gray, white and brown are all neutrals.  Neutrals are great because by adding other colors to this scheme, you can help liven up a room and use the other colors influence. By contrast, having a room with fewer colors, you are able to calm things down.

Sources:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html

http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/

Millennials are a generation in which anything touched tends to be swayed in one direction or another.  The biggest example is with the housing market.  While in years past, most Millennials were turning to renting instead of buying; they now see opportunity in buying and owning homes.

According to a survey calculated by Digital Risk, 73.41% of Millennials haven’t purchased a home in the last 5 years, but 69.57% are interested in doing just that at some point within the next 5.

This generation is doing things differently than previous generations. The main focus of this generation tends to lean towards career path and employment opportunities instead of marriage.  Since Millennials are waiting much longer to get married and start a family than previous generations, many are no longer waiting until that point to get a mortgage. Instead, they are buying homes sooner and owning for shorter periods of time, before moving to the next home.

While there are some different types of obstacles that Millennials have to face that other generations didn’t have to, such as an abundance of student loans, this doesn’t impact their want of buying a home.

A March 2015 report from the National Association of Realtors reported that Millennials represent the biggest group of homebuyers in America with 32%, which is only going to increase in the coming years.Buying a home for this generation is a milestone and part of the “American Dream,” that they want to be part of.  The homes that they choose to buy; however, aren’t usually new homes, but older homes that they may need to do some work or renovations on.

Norcom Mortgage “Dream Home Loan” can help with just that.  The Norcom Mortgage Dream Home Loan provides the cash needed to pay for upgrades, improvements, or other repairs to the property.

Whether you are moving to a different state or just across town, it can be easy to overlook things that should get done BEFORE you start life in a new home.

2 months before your move…

Collect Boxes – Start collecting boxes that you’re going to need to transport your belongings to the new location. Ask your friends or family, especially if they have just recently moved. Checking craigslist or even asking local businesses if they have any gently used boxes can help you out so you don’t have to spend any cash.

Pack Rarely Used Items  - Go through your attic or basement to start packing up things that you rarely use. After that, try going through one room at a time – starting with a guest room. While you’re at it, put aside unwanted items that you haven’t used in over a year. Getting this done 2 months ahead of time might seem a little advanced, but as the date approaches, you’ll be busy with many other things.

Have a Yard Sale  - Those unwanted items that you put aside when going through the rooms? Make a little extra cash and sell them at a yard sale or even on Craigslist. If having a yard sale isn’t something you’re interested in, donate the items to a local thrift store.

2 weeks before your move…

Notify People – If you haven’t already notified your friends and family of your upcoming move, now is the time to do so.  You don’t want to miss out on any holiday or birthday cards! Send out a mass email to your contacts list with your new address or do it the old-fashioned way and send out some snail mail.  In addition, it’s best to go to the post office and choose a date to start forwarding your mail.

Stop Grocery Shopping – You don’t want to waste money or food by having too much of it when you’re ready to move out of your house.  Go through your freezer and your pantry and be creative with what your meals, you might even find a new recipe you enjoy!

2 days before your move…

Pack Essentials Box – Pack everything that you would need for the first night in your new home such as sheets, a pillow, dishware, cups, toiletries, your phone charger and anything else you can’t go a day without.

The appeal of doing something yourself is undoubtedly huge. In an ideal world, you’ll get a great sense of accomplishment, bragging rights to all your friends and family, and you’ll save a ton. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Failed DIY projects are both demoralizing and can create problems that are much more expensive than the original fix. Here are some tips so you know what projects to take on and which you should probably hire out.

Know Your Skills: You have to be honest with yourself here. Do you really know how to do the job? If you are inexperienced or lack the required skills to take on the project, it can only cause problems. Firstly, many jobs, especially anything electrical, can be quite dangerous and if you are unsure of how to do it, you’ll possibly hurt yourself. Even if you are able to finish the job unscathed and feel like it was successful, you never really are sure of the quality of your work. If you seal something improperly or don’t reinforce something enough, you could have leaks or structural issues in the long term that are much more costly than hiring a professional for your small job. As a rule of thumb, if you have to follow along and mimic a YouTube video in order to do the project, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

Avoid Most Big Jobs: Unless you have done extensive research and have training in the area, conquering a large project is not in your best interest. Even if these jobs seem easy, they most likely are not. There is a reason renovating a bathroom, for example, is much more expensive than you, as a DIYer, think it should be. While on the surface, pulling out a toilet and bathtub may seem simple. You will quickly find it requires more tools and time than you ever imagined. Big jobs like this can look easy, but you can be quickly overwhelmed and easily make mistake that a professional would not.

Permits: Jobs that require any kind of permit are probably not worth your while. Professionals have spent years working with the necessary powers and can likely get these permits with a lot less stress and time that you can. If you are thinking about doing the work on your own without a permit, think again. Unpermitted improvements make it very hard to sell your home and could lead to a lawsuit if something were to go wrong with the repair post-sale.

Enjoy It: If you look at the project and are dreading it from day one, hire it out. When you are unhappy in your work, you are much more likely to rush through it and do a poor job that could hurt you down the line. Further, projects often take a lot of time and if you hire it out, that is time that could be spent doing something you truthfully enjoy as opposed to slaving over a home fix.

DIY work is fantastic if done well, but too many times quick fixes and other improper work cause a lot of trouble in the future. Do a lot of research and planning before you start any DIY project to be sure it is something you are fully ready to handle.