Design Post Update

Although many students may return home for some of the holidays, some students enjoy celebrating the holidays at school or may simply wish to decorate for the seasons. If you live in a dorm or small apartment, you can decorate in lots of creative ways to celebrate any holiday you like with singular style.

Miniature Tree

While holiday trees are invariably associated with Christmas, you can actually use your small tree to celebrate holidays throughout the school year. Create a Halloween tree decorated with miniature ghosts and a black and orange paper chain. Naturally you can decorate your small tabletop tree for Christmas as well as Valentine's Day and Easter.

Windows

When you don't have much interior space in your college dorm or apartment, consider decorating your windows for the holiday. You can hang oversize ornaments in the window during the winter holidays or even purchase some window markers to create elaborate holiday window scenes. You can also hang garlands in the window or exchange your regular draperies with a seasonal print.

Bedding

Sometimes your functional items can double as holiday decorations. Outfit your bed with blankets, sheets, and throw pillows that reflect the season. If you choose a plain red bedspread, you can simply add a seasonal pillow case and throw pillows to reflect winter holidays and Valentine's Day. Since your bed is a major item in your dorm room, it can make a big decorative statement.

Lights

You can decorate your small apartment or college dorm with strands of holiday lights. These lights are festive but can also enhance the ambience of your space. Small white lights or green and red lights will improve the holiday look of your room, and they won't cost a lot to purchase either. Additionally, they're easy to roll up and store.

Winter Greenery

When you have a small area to decorate for the holidays, consider adding some mistletoe or other greenery to the walls. You can hang an evergreen wreath on the door or wedge a few branches of greenery in a bookcase. The great thing about plain greenery is that you can leave it up for a good portion of the winter.

Fragrantly Festive

Add some holiday potpourri or fragrances to your room to enhance the holiday aura. You can pick up some terrific seasonal fragrances at Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as holiday-scented candles. You can even find deodorizing room sprays that smell like pine, mulberry, or other seasonal scents.

Visit the College Shop

Many university stores and college shops stock special smaller holiday decorations that are perfect for use in dorm rooms or apartments. Stop by one day after class to see what merchandise is available for you to use. You might also purchase craft supplies there so you can make your own holiday decorations.

Keep these tips in mind and you can create a fabulous holiday decorative scheme for your setting. Additionally, these ideas are affordable, so you can create your holiday décor without spending too much.

Helen Cooper has sent all four of her children off to college, so she knows how small those dorm rooms are. An avid blogger, she enjoys writing about her experiences to post online. Look for her posts on a variety of websites and blogs.

Unless you have the cash burning a hole in your pocket to buy a house there and then, there are a lot of costs involved in buying a new property. Let's get started straight away.

1/ Deposit

Probably the biggest cost of moving into a new home will be your a deposit. Depending on your financial situation, this could be as little as 5%. However, the more you have, the better mortgage deal you will get.

2/ Stamp duty

Stamp duty of 2% is payable on any property over £125,000, with incremental increases up to 12.5% on assets worth more than £1.25 million. For more expensive properties, it could be worth coming to an agreement with the selling party to avoid stamp duty costs.

3/ Surveyance fees

A property survey can cost you around £2-300. You will need to get one to ensure there are no structural defects or serious work that needs doing. However, it is often worth the investment as it will give you peace of mind.

4/ Home inspection

A home inspection will cost you anything from £350 to £500. However, they could shave off a considerable chunk of the asking price. A home inspector will take a more thorough look at the building and point out any areas that need repairing.

5/ Legal fees

Legal fees can rack up quickly, so it's best to choose a solicitor with a transparent package with no surprise costs. The last thing you want is to be more out of pocket before you even move in. Also, think about choosing a firm that will take care of your surveys and arrangements for you. It might cost a little more, but it will reduce the stress that can be involved.

6/ Mortgage Arrangement

Some lenders will charge you money to set up your mortgage account, which can run into anything up to £2K. If paying upfront is a problem you and add it to your mortgage, although this will attract interest over the mortgage period.

7/ Set-up fees

If you are going on a tracker or fixed mortgage, you may have to pay a set-up fee to lock in the price. This is usually a small amount, although not insignificant. You can expect to pay anything up to and around £250.

8/ Moving

Removal companies charge anything from £500 upwards, depending on the amount you are moving from your old house to your new one. You could do this yourself, of course, but there are plenty of benefits of getting it done in one hit.

9/ Building insurance

Your building insurance will need to be updated. Some mortgage lenders charge you if you use a different insurance plan to the one that they offer you. Although the fee is negligible (no more than £30 or so), it still needs to be considered when you are working out your budget.

10/ New furniture

Unless you move into a clone of your old home, you will need to put aside money for new furniture. The chances of everything fitting into the new place like a glove are slim, so hold some savings back. Need some inspiration? You can find some great ideas in our article on interior design.

Have a great move!

Most people never think too much about their back doors or their patio doors, but often these doors are used more often than other doors in the home and are of course very important.

Your patio door often leads out to family fun and in some cases, backyard parties. These doors often get more traffic and are also abused in a way. Consider all the times, you have heard the door slam, the dog scratching at the interior of the door to go outside and then the exterior to come indoors, and of course the kids coming in and out all day long on nice days. Then comes the summer when family and friends enjoy cook outs or using your swimming pool. How many times a day is your patio door opened and closed?

How long has it been since you took a good look at your back patio door? Is it worn, are there panes that are cracked, is the glass broken, or do you notice all the blemishes from the dog and of course the weather? If so, it may be time to consider a new patio door.

Another thing to consider with your patio door is that often this is the door that burglars use to enter your home. Since this is the door that is often neglected, robbers know they can easily enter your home often with just a small push. If you have any broken glass it will be even easier to enter your home.

When you decide to purchase a new patio door it is best to speak with an expert as they will able to help you choose a door that will be able to withstand the abuse as well as the weather. You can ask questions which will help you make an educated decision. If you have a pet that scratches the door, you should ask if they have any suggestions so that the wood on the door would not be damaged or what other choices you have besides wood. Of course, you will also want to ensure that the door you choose will be able to withstand all the traffic as well as keep out a burglar. The problem often comes in when choosing patio doors in Toronto is that you want a nice looking door that will enhance the look of your patio as well as compliment the rest of your home but provide as much protection as possible. The good news is that you have all kinds of options on the market today instead of what you found a few years. Today, with the advancements in technology and all the new materials and designs in patio doors you are sure to find the perfect one to fit your requirements and will withstand your dog, your traffic, and the elements.

If you have had your kitchen for several years, it may have started to look a bit worse for wear. Maybe you have had kids or pets in the home, and what was once a pristine area is now looking a bit run down or dated. If this is the case, you may well be considering redesigning your entire kitchen. Before you even think about making such large plans, however, be sure that it’s absolutely necessary. Redesigning your kitchen can be costly, time consuming, and unpractical.

Recordation is almost always a more affordable solution than ripping everything out and starting a fresh. You would not believe how different your kitchen could look with some changes to the decoration and colour scheme. These easy to follow tips will help you to come up with a plan for redesigning your kitchen on a budget.

Budget

The first step when it comes to redesigning your kitchen is to calculate how much you can actually afford to spend. Planning beforehand will help you stick to your budget, and prevent you from going over the amount you have saved.

Appliances

Look into your appliances to see what kind of condition they are in. If they are built in, but still functioning, it’s worth keeping them exactly where they are. If they are not on show then replacing them can be an extra unwanted cost. The same goes for plug sockets, and radiators. If you do need to replace your appliances, look for energy saving models. They’re not only better for the environment, but will save you money on running costs as well.

Paint

Repainting your kitchen can really help to transform it, and give it an entirely different look and feel. This is definitely one of the most budget friendly solutions, and one that you can get the whole family involved in. Go to your local paint store and get some samples to decide what colour scheme you want your new kitchen to have. It’s advisable to choose paints that are both grease and waterproof. That way you know they won’t be affected by the heat of cooking, and can be easily wiped if any food gets onto your walls.

Lighting

Installing some new modern lights can make a fantastic difference in any kitchen. Your local home store should be able to provide you with a selection of options designed especially for kitchens. To save money, keep an eye out for special offers and sales in your local newspapers and magazines.

Accessorise

Now that your kitchen looks fantastic, it’s time to consider some practical accessories to complement your new room. Shelving is a great way to add extra storage to the kitchen. You can easily add some cheap and cheerful art work, or candles onto the shelves to make the room feel more homely. Clocks on the walls can look great as well, and interesting liquids in jars, and pickled fruits can be a fun way to brighten up any blank wall.

It’s important to consider the different solutions before redesigning your new kitchen. There are also several professional kitchen designers London who can design your kitchen to suit any budget and can offer a solution at any price.

When you come home at the end of a long day, you want a haven where you can truly unwind. Walk into a wall of heat and relaxation is the last thing on your mind. Fortunately, you have many means at your disposal to ensure you have a cool place to escape to on a daily basis. With a few, simple changes, you can bring the resort to your house and make it feel like you are on vacation.

Consider a Pool or a Hot Tub

There's nothing like a refreshing dip in the water when the temperature levels begin to soar. Look into all of your options for a pool to give yourself a cool dip whenever there is a need. It's fun for the whole family and your friends. If you don't want the investment in a pool or space is an issue, you can consider a hot tub. While anything hot is the last thing on your list, you can adjust the temperature and drop it down to a cooler level. When conditions are cooler, heat it up. A hot tub is versatile and will offer you hours of pleasure.

Think Air Conditioning

The best way to beat the heat is with an excellent cooling system inside your home. ActronAir ducted products provide you a variety of air conditioning units to suit your needs. You can opt for a unit that keeps your entire living space at one temperature or you can have control over different rooms. With the latest in technology, you can also reduce the cost of your utility bills with the right kind of unit.

Enjoy a Covered Patio

When you want to enjoy the outdoors, you're going to need shade. Make the addition of a covered patio to your home and you'll be able to entertain in the late afternoons when the heat begins to ease up. Bring in patio furniture, a bar, and a grill to suit all of your needs. You won't want to head back inside when you have such an asset waiting for you outside your door. Sit out in the evenings and enjoy the stars. Create a place where you can enjoy the peace and quiet. When it gets too hot, head in for air conditioning or take a dip in your pool. You'll have everything you need in one place.