Archive for the ‘Tips and Tricks’ Category
How to make your house eco-friendly
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010Color Therapy
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Color Therapy
Color touches us on a very deep intuitive level. Whether you realize it or not, colors speak very loud to our subconscious and have a positive or negative reaction within 90 seconds.
Color psychology is a complex field of study and goes deep into the meaning of combining colors for a particular desired effect. The field of industrial psychology has a sub-field that studies only the psychology of color. It is no accident that Campbell’s soup has used the same colors on their labels for years and years.
The colors you select for a room will impact you on a very deep level every time you spend time in that room so consciously choosing the colors for your home design with this in mind is very important.
Choosing the Right Coffee Table
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Coffee Table
Size Matters
First of all, you need to buy the right size coffee table to fit the room. If you don’t have much space in the first place, don’t fill it up with an over sized coffee table.
Style Matters
Next, think about the shape that would make the most of your available space and also coordinate with the style and lines of your sofa and chairs.
Increase Sales with Remodeling Business Cards
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010The sales generation of your home remodeling business lies on the steady stream of remodeling jobs that you get. It is, therefore, imperative that you maximize on your marketing strategies and use every tool available. Among such tools are business cards. These prints can give your business the visual identity that it needs to build awareness among the target audience.
By including a simple advertising message like “We rebuild while preserving harmony” aside from the standard contact information, you are subtly promoting your services. Including great offers and value to your prints is also a great way. These, in turn, will get you more leads and sales. Here are some of the ways on how you can use your card prints to increase remodeling projects:
New Feature: Sales and Marketing Resources for Contractors
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010Remodeleze.com has recently launched a new feature for professional users. The new Sales and Marketing Article resource provides valuable tips and resources for contractor professionals. It is not always easy to run a business and think about marketing, advertising, word of mouth marketing, advertising, sales and all the other business aspects of running a professional business. These article resources are meant to help contractors improve their business and increase sales.
To access this new feature simply register at Remodeleze.com as a professional user. The account is free and only takes a minute to create an account. One logged in access articles designed to help your business improve it’s marketing strategy.
Remodeleze.com is a targeted social network connecting home owners and remodeling professionals together. Remodeleze offers home owners a trusted network to get advice and recommendations about various remodeling projects from local professionals. Remodeleze helps home improvement professionals get their projects found online, generate more referrals and convert a higher percentage of those referrals into paying customers. Remodeleze’s platform includes tools that allow home improvement and remodeling professionals to manage search engine optimization, blogging and social media, as well as project pages, referral marketing and campaign analytics. Based in Venice Beach, CA, Remodeleze can be found at www.remodeleze.com. Remodeleze’s free professional subscription can be found at http://www.remodeleze.com/Professional/Login/RegisterFree.aspx.
Remodeling Trends for the New Year
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Remodeling and decorating trends in 2010 are likely to reflect the fact that many home owners are settling in for the long haul.
Here are some ideas for updating homes and gardens from decorators and leading real estate practitioners:
Environmentally sensitive furniture. Natural fibers, sustainable woods, and recycled products are key to attracting environmentally concerned buyers.
Classic neutral colors. Deep gray browns and gray blues, muted beige, and chalky white will be particularly popular shades, Pittsburgh Paints predicts.
Backyard gardens. First Lady Michelle Obama led the way in 2009 when she installed one at the White House.
How to Start Your Remodel
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Remodeling your home can add significant value to your property and most home improvement jobs can be done by yourself to save money. Here is a simple list of basic steps you should take before you chose to remodel your home. You want to make sure you do all your research before remodeling your home, or else you could end up with a halfway-completed project.
First step in remodeling your home is planning out what exactly you want to remodel. This should be done before you call in any contractors. If you don’t know how you want your new house to look, it will be impossible to begin. Be very specific when planning what you want to remodel, such as the kitchen appliances, not just “remodel the kitchen”. The more specific you are the better of an idea you are going to have as to how much its going to cost, and where to begin. The best place to begin to look for home improvement ideas is on the internet or at a local hardware store. Seeing pictures of new homes and new home improvement projects often gives you an idea on things that you didn’t even know that you wanted for your home. Once again knowing the direction and exactly what you want to do to remodel your home is going to help you save money and time.
Stain Removing Solutions for Granite
Monday, December 21st, 2009
While you’re thinking that chemical solutions only exist in Chemistry classes and laboratories, then you better think again. To achieve good maintenance for your granite countertop doesn’t mean you have to be good with chemical mixtures. Since granite countertops are every home’s sophisticated asset, here are some cleaning solutions to help you properly clean and maintain your beautiful granite countertop.
The Oil Spill
Oil stains can be removed by making a paste of flour mixed with hydrogen peroxide. Oil stains include butter, margarine, vegetable oil, olive oil or any type of cooking oil. Apply the mixture of flour and hydrogen peroxide on the stained surface and leave it overnight. Carefully scrape or scratch it with a utensil (preferably wooden) to completely remove the stain.
The Coffee Spill
Coffees or even teas are sometimes called organic stains. Cleaning such stain is definitely easy. Get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and mix it together with ammonia. Two to four drops of ammonia will do.
The Ink Stain
Just when you thought ink stains would be forever, we offer you one good solution to remove the ink stain that is making your granite countertop look different and not too presentable as a part of your home’s decoration. Why don’t you try removing the stain with acetone? Now you know nail polish removers are not just good for nails, they’re also good for granite countertops. However be aware that nail polish removers have different ingredients. You can also use hydrogen peroxide for more inorganic stains such as dyes or dirt. Application of rubbing alcohol is also highly recommended when it comes to ink stain removal.
7 Home-Improvement Mistakes to Avoid
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009Seven costly home-improvement mistakes:
• Don’t ignore safety. This goes for any home-improvement project. Simple precautions like wearing safety goggles, not overloading outlets and turning off breakers will only take a few minutes or a few extra bucks — but these steps can save you from disaster.
• Don’t forget about the subfloor. Laminate flooring needs an underlayment/vapor barrier for almost any surface upon which it is being installed. Not only will a subfloor protect flooring from moisture, it will also help with soundproofing. Hardwood floors need an even subfloor; use subfloor compound to ensure a level surface. If laying tile in a bathroom, cement backer board should be used underneath.
• Don’t skimp the grout sealer. You can spend a lot of time and money installing tile, but if you don’t properly seal the grout it can absorb water, dirt and other stains.
Tips for Decorating on a Budget
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009If your purse strings are tight, or you’re a thrifty shopper, you can have a tasteful and expensive looking interior at a fraction of what it would cost by buying everything at full retail value. Here are some suggestions for decorating economically.
Go to discount clothing stores, the ones that offer name brands for half the price. In the back of the store they usually have home furnishings, accessories, art work, tables, vases, lamps, and all sorts of interior embellishments that are brand new but at a fraction of the cost of a retail store. They are the same items sold at nice retail stores, but the stores may have liquidated their merchandise for some reason, and the discount stores buy them up for cheap and sells them for a lot less money. Some items may have minor flaws or nicks, so check them out carefully before you purchase them. Even if they have minor damage, they could still be a bargain.
Journey to thrift shops and garage sales, where you can find great bargains. While you’re there check out picture frames. Old picture frames can be crafted into expensive looking pieces of art. Gold frames or natural wood frames in good condition are great buys. You can print classic pictures from the internet onto photo paper, or use greeting cards, and insert them where the old picture was. Sometimes the attractive matting is already in the frame. The result is an expensive looking picture and piece of art work that only cost a few dollars. It’s amazing how attractive and expensive looking a picture can be when framed nicely.
Look on Craig’s List. Craigslist.org is a resource website offering many features and one is used furniture listings. Most postings have pictures of the items as well. YOu can find soem great buys on furniture especially. For example, you might find lamps that have a nice shape, but not like the color. Try painting them to give them a new look.
Decorating on a budget allows you to be creative. Throw on your flannel shirt and pop into these inglorious places, or search bargains online, for some true treasures to embellish your abode and add your personal creative style.
