The Shaker of Salt

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If you’re stuck with your house on the market, you’re probably feeling at a loss as to what you’re supposed to do. However, there are a few reasons your house may be stuck on the market that you’re going to want to look at. Once you know why your home might be stuck the way it is, you can make changes and work on getting it sold.

Read on to learn why your house could be stuck:

Your Estate Agent Isn’t Good Enough

Having the right estate agent to help you with your home is crucial. The estate agent you pick can largely depend on the type of property that you’re trying to sell. Many estate agents are busy, which means they don’t dedicate much time to selling your property at all. Doing your research and looking for word of mouth recommendations is a good idea.

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If you really want to see if an estate agent is good enough, you could always get a friend to call as a potential buyer and get them to describe your property to the agent. If they mention your property then you know they’re doing their job.

The Pictures Of Your Property Are Low Quality

Low quality pictures aren’t going to get you anywhere, but luckily, this is a pretty easy thing to fix. They should be recent, clear, and not misleading about the property in any way. Tidy up your property before taking the pictures and reduce clutter. If you have a bit of a budget, you could also consider having the pictures taken professionally.

Your Home Is In Terrible Condition

If your home doesn’t look appealing to the person viewing it, of course it’s not going to sell. You need to make repairs, even small ones to make your home more attractive to buyers. Before putting your home on the market, clear it out, tidy it up, and make repairs. You don’t have to overhaul the house, but giving it a fresh coat of paint is a good idea.

Your Home Isn’t Priced Properly

This is one of the most common reasons that a home fails to sell. It’s so important to price your properly in a realistic way. You can find the right price with the help of a good estate agent, and also by doing your own research. Look at properties that are similar to yours and in your area. Have a look at how much they are going for and this will give you a good idea of what you can expect to get for your own. You can also check out Wrenrealtyinc.com for details and resources to help you further.

You’re Not Marketing The House Correctly

Your home should be advertised on sites, both third party and your own estate agents site. Promote your house on your social media platforms too, as everybody uses them these days and you never know who you might find.

As well as all of the above, make sure you’ve chosen the right time to sell your home. If you can rectify these things, you should get your home off the market in no time!

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When you start to put a personal spin on your home, one of the most difficult decisions to make is what furniture you will buy for the home. With the colossal range of items available in the world it can be very difficult to make your mind up which price you want for your home. If you need some help in deciding what furniture to buy for your style, here are some tips.

Color lovers

If you love nothing more than bold, vibrant colors all over your living space then you can head over to your local furniture stores and find some pretty amazing statement pieces to add to your interior design. For example your living room could be completed with a bright yellow or blue sofa to add a sense of style and fun to the space. In the kitchen you can look for colorful pieces of art as well as utensils which you can hang on the wall. There are so many different ways to add bright color to your home, so the sky really is the limit here.

Simple and stylish

If you are the sort of person who loves a good minimalist piece of design, then the best tones for you are ones which come in monochrome or warm neutrals like beige and brown. These pieces of furniture are brilliant for you to invest in because they are timeless and will never go out of fashion. It means that if you decide to redecorate in a few years time you can still keep your furniture while simply changing the colour of the walls surrounding the space. A sleek black leather sofa or a brown coffee table are great choices here.

The country lover

If you like the simple life and love the way cottages in the countryside are decorated, then the perfect style of items for you is anything wooden or in a soft floral design. Just because it is floral doesn’t mean it needs to be outdated though- there are loads of ways to bring floral notes into a modern space too, such as with cushions or curtains. Matching this with a lovely bright vase of flowers in the centre of the room makes it look homely and inviting all year round.

The bold

If you are the sort of person who just loves to try out risky things, then the idea of sequinned chairs and marble floors are probably right up your alley. Honestly, you have to be brave in order to play with these items, but it can be fun to play around with unique items and even antiques to give your home that characteristic look you want. Don’t be shy when it comes to the different patterns and colours in the home- even if they completely clash you can make it work with some clever rearranging. Your home will be a constant talking point to anyone who visits you and it will be a unique place no one will ever forget.

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If you’re thinking of  decluttering of your home, you’re certainly right to want to get this done. Living in a space that’s simply overflowing with junk you’ve accumulated over the years is never a good thing, and yet so many people find themselves in this situation. Well, it doesn’t have to go on any longer. The fact that you’re here means that you’ve made the first step in the right direction, so what should the next ones be? Read on to find out and get started decluttering your home.

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Take on One Room Per Day

It’s important to take things easy because if you try to declutter the whole house in one day, you will simply get burnt out because it’s too much to take on. Instead, you should have a slow and steady method because this will allow you to get the job done properly. Take on one room per day and spread the days out if you need to as well.

Don’t Make Snap Decisions

Try to consider each and every decision before you finalize it as you clear out your home. You don’t want to regret a decision later, and you certainly don’t want to hang onto things for the sake of it when you could quite easily get rid of them if you actually gave it some thought.

Start With the Surfaces and Counters

It’s a good idea to start with all of the surfaces and countertops in your home. These are the places where the worst clutter tends to accumulate, and when that happens, it can make those spaces completely unusable for you. That’s not what you want, so get these clean and reclaim those spaces.

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Think of the Good Things That Can Come Out of Each Thing You Clear Out

There are many good things that can come of decluttering your home. You will find that you can give a lot of the stuff you don’t want to charities. They’ll happily take something if they can sell it on, and that money will then go to a good cause. This should spur you on as you declutter. You should also try to focus on the good this will to do your home and how you use it each day.

Anything You Want But Don’t Need Right Now Can Enter Storage

You don’t need to give away or throw away absolutely everything that you don’t need. There are other options out there that are worth exploring too. For example, you could put some items in storage if you don’t want them cluttering your home but don’t want to get rid of them. Places like SecurCareSelfStorage.com can help you with that. It’s an entire that many people are now embracing.

Now that you know what it takes to declutter your home and where you should get started, you can take the reins from here. It’s up to you to get this right, and if you are tough and don’t give in to the temptation to simply keep hold of everything, you’ll come out the other side pleased with the changes made.

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Loads of people spend the majority of their time in the home. Perhaps you look after your kids, or maybe you just don’t work anymore? Regardless of why you’re in the home, it can get pretty boring from time to time. After you’ve done all the various tasks you normally do for the day, you’re left with hours to kill until something interesting happens. So, why don’t you try some of these fun ideas to help pass the time:

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Take On A DIY Project

The thing about being in your house a lot is that you tend to notice things before anyone else. If something isn’t quite looking its best, you pick up on it first. As a result, you’ll find there’s always a DIY project or task you can take on. Have you noticed your dining room chair is a bit wobbly? Well, you can now attempt to fix it in your spare time! Seen some wallpaper peel off the bedroom wall? Now you can sort it out and get it looking brand new again. My point is, there’s always a DIY task somewhere in your house for you to do. At the same time, if you still have lots of time to kill after finishing these tasks, then why not take up a DIY project? Turn your garage into a workshop and start trying to make things. Start small and maybe try making a little coffee table, then work your way up to a nice shed for the garden. Or, think even smaller than all of that and maybe take up knitting. It’s technically still a form of DIY as you’re making clothes yourself instead of buying them!

Do A Home Workout

This is a great idea for any fitness freaks out there, or maybe someone that wants to lose weight and get into shape. Even if you have as little as half an hour to spare, then you can kill that time with a quick home workout. It may not seem like it, but your home is basically a gym. You can use open spaces to do various exercises like burpees, push ups, sit ups, and so on. If you buy a few weights, then you can even do weight training as well. Then, we have the stairs; the ultimate home workout tool. Trust me when I say that running up and down your stairs and doing stair workouts will leave you in a heap on the floor. Working out is such a smart way of passing the time because you benefit from it. As well as the obvious health benefits, you also need to shower afterward, which helps you pass even more time!

Open A Trading Account

If you have a few hours spare every day – particularly in the morning or late afternoon – then you might think about opening a trading account. What does this mean? A trading account is basically an account you use to trade shares on the stock market. You can trade through a broker, you can do automated trading, or you can trade all by yourself. It’s a very fun way to pass the time because you can make a fair bit of money if you do it right. Essentially, you’re saving your money by investing it and making it grow. It’s a practical way of passing the time! If you’re a bit worried about trading because you’re scared of making a wrong decision and losing money, then you can do simulations instead. This is basically the same thing, but you don’t use real money.

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Learn A New Language

This is something I’ve personally been doing a lot lately. If I find there’s time to kill, then I open an app on my phone and learn a new language. There are loads of apps out there, some of which are free, and some which cost money. Obviously, when you pay for an app, you get a lot more in it. Either way, they’ll help you learn a new language by providing you with lessons and little things to test your knowledge. You can run through all these lessons whenever you’re free, and you’ll gradually learn how to speak a new language. This is particularly helpful if you have a holiday coming up in the summer, and want to try and speak the native tongue. Or, if your other half has foreign parents, this can be a great way of surprising them the next time they visit. Whatever your motives are, learning a language will definitely ensure you’re never bored again.

Don’t sit around your house feeling bored on those days where time feels like it stands still. These four ideas are all fun and practical ways of making the time fly by.

The following is a guest post written by Zoe Price

Should You Invest in a New AC Unit?

Your air conditioner has broken down, and now you find yourself facing that dilemma that comes up every time this happens – should you repair the unit or replace the unit entirely? Obviously the answer to the question would come down to whether or not replacing the unit would be more expensive than continuing repairs and associated energy costs, but predicting that is difficult. While a unit you only bought a year ago is likely fine to just repair, something that is older might enter something of a grey area.

The following guidelines should help you to determine if you should invest in a new AC unit or not.

Age of Unit

The first metric to go by when deciding whether to opt for repairs or replacement is the age of the unit itself. As a general rule, an air conditioner has a lifespan of about 10 to 15 years, with the exact number varying by unit. If your air conditioner is getting close to that mark you may consider replacing it when you can afford it rather than waiting until you might be without the funds to do so.

If it is more than 15 years old, you will want to replace it outright. It’s worth noting that some units still use an older style of refrigerant that is being phased out due to environmental regulations. If your air conditioner still uses the old R22 refrigerant then replace the unit as soon as you can rather than waiting only to find out your local HVAC technician has none on hand and has to special order it.

Cost of Repairs

When you get right down to it – a skilled HVAC technician can repair 90% of the problems your air conditioner is likely to have. They can’t rebuild a unit that has been obliterated, but they can replace parts as often as needed. It is just a question of how much is it going to cost. Eventually the cost of repairs will be so high that replacement just makes more sense. As a general rule of thumb, use the following formula:

(cost of repairs) * (age of the AC unit)

If that number exceeds the price of a new AC unit, then go ahead and replace your existing unit. Using $5,000 is a good general number to compare to if you are unsure of the costs of new air conditioners in your area.

Energy Costs are Spiking

While the cost of energy is likely to continue to increase in general, the rate at which energy costs increase will be fairly manageable. If you see your own energy costs spiking greatly, going as far as to increase by half or even double from year to year, you should be alarmed. Such energy spikes can be the consequence of your air conditioner starting to give out. At this point, replacing the air conditioner comes down to energy cost savings.

Note that since newer air conditioners are often more efficient than older models as a rule, you not only get the benefit of a unit in better condition but it may end up burning less energy than older units would over the course of its lifetime. This is not a guarantee but it should be something to keep in mind.

Consult a Professional if All Else Fails

If after consulting these guidelines you still cannot decide, consult a professional. Honest HVAC experts such as Adams AC will give you the most economical answer when deciding between repair or replacement of a unit. As such, if you still cannot decide, consult with your local HVAC technician and see what they have to say.

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The process of buying a home can be long and grueling and you don’t want to do anything that could lengthen it anymore. But both before and after you buy the home, you need to ensure you take a closer look at what exactly you have your hands on. Anyone on the housing market should have a home inspector to identify any potential issues, but there are several places and problems they won’t take a close enough look at, so you have to check yourself. After you move in, here are some of the risks you have to be aware of.

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Safety first

The home inspector (if you have hired one) will perform checks on the doors and windows, ensuring they’re secure and that the locks work. However, they won’t check the smoke and carbon dioxide detectors. So, you should check them yourself and know how to replace them if necessary. Regardless of how secure the doors, you should ensure you replace the locks on both the front and back doors, as well as any locks that might be on your garage or shed. The seller might be the most trustworthy soul out there, but you can never be sure of who exactly has keys that might work on your home if you don’t get them replaced.

Check out those pipes

The standard home inspection will take a look at the taps, any visible pipes, the toilet cistern, and other aspects of the plumbing. Make sure you do the same if you don’t hire an inspector. Even if you do hire one, it’s a good idea to follow them every step of the way and don’t be afraid of asking questions if you suspect a problem or don’t understand their assessment. Furthermore, inspectors won’t look at the pipes under the bath, in the walls, in any crawl spaces, or any underground storage tanks. You have to check these yourself for signs that you might need a plumber. Otherwise, you could have hidden leaks or mold.

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Time to heat things up

Similarly, while the home inspector will look at parts of the home heating and cooling systems, like the air conditioner, water heater, or furnace, not all of them off as comprehensive a service as you might like. They are not required to note how much of a lifespan is left in the HVAC appliances or to try and estimate any potential fixes or how much they might cost. It’s worth taking a look at heating and ventilation experts in the area to get a better assessment of the condition of your HVAC. Otherwise, problems could fit between the range of as simple as a radiator needing a flush to a dangerous problem in the water heater’s pipes that could lead to water damage.

Are you sharing your home?

Many home inspectors will keep an eye out for the signs of pests. However, often they don’t look close enough for the signs that you have an unwelcome guest in the home. For instance, they won’t move furniture inside or outside the house or check specifically for things like droppings that could be a sign of increased rat or increased squirrel activity around the property. Similarly, they won’t check crawl spaces or any areas of the home that could be considered small enough to be inaccessible without risk. Nor will they check for termites or other wood-destroying pests. You need to learn to identify these signs for yourself or hire a pest specialist to come out and give the home a more thorough check.

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Under the surface

Home inspectors will check for many of the causes of mold and damp in the home, including air leaks in the doors or windows and leaking taps. However, as mentioned, they won’t check any hidden pipes nor are they going to check for hidden mold. If you move into a home that is older and hasn’t had a bathroom renovation in decades, then it is worth looking for signs of hidden mold. You might have to open a hole in the bathroom wall to confirm your suspicions, however, so become as certain as you can before you take that step.

In over your head

When the weather is clear, home inspectors are most likely going to take a look at the roof to let you know of any issues, including whether or not the roof has aged beyond its usefulness. However, if the inspection happens to fall on a day when there’s rain, snow, or hail, then it’s considered a safety risk and they won’t check it. If that happens, it’s worth learning the signs of a roof that needs replacing or repair and climbing up yourself or hiring a specialist to take a look for you. A cracked or missing tile can let in the rain, leading to the spread of damp and mold. Furthermore, roofs are only effective for so many years. If the roof hasn’t been replaced in over two decades, it might be due for a replacement.

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At the root of things

Depending on where the foundation is, the inspector may or may not have to take a closer look at it. Because it’s so integral to the health of the home, it’s worth inspecting it just to be sure. Many issues can cause a foundation to weaken, which can lead to the sinking of the home, cracks in the walls, or even partial and complete collapses. Visible cracks, mortar joints that have become slanted or uneven, and uneven floors are all signs that there’s a deeper problem in the foundation of the building. This kind of damage can be caused by nearby construction, changes in the surrounding soil, the growth of tree roots and even moisture spreading throughout the building.

Most people don’t take enough care to inspect the home once they move in, which can lead to all sorts of expensive issues down the line. Put in the time now and save yourself the headache and the money later.

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Do you feel that you are safe and secure in your own home? Sometimes it’s not totally feasible, sometimes we live in an area that’s a bit too widespread in terms of crime, or you rent your own property and are struggling to get onto the property ladder. But, in terms of feeling a sense of comfort and security in where you live, it’s not a feeling that should evade you. There is a Danish term, hygge, which basically means a feeling of warmth or coziness. This is a feeling we should all aspire to, but how can we do this?

Find Somewhere To Relax

If you look around your home and see nowhere that is for you to relax, this is something that you have to address right away. We all have our own ideas of what is relaxing. Some of us consider our living room to be a sanctuary, with all of our favorite items there, from the couch, to the super duper surround sound HD television. But if you have to share this space with other people, are you really taking opportunity to relax in these spaces? Without going all Feng Shui, it’s a great idea to set up the space, if possible, for the purposes of relaxing. If you can’t find a room for this purpose, that’s fine, but at least make the effort to set up a corner, or even set up a garden space that is conducive to relaxing. That means putting in colors that aren’t harsh, and decorate it in a manner that will distract you from the stresses of the everyday world. Lots of people are pushing meditation and mindfulness onto everyone now, and regardless of your opinions of how hippie-like it is in nature, it is a good starting point in which to relax your mind and body. If you come home from work into a stressful home environment, you’re never going to feel relaxed.

Increase Your Privacy

We all have a nosey neighbor who, from time to time, can’t help but have a lengthy linger into your front window. And as annoying as this can be for you, you can take some proper steps to increase your sense of privacy. You don’t have to have the curtains drawn all the time, but there are some little things you can do to the windows. You could tint the color, so it’s a bit darker, or you can get creative with some custom vinyl window graphics to give your windows a bit more artistic flair. That way, people will be looking at the window, rather than through it into your home. And, of course, if you want to increase that feeling of privacy, look at moving your living room away from prying eyes. Of course, if you’ve got the biggest room in the house at the front of the property, you may not want to move everything into another room, but it’s food for thought.

Secure Your Home

Increasing that feeling of safety and security in your home can be solved by setting up a few more protective measures. By having a solid and secure front door and back door, this is going to give you a little bit more peace of mind. Remember, approximately 33% of burglars enter via the front door, so, if you have strong door frames, as well as protected hinges, and sturdy wood, this is going to be the first essential step to barricading yourself against potential thieves. In addition to these, having a deadbolt, peepholes, and a security system, especially if you’re in a rough area, will add that extra layer of protection. But it’s not just the doors, consider the efficacy of the windows. If you’ve got flimsy single pane glass with poor quality latches, they could very easily be opened from the outside. Replace these latches with key operated levers, or better locks, to make for a stronger window. It’s not just the ground floor you need to look after, but the first floor windows, and even the basement windows require securing. And for extra piece of mind, have a back-up plan should the worst case scenario happen. It’s all well if you’ve got the most sophisticated security system, but if somebody manages to break through every single line of security, what are you going to do? It’s always best to plan for the worst case scenario, so you have peace of mind in the fact you have security upon security.

Declutter Your Space

Regardless of your opinion on Feng Shui, a cluttered space makes for a cluttered mind. If you have piles of mess, old toys, and general junk everywhere, this isn’t going to contribute to a feeling of serenity and security in your home. Although some people like the idea of piles of books, because it gives the home some “character”, if you’re constantly tripping over some annoying item, this is going to stress you out. As the Spring is officially upon us, have you taken the opportunity to do a Spring clean? If not, now is the best time. Look at everything in your home, do you use these items you see? From your clothes, to old DVDs and CDs, consider what really needs throwing out. Especially when it comes to clothes, use the rule of if you haven’t worn it in the last 12 months, are you actually going to wear it in the next 12 months? And to begin with, declutter your bedroom. If you have problems sleeping, it could very well be due to all this mess surrounding your bed. Declutter your house room by room, until the whole thing is done, and you will feel a weight lifted.

This feeling of coziness and security in your home is something you are entitled to feel, regardless of the environment you live in. Whether you need to feel more private, or you need a space to make you relax properly, your home environment has to nurture this. So if you don’t want that you have that feeling of insecurity wherever you go. This is only going to cause stress in your life. So, take the Danish approach, and embrace the art of hygge!

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If you were to think of the most relaxing room in the house, it would hardly be the kitchen, and it might not even be the bedroom! The bathroom is the place you go to after you’ve had a long, difficult day. But sometimes, our bathroom leaves a lot to be desired. They can be a dull, boring affair. So what’s the solution? Make it a bit more like a spa. What can you do to give it the spa treatment?

Less Is More

As the vast majority of spas implement the “less is more” idea, having a minimalist approach to your bathroom will not just emulate the style of a typical spa, but it will help to free up your bathroom considerably. This is particularly helpful if you don’t have much space!  Remember, although you cannot have it exactly like a spa, you have to play with the space carefully. This means you still got to make allowances for the practical items in your bathroom. This could mean choosing between the tub or shower. But if you go for the shower, you can still make it a luxurious one. With massage shower heads purchased cheaply, it doesn’t take up much space, but in using sliding shower doors, like the ones you can see here at www.capitolglassnyc.com/shower-doors-1, it helps to make your bathroom space more practical. If you struggle to give the impression of space, use a few basic tricks, such as painting your walls with a lighter hue and putting mirrors around to reflect the light back in the space.

Choose Your Light Carefully

Many bathrooms come fitted with harsh bulbs. If you want to soften this sensation, think about installing lights that come with dimmer switches. There are various bathroom lights on sale that are suitable, www.lights4living.com/bathroom-lights/c28 has many in abundance to inspire you. But when you’re looking to create a calming atmosphere, a dimmer switch is a simple and cheap option.

Evoke Warmth

You want to be instantly calm, and this means keeping the room at an optimum temperature. Making sure that it’s not too hot and not too cold can be a fine balance, installing faux wood tile helps to imitate the feeling of wood panels you see in abundance in health spas, but also a heated towel rack doesn’t go amiss.

Add Rejuvenating Smells

Aromatherapy is one of the biggest parts of the spa experience, and this can be easily imitated in your bathroom. Even if you have to shower quickly, you can purchase scented soaps to rejuvenate you, ready for the long day ahead. Or you can drop some jasmine drops into a deep bath, and it will wind you down, ready for sleep. In addition to this, consider adding an oil diffuser to the bathroom, which gives out lovely smells, but is a safer alternative to candles.

It doesn’t have to be a challenge to turn your bathroom into a spa, by adding a few little touches here and there, you can give your bathroom the spa treatment without it costing as much as a spa membership!

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How much thought have you given to your internet provider? Probably not as much as you would to your electricity or gas bill. However, changing your internet provider could offer you multiple benefits from a better connection speed to lower monthly bills. At the very least, doing some research could help you get a better deal with your current provider to minimize disruption to your service.

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Want to save money and boost your connection speed? Take a look at these great tips for changing your internet provider.

Start with a speed test

A speed test is the simplest way to find out what’s going on with your internet. If you’re serious about speeding up WiFi, you need to see what you’re dealing with first. A WiFi speed test can tell you a lot about your current setup, and could even indicate a drastically lower speed than the one you thought you were paying for.

Make a price comparison

It doesn’t hurt to shop around and explore other internet providers. Doing an internet provider comparison can help you see which companies are offering the best deal, and which ones are cheaper than your current price plan. If you’ve been on the same rate for years, you might discover some interesting insights into the current market and what you get for your money.

Haggle with your existing provider

While your research might show that another provider can offer you a better deal, it can be a hassle to move between providers and possibly interrupt your service. Use your research to first haggle with your current provider. They won’t want to lose you as a customer and might even match the other offers you’ve found. Depending on how far you’re into your minimum term contract, you might be able to benefit from the deals that new customers are offered. If you’re serious about saving money on your bills, do what you can to haggle them down on price, and you could land yourself a much better deal.

Don’t be afraid to split your services

It’s common to keep all of your services like your TV, phone and internet to one provider. Often this means one monthly bill and a discount on having a package deal. However, the internet aspect of your deal might not necessarily be the cheapest. It’s worth exploring how much you would save by splitting your services and seeing if you can benefit from different speeds. You might have three separate payments coming out of your account, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for an overall saving.

A slow internet connection can be frustrating, especially if you want to take advantage of services like Spotify or Netflix online. Do something about it by making sure you get the best speeds for your money, and who knows – you could end up saving some money too. Switching your internet provider is one of those things that you’ll just keep putting off, but making the switch now could help you see some much-needed improvements in your service. Reassess your situation regularly to help ensure you’re always getting the most for your hard-earned dollar.

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Owning a car isn’t the same as having a beat up old bag that you can throw in the back of the closet. You need to take care of it to make sure that it won’t break on you. Apart from saving you a lot of money in the long run, investing into the care of your car can mean that it lasts longer, that it drives better, it takes the stress out of the equation – plus, there are extras that simply look good. You expect a lot from your car – it does countless miles while coping with all terrains and all weather conditions, it deals with family vacations as well as your daily commute – and you can’t expect that to not have an effect on the vehicle. General wear and tear isn’t something you can get around, but preventive measures can be taken to ensure any damage is contained and fixed before it gets out of hand.

You will obviously have insurance for your car, and choosing a premium or higher level policy is a big start on caring for your car and for you as a driver. No matter how much money and effort you put into your car, there will always be idiots out there and accidents waiting to happen, so you need to be prepared for those instances with a high quality insurance. The same can be said of routinely taking your car for it’s MOT – it’s something that you have to do, but also something that can be made less expensive and less stressful by caring for your car year round.

Waterproofing

Your car is waterproof – it wouldn’t make a very good vehicle if it wasn’t. But the undercarriage of your car isn’t, and that does lead your car to be vulnerable to flooding when driving through rainstorms and deep puddles. Paying for a waterproof coating for the underside of your car could save you a lot of money and from breaking down in the rain. It also offers a small level of protection from oil and petrol splatters, as well as mud clinging to the underside of everything.

Window Tinting

Tinting your windows with Fletch Window Tint is mostly a cosmetic luxury. It looks smart and is used in a lot of professional driving companies. But it also has a functional use; for driving companies it allows the passenger a level of ambiguity and privacy. In a family car it can keep the sun off your children’s faces, keeping the car cool and get rid of the need for blinds in your car. It’s also great at dimming those headlights that always seem to be on high beam glaring at you from the car behind. Tinted windows aren’t usually allowed on the front windscreen, driver side and passenger windows, as a safety thing. So double check the legislation in your area before going ahead with it.

Wax

When you take your car to be washed, you’ll see the option for a hot wax treatment – take it. It improves the look of your car by keeping the paint work looking fresh and super shiny. It also reduces water marks from the rain, makes it easier to wipe off dirt, and just looks so good! (It deserved saying twice.)

Services

It’s recommended that you take your car to be serviced raise a year – ideally spaced equally before and after your MOT, or when you have done 12,000 miles. But that doesn’t mean that you are limited to that amount. If you feel like your car needs it – take it for an extra service. You know how your car drives and how it sounds, so if you think something is off, go and have it checked out. And if anything is wrong, then fix it straight away. Sorting out a problem now means that it doesn’t have the chance to turn into a bigger issue which would cost you a lot more money in the long run.

Tires

Cut the year in half and change your tires every six months. It makes sense to change them just before winter, and if you live in a place prone to ice and snow you might want to look into getting snow tires or even snow chains fitted. You can tell when your tires are ready to be changed by how deep the tread is – use this coin trick to help you figure it out. When buying your new tires, stick to a reputable brand, and one that is recommended for your vehicle. Don’t go for second hand – yes they are safe to use, but you end up replacing them twice as fast. Pick a premium brand and invest in some decent tires.

Wipers and lights

Much like your tires, your wipers get worn out throughout the year, and you will need to replace them. Installing new wipers is an easy task you can do for yourself, but most car parts or hardware stores will offer to fit them for you of you’re unsure. The same can be said of light bulbs – although these aren’t as easy to fit by yourself. It’s legal to drive with a busted light, so the moment one dims, or when your check light pops up on your dashboard, replace it. Being preemptive is always better than having to deal with the ticket you will surely get driving around with a broken light.

Tech upgrade

Pretty much all new cars come with Bluetooth speakers and a USB and aux outlet. And most of them also come with a built in Sat Nav. But of your car doesn’t you can invest to have your existing tech upgraded. A lot of old cars can have the radio replaced with a CD player, but for a Bluetooth hook up you will probably have to have it fitted for you as it takes a bit more rewiring than plugging it in. Plus any major reworking can call for a new dashboard altogether as the original might not have been built to support the new tech.