Moving to a new house can be so daunting and overwhelming that most people don’t even know where to begin. Handling the chaos of a move seems too complicated but there are two things you can do to make the task at hand easier: break down the job of moving into smaller pieces, and don’t bring anything that you don’t need or want.

Grab a notepad and pen and make a list of the things you’re going to need for the task. Boxes are a must, of course, and you can get used ones from your local supermarket at a lower price. You don’t have to get huge boxes as these will be cumbersome to move around; manageable sizes will do. You will also need packing tape to seal the flaps of the boxes. For dishes and other breakable materials, you’ll need to wrap them in newspaper before packing them in.

Finally, label all the boxes using different colored pens so you don’t get confused about which boxes go to which rooms. Use one color per room and decide ahead of time which color-coding scheme you want. Alternately, you can also number the boxes and list down in your notepad which items belong in which box. This will it easier to find the things that you need without rummaging through all the boxes and creating chaos.

Take your time with packing so you can do a more efficient job without getting all stressed out. Never wait til the last minute, or you won’t have enough time to catalog all your items and label each box properly.

BEFORE

Old Makati House before moving in 1998

Renovating old homes are difficult. There is the attachment to the old design. An old house has character. If you look at our old house in Makati, the arch windows are no longer the trend but there is beauty in the old Victorian look. The balcony is so pretty that Nescafe wanted to use it for their commercial.

Having lived here didn’t make sense anymore for a family of four. The girls stayed at dorms in Quezon City. Maintenance cost ran high. The forty year old house was in dire need of repairs. We began hearing haunted noises which I attribute to the creaking wood. Lastly, it made more sense to move out and have it rented to expats at the attractive market rates.

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The buzz of activity during the holiday season can make organizing your home and keeping everything neat quite a challenge. Here are several tips you can follow to control clutter in your home so you don’t get too stressed-out over the fast-approaching holidays.

Don’t overdo the Christmas decorations. Matching your display according to your personality, budget, and time limitations will make it easier for you to enjoy the holidays. If you don’t have extra time to dust, don’t put a lot of indoor decorations that will require you to dust them perfectly. Keep everything minimal and only put out a few well thought-of decorations like wreaths and centerpieces.

Plan out your clutter. Focus on getting your shopping done first then spending an entire evening wrapping gifts instead of leaving out your gift wrapping supplies during the days before Christmas. That way, you only clutter up your house once then everything gets put away once the task of wrapping gifts is done. You can do the same for other activities like baking, making decorations with your kids, or writing cards for family members and friends.

Finally, control incoming clutter that appears during the holidays. During this time of the year, your kids will probably come home with holiday projects done in school. Whether you want to display it, send it to grandma, or archive it, make sure you have a plan in place so you can enjoy your children’s holiday efforts while knowing that it won’t add clutter to your busy home.

Putting these simple tips together to control the clutter in your home will make the holiday season something to enjoy instead of something to stress over. After all, spending time with the people you love is what’s important during the holidays.

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Basements can be damp and musty places to be in unless they’re waterproofed well. Basement waterproofing can be done in several ways–some require professional assistance, but most of these can be done on your own.

In order to save money on unneeded repairs, it’s important to first discover the root of your leakage problem. Inspect your basement thoroughly and check if the leakage is coming from the plumbing or cracks in the windows, walls, and concrete. You can clean and repair the damaged areas yourself by patching up and sealing the concrete with a sealant.

It’s important that your basement has a drainage system installed. Without a good drainage system, you’ll definitely experience leaks even after sealing the concrete.

Make sure your drain pipes and gutters are unclogged and working properly. Extend the drain spout so the water from the gutter falls far away from your home and your basement.

If your lawn slopes towards the home, you could have some drainage problems. If your basement gets damp after you water your lawn, that means your lawn hasn’t been graded properly. To prevent this from happening, make the lawn slope away from the house by terracing it and making the area close to your home the highest. You could also build the ground up towards the house.

Finally, you can seal your basement’s walls except the last three inches closest to the floor. On those three inches, install a drainage system to collect and bring water out of the basement. You can purchase a drainage system at a hardware or home improvement store and install it yourself.

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Awnings are great for seeking shelter from the sun or rain in your backyard; it also performs a double-duty of increasing your home’s aesthetic appeal. However, it’s important to store your awning before wintertime; otherwise, the build-up of snow will cause its lightweight structure to collapse.

Make sure you clean your awning thoroughly before keeping it away because dust encourages mildew growth, especially in cloth awnings. Not only are mildew marks incredibly difficult to remove – your awning’s going to stink! Even awnings made out of polyester and acrylic need to be cleaned properly. They can be stored wet for 48 hours but any longer than that and mildew will start to settle in. Since the stitching of the awning is made out of cotton, the mildew will definitely cause it to rot and for the whole thing to fall apart. Mildew also thrives in damp environments so make sure you keep your awning in a dry location to prevent growth.

Getting a retractable awning might be more convenient if you live in an area where it constantly snows. This type of awning can be folded and rolled against a wall and is self-storing once retracted. During the winter, you can remove the loose hanging valance of your retractable awning. Another way of storing it is to keep the awning retracted and keep the crank handle in the garage.

Awnings are a rather costly buy but with proper maintenance, they should last you for several years. Keeping them free from dust and storing them in a dry place during winter will definitely increase its lifespan.

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