Checklist for Moving Into a New House

    Once you’ve made it through the stress of buying a home, there is one more hurdle to cross—the moving process. Staying hyper-organized is one of the best ways to alleviate the stress associated with moving. Following a tried and true checklist can help you stay organized and on track during this often chaotic experience. Read on for a list to follow as you prepare to move into your new home.   Walk Through the House If the house is available to you, walk through to take measurements of the spaces and rooms so you can plan out where your existing furniture will go and accommodate any new furniture. This will help you be able to direct the movers where to set items and avoid having to rearrange them too much once you’re settled in.   Hire Deep Cleaners After the closing and before move-in, hire a deep cleaning deep to thoroughly clean and disinfect every nook and cranny. Ensure the cleaning team pays attention to every window sill, baseboard, molding, and surface. This way, you can move all your belongings in and be confident that the home is spotless and move-in ready.   Change Your Address Before your move-in date, change your address with the post office, as it takes several weeks for the change to register. Also, update your banking and financial information, insurance information, and other services that require your personal information. Also, schedule an appointment at the DMV to update your driver’s license.   Make Plans for Children and Pets Moving day can be a chaotic day. Arranging childcare and pet care for your littlest family members can help the day go more smoothly and can help them stay safe. From uncovered outlets , open windows and doors, an unfamiliar area, and sharp tools available such as scissors and box cutters, it’s best to keep children and pets away from moving day so you can focus on creating a safe and livable space   Create an Unpacking Plan While labeling all your boxes before moving is essential, so is creating a plan for how you will unpack them. Haphazardly unpacking boxes can leave you with access to unnecessary items but with no access to the essentials. The strategy should be based on your unique needs, but keep in mind you’ll likely want access to essential kitchen items such as utensils and glasses, as well as bedrooms  and bathroom items, like pajamas, several days' worth of clothes, and your toiletries and shower essentials.   Set Up the Utilities and Internet Before moving in, be sure the electricity, heat, gas, and water will be available on your moving date. Also, having an internet connection and cable access may be important for you to have so you can relax after a long day of unpacking. Creating a moving plan in advance can help alleviate the stress associated with this notoriously stressful experience.

Designing an Eco-Friendly Luxury Home

An energy-efficient home offers benefits beyond cost savings. Designing a home with the environment in mind helps you do your part to contribute to the planet and leaves a positive lasting mark. Incorporating eco-friendly elements into your house can be completed during a new build, a home reno or simply by making a few adjustments to your current home. Read on to find out the ways to make your home more eco-friendly.Window Position MattersThe placement of your windows can significantly impact your home’s energy efficiency. North-south facing windows can affect the home’s ability to attract and retain warm and cool air. If you live in a hot climate, large windows on the north side will bring in cool air and help distribute sunlight. Alternatively, if you live in a cooler climate, install smaller windows on the north side of the house to minimize heat loss. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of energy-efficient windows. ENERGY STAR certified windows could reduce carbon footprints by an average of 12% nationwide.Open Concept LayoutAn open concept home goes beyond being a home design trend. An open concept home also improves light and ventilation throughout the house, reducing the need for additional light sources and heating and air conditioning in multiple rooms. Open concept layouts also make connecting the house to outdoor spaces easier, facilitating true indoor-outdoor living.Source LocallySourcing locally not only reduces long-shipping delays, but also cuts down on shipping-related pollution and emissions. In addition, using local lumber, stone brick or clay can reduce overall pollution and add some originality and charm to your home.It’s Wise to Have a Smart HomeIntegrating technology throughout the home can also make it more sustainable. Being able to manage your heating, cooling, lighting and irrigation through one central location and on-demand can reduce your home’s overall energy usage. Even when you’re away, you can ensure your home is as energy-efficient as possible.Grow Your GardenA beautifully maintained garden brings aesthetic benefits and can be a wonderful at-home retreat. However, a strategically planted garden can also offer a host of environmental benefits. For example, planting drought-resistant greenery can reduce your water usage. Also, growing your own fruits and vegetables can nourish both your body, as well as the earth. If your backyard has enough acreage, planting a citrus grove or apple orchard can help purify the air, provide shade, maintain healthy soil and, of course, offer delicious bites to eat.Upgrade Your LightingWhile energy-saving lighting may seem small, its benefits can go a long way. Most luxury homes are equipped with energy-saving lighting systems that bring a beautiful glow while also being energy-efficient. LED lights are the gold standard of energy-efficient lighting while lending a natural glow. Automating your lighting system further elevates its ease, convenience and energy-saving benefits.

How to Choose the Right Lighting for Your Bathroom

When selecting light fixtures for your bathroom, you need to be sure that critical areas are well lit. You also have to choose fixtures that complement the rest of the room’s décor and that work well together.Since every bathroom is unique, you’ll have to consider the design of your space, as well as the specific needs of your family and guests. Here are some helpful tips to guide you.Use Different Types of Light FixturesIn any room in your house, light should be evenly distributed so that no area is too bright or too dark. In some areas, extra light might be necessary at times to help people complete daily tasks. Using a combination of ambient, task and accent lighting fixtures in the bathroom can ensure that people will always have the right amount of light where it’s needed.Ambient lighting reflects off the walls and ceiling in all directions to illuminate an entire room. For overhead lighting that will cover most of the room, you can choose a pendant fixture, a chandelier or a fixture that’s flush with the ceiling. Figure out what will work best based on the size and height of your bathroom.For the vanity and the area around the sink where people brush their teeth, comb their hair, shave and put on makeup, make sure there’s plenty of task lighting. You can place sconces on either side of the mirror or install a fixture that sits above it. Bar lights are also popular. They can be placed either above the mirror or along the sides. Some vanity task lighting fixtures have multiple lights that can be adjusted individually as needed.You can also use accent lighting to highlight focal points, such as artwork or other interesting or unusual features that you want to draw attention to. Accent lighting is softer and, when used correctly, it can have a powerful visual impact.Choose Fixtures That Complement Your Bathroom and Each OtherLight fixtures that look beautiful in one bathroom might be too large or too small for another home. For example, pendant lights might work well in a bathroom with a high ceiling, but in a bathroom with a lower ceiling, they could get in the way or be a distraction. The lights that you install near the vanity should be proportional to the mirror so they provide enough light without being overwhelming.It’s fine to use several styles of light fixtures from different manufacturers in your bathroom, but it’s important to choose ones that will pair well with each other. Look for fixtures with the same type of finish so the room has a cohesive appearance. Chrome and brass are popular choices that can complement the other décor in your bathroom.

Kitchen Trends That Are Going Out of Fashion

Most of us spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing meals and cleaning up. In many cases, we spend so much time in our familiar kitchen space that we don’t pay much attention to what it looks like.But the trends, they are a-changin’. Today’s kitchens are sleek and practical. Design experts list seven kitchen looks that are quickly going out of style:Short backsplashes. Backsplashes that reach up to six to eight inches above the countertop are sorely outdated. If you’re up for a remodel, take the backsplash all the way up to the upper cabinets to make your kitchen feel bigger and cleaner.Distressed wood cabinets. Once the darling of country-style kitchens, the clunky distressed wood of yesteryear is giving way to natural wood or white finishes.Over the stove microwaves. When microwaves came into fashion, homeowners put them over the stove to save counter space. But today’s families want necessities accessible for the entire family. Some are redesigning cabinets to move the microwave into an under-counter nook where smaller family members can reach it.Top-of-cabinet décor. Gone are the days of filling the space between the tops of your cabinets and the ceiling with dusty accessories like artificial flowers or greenery. Removing them from above the cabinets gives the room a more open feel.Hanging pots and pans. Once, every kitchen shown in a magazine had a big, beautiful, hanging rack filled with copper or stainless-steel pots and pans. Kitchen designers today are making room for them in drawers or cabinet, trading in that outdated country look for cleaner, minimalist lines.Anything but stainless steel. Over the years, kitchen appliances have gone from white to copper to avocado green and back again. But the desired look today is the cool, sleek look of stainless steel.Kitchen desks. At one point in time, every upscale kitchen featured desk space—a little nook where you could scan the mail, pay bills, etc. But those mess-collectors are now yesterday’s news. Moving desk chores to another room can give your kitchen extra space and alternative storage options.