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Lets celebrate Disneyland Paris’ 25th anniversary
Best types of flooring for a family home
Making any decision can be hard, even harder if you’re running a family home, after all; the decision that you make affects more than just you. The same goes when it comes to renovating your home and one of the things we often overlook is flooring and how we can pick the right one to suit our busy family lives.
Engineered Wood:
If you’re looking for great quality but are working towards a bit of a budget then engineered wood flooring could be the one for you, it’s much cheaper than real wood but in all honesty you can’t tell the difference when it comes to appearance! Engineered wood is constructed to ensure maximum durability, underneath the real wood top layer there are multiple layers of hardwood that have been bonded to provide more stability to the boards, this process contributes to the impressive guarantee that is offered when the flooring is purchased and certainly gives you piece of mind as a parent/homeowner! When it comes to cost, engineered wood is a much more budget-friendly option than the likes of solid wood but it looks just as good, if not better than most other floors on the market. Although durability has been covered I feel that it is also important to stress that should any damage occur (come on, if there’s kids around it’s bound to!) then it is also worth knowing that engineered wood floors can be sanded and refinished multiple times to give them the same quality look that they had on the day they were installed. So if something does happen, you don’t need to worry about expensive replacements etc, just fix it yourself (or if you’re unsure how to – get someone in who can).
Vinyl:
I feel for vinyl you know, it gets quite a bad rep but in hindsight it’s one of the most family friendly options out there at the moment. There’s a common misconception that vinyl is cheap and flimsy, now, I don’t like the word cheap; but it certainly is cost-effective! Vinyl is baked with a thin layer of either felt or foam, it depends on the manufacturer as to which is used, both provide a soft surface and plenty of flexibility and give – ideal for homes with smaller children. If you are surrounded by little ones who make a mess, vinyl is really simple to clean and it requires very little maintenance, which will save you plenty of time in the long run! So if you’re looking to get your moneys worth for a floor that’s guaranteed to last and offer a stable base for your family home then look no further!
Laminate:
I think Laminate could be my favourite on this list, it’s such a simple but effective option when it comes to renovating a home. Whether it’s toys, pets or football boots, our floors take the brunt of every day life but laminate is resistant to pretty much every kind of scratch which makes it ideal for the likes of me and you! This is another type of floor that is really easy to keep clean (yes there’s a trend here), all that it requires is a simple dust/sweep or, for a bit more of a thorough clean, a warm damp cloth or mop will do it. Although it bears a similar appearance to real wood it is a much cheaper alternative and comes in a variety of shades and designs, so you don’t always have to go for the wood effect!
So there they are, my top 3 family friendly floors, many thanks to everyone over at Luxury Flooring UK who offered me expert advice when it came to narrowing them down.
Don’t Kerb Your Enthusiasm When Selling Up
Everyone knows how important making the best first impression is. What most people don’t know, however, is that you only have a seven-second window in which to make an amazing first impression. That’s all. Everything in those first seven seconds needs to be perfect, needs to be considered and needs to have the desired effect; and this goes for the curb appeal of your house as much as it does anything else.
Selling a home is all about first impressions. It is about getting the buyer on your side from the moment they walk around the corner because this is how to get their heart on your side, and everyone listens to their heart more than their head. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a quick and easy sell with a quick buy company because you know there is a lack of buyers, and that puts the power of negotiation in their hands, or whether you are going to battle it out the more conventional route; first impressions matter.
Don’t worry, though, expensive-looking upgrades don’t have to be expensive.
A Lick of Paint
The first thing any buyer is going to look at is your front door. So, whether you are looking at securing a quick sale quote from http://www.ukhomebuyersltd.co.uk or you are hoping to give a private buyer that warm fuzzy feeling in their tummy, make this the immediate center of attention. And be bold too. It is one of the few places that you can go wild with the color, whether it be muted black or a cerise pink; you want to hold the gaze of those with the money.
Add Some Quality
There is an unwritten rule you need to be aware of; cheap always looks cheap. So, spend that little bit more on getting quality door furniture, because the more your house looks expensive from the outside, the more it will seem like an amazing value. Just make sure it fits with your property. Bold and gold door knockers, with matching letterboxes, look great on old Victorian properties, but not so many flats. Brushed chrome, however, now that would look good on an apartment.
Shed Some Light
If you are selling your home in the summer months, then a little something subtle, like matching lanterns placed on either side of your door will add symmetry and class to your home. If you are selling at a time when the nights close in a little quicker, make use of your gardens by hiding lights in the trees and lining the paths. Choice is probably the only issue here, but a specialist like http://www.thegardenlightingshop.co.uk/ should be able to help you. Just explain how you need a little bit of magic to help carry a buyer through to the dotted line.
Welcoming Windows
There is nothing more saddening that approaching a house where the windows look sad and gloomy and unkempt. So bring them back to life by dealing with any rotten frames, getting your windows cleaned and putting something nice in them to make the buyer nod with an appreciation for the little things.
Add A ‘Wow’ Gate
Whether you live in a country home or a city pad, always have an impressive gate, one that reflects the style or period of your home. It could be a picket-fence painted white, or wrought-iron gets given a new layer of black or even a finely trimmed hedge with a nice timber gate locked in the middle. Whatever suits your home.
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