GUIDE TO BUYING A NEW TV

This handy guide to buying a new TV will be a great help if you are looking into getting a new TV. Whether it's a new TV for your living room or for the kids bedroom this guide is written to give you information that you may not have considered.

It can actually be pretty overwhelming purchasing a new TV these days as there's a huge selection of different technologies, features and functionality to get your head around, not to mention a whole lot of acronyms to understand too. This post should make it more easier for you.

Decorate For Autumn On A Budget

If like me you like to decorate your home for autumn then you might have noticed that there is a bigger range of autumnal decor in the shops. However, there are plenty of autumn decorations you can create yourself for free or for a fraction of the price you will pay in stores.

Home Maintenance and Repairs Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do

As a homeowner there is no denying that there are maintenance and repairs that you need to know how to do. I must admit there are definitely some home maintenance and repair tasks that I need to learn to do around our home, however my husband is pretty good at the basics and knows when a professional is needed for the job.

7 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A NEW FRONT DOOR

The front door is one of the first things that visitors notices and remembers. So when we purchased our house a new front door was one of the first things we got done. We offered a lower price for the house as this was one of the major things we needed to sort out as the door wasn't in the best condition.

We want our home to have great kerb appeal and first impressions count. A new front door has some great positives such as adding a bit more value to your home , improving home security and energy efficiency. 

Choosing a new front door isn't a straightforward as some people think it is. Finding a door that suits your spec, budget and safety regulations usually results in having to compromise. Here are some things I recommend on what you need to consider:

Material

There are a good few different material options available. For us low maintenance was important so we opted for a UPVC door as we felt that was the best option for us after doing some research. However wood is a popular choice for many, aluminium and composite are other alternatives to consider.

Design 

Do you want a door that has glass? If so you need to consider glazing choice. There are many options of clear, tinted, frosted and patterned glass to consider in single, double-glazed and triple-glazed formats.

You may also be able to make a statement with a transom light. When choosing your design don't forget the colour we opted for white and we really like the clean look.  Then there are the fixtures and fittings,  a good door supplier will give you a choice of fixtures and fittings with the choice being to either complement or make a contrast. You might choose to remove some of the usual fixtures and fittings from the door itself - we chose to keep the letterbox but didn't want to have a knocker but went for the option of a spy hole. 

Security

Security is a big thing about the front door you go for. As a minimum you should expect doors to meet or exceed British Standard PAS24 and your insurance company will specify that locks conform to British Standard 3621. 

Energy Efficiency 

A good front door will contribute significantly to heat retention in your house. The effectiveness of insulation around the rest of your house and double glazing will be compromised if the front door is draughty or not adequately insulated.

Size 

Once you know the door you want make sure you measure correctly. We had ours installed by professionals and this was part of the service that they offered.

Guarantee 

It's important that your installer has a good track record and offers a guarantee on your door look for one that is for 10 years.

Cost

Lets be honest - a new front door is going to cost quite a bit as it's an investment. It's important that you do a lot of research before deciding on a budget. When it comes to a new front door you get what you pay for.

HOUSE WORK HACKS: KEEPING YOUR HOME UNDER CONTROL

Running a home can be hard work when you have children running around and making mess wherever they go however there are things you can do to help run your home more smoothly. 

Designate a play area 

We have half of our dining room a place for Blake to play. We have it set up with a soft mat to play on and a bean bag incase he wants to sit and read. 

Cover the sofa

Using a washable throw is a great idea to protect your sofa from sticky finger marks and it can just be chucked into the washing machine.

Tidy as you go along

This is a habit that we need to start doing more often as it will save us a lot of time in the long run.