{Moving} 6 Tips To Help You Sell Your Home Faster

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.

Credit

Selling your home is never easy, but when you have to sell up and move house quite quickly, the process becomes that much more stressful. From new jobs across the country to babies on the way, there are so many reasons why someone would want to sell their home fast. Whatever yours may be, the very idea of it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and powerless. Thankfully, however, you’re not. To help speed your sale along a little, here are six things that you can do.  

Work With A Professional

Selling a house is a costly and complicated process. Although it is possible to do so yourself, you’ll find you struggle a lot more than necessary, and could even make mistakes that delay your sale even further. For this reason, it’s vital that you work with someone who knows what they’re doing. Not all realtors are created equal, though, so be sure you choose one with great referrals.

Credit

Clear Out Your Clutter

Cluttered homes look small and uncared for, putting off any potential buyers. For this reason, you should get rid of anything you no longer want or need. You may also want to buy multipurpose furniture, like the ottomans and sofas at https://shopdiscountdirect.com/. Viewers will want to see the storage in your home, so storing your things elsewhere means it can be seen easily.

Make Important Home Improvements

A few dents or cracks here or there may not bother you too much, but, to potential buyers, they can sound alarm bells. Because of this, you should make a list of repairs or home improvements you need to make and get them completed before you start to accept viewings. That being said, many home improvements aren’t worth the money, so consider yours carefully before you begin.

Credit

Conduct A Deep Clean

Unsurprisingly, clean homes tend to sell a lot quicker than those covered in dust and grime. With that in mind, you should spend a few days cleaning your house from top to bottom. Be sure you see to every nook and cranny, including cupboards and built-in storage. Once this is finished, try to keep your house in this state so that it is always ready for a surprise viewing.

List In The Spring

People will buy houses all year round, but, as explained at https://hoa.org.uk/, most prefer to do so in the spring. This is because the weather is quite nice and potential buyers haven’t yet set off on their summer vacations. For this reason, you’ll probably sell your home a lot quicker if you list it sometime during or just before March and April.

Leave Them To It

There’s nothing worse than trying to get a good look at someone’s home when they’re following you into every room. You feel uncomfortable and don’t want to spend another minute there. Because of this, you should ensure that you’re out of the house when viewings take place. Be available close by to answer questions, but leave the showing around to your real estate agent.

Selling your home quickly can be stressful and challenging, but, with the tips above, you should be able to make the process a little easier.

{Parenting} The Ups And Downs Of Raising Kids In An Apartment

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.
When most of us pictured how we raised a family; when our imaginations wandered in our childhood years it’s likely that we pictured a house in the suburbs with a picket fence. We imagined a lush, verdant lawn, a tree with a threadbare treehouse nestled in the branches, a backyard littered with brightly colored toys and maybe even a trampoline. We imagined a spacious drive with two cars and a garage big enough to accommodate at least one of them. Pretty much the house from The Simpsons. However, when our kids come along, they don’t necessarily wait for us to be ready. In a post-crisis economy there are some couples who simply cannot afford the kind of spacious suburban house they may have grown up in. Likewise there will always be some parents who are not ready to give up the convenience of urban living.
Image by Flickr
There are many reasons why you may want to raise your kids in an apartment. You may not be ready to give up your trendy urban lifestyle in a cool development like Duo Residences. Your income (especially on maternity pay) simply may not be conducive to moving into a larger and more family friendly property. While it may not be the parenthood you imagined in your childhood it can still be every ounce the magical, wonderful and (let’s face it) hectic experience that all parents enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of the ups and downs of raising kids in an apartment…

Your kids will rarely ever be lonely
In an era where we see so many young people walking through major conurbations with their faces buried in some device or other, it’s vital that we raise our kids with social skills. They need to be able to interact with people in the real world as well as the digital realm. The great thing about apartment living is that you rarely ever get the opportunity to be lonely. While you can go weeks in the suburbs without seeing a neighbor, rarely a day goes past in an apartment building that you don’t get the chance to bump into and catch up with your fellow residents. This will get your youngster accustomed to meeting a wide range of different people and feeling comfortable conversing with strangers.

Young kids are never far from your line of sight
It’s a wonderful thing when your baby begins crawling on their own. However, it can quickly become terrifying when you realize the speed (and abandon) with which they can propel themselves. New Moms are forever paranoid that their little ones may crawl out of their sight, down the stairs, out the house and straight into a Baby’s Day Out kind of scenario. The great thing about living in an apartment is that usually your space is all on one floor. This means that there are fewer nooks and crannies in which kids can escape from your view affording you more peace of mind.

You live in constant fear that your neighbors will complain
Raising kids is incredibly difficult to do quietly. They’re little bundles of potential energy and that energy needs to be released. Unfortunately, this energy can’t be released by sitting quietly and reading a book. It usually needs to be run or jumped or screamed out. As a result, moms who live in an apartment live in constant fear that they might get angry neighbors knocking on the door at any moment. Every time the baby cries they fear that someone will call the cops and report them for being a negligent monster. Every time the little one engages in a rambunctious play session in the hall they fear that the stomping and yelling will result in an eviction notice.

Of course, the reality is that most neighbors are patient and understanding and appreciate that kids need an opportunity to be kids.

There’s never enough space!
One of the most frustrating things about raising kids in an apartment is that there’s never enough space. It can feel like life is an endless game of Tetris as you constantly strive to find optimal placed in which to store your belongings and the metric tonne of stuff that’s necessary for raising kids.

This can quickly lead to clutter which is the enemy of mental health for a busy and house proud parent. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can combat this. Going zero waste can take some time but it can also prevent the piling up of garbage that can accumulate in the kitchen. Likewise putting up some handy wall shelves may take some doing but it can free up a great deal of floorspace. Investing in furniture with built-in storage is also essential when living with kids in an apartment.
Image by Flickr

Your kids won’t become couch potatoes because there’s always something to do!
The great thing about living in apartment is that unlike many suburban kids your children will not be tempted to become couch potatoes who spend all of their waking hours with their eyes glued to a screen. There’s always something to do and when you feel a little cabin fevered in your apartment it can be your great excuse to get active with your kids. If your apartment complex has a pool or ping pong ball table this can be a favorite place for your kids to burn off some of their jubilant energy. Likewise if you live in a major conurbation you have access to wonderful galleries, museums and parks.

There’s always somewhere awesome and free to take your kids, while suburban kids spend much of their time wandering aimlessly around malls.

You spend a lot, a lot of time cleaning the kitchen
They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but those who raise kids in apartments may not feel a whole lot of love for their compact kitchens. Not only can it be hard to store the cooking utensils and food necessary for raising healthy kids, it can also be a nightmare to keep it clean.

While raising kids in an apartment can have a lot of ups and downs, the same thing can be said of raising your kids… Just about anywhere! While your experience may differ from that of other parents don’t worry, you’re still giving your kids the rich and happy upbringing that they deserve!

{Health} How to Stay Energized When You're Run Off Your Feet

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.

Staying energized, when you have a million things on your to-do list and you’re already longing for a nap, isn’t easy. If you’re running around with your job, family, home life and much more, you may be wondering how you can get the energy to get everything done. It’s not easy, but here are a few things that may help you.

Learn from Your Body

You will have natural energy boosts throughout the day. Perhaps you’ll feel motivated after your morning shower or revitalized after your lunch. When you listen to your body, you’ll learn the cues it gives you when it comes to energy boosts. Try and plan around them. Leave the hard stuff for the times of the day when you know you’ll be most energized and plan your breaks around the times of day when you start to feel sluggish.

Pixabay

Eat Right

The food we eat is our body’s fuel. If we’re feeding our bodies the wrong kinds of foods, they’ll be left feeling empty. Make sure you get a varied diet, so your body has the fuel it needs to energize you. Don’t go for caffeinated drinks when you need a pick me up and stay away from processed or sugary foods throughout the day (unless it’s fruit). When you need a quick energy boost, foods like bananas, eggs and carbohydrates will do the job.

Stay Well

When you’re run down, it’s easy to become ill when bugs are going around. If you do become ill, your energy levels will take a knock. Take care of yourself by making sure you get some down time and resting properly. You can boost your immune system by increasing your vitamin C intake and strengthening your body through exercise. This can protect you from the common cold, infections and ear conditions where you may end up having a hearing test for - you can learn more about it online.

Pixabay

Exercise Your Senses

There are times where you’ll feel unenergized because you’re not making your senses do enough work. If you’re overtired but you’re forced to stare at a computer screen for another few hours in the hopes of achieving something, wake yourself up by stirring your senses. Burn some essentials oils so your sense of smell is heightened. Listen to some music if it helps you to concentrate. Rub your earlobes to awaken your sense of touch. The more you do, the more likely you are to get a surge of energy.

Power Nap

When all else fails, it could be that you really do just need a nap. Twenty minutes is ideal for boosting energy levels and recharging the body. If you’ve got some spare time during the day, don’t be afraid to take a quick nap where you can. Set your alarm so you don’t sleep longer than planned and don’t feel guilty about having to do it. When you wake up, you should feel a lot more refreshed and you’ll likely get a lot more done too.

Staying energized isn’t easy when you have a lot going on, but it isn’t impossible either.