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Regardless of how much preparation and planning you do ahead of time, moving is hectic. Especially if you have kids, getting everyone packed up and ready to go can feel overwhelming at best and at worst, virtually impossible. Fortunately, it is possible to maintain your sanity even in the midst of a move. By having a check-list and keeping your move as organized as possible, you will find that moving day flows much more easily.One of the most important steps to help with straightforward packing and unpacking is proper labeling of boxes. Even if top international movers are helping you pack, make sure to get involved and do the labeling yourself. For each room in your house, divide your items into groups and label your boxes accordingly. Then, label each box clearly using a thick, permanent marker. Even better is if you can use different colored boxes for different rooms of your house. Although it may cost more to find colored boxes, it will make unloading and unpacking a breeze. When loading and unloading boxes, try and keep boxes from the same room together. This will make unpacking go much quicker.

Make sure that you have all-important documents such as passports, birth certificates, and health records all stored together and in a safe location. If you haven’t already, make copies of these items in the event that they are lost or scan them onto a computer file. If possible, carry these items in your bag with you.

After you have finished packing up everything in your house, go through one last time to check for any items that may have been left behind. After you are sure that everything has been packed up and cleared out, you will need to give your house a quick cleaning. This can be done by a professional maid service or you can simply do this yourself. This doesn’t need to be an overly intense cleaning, but simply so that the house is in appropriate cleanliness either for a new family to move in, or so that the home can be shown to potential buyers. If you are moving out of an apartment building where you will be getting a security deposit back, it is always a good idea to take a few pictures of the apartment before you leave. This ensures that you have visual evidence of the condition of the apartment.

During the packing process, make sure that everyone in your household has an overnight bag packed. Your bag should include enough changes of clothes for at least a couple of days, as well as any other items you may need, such as medications, toiletries, a favorite stuffed toy for children or a book. Also remember to pack household items that you will need once you get to your new home. A few basic cleaning supplies, toilet paper and a few snacks. If you are staying in your new house immediately, take into consideration whether or not beds will be put together in time for the first night. If you will be arriving to your house before the movers, pack a couple of sleeping bags. Or, if you are not able to assemble all of the beds in time for bedtime, simply lay the mattresses out on the floor.

If possible, also try and pack as many fragile, sentimental items with you. Unfortunately, it does occur that items are damaged or lost during transit. Although insurance may cover damaged objects, it can’t replace the sentimental value of an item.

Monica Sing is a consultant at Feedbacq, an online platform that helps expats relocate by connecting them with quality international moving companies. She is currently helping people who are looking to move to Brisbane, Australia. If you have any questions, you can add them to the comments section below.

One of the most exciting things for any plant enthusiast is to erect a greenhouse. This is the ideal place to grow plants regardless of the prevailing environmental conditions or season. If you want to have a greenhouse, you can consider building a greenhouse or buying a greenhouse kit. Whether you are building a greenhouse or buying one, there are some important factors that you must consider before choosing a greenhouse. Here are some tips on how to choose a greenhouse.

Location: The first thing is to choose the perfect greenhouse location and decide the right size. A greenhouse operates by trapping solar energy and then converting it into thermal energy. Therefore, you should erect it on an area that receives maximum sunlight. Ensure that the location is not blocked by large trees, buildings and other structures. When it comes to size, you can go for a mini or large version, based on the size and plan of your area.

Style: There are many types of greenhouse structural styles. There are two basic styles of greenhouse for your garden; freestanding and lean-to unit. The lean-to unit is attached to a garage or house. The major advantage of this style is that you will not worry about accessibility to electricity and water. If you opt for a freestanding greenhouse, consider the construction cost as well as availability of water. The most popular type of freestanding greenhouse is the span roof type.

Foundation: The greenhouse requires a strong foundation. A poured concrete foundation or any other permanent foundation is the best if you want to support units with heavy frame materials such as glass and fibreglass. For smaller types, wood foundation can do.

However, choose pressure treated redwood, cypress and cedar which are highly resistant to decay and moisture.

Frame Material: A perfect frame should have great strength and offer insulation. You can choose wood, resin, PVC or aluminium greenhouse. Wood offers great insulation but can promote disease infestation and mold growth. Aluminum is less expensive than wood and have great strength but can fail when it comes to insulation. Finally, the PVC offers great insulation, but scores low with regards to strength.

Covering or Glazing: This is usually chosen depending on heat retention, durability, repairability, budget and light penetration. Glass maintains good humidity levels and reduces heat loss but is fragile, expensive and requires a solid foundation. While plastic is less expensive, it would require replacement after every 1-2 years.

Watering System: With regards to the irrigation of plants in the greenhouse, you can either water manually or install an automatic irrigation system. Watering by hand may be used in smaller greenhouses, but not larger ones. The automatic systems have a mechanical evaporation sensor. Although the cost of setting up this system is a bit high, it can benefit busy people.

Type of Ventilation: Proper ventilation is very important for efficient working of a greenhouse. Roof vents help to remove warm air from the greenhouse. On the other hand, side vents tap cool air outside to support better growth of the plants.

Freshly sanded hard wood floor. From this point it’s up to you to keep it in a top, as-new shape. Photo courtesy : flickr.com

Wooden floors certainly make home interiors more beautiful, but it can take a lot of effort to keep them in top shape. Many home owners opt for home-made solutions for cleaning due to various reasons from cost to preference to control what ingredients they use at home.

Make Wood Floor Cleaner On Your Own

The recipes bellow are relatively easy to make, don’t take a lot of time and most of the ingredients can be found in every household.

Solution for Basic Cleaning

For this basic cleaning solution, mix together the following substances:

• half cup white vinegar
• 1 gallon warm tap water
• few drops of orange, lemon or other kind of essential oil (optional)

Blend the vinegar and water in a clean bucket. Add 5-6 drops of essential oil to the mixture if you want to have a scented cleaner. To clean your wooden flooring, simply dip a sponge mop into the bucket with the solution and squeeze it until it’s almost dry. Wipe off your floor across the house while rinsing the mop out in the solution frequently. Take a clean, dry cloth to wipe any damp areas on your wood floor, because leaving it wet can deteriorate the material.

Black Tea Polish Solution

Black tea has strong polishing abilities which makes it great for cleaning hard wood floors. Blend the following ingredients:

• 3-4 bags black tea
• 3-4 cups of water

Pour the water into a cooking pot. Boil the water, then remove it from the heat. Add all tea bags and let it steep for 10 minutes. Throw away the tea bags and dip a soft clean cotton cloth or specialised wood floor mop cleaning pad into the tea solution. Attach the rag or pad to a mop and wipe off the floor. The tannic acids in black tea will remove the dirt and leave a beautiful luster on wood floors. Instead of black tea, you can use wall nuts’ pods, because they have great polishing power, especially for dark wood.

Stain and Spot Removing Solution

Mix these two ingredients for an easy spot remover:

• 1/2 cup linseed oil
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Blend the equal parts of vinegar and linseed oil into a small bowl. Wipe the floor using clean cloth dipped into the mixture and buff the floor thoroughly using a rag.

Greasy Stains Floor Cleaner

Mix these ingredients for greasy or sticky spots on wood floor:

• liquid dish soap
• white distilled vinegar
• warm tap water

Fill a spray container with warm tap water. Add 4-5 drops of liquid dish soap and a cup full of white distilled vinegar. Spray the areas that need to be cleaned then quickly mop or wipe off the floor using a soft cloth. Make sure all moisture is wiped away after you finish.

Home-made “Dressing” Floor Polish

Mix the following ingredients for a surprisingly effective floor polish:

• half cup white vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil

Blend the white vinegar and the olive oil in a plastic container or bowl. Dip a soft clean cloth in the mixture and wipe the floor. Buff it off with a dry cloth. Although this recipe looks more like salad dressing, it works great for hardwood floor polisher.

Making Your Own Cleaners vs. Buying Commercial Cleaners

If you’re sitting on the fence about whether to buy hard wood floor cleaner or make your own one, consider all the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds.

Home-made Cleaners

Advantages:

• All natural ingredients are more environmentally-friendly.
• There’s big chance you have all the ingredients in your home.
• You will save money even if you have to buy the ingredients to make your own cleaners, because they can also be used for other purposes around the house as well as cleaning ingredients.

Disadvantages:

• There’s always the risk not to get the expected results when using a home-made cleaner.
• You might have to repeat the procedure few times before it works the way you want.
• Solutions that include water could warp the wood if you don’t dry the floor carefully after using them.

Commercial Cleaning Product

Advantages:

• Product designed specially for cleaning hardwood flooring may work faster than a home-made cleaner.
• It’s possible the manufacturer of the commercial product to assume some or all responsibility if the product damages wood floor when it’s used following label’s directions.
• A commercial cleaner could also be non-toxic, safe and environmentally-friendly.Disadvantages:

• The chemical ingredients in the cleaner may be toxic and dangerous for the environment.
• The price of the commercial cleaning products is significantly higher than a home-made remedies.
• The commercial product will only be suitable for cleaning wood floor and nothing else.

No matter if you decide to make your own solution or buying commercial one, you will get the best result considering the type of the floor and the contaminations that you have to deal with. To avoid ruining valuable wood floor try the cleaner you have on a small, hidden area before using it to the whole floor. 

Author Bio : Irene D writes extensively about home improvement, cleaning, maintenance and decorations. She has many years of experience in professional carpet and floor cleaning company and loves experimenting with different substances in order to achieve excellent results in DIY housekeeping

Window coverings are no one’s favorite thing to hunt for. With all the different types to choose from, it’s normal to want to find the best for our money. No one wants to invest a large amount of money into something they could have gotten for less or will end up having to replace in a year. To determine which type of window covering is the most expensive, we must go over our options. Then it is up to you to determine if it is worth the cost or not.

Types of Window Coverings

• Blinds
• Curtains
• Shutters

There are a few things to consider when determining the best window coverings for your budget. Not all window coverings will be the most expensive to everyone. For example, what might be expensive to Jane up front, in the long run will be cheaper.  For Susan, she can afford the upfront cost but because the treatments are of better quality, they will last her longer, meaning she will save money. So when using the word “expensive” consider if you mean expensive now or over the long haul.

Blinds

Blinds seem to last forever in homes. Simply drive down your neighborhood and spot all the windows with those small plastic blinds. Then spot the wooden newer blinds.  This type of covering is common but can be pricey. Yet if you consider that you’ll most likely have the blinds for 2-5 years, the cost is very little.

Curtains

Drapes, valances, curtains- basically fabric hanging on your window. This type of window covering ranges greatly in price. A warehouse or discount store may have a wide selection at an affordable price, while if you decide to have the windows professionally done, you can pay quite a bit more. Curtains and drapes, if gone the professional route, can be the most expensive window coverings. There are other reasons why curtains and drapes are expensive. Not just initial, but long term. If you have ever owned curtains or drapes, you may have noticed the damage sunlight can do. Fading is very common and almost a promise with most drapes. In order to keep your drapes and curtains looking nice, replacing them is required.

Shutters

While not as common as blinds and curtains, shutters are simple to install and last just as long as blinds if not longer, as they are more durable. Whereas blinds have the ability to break and crack, shutters are made of sturdy wood that is secure and stable. If a ball or other object flies into the shutters rarely will you have to worry about damage. While shutters can be an expensive first investment, these coverings will typically last the longest, saving money in the long run.

So now it is up to you. You may purchase a type of window covering because it is all you can afford at the moment, but consider if you’ll end up having to replace it sooner than the others. Do the math. Depending on the price you nab, you could replace it every year and still save money over one of the more expensive items, so nothing is concrete.

By Shelby Morrison

Shelby has been writing for seven years, developing her expertise in web content, SEO articles and novels. She enjoys writing articles on saving money and DIY projects. Shelby has written articles on selecting window coverings Sacramento residents will love, home improvement stores, and weather proofing your house for east-coasters.