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How To Get Out Of The Remodeling Rut

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Have you ever started a project and then didn’t finish it? Now when you look back that project is just more daunting than ever. You don’t want to hire someone to finish it because you know you can do it yourself, but you just can’t seem to get motivated. Here are a few things you can try to get yourself out of that remodeling rut and back on track.

Give Yourself A Deadline

Try to give yourself a realistic deadline. Sometimes a date is enough to push you back on the right path. However, sometimes you need a little more. Add a reward to your date. Once you finish the project on the date you’ve set, you also reward yourself with something worthwhile. Whether the reward is related to the project or not is completely up to you.

For example, if you are remodeling your bedroom then the reward can be to buy a new mattress once the room is finished. Or you can take yourself out to dinner. Whatever rocks your boat.

Print A Picture Of The End Result

Sometimes a visual is what we need to keep us motivated. If you have an end in sight, it may propel you to move faster. Print your goal and hang it near your project. If your project is behind a door or not something you see naturally, then hang the visual in a common area. The goal is to see the visual often until it inspires you to start working on the project again. Once you start, move the visual to the place of your project to keep the end goal in sight as much as possible.

Hire Someone And Give In

Sometimes a remodel simply turns out to be harder than you expected. Sometimes your schedule changes and you simply become too busy to make the time. In this case, maybe your best bet is to give in and hire someone to finish. If you do go this route, be sure to interview and receive quotes from at least three people.

Don’t Start A New Project

Sometimes you almost finish a project so you start a new one. Or maybe you get bored with one so you start a different one with the intention to come back to the other project later. If you have an unfinished project that you’re struggling to finish, definitely don’t start a new project. It might seem a like a good idea to start something else and come back to the other one later, but most times you end up with two unfinished projects. Unless you start something small and easy to finish we recommend you don’t even start.

If you are remodeling your home to sell it, be sure to use a licensed contractor for any major renovations. This is especially important for any remodeling the requires you to alter the structure of your house. Be sure to get a pre-listing home inspection before you list your home for sale. Call Divinity Inspection Services to schedule your home inspection now.

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Is Your House Ready For The Cold Weather?

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In Florida we get cold weather pretty late in the year. In fact, for the last few years Christmas Day has been pretty warm in Tampa. But once January rolls around the cold weather starts to roll in and if you don’t prepare your home for the cold weather you could be inviting a host of problems. Here are a few simple things you can do ahead of time to prevent cold weather concerns.

Check your heater

Turn on your heater and let it run for a few minutes. If you haven’t run your heater basically all year, you don’t want to wait until it’s freezing outside to turn it on. This can create an abrupt start to your heating component and lead to faster wear and tear. Instead, choose a day that’s a little cool and turn on your heater. Let it run for about thirty minutes and turn it off. If there are any problems you should find out in that window of time. And better you find out know than find out when you really need it.

Clean out your fireplace

Some homes do have fireplaces in Florida. Yes, that may seem shocking but it’s true. If you have an indoor fireplace that you want to use this year, give it a thorough cleaning. Likely you didn’t clean it after using it last year. Check the flute to make sure it’s working properly. Clean out as much smut as you can and clear out all the old ashes. When the time comes you’ll be ready.

Change your filters

It’s easy to forget to change your filters any time of the year, but even more so during the holiday season. However, with your windows closed and your heater on to keep away from the cold, a clean filter is even more important. The only air you are breathing is the one moving through your house, so make sure you’re breathing clean air.

Clean before you close

Going back to the previous paragraph, you are about to lock up your house. Don’t lock in the dust and dirt with you. Do a pre-winter clean. Just like springing cleaning but for winter time. Clean the house as much as you can, including all the nicks and crannies, so your home stays both fresh and warm.

We hope these tips help you fair the cold weather for as long as we have it here in Tampa. Don’t forget we offer home inspections even through the holiday season.

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How To Stay Cool On A Budget

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Tampanians everywhere are trying to figure out how to stay cool without paying really high electric bills. Summer is already here, with the heat index in the high nineties and the humidity over 50% on most days. Tampa is hot. That means your house might be feeling hot too. Here a few things you can do to beat the heat without sending your electric bill over the hill.

1. Take advantage of a free energy-saving assessment

Did you know that both TECO and Duke Energy offer free in-home assessments? This means one of their representatives will come into your home and make recommendations on how you can increase energy efficiency. They check everything in your home that they can see. This can make a huge impact and they offer this service at no charge. You just have to call and make the appointment.

2. How much heat can you take?

According to Duke Energy, every degree increase saves about 5% in cooling costs. Obviously, the higher you can set your A/C, the more you will decrease your bill.

3. Change your air filters often

I recommend at least monthly during the summer. If you have pets then even more often. Changing the filter can have a big impact on your A/C’s efficiency.

4. Find the air leaks

Air leaks are a huge air sucker and will definitely increase your electric bill. Find and seal any and all air leaks in your home.

5. Use your ceiling fans

Ceiling fans are great to keep rooms in your home cool. Fans work to spread the cool air around your home, keep the temperature down, and give you some direct cool air.

These are just a few of the many things you can do to stay cool this summer. Now that you know how to stay cool on a budget, make sure to give us a call if you also need a home inspection!