Bathroom Design for Teens

Your teenagers probably spend more time in the bathroom than you do. So it’s not a bad idea to dedicate a bathroom just to them. But how do you transform a bathroom from a young kid’s to a teenager’s? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Go from a Shower Curtain to a Showersreen

There’s a fair chance you’ve still got your old shower curtain up from when your children used to play in the tub. However, they’re teenagers now. Get rid of the Winnie the Pooh and superhero shower curtains and put in something more mature. Consider a frameless showerscreen. Make sure it's easy to clean and durable. Consider a semi frameless showerscreen with color accents to give the bathroom a touch of personality. 

Install Natural Materials 

Replace linoleum with stone tile or wood paneling. Note that engineered wood will handle the moisture far better than traditional wood floors. Replace knit bathmats with wool rugs and other natural materials. This isn’t just a move toward more mature décor, but it follows the trend toward more natural materials.

Give them the Storage they Need 

Don’t yell at your kids for covering the bathroom counter with stuff. Install extra storage. This may require hanging storage baskets above the toilet or rearranging the shelves under the sink. Perhaps you could get rid of the stack of hand towels in the linen closet, so your kids have more space for their own beauty items. Note that if things always seem to be a mess, it may be because the trash bin is too small. Put a larger trash bin in the bathroom, and you may not find tissues or makeup pads on the floor as often. Since your kids are getting bigger, there’s a fair chance they’ll need a larger laundry hamper too.

Improve the Lighting 

Consider upgrading the lighting. Replace overhead lights with recessed lights and put in a makeup or shaving mirror. This will show your teenagers that you understand their needs. Extending the mirrors from the top of the sink to the ceiling will reflect more light in the limited space while making it easier for a growing teen to see what they’re doing no matter how tall they are.

3 Ways to Know If Your Potential New Home’s Neighborhood Is Safe

What are the first things you look for when moving into a new neighborhood?

Comfort, low noise, amenities, and accessibility are a few of the most common winning features of a nice, stress-free neighborhood. Though those attributes are worth looking for, safety should be the first priority whenever moving to a new place. Being able to walk freely and get a good night’s sleep depends on how safe you feel in your own house, after all.

You might have found the perfect new home for yourself and your family, but is the vicinity safe? Here are some easy ways to find out.

Get To Know Your Neighbors

The moment you move into a new city/neighborhood/home, it’s important that you get to know who you’ll be living next door to. That’s not only a matter of friendliness, but it’s also a security measure for all those involved.

Being friends with neighbors is a win-win situation because it ensures you’re all reliable people when it comes to everyone’s safety. Let’s see an example:

You’ve planned a trip, but you don’t feel safe being away for too long. In this case, a trusted neighbor could keep one of your house keys so you don’t lose it, and they could also keep an eye out for suspicious activity near your house. If there’s something wrong, they’ll contact you immediately, and vice versa.

It’s important, however, that you know more than just your neighbors’ names before handing anything of value to them. This might involve a background check that you can perform by doing quick research. An easy way to do it is to search mugshots on GoLookUp, which will show potential criminal records of whoever you’re looking for. It’s all 100 percent confidential, and it’ll spot from burglars to sex offenders.

Try not to skip this step. What makes a neighborhood safe is, essentially, who lives in it.

Make Sure There Are No Pest Infestations Around

The only thing worse than having pests in your home is when they’re coming from outside. Mice, roaches, mosquitoes...whatever they are, they’re even more bothersome when the issue isn’t your fault. What should you do in this situation?

If pests from your neighbor’s house are filing into your home, your family members could be at risk for health issues such as bacterial illnesses and respiratory infections. But before you call anyone out, call residential pest control to be sure your home isn’t the problem. If it’s not, you might want to approach your neighbor to discuss the problem politely, and even offer quality pest control services you might know about. Again, this will be easier if you get to know your neighbors on a personal level first.

Be Informed About Local Crime Statistics

Is there a lot of criminal activity in your potential neighborhood? You could be living close to a high violent crime rate neighborhood and not even realize it. Doing the proper research before you move will spare you from having to relocate or deal with risk.

To avoid this kind of threat, there are available tools that’ll help you find out exactly what goes on around the block. Online tools like CrimeReports and SpotCrime are crime databases that’ll give you information about criminal activity in a specific area, including yours. This early research, combined with the previous tips, will help you choose an ideal home in all important aspects.

Keeping your home’s interior safe with security cameras and alarm systems is highly recommended, but you’ll be even safer if there’s less danger outside. That’s why you must scan a prospective neighborhood for bad guys, be them human or nasty pests.