30 September 2020

Easy and Affordable Ways to Fix Up Your Home

As the fall and winter holidays get closer, you may be planning to have relatives visit or stay with you for a short period of time. Not only do you want to create a welcoming experience, but you also need your home to be in good condition.

Updating your home doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming either. So follow these easy and affordable tips for helping you get the most out of fixing up your home.

1. Get your air conditioner and heater serviced.

Your air conditioning and heating systems are used almost every day to keep your home comfortable. However, during this time, they also build up debris, dirt, and other gunk within the units. Make sure you get your HVAC systems serviced at least twice each year – ideally once at the start of spring and once in the fall.

To find a quality HVAC technician, read online reviews and search for highly-rated companies. You can Google phrases like, “air conditioning services in Pennsylvania,” to see some of the top names in that region.

2. Look for small problems that could become big issues.

The last thing any homeowner wants is an emergency plumbing crisis or electrical repair. These issues can make living in a house unsafe and require several days to fix. Evaluate each of the systems in your house to see if there are potential issues that could arise.

For example, when you notice strange smells or gurgling from your drains, it's best to call a plumber. Look for a reliable company that offers the services you need like a routine pipe inspection to make sure everything is working at its best. Do a quick online search by typing in the required service you need followed by your area such as, "sewer repair in Atlanta" or more specifically "sewer repair in Roswell" for that particular suburb.

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3. Update your interiors with new art.

You might be surprised how small changes can have a major impact on your home. Taking a few small steps to rearrange the furniture or add a few new decorations can make your house feel completely new.

Try out a few creative ways to add new and unique art to your space. For example, a DIY kit from Paint Loose allows you to make beautiful creations yourself without the need to hire someone. You can also visit local art fairs and support local artists by buying their work.

4. Visit garage sales and thrift shops.

If you don’t have a large budget to fix up your home, look for ways to get home improvement tools on the cheap. Many thrift shops have sections for power tools (including lawnmowers and leaf blowers) that you can use for yard work. Garage sales and estate sales can also have some paint, unused home decorations, and other appliances that you can get for your home without spending too much.

Finding these resources can take a lot of shopping time and you may need to visit multiple yard sales and stores before you find what you need, but the results can be worth it.

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5. Deep clean your space.

Oftentimes, your home doesn’t need major repairs, it just needs a little TLC and some deep cleaning. Spend a weekend diving into the details of your house to make sure it's spotless. This includes cleaning the baseboards, getting the dust off of fan blades, and removing clogs of hair from your shower drains. The effort will be worth it: your house will feel bigger than it was before and you can relax in the bliss of a clean home.

It doesn’t take much to make your house feel like you completely redecorated or repaired. By catching issues before they become too serious and finding creative ways to design your space, you can open your home to friends and family reassured that it looks good.

Aircon Not Working? Durham NC AC Repair Says It Can Be the Thermostat


Did you know that the number of Americans that have invested in an air-conditioning system in and around their house surpasses over 70 million and counting? This is according to the energy consumption surveys online source. This accounts for over 50% of energy usage in homes and is no wonder there is a need for certified professionals to help with these in case of any issues, of which they can typically have if not maintained properly. 

The common thing with any household appliances or systems is the advent of inevitable faults. Things happen, we get them repaired and we carry on with life as it is. One of these things that is the topic of conversation in this article is these air conditioning systems that take up half of your household’s comfort levels.

We cannot live without them anymore.  Be it in your own home or a hotel, restaurant, in the car, they are everywhere and they are here to stay, and the important message to take home in all of this is to make sure you have someone on call who can fix any issues on the same day. There may be a few different things that get negatively affected on these units which can lead to them not working anymore, or working in a wrong manner. 

One of these things is its thermostat. 

The Importance of the Thermostat

Any appliance that could either cool a room down or heat it, will inevitably have a thermostat. It helps it cool or warm a place to a set point and temperature. Something like the central heating of a building, or a water heater and some kitchen appliances such as ovens, stoves, and refrigerators, all have this in them to avoid them from overheating or going past the normal levels. If you haven’t guessed it by now, this is a very important element in most of your homes gadgets and acts as a safety feature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermostat


Issues to Look Out For

Having said that, when the aircon stops working or blows hot air when cold is needed and vice versa, the first go-to would be the thermostat. This is because in on itself it can have various issues that we will investigate below. 

If your thermostat is old, you probably need to replace it with a new one. Unfortunately, they do not last a lifetime and at some point, will need replacing. It can break if used too much. A newer programmable one should be considered especially if you live in an old house which had it when you moved in. 

Sometimes they may need a couple of batteries as well and this can be indicated by a warning light or low power indicator on it. This is a simple fix, which just needs new batteries. Of course, if it does not have enough power, it will not work properly. 

Other times when the repair person had installed it, perhaps they did not do a proper job, in which case, replace them with a far more superior service alternativeire.com, and do not try and fix this yourself. These units are heavy and have lots of moving parts which can break or electrocute you, so leave it to the certified professionals to handle with the right tools. If you see any loose wiring, leave it off and give the experts a call.

If you have a modern programmable one and it stops working, chances are it has not been programmed well enough, which may be something to get checked. Sometimes one cannot find the fault, and it could simply be with the programming of the device. 


Another very simple and common fault can be with the overall maintenance and cleanliness of the unit. Those that have been left for many months or years without cleaning, can often lead to failure to work. Some of them are easy to clean with a duster, while others, if they stop working, may need to be opened and the filter may need to be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. But only if it's just the cover with no wiring or buttons on it. 

Keeping all these things in mind when it stops working or functions at half-mast, is something to pay heed to.