ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Three Essential Considerations Before You Buy a Fixer Upper

Three Essential Considerations Before You Buy a Fixer Upper

With housing prices through the roof these days, it’s not easy to get a foothold on the property ladder. Many enterprising young buyers are grabbing what they can afford and putting the work in themselves.

Whether your goal is to create your dream home or flip your property for a profit, renovating a fixer-upper isn’t as easy as you might hope. Before you put in an offer on a house that needs some love, be sure to consider these important factors that could determine the success of your renovation project. 

Photo by LoboStudio Hamburg on Unsplash

Are You a Happy Camper?

When you first lay eyes on your fixer-upper, you may be blown away by its potential. Before you buy, it’s worth asking yourself how long you’d be prepared to live in this house without the planned renovations taking place. If you’re buying a property that needs help, you may not have the ready cash to mend and upgrade everything right away. If you’re planning to do the work in your spare time, you’re unlikely to rival a builder for speed, no matter how excellent your DIY skills are. Some projects will be more urgent than others. While you may be able to live with those outdated bathroom tiles, you might want to call the roofing company right away to deal with that leak above your bed. If you’re not prepared to rough-it indefinitely, it makes sense to have a clear work plan and budget laid out before you sign that dotted line. 

Your Skills

When you imagine saving loads of cash by picking up a fixer-upper on the cheap, remember that the labour required to do the work is going to cost you one way or another. If you have enviable DIY skills and experience, you may be able to get the bulk of the work done on your own, but remember: time is money. Is affixing skirting boards the best use of your time, or are you losing income by devoting hours to this project? Likewise, the cost of hiring professionals should be incorporated into your overall budget. If you buy a fixer-upper without factoring in labour costs, you may end up shelling out more than you would have to buy a house that has already been renovated to a high standard. 

Photo by Nikolay Draganov from Pexels

Location (Location, Location)

That old adage still holds true: while you stand to make a good profit on a fixer-upper in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, sinking money into a renovation project in the wrong location could be throwing good money after bad. You can renovate until you’re blue in the face—install crystal chandeliers and a basketball hoop—but you can’t move your house any closer to the school you’d like your child to attend, or any further from the noisy train station. It’s really easy to get swept up in enthusiasm when a house ticks most of your boxes except for the area it’s in. If you’re infatuated with a fixer-upper of your dreams in the wrong sort of place, go home and take a cold shower and tell yourself: no. Another gem in a perfect location will come along. 

Whether this is your first home or you’re buying to let, give some thought to these important considerations before you invest your money, time and DIY magic in a fixer-upper. 

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

SEX & LIFE

Making Sure Your Prime Is Your Prime

Making Sure Your Prime Is Your Prime

https://unsplash.com/photos/e3OUQGT9bWU

When you were a kid, you almost pictured how you’d look, behave, work, and feel when you were well into your life as a fully-functioning adult. When your mind wasn’t occupied with the latest fad, you thought about how everything would go. You got a more vivid idea of things during your adolescence because you began growing into it all. But now you’re well into your life as a competent and accomplished grown-up, and you’re now at the stage where you need to live the life that you pictured years ago. 

Obviously, a human being is only ever as old as he or she feels, but the prime of life really spans between twenty and forty years of age. Yes, you can pick specific ages if you’d like to be pedantic, but we’re going with some nice round numbers here. This space of time is when you’re at the peak of your physical, mental, and social powers, traditionally, so you’ve got to make the most of them, right? It would be a shame to see a wonderful human like yourself waste these years. If you want to really ensure that your prime really is your prime, then let’s look at things you should do. 

Eat Good

Inhaling all of the takeaway food and junk food is nice, but it should be something you do all of the time. If you want to be at the peak of your physical powers, you have got to feed your body with the good stuff. You learn about a balanced diet and all of the good foods when you’re little – now it’s time to put what you learned into practice! We’re not saying you should be an Olympic level athlete, but do yourself a favor and keep yourself in top shape.  

Exercise

Again, you don’t need to be an Olympian. Just doing a few bits of exercise that will get your heart rate up a few times a week should be good enough. Keeping active won’t only maintain your physical prowess, but it’ll also benefit you mentally. When you work out, your brain releases all kinds of happy chemicals that make you feel so much more confident and positive. Trust me, you’ll want that confidence and spirit at this age.  

Visit Doctor Regularly

This is something you should do, whether you’re at a prime age or not. A lot of people fear going to the doctor for a multitude of reasons. Maybe they’re just too shy. Perhaps they feel as though they’re burdening the doc. Maybe they just couldn’t be bothered. Don’t be like those people. If something’s up, you should get it checked. It could be something severe, or maybe you’ll just be prescribed some medication and told to buy some Listen Lively hearing aids. Whatever the outcome, you’ll be glad you went and got whatever problem you had sorted.  

Be As Sociable As You Can

Being around others, especially those you love, will also boost you – mentally and physically. People need to have that comradery for their own sanity, so make sure you spend a lot of time with your friends and family. Solitary confinement during your twenties and thirties would be a super sad existence.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

FOR THE GUYS, ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Do You Exercise Too Much?

Do You Exercise Too Much?

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. It has a vast range of benefits from helping you to maintain a healthy weight, to boosting your immunity and fighting off disease. Regular exercise can improve your mental health, increase your circulation, improve your social life and mood, and help you to sleep. Your skin might be brighter following exercise, your muscles will be stronger, and your overall fitness will be improved. Even better, there’s no right way of doing it. Some people enjoy running, others hate it and would prefer to do an hour in the gym. Some people struggle to make time to exercise and so focus on YouTube workouts or fitting more walking into their day to day life. But, however you choose to exercise, have you ever considered that you might be doing too much?

Many people have the opposite problem, they find it hard to make the time to exercise, and they have trouble staying motivated long term. But, not everyone. Some of us are going to the gym too often, pushing ourselves too hard. Exercising too much could damage your heart, your muscles, your mind, and even leave you with a frightening exercise addiction. Too much exercise can mean that after sustaining an injury and seeking help from a personal injury lawyer, you struggle to get back to normal and fully recover. 

Do You Exercise Every Day?

Exercising every day can seem like a great idea. You’ll burn more calories and see faster results, right? Well, maybe. It really depends on what you are doing. If you are hitting the gym and working out at an intense level, you should have a day off between workouts to give your muscles the chance to repair and strengthen. If you don’t want to take entire days off, use rest days to practice yoga or go for a long walk.

Do You Ache All of the Time?

It’s normal for your muscles to ache after a tough workout, it’s good even. But, you shouldn’t feel like this all of the time. If you constantly hurt, even following days off, then you might be pushing yourself too hard. 

Chronic pain isn’t the objective when working out. It’s a good idea to treat the muscles kindly after a workout. Take a steam or hot shower to relax those strained muscles. Also maybe you want to try a gentle massage or maybe even consider taking some cbd for pain relief, as this helps to calm the muscles. Relaxed muscles can heal quicker to where you will recover and be ready for the next workout day session sooner.

Have the Results Stopped Coming?

Have you reached the point where you are in the gym everyday but seeing no results? Has your progress plateaued? When this happens, it’s tempting to push harder, and add an extra workout. But, it’s often because your body has got used to the same routine. Instead of working out for longer, try something new. Change your routine, and you might find that you get better results even if you drop a workout or two. 

Are You Tired?

We all get tired sometimes, it usually just means that you are working hard and need a good night’s sleep. The tiredness that you get from exercising too much is a little different. If you feel like you are always tired like you can’t concentrate and even walking to the car is a considerable strain on your body, it’s time to cut down and give yourself a break. 

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

BEAUTY

The Top 5 Natural Skin Care Tips for Aspiring Models

The Top 5 Natural Skin Care Tips for Aspiring Models

As you enter the exciting and glamorous world of modeling, you will notice that clients and modeling or talent agents will always take a good look at your face first as you enter the room. Because of this, it is important to maintain flawless, glowing skin that will help you stand out from the competition and give you a higher chance of getting the job.

As such, regardless of your age, if you want to become a successful model, you need to take care of your skin. You must develop the right habits to maintain soft and healthy skin with a clear, glowing complexion.

Having healthy, flawless skin, however, does not mean spending a fortune on expensive beauty products. To have a beautiful face that stands out, follow these tried-and-tested natural skin care tips:

1.    Drink more water.

Ensuring that you are always properly hydrated is one of the simplest yet most effective techniques in maintaining a youthful, radiant, and beautiful complexion.

Drinking eight or up to 10 glasses of water every day will help improve the texture and complexion of your skin. It will also keep wrinkles at bay and prevent dryness since you will be fully hydrated inside and out.

To reach your required water intake throughout the day, always bring a large bottle of water with you. Consider adding cucumbers, a squeeze of lemon, or a sprig of mint to your water so that you will have a more refreshing, flavorful natural beverage that you will always want to drink.

2.    Break a sweat regularly.

Sweating daily by working out will give your body several benefits.

For one, breaking a sweat every day will help you shed pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Moreover, after healthy perspiration, you will feel a glow that is great for your skin. This is the result of more blood and nutrients flowing to the surface of your epidermis. This, in turn, stimulates and keeps your complexion young and radiant.

Additionally, whenever you sweat, you flush out toxins and open up pores, which are all excellent for your skin.

If you don’t feel like working out, head to a spa and book a sauna bath instead. It is an excellent way to sweat and relax at the same time, which is fantastic for rewarding yourself and practicing self-compassion.

3.    Reduce your sugar intake.

Studies show that sugar can cause breakouts. This unhealthy ingredient speeds up aging as well since it encourages the premature appearance of wrinkles and fine lines through the process called glycation.

Under glycation, the sugar you consumed will enter your bloodstream and form molecules that destroy collagen and elastin. This process will then cause your skin to lose elasticity and make it more prone to wrinkles and lines.

By avoiding sweets or reducing your intake, you can prevent the signs of premature aging on your skin. You will then maintain a youthful, lovely face — one that will easily impress anyone who sees you.

4.    Remove makeup properly before bedtime.

To maintain healthy, radiant skin, never go to bed with your makeup on. If you do, the harmful substances will clog your pores and prevent the skin from breathing. These two do nothing good for your skin.

If you want to be sure you have completely removed all the makeup from your face, double cleanse. This means using milk, foam, or gel cleanser with natural ingredients to remove the remaining bacteria, dirt, or debris in your pores.

By taking the time to thoroughly remove makeup from your face before sleeping, you will ensure you have great, healthy skin all the time.

5.    Exfoliate and moisturize naturally.

Finally, removing dead epidermis is essential to maintaining smooth, bright skin. To do this effectively at home, try dry brushing.

Use a natural bristle brush to remove the dry or dead epidermis. Afterward, take a shower and get rid of any excess dry skin by exfoliating with a homemade natural scrub such as green tea or sugar and salt body scrub.

After exfoliating, make sure you use a moisturizer. Again, use something natural such as avocado, coconut oil, shea butter, and aloe.

By doing these at least twice weekly, you will get soft, radiant skin. However, if you have sensitive skin, do this only once a week.

To get far in the competitive world of modeling, always take care of your two most valuable assets: your face and skin. You can do this by following the tips above.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

AUTHOR BIO

Adam Jacobs is the Managing Director of Bubblegum Casting, the longest running agency specialising in babies, children and teen talent in Australia. Bubblegum Casting works with some of Australia’s biggest brands, media properties, and agencies to secure talented children to work in Television, Film and Modelling roles.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

From Run-Down To Ravishing: How To Make Your Renovation Project A Success

From Run-Down To Ravishing: How To Make Your Renovation Project A Success

There are some incredible old properties on the market but sadly, some of them have seen better days, but this doesn’t mean that they no longer serve a purpose. A growing number of adventurous investors and creative buyers are looking for a project. When you’re buying a house, it’s not always pristine showhomes that catch your eye. With a renovation project, there’s potential to create the home of your dreams. If you’re hoping to turn a run-down wreck into a ravishing retreat, here are some tips:

Plan carefully

Renovation work is often time-consuming, and it requires careful planning. Before you buy a house, you’ll need to know how much the build will cost, how much value you could add, and whether it’s viable to do what you want to do. It’s wise to consult with planning officers, architects, and building firms. It’s not enough to have a vision and a rough budget in mind. You need proper plans in place to make sure that you’re making the right decision.

Investing in older properties can be incredibly lucrative, but it can also end up draining your resources. It’s essential that you select the right people for the job ahead. Prioritize the work from most important and most costly to least important. For example, you may want to hire a roofing contractor like National Home Improvement to look at the integrity of the roof before anything else, as this is a larger project than most. 

Don’t shirk on expert help

It may seem relatively straightforward to come up with design ideas, especially if you’re blessed with creative talents. However, there’s an awful lot of work that goes into rebuilding and restoring a house. You’ll need to make sure that your plans satisfy building regulations, and seek planning permission for any structural changes you want to make, or extensions you wish to add. Calling in expert help may be costly, but it could save you significant sums in the long-run. If you get it wrong, you’ll end up paying experienced professionals to sort out a mess, which could have been prevented in the first place. You can help out with the odd job on-site, but you need people with the relevant expertise on board. Roofing jobs, for example, may look simple enough. But there’s a lot of skill that goes into fixing loose tiles, fitting a polycarbonate sheet or tending to leaks. Other jobs you might want to call the professionals out for include clearing a blocked drain, other plumbing work and electrical jobs.

Some people sail through the process of restoring an old house without any major hiccups, but it’s always a good idea to make contingency plans. You may encounter problems that have implications for the timeframe and budget. If you’ve set aside some money, and you have somewhere to stay while work is underway, this will save you stress and hassle if you do hit 

Be original

If you’re renovating a house, seize the opportunity to inject your style and personality, and be original. It can be tough to see past the decor and style in a brand new home. But with a project, you have free reign to celebrate your taste and design your ideal home. Look online and flick through some magazines for inspiration and ideas.

If you’ve bought an old home in need of some TLC, there’s probably a lot of work to do. This is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. Plan ahead, work with experts, and always have contingency plans in place, just in case. Once you’ve got the major jobs sorted, start thinking about the interior, and be original with your ideas. This is your chance to create the home of your dreams!

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

Everyday Tips from Tia