Author: Marlowe Clark

When you start looking for a new home, some of the things that might jump out to you immediately are first impressions from the outside and the numerical square footage value. But these don’t tell you anything about what living in the home is like. For that, you’ll need to look at the rooms individually to see if they suit your needs.

The most important rooms are the rooms you’ll spend the most time in. For most people, these will include the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. It might include other rooms depending on your lifestyle, such as the living room if you plan to frequently host guests, or a home office if you work from home. The home you’re looking at might have a large dining area, but if you live alone and don’t frequently host, that could be taking space away that would be better used elsewhere. It’s possible you could convert rooms, but that may potentially make for an awkward floorplan. Space is limited, even if the square footage is high. Make sure the space is in the right places. Also, kitchens and bathrooms are some of the most expensive remodels. It might not be worth buying a home that needs all new bathrooms but otherwise looks fine.

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One cost that many new homebuyers forget to factor into their budget is moving costs. It may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the purchase price of a house, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Between packaging, transportation, and potentially needing to take unpaid time off work, the expenses can add up. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce those costs.

Individually, boxes aren’t very expensive. However, when you’re moving everything in your house, you may need dozens of them. Try to pack up everything you won’t be using anytime soon in advance, to have a better gauge of how many boxes you’ll need. This also gives you time to look for used boxes — most people don’t need their boxes anymore after moving and end up recycling them, but some will put them up on places such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. In addition, even new, buying them in bulk is generally cheaper per unit. Another tip is that grocery stores and retailers often don’t have a use for the boxes their products ship in, and may even be willing to give them up for free.

Some moving companies will offer packing services, but this can ramp up the labor costs. And if you’re packing ahead of time, you’ll need to have your own packing materials. Luckily, you probably already have packing materials and don’t know it. Packing peanuts aren’t actually any more effective than soft clothing, towels, or blankets. Using them as packaging material instead of packing them separately also means you’ll be using fewer boxes. For fragile objects, wrap them in newspaper –if you still subscribe to any print newspapers, despite many newspapers now being online-only.

The biggest cost is often transportation. Renting a moving truck is expensive by itself, and you will also likely need to pay the labor costs for bringing your boxes into and out of the truck, as well as gas costs. Ask friends or family members if you can borrow their truck. You should probably still offer to pay for gas and food, but it would still be a small fraction of the cost.

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One of the big concerns parents have when moving is whether their children will be able to make new friends. For children, though, making friends typically comes naturally as they meet classmates or neighbors their age, whether they have anything in common or not. There’s often a bigger struggle for adults, as routines and commitments can get in the way, and adults usually aren’t exposed to as many people every day. So when you find yourself in a new place, it can be difficult to make new friends with the alacrity one could as a child. Adults have to make a conscious effort to find new friends. Here are some tips to help make that happen.

Find interest-based meetups. Whatever your hobbies or interests, if you live in a city, you can bet that there’ll be a public meetup group where like-minded folk can mingle. Whether it’s birdwatching, fantasy movies or trainspotting, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find others following the same pursuits.

Volunteer for causes you’re passionate about. If you believe strongly in a cause, volunteering in that field will bring you into contact with others who share your passion. Working as a team to evoke change in any environment will bring you into contact with people you share common ground with.

Use your current friend network. If you already get on well with someone, it’s pretty likely that you’ll get along with other people in their circle. Ask a friend for recommendations for new people you can hang out with. Be specific: for example, ask if they know anyone you could play tennis with.

Join classes. If dancing is your thing, find a local dance class. If you’re a fitness fanatic, join a spin class. If you feel your culinary skills are rusty, find a cookery class. Think about things you’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance to; most adult classes will usually have some kind of social element.

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If one of your priorities when looking for a home is a backyard or other outdoor space, you’re probably taking the size of the outdoor space into consideration when making decisions. However, you shouldn’t necessarily discount smaller outdoor spaces. It’s possible that a smaller space is perfectly suitable to your needs. First think about what you intend to use the space for — a small backyard may not work for large gatherings, but can be effective for personal relaxation.

If you know you have sufficient space but are worried about the space looking and feeling small, there are plenty of ways to fix that. Ambient lighting can make any space feel larger or more inviting than it is. Or sometimes the outdoor space feels smaller because it lacks certain features that you’d expect, such as a deck or patio, but perhaps there’s room to add one. You could also potentially connect a backyard and side yard into one, larger L-shaped yard. Another method to fool your senses is to use smaller or foldable furniture, which offers cozy places to sit without crowding the space.

Maximizing the available space isn’t just about perceptions, though. It also requires planning out the best way to use the space. Flower beds and lawns tend to take up a lot of the backyard, so consider different types of landscaping. Landscaping that fits in smaller spaces is also typically easier to maintain. You should also think vertically. No matter the size of your yard, it can be expanded upward. Hanging planters and trellises don’t take up much space on the ground. You can also add shelves and place plants in rows and columns. Vertical gardening is also multifunctional — raised garden beds can be benches; shelves can also be bookcases; trellises can be attached to a privacy fence; plants can hang from light fixtures.

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If you’ve just moved into a new home, you might be considering a housewarming party. But you may not know what that looks like. Luckily, there are many different kinds of housewarming parties, and there’s bound to be an idea that an appeals to you. Here are just a few suggestions — but don’t feel limited to these, if you have ideas of your own.

If your new home has a great outdoor entertainment area, you may want to show it off, assuming weather permits. You could have a relaxed picnic in your backyard, or you could end the night by toasting marshmallows over a bonfire.

For those of you who just want to drink and be merry, there are a couple different options. You could set up a cocktail bar in your own home or ask guests to bring their favorites. If you want the focus to be on your new neighborhood, you could instead check out local beverages and host a drink tasting.

Maybe fun and games is more your vibe. Board game nights are a popular family tradition, and it doesn’t hurt to get new neighbors in on the action — they may even become regulars at your table. You could also turn exploring your new home into a competition. Organize a treasure hunt and give prizes to the winners.

Are you the artsy type? Maybe your neighbors are too. DIY arts and crafts are a good way for people to get to know each other without feeling like they need to socialize. Gifting your neighbors cookies is common, whether you’re the new neighbor or the old one — but why not make it more personal? Invite your neighbors over to decorate cookies, then share them with each other.

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Moving to a completely new area is exciting, but the early days can also feel isolating. Finding your community is the key to feeling at home, and luckily, there are plenty of ways to do just that. Here’s how to start making connections in your new neighborhood.

Simple as it may sound, one of the best ways is to just get out there. Get to know your physical surroundings. You don’t even need a plan — take a walk or bike ride with no specific destination, and you’ll soon come across the local coffee spots, parks and community centers where people hang out. If you feel like you need a friend to help you along the way, introduce yourself to your neighbors. Most people appreciate a friendly new face. This is even something you could do before buying a new place, to make sure the community is right for you.

You could also go with a more structured route. Look for clubs, sports leagues or hobby groups that match your interests. If there are none to your usual taste, endeavor to try something new. Whether it’s a book club, yoga class or local volunteer group, shared activities help forge friendships faster. Perhaps there isn’t a regular group that appeals to you, but many towns host local festivals, farmers’ markets and outdoor concerts. While these won’t occur as often, these types of gatherings can still offer a relaxed way to meet your neighbors and learn a bit more about local life. Keep an eye on social media or your town’s local website or forums for upcoming events.

Speaking of social media, it’s also a perfectly acceptable method of finding local people, not only events. Online social media platforms such as Nextdoor, Meetup or local Facebook groups can connect you with people nearby. Many communities have online groups for newcomers, making it easy to ask for recommendations and join in on local happenings.

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LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” and is a certification system originally developed by the U.S. Green Building Council but now used worldwide to promote energy-efficient, eco-friendly construction. The LEED standards prioritize energy and water efficiency, improved indoor air quality and sustainable building materials, and reduced carbon emissions.

Buildings can be awarded a rating of either “certified,” “silver certified,” “gold certified” or “platinum certified.” Points are earned by incorporating sustainable features such as proper insulation, high-efficiency appliances, nontoxic materials and water-saving fixtures. You can earn points whether you’re building from the ground up or making renovations, so you should continue to pay attention to LEED guidelines even if you aren’t building new to potentially achieve an official certification.

Beyond being a smart choice for the planet, a LEED-certified home offers long-term financial benefits. The lower energy and water consumption of a certified home leads to reduced utility bills, and homes with LEED certification also tend to have higher resale value. As buyers become increasingly eco-conscious, these kinds of sustainable living spaces are more in demand than ever.

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Back in 2022, California suffered a series of wildfires. The response from the government was to require proof from homeowners that the structure met current fire safety guidelines, including a five-foot ‘defensible space’ surrounding the structure where no combustible materials should be present. Unfortunately, the recent fires in California have proven that simply requiring proof of meeting existing guidelines wasn’t enough. Our fire safety needs to improve, and with that come seven new methods of fire hardening. While these aren’t legally mandated, they are certainly recommended and your homeowner insurance may start to require them.

Three of the new recommendations focus on the defensible space. In addition to avoiding placing or building using combustible materials within a five-foot defensible space, such materials or vegetation also should not be placed underneath decks. The defensible space should also be extended vertically as well as horizontally, to six inches underneath the exterior surface of the building. Additional buildings should not be constructed using combustible materials within 30 feet of the main structure, if the lot is large enough to build them farther away. The remaining four recommendations are specific materials or upgrades: a Class-A Fire Rated Roof, enclosed eaves, fire-resistant vents, and multi-pane windows.

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Though much of California doesn’t experience temperatures below freezing, winter is noticeably cooler than the rest of the year even in the most temperate areas of the state. So regardless of where you live, you may want to conserve heat in the cooler months. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by turning on the heater, but it’s most certainly not the most energy efficient way. It’s also easy to combine multiple methods.

There are a couple of cheap and relatively easy options. One is to reseal your doors and windows. Over time, the caulk and weatherstripping around doors and windows may begin to degrade. This may seem like a minor issue, but even small cracks or holes can result in heat loss. Make sure to replace damaged weatherstripping or recaulk. The other is to purchase thermal curtains. Thermal curtains are not particularly expensive, and are effective at trapping heat inside. This is especially the case if you don’t have dual-pane windows.

Some options cost nothing at all. An option that many people never think of is to change the direction of ceiling fans. Many people with ceiling fans are aware that they can go both directions, but most don’t realize that a low-speed clockwise rotation will push warm air down from the ceiling to which it has naturally risen. Closing the doors in rooms that aren’t in use also helps, by reducing the space in which warm air is distributed. However, this is more effective if you are already using a heating system. The last option is passive solar heating. This refers to opening curtains during the day, when the sun is shining into the home and raising the ambient temperature, and closing them at night to trap the heat inside. Thermal curtains can certainly help with this, but any curtains will do.

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