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Like any appliance in your home, your water heater is an investment that needs to be correctly maintained. A well-maintained water heater can keep your utility costs down, eliminate the risk of damage from leaks and will keep you and your family in hot water”in a good way. Thankfully, you dont have to keep guessing when it comes to maintaining your water heater. These tips will ensure that your water heater will last for years to come.

Choose the Right Option for Your Home
With so many options on the market, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and assume that every water heater is the same. However, ensuring that your investment lasts starts with making sure you have the right type of water heater for your household. Do your research to find out if a conventional, hybrid or tankless water heater would fit your needs best. Make sure you explore your options within those categories. Since each option has its pros and cons depending on your climate, water usage and the area your water heater will be located, it can be worth it to consult an expert. Dont be afraid to seek the advice of a plumber who can consult about the best option before installing.

Keep the Surrounding Area Clear
Whether your water heater is located in a closet or in your basement or garage, it can be tempting to let clutter creep around the space. This is a mistake that can damage your water heater and your beloved box of Christmas ornaments in the process. Your water heater works hard. Gas-fired units need oxygen to burn the gas and hybrid water heaters use the heat in the air to heat water. This means they require 1,000 cubic feet of space to ensure enough ambient air is available for efficient operation. Aside from the risks to your water heater, storing items too close can be a fire hazard and a leak can mean water damage for any surrounding belongings.

Schedule an Annual Inspection
Annual inspections can be easy to push to the back burner, but they shouldnt be neglected. Inspect your water heater yearly and be sure you know the signs that indicate your water heater is about to fail. Additionally, be sure to flush the water heater at least every two years to control mineral build-ups that can cause damage or prevent efficiency. If your water heater is older, plan to schedule either a repair or a replacement, if necessary.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Many people dream of owning a house with walk-in closets. If youre tired of having to cram all your clothes into a small closet or fighting for space with your spouse, walk-in closets might seem like the ideal solution, but they can have downsides.

Organization
If you own a lot of clothing and accessories and you currently have a small or average-sized closet, clothes that are hanging might be pushed so close together that they get wrinkled. If you have a lot of hats or purses, it can be hard to find a way to store them that doesnt leave them vulnerable to damage. Stacks of shoe boxes can make it difficult to find the pair you want.

A walk-in closet can make it easy to spread out belongings and arrange clothing and accessories by type of item, color or season. Walk-in closets typically have shelves to organize shoes, hats, handbags and boxes. That can help you find what you want and reach it without having to move other items.

If youre not good at getting and staying organized, however, a walk-in closet could be a recipe for disaster. You might have trouble finding things and be late when you need to go somewhere. You might not even wear some of your clothes if they got lost somewhere in the walk-in closet and you forgot that you owned them.

Privacy and Security
A walk-in closet can serve as a private dressing room. You can put mirrors and lighting in there to see how you look in different outfits before deciding which to wear. The privacy of a walk-in closet may be important to you if you have kids who sometimes enter your bedroom without knocking.

A walk-in closet can be used to store more than clothing and accessories. It might even have enough space to put a safe where you can keep valuables.

Temptation to Acquire More
A potential downside of a walk-in closet is that having all that space might tempt you to buy more clothes, shoes and accessories, and you could wind up with another overflowing closet. Before you buy a house with walk-in closets, ask yourself if you would use it as an excuse to spend money on things you didnt need.

Space
Square footage devoted to a walk-in closet is space that cannot be used for rest and relaxation. Buying a house with walk-in closets might not be a good idea if the rest of the bedroom is too small to suit your needs.

Resale Value
Even if you think that the house you buy will be your permanent home, circumstances may change. Keep resale value in mind when you go house-hunting. Many people who are searching for a new home have walk-in closets on their list of priorities, but large closets could be a downside if the bedroom didnt have enough living space.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Take these essential steps to stage a luxurious bathroom…

Fresh Towels & Mats

Keep an assortment of neatly folded towels on display, along with a clean bath mat.

Aromatic Appeal

Candles or essential oils will be sure to greet buyers with a pleasant fragrance. Choose something fresh, like eucalyptus or lavender.

Update the Fixtures

Making a few updates goes a long way. If the hardware feels dated, it might be time for a stylish new faucet or heavenly rain shower to impress buyers.

Depersonalize

Put away all of the personal items, like grooming items, makeup, and brushes. Instead, create a curated selection of brand new items that havent been used.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you want to have a private space for an elderly family member, a place for guests to stay or an additional source of income, an in-law apartment might be the solution. It could give you flexibility and possibly a way to earn some extra money, but it could also create challenges.

What is an In-Law Apartment?
An in-law apartment is a private space that usually serves as a home for an elderly individual or couple. It can be an area within a house, a converted garage or a separate building on the same property as the main house. It may be a full apartment or may simply consist of a bedroom and bathroom.

Possible Benefits of an In-Law Apartment
If you have an elderly relative who needs help with household tasks, or if you dont feel comfortable having them live alone because of safety concerns, an in-law apartment could allow your loved one to live close to the rest of the family. You and other relatives could provide assistance as necessary and you all could still have some privacy. Many families consider that a better option than having an elderly relative move into a nursing home.

If you have young kids and you work full-time, your parents could help take care of them. That could allow grandparents and grandchildren to bond and could help you avoid the high cost of childcare. If you wanted to hire a live-in nanny, a separate apartment could provide privacy, but the caregiver would still be nearby to help when needed.

If you have a child who is in college, an in-law apartment could give him or her a private space to stay during breaks. At other times, it could be a place to house guests. Having a separate space for adult children or guests to stay could make things less stressful for everyone, especially during extended visits.

You could find a tenant and rent out an in-law apartment. That could be a way to generate a consistent stream of extra income to help your family manage bills.

Building an in-law apartment could raise your property value. It might help you attract a buyer if you decided to sell your home in the future.

Potential Problems
Think about how an in-law apartment could affect your family dynamics. Being so close might seem ideal in theory, but it could be irritating or could lead to frequent conflicts if relatives had different expectations about privacy and boundaries.

Before you decide to rent out an in-law apartment, ask yourself if you would be up to the challenge of being a landlord. Screening potential tenants, collecting rent, handling maintenance and repairs, and resolving disputes could be difficult.

Seek Help From a Qualified Professional
If you decide to create an in-law apartment, find a local contractor who has experience with those types of renovations. Adhere to local zoning laws and obtain all necessary permits so you wont have to halt work or pay a fine.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Your home should be a place where you can relax and unwind, but noise coming from outside and inside the house can make it difficult to get peace and quiet when you need it most. Here are some tips to reduce the level of noise in your home.

How Sound Travels
Sound is produced when an object vibrates. Sound waves can travel by bouncing off hard, flat, uniform surfaces. Blocking outdoor noise, reducing the number of hard surfaces in your house and increasing the number of soft surfaces can make your home more peaceful.

How to Block Outdoor Noise
If noise from cars, people and dogs outside your home is a problem, inspect your windows and doors. If there are gaps around them, you can seal them with caulk and weather stripping to keep noise out.

You can use drapes, curtains or blinds to cut down on noise. They can also keep your home cooler in the summer, lower your utility bills and give you additional privacy. Another option is to install soundproof window inserts.

Building materials with a lot of mass can block outside noise. If you are planning to renovate your home, installing thick walls with plenty of insulation, as well as thick windows and doors, can block outside noise.

How to Reduce the Spread of Noise Within Your House
Soft materials such as carpet, rugs and furniture can absorb sound. If you have wood or tile floors, you can reduce the noise level by installing carpet or by using rugs in high-traffic areas. That can be particularly helpful if footsteps upstairs bother people who are trying to relax below. A large couch and chairs can provide insulation and reduce interior noise levels.

Wall coverings can provide insulation and spruce up your homes dcor. If a member of your family likes to play loud music, installing acoustic tiles and foam in that persons room can absorb the sound so it wont be heard throughout the house.

If your home has an open floor plan, the lack of dividing walls can allow sound to travel throughout the house. Using furniture, bookcases and tall plants to separate the space can deflect noise and limit its ability to spread.

If the floors squeak, there may be gaps between the layers of flooring, or the subfloor may not be level. You can hire a contractor to inspect and repair squeaky floors.

If your appliances are a source of annoying background noise, you may be able to get some peace and quiet by installing new, more energy-efficient ones. They will be quieter and will also help you protect the environment and lower your utility bills.

Make Your Home More Peaceful
If unwanted noise is a problem, you may be able to block or absorb it by making some simple changes. If you plan to remodel your home, structural changes can provide permanent solutions.

Published with permission from RISMedia.