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Owning a historic home provides old-world charm, but it can also pose challenges.

Historic homes often need more maintenance, and outdated technology, such as heating units, could mean higher bills.

If decorative fixtures need repair or replacement, the materials may be costly or no longer available.

Painting the exterior and other renovations could require approval from officials.

If the home is on the National Register of Historic Places, the insurance premium will likely be high.

Nonetheless, these extra costs and potential hassles might be a small price to pay for owning a piece of history.

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Cooking and eating outside, especially when the weather is just right, is the perfect way to connect with your own backyard. Whether you have a deck, patio or a simple grassy yard, you can design your own outdoor kitchen to make the outdoor dining experience that much more enjoyable. Plus, creating this exterior space can be a feature many homebuyers look for. Heres how to design a stylish and functional outdoor kitchen.

Built-In Grill, Stovetop and Bar
Since you cant just carry your kitchen stove outside for a day, a built-in kitchen is the perfect solution when designing this space. Prefab outdoor kitchen kits are a simple and easy way to bring the inside out while saving money on a custom space. Many of these kits include a grill, stovetop, counter space, mini fridge and sometimes even an oven, and are usually installed by professionals. If you are looking to create a more customized kitchen, be sure to include all the essentials, including a bar area where you can sit and enjoy your freshly cooked food.

Designated Seating Areas
When designing your outdoor kitchen, its easy to get lost in the appliances. But you dont want to forget about seating. Of course, you should include a table with enough seats for your whole family. If you added a bar to your kitchen, include bar stools or chairs for a separate area where the adults can enjoy a good cocktail or glass of wine. If you have the space, adding a sofa or larger cushioned seats can add a cozy spot to enjoy appetizers, drinks or even lounge around the fire.

Storage for Supplies
Dont forget to add storage, like cabinets and drawers, for all of your essential kitchen supplies. This will limit the trips you need to make inside for plates, cups, napkins, silverware and other essential cooking utensils to make and serve a meal. Wherever you choose to place your bar, whether built-in or rollaway cart, be sure there is space to store your cocktail ingredients and glassware. Keep everything in reach of where it is most needed, such as plates and cooking utensils near the grill and stove top.

Add Some Shade
If you plan to dine outside on a sunny day, you may want to add some shade. Whether you use a simple umbrella for coverage or build and awning or pergola for shade, its important to protect you and your family from harmful UV rays. In addition to adding shade to your outdoor dining space, having a covering above can allow you to enjoy the outdoors on a rainy day. A covering can also help your appliances and seating last longer and keep you cool on hotter days.

Personalize to Your Home Style
Of course, all of the pieces you choose should be weather-resistant and durable. But the space should also compliment the style of your home as well as your personal style. Choose from wood, stone and metal options and accent with tiles and different paint colors for a cohesive and stylish look. Add accents, like patterned pillows on chairs and colorful potted plants on countertops to add in a touch of your own personal aesthetic.

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Paying off your mortgage early could lead to a sense of financial freedom, but its not the right move for everyone. Consider your complete financial picture and check your lenders policies before deciding whether to prepay your mortgage.

Reasons to Make Extra Loan Payments
Prepaying your mortgage would reduce the total amount you would spend on interest. The amount you pay in interest each month is based on the outstanding principal. Reducing the principal would lower your interest charges and could save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

Paying more than required could help you pay off your mortgage sooner. If you have a specific goal in mind”such as paying off your home before you retire or before your children start attending college”making extra mortgage payments now could mean greater financial security and flexibility later.

Equity is the difference between a houses current value and the amount owed on the mortgage. Prepaying your mortgage could help you build equity faster. If necessary, you could access that money through a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. Getting your equity up to 20 percent could also allow you to eliminate private mortgage insurance and save money each month.

Reducing your mortgage balance could improve your credit score, which is based, in large, on your total debt-to-income ratio. If you applied for a credit card, car loan or personal loan, a good credit score could help you get a low interest rate.

When Prepaying Your Mortgage Might Not Be the Best Move
If you started saving for retirement or for your childrens college education late, it might make more sense to put extra money toward those goals than to make extra mortgage payments. Money that you invested in stocks, bonds or mutual funds could substantially increase in value and help you meet your more immediate financial goals.

If you have high-interest debt, such as credit card balances, you would probably be better off focusing on those than prepaying your mortgage. Interest rates on credit cards are typically much higher than interest rates for mortgages. Eliminating your credit card debt as quickly as possible would likely save you a lot more in the long run than you would save by making extra mortgage payments.

If you dont have an emergency fund with enough money to cover at least 3 – 6 months worth of expenses, focus on that first. If you lost your job or couldnt work for medical reasons, it would be easier to withdraw money from a savings account than to borrow against your home equity.

Communicate with Your Lender
Some mortgage lenders charge a prepayment penalty. Before you make extra loan payments, contact your lender to find out if you would be charged a penalty. If you decide to make extra payments, clearly inform the lender that you want the extra funds to be applied to the principal, not to interest or escrow.

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When decorating your home, think about the type of mood you want to create for family members and guests. Colors have profound psychological effects and most people tend to respond to them in similar ways, although different shades may evoke different emotional responses. In general, lighter colors can make a room feel brighter and larger, while darker colors are warm and make a room feel more intimate.

Colors and the Feelings They Produce
Blue evokes feelings of security, stability and order. Warm shades of blue can be soothing and can make people feel comfortable, but darker shades can elicit feelings of sadness.

Green is a refreshing color that has a calming effect, which makes it a good choice for an area where people socialize, such as a living room or family room. Green also pairs well with many other colors, giving you a wide range of design options.

Red is visually and mentally stimulating. Its a good color for main living areas where you want to encourage people to socialize, but it may be hard to sleep in a red bedroom.

Orange is a vibrant and energetic color that evokes feelings of happiness. It can be an excellent choice for areas where people gather to socialize, but the energy associated with orange may not make it the right color for a bedroom.

Yellow is a cheerful color that can make a room look inviting. People may associate yellow with spring or fall, depending on the shade. Although yellow can make a room feel welcoming, it can elicit negative emotions when used in large amounts.

Brown can make a living room, dining room or bedroom feel cozy. Since brown is a mixture of all three primary colors, it works well with nearly any other color.

Beige can produce a calming effect. It can be used as a primary color, or as an accent color in furnishings, and can be paired with a variety of other colors.

White can make a room feel fresh, light and clean. Since its a neutral color, white can be combined with nearly any other color to produce a desired emotional effect.

Other Design Tips
Dont try to incorporate too many colors into a single rooms design. That could make it feel cluttered and emotionally overwhelming.

Your color options for flooring and furniture will be more limited than your options for paint colors. If you choose the furniture and flooring first, that will make it easier to select a paint color.

Dont forget about the ceiling. If the ceiling is a lighter color than the walls, the ceiling will seem higher. If the ceiling is darker than the walls, the ceiling will seem lower and the room will feel cozier.

Look at home decorating magazines, websites and blogs for ideas and pay attention when you visit the homes of family members and friends. You never know when you might see something that inspires you.

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