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If you believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then your home should certainly have a well-designed space to eat in each morning. A stylish breakfast nook is the perfect spot to ease into the daily routine with a hearty meal, but it can also be great for casual dining throughout the rest of the day, from a quick lunch with friends to a laid-back family dinner. Here are a few tips for designing the ideal breakfast nook in your home.

Connected to the Kitchen
The breakfast nook should feel as if its practically part of the cooking space. Rather than having to go back and forth between the kitchen and a separate dining area, everything is simplified and integrated so you can easily prepare your meal and sit down to enjoy. If youre cooking breakfast for the kids, this connectivity makes it easy for the family to catch up in the morning before everyone rushes out the door for their busy days.

Built-In Seating
Although its not essential, breakfast nooks are often designed with built-in seating that contributes to the informal ambience. Its really more about style than functionality, but theres just something casual and inviting about an L-shaped bench with cushions that wraps around the table.

Maximize Natural Light
Nothing energizes us at the start of the day like the morning light, which is why you should try to put your breakfast nook near plenty of windows if possible. This allows you to soak up the sunshine and feel connected to nature each morning. If you have an outdoor terrace or patio near the kitchen, you may even want to consider designing a separate outdoor breakfast area to enjoy during the warmer months.

Keep it Cozy
Unlike a grand dining room, the breakfast nook should feel cozy and intimate. Its important to keep a sense of scale in mind when designing one in your home to ensure the space feels suitable for relaxed dining. Furnishing it with comfortable seating and an uplifting color scheme will create the perfect vibe for when the family sits down together.

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Its easy to ignore your plumbing when taking care of other household responsibilities. Here are some easy tips every homeowner should know to help make sure your plumbing continues to work reliably throughout the coming months:

Water Heaters
First, make sure the temperature setting on your water heater is correct”most experts recommend it stay no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only will this reduce the amount of energy the appliance uses, but it will also reduce the chances that scalding will occur.

One of the biggest enemies of a water heater is corrosion, which will make the unit inefficient and reduce its lifespan. Drain a few gallons from the tank to flush out the sediment that leads to corrosion.

If your unit is 15 years or older, consider having it replaced. A newer model will be much more efficient, helping you save money on your energy bill each month.

Other Appliances
Take a close look at the supply hoses that run to your icemaker, washing machine and dishwasher. If you see any signs of leaks or bulges, have the hoses replaced as soon as you can. This is especially important if theyre more than 10 years old. Make sure to use stainless steel replacement hoses, because they are more durable and will pose less of a risk of bursting.

If you have a home with a basement, you more than likely have a sump pump installed. Check the pump so that you know itll be ready to do its job if flooding should occur. Pour a few buckets of water into the sump pit to make sure the pump will activate. It should turn on automatically, discharge the water and then shut off. Consider installing a flood alarm if you havent already, not only in the basement, but in your bathrooms as well.

Bathrooms
Speaking of the bathroom, look at your toilet and check for leaks. You can easily spot an issue by adding some food coloring to the tank. If you see the water in your bowl changing color after about 20 or 30 minutes, that means there is a problem with one of the components in the tank. Most people can replace these components on their own, but call a plumber if youre not comfortable trying to perform this type of job.

Outside the Home
Dont ignore areas surrounding your home while making your plumbing checks. For instance, make sure your gutters, downspouts and yard drains are all clean and clear of debris, such as leaves, sticks and grass clippings. Look at all your vent pipes and make sure there are no bird nests. Also, check all your outdoor faucets, as well as your hose bibs, to confirm water can freely flow through them. If you have a leak in an outdoor faucet, or you notice any sort of leaking inside the home when you turn that faucet on, that could be a sign that a winter freeze cracked the pipe and itll need to be replaced by a professional.

Source: Spartan Plumbing

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Is your kitchen in need of a face-lift? If theres not enough money in the budget to remodel your kitchen, Lowes home designers suggest you browse the aisles of your local home improvement store for ideas and give the room a whole new look with a few cheap and easy makeover options.

Paint the walls. Paint covers a multitude of sins and freshens up even the dullest kitchen. If you make only one change to your kitchen, paint it”and opt for a color different from the old one.

Transform the cabinets. Use a brush or roller to paint wooden cabinets, or if youre a bit braver, apply new wood or vinyl veneers to change the look of laminated cabinets.

Switch out the hardware. Shiny new cabinet and drawer pulls can make a huge difference, and there are hundreds of styles to choose from.

Replace appliance hardware. Spiff up your old stove and oven with new knobs. You can also change out those pans under your stoves burners for a cleaner look overall.

Get a shiny new sink. Choices include stainless steel, enamel-coated cast iron and composites, as well as single bowl or double bowl, top-mount or under-mount models.

Change the faucet. For a fun and inexpensive modification, get a new fixture. A spray attachment can come in handy, as can a faucet with a built-in soap dispenser.

Alter the lighting. A blend of overhead, natural and under-cabinet lighting can make the kitchen glow. Youll finally be able to see what youre cooking. You might also want to add a dimmer switch to your new lighting for times when you want the room a little mellower.

Add some simple new decor. To give your kitchen a new look”say, farmhouse, rustic or modern”buy some framed prints to hang on the walls, and add small design touches such as glass canisters, a cookie jar you love, and a vase or pitcher of flowers. Complete the look and color scheme with new kitchen towels and potholders.

By making some or all of these simple updates, you can revamp your kitchen for cheap!

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When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will take a close look at your financial situation. In some cases, it might make sense to pay off existing debt before applying for a mortgage, but in other instances, it might be better to focus your attention on the down payment.

What a Lender Will Look at
A lender wants to be confident that youll be able to handle any existing debt, plus a mortgage, and that youll manage your finances responsibly. Paying bills on time and keeping your credit utilization ratio relatively low can help you maintain a strong credit score.

The lender will also consider your debt-to-income ratio, which is calculated by adding the minimum monthly payments due for all debts, such as credit cards and auto and student loans, and comparing that figure to your monthly gross income. If you plan to apply for a mortgage with a co-borrower, the lender will consider both your gross incomes and your total monthly debt payments.

How Debt Could Affect Your Ability to Get a Mortgage
Lenders set limits on total debt, including a mortgage. If you have a mountain of debt now, there wouldnt be much room left in your budget to cover a mortgage payment, taxes, homeowners insurance and private mortgage insurance (PMI), if applicable. That means you might not qualify for a large enough mortgage to buy the house you want.

What Should You Do?
Since a lender will look at your monthly minimum debt payments to decide how much to loan you for a mortgage, reducing your monthly payments might help you get a bigger loan. You could do that by paying off some or all of your debt, or by consolidating or transferring credit card balances.

On the other hand, if you put down at least 20 percent of the purchase price, you wouldnt have to pay for PMI. That could save you hundreds of dollars per month. A large down payment could also help you get a mortgage with a low interest rate.

If you have a substantial amount of money that you can put toward a down payment or paying down debt, take the interest rates on your current debts into account. If your existing obligations have relatively low interest rates, you might be better off putting down as much as you can to avoid a high mortgage interest rate and PMI. If you have high-interest credit cards, youd likely be better off paying off those debts since a mortgage would have a lower interest rate.

Crunch the Numbers
When deciding whether to pay off existing debt before buying a house, consider your current debt balances, minimum payments and interest rates, as well as your debt-to-income ratio, credit score and the approximate price of a house you want to buy. An online calculator can help you estimate how much of a mortgage you could qualify for with different debt levels and down payment amounts.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre in the market for buying your first home, chances are you have some money saved but you might be worrying a bit about having enough for the down payment. This is especially true for millennials just a few years into the workforce who probably are just learning why their parents always told them to save some of their paycheck each week.

Sure, the prospect of saving enough might be difficult to digest when youre eager to get house hunting, which is why sometimes it makes sense to explore some other means to get the money.

Below are some helpful hints to find the down payment you need.

Family:
Deep down you might be too proud to ask your parents for a handout, but thats probably the easiest way for you to get the money you need. And many parents probably had a similar experience when they were first starting out and looking for money. Arrange a loan with interest (if your parents insist!) and be prepared to invite them over for next years Thanksgiving.

Keep in mind that if a family member provides the money, a lender will ask them to sign a form called a gift letter, attesting to the relationship. The lender may also require mom and dad to explain where they got the money and prove that they are financially able to make such a gift.

401k or IRA:
Chances are, you might have the money you need already, only its tied up in your companys retirement plan. If you have a 401k or an IRA, first-time homebuyers are able to borrow as much as $10,000 for a down payment on a house without incurring a penalty. And if youre self-employed, you can actually take out as much as $50,000 from your SEP retirement fund as long as you pay yourself back over five years at a low interest rate.

Wedding Gifts:
Many millennials looking for their first home are often newly married or planning a wedding in the near future. If this is the case, you can make donating to your down payment as part of your wedding registry. Numerous mortgage companies allow brides and grooms to set up a down payment registry and many guests will think its a great way to celebrate the joining of two people they love. Besides, who uses a toaster anymore anyway?

Grants:
Do some research and look for down payment assistance and community redevelopment programs, which offer affordable housing opportunities to first-time homebuyers, low-income and moderate-income individuals and families who wish to achieve homeownership.

If you find that none of the above will work for your circumstances, theres always the old fashioned saving for a rainy day. Try putting aside 10 percent of your paycheck each week and make your lunch instead of going out. Forget that vacation and walk or ride your bike instead of using the car. It may seem like a lot, but the sacrifice will be well worth it when you are in your very own home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.