Uncategorized

As hard as we try, it often seems like there’s never enough space for everything we want to do. However, if you’re a homeowner who finally won the war on clutter, you might be wondering what to do with a now-empty garage.

Here are five great ideas for what you can do to transform your garage:

Home Gym
If you want to work out but hate schlepping to the gym, turn your empty garage into a versatile home gym. Depending on which types of exercise you prefer, you can look online for inexpensive pieces of equipment. You can check out local yard sales or go online to find gently used equipment. You can also invest in mats, free weights and whatever else motivates you to work out.

Playroom
As your family continues to grow, you might find yourself with less wiggle room. If your garage is suitable, you can transform it into a kids’ sanctuary where they can play in the sand, have painting stations and even play on a few low-sitting swings. The key is to make the space as child-friendly as possible, so that means upgrading your garage door opener, if necessary. It’s important if you do use your garage as a playroom that your little ones aren’t able to open the garage door. In addition, don’t forget to pad the floor with high-quality padding and carpeting for your little ones to play on.

Spare Bedroom
If you love to entertain but simply don’t have the room for overnight guests, you can transform your garage into a spare room. But before you start decorating, you need to make sure the space is insulated to keep guests warm. You also want to make sure it remains pest-free. Depending on the space, you might need only a coat of paint and a comfy bed to make your guests feel at home, or you may also need to invest in carpeting.

Office Space
You can use your garage to create the home office of your dreams. Even if it’s only in a corner of the garage, you can liven things up with a fresh coat of paint and new office furniture. Since the floor is probably concrete, you can easily warm things up by using throw rugs around your workspace. The garage makes a great office space because it’s separate from the rest of the home, meaning you’ll have minimal distractions.

Mudroom
If you need a place to store coats, boots and book bags without cluttering up your entryway, use your garage as a mudroom. With a little creativity and elbow grease, you can install wall hooks for everyone’s coats, as well as backpacks. You can also create a space where your family can leave wet umbrellas and muddy shoes outside.

When it comes to making use of an empty garage, there are a lot of things you can do. The key is knowing how to make the most of the space without pushing your budget.

Source: Anita Ginsburg/RISMedias Housecall

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Home theaters are becoming more commonplace as homeowners look to create convenient, comfortable and fun spaces where their families and guests can sit back and enjoy the show. If youre planning to upgrade an existing home theater, or perhaps install a new one, youll want to be sure itll provide the best viewing experience for years to come”and that means top-of-the-line fixtures, furniture and electronics.

Finding a contractor who can source the best-quality wiring, lighting fixtures and electronics is an important factor in creating a high-end home theater that conforms to your expectations, say the design experts at HGTV. Youll want to be sure that all the wiring is discreetly secreted behind the walls, so make sure that as the space is being built out, the wiring scheme is accounted for early in the process.

When it comes to the audio-visual and electronic equipment, the sky is the limit in terms of sight, sound and media delivery. You might choose to pair a giant projection screen with a set-top box that can serve HD content, or opt for a more traditional setup of a big-screen TV and Blu-ray player. Whichever way you’re leaning, you’ll want to give your theater installer free rein to select the best audio-visual products on the market.

Now you can turn your attention to the decor. Many high-end home theaters reflect a traditional cinema feel, featuring stadium seating, noise-cancelling wall paneling, and furniture with special features and amenities. The scope and layout of the room will be a major consideration when it comes to the variety of furniture and accessories you’ll choose.

Larger, more elaborate home theaters sometimes employ a design that reflects a movie-house experience with fixed armchair seating, while smaller spaces may be more akin to a luxurious media room and feature arrangements of chairs and couches where guests can simply settle in where they please.

Remotes have become very customizable. Some let you program them using your PC, while others use your smartphone to allow you to customize everything from dimming the lights and changing the temperature to getting the program started, all with the touch of a button on the backlit display of the remote.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre looking to design a media room thats ideal for watching your favorite sports, here are a few features to keep in mind.

Top-Notch Tech

A big screen and a state-of-the-art surround sound system are absolute musts. You may even consider multiple screens for when there are a few games on.

Strategic Seating

The ideal set up would be a large sectional, and a few spaces where people can congregate. Bar tables and stools are always a popular option.

Wet Bar

You might want to have your home bar located nearby. You can even take it a step further and include a few appliances for preparing your favorite snacks.

Soundproof

Its no secret that sports games can go late into the evening, and by soundproofing the room, you wont run the risk of disturbing others in the house.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Homeowners insurance rates are based on many factors. One of the most important is the likelihood of someone getting injured or killed on a policyholders property. Having an attractive nuisance in your yard could make your insurance rates significantly higher than your neighbors.

What Is an Attractive Nuisance?
An attractive nuisance is a feature of a property that is both attractive and dangerous to children. Some common examples are a pool, fountain, pond, trampoline, playground equipment, tree house, or broken-down vehicle or appliance. Children are naturally drawn to these things out of curiosity or a desire to have fun and often have no idea how dangerous they can be.

What Is the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine?
Court cases have established that homeowners who have an attractive nuisance on their property have a responsibility to take extra measures to protect children from harm. A homeowner can be found responsible for a childs injuries or death if the homeowner knew that there was a chance that a child might not understand that an object was dangerous and that a child could be injured or killed by it, and yet the homeowner did not take reasonable steps to keep children safe. A homeowner can be held liable even if a child was trespassing on the property.

What Are the Insurance Impacts?
Homeowners insurance companies charge higher rates for people who have an attractive nuisance on their property because of the possibility that a child could be injured or killed and the insurance company could have to pay a large amount to settle the case. If you have an attractive nuisance on your property, you might be able to reduce your premium by taking significant, concrete steps to protect children.

If you have a pool, you can install a fence around it that is high and difficult for children to climb and that has a locked gate. A pool cover or an alarm that goes off if someone enters the pool unsupervised can also prevent accidents. If you have a tree house, fencing in the area around the tree, or the entire yard, can keep kids out. Making sure the tree house is well maintained and doesnt have any broken wood or loose nails can prevent injuries to children who are allowed to use it. If you have a trampoline, installing safety nets and putting a fence around the trampoline or the perimeter of the yard can help you keep your homeowners insurance rates down.

Talk to Your Insurance Company
Many homeowners buy or build things to provide fun for their families and dont understand how their insurance rates could be affected. If you have an attractive nuisance on your property, an insurance company will see it as a major liability risk. Talk to your carrier about measures you can take to protect children and keep your rates down.

Published with permission from RISMedia.