Buying a new home is an exciting time for anyone! Getting to show off your new pad to friends, family and neighbors…even more exciting. Here are some tips to get you ready to hold an easy and fun housewarming party.

Who to Invite?

Knowing who to invite to a housewarming party can be stressful. Do you want it more of a intimate gathering or open to many? It is ultimately up to you but typically family, close friends, new neighbors and even some of their friends should be included on the guest list. The point of welcoming people into your new home is to expand your circle and make friends in your new area. If you have young kids, this is also a great opportunity for them to meet kids their own age and schedule play dates. Meeting new friends, introducing your family to your new home…all this will help acclimate you to your new neighborhood.

Should You Have a Theme?

Not all parties need to have a theme, but it can help bring the decor, food and place settings all together and look cohesive to your guests. Maybe you want something more casual? Then go with a block party type housewarming, full of easy handheld food and games. Looking for something sophisticated? An open house with a seasonal theme is more for you. Some examples are for spring, your guests could expect fresh flowers from the garden and bright colors. For fall, rustic place settings and pumpkin based desserts could tie everything together. Whatever the theme, choose something that best fits your friends, family and new home.

Decor

Your new place may not be completely in order by the time the party comes around but that鈥檚 OK! Not having everything done means you can ask your guests for decorating or organizing advice. For the party decor itself, go back to your color scheme or a theme you decided on. Gather simple items to place on tables or trays, put out candles or flowers to spruce up the place.聽

Entertainment

Having games can be fun but housewarming parties don鈥檛 need to have set entertainment like others. You can plan some easy games, like a scavenger hunt, allowing for a house tour without any of the talking or ask guests to compete in design contest for one of your rooms, don’t feel the pressure to constantly entertain during this time. Everyone that attends the party is there to enjoy your home and to mingle! Sit back, relax and break-in your new beautiful home.

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It鈥檚 not surprising that moving home is one of the most stressful life events. All that organizing, packing, sorting and sometimes even new schools and jobs; there鈥檚 a lot going on! 

It鈥檚 often easy to forget that our pets can become stressed too. 

While you may have the most laid-back dog or aloof cat, studies have shown that both cats and dogs can pick up on how you are feeling. So instead of , we can make them feel worse.

Not only can they mirror our emotions, but they may also have some worries of their own when their bed and toys are being packed into a van. So how do we keep it as stress free as possible?

We鈥檝e combined our top tips for before, during and after the move. Read on to learn more. 

Pre-Move

Where possible, it pays to take your dog to the new home. 

Even if you can鈥檛 get access to the new home yet, walk around the general area and sit on the wall outside. , take plenty of treats.

Your dog will probably treat it like every other walk, not understanding that this will be their new spot, but you are at least starting to make good associations.

If you see some neighbors, introduce yourself and your dog. At least when you move, you鈥檒l have some friendly faces that you recognize. 

When you鈥檙e packing, if possible, leave the pet鈥檚 space until last. So, leave their toys, beds etc. unpacked until the van is ready to leave. It can help if your dog is crate trained; no matter what is being moved around them, they still have their safe space. For cats specifically, it could be worth keeping them in one room of the house (even if they are outdoor cats). You don鈥檛 want them to get that unsettled they choose to leave one day and not come home.

Moving Day

Some owners ask friends or family to take their pets for the day. You don鈥檛 have to worry about doors or gates being left open accidentally by movers and runaway pets. This also gives you time to pet-proof the new home before they are brought back. 

If you are keeping your dog with you, as much as your routine will be out of the window, take him for a walk at the start of the day and try to keep his meal times the same. 

He may not eat, but you鈥檝e at least tried. The same applies when you arrive at the new home. Head for a walk and offer his meal at the usual time. He just needs to know that even in a new place, nothing changes. 

If you have a cat, pheromone sprays and diffusers are a great option throughout the moving process. If your cat gets stressed travelling, spray their carrier with a pheromone at least 30 minutes before putting them in. 

in the new home and spray sofas and areas when you arrive. 

After the Move

Set up a quiet place for your pets as soon as you arrive. 

Whether this is a crate/den or a room. Ideally you wouldn鈥檛 have washed their bedding before the move, so their scent is still present. Again, pheromone diffusers are great for both cats and dogs to help reduce stress. 

Pet proof the garden and home, ensuring all your pets are safe. If possible, take some time off work to help your pets settle into the new home and monitor their behavior. Be mindful that they may toilet inside with it being a new space; clean and disinfect immediately to neutralize the odor. 

Explore the neighborhood with your dog and take things at their pace; provide plenty of treats so they associate the new area with good things! If your cat is an outdoor cat, it pays to keep them inside for a couple of weeks until they get their bearings.

Remember to and address details on their microchip or other ID! 

Most pets adapt incredibly well to a move. If you are concerned about any of your pet鈥檚 behavior during the move, seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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Few things are as annoying as a garage door that鈥檚 acting up, especially when you just came from a very hard day at work. Then again, garage door problems happen all the time. You must, however, address any issue with your garage door immediately to avoid worse problems in the future.

Here are the most common garage door problems and tips on how to fix them.

It won鈥檛 open or close.

If you鈥檝e been pressing the opener remote like crazy to no avail, you might want to check the remote first. Its batteries could be dead, or there may be some problems with the keypad.

When your remote is fine, and its batteries are fresh, and nothing is still happening, it could be the garage door opener unit. Check the lights, and if they鈥檙e out, then the power source may have been disrupted. Check if the power cord is plugged in. You should also check for a blown fuse. The circuit breaker may also have tripped and needs resetting.

It鈥檚 making loud noises.

Noises in anything mechanical always indicates a problem. If it鈥檚 making squeaking or grinding noises, it could be a simple lubrication problem with the rollers. Apply lithium- or silicone-based grease to shut your door up.

A rattling noise indicates that your garage door may have a few screws, nuts, and bolts loose. Get a wrench and tighten them all until rattling is gone. However, when you hear a popping sound, it鈥檚 likely caused by a torsion spring that requires lubrication or adjustment. For safety reasons, better have a professional work on torsion springs.

It鈥檚 opening very slowly.

This could also point to rollers that need lubrication, although dirty tracks could also be the culprit. Lubricate the rollers and clean the tracks to make it open faster. Also, don鈥檛 forget to check your garage door opener鈥檚 speed setting. The snail鈥檚 pace could be because your opener is set to the lowest speed.

It reverses before closing.

Most garage door openers today have been fitted with sensors on either side that prevent it from slamming shut on children or pets. There may be something obstructing these sensors when a garage door reverses direction. Make sure that these sensors are clean, and are aimed perfectly at each other.

It鈥檚 moving unevenly.

A correctly working garage door closes or opens evenly. When it doesn鈥檛, you might want to take a look at the tracks because something could be blocking it. Get rid of any obstructions you may find there.

It鈥檚 also possible that there may also be too little or too much tension in the spring system. As mentioned above, any issues with the spring must be left in the hands of a professional.

These are just some of the most common garage door problems homeowners face. Some are easy enough to deal with, but when the issues are beyond your expertise, the best option will always be calling a garage door repair specialist. With their skills, experience, and equipment, they should be able to resolve any garage door problem you might have fast.

About The Author

Irene Trentham is the Content Marketing Strategist of , a locally-owned enterprise that specializes in installing new garage doors and repairing defective ones for residents of Phoenix and surrounding areas. She loves to do camping, hiking and yoga and to spend time with her family and baby girl, Tatum when not writing.

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You may have considered moving out to find a bigger house due to the limited space in your house. But why go through all this strenuous and expensive activity? Well, If you are looking for a way to create more space without the upheaval of having to move the house or changing your current lifestyle, then your home builders adding an extension to your home is the ideal way. An extension will simply enhance your living space and add some value to your property. So, here are some of the benefits that an extension will bring to your home.聽

Create Space

If you are having trouble finding extra space in the house, the addition of a house extension is the best way to get the extra rooms that would save you such inconveniences. Not only does it create extra space, but it also saves you the trouble of going through the exhausting process of locating a house that is big enough, pack and relocate.聽

Having an extension will provide you with enough room to accommodate the growing family, a guest or even arrange your personal stuff. Some people can use the space added as an office especially if you are working from home while others will use it as a gym or an entertaining spot.聽

You may be a little creative and design the extension on the outside of the house and have it installed with glass windows to emphasize that feeling of having enough space and allow light into the room. This is beneficial to people who are looking for a conservatory, garden rooms or an orangery.聽

Adding Value to your Property聽

No matter the house extension cost that you may incur, adding any type of extension will definitely increase your property value. Furthermore, as odd as it may seem, some people upon realizing this particular benefit of an extension have contacted the house builders to have an additional room fitted in before they sell their property.聽

If you’re planning to rent your house, adding a high-quality extra room in your current property would maximize the value of the house in the market and further help solve the space problem for the occupants.

Better Alternative to Moving

Many people decide to get a house extension as a way to make changes to the current look of their house. Living in the same house for years and having to look at the same house design each day may be boring. To liven up the interior, some people decide it is time for restructuring the whole house interior and in the process figure out that addition of an extra room would be ideal for a studio, guest room or even an office. Thus, before moving to a new house in search of a new design or an extra space, it is advisable to think of adding an extension as an ideal and easier alternative.聽

Saves Money

聽can be much cheaper than moving into a new house聽 with the price tag of a bigger home often being higher. Also, there are other costs involved including hiring movers to transport your furniture and other house belongings. Home extensions are an economical way to create more space as opposed to moving. So, why save money to move to your dream spacious home whereas you can simply create one in your house? Plus adding to your home could be a great investment to your home value down the line.

Live in the Same Neighborhood

The chances of getting a bigger house near your neighborhood can be very low. Furthermore, moving means changing your neighborhood and having to deal with an entirely new environment, and people. Your children will have to change schools and make new friends. But, why subject them to such inconveniences that you could have avoided?

No Need for Permits聽

聽If you aren’t aware, extensions are generally permitted developments and thus you don’t need planning permission to start designing one. Most people who don’t know about this information, fear the prospect of securing planning permission for an extension. However, it is important to pay a visit to the nearest local council and check out the rules and regulations on such ventures in your area.聽

So, whether you want to extend your house to create extra space for a growing family or convert it to accommodate some of your personal belongings, an extension is the most ideal and cost-effective way to add that space.

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About the author: Riya is an inspired writer and content manager at聽, passionate about traveling, lifestyle and encouraging startups. As a freelancer, she understands the importance of productivity at work. Connect with Riya on twitter, @sanderriya.

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