Category: Home Improvements

Moving In: The Guide To Customising Your New Home

If you and your family have recently purchased a property or a house that you are excited to move into, there are some things that you may need to decide on before taking your family and moving them in permanently. These are things that might require outside parties to actively take part in and build inside your home, so you might want to remain where you are until these things are done. If you aren’t quite sure exactly what is being referred to here, read the tips below and all will be clear to you.

Utilities

You may assume that the basic needs that a house must provide via connectivity such as water and electricity is provided, but it never hurts to check before you make a purchase. Inquire about this from your realtor and visit the space physically as well to make sure plumbing and electricity facilities are in order. Once you move in. this kind of thing is a bit worrisome to install and repair with you already inhabiting the house.

Additional Facilities

If you want to add some extra extravagancies to your new home, maybe even an area for gym equipment and to swim, you will have to consult the services of outside parties such as pool builders in Melbourne and personal trainers. This must be done well in advance and you also have to check if the venue that is going to be your new home can support any additional feature. For this, you have to talk to your real estate agent as well as the contractor you hire to build your special features. In order to facilitate these things, you have to contact the services that exist around town and in the vicinity.

There is no doubt that you will be able to find pool companies that will willingly undertake the responsibility and do a fantastic job at it. Similarly, you can also find fitness equipment distributors that will make a house visit and install their equipment for you at your convenience.

Garden

If your new home has a space for a garden, then you might be interested in setting up a garden area with a swing or a hammock. To make this happen, you only need to contact a gardener (contacts of whom your new neighbours are bound to have) and have them visit the area, lay the groundwork and sow the seeds for your new garden to flourish.

Moving in to a new place is exciting, but make sure that you attend to the aforementioned things if you have an interest in any of them.

Can Wooden Floors Make Your Home Look Better?

If we take the above question specifically, then the answer is an absolute yes. After all, who doesn’t love the natural and timeless look that a wooden floor can give to their homes? No matter how many materials may be introduced into the marketplace as time goes by, none of them can easily replicate the same level of class that a wooden floor gives you, thereby making them a mainstay of the flooring industry, and it doesn’t look like they are going to be replaced anytime soon.

As we have previously touched upon, wooden floors can easily enhance the look of your home without additional modifications. However, you need to know that there is a variety of options you can go for even when limiting yourself to wooden flooring. Those with deeper pockets will definitely want to install hardwood flooring, which is one of the most expensive flooring options you can choose nowadays. They do last quite long, meaning that the high cost may be justified as being a one-time purchase.

If you have a budget that is much more limited, you still don’t have to worry, as there are plenty of other options you can choose from. A good example of what you can use for your home’s floor are those engineered floorboards Melbourne you can normally see on display in various showrooms. Despite not being the same as solid timber, floors made of engineered wood still retain that classic look without having a relatively high price tag, making them more accessible to a vast clientele looking to upgrade their new homes.

If you don’t want to go for engineered floors for some reason, there is also the option of choosing strand woven flooring made of bamboo. Despite their cheaper price, you can use some finishing to render them absolutely stunning to look at, making them a perfect option to decorate interior spaces such as your bedroom, home office or the dining area for your guests. The benefit of bamboo floors is their eco-friendliness. By switching to this type of flooring, you are actually doing a lot of good for the environment, seeing as these floors are made of reusable materials that won’t cause major pollution problems.

Wooden floors are the default choice of classy people for a very good reason. If you opt for such flooring in your home as well, you can expect to make a major visual statement, while ensuring that you do not run out of money for future projects. There are also so many choices you can make when it comes to the colour, shape, and size of the boards, which means that the uniqueness of your home can be preserved.

Your Skin Needs Your Attention.

When summer season arrives, and trends demand you to wear the lightest most shortest clothes possible, after all you’ve got to do something to beat the sun right? But there’s one thing your forgetting o think about in all this. That is, how much more exposure to the sun is your skin getting. Are you doing a good job at protecting yourself from the negative effects of the sun? Apart from the warmth there’s also the harmful UV radiation, and if the trends of the season and the heat isn’t helping you, then maybe its time you take matters into your hands. Its time you took precautions. Sometimes negligence on our part can have some ugly consequences. 

When is it safe to go out?
Being exposed to the sun at its peak, for long periods of time can give you in the least a really bad and painful sunburn, that’ll take weeks to heal, and might every time you touch that part of your skin, your complexion ruined and your health compromised. That’s not the worst thing that could happen. UV radiations can go as far as causing mutations that lead to cancer. No one wants to regret not having taken care of themselves early on. From research it is recommended that from nine in the morning up until around half past four in the evening you might want to avoid being in direct contact with the sun, but since everyone likes to spend their time outside in the summer, say your out on lunch at a nice cafe with a view of the beach, you might want to make sure you sit where there’s shade, maybe by a PVC cafe blinds Melbourne, that allows you the view while protecting yourself.

You’re not safe even in your home.
If you’ve built your home to allow the sunlight to seep through as much as possible, because you love nature and you wanted to make maximum use of natures resources. Well if that’s the case, then you’ll need to take care of which time of day you allow yourself to enjoy the sun. Even if the light has to pass through get to the inside, the rays and radiation still make their way in and that makes it unsafe for you at times. So go ahead and customize the time that you let the sun come in. Bring the shade when you need to, make sure to install good quality drapes or things like shade blinds. So you can pull them up or cover your windows down whenever you want. Check out more here http://www.campbellsblindsandawnings.com.au/ziptrak.html. 

Make it a habit.
Now that you’ve gotten the knowledge, make sure you put it into practice. Avoid going out as much as you can in the peak hours of sunshine, if you have to go make sure you take precautions, and at home include in your schedule to pull up and down the blinds. After all prevention is better than cure.

Why Should You Hire An Interior Designer When Constructing Your Home?

Have you always wanted to own your home and because of this, you have been working hard and saving up sincerely for years but when you tried to go house hunting, you realized that all of the houses in the neighborhood that you like is way out of your price range and because of this, you have decided that you are going to construct your own home on property you already own? Or are you someone who has already purchased a house in the neighborhood that you like but you are not completely satisfied with the way your new house looks and you are thinking of changes that you can make to make it feel more like your home?

Whatever the case may be, whether you are someone who has been working hard and saving up to buy your own home in the neighborhood that you like but when the time came you realized that everything was way over your budget and because of this, you have decided that you are going to have your dream home constructed similar to the individual in the first example or if similar to the individual in the second example, you have already purchased the house you need, but you are not fully happy with how the interior looks and you are wondering what to do, you must know that the best thing that you can do is to hire an interior designer. Read below to see exactly why you must do so.

Expert advice

When constructing a home, we end up having to hire several different professionals such as a contractor, architect and engineer, who is responsible for how well and strong the house is being built as your engineer is the one who monitors all of the workers. But one professional that many of us do not think about hiring once we have completed the construction of our homes is an interior designer. If you have always wondered why nicer homes always look so put together with designer bathrooms in Sydney and other such luxuries, it is because those home owners hired an interior designer, who can then advise them on the best furniture and homeware items to purchase to decorate their space with.

Great deals

When shopping for items such as bathtubs, we all know how pricey they can get. But when you are shopping with your designer they can recommend you bathroom suppliers that not only sell high quality products but these products are affordable as well. Looking for more high quality bathtubs you can visit this page in a good manner.

Which is what most of us are always after. A great interior designer will know that creating a luxe looking bathroom does not always have to cost you a lot.

4 Ideas For Easy Home Redecorating

Redecorating your home can be a fun thing to do when inspiration hits. It’s a great way to breathe some new life into your home and to add some excitement to your life. The process of decorating can be both fun and scary. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Change up the main colours
You might not notice it but the colour of your floor and walls have a big impact of the overall look and feel of your room and changing it can be an easy way to start off your redecorating process. Choose a basic colour scheme that you like and stick with it although it is advised that you don’t go for any overly dramatic colours don’t be afraid to explore.Visiting tile shops sunshine coast will be a great way to get some inspiration as this will let you be creative with options that are available.

New furniture
If you’re into spending a bit extra introducing a few new pieces of furniture can be a great way to add the new decorative element to your home. These don’t always have to be new or modern as a few vintage pieces can add a lot of character to a room. When introducing new furniture make sure that it won’t crowd the room or that the room will swallow it up. Furniture can be a beautiful thing to try to give it the proper place it deserves and treat them as part of your design.

Accessories
You can add a few accessories to your room to easily add some visual interest. Whether it be a rug, some laundry tiles or curtains, these accessories can be a great way to add some colour and extra visual elements to your room. When using accessories don’t go overboard and remember that less is more.

Artwork
Installing artwork into your rooms can be a great way to instantly make it look better. Not only will it add more colours and textures, but it will also add character and feeling. Art communicates messages and adding this to a room and instantly increase its interest. When choosing art pieces they don’t have to be expensive or fancy. As long as you feel a connection with the work it can be used in your home.With these tips, you can get started with redecorating your home and when you’re in the process you will be inspired to try more things.

The Right Ways To Better Your Home Inside And Out

One of the major concerns that you will have when it comes to living your day to day life is to keep on improving its quality. In order to improve the quality of your lifestyle, you have to make sure that you focus on all the right ways to better your home inside and the out. The quality of your home will affect your mood and it will surely decide on your day. Most of the time, when it comes to improving the quality of a home, there are a lot of complications that the homeowners will have to go through. If you are interested in making the right choices without any hassle at all, here are some of the most important things that you need to know: 

Replace the Windows of the House 

One of the best ways through which you can better the interior and the exterior environment of the house is to replace the glass of the windows. It will surely better the aesthetical appeal of the house and let in much more natural light into the house that will instantly make the interior much better. If you are interested in replacing the glass because you need an uplifted appearance in the house or because the windows of the house have broken, the best that you can do is to gain glass restoration Auckland services. With these services, your windows will look and feel good as new.  

To Keep Your House Free from Fleas 

If you are having pets, you will have to deal with the trouble of fleas. Fleas will affect the hygienist of the house and will also cause pains and sicknesses to your animals. You might have tried various ways through which you can get rid of the trouble of fleas. In order to bring about an effective solution to the fleas of your pets and all the trouble that comes with it, the best that you can do is to gain flea control services. You can view more here https://www.hotandsteamy.co.nz/pest-control/. 

Use the Right Colors for the Inside and Outside of the House 

One of the major features of the house, the colours that are used in the house. You have to use the right kind of colours that will promote the right kind of moods in your people. Depending on the kind of the mood that you are willing to promote in your house, makes sure that you make the right choice of colours. Together with that, make sure that you use the right type of lighting to the house.   

How To Handle A Crisis

Finding yourself in a crisis situation can be tough because generally you are not prepared to deal with such a problem. There are some people who tend to shine in these situations and the reason behind this is that they know what steps they need to follow in order to diffuse the problem at hand. There are different situations that can be defined as a crisis but the same methods can be used to handle all these types of situations. 

Do not panic

Since people are not expecting a crisis to occur the first thing that they tend to do is panic. When you panic you only make things worse because people do not make the best decisions under pressure. You must find a way to calm yourself and gather your thoughts. If a house has reliable blocked drains and there is a leak instead of panicking and thinking how much the damages will cost first make sure that you hire somebody so that you can get to the root of the problem. The faster you do this the less money you will be spending on damages.

Have an emergency contact

It will be helpful for you to have a number of an  emergency plumber Sandringham service when you are experiencing problems such as leaks. Sometimes a problem like this can occur at night and you may not be able to wait until the next day to call somebody. When you have an emergency contact that you can call it will make things much easier for you because you will have someone that can help you out and you will not have to deal with the problem by yourself.

Be proactive

In a crisis it is important to be a proactive person. When you are reactive you will always be one step behind which can only make things worse. Being proactive means that you will actively take steps to turn the situation around, Of course before you can do anything it is important that you first assess the situation so that you know what is going on. Blindly taking action may cause you to make mistakes that can add to the problem.

Plan ahead

It will be easy to handle a crisis situation if you plan for it ahead of time. Think of all the unexpected situations that can occur to you and make sure that you have a sequence of steps in place that you can follow. People only tend to do this after something bad happens to them but you should remember that even unexpected situations can happen to you so be prepared for them.

When It Is Time To Call In The Professionals

When talking about home upgrades, most homeowners refer to bathroom or living room renovations, repainting, refurbishing and other upgrades that let you (and any other individual, for that matter) see a considerable change in the landscape of the home. However, the wise homeowner knows that home upgrades are not limited to only such obvious changes, but also to more obscure changes that are aimed to improve the qualities of the property (e.g. for example, to improve its energy efficiency). One such home upgrade that is oft forgotten due to the fact that it is for one, expensive, and for two, not very obvious, is the roof. The roof of a home is a fundamental pillar that ensures it is capable of doing its basic function – to provide a shelter. As such, it is important to not forget about its needs, and to improve it whenever necessary. Since any changes made to the roof of a home are fundamental, more often than not, homeowners will prefer to call in professional help rather than to try and do something themselves. Below are some instances which warrant professional help with regards to home roofs: 

The roofing has been damaged – regardless of what type of roofing Ryde you have, it is very common for obvious damages to become visible in the aftermath of a storm or similar significant weather episode. In such instances, you may find that entire parts of the roof may be missing, or that simply the shingles have been stained or deformed. Beyond such instances, everyday wear and tear can also result in damage accumulating and resulting in ugly streaks, mould or moss growth, etc. In any such situation where you find that your roof is damaged, it is of utmost importance to have the roof repaired as soon as possible, and to do so, you should be contacting a professional as soon as possible.

• Roof cleaning and maintenance – periodic maintenance is another reason to call in professional roof cleaners and servicemen. As you would know, a roof needs to be regularly cleaned of the debris that gradually accumulates, and its ventilation and exhaust systems need to be properly dusted and have cobwebs and similar obstructions removed from them. Additionally, protective layers such as caulk and sealants need to be re-applied. To do these, it is often recommended to rely on the help of a professional.
  • Roof upgrades – and finally, when you are faced with a need to upgrade your roof – regardless of whether you reached the end of its lifetime, or are simply looking for an upgrade from an old model – make sure to call in the experts: a roof that is properly installed can easily last not just a mere one or two decades… but your entire life.

Taking Care Of Kitchen Appliances In The Right Manner

Your home kitchen is the most important part of the house as it will decide on the quality of the food that is prepared. The time that you spend in the kitchen is made much less tiring and the work that you din the kitchen will be made fast and easy due to the kitchen appliances that you use. You have to make sure that you focus on taking care of these appliances in the right manner because if not, they will cause various troubles that will make you go through a lot of trouble. It is essential that you focus on giving the needed maintenance. If you are not clear about the right kind of maintenance that needs to be given, here are some of the things that you need to know:

The Repairs

There are times when you have to go through the breakdown of the appliances at the most unexpected times. You have to make sure that you are aware of what needs to be said and done during a break down because it will cause the disruption of the work that is done in the kitchen. If the refrigerator of the house break downs, all the food will go bad, it will make you clean the fridge and there are a lot of trouble that comes with that. Therefore, as soon as there is an issue in the refrigerator, the first thing that you have to do is to call up for fridge repairs Newcastle.

With these fridge repairs, you can assure that you fix the repairs in order to meet up with the finest standards. Therefore, focus on getting the best from the professionals that you choose to hire to make everything back to normal when it comes to your kitchen. Visit https://exceltekgroup.com/services/dishwashers/ 

The Coffee Makers

Most of use are fueled by the caffeine in the coffee. You might not feel right if you don’t start your day with a coffee. Just because you need your coffee to feel happy and energetic throughout the day, you might be having a coffee maker at your kitchen. It essential that you take care of the coffee maker in he right manner. You have to sanitize it at least once a month. And it has to be rinsed in the ideal manner every day after being used.

Keep the Appliances Clean

You have to make sure that you keep the kitchen appliances clean because if not, the changes that are there for a breakdown is high. Therefore, it is essential that you focus on cleaning the appliances regularity.

Your Choices When It Comes To A Garden

As the owner of your own house, it will be up to you to make various choices regarding it. There are various areas of a typical house that are much different from one another. Among those areas, anyone will be able to agree on the fact that the garden is one of the most prominent areas of the house. There are a few reasons as to why a garden would be so important. Firstly, you will be able to see that it is an area that is responsible for creating the first impression regarding a house. When you look into the matter further, you will be able to observe the wide range of uses that a typical garden can offer. Due to these reasons, and so much more, it should be clear to you that you have to make the right choices when it comes to your garden.

Here are some of the most important choices you may have to make regarding your garden

The choice of the turf

The turf is the most important area of your garden. Therefore, making the right decisions regarding it should certainly be a priority that you have. As an example, you will have to choose the grass type, the nature of the turf laying, and many other similar matters in ensuring that the lawn is in the best possible conditions. Looking for a high end turf material you can visit this page for more details.

Most of the above matters would depend on the turf suppliers you choose. Therefore, it is very necessary for you to pay attention towards finding the best possible suppliers that are capable of providing you with the best quality turf materials.

The garden décor

Since different people like different things, only you will be able to decide on what your garden décor will truly be like. Hence, in choosing garden décor, you obviously need to take your own preferences into account. In addition to that, you also have to know the size of the garden, the nature of the garden and how matching each décor option is with one another.

The furniture in the garden

If you wish to make ideal use out of the garden, it will be best for you to turn towards various furniture options. However, there will be a variety of furniture options that you will have to choose from. Here, it will be suitable for you to pick furniture that is durable, good in quality, and serves the purposes that you are expecting them to serve in your garden.

In addition to what is above, there are so many other decisions that you need to take regarding your garden. When making such choices, you need to keep in mind that each and every choice you make should contribute towards making the garden better.

Hiring Talented Professionals For Building Overhead Covering

Any building has an overhead covering which appears as a shelter which keeps the whole building safe from sunshine, rain and wind. Attached to this overhead covering we also have shallow troughs. These troughs are attached to the building overhead covering to make sure all the rain water which falls on the building overhead covering flows down to the ground without any problem and without harming any part of the building too.Since it is a clear that both of these parts of a building are quite important to a building it is up for us to make sure the best building overhead covering and the best of shallow troughs attached to the building overhead covering are put in place. That can only be done with the help of the most talented professionals in the field. We need the most talented professionals for this job for reasons which we cannot ignore in building construction work.

For Higher Functionality

The function of a building overhead covering is keeping the building safe from elements. The function of all the shallow troughs attached to the building overhead covering is making sure all the rain water flows to the ground from the building overhead covering in the right manner. Since we need both of these parts of the building to do their job right we have to only use the most talented professionals for building overhead covering and gutter installation work.

To Get the Right Value for the Money Spent

Usually, putting a building overhead covering and shallow troughs in place for a building are not cheap things to do. There are considerable expenses involved in the process as the final result should be a lasting one. If you want to get the right value for the money you spend on the project you have to hire the best professionals there is.

For the Right Kind of Aesthetic Beauty

Every building has its own kind of look. The building overhead covering which goes on top of that has to go with that look. Whether it is putting a new building overhead covering in place or roof restoration to get the desired look which can enhance the beauty of the colorbond and whole place you should get the most talented professionals.

For Lasting Outcomes

These parts of a building have to last a long time. Only talented professionals are able to offer you that kind of construction work.Therefore, always hire the most talented professionals in the field for this line of work and you will not have to regret anything.

How To Change Your Home To Suit I Better Once Your Children Leave Home?

Have all your children moved out? If so, here’s how you can change your home to suit your family better…

Get rid of the family style dining table

Having a large family is a blessing. We are sure you and your significant other didn’t have a dull moment in your lives while your family was growing up. Family meals might have been chaotic and challenging; full tables at every meal. However, if this has changed since your “chicks” have all spread their wings and left your “nest”; and it is only you and your spouse living at home at the moment, consider moving that kitchen table out. Install a breakfast bar or get a smaller table insteadmore suitable for the two of you. not only will this help you achieve more space, it will also get rid of that “emptiness” we are sure you are having a tough time handling.

Convert their old rooms into something more of use to you

Kitchen renovations are not the only way to get rid of that emptiness we mentioned above. After all, the memories would have spread across your home. Having many empty rooms will only add to this lonely feeling. If your kids don’t visit often (if they have moved overseas) or if they live close enough not to have sleep overs at your place, consider converting a few of these rooms into places more useful to you. a home gym, a workshop for your hobbies, an office room…these are all great ideas to try out. If you have a room that can be separated from the rest of the home into a separate unit, consider renting out the space to a paying guest. This way, your home will feel less emptyand you’ll make a little money out of the space as well.

Make the right age appropriate changes in your bathrooms

It goes without saying that our bodies change with time and age…and that we need to change and adopt our surroundings according to it. After all, our needs and wants change as well. One great example is your bathrooms. Consider seeing to your bathroom renovations before someone else has to do it for you. Install classy/stylish grab barseven if you don’t need it yet. Get slip free mats for the floors. Install higher toilet seats; so you will have to put less effort to using them eventually. Trust us; it might feel too soon…but you’ll be glad you did these changes yourself.

Design the garden as you please

Gone are the days when you had to think of the garden as a space for your kids to play in. Now that your kids have moved out, you may design the garden as you please. If your body doesn’t really allow you to do the planting yourself, consider hiring a professional to do the job for youallowing you to enjoy a beautiful garden without having to do the hard work…!

What To Do In Case Of Power Outages?

As of today, people are really dependent of electricity to get pretty much any kind of work done: from printing newspapers to preparing meals or even to entertain themselves with television programs or computer games, we could not imagine a world without electricity even if we wished. Due to that, governments all over the world have taken a lot of steps in ensuring continuous power delivery to virtually all locations within their country. In most developed countries, you will not find any location, no matter how remote, that has no electricity readily available.While this is all good, there are instances where power may suddenly go out. Situations like these are called blackouts and may happen due to different reasons. The most common ones are attributed to equipment malfunctioning; maintenance work being done on power delivery lines or due to extreme weather conditions knocking down power poles. While such situations are rare, it is better to be prepared so that you know what you need to do in case power really goes out.

Maintain Emergency Kits

A home emergency kit must include such things as a battery powered torch, some candles, a matchbox and also a scrap of paper which contains some telephone numbers, including those of the state emergency service or level 2 service providers Sydney. Having all these things on hand will be invaluable once you are suddenly in the dark.

Contact Relevant Authorities

Sometimes, power may be restored within a few minutes of the outage, but it if seems like this is not going to happen so soon, contact local authorities to know when power is restored. You should be able to get a definitive answer most of the time. If you don’t, make sure to get prepared to spend a few hours in the darkness.

Inspect Your Surroundings if Possible

If you can go outside (that is, if no extreme weather conditions are present), make sure to check whether there is a problem nearby your area. If you see any power line or pole being out of place, make sure to contact licensed services providers for restoring them to their original state, which will hopefully help restore power sooner than later. Go right here to find out more details.

Switch Off Appliances

If most of your appliances were switched on when the power outage occurred, you should remember to switch them off before power comes back again. Just keep one light switched on in order to know whether power has come back once again. When it comes to food stored in the fridge and freezer, take care not to open them too many times, as the food may start to thaw out.

Comparing The Different Types Of Siding Options

When it comes to sourcing siding materials, there are different options offered by flooring material suppliers. The decision lies on aesthetics, durability as well as on price. Nowadays, even synthetic materials mimic the qualities of wood to a great extent that increase the choices for home owners as well as home decor specialists.

Difference between wood and vinyl siding

When it comes to vinyl and wood siding, though both materials have varying properties, the decision usually boils down to aesthetics as well as price considerations. Vinyl siding materials can mimic wood to a large extent and hence, they are used in many construction projects. However, many builders prefer to keep the vinyl siding out as per certain durability requirements such as in the renovation of historic buildings. Hence, besides aspects like carpet prices from Sunshine Coast you need to refer to an expert builder when you are considering such flooring materials. There are other considerations as well.

When it comes to choosing between vinyl and wood siding such as maintenance considerations, the vinyl siding offers durability since paint is not required to be applied on it externally and it does not peel or chip. Also, vinyl siding is cheaper as compared to the genuine wood siding material. Vinyl is also unattractive to termites and hence, the infestation by termites or chances of the same are reduced by using vinyl siding. In case of wood, such siding can offer better insulation and aesthetics are more appealing in the case of wood siding.

Other options to explore

Nowadays there are several options, besides vinyl and wood siding. One can opt to take on the hard planks that are composite materials of cement and wood. There are also hybrid vinyl planks that can be considered. Builders often use galvanized metal as well. If you use wooden siding materials, you would need to get them repainted every four years. It is also necessary to keep such materials free of moisture. You need to keep an eye open for dark stains of rot that often develop over time on wooden siding.

Even if you opt for wood siding materials, ensure that these are created from recycled wood and sourced sustainably. Vinyl siding also does not burn and hence, are fire resistant unlike wooden siding. If you are considering siding materials and are confused, it is best to refer to the advice of an experienced builder. He or she will be able to make the right references as per existing weather conditions and building norms that apply in your region. That would also ensure durability of the siding that is placed in your home.