Have you ever thumbed through a home magazine spread and wondered where the electrical outlets, electric cords, thermostat, or HVAC vents were?  Those every day necessities are in those homes, they’re just edited from the photos.  Since we can’t use photo editing inside our homes, we must find ways to make those mundane things blend in or edit them with some tricks to make them more stylish.   

• A thermostat isn’t the prettiest thing on the wall, and if yours is in a prominent area in the house, you can help it blend in if you surround it with framed items on a gallery wall. 
• Having the Wi-Fi router in a central place gives us better connections, but they’re not an attractive piece.  Hide it in an empty box with holes cut in the back for cords, an inexpensive basket, or get crafty and make a screen from old book spines! 
• If electronic devices clutter up counter space when they’re charging, there are outlets made specifically for drawer installation, but should be done by an electrician.   

• Stainless appliances in the kitchen are sleek and beautiful, and when our gadgets are a dull white, we can make them look like new with stainless steel stick-on decals! Find these online or in your local home center. 
• Removing popcorn ceilings can be exhausting, not to mention messy.  It may take a little time, skill and effort, but covering them instead with prefinished wood planks and crown molding will add style and charm to your rooms. 
• Canvas art usually has an open back, and you can hang these pieces over flat screen television, thermostats, and window unit air conditioners (when not in use). 
• Those return air vents aren’t pretty at all, and there are many ways you can hide them: purchase a stylish cover that is made specifically for return vents, hang a repurposed open door mat over the vent, create a panel with decorative sheet metal to put in place of the slatted cover, or turn an old shutter into a vent cover.  Talk to your HVAC serviceperson before you start this project to make certain your system will still run smoothly once you’re done. 
• Add a bit of style to the plain front of your bathtub with self-stick tiles.  These products come in all shapes, colors and styles, and don’t require any tile installation know-how. 

• To hide all the cords in the office area, use cup hooks under the table or desk to keep the length of the cords up and out of the way. 
• Wall-mount televisions have become the norm, and the cords hanging from the screen can be unsightly.  Home centers have kits to install a cord holder in the wall for those who feel confident enough to use some power tools, and there are covers in endless colors and styles.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Let’s face it:  Summer heat waves can drain the energy from our bodies, but it can also drain the money right out of our bank accounts when the energy bill comes due.  Turning the thermostat down seems logical, but not always the best thing to do to cool the house off.  Here are some practical things we can do to help our AC keep the home comfortable: 

• Keeping shades drawn in rooms where the sun comes streaming in is a great first defense on staying cool inside.  Doing this simple thing can lower the inside temps 30%! 
• When you’re away, program the thermostat to 80°, and then down to 75° once you are home.  No need to cool an unoccupied house, and leaving it off completely causes not only heat, but humidity, to build up. If those settings seem warm, give it a week, and you’ll find that your body acclimates to the warmer temperatures! 
• Utilizing fans is an inexpensive way to help stay cool; your ceiling fan should be turning counterclockwise (find the direction toggle switch near the fan speed chain), and floor fans should blow towards you at a comfortable speed.   

• Planting large shrubbery and plants with heavy foliage on the sunny sides of the house not only makes the landscaping attractive, the plants help block the heat, making the outside cooler, thus, the inside will stay cooler. 
• Permanent awnings and shutters are easy ways to block sun, as are retractable curtain awnings.   
• Allowing all interior doors to stay open will help the air circulate fully and helps keep hot spots from forming.  Leave air registers open, even in unoccupied rooms, to avoid putting a strain on ductwork over time. 
• Using a dehumidifier will, obviously, reduce the moisture in the air, making the house feel cooler. 
• Time your clothes-drying and dishwashing for nighttime hours and keep the house cooler in the daytime and save on your electric bill. Most energy companies have off-peak consumption hours at night and early mornings. 

• Cooking will heat up the kitchen, so learn how to cook plan your cooking early or later in the day and make use of a toaster oven creates less heat than turning the oven on. 

One of the best things you can do to help your unit running well and keeping things cool is maintenance!  Have a pro come and service it, change filters when they are visibly dirty, make sure the evaporator drain can run freely, and keep the air flowing nicely around the unit.   

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Photo credit: youtube