There’s plenty of love about being able to call the suburbs “home”, from the tranquil quiet found in each neighborhood to the peace and privacy of your own Winter backyard. But for every pro, there are allegedly some cons regarding suburban life. Luckily for homeowners, these cons are little more than misconceptions that are easily proven wrong when you have the right information on your side.
Possums Are Bad
While you may assume that these nocturnal critters are pesky nuisances trying to sneak into your home this Winter, possums are no more than harmless creatures that actually benefit the ecosystem surrounding your home.
Got a roach or mice problem in your outdoor lifestyle areas around your custom covers? Possums will take care of those pests with ease. They also kill large numbers of ticks thanks to their grooming habits, which helps to eliminate any possibility of Lyme disease popping up in your neck of the woods.
Solar Power is Expensive
Personal use of solar power has gained in popularity in recent years, and with that comes a slew of disinformation. Some claim that installing solar panels on your home will drain your wallet with little benefit to you at the end of the day.
The reality is that solar panels can be quite affordable in certain circumstances. If you use a significant amount of energy or live in an area that receives ample amounts of sunshine year round, installing solar panels can help lower your power bills and save you serious money in the long run.
Store Bought is Better
When it comes to cleaning your home, you want to be using the best products available. To many, this means using the most expensive cleaners you can find at the store. Thankfully, this is not the case.
Homemade cleaners, bug repellents, and detergents work just as well as their store bought counterparts, are most cost efficient, and use gentler ingredients that aren’t toxic to your family or the environment.
Ingredients such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and borax can all be used to create top notch cleaning products for use around your home. And the best part? You won’t need to take a separate trip to the store to pick them up.
Just Because It’s ‘Flushable’…
Your home’s plumbing system is a delicate and particular ecosystem that can become backed up in the blink of an eye. One of the biggest causes of these backups are so-called “flushable” wipes clogging up the pipes.
The fact is that anything marketed as “flushable” isn’t worth the risk of flushing. Stick with toilet paper in each of your home’s bathrooms, and have a clean trash can available for all other waste.
Your Bathroom Doesn’t Need a Fan
Some older homes in the suburbs lack modern features, including fans in the bathrooms. While it may seem like an arbitrary detail, a fan makes a huge difference in the air circulation and is nothing short of a necessity for staying comfortable and clean in your home.
If your bathrooms lack fans, consider having an AC tech install some. It’s a fairly simple undertaking that will make a huge difference for you and your family- not to mention any guests you have over.
Wallpaper Works Everywhere
Wallpaper had a heyday in the decades passed, leading to an abundance of it in every part of a suburban home. Decorative wallpaper can be a lovely design touch in some rooms, but may end up aging your home in other spots.
Bathrooms with showers don’t mesh well with wallpaper thanks to the humidity that comes from a hot shower. Stick with painted walls in your bathrooms, and focus on adding stylish wallpapers to areas like dining or living rooms.
You Have to Do Your Own Yard Work
Landscaping your front and back yards can be somewhat of a monumental task for a suburban homeowner. The sheer amount of effort involved means that you shouldn’t have to take on all of that responsibility by yourself, no matter what others may insist.
Whether you hire a professional landscaping team or round up a group of family and friends to help tackle the task, yard work can be made simple with the help of others. So put on your grill covers, break out the tarps, and get ready to transform your yard without any stress.
Burglaries Primarily Occur in the Night
The image of a burglar sneaking around one’s home at night is all too common among suburban homeowners. The fact of the matter is that most burglaries take place during the day time, when the home’s residents are away at work and school.
Installing an alarm system and remote, app-based cameras is a simple way to stay on top of your home’s safety while you’re away. These can also help deter intruders after the sun sets.
There’s No Privacy in a Smart Home
With the advent of smart home technology and the subsequent rise in popularity comes a wave of suspicion from those who insist smart devices can compromise your privacy. While educating yourself about the ins and outs of your devices is always wise, there’s no need to toss them in the garbage for fear of your smart tech spying on you.
Do thorough research on the backgrounds of each of your smart home devices. There is plenty of information on the internet that can help you determine which gadgets are safe- and qualified- for use in your home.
You Can’t Entertain in Small Spaces
If your outdoor lifestyle area is lacking in square footage, you may have heard that it’s unsuitable for entertaining guests comfortably. But as the adage goes, size doesn’t matter, regardless of what others might have told you.
Creating the illusion of more space is simple when you utilize measures such as keeping furniture and accessories to a minimum and sticking to a clean, simple design scheme with items such as pillow covers. Even if you have the smallest patio on the block, you can still be the host with the most when you take the right steps.
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