5 Tips for Settling into Your New Home

new home(BPT) – Though summer is winding down, for many families, hectic moving schedules are still underway. Whether you are moving this season or planning for a move in the near future, consider some helpful guidelines on packing up, moving out and settling in without a hitch – plus, the latest technologies to turn your new house into a home.

Here are five tips to help you minimize moving stress and settle in quickly:

Make a list, measure it twice. After celebrating the signing of your new home (congratulations!), it’s time to begin the moving process. Even before you start packing, it’s important, if possible, to visit your new home with a tape measure. Carefully measure and take note of the square footage and dimensions of every room in your new home. Do the same with any existing appliances and furniture you plan on relocating to your new home to ensure that everything fits through the door and in the space. LG’s moving guide (www.lg.com/us/moving) is designed to help and includes tips on measuring your current appliances to make sure they’ll fit. If you’re purchasing new large appliances or furniture, be sure to measure everything in the store or take note of each item’s dimensions online to make sure it fits. Removing or replacing a refrigerator, for example, is a time-consuming and expensive task that can be avoided with careful planning. If you aren’t able to visit before moving in, ask your broker or real estate agent for a copy of the floor plan.

Pack strategically, unpack easily. Pack and label items by category, such as dishes, winter clothes and books, or by appropriate area, such as bedroom, kitchen and living room. To limit damage, be sure to pack fragile and valuable items carefully with padded packaging, and communicate fragile items clearly with your movers. To save even more hassle, pack a couple of boxes of essential items, specifically for the first night in your new home, which would otherwise be hard to find. You’ll thank yourself when items such as cleaning supplies, fresh linens and a coffeepot are right at your fingertips. Staying organized is key to avoid losing your belongings – resulting in saving time and unnecessary re-purchasing expenses in the process.

Find savings and convenience in new technology. Moving is a common time to buy new electronics – and there are some simple ways to make these new purchases more customizable than ever. For example, rather than choosing surround sound speakers that require lots of cumbersome wiring to install, select a wireless speaker and TV surround sound system like LG’s Music Flow. It offers a range of speakers and soundbars that you can mix and match to create a customized and easy-to-use home audio system for your new living space. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Google Cast built in, systems like this let you can stream your favorite online music services, including Spotify and Pandora, straight from your mobile device. There’s no need for additional hardware or wires.

Share your new address. Take initiative and update your employer, bank, school, doctors, pharmacist and credit card company with your new address as early as possible. This can affect billing statements and formal records, which are a headache to change at a later date. Be sure to call your electric, cable and internet companies to swap your address, and inquire about any potential changes in your service. Sign up for USPS mail forwarding to ensure all of your mail reaches you in a timely manner. And don’t forget to keep your friends and family in the loop! It’s a busy and exiting time, so share your news!

Upgrade your appliances. If you’re not planning to bring your current laundry appliances to your new home, look for a new ENERGY STAR washer and dryer with the latest cleaning technologies that help make clean-up a breeze and save on your electric bill, too. One such example is LG’s top-load laundry pair with the dryer featuring an EasyLoad door, the first machine to open two ways. The unique door can be accessed from the top (hamper style) to easily toss in wet clothes from the washer and sideways to quickly unload clothes into the basket. This makes it easier than ever to drop in and unload laundry.

For additional tips on moving and settling into a new space, as well as a complete, eight-week timeline, check the helpful LG moving guide (www.lg.com/us/moving). It’s impossible to anticipate every bump in the road, but having a thorough yet flexible plan will help minimize stress and ensure the moving process goes smoothly.

Greener, Cleaner Bathrooms Save Water, Time and Money

(BPT) – If you’re considering a green home renovation, or building an eco-friendly house, you’ll likely put a lot of thought into heating and cooling, asGreen bathroom 2 well as kitchen appliances. But don’t overlook the value of greening your bathrooms, too. Environmentally-friendly bathrooms can conserve water and energy, while helping create a healthier home atmosphere by reducing the need for chemical cleaners.

The National Home Builders Association expects growth in the green building market to rise approximately 30 percent by 2016, as reported by real estate website Zillow. Bathroom renovations continue to be among the home projects with the highest return on investment, so greening yours can save money while you’re living in your house, plus pay off when it’s time to sell.

As you’re choosing eco-conscious plumbing fixtures for the bathroom, keep a few key considerations in mind:

Water conservation

Low-flow bathroom fixtures abound, and today’s models are significantly improved over earlier versions that conserved water at the expense of effectiveness and user experience. Look for WaterSense labeled products to help ensure your toilet, showerhead and faucet choices are water-saving, high performing styles.

Products like the VorMax high efficiency toilet from American Standard use less water, yet can provide a more effective flush than standard toilets. The VorMax cleans two times better than comparable commodes, delivering the cleanest flush ever engineered, while using 20 percent less water per flush than typical toilet models.

Replacing standard showerheads with water and energy-efficient options can also help reduce water usage without sacrificing the user’s experience. From basic models to luxury choices, manufacturers offer a range of water-saving showerheads that produce powerful, fulfilling spray patterns suitable for any bathroom remodeling project. Installing water-efficient fixtures can help your family use 30 percent less water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Green bathroomEnergy efficiency

While bathrooms generally consume less electricity than other rooms in the house, it still pays to keep efficiency in mind when choosing bathroom lighting and ventilation fans. Look for light fixtures that are Energy Star-rated. Replace incandescent bulbs with more efficient LEDs or CFLs. Choose a ventilation fan that can remove humidity and odors from the room while still conserving energy.

While you’re upgrading your bathroom’s productivity, don’t forget that all those hot showers contribute to the bathroom’s overall energy footprint, too. If your water heater is an older, inefficient model, upgrading to a newer Energy Star-rated model can significantly reduce energy bills. According to the EPA, water heaters are the second highest source of energy usage in the home.

Greener cleaning

Chemical cleansers have been linked to allergies, asthma and other respiratory ailments, which could explain why 75 percent of respondents to the J.R. Watkins Cleaning Survey by Kelton said they believe it’s important to use natural products when cleaning around the home. It’s possible to choose bathroom materials that can help minimize the need for harsh chemical cleaners.

Fixtures that perform more efficiently can help you spend less time cleaning and reduce the use of chemicals to stay sparkling and sanitary. Choosing a toilet with an antimicrobial surface that helps prevent the growth of germs, mold and stain can reduce the need for overly powerful cleaning products. And opting for stain-resistant bathroom tiles, grout and countertops can help deter mold and mildew growth while allowing you to clean less.

A greener bathroom can easily be a cleaner, high-performing and healthier room for you and your family to live and grow, with simple choices that can improve the environment, inside and out.