Imagine a world without mirrors. You would have no way to check your appearance before leaving the house every day. You’d be forced to conduct routine grooming activities without the benefit of a clear reflection. But most importantly, your home would look very different than it does today—especially the bathroom. Through strategic placement, you can use mirrors to open up your rooms and create a more contemporary look. Here are a few ways you can use mirrors throughout your house.

Increase Light

More than ever, homes are being built to enhance lighting in as many rooms as possible. Open floor plans and large windows bring sunlight into major living areas, making spaces feel open and bright. Unfortunately, not all homeowners can afford to buy a new house, finding themselves forced to deal with a home with few windows and walled-off rooms. Even in an open-plan home, there can be dark spots, including in hallways, foyers, and small bedrooms.

With the right placement, mirrors can reflect natural sunlight, making a dark space look much brighter. Simply find a window and place the mirror directly across from it. If the window is on the wrong wall, either a floor mirror or a movable wall mirror can be positioned to reflect the sunlight at an angle. If you’re dealing with a windowless room, place the mirror across from a light-painted wall or lamp to mimic the effect.

Grow a Room

You may not realize it, but mirrors naturally increase the size of a room, creating an optical illusion of extra square footage. Mirrors have become especially popular in the kitchen in recent years, serving as a great way to improve the appearance of backsplashes and cooking areas.

A large mirror is best for adding space to a room, but those can be extremely expensive. You can instead group smaller mirrors together on one wall in a gallery-like fashion. If you’re on a budget, you may find it easier to find small, matching mirrors at a discount at thrift stores and consignment shops.

Gain Visibility

Having your back to the room behind you can be disconcerting. Feng Shui experts find that many people have difficulty concentrating if the door is behind them. However, while you may be able to set up a desk in an office to face the door, there are instances where facing the wall is the only option. A desk may have been built into a wall or a corner may be the only option for office setup. In the kitchen, you probably find that you’re often facing a wall as you cook and wash dishes.

When a room requires a person face the wall, Feng Shui experts recommend placing a mirror that provides visibility at al times. The mirror will help overcome the distraction that comes from not being able to see behind you.

Mirrors are a great addition to every room of the house. Whether you’re dealing with low lighting, small rooms, or unfortunate seating positioning, a mirror can make a big difference in resolving any issues you have.

Nothing can compare to the gratification that comes from successfully completing a home remodeling project yourself. Whether you’re retiling your bathroom or finishing a basement, there are many things you can accomplish yourself with hard work and determination.

However, there are a few things you should avoid trying to do yourself, whether for your own safety, your own sanity, or a combination of both. Here are some instances where you should seriously consider bringing in a professional before tackling a job yourself.

Electrical Wiring

Of all of the home remodeling projects you can turn over to a professional, electrical work is the most important. Attempting to do this work yourself can lead to serious injury and even death, so it’s extremely important to bring in a professional. A skilled electrician will also ensure the job is done correctly, which will reduce the risk of a fire and keep your utility bills low.

Plumbing

When your bathroom or kitchen remodel involves plumbing work, you’ll likely regret it if you try to do it yourself. You may think you can simply follow along with a do-it-yourself video or website article, but in truth, professionals have trained for years to do this kind of work. If your pipes aren’t fitted correctly, you could end up with a slow leak, causing your pipes to freeze in the winter and eventually break. When it’s time to reroute the plumbing during your remodeling project, call in a professional and save yourself future headaches.

Home Additions

If you’re adding a room onto your house, you could get yourself in hot water if you don’t work with a professional contractor. Contractors can handle securing the permits you’ll need to get the work completed and they’ll ensure the work follows local codes. This is important if you ever plan to sell the house, since potential homebuyers will want to see evidence that the work was done properly. It will also keep you in good standing with your homeowners association, if you have one, since they’ll know the work is being done correctly. Most importantly, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing the construction will hold up over many years of use.

Tree Removal

Homeowners usually remove trees for a couple of reasons. The primary motive for removing a tree is that it has become damaged during a storm. However, trees can also be removed as part of a home remodeling project, especially when a deck or extra room is being added. It can be tempting to get out the chainsaw and cut the tree down yourself. However, this can be dangerous. Professional tree trimmers wear protective gear and use the right equipment to safely take a tree down. When you hire a professional tree-trimming service, you’ll stay safe and you’ll know the job will be done correctly.

The Bottom Line

While there are many home remodeling projects you can handle yourself, there are some jobs you should leave to the professionals. Make sure you thoroughly research local providers before choosing one and get more than one bid to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

Buying a house is a huge financial step, and is one you need to take with careful consideration. It’s the quintessential American dream, but can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don’t do your due diligence. Typically, it’s new home buyers that tend to experience the worst nightmares because they simply overlook the fine print.

Understanding the mistakes that can be made during the buying process can help you build financial security without getting sunk into a money pit.

Here are 5 common mistakes new home buyers make that you should be aware of and avoid.

1. Skipping the Mortgage Pre-Approval

One of the first mistakes newbie home buyers do is fail to get pre-approved for a mortgage. First of all, getting pre-approved will give you a ballpark figure of what you can comfortably afford. There’s no sense in pounding the pavement in search of your dream home if you can’t afford the one you decide to buy. You’d be unpleasantly surprised to put an offer in on a house, only to be turned down by the bank because your finances won’t cover the costs of the home.

Not only that, but consider the seller’s point of view in the whole scenario. Let’s say the seller’s got a few bids on the property, and is in a position to sift through and compare them all. How will your offer stack up? If you tell the seller that you’ve been pre-approved for a mortgage, you might be a safer bet. If you don’t, you might be a risky bidder. Some sellers might even refuse to consider your offer at all unless you’ve got a pre-approval document from your lender. Even if the seller picks your offer, you might not be able to get as much financing as you would have hoped when you actually go through the loan application process.

At the end of the day, a pre-approval will paint you in a better picture to a seller. During this process, your lender will verify your finances and credit to see how much the bank is willing to loan you.

2. Foregoing the Home Inspection

When you’re putting up a lot of money to buy a house, you can’t just rely 100% on what the sellers and their realtor tell you about the home. Sure, they’re liable for providing you with a disclosure of everything they know that might be wrong, but even the sellers themselves might be in the dark about problems that are lurking behind the walls.

For this reason, you absolutely need to get the home inspected before you close the deal. If you skip this important step, you leave yourself vulnerable to being stuck with a home with foundation problems, mold, plumbing issues, asbestos, and hoards of other potential issues. As much as you might be attracted to the home, it could turn into a liability when everything is said and done.

Make sure that your offer is conditional upon a home inspection being conducted and passed. Make sure that you agree on what will be checked, which can (and should) include the foundation and structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, and mold or pest infestation.

You’d be wise to make sure the inspector is licensed and reputable. While the inspector might not necessarily be able to detect every major problem with the home, it’s definitely your first line of defense against getting stuck with a home that will cost you tons of money in repairs.

3. Getting Emotionally Attached to a House

Being in love can be an amazing thing, but it can also be a bad one, especially when your emotions are vested in the wrong thing. If you happen to stumble upon your dream house, you need to use extra caution.

First of all, if you happen to set your eyes on a home that other buyers have on their radar, you may be competing with them. If you find yourself in the middle of a bidding war, you could wind up losing out on the home altogether, or you could be snuffed out by someone else who has more money and all the right criteria that the seller expecting. You’ll be left heartbroken when you don’t walk away with the keys.

On the other hand, you just might be the one to sign on that dotted line of a purchase agreement. There are many times when the house you think is the one for you is actually one you should have walked away from. No matter how many times friends or family warned you about the place, you still might end up going ahead and sinking your teeth into it.

Think about how you’ll feel about the house after the ‘honeymoon’ period has come and gone. You might decide to overlook a property’s quirks now, but there’s a good chance you could suffer buyer’s remorse after the deal is sealed and you’re stuck with a super-small kitchen or no backyard. 

When you’re in the market to buy a house, make sure you do your best to keep a cool head during the entire process so you do the thinking and decision-making with your logic instead of your emotions.

4. Not Thinking About Resale Value

You’re in the market to buy a house, not sell, so why would you even think about selling in the future? Simple. You just never know what the future holds, and don’t want to feel like you’re stuck in your home just because you won’t recoup much money after you sell.

You might get a job transfer, marry someone from the opposite end of the country, or simply can’t afford to keep up with your current mortgage payments. Whatever the case may be, you want to be able to ensure that your house can sell for a decent amount that you can then put towards another home.

This isn’t just a place where you live – it’s an investment. You’d be mistaken not to consider the resale value of the property. Consider the preferences of other home buyers. Maybe this means buying a home that has 3 bedrooms, a decent backyard, or a 2-car garage. It also helps to know if there are loud train tracks close by, or if developers plan on improving the neighborhood in the near future, which could boost the property’s value soon after purchasing.

5. Not Using a Real Estate Agent

If you’re serious about buying a home, do yourself a favor and hire an experienced real estate agent. These experts can give you invaluable advice about buying property, and can keep you from making a huge mistake. They can help steer you in the right direction about where to find the right property, and will use their sharp negotiating skills to help get you the best price possible and ensure you never overpay.

Realtors will help you navigate the complicated waters of purchase agreements, and will make sure you’re fully protected before you sign on the dotted line. All the services they provide come without the price – it’s generally the seller that flips the bill for both the seller and buyer agent.

A lot of first-time home buyers think they’re making all the right moves, but they still aren’t familiar with what can be a complex home buying process. Rather than taking a chance, use your better judgement and get acquainted with a real estate agent who can help you migrate through the buying process and avoid some seriously costly mistakes.

Location, location, location. It’s the crux of real estate. But when it comes to buying a home in a new neighborhood, there are other factors to consider in addition to the location itself.

If you’re planning on sticking around your new neighborhood for the long haul, or want to raise a family in a good area, you’d be well-advised to do some homework and research on the community you’re contemplating. A bunch of factors go into figuring out of the desirability of a specific house and the community it’s in.

So how do you know if the neighborhood you’re looking at is right for you?

Ownership Rates Are High

Neighborhoods that have a much higher proportion of owners compared to renters are considered much more stable. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as the high percentage of renters in downtown New York City or San Francisco. But for the most part, if the neighborhood you’re looking at features more owners than renters, it’s a good sign of a stable area.

Not only that, but owners tend to take better care of their properties. After all, they own them, and obviously have a much higher vested interest in the properties. Your realtor will be able to provide you with these types of stats for areas you’re looking at. 

Properties That Retain Their Market Value

Certain neighborhoods hold home value better than others, which was evident during the most recent housing crash. Areas where property values remained relatively stable during these trying economic times are more likely the types of areas you want to call home.

Even if you plan on living there forever and have no intention of selling for a profit, it’s still nice to be able to build equity in your home from appreciation alone. You can find information like this from historical sale prices from your county’s tax records office, or else your realtor will be able to provide you with such important info.

It’s a Decent Commute to Work

Houses that are situated nearby major city centers and big employers are in high demand. Especially these days, younger professionals are a lot less likely to want to drive far to work compared to previous generations. The closer the neighborhood is to these business hubs, the better.

Neighborhood Schools Are Rated High

If you have kids, you want to make sure the school within your district is a good one with a healthy reputation. The local school district is typically an important factor to consider when purchasing a house.

Even if you don’t have kids, schools make a big difference for many buyers, who will be more likely to pay more to get into the best school district. This will be a vital factor if you plan on selling some time in the future.

Public Transit is Readily Available

If you can easily and quickly get to a bus stop or subway line, thats good news. Properties with easy access to public transit are generally more valuable compared to those that are not. Among the many factors that are considered when determining a property’s value, proximity of public transit is one of them.

In fact, properties within half a mile of high-frequency public transit routes and stops are worth an average of 42% more. But don’t pick a home that’s too close to these routes – homes that are beside train tracks can actually lose value instead. No one wants to live beside noisy trains or buses.

Home and Neighborhood Improvements Are Noticeable

If you see homes being renovated or even rebuilt, that’s a good sign of a healthy neighborhood. Home owners that are investing a lot of time and money into their properties show that they value their neighborhood, and so should you. And if the city is pouring in money into improvements – such as new sidewalks, trees, etc – that’s also a good sign of a neighborhood that’s nowhere near close to heading south in value.

Your home is purchase is a big one, so you want to make sure you do your due diligence and scope out the area you plan on buying in before you fork over the big bucks. There are tons of signs that the neighborhood is perfect for you to plant some roots. To take things a step further, tap into the experience and knowledge of your real estate agent to find out if the community you’re considering moving into is the right one.