4 Pitfalls to Avoid When Building Your Own Home

Building a new house may seem low-cost compared to buying an existing one. However, if you're not careful the entire process may be more trouble—and more expensive—than it's worth. By steering clear of these problems, you can make your dreams a reality.

Rocky Soil
If you want a home with a basement, you're going to want to avoid building on property with bedrock or overly rocky ground. In those conditions, you can't just dig out your foundation with a backhoe. You will have to find a contractor that can either cut through the layers or blast through them with explosives, the cost of which may not be within your budget limits.

Marshy Soil
If you plan on building your home near a body of water, you should investigate yearly ground saturation. While mechanical dewatering will help during construction, you might have to amend the ground with truckloads of soil and create a drainage system, both of which can be costly. Depending on how marshy the land is, a basement may be out of the picture entirely.

No Contracts
Contact a reputable lawyer to draft up a contract with the businesses involved in building your home, no matter how small they are. This sets in stone not only prices but time frames, and defines contingency plans for setbacks, ensuring that you're living in your new home on the schedule you have set.

 
Home construction isn't something that you want to do by the seat of your pants. By having everything laid out before you break ground, you can be 100% certain of costs and needs.

No Inspection
While your contractors may be amazing, have someone else double-check their work. A licensed home inspector will be able to guarantee that everything is installed properly and up to code, pointing out if you weren't given the quality service you were promised.

Not only is building your own home cost-effective in some situations, but it is also very satisfying. You are creating a home that is truly yours.

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Palm Sunday

Tomorrow, we celebrate Palm Sunday. As Christians, we commemorate Jesus as he enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. All the people greeted him and laid palms and branches along his path. We rejoice and shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

May this Palm Sunday remind us of the paschal mystery of Jesus, his passion, death and resurrection. 

 

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Ways to Make Music in Small Spaces

Do you love making music but live in a tiny home or recreational vehicle? When living in tight quarters, you have to be deliberate about every item you own. If you love to make music, choosing the right musical instrument for your small space is crucial. Here are ways to make music in small spaces.

Play a Keyboard Rather Than a Piano
You can still indulge your passion for playing the keys by buying a keyboard rather than a piano. Install the keyboard on small spring loaded casters to make it easy to move so that it doesn't get damaged when you relocate it into a closet or far corner.

Learn To Play the Guitar
Guitars are lighter and can fit into a tight corner. They also make less noise won't irritate family members the way a louder musical instrument might. A guitar is also a bit hit at family campfires. If you don't know how to play, you can take guitar lessons online. Once you learn it, you'll find playing your guitar a delightful experience.

Get a Recorder
Think about investing in a recorder. Not a tape recorder, but rather the musical instrument you see in Shakespearean plays. The recorder is a woodwind instrument made mostly of wood although some are made of ivory. They make a lovely, clear sound and take hardly any space. They're also very light.

It's the instrument of choice if you live in a van or cramped recreational vehicle. Once you learn how to play the recorder, you can then move on to other woodwind instruments.

If you long to play a musical instrument but don't have a lot of space in your small home or recreational vehicle, don't despair. There's an instrument you can learn to play. With it, you'll be making music in no time.

 

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