How To Make Your Dream Home A Reality

Sunday, June 30, 2019

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In today’s financial climate, many are struggling to buy any house, nevermind their dream home, the one they really want and the one they want to stay in for the rest of their lives. But if you have the time and you have the money, then perhaps building your own house is a possibility. If you’ve not thought about it before, then there are a number of benefits to building your own home. These include getting the exact amount of bedrooms and dimensions of the rooms that you want, choosing everything from the shape of the property to the floor plan and including all the green and eco-friendly features you want. As well as getting exactly what you want, most self-builds are worth considerably more than they cost to build meaning that you get your dream home for a fraction of the market price.

But just how to go about building your dream home?

1. Work Out Your Budget
Do your research. You need to know how much the land will cost, the architect fees, builders fees, cost of materials, fixtures, fittings, and everything else you will need when you build a property from scratch. Do you know what materials you want to build with and how much they will cost? Check out https://www.nichiha.com/product/nichiproducts/nichitrim to get an idea. Then you need to the huge financial commitment and if you are able to handle it. And will you be able to afford to pay alternative rent or mortgage for somewhere to live while the house is being built?

2. Get A Self-Build Mortgage
Next, you need to secure a self-build mortgage. These are usually priced slightly higher than standard mortgages so you will need a decent deposit up front before any lender will be willing to offer one. However, they are specifically designed for anyone looking to build their own home, and they usually release the money in stages, allowing you to pay for the land, and materials as your build progresses.

3. Choose Your Location
Location is one of the most important things when it comes to building your dream home. Your starting point should be to speak to estate agents, look at property websites, and check land auctions. You should also check whether any land developers, local farmers, or utility companies have any undeveloped land in the area and find out if they are open to offers. Like with any house, you need to consider how you will commute to work, to local schools, and other amenities.

4. Get planning permission
You'll need to get planning permission and the proper permits before you start anything; otherwise, you will be breaking the law and then might have to knock your house down after all your hard work. Don’t buy or sign anything until you have the proper paperwork in place and make sure you have covered all the legal aspects.
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, June 27, 2019

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. The 50 best concert venues in America via Complex.

2. The best-selling car in America the year you were born via Car and Driver.

3. A brief history of the past 100 years via The Pudding.
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Weekend Dispatch

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

This weekend, the Hubs, Harper, and I are heading to New York City overnight Friday for a Mets game. Harper is beyond excited to see the game (she's a huge fan, especially of Michael Conforto!), and I'm looking forward to a visit to NYC since it's been a while. We have a 2-hour train ride ahead of us, so here are a few of the ways I plan to stay occupied during the commute.
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Taking Care of Your Teenager: Tried and True Tips

Tuesday, June 25, 2019
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It may seem like five minutes ago that you brought your beautiful baby into the world, and the sleepless nights felt like they would last forever, and here you are in a blink of an eye as a parent of a teenager, scratching your head in confusion about where the years have gone.

As parents we can testify, parenting is not an easy job. Being a parent is, however, many things; a privilege, an adventure, a time full of intense emotions, but never an easy task. However you parent your kids, you probably feel like you are doing it wrong, you will feel guilty about things you didn’t do, and guilt about things you did do, but that’s all part of the crazy journey of parenthood. When all is said and done, everyone is trying their best, and everyone’s circumstances are different.
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My Summer Reading List

Friday, June 21, 2019

It's the first day of summer, and I can't think of a better way of kicking it off than sharing my summer reading list. I spend a lot of time reading in the summer...like close to a book per week. Up until about a year ago, I had a roller coaster relationship with reading since my college days where I read constantly since I was an English major. Over the years, I've gone in and out of phases where I devour books and then avoid them. But for a year now, I've been consistently reading and looking forward to the next great read.

So, here are the books I plan to read this summer:
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, June 20, 2019

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. Hollywood "it" girls through the years via Harper's Bazaar.

2. Three workout mistakes you're probably making via Coveteur.

3. The top reasons people quit their jobs via Fast Company.
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Weekend Dispatch

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

This is the first official weekend of summer, and the weather looks really promising! It's about time as it has hardly felt summer-like around here. I'm hoping to get outdoors as much as I can to soak up as much of summer and the daylight as I can.

Here's what else I'm up to this week and weekend:
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What We're Reading

Monday, June 17, 2019

This is the last week of school before summer break. We've been creating summer reading lists and bucket lists like crazy. Although the weather lately hasn't felt at all summer-like, I know we are on the cusp of warm days that beg for reading by the pool or beach. When it finally happens, we'll be ready for it!

Here are the books we are currently enjoying:
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, June 13, 2019

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. The top TV dads in each state via How To Watch.

2. What guests hate most about weddings via Martha Stewart Weddings.

3. What's the meaning behind your body breakouts via The Chalkboard.
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Weekend Dispatch

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

This past weekend was spent plotting out our summer. I didn't necessarily fill up every day of every weekend, but we did make a list of places we want to go and see at some point this summer. We also have our annual trip to Rehoboth Beach at the end of the summer, so I am always counting down to that trip. But in between summer planning, here are a few of the other things I've been doing.

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Celebrate Pride Month With All Things Rainbow 🌈

Monday, June 10, 2019
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June is Pride Month, and here at Pieces of a Mom, we are an inclusive blog that celebrates the LGBTQ community. I love seeing all the celebrations that are popping up all over the Jersey shore. From parades to baseball games to concerts, communities are showing their love and support. To find a pride event near you, click HERE.

Give me all the rainbow! Here are a few of my favorite rainbow items to wear in support of Pride Month.
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Sucker For Seersucker

Friday, June 7, 2019
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I'm a sucker for seersucker. At the first sign of warm weather, I break out my seersucker. And I am especially a sucker for it on men. I think it looks it looks so fresh and polished on men.

Seersucker is a thin, puckered, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped or checkered, used to make clothing for spring and summer. Seersucker is woven in such a way that some threads bunch together, giving the fabric a wrinkled appearance in places. It is most commonly associated with "preppy style", a style that become famous at prep schools and colleges on the East Coast.

Shop more seersucker favorites just in time for summer!
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, June 6, 2019

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. Practical ways to increase your confidence via The New York Times.

2. What constitutes a beach read via Vulture.

3. Eleven leftovers that can make you sick via Reader's Digest.
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Weekend Dispatch

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Last weekend was spent mostly running errands and tying up loose ends. Emma passed her driving test last Thursday, so we have another driver in the house (which means I now have someone who can run some of my errands for me!). Just kidding...sort of. I am already seeing how much time I've gotten back now that I don't have to drive her everywhere. We are both enjoying our newfound freedom!

Here's what I'm up to this week and weekend and how I'm spending some of my new free time (😄):

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The Books I Read In May

Monday, June 3, 2019

This month was a bit of a struggle to get through even two books. For starters, I watched Dead To Me, so that took up a chunk of my time. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. It's sooo good. Some of my friends have even binge watched it in 2 days. I took a little more time than that, but it really is that good. Anyway, back to the books. I made it through two books last month, and really need to pick up my pace if I want to reach my goal of 35 books this year (I'm currently at 13 🤦🏼‍♀️). I'm hoping that with summer here, I'll have more opportunities to kick back and read at the beach, pool, or just here at home.

Here are the two books I read in May:
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