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Buy A Longer Lasting Vehicle!

Author – Dana Boyd from Awesome Car Loans.

One of the mistakes that many people make when buying their first car is they buy one on impulse. This means they either go for something showy and fancy, or something that is expensive and will boost their self-esteem. However, there are more important things for your first vehicle. The first and foremost thing on your mind should be that the vehicle will last you a few years, or even longer. The longer it lasts, the more money you will save in the long run by not getting a fancy vehicle.

However, you also do not want to run into the situation where you buy a budget car for what appears to be a meager price, only to find that you just bought a vehicle that will break down after a few months. Sometimes this happens no matter how careful you are, but you still have a good bit of control over this.

You want to ensure that the vehicle you have is insured, either through the dealership that you get it from, or insurance that you get for it yourself. Beginner drivers might get into accidents or have problems with vehicles and not know how to deal with things, so the insurance kicks in and can help quite a bit.

You also need to make sure that your vehicle is going to have good enough gas mileage to make it worthwhile. Sometimes people buy car or bigger vehicles that take tons of gas and get bad mileage. In the end, they spend so much money on gas that they don’t get to enjoy the fact that they got a new vehicle.

Other than mileage and insurance, you want a vehicle that is going to protect you more in the event of an accident. This means you need crash ratings to be ones that you’ll survive and not be too injured if you get into an accident. Paying a bit extra for a vehicle like this is well worth it, especially if you’re going to end up driving quite a bit on freeways or in crowded areas.

If you live somewhere that gets a lot of rain and snow, the tires that you get need to match. You don’t want to get tires that aren’t good with ice if you live somewhere that has long winters. You also need to either get all-season tires or be prepared to have another set of tires for when the weather gets bad.

All in all, the choice is up to you. Being young means that you can make mistakes and learn from them, but taking advice from those who know more about vehicles is always important. After all, your first buy car should be memorable, not a horror story of breakdowns and constant repairs, and multiple trips to a mechanic.

 

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Five Things You Could Do To Increase Your Home’s Value

The value of a house usually goes up with time. However, there are certain factors that determine how well or quickly the house’s value increases. Kindly note, not all the different factors come under your direct control. For instance, the property’s location, market trends, etc. cannot be managed by you, the seller. But there are certain things that you can do to increase the overall appeal and value of your property. The following are home improvement tasks that would almost instantly add value to your house.

Add Square Footage

Adding more usable area to your existing house makes financial sense. It is particularly true in localities where the real estate space is crowded, and the available area is not infinite. Houses are valued based on the liveable or dwelling space they offer. The more the square feet space on offer, the better its prospects of selling for a higher price.

Modify Your Kitchen

Modifying or remodelling a kitchen pays off quite well because it is considered the heart of any house. Make sure the modifications you make are necessary and truly value-adding. If you go overboard or give the kitchen a complete revamp, you may not be able to recover your costs. The rule of thumb is to make sure the remodelled kitchen doesn’t look fancier than other portions of the house.

Add Another Bathroom

If your house has just one bathroom, adding one more bath space would help recoup a major portion of your home renovation costs. As far as finding space in your home for the additional bathroom goes, check if there are under-utilised spaces in the house. Areas underneath the stairs, closets, etc. are spaces you may consider. You would need a minimum of 18 square feet to make room for a decent half-bath. For a full bath, you would need 30 square feet at least. If you’d like to add specific amenities to the bath, such as a bathtub, the square feet requirements would go up.

Paint the House

Paint works like magic, particularly when you’re adding a fresh coat to both the interiors and exteriors of your house. Upgrading the paint can make even the most dated house look new and fresh. Moreover, it doesn’t cost a lot. When ready to roll, start painting spaces that have odd colour schemes, such as pink and green.

Add a Deck

Adding a deck would increase your home’s value. External living spaces have become increasingly desirable in the recent past, particularly with more people staying at home for vacation or enjoying a ‘staycation’. If you could add more appeal to your deck and also your backyard, your property’s price would automatically go up when you put it up for sale.

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5 Unique Gifts For Teenagers

Gifts can be a sign of appreciating the efforts of an individual. They can also be used to show love for someone, usually from a relative or a close friend. When seeking gifts for teenagers, you have to be careful about what you present them. There is a wide range of potential gifts you can bequeath a teenager, but you have to be quite selective about what you offer them considering its value and impact.

1. A Book

There are many types of books which you can buy for your teenager. The choice of a book is excellent because you will be encouraging him or her to develop a reading culture. You will also have to be keen on the content of the book and ensure that it enlightens the individual the right way. A book such as how to manage yourself as a young adult or a book such as making vital career choice could be ideal options of content for the teenager.

2. A Skipping Rope and Dumb Bells

Exercise is vital for every teenager. These may not be the only apparatus needed for adequate exercise, but they will make a good statement. The teen will understand that there is a need to be consistent and perseverant with regular exercise, even if it is not daily. Exercise enables them to be more active, physically fit, and free from lack-of-exercise related ailments that are common in this generation. While most other teens fail to exercise and get unfit, this one will embrace the need for regular exercise.

3. A Ticket to Disneyland

Traveling to Disneyland is just about the dream of every teenager. After promising to take him or her to Disneyland for quite some time, you must finally honor the promise with a ticket to the destination. Usually, such a gift comes after the teenager has done something exemplary as you had earlier on asked him or her. This could either be excelling in school work by garnering excellent grades or by performing well in an adored sport such as football, tennis, or ice skating.

4. A Car on His or Her Graduation

Graduations are usually moments of bliss and a lot of celebration. When you gift your teenager with a car on this day, he or she will remember it for the rest of his or her life. A car will be a big statement to show the teenager the value of education. He or she will know that when you perform well in academics and give your education the attention it deserves, then the rewards will be sweet and satisfying. However, you will have to go the extra mile to instill a safe and recommended driving culture in your teenager.

5. A Video Game Console of Preference

You can buy him or her an Xbox or a PS of preference. Again, this should be after an exemplary performance in a certain task, or on his or her birthday. The video game will be a sign to him or her that you appreciate their free time and you indeed see the need to get them something for their leisure time. These are machines most teenagers relate with today, and as much as you want him or her to enjoy the free time, you will also be instilling a sense of responsibility in them at the same time.