Nothing is more irritating than carefully selecting the perfect amount of bandwidth for you and your family just to experience spotty and oftentimes slow internet speeds while at home. And now more than ever, it is crucial that you have a reliable connection while many of us are working and studying at home. Check out the tips below to boosting those speeds.

Place your router in a central, open location. Your connection speed can be affected by distance, so if possible, place your router in an open area between the rooms you use your Wi-Fi most, such as the living room and office.

Avoid obstacles and interference. Top internet providers recommend placing the router off the floor above furniture and away from brick or concrete walls that can block or slow the internet from being transmitted properly. Additionally, other electronics like baby monitors, microwaves, and cordless phones can interfere with the connection.

Look into a wireless range extender. Have you noticed that your far guest room is a Wi-Fi dead spot? Although an extender won’t boost the speed of your internet overall, it will help increase the signal in the room it is placed in, extending the connection’s reach. Upgrade your router and firmware. If the router you own or rent is outdated, it is possible that is the reason your bandwidth is not reaching its full potential. It’s recommended that you upgrade every three or four years to make sure it can support the latest Wi-Fi standards. Plus, many of the new routers allow data to transmit over two radio frequencies, giving you two WiFi networks.

In this day and age, our smartphones have become just another limb, permanently fixed to our bodies. So, the idea of keeping phones out of the bedroom seems like such a foreign concept. However, here are 5 reasons you should give it a try!

Minimize temptation. Even if you think you have strong self-control, with your phone within arm’s length, you are much more tempted to play that additional game of solitaire or scroll Twitter for just another 15 minutes. This results in staying up later and later, which can readjust your internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep.

Ease your brain. Whether you’re scrolling social media, texting your significant other, replying to emails, or skimming the news, you are using and stimulating your brain. When you finally do put down the phone, your brain is still on overdrive. Try reading a book, meditating, or doing yoga instead to put your brain in a relaxed state.

Lessen disturbed sleep. One of the most common phone activities before bed is checking social media, however, a study published in the journal of Sleep1 found that using social media within 30 minutes of going to bed has been independently associated with disturbed sleep.

Limit LED screens in bed. Blue-light emitting devices, such as phones, can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, slowing the production of melatonin which helps regulate sleep.

Reduce disruptions to your sleep. With your phone out of the bedroom, you eliminate the chances of that ding or buzz waking you in the middle of the night and disrupting your important REM sleep.

The home buying process can be exciting and fun, but also complicated, stressful, and overwhelming. Maximize your chance of success and minimize the amount of time spent trying to keep track of all the details by working with a buyer’s agent. There is a plethora of benefits to using a buyer’s agent, and here are the top four!

They can find the right properties for you. When starting your search, generally you will already have a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves for your new home. Your buyer’s agent will have access to extensive search resources and all the new listings hitting the market, so they can ensure you are looking at homes that meet most, if not all, of your criteria.

They know the background. Experienced buyer’s agents have a breadth of knowledge on different neighborhoods in the area. They can let you know what similar homes in the area have recently sold for, if there are any new commercial projects on the horizon, what the nearby schools have to offer, and more.

They are in your corner during negotiations. A buyer’s agent is your advocate when it comes time to put in an offer and negotiate. They have your best interest in mind, understand what you are looking for, and can help you get the best price and terms for the home.

They provide trusted recommendations. Buyer’s agents that have been in the business for several years have likely built strong relationships with professionals in other parts of the industry. Turn to your agent when you are ready to find a home inspector, moving company, lender, and more.

Using plants as décor is a great way to add a little color and a natural, bright feel to any room. There are endless types of plants to choose from and various ways to display each one, but here are a few of our favorite combinations.

Geometric pots. Find geometric pots or planters of various sizes and plant small succulents of different styles and colors in each one. Then group a few pots together on a window sill or shelf or use them individually to adorn a side table or center of the dining room table.

Long, hanging plants. Purchase a larger, draping plant like eucalyptus, fern, or ivy and hang it from the ceiling using a macramé plant hanger or place it on a high shelf or ladder. These plants are perfect for the corner of your living room or room with a large, plain wall that is in need of a little pop of color.

Plant corner. Have a large corner in the dining or living room and need ideas on how to fill it? Consider turning it into a small plant sanctuary. Select plants of all different sizes, heights, colors, and style and purchase either matching pots or a mix of designs. Consider the use of a stool or small table to create additional levels and strategically place each one in the corner.

Air plants. Air plants are universal and can be included in DIY wall art, hung from the ceiling or on the wall inside geometric metal prisms, or placed inside beautiful glass terrariums alongside other plants and colorful rocks or sand.

There are a lot of factors that will determine how quickly your house is sold, and it’s important to tackle the factors you can control. If you’re still living in your home while trying to sell it, these are a few simple ideas that can help speed up the home sale process.

1. De-clutter

Buyers want to step into a prospective home and imagine the possibilities. That’s a lot easier to do when a space is airy and clutter-free. Get rid of the clutter that’s just taking up space in your home, and it can totally transform how a buyer sees the property.

2. Offer an incentive

Don’t break the bank for add-ons that don’t make financial sense in the long run, but there are some reasonable expenses you can use to entice buyers, such as offering a home warranty.

3. Focus on flow

Now that you’re working toward a new home, it’s important to position your furniture for easy movement through the space, rather than how you personally like it arranged. Position your furniture so that it’s natural to flow from one room to the next.

4. Take care of your to-do list

There’s probably a list of small repairs that you’ve been putting off for a while, like fixing a dripping faucet or touching up paint on some walls. Make those repairs so that the home is more move-in ready for buyers.

5. Commit to cleanliness

Just like removing clutter, keeping your place clean can go a long way toward appealing to buyers. It’s especially true in the kitchen—no dishes in the sink or coffee rings on the countertops!