Home Renovation Tips: Where To Begin

Have you bought a project? Are you renovating an older home or planning a cosmetic overhaul? Renovating is hugely exciting, but it can be hard work. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead and get all the essential tasks done without any stress.

Structural work

If you’ve bought an old house, it’s always wise to get any structural work done as a priority. If there are imperfections that need tending to, repair work can take time. If you can get this done before you move in, it will make life easier. Any problems should be flagged up in a structural survey. If everything is sound, but you’re planning to make changes, these should be next on your list. You may wish to knock down a wall to create a large kitchen-diner, for example. If you’re altering the layout, look through some design ideas and talk to your architect.

Roofing

Roofing problems can contribute to leaks and water damage. If you’re missing tiles or you have holes in the roof, call some local roofing firms and get some quotes. If you can, try and get roofing problems sorted before the winter, when there’s a higher chance of rain.

Flooring

If you’re fitting new floors or updating existing floors, there are lots of options to consider. Match the type of flooring you choose to the style of the home. Take a look at hardwood flooring from Ted Todd for ideas. Wooden floors work well in living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. They are ideal or brand new homes and older, characterful houses. Tiles are a popular option for bathrooms, kitchens, and hallways. You may also wish to consider carpets for bedrooms, landings and snugs. 

Planning your interior designs

Once you’ve got all the building work, roofing and plastering sorted, it’s time to have fun and get creative. Browse through some magazines and peruse interior design websites. Visit some showrooms and note down ideas or themes that you like. Think about which colors and shades you like for each room, and have a look at furniture options. You can often order bedroom or living room complete sets from retailers. If you like things a little quirkier, look out for unique pieces at street stalls, antique shops, and yard sales. Once you’ve got a basic plan for each room, focus on the finishing touches. Invest in some eye-catching accessories and make your home more welcoming. Go for matching storage jars and flower-filled vases in the kitchen. Scatter some cushions and throws on the sofa and place hardback books on a coffee table. Add blankets to beds and frame some photographs for the walls.

Renovating is a dream for many of us. It enables you to put your own stamp on your designs and create your dream home. Initially, taking on a project may seem like a bold move. But if you adopt a methodical approach, and you have plans in place, you should find that everything comes together without any problems. Once you’ve broken the backbone of the building and DIY work, you can embrace your inner interior designer. Have fun and showcase your style and personality.

Do or Don't DIY, Your Questions Answered

Are you completing a home renovation project or completing maintenance on your property? You should always start with one question. Can I DIY? There are lots of advantages to completing DIY work. First, there’s that wonderful sense of achievement once you’ve completed the job. Second, there’s the money that you’ll save. If you can DIY you won’t have to call in the experts who might charge an arm and a leg for their services. That said, it’s true to say that some jobs are more suited for DIY jobs than others. With that in mind here’s show you’ll know whether you should DIY.

Got The Safety Gear?

You must make sure that you are using the right safety gear when completing a job on your home or around your property. The type of gear will depend on the job in question. For instance, if you’re working with cutting metal, you need to make sure you’re wearing gloves. Otherwise, you could get a metal splinter in your hand. This will cause severe pain and might even lead to a serious infection.

Do You Have The Know How?

If you have no idea how to get started with your DIY job, it’s probably not a good idea to do it at all. It’s best instead to leave it to the professionals. You might find that you can uncover how to complete the DIY job by looking at a video online. Or by checking out a blog like this one for the answers. But if there’s any doubt that you understand what’s being asked don’t go through with it. You could make a mess or worse, put yourself in danger. That brings us to the next question.

Is It Safe?

You’d be surprised how dangerous a DIY job could be. You may not think that there are any hazards involved with completing the DIY job in question. But just think about that for a moment. Changing a light bulb, while simple does present a hazard. If you accidentally leave the power on, you could electrocute yourself. Now, let’s look at a more complex job that some people DIY like welding. You might choose to weld a pipe in your home, rather than calling in a professional. But if you do this, you are putting yourself at risk of burns and abrasions. Think about how safe the job is and whether or not the risk is worth it.

Do You Have The Tools?

Certainly DIY jobs will often require expensive and heavy machinery. For instance, you might be completing a home renovation project on the exterior of your property. If that’s the case, you may need to cut concrete. To do this, you will need a concrete saw. Without that, you’re just going to make a mess of the job in question. That’s why before you DIY you should check online and ensure you have the tools you need or that you can buy them.

Are You Confident?

Lastly, ask yourself whether you can complete the job you’re considering without any help. If you’re confident in that fact after asking these questions, go ahead with it. Many people choose to DIY to cut costs. But, if you’re not confident you’ll probably need to get the job completed twice regardless. It could even cost more because the contractor will be fixing your poor work.

Design Tips for a Cooler Home

When you live somewhere that experiences hot summers or is even warm all year, it can be hard to stay cool. If your house is poorly designed, it can heat up quickly and stay hot throughout the day. If you need to feel cooler in your home, you can make some modifications to the design. If you're lucky and you haven't built your home yet, you have even more room to design it for a hotter climate. There are lots of design choices you can make to create a cooler home that will help you to relax. Try these tips to stop your property overheating.

No Carpets

Some people choose to have wall to wall carpets in their homes. However, if you want a cool home, this isn't a great idea. Walking around on carpets isn't going to help you if you're hot, and it could trap the heat in. Homes in hotter climates usually have hard floors. If they're not wooden, they could be stone or concrete. Tiled floors is a popular choice in many places, including the Mediterranean. If you worry about it getting too cold during the winter, you can use a couple of solutions. Adding rugs in colder weather will help, and you could also have underfloor heating.

Shading Windows

When sunlight comes into your home through glass windows, it can heat up very quickly. The larger your windows are, the hotter your home might get. So if you have French doors, you might want to be cautious. Shading your windows is one of the solutions you can use to keep your home cooler. For example, you can buy window shutters to keep the sunlight from shining directly on your windows. Keep them closed during the hotter parts of the day, and open them up at night when it's cooler.

Promoting Air Movement

Having good air flow is one of the main ways to keep your home cool. A lot of people will use air conditioning for this, but you don't always need it. If you live somewhere that gets cool breezes or cools down at night, you can take advantage of this. Leave your doors open to let the air flow throw is useful. It also helps if your home has an open plan layout. However, if there are no breezes, some efficient fans or an air conditioning unit might be better for you.

Choosing Furniture Carefully

When you furnish your home, you should consider your furniture carefully. It's easy to work out that sitting on a hard chair might be preferable to peeling yourself off a leather sofa. Equally, you don't want to have faux-fur throws in your living room in the summer. You need to balance being comfortable when you sit and being a comfortable temperature. If you buy upholstered chairs and sofas, think about the fabric and whether it will get hot or irritate you in the summer.

There are several ways you can alter the design of your home to keep it cool. There might not be any need to switch the aircon on if you're careful.

Online directories – The way to source essential domestic services

There are some services that we might not use very often, but when we do, speed is of the essence. Tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, tree surgeons, and appliance engineers, are all needed at some time or other, and more often than not, it is a small job, and one that only a local tradesperson would do.

Plumbing and drainage

This trade covers anything at all connected with water, either inside, or outside your house. If the need arises, you could check for reviews on London plumbers with Thomson Local, and feel confident of a satisfactory outcome. Always look for some accreditation, or association with a recognised authority, which shows the plumber is qualified to do the job at hand.

Electrical work

This is definitely not the area to develop your DIY skills, so sourcing a local electrician is the best solution. As with any service, the contractor must be qualified and experienced in dealing with any domestic electrical issue, from a blown fuse to a total rewiring job. By using an online directory, you can rest assured that the work will be safely carried out to the highest standard.

Washing machines and dryers

These sturdy machines really take a hammering, especially with a large family. They need regular maintenance, and sometimes repair, so a householder needs to find a local expert who can provide such a service. With an online directory, the consumer is able to access information about the local business before making a decision. Making contact is easy, and the technician will be at your residence in no time.

Tree surgery

If you have trees, they need taking care of, and sometimes a little more. This is a dangerous profession and therefore you require someone with experience to carry out the work.

Business deliveries

Many small businesses are run from home, and they require a fast and reliable, door-to-door delivery service for their customers. Courier companies are the perfect solution, as they can accommodate a wide range of logistical services. It is crucial that your goods are shipped to your client promptly, so by using a professional service, your packages can be tracked at all times, with guaranteed delivery dates. A good logistics provider will have a range of transportation they can access, including airfreight and shipping, to facilitate your delivery and deadline, while keeping customer satisfaction at a premium.

Home surveillance and security

In these days of rising crime figures, it is essential to have some kind of home or office security system installed. With CCTV affordable to all, it is advisable to have a few cameras at strategic points around the property. Other options include motion sensor devices, and intrusion alarms, with automatic calling to the emergency services when no one is on the premises.

Pest control

This service deals with a number of issues related to animal and insect life. Wherever you are situated, the local insect population will also be resident, and in some situations, they can literally eat you out of your home! Preventative measures need to be taken, and with the experts at hand, pest control is something you never need worry about again.

Carpet cleaners

Carpets are expensive items and need more than just the occasional vacuum. A regular deep clean will transform your carpet, while prolonging its life. The equipment used for this is very expensive and people are not prepared to outlay such a sum of money, far better to source a local company that can come round and carry out the work with the minimum of inconvenience. Stains can be removed easily with the right knowledge, so if you ever require someone to remove that ghastly paint stain in the lounge, then your online local directory is the ideal place to find them.

Laundry services

Many people outsource all of their washing and ironing, negating the need for expensive washers and dryers. With door-to-door service, your clothes will always be clean and fresh, giving you more time to focus on other things. This works very well for a single person, or young working couples that have a busy social calendar.

Food takeaway services

This has evolved into a separate industry now, with small companies that will order from your favourite restaurant and deliver to your door. With speed of the essence, you can have your meal in front of you within minutes, whatever your chosen cuisine. The easiest way to make contact is through your online local directory, who can display a wide range of food delivery services within your immediate vicinity.

Locksmiths

Most of us have locked ourselves out on a number of occasions, and this can be most frustrating. By contacting a locksmith, you can gain entry without causing any damage. They can also provide spare keys for any type of lock, and can also advise and install a perfect safe, to give you somewhere secure to keep the family inheritance.

Landscape gardeners

Whenever we need some major work in the garden, perhaps a new drive, or patio, then the experts are there to help. A good company will advise you on your best course of action, and provide a comprehensive quote for materials and labour. If you have a large garden, you may require someone to maintain the grounds, and this can be contracted on a monthly basis, tailored to your requirements.

Painting and decorating

When we finally decide to give the interior that much needed overhaul, we need a local company that can assist in the concept design, and complete the work with the minimum of inconvenience. An online directory will put you in touch with a local tradesperson who can advise you on all aspects of your property renovation.

Online directories

Online directories put you in touch with the right people at the right time, and save time and money by providing instant access to local solutions. Here are some statistics about the UK Local search Ecosystem which highlights the popularity of online directories.

Safety Glasses And Other Precautions You Should Take When Working On DIY Projects

Working on your own projects can be both fun and rewarding. There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from making something yourself, and being able to display the finished product. However, with many DIY projects, there are some injury concerns that you need to be aware of. Depending on the type of project you are working on, you could be dealing with power tools, different chemicals, welding, or hazardous materials. When you are working on any sort of project, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Here are just a few ways that you can do that:

Enough Space

The first thing you should make sure of is that you have enough space. When you try to work on your projects in a cramped area, this is more likely to lead to accidents. Things can get knocked over, tools can cause an injury, and materials can spill. Find a space in your home that is large enough for you to comfortably work on your project before you begin. If you have to, set up some tables outside in order to give yourself some more room.

Safety Glasses

Another thing you should consider is whether or not you need to wear safety glasses. Safety glasses are very important if you are going to be working with power tools, outdoors, with any kind of chemicals, or when there will be dust or debris in the air. Safety goggles will make sure that nothing comes into contact with your eye, and help you to keep a better focus on what you are doing. If you are not sure if you need glasses for your specific project, we'd say it is better to be safe than sorry.

Electricity

Extreme care must be taken whenever your DIY project involves some electricity. You want to make sure you have taken the right precautions so that you do not accidentally injure yourself. Be sure your power source is disconnected, or that your home's power is shut off before you begin. For more tips on how to safely work with electricity, you can visit this link.

Clean Up

As you work on your project, it is important that you clean up along the way. Leaving tools, materials or chemicals lying around while not in use can be very hazardous. Once you are doing using something, be sure to put it away properly so that you have a clean workspace. Then, once you are done with the project entirely, clean up everything that you used. This is especially important if your work area is in the middle of your home, as you are likely to have other people around and you do not want them to get injured.

First Aid Kit

Lastly, no matter how careful you are, accidents may still occur. Because of this, it is important that you have a well-stocked first aid kit nearby. Your first aid kit should be in a place that is easily accessible, and should have plenty of supplies to handle any kind of emergency that you may encounter. For a list of items that you should have in your kit, you can visit this resource from the Red Cross.

Be Safe

A DIY project will not be nearly as rewarding if there is an injury along the way. Take as many precautions as you can to ensure that you and everyone else working on the project remains safe. Use the suggestions mentioned above to get you started, but also use your own common sense and knowledge about the type of project that you will be working on.

Use These Hacks to Ensure Your Home Construction Job Goes Without Problems

When it comes to home construction, work you need to make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s important to work on the best ways of improving your property. Making your home construction job go without problems is important. It also means you need direction and techniques to help you achieve this. Check out some of the ideas on here, and use them to make the process simpler.

Design Experts

Don’t forget that you need to make sure you have a well-designed home. Any work you might want to do will require a good design. Whether you’re building from the ground up or making modifications, you need it to be planned out. And that’s why it’s essential that you make use of design experts. You need to consult with these people and come up with design ideas for your home. This is the best way of working towards getting the home of your dreams right now.

Eco-Home

If you are serious about wanting to make your home better, you need to consider going for an eco-home. It’s a great way of protecting your property and ensuring that you do what’s best for the environment. These days it’s so much easier than ever before to make your home into a green home. You can construct solar panels and a rainwater tank. Get your own allotment put in, and start recycling. All this is so easy to do, and you can work it around your home construction. It’s important to make your home better and improve your way of living.

Add Value

Adding value to the property is something that all homeowners wish they were able to do. It’s great for securing your financial future, and improving chances of making a sale. So, you need to do what you can to try and add value to your property. The good thing is that when you are doing work on your home you can make additions that will increase the value. This is something you’re able to do as you go along without it having to be a massive problem. So, you should take the time to think about the best way of adding value to the property. Then you can implement these changes as you carry out the work.

Equipment Hire

In order to carry out the work, you’re going to need to make sure you hire the right equipment. There is a lot you’re going to need when undertaking big tasks and you have to get it right. For the sake of quality and safety, you need to be sure you look at digger and excavator hire options, as well as several others. Having all the equipment you need to work on the home is very important these days. It might be best to first try to figure out what pieces of equipment and machinery you’re going to need for each project. Then you can make sure you’re in the best position to get everything done as well as possible.

Have You Budgeted?

It’s important to bear in mind that any work you do relating to your home is going to cost money. Home construction work isn’t cheap, and you have to be sure you’re going to get the very best for your money. So, make sure you set aside a budget for the work that needs to be done. Get quotes and estimates and make sure you start saving. There is nothing more frustrating than having to stop a project midway through due to lack of funds. This is something that you need to guard against as much as possible, and the way to do that is to set yourself a sensible and realistic budget.

Add Some Personality

You have to bear in mind that this is your home, and it’s important to recognize that. You have to be happy with the way it looks and feels. And the best way of doing this is to make sure you add some personality to the home. While you are working on the construction project, it’s the perfect opportunity to add some personality. This is your chance to really make the home as amazing as possible. And the way to do this is to try to inject some of your personality by making the appropriate changes to the home.

Home construction jobs are often ambitious and require a lot of work. That’s why you have to do what you can to make sure the process run more smoothly. And by using these hacks you can help work towards that. It’s essential to make sure everything goes according to plan and that there are no problems with the job. Hopefully, you’ll be able to use the suggestions on this post to help you with that.

5 Simple Tips On Caring For Your Roof

Fully caring for a home consists of so many jobs and tasks that it can all get overwhelming. There’s the grass to cut, windows to clean, carpet to vacuum, loft to insulate… and then there’s the roof!

That being said, it’s not a 24/7 task - assuming you do little things here and there to care for it. If you’re not sure what these little tasks should be, then look no further! Below, you’ll find the top five tips we could gather regarding roof maintenance and roof care.

Tip 1: Thoroughly Clean The Gutters

Yes, your guttering does technically count as part of your roof. For the purposes of this post, anyway. Leaves, small rocks and even rubbish can all accumulate in your roof’s rain gutters over time, so it’s important to keep them clear.

If your gutters are indeed filled and blocked with all manner of debris, that’s a serious problem. This causes rain to overflow into your home, and we all know what a nightmare that would be. Also, this extra water can lead to mold and fungal growth. They’re two issues that are hard to rectify!

More often than not, you can step out onto the street and eye up the condition of your gutter from here. If you can see an excess of leaves, it’s time to act fast. If it looks fine but you aren’t convinced, either (carefully!) hop on a ladder yourself, or call a roof professional. Sometimes, the problem isn’t necessarily visible from down below.

Tip 2: Have It Completely Revamped

Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to restore your roof to its former glory! Perhaps it’s seen better days, and is in severe need of a thorough re-pointing and cleaning. A complete roof restoration accomplishes several things:

- Your entire roof will be pressure cleaned. This removes any dirt, moss and debris that’s lodged up there, leaving it sparkly clean.

- Your entire roof will also be repointed. This seals any small holes or gaps that may have been letting heat escape.

- Anti-fungal protective coatings will be applied, which shield your roof from any long-term effects

Of course, I’d recommend you have your roof thoroughly inspected first, before you commit to a restoration. If it simply needs a quick tweak here and there, that would be much cheaper than a full restoration. Anyhow, if your roof hasn’t seen much love in recent years, it’s safe to assume it could use an update.

Tip 3: Check your interior for leaks

You may be so laser-focused on the outside that you neglect the inside! This is a mistake, and damage can be shown indoors too. Head high into the top roof of your house, and check the ceiling for any damp and leaks.

Sometimes, these can be hard to spot, and it may just be a slight trickle. Other times, it’ll be a huge patch - quite hard to miss! This is indicative of a roof leak, and it needs to be addressed pronto. As we previously mentioned, this leak can lead to mold and fungal growth in your home. If left unchecked, the problem will continue to get worse.

You’ll need to hire a roof professional in this instance. Your entire roof will either need replacing, revamping or repointing. Have an audit done and see to what extent the damage has occurred. In the meantime, air the top room of your house with dehumidifiers, air conditioners and by opening windows.

Tip 4: Don’t touch it!

Not that you would, but it’s worth mentioning. Climbing up on your roof for whatever reason can cause the shingles to come loose and break down. It’s also very dangerous to do, but that goes without saying.

You should also avoid painting your roof where possible. If you want a splash of color, buy colored tiles! The chemicals in paint can also damage shingles, breaking them down rather quickly. This leads to increased damage further down the line, and it can be hard to rectify.

Tip 5: Cut Overhanging Tree Branches

It’s quite common for households to be placed near trees nowadays. They’re attractive features that can provide you a patch of cool shade in the burning summer heat. While they’re usually not an issue, it becomes a problem when their branches begin to hang over your roof.

This is a problem for several reasons. One, the longer and more overhanging those branches are, the easier they can be snapped or blown off by the wind. If that happens, it’s bye-bye roof! Longer branches make it easier for squirrels and other rodents to clamber onto your roof, potentially causing damage.

Furthermore, the leaves from these overhanging branches will be able to drop into your guttering more easily. We previously discussed this issue, and it’ll be repeated ten times as badly in this situation.

Since trimming tree branches is rather tough to do at home, I’d recommend you contact your local government office. It’s likely that those trees are their property (if they’re not in your back garden), so they should do it anyway. If the trees are causing a major problem, rally your neighbors and sign a petition. Your voices are more likely to be heard this way.

Overall

Overall… your roof is now perfection! If you followed this advice, anyway. In our homes, the problems can start at the top, so it’s important to eliminate them at the source.

Roofing and the attic is the cause of a large chunk of heat loss in the home. Losing this heat causes your home to become colder, which ups those energy bills. It’s a vicious cycle that never ends, but with proper care, it can be stopped.

So, check your roof regularly, or have it checked regularly. I’d recommend every six months. Problems can only take a couple of weeks to develop. Just because it’s clear in January, doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way until summer. Contact a professional where necessary, and above all, keep an eye on those interior damp patches!

5 Things to Think About Before a Kitchen Renovation

Remodeling your kitchen can be a big undertaking. As long as you take a step back and ask yourself a few simple questions first you can avoid a lot of stress. Many of the problems are caused by a lack of preparation and consideration.

Here are 5 things to think about before a kitchen renovation.

Why are You Renovating Your Kitchen?

Understanding “why” you want to do something—namely renovating your kitchen—is an important thing to understand. If you’re renovating for yourself because you want a change then you should pick a kitchen that suits you. If you’re looking to sell your house or improve its value then you need a kitchen that appeals to others. They may be entirely different things. Perhaps you need more storage space or you want to update your appliances. Ask yourself what you really need out of your new kitchen.

What is Your Budget?

Your budget is super important. Another common problem with any renovation is underestimating the cost involved. While the DIY route can be cheaper, it can easily be more of a hassle and cost more in the long run if you’re not sure what you are doing. Also plan for unexpected occurence that will cause you to go over budget. Work out a budget and add 10% to it for emergencies or changes that cost more than expected.

What Can You Keep?

A great way to cut down on the costs of renovation is to keep things you can still use. If your appliances work great then don’t replace them. The same applies to your shelves and cabinetry. If you like your shelves, sink, and appliances then don’t get them replaced. Appliances are definitely a major cost. The more of the original kitchen you can keep the more you will save on the renovation.

Are You Staying in The House During Renovation?

If you’re going to be staying in the house during the renovation then you need to prepare for that. You pretty much won’t have a kitchen until the work is done—at least not a functioning one. You could be living off of takeout for a while. This can be a big hassle if you have little children or you prefer to eat fresh foods. Come up with an alternate plan for dining—whether it’s backyard grilling or eating out, just know ahead of time meal times are going to be affected.

Where Are You Going to Keep Everything?

Another big thing to consider is where you’re going to keep the food you already have in your kitchen. You won’t have access to all of your kitchen and there’s a chance that your power might be cut for a short time, rendering your refrigerator useless. If you have a lot of frozen goods then they could end up spoiled. Find other places to store what’s in your kitchen while the renovation is happening. Getting a kitchen renovation completed doesn’t have to be super expensive or incredibly stressful. Just ask yourself these questions and really prepare for it. Accept that things may take a while and you are going to lose your kitchen for a short time. Work out what you want out of the renovation and how much it’s going to cost you. You’d be surprised at what a little preparation can do for your stress levels.

Quick Checklist to Follow Before Commencing Home Improvement Project

Home requires care and maintenance to keep it the same cozy place where you love relaxing and unwinding yourself. There are many reasons to opt for home improvement but the difficulty lies in commencing the home improvement project as there are many factors guiding the decision. The need for home improvement can be related to maintenance work, inconvenience of some kind, or just to make it a better place to live in. You may have your own reasons for home improvement but at the same time you may have your hindrances like lack of time, technology, or finance to get it done. We very well know the issues you face in making this happen and we have therefore made this excellent checklist to work as your step by step guide for starting the home improvement project.

1. What areas of your home require improvement?

See whether your entire home requires improvement or only few areas in your home call for quick maintenance. This is the first step to home improvement as it will provide you with the line of action. Even if your entire house calls for improvement, you can break the renovation work into phases as per the priority. This may seem difficult at first but then think about the limited budget you might be playing in and decide accordingly. Note down the areas that need improvement and the work estimate. List them in the descending order of priority, hence you know what you can take up in your budget.

2. Play in the fixed budget

When you are playing in the fixed budget, make sure that you plan your finances beforehand. In case of improvement, you can raise some money by selling off the existing furniture. Take into account all the saleable stuff and the amount you can raise from selling them. Form the final budget after adding the sum you can earn from selling off the existing stuff. This will make your decision easy.

3. Time Matters

Time surely matters! The time frame in which you want the improvement work do be done would also help in prioritizing your work. Some jobs are time consuming while some are time bound. For e.g. If the home improvement is targeted for some particular season then you need to get it done before that season arrives, hence it is time bound and needs to be done on priority. Also there are jobs that don’t take much of time and you can take those tasks on hand first so as to quickly get to the end of the list.

4. Decide the right way to go for it – DIY or external contractor

You may be the real DIY enthusiast but not all home improvement work can be done just by reading a book. Your professional toolkit will also not support certain job works as it calls for the professional hand. So, before deciding to take up the DIY route, know your limitations and if you are not sure about the execution then start the project in phases and if found difficult then allocate it to the professional at the later stage.

5. Source designing ideas

Now when priorities are set, you can start sourcing the design ideas. You can source some amazing ideas from internet as now a days most of the social networking sites are posted with various designing ideas. Check out the home improvement ideas on various home décor websites too as the pictures posted there would help a lot. Sort some good pics online and later discuss with your contractor for exact estimation. Stretch your budget a bit to accommodate your favorite design as it is difficult to get the home improvement work done again and again. Think of certain cuts elsewhere but don’t compromise on the design.

6. Tools and Tricks

If you are on the DIY way, procure the professional tools and browse through internet and books to learn the right tricks. Equip yourself with sufficient knowledge to begin, troubleshoot, and end the project. It will help you avoid major setbacks to the completion. There are special home improvement shops catering your tools and tricks needs under one roof.

7. Contractor

Not going for DIY project? Find the good contractor to carry out the entire project. Good if you can find some family or friend recommended contractor as you would be sure of the quality in that case.

8. Get the plan on paper and money on hand

When budget is ready, apply for the quick finances. You can use up your savings and arrange for some quick finance by selling off some old furniture pieces. For those who are depending on loans, it is better to apply for it once the work starts as it will save you from unnecessary interest payment. Also make the blueprint ready with the activity log to track the entire project efficiently.

Each home improvement project must be handled professionally to get the outcome as planned. It consumes your time, money, and energy, hence ensure that you get the flawless results in your first try.

Author Bio: Carol is a lead content writer at Worldcraft Industries Furniture Store that offers an Indian Inspired furniture range featuring wooden furniture such as beds & seating and fabrics for curtains, pillow covers and cushions.

How To Clean Up a Water Damaged Home

When water enters unwanted places like our homes, it can be a serious pain to the homeowner. It can cause a lot of damage and ruin your prized possessions. However, you can minimize the damages and save some of your household possessions if you act quickly. Water damage and restoration is an important skill that a team of professional cleaners is able to offer. It involves the professionals going into a home affected by water disasters such as floods and burst pipes and restoring the home back to its pre-loss condition. In this guide, I will show you how to clean up a water damaged home before professionals arrive.

Stop the flow of water

First and foremost, shut off the main water line in your home if the flooding was caused by a burst pipe. After that, turn off the power system and remove all items out of the water's way. You are more likely to save the items when you move them much faster from the water. Get in touch with a professional and tell them where the water is coming from.

Get rid of standing water

Getting rid of all the water and drying the area is very important in preventing the growth of molds. When water continues sitting there, it is more likely to cause a lot of damage. Therefore, you should pump out any standing water. Be sure to wear protective gear like gloves and gumboots when working in a flooded area and keep children as well as pets away from the standing water.

Dry out the area

After you have got rid of all the water standing, dry out the area using a dehumidifier. Fans can only be used if the molds have not started growing since they spread mold spores to other areas. For the area to dry faster, open windows to allow air circulation which promotes faster drying. When everything has dried out, you should use disinfectants to disinfect all the areas that have been affected by the flood waters.

Dispose of the damaged items

You should make a list of all your damaged property and call your insurance agent before you begin the cleanup process. Let them know where you are disposing the damaged items and ask if you need to keep samples. When you use the services of a professional water damage restoration company, they will document for you the materials that have been affected and also determine their proper value of all the materials lost.

Will Making Sustainable Housing More Affordable Increase its Adoption?

When builders create a sustainable home, they are conscious of using resources that do not harm the environment. A secondary goal is to equip the home to use water and energy in the most efficient manner possible. While the concept of sustainable housing has existed in developed nations for the past few decades, the push to make them more affordable has only come about in recent years. World leaders, including those in the UK, are realising the benefits of using limited space and resources to create homes for their citizens. Below are several examples of sustainable homes that people of average means can afford.

A Sustainable Home for less than $20,000 

Rural Studios, located in Alabama in the United States, set out to prove that it could produce a sustainable home for less than $20,000 and sell it to a first-time home owner. This is quite an accomplishment considering that the average home in Alabama sells for $121,900. The figure included materials, labour, and profit. The finished home was 500 square feet (46.45 metres) and contained one bedroom. Rural Studios built it with high ceilings to promote cross-ventilation and reduce heating and cooling costs. The large overhanging roofs protect the home from sun damage. Construction crews placed doors and windows in strategic places to take advantage of bouncing light.

Australia’s Homes Are Getting Smaller

The typical home in Australia is larger than anywhere else in the world, with the United States coming in a close second. With both the price of land and housing on the rise in Australia, homes with an average size of 241 square metres are no longer realistic. Austin Maynard Architects came up with the solution to construct an environmentally, financially, and socially sustainable apartment building that promotes the benefits of community living. This is something that had been lacking in Australia up to this point.

To serve young and growing families, the Australian Population Council also recommended building small, affordable, and environmentally friendly homes of approximately 65 square metres. Builders in that country have reduced costs by using lightweight construction materials and limiting the number of bedrooms in each new home.

Sustainable and Affordable UK Neighbourhoods

Not content to build just a single sustainable home, several UK construction companies have created entire neighbourhoods of them. The housing association Radian is an industry leader in the UK for having retrofit thousands of homes to improve energy efficiency and lower fuel bills. The retrofits benefitted 44,000 people while reducing C02 emissions by 34 percent.

A project at Cotney Croft and Peartree Way consists of eight new low-carbon homes available for rent. Baily Gardner Architects exceeded Level 5 maintained by the Code for Sustainable Homes when creating this city block of homes. Residents here enjoy lower energy costs than their neighbours living in non-sustainable homes.

Privates residences and apartments on Bearwood Road in Birmingham are built with load-bearing masonry and timbre frames with advanced insulation. BM3 Architects created multiple structures with solar thermal heating capability as well as roof-mounted panels and hot water storage supplementation. The designer of these structures achieved an Eco Homes Very Good Rating.

The demand for sustainable housing is expected to grow as the issues of environmental concerns, land costs, housing costs, and population growth continue to challenge developed nations.

Tips for decorating your dream home

There are many responsibilities that come with owning a home. Of course, owning a home comes with many benefits as well, but it means more than being able to take advantage of tax breaks every year when you file your taxes using TurboTax. In fact, one thing that people may see as both a perk and a drawback is decorating. This is partly due to the work that it may involve and the time and money that people spend making a home theirs, but when all is said and done, their home is beautiful inside and out, granted they know how to properly decorate.

Here are a few tips for decorating your dream home.

Don't choose busy designs

When picking out furniture or decor, steer away from things that have busy designs. They may seem cool at the store or when you view them online, but in person, certain designs can be distracting and almost nauseating. Not only may you find that the pattern or design distracts you, you'll find that it will distract guests in your home as well.

Don't try to match too much

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are decorating their home is matching too much. It is nice to have everything in the home flow together, but having too many things match can be just as distracting as having a busy design on the walls or on your furniture. If possible, choose one color to have in all rooms, but avoid having the main pieces of furniture in those room the same color. For example, if the couch is navy blue in the living room, maybe having the carpet or curtains navy blue in another room is a good idea.

Use mirrors

If your dream home is small, a good way to fix this is by using placing mirrors in some of room, specifically the living room and bedrooms. This will give the illusion that the room is bigger and make the space feel more open.

When anyone is purchasing their first home, it can be a very exciting time in their life. While they may be excited about their purchasing, they may quickly become overwhelmed. When they take a look at all of the decorating that must be done, it may seem like a lot of work is to be done before they can really settle in and call this place home, but once it is complete, they will feel right at home.