posted30/07/10
If you have a spare bedroom you want to get the most out of it, normally they get used as dumping grounds for things you don’t use anymore but didn’t want to throw away, or extra storage space if you lack a lot in your home. So how do you sort out your spare room so that you can easily store things but also keep it functional and also as a practical bedroom if you wish to have guests staying.
As with many new modern houses finding storage space can be quite a hard task, however there are many ideal storage solutions out there that can help you out, no matter how big your room is, they are great for working around what you already have. If space is an issue but you still want somewhere for your guests to sleep than a sofa bed is ideal, the can be folded up when not in use giving you extra space to move then folded out easily when need to be.
Sometimes an extra wardrobe can also be handy if you have room, extra space or clothes, coats or anything bulky that you don’t want taking up room in your current wardrobe, plus it keeps them out of the way but still kept tidy hung up. If you find you have room for a bed in your spare room then divan beds are a good choice, even is it’s a single bed, they have draw space underneath which is a great place for storing spare towels and sheet. Or a bed with a high frame, underneath you can place boxes on castors which you can store many things and wheel them out easily when needed.
Spare rooms also end up housing your suitcases, however many people leave them lying around empty taking up space, but if you fill them with stuff you don’t use that often such as holiday clothes you can save some extra space.
If you are wanting to redo your spare room the most important thing to remember is be brutal with the stuff you no longer use, ask yourself the question will I ever use/wear this again, nine times out of ten the answer is no. If you find yourself getting rid of a lot, you can either donate it to charity or if you want to make some money for redecoration head to a car boot sale to sell it!
posted28/07/10
As its summer the last thing you want to be thinking about it winter, however the summer is an ideal time to get all those DIY jobs you have been meaning to do before the cold weather kicks in.
One of the main tings you need to consider first is to get your boiler serviced because you need to make sure it is in efficient working order so that it won’t let you down when you most need it.
Also while you are looking at you home heating it’s also a good time to consider underfloor heating which can optimise the heating of your home in winter and can save you money on your bills in the long run. Underfloor heating specialists such as Floor Heating Online offer a wide range of floor heating methods, so you will be able to find something suitable for your needs.
Loft insulation is another job that needs to be done before winter too, you can lose around a quarter of your heat via the roof if it is un-insulated, if you insulate your loft will won’t lose as much heat and your loft insulation will be effective for around 40 years.
You also need to make sure all draughts are sealed as it no good investing in electric or water underfloor heating when all you heat is escaping outside, around a fifth of heat lost from the home is due to draughts. Installing draught proofing will save you around £25 and reduce your CO 2 emissions by around 130kg a year.
When autumn hits you will also have to spend some time de clogging your guttering, as they will be filled with debris such as falling leaves, and twigs, if this is not cleaned out the guttering won’t work properly and wont direct the rainwater away from your home which can cause water damage, which is expensive to fix.
posted26/07/10
If you feel that your bathroom is looking old and worn and could do with a bit of an update then there are a few things you can do to achieve this without spending a fortune especially if your budget won’t stretch to a new bathroom suite and you can even have it done in a weekend.
The easiest thing to change in your bathroom for a fresh look is colour, repainting your walls is pretty much the least expensive thing you can do in your bathroom, you can also by special paint for tile so you can give them a fresher look too. You can also be creative with you space, create a focal point in your bathroom that draws your eyes to it, such as mosaic pattern. Storage can also be cheaply updated, with bathroom cabinets and shelves, they are great to keep your bathroom looking tidy and organised, as well as that you can also get other matching accessorise such as towel rails, toothbrush holders, soap dispensers and robe hooks.
Many people consider their bathrooms their sanctuary, somewhere they go to relax and unwind from the stresses of everyday life so you need to make sure you can relax in your bathroom, you don’t want the lighting too light when you’re having a long soak, so a dimmer switch will help, also having candles around your bath especially aromatherapy ones will make you feel calm. Many people are also turning to their showers as well now to relax, so look for accessorise that will turn your shower into a spa such as a Rainshower showerhead or one that offers multiple setting so you can also get a massage from it. To finish off your bathroom you can also look to invest in a new shower screen as these can become damaged over years of use, and anew one would easily brighten up your bathroom and suitably cover you whilst you’re in the shower.
Bathroom updates
posted22/07/10
There are many tell tale signs that it is time for you to buy a new bed, however if you’re still not sure if your bed needs changing look at the signs below, if you have 3 or more then it’s time for a change:
Is it seven years old or more?
Does it look worn?
Does it feel lumpy?
Is it sagging?
Do you wake up unrefreshed and aching?
Is your base, legs or castors wobbly or worn?
Have you had a better night’s sleep somewhere else?
If you don’t have a good night’s sleep it can seriously affect your health, if you want to improve the quality of your sleep you need to make sure you are sleeping on the right bed, whether a single bed, double bed, queen or king size bed. You spend a third of your life in bed so there are a few things to consider when you are buying a new bed.
Although many people believe having a firm mattress is the most important aspect when buying a bed, they are often wrong in reality more people are hurting from a bed being too hard rather than too soft, firmness or softness is just personal preference and has little bearing on the overall support dynamic. A good bed will reduce pressure, enhance support and provide proper spinal alignment, your bed needs to be able to adapt to your unique physiology and comfort sensitivities.
You also need to look at the size of the bed, firstly make sure the room is big enough to accommodate the size of bed you want, it’s not good going for a king-size bed in a small box room, also do you want a bed frame and then a separate mattress or do you want to go for a divan bed which has storage in it.
posted18/07/10
For those who are not sure what underfloor heating is or what benefits it has here is a quick explanation:
Underfloor heating is a radiant heat, which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection, the heat is provided by heated water, electric cable or mats and by film heaters. You will then achieve an evenly heated room with less wasted heat, underfloor heating is also healthier as it reduces humidity, within the floor coverings, which prevents dust mites from surviving or rising to the surface, on top of that it also reduces the ingress of airborne and carpet or floor covering fungi spores, leading to an allergy free environment.
You are also not limited to where you place your underfloor heating, in your bathroom so you can step out of your shower or bath onto a nice warm floor, in your kitchen, under lino, tile and laminate flooring, whatever you have in your kitchen, in your conservatory and other rooms in your home such as bed rooms and offices, if you have an indoor swimming pool you can have under tile heating as well.
Many people opt for underfloor heating when the replace their current heating system, whether it’s broken or it’s just not energy efficient enough, depending on what type of underfloor heating you plan on having can vary on how long it will take to lay and how much disruption you will be faced with. For example water underfloor heating takes more time and effort with water pipes to install than electric cables or mats, so you need to work out how much work you want to undertake, if you are completely renovating your home then installing water underfloor heating won’t be too much of a problem as it will be most likely be done when you replace the floor.
posted16/07/10
As the largest financial market in the world, currency trading or forex trading can be a very lucrative investment. In this market, money is bought and sold freely and the participants of this unique market determine the price of one currency in terms of another. Major currencies, like the dollar, the Euro, the Yen, the British Pound and the Swiss Franc, make up a large portion of forex currency trading. Knowing how to interpret their patterns and read forex charts can turn a major profit for forex traders.
The forex market is unlike any other, in that it has no central exchange location. Forex day trading continues 24 hours a day during the week, as the market shifts from one time zone to the next. With new technological advancements, online forex trading has made the forex system even less bound by time constraints. Trading can take place instantaneously with the use of forex software or online forex trading platforms.
Brokers, the predominate traders in the market, are also available for forex online trading assistance, advice on forex trading and other questions a newcomer may have. What’s more, most do not charge any fees, in fact the only transaction costs in currency trading are the differences in the buy and sell price.
With no unnecessary fees and 24-hour unlimited access to online currency trading, it is easy to see why the fx trading market attracts new investors and traders every single day.
posted16/07/10
For many people their home is their castle, it will be their greatest investment and something that has been worked hard at to achieve, so you want to make sure you can protect your home and everything you own if anything should happen to it. So many people fail to take precautions to protect what essential is their biggest investment and end up losing everything with no financial help at the end a simple way to avoid expensive payments is to make sure you have home insurance.
If you own your own home, it’s advisable to get buildings insurance, this covers the actual structure of the building, including permanent fixtures and fittings like doors, windows, skirting boards and bathroom fittings. If your home is mortgaged then your mortgage lender will insist that you take out buildings insurance not only for your financial protection but theirs too.
On top of buildings insurance, contents insurance is also advised, this as the name suggests protects the ‘contents’ or your belongings in your home, like carpets and curtains that are fixtures and fittings but that are not permanent, electrical equipment, clothing, jewelry and anything of value. If you rent then contents insurance is all you have to worry about your landlord will be the one who has to take out buildings insurance and Landlords insurance.
You can take out buildings and contents policies out together, this is home insurance, many companies offer great deals when you take out both policies however depending on what sort of cover you need you can sometimes be better off taking polices from two different insurance companies. The only thing to remember here if you do is that if you need to claim you will have to from two different companies which could slow down the whole process.
posted14/07/10
Bathrooms normally get overlooked when it comes to giving your home an update, it can be expensive to fit a whole new bathroom suite however it won’t cost much to give it a new look with some new bathroom accessories, new tiles or a fresh lick of paint. There is a wide range of different bathroom accessories available now so it’s easy to find something for the style you have in mind, one of the most popular styles is the country bathroom, which has rustic features.
Many bathroom sets include bathroom vanity units, cabinets, shelves and other helpful storage ideas as well as laundry baskets. Once you have decided on new accessories you can also give your bathroom a new lick of paint to go, and don’t worry if you can’t afford to re-tile your bathroom you can now get special tile paint so you can give your tired tiles a bit of a update.
New cabinets add extra storage giving you great place to hide all you medicines, creams and cleaning products away out of sight, you can then use your bathroom shelves to place nice decorations such as candles, plants or shells to finish off your bathroom.
Bathroom vanity unit
posted10/07/10
We all know how quickly children grow up, it doesn’t seem that long ago that you brought the little one home and now they are heading towards teenage years, so when you looking to buy furniture for your child’s bedroom you need to make sure they won’t grow out of it quickly, it is durable and sturdy and that it won’t date too easily. You can easily update the room with a lick of paint here and there as your little one grows up, fairly cheap however furniture can be more costly and there are a number of things to consider when choosing children’s bed’s and bedroom furniture.
You should decide firstly what bed you require, then you can design the room around that, what size you need and if it has a theme, such as princess, or racing car, you will find that there is a wide range of themed bedroom sets available. You could always go for something simple, such as a pine or oak set, something that they are less likely to grow out of too quickly.
Storage is another important factor to look at, , is extra storage needed, do you want plenty of organisation space and do you need to make room for electrical appliances such as TV, DVD and games consoles.
If you have two children sharing one room can both their needs be met easily with both compromising rather than just one, do you want to cater for sleepover friends, if so bunk beds or even a futon bunk bed can help with extra sleeping arrangements when needed but also provide extra space when not being used without taking up too much room.
Childs bedroom
posted08/07/10
A BBQ summer was predicted and now that it is here many people are looking to enjoy a BBQ or two, for most with small gardens who do not wish to BBQ a lot disposable ones you get from supermarkets will do the job, however if you want to take it seriously then you might one to invest in a permanent BBQ, and there are 3 different types:
Charcoal grill, this is the oldest type and has been around for decades and as the name suggests it uses charcoal to heat up the BBQ, it also gives off a distinct smoky flavour where a real BBQ taste comes from, which is why many people of for this one. However it does take more time to prepare before you cook and more time to clean after use.
Gas grills, these use propane gas or natural gas to heat and are becoming more popular now, if you choose a natural gas grill you need to keep in mind that it needs an electrical outlet, however it does give off large amounts of heat. If you choose a propane gas grill then you will find this a bit more convenient because they can be moved around and they only give off a little less heat than the natural gas grill.
Electric grills are the newest offering and also the simplest, basically they are an electric oven on wheels, so you don’t need to worry about fuel all you need is an electrical outlet and a cord, exact temperatures can also be maintained and these grills are also much easier to clean, some are also self cleaning, however you will find them to be a little more expensive.
You can look to for a BBQ £30.00 all the way up to £1000 from the simplest to ones that pretty much do it all for you, you can also get fixed BBQ’s that you can build into your garden or mobile BBQ’s that can be used anywhere in your garden or taken other places.
