Beautiful Home: February 2011

28 February 2011

Starting Your Own Real Estate Business

Real estate is often looked at as a service industry. Most brokers do provide a service. They accompany people who want to buy homes, business property and other properties, but it is a business and well. A for profit business.

Real estate forms go beyond landlord tenant forms and purchase agreements. These legal forms are typically governed by local and state law. They have to be worded correctly according to the regulations that are set forth or there could be liable problems down the road, for both the involved parties and the real estate professional. In every state of the union there are licensing agencies for these professionals. To become a licensed real estate professional there are classes and tests that have to be passed to get that license. Al are trained within the locality that they plan on practicing in, in the proper use of these legal forms, wording for the forms and potential ethical dilemmas. The people that work in this profession can also be sued for improper handling of the sale and transfer of property and the legal forms that they prepare. There is a lot of time and effort put forth to become a real estate professional. Building a business out of all this time and effort is a separate task entirely.

Most newly licensed real estate agents do not go into business for themselves, they usually work for someone else. As a matter of fact, in most states, a licensed agent or sales person is required to put in a certain amount of hours under a real estate broker. This practice allows the sales person to gain experience and to hone these types of skills. Most folks are not able to start a this kind of a business right away. They have to spend time working under a broker and learning the ropes. Once the time has been put in than there is more testing that is required to get a brokers license. The testing and the class work actually continues through out the professional life of the real estate professional. There is periodic testing done to allow the people that work in this field to keep their license in good standing.

It takes not only time and effort to start this kind of a business, but it always takes money. Working from home is an easy solution for an owner but over time with an increase in business it may be required to hire other experienced staff and office support.

Delegating duties is one of the keys to owning and operating a real estate business. Office staff can assume a lot of the day to day duties so that sales can be focused on. Some of the day to day duties that an office support person could do is filing, managing legal forms, answering phones, scheduling appointments and doing research into up to date real estate forms like landlord forms and tenant forms and other research.

Tips in Real Estate Negotiations

Negotiations in real estate deals is all about compromising and agreeing in order to close a transaction. When negotiating, the negotiator should know the needs of the client. Legal knowledge is important, since the negotiator should be able to identify the legal processes that could be done to achieve the client’s needs. Negotiators are usually real estate lawyers, although real estate agents would also negotiate for their clients.

To get successful negotiation results, it is important to be informed, prepared and set realistic goals or objectives. If you are a buyer and you have come across a house you are willing to buy, then you would have to be properly informed on how much the property would cost. You could ask your agent to compare it similar properties which are already sold. This is called Comparable Market Analyses or CMA. In CMA, the condition, size, number of rooms of both houses would be compared.

After being informed, then you would have to prepare for the negotiation. You could start by setting a realistic amount of money you are willing to spend on the property. When making decisions about buying or selling a home, never let your emotions get ahead of you. Follow and execute the plan.

There are different real estate negotiation tips that would make both the buyer and seller satisfied.

• You start with an offer that you know that they would not be able to refuse and not a quote that would make them angry or rolling in laughter. When presenting the offer, make sure that you or the negotiator would state what and how both parties would benefit from the deal.

• It is normal that the opposite party would ask questions and state their expectations, be confident when answering. Be cool and calm, even if the arguments are pushing you on your wit’s end. Present the answers in a way that would help them see that they have a way of getting out of the deal.

• You do not have to say or show how desperate you are to purchase the property. If you would like to convince the other party to give-in, don’t overreact with the offers or quotations or try bluffing with the other party. Be straightforward with your win-win solution and be prepared to counter their arguments. Look for loopholes and weaknesses which would help turn the table around.

• Be realistic. Do not overprice nor underprice. Usually, a buyer would have to spend a little more than what you are willing to, to get the house and the property that they would like to have. Asking for a very low price is like an insult to the person who is selling the property.

• When starting with the negotiations, it is better to correspond with written documents. Oral commitments cannot stand or are not duly recognized as a binding agreement by some states.

• When negotiation, do not fret over small details. There are negotiations called of because of small issues that could easily be dealt with. If the transaction would not push through, then major things should be credited with the failure.

In real estate negotiations, it is compromise that would work and enable both parties to close the deal. Both parties could start with the points that they both agree on and deal with the differences later. Sharing a common ground makes it easier for both parties to come up with win-win solutions.

Thailand Real Estate: Is There a Property Tax?

Thailand does not have a real property tax system and, for the time being, there are two local taxes applicable to people who own immovable property.

The first tax is the Local Development Tax imposed upon people who either own or possess land. This tax rate varies according to the estimated land value as appraised by the local authorities. Allowances may be granted if the owner utilizes the land for personal dwellings, animal husbandry and/or the cultivation of crops. The extent of these allowances depends upon the location of the land. It is said that the rates are so low that officials don’t usually bother to collect on a yearly basis. This tax is also levied on houses, buildings or any other improvements built on the land.

Then there is the House and Land Tax, which applies to the owner of a house, building, structure or land that is either rented or put to commercial use. Taxable property under the House and Land Tax includes houses not occupied by the owner, industrial and commercial buildings and land used in connection therewith. The tax rate is 12.5% of the estimated annual rental value of the property or the actual rental value, whichever is the highest. Owner occupied residences are exempt from this tax. Note, however, that this exemption applies only to individuals, not to juristic persons, because juristic persons are deemed to use their property commercially. In other words, a company that purchases an office has to pay the tax, even if the company uses the premises to serve its own offices. There is a project to replace the House and Land Tax with a real property tax within 2 years, wherein the rate would be from 0.01% up to 1% of the estimated value of the property, depending upon the property type. The rate would be 0.01% on agricultural land, 0.1% on personal residences; 0.5% on commercial buildings and 1% on undeveloped land.

Note that it is possible to mitigate the cost of the House and Land Tax. If, for example, you rent condominium in Pattaya fully furnished, you may choose to execute two agreements with your lessee. The first agreement will be for the rental of the condominium unit and the second agreement will be for the rental of the furniture and/or additional services (if any are provided). This will reduce the cost of the House and Land tax because the tax only applies to the yearly rent received from renting out the property, but not on the rental income received from renting out the furniture, etc.

If the rental agreements are executed between two individuals, there is no VAT applicable on the furniture or service agreements. If, however, the owner of the condominium is a company and if the company is registered for the VAT, then the VAT will apply at 7% on the furniture or service agreements executed between the lessor and the lessee.

For example, if you rent out condominium in Pattaya fully furnished for a rental fee of THE 60,000 per month and only make one agreement with your Lessee, then you’ll have to pay a yearly House and Land Tax as follows: 60,000 x 12 x 12.5% = THE 90,000. You can save on taxes legally by simply breaking the rental fee down into two agreements. For example, the rental fees may be THE 35,000 per month for renting out the condominium and THE 25,000 for renting out the furniture. If you break the rent down in this way, the Land and House Tax will be only THE 35,000 x 12 x 12.5%= THE 52,500. If, however, the owner of the condominium is a company registered for VAT, then it will have to apply the VAT to the furniture lease agreement. Even so, the company owning the property will save money on taxes, because the Lessee supports the cost of the VAT.

The matter of the withholding tax also applies when renting out. If an individual leases a property to another individual in Thailand, the payment of the rent is not subject to withholding taxes. However, when a company is renting a property, then the company will have to deduct a withholding tax from the amount of the rent paid to the owner (whether an individual or a company). The amount withheld must be paid to the tax administration on behalf of the owner who will use the withholding tax as a tax credit against the yearly income tax. The rate of the withholding tax is 5% in Thailand. Note that when a rental fee is paid outside Thailand, the amount of the tax to be withheld from the payment is 15%. Furthermore, if you are a non-resident offered a rental guarantee by a developer, never forget to take the withholding tax into account when calculating your potential income.

25 February 2011

Some Home Insurance Tips

There are probably as many different home insurance tips as there are varieties of home insurance. Top of the list of any helpful tips, therefore, is likely to be the importance of searching as exhaustively as possible for the particular insurance package that best suits your own needs and circumstances.

Fortunately, that is something made so much simpler these days by going online and using one of the several search engines that compares not only prices but also the features of the cover offered by a whole selection of different insurers.

Home insurance typically includes both buildings and contents insurance, so here are some home insurance tips based on the possible variations between the different packages that might best suit your own needs:

Buildings insurance

What’s covered exactly? – as you’d probably expect, most policies cover the permanent fabric of your home, especially to the extent that this ensures its structural integrity. But some policies also extend cover to such essential fixtures as bathroom and kitchens fittings, whilst others might cover boundary walls and fences or garages and sheds, too; Risks – once again, most policies will typically cover a core set of risks – such as fire, flooding, subsidence, earthquakes, storms, impact by vehicles or falling branches and tress, and vandalism or malicious damage – whilst additional elements are reserved as optional extras (for which you pay an additional premium); Options – examples of some these optional extras might include accidental damage to fixtures and fittings within the home; compensation for the cost of alternative accommodation in the event of the home becoming uninhabitable following one of the insured events; and public liability cover, giving you indemnity in the event of third party claims from those injured whilst on your property or those whose property is damaged whilst visiting you or who are in the vicinity of your home; Excesses and discounts – rather like your motor insurance policy, home insurance policies also include compulsory excesses (the first amount of any claim for which you remain responsible). The difference here, however, is that the excess is likely to vary according to the type of building insurance claim you are making. Some home insurance policies also give you a “no claims” discount if you have not made a claim on the insurance in the previous year.

Contents insurance

What’s covered? – if it’s not an integral part of the fabric of your home, it’s likely to be covered by most contents insurance policies. The home insurance tips for contents insurance, however, probably feature even more variations in what is and what is not covered by any particular policy compared to another. Food in the house might be covered, for example, or tools in the garden shed, or even the family pet! Risks – the contents of your home are exposed to the same set of risks as the building itself, with the addition of burglaries and theft (and the damage left in their wake). You might choose to extend that cover, however, to any accidental damage to your contents. If the policy does not already do so, you might also consider extending cover to those items which you frequently use outside of the home (a bicycle, for example, or a laptop or other portable equipment used at work, school or college); Valuation and indemnity – the final home insurance tips for protecting the contents of your home relate to the importance of keeping your valuation of all insured contents fully up to date. If you are under-insured and the home suffers a major disaster, there might not be sufficient insurance compensation, of course, to replace all of your belongings. Keeping the overall valuation up to date like this is important whether you have chosen “new for old” cover (that replaces lost or damaged items at today’s replacement values) or “wear and tear” cover that deducts an element of the settlement amount to reflect the age and depreciation of the item or items.

Home Insurance Coverage

Home insurance policies are helpful when you own a home. Most times when people take out mortgage loans, the lender will expect the buyer to purchase coverage. The mortgage lender may ask the buyer to opt for minimal coverage; however, is the minimal coverage enough. At any time, a natural disaster can sweep a home from its roots and sling it across the region. Statistics have shown that floods alone have targeted “25%” of low risk and moderate risk neighborhoods, therefore, at any time your home could be at risk.

When you have invested large sums of money on a property, the last thing you need is to put your home at risk. The home is not the only issue to consider, since homes often have valuable property. Thus, insurance companies’ are designed to protect both your home and its contents.

Most insurance coverage will offer flood insurance upfront, however few companies fail to make the offer. The insurance companies’ that present flood coverage will often ask the client to join in the “National Flood Insurance Program.”

There are many things to consider when searching for home insurance. If you have a home-based business, you will need the maximum insurance coverage, since expensive equipment is often involved. The weather is unpredictable alone, however, other unforeseen occurrences, such as explosive water pipes. The insurance companies will often cover unforeseen disasters, including Mudflows, floods, tidal waters, hurricanes, tornadoes, melting snow, and so forth. If you live in a wooded area, then you are at risk, since mush land is vulnerable and floods often occur.

Other things need consideration when applying for home insurance. If you live in a mobile home, or else own a condominium, then you will need coverage that will accommodate the special circumstances.

While, insurance companies’ offer different types of policies for condominiums, they are susceptible regarding mobile homes. The contents and mobile home itself is not the biggest expense to home insurance providers. Rather, insurance companies are vulnerable to coverage for mobiles, since the home presents out of the ordinary risks. The company will consider mobile home status, neighborhood, year, make, model and other details when considering mobile homes. Most likely, the company will charge high premiums and higher rates to insure the property. New mobiles often cost less to cover, but not as low as the homes that are not risky.

Researching the market can help you find the right agency that offers the best rates on home insurance. Not only will you find better rates, lower premiums, and comprehensive coverage, you will also learn details about the specific company you are applying for coverage.

If you are still paying mortgage, then lenders will expect coverage on your home. Therefore, if you agreed to the mortgage loan arrangements, you may want to find out if you have coverage. It is your choice to find a reasonable home insurance agency, therefore, if you find a good deal you might want to talk with your mortgage lender to drop the insurance integrated into your mortgage payments. You will also need to show copies to your lender that home insurance is existing.

Fires are common in many neighborhoods. At least one home out of 100 in a single neighborhood will experience fire. If your home is destroyed by fire, you will loose your home and everything in the home. If you do not have insurance, then getting back on your feet can become a struggle.

The premiums on the policy will offer a measure of coverage against fires. Many insurance companies’ will factor in fire from the onset of the application. The companies’ will consider fire, flood, depreciation, replacement charges and so forth when considering coverage. Thus, when taking out home insurance make sure you talk with your agent about changes in rates and premiums as a result of depreciation. Most times if the depreciation of the home has dropped, the company will charge steeper premiums.

The Entire Coverage Packages, or Full Coverage plans often have higher premiums, but you must consider that the policy is covering the entire content of your home, plus the home itself. Be advised that few policies have restrictions and exclusions, thus research and learn more.

Tips in Real Estate Negotiations

23 February 2011

Let The Sun Light Up Your House

We’ve known for some time that sunlight helps keep our bones strong through our absorption of vitamin D. Now we hear physicians and psychiatrist explain how light, or the lack of it, influences our physical and mental well-being in a world where the concepts of time and space have been changed: the day has been turned into night and vice versa, and people have been brought close to each other through computer technology without ever having to leave their artificially lit and ventilated rooms.

In this brave new world our bodies, which have evolved under the sun, are feeling the deprivation of it in our artificial environments. We spend short winter days in rooms that don’t provide anything near the natural intensity of sunlight. To aggravate the dilemma, building and urban plans generally have ignored the sun. In addition, our penchant for cross-country and international jet travel sends confusing signals to our bodies. These factors all tend to upset our natural rhythms.

Light is beginning to be used to put things right. Seasonal depressions and sleep disorders are being treated by exposing patients to prescribed amounts of bright light, emanating either from the sun or from specially constructed light boxes that imitate the intensity and color spectrum of the sun. Jet-lagged travelers perk up when they spend several hours in the sun upon arrival or the next morning.

Architects talk of joining the “daylighting movement”, which seeks to bring the sun’s light but not its summer heat into our homes. The bright morning light that enters some well-situated bedrooms may be simulated in less ideally located rooms where new technologies are employed. Lamps can be activated by light switches hooked up to photocells, tiny devices that convert the light that falls on them to electricity. As the intensity of the daylight increases, so the current from the photocell increases, gradually brightening the room, and imitating natural light.

How To Improve Your Home On A Minimal Budget

It is possible to improve your home without having to spend a lot on making necessary changes and purchasing expensive home furnishings. You can find or come up with different ideas to spice up your home on just a small budget. The prevalence of all sorts of home embellishments and furnishings with different price ranges makes the process of home improvement on a budget possible.

Beautifying a home can seem so tedious, but if you take it in a positive way, it can be an enjoyable experience to do. To make the whole process easier and more organized, formulating a plan before jumping into the improvement process can make a big difference. It is important that you examine each part of the home and determine all the enhancements that are needed to be done. In that way, you can keep the whole improvement project within your budget and prevent having extra expense on making changes due to poor planning.

Furniture and home accessories are important to jazz up a home. They can be more appealing if they go well with theme and style that you wish to create in each room. To liven up a home with beautiful furniture, it is important that the pieces are not too big, taking up a lot of space inside the room. As much as possible, limit the number of furniture inside the home.

Another important element of a home that can change the way your home looks is through lighting. The lighting can create a mood and ambiance in a room when chosen appropriately to match with the wall color and other decorations. In choosing a wall color, it is better to stick with neutral colors such as beige. Neutral colors are easy on the eye and are easier to match with the many home furnishings and accessories available. To add extra color you can always add a feature wall with a special paint finish or wall paper.

In any type of home, it is best to decorate it using only a few decors and home accessories. It will not only save you from spending more but it also allows extra space inside the home. Another significant way to maximize the space of a room is to minimize clutter. You can use large storage cabinets where you can organize your things and eliminate clutter.

Business Of Wholesale Candles Can Makes Income Double

Today, candles have found wide spread acceptance for a host of occasions. Their application extends beyond the power-scarce homes. Whether it is birthday party, aromatherapy or candlelight dinner, candles are being used by all and sundry. Some yoga gurus also advocate the use of candles during Yoga.

It is in such a scenario that selling candles has become a lucrative business option for many enterprises and individuals alike. People are increasingly flocking the industry, to cash in on the boom. Many such enterprises, offering a plethora of options to prospective clients, are doing robust business in the current market situation.

Some of the interesting candle types that are fast gaining prominence are:
Pillar Candles
Taper or Dinner Candles
Gel Candles
Floating Candles
Container or Filled Candles
Votive Candles
Tealight Candles
Luminary Candles
Tin candles
Jar candles

To become successful in the candle selling or candle making industry, one must have an astute knowledge of the customer demand. The entrepreneur must also be equipped with a huge array of different shapes, sizes, color, and aroma of the candles. Having good business acumen is a prerequisite to succeed in this business. To start with, the entrepreneur should be well aware of the leading wholesale dealers in the area. It is then, important to identify which wholesale dealer will prove to be the most viable from the business perspective. Keeping a clear profit margin in mind, before buying Wholesale Candles from Candle Suppliers will definitely provide a fillip to your business endeavor.

One should also make sure that the price, at which the entrepreneur is buying the candles, should be relatively cheaper than its contemporaries. This will allow the entrepreneur to provide its services at a much cheaper rate, thereby increasing the profit margin. In a short span of time, the entrepreneur can easily double the company’s profit margin. Another relevant thing that should be kept in mind is the customer demand. The entrepreneur must be able to customize the solutions according to the client’s wish and upgrade the products regularly.

22 February 2011

Siesta Key Real Estate – Point Crisp

If living on a tropical American island with one of the best beaches in the country appeals to you then you will be overjoyed when discovering Siesta Key Florida. Siesta Key is an island located just offshore of the city of Sarasota and features Florida’s finest beach. Siesta Key Beach is also rated as the second best beach in the United States. The Island is home to many condominium developments on the waters edge and many palatial homes that feature some of the best architecture found anywhere in the Sarasota area.

Sarasota Florida in itself is a haven for affluent home buyers and winter time residents. Homes that surpass the 10 million dollar mark are quite common in the city and county area, many of these magnificent homes occupy some of the best beach frontage that can be found anywhere in the US. As a result, many famous people currently call the city of Sarasota home today and many famous individuals from the past also enjoyed residing in the area.

One such famous individual that particularly enjoyed Siesta Key and contributed greatly to its literary past was John D. MacDonald, A famous mystery writer who authored the Travis McGee series and who was also a good friend of Ernest Hemmingway. John D. MacDonald built a house on at the end of Point Crisp, a peninsula of land on Siesta Key that was named after a robber-baron who won the real estate in a poker game and that home still survives today.

The peninsula of Point Crisp extends into the Intracoastal Waterway and Little Sarasota bay on the east side of Siesta Key just south of the Stickney Point Bridge. It provides excellent boating access for a select few residents that have homes located along the water. The area of the subdivision that is a bit further inland from the peninsula itself is very lush and tropical, there are many large and impressive Banyan trees in the development as well as some very large oaks surrounding the residences. This lush tropical foliage provides the impression you are a lot further from the mainland shores of Sarasota than you actually are.

Many of the original homes that were built on Point Crisp are gone. They were demolished to make way for some of the palatial masterpieces that can be found throughout Siesta Key. Occasionally you will come across one of the original beach bungalows offered for sale and when compared to the prices of the other homes in the area, they are literally a steal at $600,000. The newer residences that have been built on the real estate in the development and those that are along the waters edge can easily top 5 million dollars.

Point Crisp is a beautiful and very historic part of Siesta Keys’ and Sarasota Florida’s past. This once deserted island has become home to many thought the decades and currently hosts thousands of tourists each year who come here for the beach and warm winter weather. Once you set foot on Siesta Key and see how beautiful this beach is and how white the sand is, you will understand what so many desire to own real estate on this island. It truly is a tropical paradise and a pleasure to call home.

Real Estate Inventory

Real Estate inventory is at an all time high PLUS Interest rates are low. A large number of buyers remain in the market, but their behavior is decidedly cautious. For those of you selling in this market, it’s important to remain patient, to plan for a longer sales cycle, and to avoid overpricing your home. Buyers in the current market will have a variety of choices, and will have the ability to negotiate favorable contract terms. Get expert representation from an agent who will talk straight about the value of a house or the condition of the local market.

With inventory close to all time highs, anemic sales volumes, rising inflation and banks about to unleash a wave of interest rate hikes; inventory is at the highest levels ever seen. Bargain purchasing will be gone when undervalued strong markets snap back to fair value or even earlier when the knowledge becomes commonplace. The values that went up with the rising tide are now going down with the ebbing tide and there isn’t much that sellers can do for the time being. When the market turns, and it will, housing will once again be increasing in value almost everywhere. Real estate has always been a good value and will regain that position again shortly. Property values are rising everyday and the pressure on real estate inventory is always there.

Buyers are anxious to buy, but they want to make intelligent purchases. Buyers are not able to qualify or are unwilling to pay for the mortgage at higher rates. Buyers control the value of the real estate marketplace, not sellers. Buyers, not sellers, determine what the value of a home will be. Buyers return when the risks are accurately priced into the market. The result is a slowdown in sales activity, as the disconnect widens between sellers holding out for high prices and buyers looking for a bargain. But ultimately, more choices for buyers leads to fewer deals being made. Because most buyers in this market are not having to compete against other buyers for the same home, buyers are not having to waive their right to inspections in order to make their offer more attractive. Today, buyers can enjoy more affordable homes, because of the fewer number of investors active in the market.

Real Estate Hidden Gems in Canada

Historically, a meltdown in the U.S. economy such as the one we’re experiencing would ripple a wake of negative growth through Canada. So far, that’s not happened and some optimists wonder if Canada is flexing its economic independence for the first time. With an abundance of natural resources, the world’s second-largest country has staved off recession signals so far and Canada’s hot housing market continues to hum.

While growth in the urban regions, such as Vancouver and Calgary, is expected to slow to single-digits in 2008, other areas are forecasted to see sharp increases in property prices as home buyers and investors seek cheap land while also taking advantage of the boom in Canada’s oil, gas and agriculture industries.

Unlike U.S. financial institutions, Canada’s banks never offered subprime loans and have been able to avoid the credit crisis that’s staggered the U.S. Canada also has lowered its interest rates because its manufacturers rely on selling exports to the American market and those sales shrink as the Canadian dollar rises against its U.S. counterpart.

“Softer growth means lower interest rates and lower interest rates are positive for the housing market,” Gregory Klump, chief economist for the Canadian Real Estate Association, told CTV this month.

So Canadian real estate investors and home buyers are able to lock in a low interest rate on a mortgage despite the fact the economy is in an extended period of sustained growth.

Here is a look at three Canadian real estate spots that should see significant increase in demand this year:

1. Sooke, British Columbia – A part of the Greater Victoria Real Estate market, Sooke is a suburb of Victoria, the capital of Canada’s westernmost province. Located to the west of Victoria on Vancouver Island, Sooke benefits from a warm climate, growing infrastructure and from the lack of land beyond it. To the west of Sooke is the Pacific Ocean and a large swath of undeveloped territory that includes a protected national rainforest. Only dirt roads access those areas, meaning Sooke is the end of the line as far as GVRE real estate is concerned. As Victoria and its eastern suburbs become congested, demand for properties in Sooke will increase.

2. Gwillimbury, Ontario – If Toronto was situated a little farther south it would be in the United States and it would be the fourth-largest city there. And if lakefront property an hour’s drive from a large metropolis in the U.S. was available you would think it would be valued in the millions. By comparison, Gwillimbury and its neighboring towns located on Lake Simcoe are incredibly cheap. But as development in Ontario continues to sprawl that’s likely to change.

3. Greater Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Bitterly cold and flat, Saskatchewan has been the butt of many Canadian jokes, but that’s changed. Agriculture is booming and the job market is clicking along at a torrid pace. House prices have followed, with real estate in Saskatoon being the most in demand. In January, the dollar value of real estate transactions in the region jumped 87 percent from January 2007 and year-over-year sales of residential units increased 37 percent, according to the province’s real estate association.

19 February 2011

Different Kinds Of Curtains For Your Home

Curtains form the most important part of your home décor. Imagine a house without curtains. It is like a man without clothes or a flower without petals or trees without leaves. It will be an incomplete home. Curtains give your house a furnished look. They dress up your windows and, most important of all, they protect your house from sunlight and looks from unwanted people into your family peace. Curtains come in a variety of fabrics and designs. You can get normal curtains for your house or expensive designer ones. From silk to cottons to satins to nets to lace to nylon you name it and you will get it, in all fabrics, simple to rich, thick to diaphanous, anything that you want.

Shower Curtains

As the name suggests, shower curtains are used in the bathroom around the shower area to keep the water from getting all over the bathroom floor. This helps you to keep your bathroom dry and clean at all times. Different synthetic or natural materials determine the different types of shower curtains. Polyester and vinyl shower curtains are waterproof and inexpensive. If you have a bathroom which is luxurious this type of curtain will not match the décor of your room. Curtains made of cotton and linen looks plush and elegant but they mildew if they get damp. You can combine vinyl with cotton for attractiveness and for utility. Vinyl shower curtains come in every imaginable color, pattern and motif. This makes them adaptable to all kinds of styles from the bathroom of your master bedroom to guest’s room to children’s bathroom. Popular themes include rubber ducks, fish, sea shells, sail boats, balloons, clouds, or any simple patterned design. The background can be clear, so you can keep an eye on your children when they shower, or it can be an opaque shade. The advantage of vinyl and polyester curtains is that they keep the water inside the tub instead of it splashing onto the ground. Fabric shower curtains are permanent additions to the functions and décor of a bath room. Some are designed to match towels and bathmats. Some textiles have been treated with stain resistors and waterproof coatings to combat moisture, as they are more likely to absorb splashes. Hemp shower curtains provide the best of both worlds: cotton and vinyl, the heavy fabric is made of plant fiber like linen or cotton. However hemp is naturally antibacterial and anti fungal so it resists mildew and soap stains.

Kitchen Curtains

Kitchens have come a long way from the time when necessity and safety dictated that they be located outside the home. Through the years kitchens have evolved based on the needs and demands of the family and today era kitchens must be multifunctional. The most important thing while doing curtains for the kitchen is that these curtains should not obscure the entire kitchen concept. It is important to make sure that the cabinets and counter tops are in perfect coordination with the curtains you choose for your kitchen. When you choose the color for your kitchen curtains make sure you do that on a sunny day to make sure that it gives you the look you want. It is best not to choose synthetic or nylon kitchen curtains for safety reasons. Natural fabric like cotton is usually recommended for kitchen windows.

Window Curtains

A house with big windows and beautiful curtains in bright hues is everyone’s dream. Window curtains come in all materials, colors and textures. You will have a myriad of designs to choose your window curtains from. There are a few things you should keep in mind when you go to select curtains for your window: the color of the curtain should compliment the color of the wall of the room, if your room is small you should go for light colors and if the room is big you should for dark colors as it makes your room look spacious yet compact. The sunnier side of your house should have thick curtains to block the sunlight from heating up your room too much and on the other side you can always use fabrics like net or lace. The design that you choose completely depends on which room you are doing the curtains in. If it is the kid’s room then you should choose something like cartoons or alphabets or numbers or animals etc. If it’s the master bedroom then the curtains should add to the grace of the room, you can have big motifs or designs and the guest room curtains should be subtle and in warm colors. The design completely depends on your liking but you should also remember that the functionality of the curtain should be maintained.

Country Curtains

Window coverings come in so many different varieties today that it may be hard to decide on what you want. The decision may come down to personal taste but you can help yourself by doing some research on different varieties of window coverings. One popular type of window covering is the roman shade which is also known as country curtains. They are flat shades with dowels slotted horizontally up the back so they can be pulled up into soft horizontal folds. Roman shades give a clean modern look to your window space.

Curtain rods

No matter how good your curtains are, without curtain rods you just cannot put them in place. Curtain rods hold the curtains from the window top and let the curtain fall to its full length. You should first determine if you want to mount your curtain rods on the window casing or on the wall. You can choose the color of the rods to match the color of the wall or the curtains. The brackets that you choose for the rods can range from simple to intricate ones. The choice is completely yours and make sure you choose the best keeping in mind both your taste and your pocket.

Figuring Out A House Extension Cost

Adding a room onto your home can increase your home’s value about 40%. However, in order to realize this as a return on investment when the time comes, it’s important to understand what it takes to add the extension, what processes and house extension cost is involved, and how to get the best deal for the money you have to spend. Your house extension cost needs to be decided up front, and a definite budget needs to be adhered to.

Depending on the location of your home, whether it’s a large urban area or in countryside, will dictate how you add on. Some buildings almost force you to add on vertically (i. E., finishing off an attic or actually adding a top floor), especially if you live in a townhouse or row house. For country homes with plenty of space to expand in any direction, your choices are almost endless – including adding another floor if you so choose.

Before buying floor plans and falling in love with one, have a contractor or an engineer come to your home to discuss the options you do have within your proposed budget. Usually a contractor will quote you a per square meter price for a particular add-on. For instance adding an entire bathroom built as an external extension will cost about three times more than rearranging internal space to build the same bathroom.

Plan on at least one hundred twenty find pounds per square meter; it’s a good place to start when you begin visualizing what you want or need. However, as you speak with contractors and engineers, it’s never a good idea to hire the cheapest person or company – there’s a reason they are so cheap and it’s never a good one!

Adding a flat that could be used for perhaps your parents is a common project required by many homeowners. A typical add on of this type would include a bedroom, living area, kitchenette and a private bathroom. The average would be less than 900 square meters.

Plan on using the services of multiple contractors such as someone who will lay the framework. Then you’ll need a plumber, an electrician and someone who can paint or hang wall paper, at the least. Most probably, for external additions, you’ll also need foundation work and roofing professionals.

There are plenty of hidden house extension cost to take into consideration as well. There will be taxes to take into consideration along with money needed to file paperwork with the local town officials who will actually have the ultimate role in approving everything done for your extension.

For families with larger budgets, it’s always a good idea to decide to use an experienced architect right from the beginning. No matter how small your project might be – a new bedroom and bathroom or an entire wing – an architect will be able to help you design exactly what you want. His fees range from a few hundred pounds for an initial consult, to an hourly fee for services rendered if you’d like him to act as a project manager. Plan on about 50 pounds an hour for the average house extension cost.

Home Content Insurance

Insurance is a form of security measure to protect against the risk of a contingent loss uncertain. Easily be defined as payment for the loss of something. The most common types of life insurance, credit, travel, health and accident insurance, auto and home insurance. When we say home insurance, most of us think that if something happens at home, which is inside the insurance is included. Well, that's not true. This is a separate insurance for the contents of the safe house, he called home.

Home Contents Insurance is a policy for household contents. This type of insurance is important for anyone with a computer, furniture, carpet, furnace, bank or other valuables that are easily replaced if lost important as fire, earthquake or hurricane. For a policy, it is recommended that all insured you want, and have documented inventory or list and store it in a different location or a list of files with your agent. All in one place will give you access to the insured for loss.

Most of us think that home insurance covers only the building or proprietary, but in reality, people who do not own their own home, including tenants and condominium owners can create an insurance Housing used to speak with representatives of insurance. When you rent a house or buy a condominium, you usually get a condo or renters insurance, this is just another name for home insurance. For a policy, make sure that this means that some policies do not cover certain disasters such as floods or earthquakes, and others can not cover valuables such as computers and jewelry. Read the policy and talk to your insurance agent if you have any questions.

18 February 2011

Buy Kitchen And Home Appliances For Your Sweet Home

Let’s buy the latest things only and this can be done through online shopping. Yes… here are some latest products available online. Here’s the list of those products:

(1). Cherry Tawa Mark II

Nirali classic plus is only non-stick in India comes with inside Teflon platinum coating. Nirali classic plus is first non-stick to have glass lid on top to change the concept of non-stick.

Features:

. Inside coating is 2-coat system with Teflon classic coating

. Cherry range comes with outside red htr coating from weilburger Uk / Germany

. At the backside of the pan is machines based grooved so as to reduce fuel cost and get heat faster

. Thickness: 2.6 MM

. Size: 270 MM

(2). Jaipan Pressure Cooker Inner Lid - 4 Ltr

Features:

. New improved pressure regulator
. Easier to insert & remove unbreakable fixed pivot
. Non corroding handle & lid with safety valve
. Long lasting gasket cooks faster
. Saves more fuel Steel finish
. Heavy base
. Very high quality
. Extra heavy whistle
. Its a outer lid model
. Being offered without the Container

(3). Le Royal Bed Sheet Set – Petal

. Divinity, a French fashion brand in the home furnishing domain has lead the design trends in the International market since a decade working passionately with fabrics and linens. Divinity collections now bring this inspiration to customers in India.

. Double bed sheet with 2 coordinated pillows in different sizes which inspire lifestyles and provides luxurious look and feel - a perfect indulgence for your home.

. Created with world class fashion designers exclusive designs in floral patterns using the right combination of bright colors.

(4). Chair Bean Bag in Red & White

Features:

. Leatherette bean bag chair with firm back support

. If you are looking to have same fun as a normal bean bag but with a firmer back support, this beanie is a must to have

. Available in array of colures, it comes with ample seating space, high seating length and above all designed for maximum comfort

. Comes filled with high quality polystyrene beans and dual layer stitching prevents this beanie from fraying under load

. Can take weights up to 150 kg

. Comes with branding of idreamofbeanie

. Light in weight and can be moved anywhere in the house

. We deliver this product for free in any of the cities listed below

Homeshop18 offers best hand blenders online with best discount.

Browsing Home Appliances The Brilliant Way

If you add up the money you could invest in home appliances and fixtures it might be obvious you'll want to invest wisely and cautiously to keep costs manageable. These products are likely to be many of the much larger ticket purchases around the house and plenty of money is often wasted if perhaps buying isn't done right.

Essentially the most important ideas for buying home appliances and fixtures the intelligent technique should be to come to a decision before even thinking about shopping precisely how much money you should spend, or what will fit into your spending budget. Incredibly, this really is not accomplished until the customer was already in the store. The fact is that, one's heart commonly takes over when looking within the newest high-tech gadgets and features on the item being considered to cause purchasing a much more expensive item than is truly wanted. Therefore take more time to decide just what exactly your having to spend limit is before you even start to shop and then stick to your guns on that final choice throughout the purchasing process.

Additionally it is a smart idea to take a look at purchase when you start reviewing actual products themselves. Nowadays there are lots of consumer guides that really help you are making an intelligent choice on a broad range of consumer items, such as appliances for the home and fixtures. They generally test the major brands and provide their fair opinions on a wide selection of features and issues connected with each product. This really is invaluable information that is not had almost elsewhere, so take excellent advantage of it. You will find the majority of these publications intended for no cost at your community library. This sort of research will also make it easier to decide in advance particularly which features are most important for your requirements and that ought to be ignored as avoidable expenses, in other terms, invest your hard-earned cash into needs not features. At all times choose much better quality in excess of much more features too.

You should not just simply assume that purchasing in your community certainly is the smartest move either. Often, the identical item are available over the internet at a much lower price than is possible locally and you could often even stay clear of sales tax on an online purchase too. Be cautious though and determine just how much installation is required for virtually any item you make and factor installment expenses in with any purchase that does not include those costs in the price.

It may well seem to be like a uncomplicated thing, but make sure you calculate thoroughly to determine that this item you wish to buy will probably easily fit in the space you have chosen for it in your house. Remarkably, this is often something which is sometimes forgotten prior to the delivery of the product which enable it to result in an abundance of unneeded frustration. Just get the measuring tape out in advance and know the dimensions and space necessary to save this headache from happening to you.

Ultimately, look at the warranty on the items you want to purchase. You'll want to ask questions ahead of time so you are aware what the warranty will protect and just how long it will eventually last. Also, do you want to have to send the appliance out to be fixed under warranty or is home repair included under the warranty contract?

In the event you stick to these easy, helpful suggestions, buying home appliances and fixtures will be a breeze and you will probably make smart purchases that should last and provide you with excellent service for many years.

Buying Appliances Smart Way

When all the money that could be used for equipment and programs show that it is necessary to invest wisely and thus reduce the costs manageable. These products are usually some of the larger ticket purchases around the house and money is often wasted if buying is not done well.

Essentially, the most important tips for buying equipment and programs is always wiser to choose before you begin shopping exactly how much money you need to go, or what will fit into its budget. Curiously, it was not complete until the customer at the store. Unfortunately, the heart usually becomes the check when you look at the latest high-tech gadgets and features of the object studied and the results in the purchase of an item more expensive than is really necessary. So any time a decision all you have to spend limit is before you start shopping, then stick to your guns on that decision through the payment process.

It is smart to research your purchase before you begin to investigate certain products themselves. These days there are lots of magazines to help you make an informed decision on a broad range of consumer goods, including appliances and home accessories. They extensively test the major brands and give your honest opinion on a wide range of functions and issues relating to each product. It is certainly useful information should not be taken almost anywhere, while the great advantage of it. Discover a wide range of publications available for free with your library in the city. Such research may even help you decide in advance exactly which features are most important to their needs and should be ignored as the connection costs or invest your hard earned money in the most uncharacteristic. When you find a better quality of options.

You should not assume that buying local or state is the best. Often, a similar item is available via the Internet at a lower price than can be done locally and can often stay away from any sales tax on online purchases. Be careful that together and determine how to install it takes for an object that you do and factor cost of the installation with every purchase that is not included in these rates in the purchase price.

It may seem a simple thing, but should be properly evaluated to find the item you want to buy is certainly easier in the space you have designated the house. Surprisingly, it's really something that is often avoided prior to delivery, creating a lot of unnecessary headaches. Only the band in advance and take into account the space needed to save this headache from happening to you.

Finally, consider the safety of the items you want to buy. Remember to ask before, so you know what the warranty covers and for how long, eventually it will last. Moreover, what really needs to send the unit for warranty repair or repairs are protected under the security agreement?

In case you have this kind of simple, effective suggestions, purchase of equipment and accessories will be a breeze and it is likely that smart purchase that will last and give good service for the many years.