Home and Garden Articles

I’ve said it before my world is different to most peoples.

In my world we lounge around in swinging sofas all day dreaming of a bygone era.

In my world fairs are run by jolly old souls, ruddy faced, smartly dressed characters who greet you with a smile, commiserate when you lose, wink at the kids and give them a nice free gift.

In my world men open doors for ladies and ladies appreciate it.

In my world people leave their cars at home and go out on family rides with picnics including freshly made rounds of sandwiches, sponge cakes, custard tarts and ginger beer.

In my world publicans are friendly, locals are friendly, and great banter is shared with all.

In my world we visit granny once a week, curl up in front of an open fire and share a musty old feather quilt laid out on the floor.

In my world Mrs. B still runs the corner shop in her old apron with rows of boiled sweets to chose from.

And last, but not least, in my world, down at the bottom of granny’s garden is an Edwardian style swinging sofa that you can slump in and dream your life away.

Come and join me in my world – Odd Swinging Sofas

Odd Swinging Sofas and Swinging Garden Seats

As a building owner, do you intend to:

• Work on an existing wall, ceiling or floor structure shared with another property
• Build on or at the boundary with another property?
• Excavate near a neighbouring building or structure?

If you are planning any of these works, you must find out whether the work falls within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.  The Act was introduced by the Government in 1997, covering the whole of England and Wales to regulate building works to adjoining properties.  It is intended to enable work to proceed while protecting adjoining owners and occupiers who may be affected by the work.  Under the Act, the building owner who wishes to conduct such work must provide notification in sufficient time and in writing to adjoining owners of the proposed work.  Adjoining owners can be owners or occupiers of adjacent residential, commercial and industrial land or buildings.

If you share a party wall, party structure or a party fence wall with another, you may be governed by the provisions of the Act.  Party walls are walls used by more than one owner, such as the dividing wall between two houses.  Floors between flats are party structures.  Boundary walls can be party fence walls.  Loft conversions, extensions, structural work on a party wall such as removing a chimney breast, excavation close to another building or structure to a depth that exceeds that of the neighbour’s foundations, or alteration to a masonry party garden wall are examples of work governed by the Act.

Resolving disputes In case of a dispute between owners, the Act provides procedures for appointing party wall surveyors who can resolve issues by way of an award, specifying the format for carrying out the work.  An award allows the building owner the right to conduct work under the Act, while ensuring the work is done in a manner that protects the adjoining owners’ interests.

What you should do? Before commencing any building work, check to see if the Party Wall Act applies.  Failure to comply with the Act could result in the works being unlawful

If you have any questions, contact P D Building Consultancy.  As Members of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS), they have been trained to advise on party wall matters and are bound by the Faculty’s Code of Conduct.

Most property sales experts would agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Gone are the days when the kitchen is limited to being a simple venue for food preparation, cooking and display. Nowadays this piece of space in the abode holds a higher social function. Presently more and more people are using their kitchen as an open and flexible space to perform various actions such as casual seating for hanging out, working areas for laptops and home works, to reading newspapers in the morning plus so much more.

Throughout the past decade, much has changed in kitchen architecture. Even so the basic functions remained unchanged. The importance of choosing a quality kitchen worktop gathers around the wants, needs, likes and inspiration of the homeowner. At first glance the first approach towards remodeling is always daunting. However it has been proven that perking up the kitchen is a great way to improve the aesthetics and increase home’s market value.

Finding a good kitchen layout is indeed a tough decision to make. To lay out a perfect kitchen plan one important reminder is to consider function first. With the kitchen carrying out the focal point of a home it becomes a high traffic area. Therefore kitchen tools, utensils and appliances apart from their decorating standpoint should equal importance.

One way of uplifting the aesthetics and functionality of a kitchen is to create a balance of contrasting colors. An idea of a fashionable black or white kitchen design can add impact to old stained kitchen fixtures. It is no doubt that the colors of black and white are the most eloquent palette of all time. It never goes out of style. Hence homeowners who want to achieve a modern and simplistic feel can perform a kitchen makeover using black kitchen worktops or white kitchen worktops.

Certainly there is a dizzying selection of kitchen worktops sold in the market today. Depending on the choice of texture and the material it is imperative that all homeowners must check the quality of the counter prior to making a purchase. The highest priced material does not directly reflect the one with the highest quality.

In order not to be disappointed with the purchase important factors should be pondered first. This includes the products sanitation, the length of the guarantee (i.e. ten or fifteen years), resiliency over scratches and crack including ease of reinstating the materials ‘original pristine condition when cleaning.

As an alternative for people seeking more colorful options there are many synthetic laminated kitchen worktops with varied aestheticism from word-class manufacturers and sellers. Although material quality is an important priority for most homeowners there is no denying that most first-rate materials are expensive. If budget is an important feature that limits kitchen redesigning then this option is something to surely go for!

In times gone by the practice of making your own items of clothing was a common one. Many people would either knit woollen jumpers, or shawls and other fabrics could be sewn together to make everything from curtains to bedspreads. Furniture could even be made and it wouldn’t be uncommon for a family to make chairs and other everyday household items. However this tradition of making your own furniture and clothing seems to have dwindled over time and that could be for several reasons. With increased demand, manufacturers of mass made clothing and furniture have been able to lower prices, due to working to bulk orders. However, is the art of making your own clothes or furnishings something that relies purely on a monetary incentive? Let’s compare making curtains versus buying cheap curtains online to see which method best suits the modern world.

Making your own Curtains

Starting with self made curtains there are instantly some benefits that stand out. You firstly have the freedom to select whichever curtain material you see fit and the choices don’t stop at the fabrics. You can find patterned, bright bold solid colours or shimmering fabrics that wouldn’t traditionally be associated with curtain manufacture. Blackout or curtain lining fabrics can be easily sourced meaning that you can ensure sufficient light control in each chosen room. The cost of fabrics isn’t particularly steep, because even if there isn’t a huge saving to be had over the ready-made options, it’ll certainly cost no more if you shop around. As with many things that look too good to be true, there are some potential drawbacks. Making curtains yourself can be incredibly time consuming and requires a certain level of skill. Access to a sewing machine is almost a must-have and adding lining and sufficient curtain hook access to the top of the material can again be difficult.

Purchasing Cheap Curtains Online

Like making your own, buying readymade curtains also has its advantages. Firstly there is the fact that a ready made set will arrive ready to hang straight from the box. With the huge variety of patterns and designs that are now available choosing a suitable style is no longer an issue either. Unlike many other items that have the word “cheap” in the title, cheap curtains are often far from cheap feeling and this is due to the new machining skills that are making mass produced items so affordable. Perhaps the only potential draw back then is that ready made curtains might not necessarily be available in the correct sizes, especially if your window is unusually shaped, requiring a bespoke option.

Both options cost very similar amounts of money, ready made cheap curtains can be put up and will last many years, not requiring the time or skills to make a comparable solution. However, with hand-made curtains you can be more specific over a design or pattern and have the satisfaction of knowing you made them.

If you are thinking of investing in a property in France, or have started looking at houses for sale, then you will be aware of the many different styles, locations and conditions of the properties on offer. From fully renovated houses but requiring a good lick of paint to those requiring the property equivalent of CPR (resuscitation). And believe it or not, there are literally thousand of properties in France which are in a desperate state but not irredeemable.

Properties in France are in general still a bargain for many Brits wishing to relocate or retire to France and participate in what many might say is a better way of life. The fact is that most areas of the UK still benefit from exceptionally high value homes, when compared to properties in France. And for those considering investing in a French property to renovate, please ask yourself the question – do you really want to spend years replacing ancient plumbing or constantly fixing a leaky roof? Would you be prepared to take this on – property renovation for example. Admittedly it is at the radical end of the spectrum.

The trend for buying a dilapidated French property to renovate, whether a barn, villa, townhouse, cottage or chateau, is still going strong. For many retirees who are themselves professional tradesmen or knowledgeable handymen, the lure is great. A chance to own their very own project where they are the boss in a major undertaking. However, do you really want to spend years putting right a series of D.I.Y. disasters that someone else has made; during what should be a slower time for relaxation and enjoyment? What a pity to relocate or retire to such a fabulous place as South West France and then not have the time to enjoy its myriad delights. There is a balance to be found and a serious question to be answered.

Before making the decision to buy a property to renovate, you owe it to yourself (and your family) to think about buying a home – that is a property which has already been restored; with good plumbing, a safe electrical system and a sound roof.  And many such properties for sale in France can be found on internet portals at what often seem like ridiculously low prices (houses to renovate too). Turning your three bed semi in a big city in the UK into an already renovated French chateau in its own grounds may be the wiser and therefore preferable choice. Just think of all the time you could spend playing golf, fishing or just playing with the grandkids in the garden if you avoid all the time and effort needed to undertake a major renovation.

The bottom line is that there is an amazing number of properties which have been beautifully restored and are worthy of consideration. However, if the allure of a renovation still takes your fancy then there is an incredible choice in France. Thee are many times more opportunities in France than in the U.K. without doubt.

t the end of the day, it really is about what you wish to do with your retirement and what is most important to you, and your family. If you have been lucky enough to discover the  pleasures of south west France, then you may already be smitten.

This article has received 3 Ducks – Gerald Duck

Part M: access and facilities for disabled people

Current UK Building regulations are slightly different with regard Dwellings and other building, these recommendations are for “Buildings Other Than Dwellings”.

A wheelchair ramp will comply with Part M if it;

Has a non-slip surface. Is 1.5m wide with a minimum unobstructed width of 1.5m. Has a maximum individual flight of 10m and maximum gradients of 1:20 if longer than 5m, 1:15 if longer than 2m or 1:12 if shorter than 2m. Has top and bottom landings no less than 1.2m and intermediate Landings of 1.8m every 10m. Has 100mm high raised kerbs to any open side of ramp or landings Has a continuous suitable handrail on each side. (see Part M Access to buildings other than dwellings » for guidance on full requirements.

Part M: access and facilities for disabled people is available from The Stationary Office for £13.00, or a free down loadable version in pdf format is available from The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Most Popular Wheelchair Ramps

When you are really keen to compliment your kitchen with the best worktops, Corian and Silestone worktops can fulfill all your wishes. In the present article, we will discuss, pros and cons of both materials for considering them for kitchen worktops.

Silestone worktops

Silestone is a synthetic material which is primarily made up of 94% natural quartz. Adorned with natural glossy beauty and sparkling gleam, Silestone brings same elegance  that can be compared only with the most stunning natural stones.

Advantages of Silestone worktops

When it comes to hygiene, nothing can be accurately compared with Silestone as it is the only material that comes with anti-bacterial protection.  Silestone worktops usually comes with a layer of germ and bacteria protection that is provided in the molecular level of the worktop. This layer generally doesn’t wash away with its use for years.

Silestone worktops are available in many colors, textures and styles so you have lots of options to select one that compliments your kitchen.

As it is non porous material, you don’t need to worry about stains and scratches. When you are using it in kitchen, you need not to be worry about stains caused by usual things such as  coffee, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar etc.

Disadvantages  of Silestone worktops

Just like every material, Silestone also has its pros and cons. Few disadvantages of Silestone worktops are as follows:

When you are rigid with your budget, Silestone may not sound cost effective option to you. Silestone worktops are usually exclusive and expensive due to high cost of stone material that is used to make it.

There are many options available for Silestone worktops in market. However, options are very limited in comparison to other materials such as granite, laminated worktops etc. which provide you more options to compliment existing shade and colour of your kitchen.

Corian Worktops

DuPont™ Corian® solid surface is  registered trademark of the DuPont company. Corian is one of the most versatile materials made up of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. It is a solid surface with endless potential that makes it perfect for worktops, sinks and  other horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Advantages of Corian Worktops

Corian worktops have been  popular choices of home owners for worktops for being distinguished brand name for solid surface and for its unparallelled  governance of  installation and fabrication.

Corian worktops are found in numerous colors, designs and styles. If you are designing your new kitchen, you can choose from versatile Corian styles available in a great range of matte satin, semi or high gloss finishes.

Corain is a solid surface which can be easily modified to adjust them to the most of the sizes and that’s what makes it perfect for any kitchen. These worktops are available in numerous colours and patterns to make your choice easier.

These counter tops are easy to clean and maintain and are not affected by the chemicals used in ordinary household cleaners. As, it is non porous material, it has great resistance to stains as well as scratches. However, one should be careful to dry it completely whenever they clean it. This will prevent water stains from damaging the finish of the worktop. If properly cleaned, you can save your Corian counter tops to resist  mold, mildew, and bacteria for years.

Disadvantages of Corian Worktops

The major limitation of Corian worktops is that they are not heat resistant because they are made of plastic. Also, as these worktops are made up of plastic, many environment lovers do not consider them as eco-friendly material and avoid it.

Overtime, these worktops need regular cleaning to maintain their overall appearance. If not handled carefully, its appearance is likely to be damaged. However, owners can get it refurbished. However, if you are careful to keep it clean and not to put anything hot on the counter top and make sure to use cutting surface, Corian worktops can be a great choice for those who want to bring richer feel into their kitchens.

Each material has its own pros and cons and remedies to overcome its shortcomings. The final decision depends on your need, expectations and budget.

Kitchen worktops  one of the one stop kitchen solution an extensive range of  Design And varieties .similar   Corian Worktops  extensive in these areas.come with these and get Special offer 2012.

Firstly you have to register your business with Companies House. Are you going to be a sole trader or a limited company? An accountant can advise you on this. You will need an accountant to deal with your company accounts, tax returns, corporation tax and filing your year end accounts with Companies House. You will also need to complete a self assessment if you are a director of a limited company. Once you reach £73,000 annual turnover you are required to register for VAT. You can volunteer to register for VAT if your annual turnover is below this amount, although its not necessary, but you will have to absorb the VAT rate thats added when you purchase stock etc.

Alot to think about, however, its just one of the many important parts of running an online store.

The fun part is setting up your online shop and deciding what types of dog beds you want to sell. You can find many dog bed manufacturers online but some do sell direct to the public as well so bear that in mind.

Where I can I use strictly trade only manufacturers and while they have an online presence they do not sell to the dog owning public so you are not competing with your own manufacturer/wholesaler/distributor.

There are many ecommerce software companies in the UK from as low as £19.99 plus VAT per month and you can either look online or try the Yellow Pages to find an ecommerce solution.

There are a variety of dog bed styles to choose from and although cheap dog beds have a place in the market, I really feel that quality counts and if you can, buy good quality dog beds from a UK supplier.

The next thing is to promote your new online dog bed store. SEO (search engine optimisation) is important if you want people to find you. If you can’t be found you won’t get any sales. There are many people that write about SEO but a great guide is the Hobo SEO Blog. You can also promote your website locally via leaflet drops, newspaper adverts and even radio.

Social media is becoming increasingly popular with online businesses so get yourself a blog and write about your business, put your business on Facebook, Twitter and the new Google+

Good Luck in your new business venture and remember the more work you put in the more you will get out of it.

With women  now often being able to earn more money than their male partners, it is not surprising than currently one in seven dads are the main child carers, but is this really a win, win situation?

Childcare can be a very difficult balancing act. Do you both continue your careers and pay a large part of those earnings for childcare or is it wiser for the higher earner to continue to work and for the lower earner of the partnership to give up their job to care for the child, even if this means becoming a stay at home dad.

Men currently have more rights when it comes to childcare than they did in the past.

Fathers now have rights to request more flexible working hours at any time if they have children under the age of sixteen. Anyone applying for the leave must request it in writing to their employer and be able to show how it could actually work in practise.  Despite this, many dads fear asking for more flexible hours in case their commitment gets questioned or it affects their promotion.

They can also now take longer periods of paternity leave, allowing them the share the leave with their partner. This can be advantageous both emotionally, if the dad wants more time to bond with their newborn and can also make sense financially if the mum is able to earn more money than the dad.

In the same way it can make more financial sense for the dad to also become a permanent stay at home dad, but is this the ideal situation for home dads?

Many men, whilst enjoying the childcare role, often feel less masculine and find the role harder than actually working. Many will have taken on the role reluctantly, secretly wishing that they could earn more money so that they could be the main breadwinner.

Fathers now also have rights to request more flexible working hours at any time if they have children under the age of sixteen. Anyone applying for the leave must request it in writing to their employer and be able to show how it could actually work in practise.  Despite this, many dads fear asking for more flexible hours in case their commitment gets questioned or it affects their promotion.

Many home dads feel isolated with many feeling self conscious with their new role given that society is programmed to think that a man’s role is to be the breadwinner for the family and that childcare is a role for women.

One way for a home dad to feel less isolated is by joining groups, such as playgroups, with other home dads. There are now some playgroups that have been founded by stay at home dads that offer the opportunity to meet other dads who are in the same situation. This is ideal as there will be more in common to talk about like sport and male banter. This way the children still benefit from mixing with other children while the men enjoy socialising too.

For those dads who still miss working there are many work from home opportunities that would provide extra money from home.

There are many stay at home jobs available including working freelance. Many professions offer the opportunity to become freelance i.e. becoming self employed allowing you to work flexible hours based around your own needs. These include writing and copywriting ( you could even start off writing blogs for fun  using  stay at home dads forums ),web design, graphic design, illustrator  or even a translator if you are fluent in another language.

There are many other work from home ideas
offering part time work from home. These include many working from home on line opportunities which can reach a global audience. You will need to be cautious though before committing to any of these opportunities to ensure that the opportunity is genuine

There are also various home courses available that can offer training on how to earn money from home successfully.

To close, there is no right or wrong way to be a home dad. The most important thing is enjoy the experience. For some that will be mean childcare being the sole career whilst for others it will involve creating a healthy balance between caring for the child and earning an income from home at the same time. Either way it a role to be proud of regardless of whether you are a woman or a man.