Building Quotes: How to avoid hidden costs
Building Quotes and avoiding hidden costs is possible if you know what to look for. Not all Building Quotes are created equal! If you are embarking on a home building or renovation project, you have probably contacted several Builders and have their Quotes in your hot hands. Some may look cheaper than the others, but are there hidden costs? Learn what to look for and why a cheaper quotes may cost you more in the long term.
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Simple ideas to lighten and brighten your home
Most homes have a dark corner, hallway or room that has little or no natural light. There are many ways to remedy the problem without needing to have the lights on all day. Here are some ideas that will not only transform the mood of a room but also create a feeling of space without the hassle of a major renovation and a strain on the budget.
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How to ensure your hot water stays hot
There’s nothing more annoying than running out of hot water when you are half way through washing your hair under a chilly shower in the middle of winter. If that has happened to you perhaps it’s time to replace your hot water system.
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The Elegance of Glass Pool Fencing
When it comes to pool fencing there is nothing more aesthetically pleasing than glass. A glass pool fence provides an uninterrupted view not only of the pool itself but of the garden, landscaping or view surrounding the pool.
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Choosing exterior shutters for your home
Adding shutters to your home is a great way to increase value, security, privacy, and curb appeal. They’re stylish and low maintenance, and there are plenty to choose from. The two main types of exterior shutters are plantation shutters and roller shutters.
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How to choose the best fencing for your home
When it comes to choosing fencing there is a huge range of styles, sizes and materials to choose from and lots of things to consider before you make your decision. First and foremost is choosing the right style of fencing to compliment the style and architecture of your home. For example a traditional home may suit a picket fence or perhaps a sandstone wall. While a contemporary home could suit anything from timber or steel to a brick, rendered or stone wall.
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Start the New Year with a spring clean
Christmas is a faded memory and a New Year has begun and what better way to start the New Year than with a spring clean and maintenance of your home and garden. Have you let all those little odd jobs mount up during the past year while you kept telling yourself that you will get around to fixing them. So hire a handyman and kick the year off with a good clean, repair and rubbish removal.
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Will Real Estate Crash In Australia?
The market has continued to rise in Australia and it has been a steady increase for the last few years. It's unlikely that a crash will happen, but if the market slows down, it would be prudent to take precautions. The Australian real estate market has been rising since 2008, but there are many factors that could trigger a crash. If the Australian economy experiences a recession, or if international factors such as escalation in wars come into play, then the market could crash
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What to look for when considering tiles and tilers
When it comes to tiles we tend to think of the wet areas of the house - kitchen, bathroom and laundries. But there are so many styles, shapes, sizes and materials of tiles available for many more uses than just our wet areas including floors and walls for living rooms, entry halls, fireplaces and stairs, not to mention outdoor areas such as verandahs, terraces, pathways, entertaining areas and pools.
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Maintaining your Stone floors
Natural stone floors are an investment that can last a life time if cared for properly. Stone floors add a wow factor to any home and should be maintained regularly
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Warning signs of pest infestations to look out for while house hunting
Check open spaces for anthills, window frames for wasps nests, trees for termite nests, and sheds and trees for possum nests. Be on the lookout for other evidence that pests are living there such as droppings under trees and the skin being eaten off lemons on fruit trees. Secondly, observe greenery in the area. If there are damaged plants or patches of grass pests may be to blame.
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Relocating to a new home
Moving home can be a very stressful and emotional time in your life. Moving downtown, across town, interstate, overseas, downsizing or upsizing it’s a big job that requires a lot of thought and planning. Being organized and well prepared will make the whole process much easier.
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Renovating your Queenslanders’ floors
The Queenslander is a much admired and sort after home that can be found in most parts of Queensland as well as northern New South Wales. There are a number of eras and designs of the Queenslander ranging from the 1800’s to post WW11 homes dotted all over Brisbane, varying in architecture as time progressed and the average size of the urban house block decreased. There are however a couple of unique features all Queenslanders share, the most iconic of which is the verandahs and the timber floors.
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Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating is a beautiful way to heat your home, obviously not from a visual sense as it is invisible, but because of the comfort and ambience it creates. It is unobtrusive, providing warmth for an entire room with no noise and no risk of being burnt by radiators or oil heaters. Perfect particularly for small children and the elderly.
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How to create kerb appeal
We have all admired other people’s homes. Regardless of the period, style, size and location there are many homes you look at and just say “wow”, “I could live there in a heartbeat” , “that’s my dream home” , “if I won Lotto that’s where I would want to live” and so on. We can be equally critical about the homes we don’t like. The ones we look at and say “what were they thinking?” “look how untidy that yard is”, “I don’t like the colour scheme” or “it looks very ramshackle”, “maybe its abandoned”.
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15 Striking Outdoor Lighting Ideas and Designs
Outdoor free standing lamps reference both floor lamps and table lamps and are a fabulous addition to any al fresco area. They provide an intimate, warm glow that helps create a relaxed atmosphere and enhance the ambience of your home’s exterior.
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Appliance repair: when to call a professional
If any of your appliances have been acting strangely lately, you may have wondered whether you should call a professional. The most obvious sign is that they aren’t working at all, but other symptoms include loud noises, water leaking, decreased efficiency, and higher than normal power bills. If you’re tossing up between repair and replacement, a professional can help you assess the appliance and make the best decision.
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Five tips to spotlessly clean windows
Windows are generally quite a chore to clean - it's easy to take shortcuts and put ourselves in danger when we're just trying to rush through and get the job done. These tips will take some of the effort out and give you some helpful hints to keeping safe while you complete your spring cleaning chores.
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6 tips for incorporating your style into interior décor
Imagine the feeling of walking into the home of your dreams, a luxury space designed by someone just for you. What does that space look like in your mind, does it make you feel safe, connected and inspired? This article looks at how you can make your space at home perfect for you.
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A balcony enclosure creates a warm winter retreat
A balcony enclosure using a frameless glass system could be just the thing to turn your outside area into a warm winter retreat. Balcony and outdoor entertainment areas have been enjoyed all summer long. But with winter on our doorstep, now is the perfect time to think about how this space will be used in the colder months ahead. And a balcony enclosure could be just the thing!
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