Month: May 2017

Improve Curb Appeal with Front Yard Landscaping

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If you plan on selling your home any time soon, it is fair to say
that first impressions count for a lot when it comes to impressing
potential buyers. When you consider that the first thing buyers will see
when they roll up at your home is the front yard, it makes sense that a
spot of landscaping in that area could pay huge dividends in making
your home appear more desirable.

Planning the best landscaping approach for your front
yard requires that you get into the minds of buyers. Ideally, you want a
front yard that looks attractive and welcoming, which will plant in
buyers’ minds the idea that this could be their future home. On the
other hand, a landscaped front yard that is too elaborate might have a
negative effect by making some buyers fearful of the amount of work
required to maintain it.

By the same token, if the purpose of a
landscaping project is merely to sell your home, there can surely be
little point in expending a lot of time, effort, and expense on an
over-complicated front yard. The strategy, rather, should be minimum
effort and expense for maximum gain.

One great way of making
your front yard appear more attractive without doing any major work is
to tidy up your lawn borders. If you pay attention to trimming back
areas where your lawn has started to grow into the flower beds, you can
do a lot to make your front yard appear considerably more orderly to the
casual eye. Remember that it is all about first impressions, and your
buyers will soon be moving on to viewing the interior of your home. The
trick is to convey the impression of tidiness and order, and lawn edge
trimming is certainly vital in this regard.

Once you have tidied
up your lawn borders, it pays to keep them looking that way, and the
easy way to achieve this is to sprinkle a layer of wood chips along the
edges of the lawn, which will be an effective deterrent to the growth of
weeds.


When considering ways to maximize the impression of order and tidiness
in your front yard, another good tactic is to prune back shrubs that
have become too large and messy in appearance. However, you should
resist the urge to go at shrubs too eagerly, especially if you have
buyers scheduled to visit in the near future. Shrubs that have been
pruned over-zealously will make it much too obvious that gardening work
has been conducted recently in a sly bid to make a good impression.


In such cases where you have plants and shrubs growing near your house,
especially near windows, you should be at pains to carry out pruning.
This is particularly important where plant growth may be restricting
light from reaching the interior of the house. Few house buyers are
likely to be enamored of homes where rooms seem dark and dank.


There are lots of ways to improve the look of your front yard. For some
people, it may be a simple case of tidying, but other home owners may
need to carry out more drastic works if their yards are currently in a
poor state. Although landscaping work can be expensive, the ultimate
goal of selling your home may in some cases dictate that you bite the
bullet and engage the services of a professional landscape designer in
order to effect major improvements to your front yard.

Metal Banana Hangers – A Commonly Overlooked Modern Kitchen Accessory

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Banana holders are an interesting and fashionable accessory for the kitchen that commonly gets overlooked; There are a wide array of metal banana hangers available that offer a modern accent and produce preserving functionality that is unique to this accessory. “>Metal banana hangers possess some of the most innovative designs that correlate with this accessory. This is partially due to the fact that metal is a much easier material to manipulate than wood. Aside from that fact, metallic finishes tie hand in hand with modern design which is an appealing fact to manufacturers.

Many metallic banana holders are manufactured around the modern motif that is so popular in today’s interior design industry. As such, they meld well into modern themed kitchens. However, due to their simplistic and sleek designs, they can function well in a variety of additional themes as well.

Durability Metal banana hangers tend to exhibit slightly more durability than wood banana holders due to the fact that obviously, metal is stronger than wood. Aside from that fact, most of the metals used in the manufacturing of these products currently include popular choices in modern materials such as stainless steel or chrome. These metals are notoriously resistant to wear and tear. As a result, metal banana hangers; while at times costing more than other types of holders, are a popular choice for those who want durability and guaranteed functioning of their banana holder.

Popular Styles For the most part, metal hangers portray the popular, generic design that most banana hangers provide. While in fact there are plenty of unique options available; the popularity of the simplistic and reliable design persists; as such, many manufacturers are taking this design and adding minute details to it to appeal more so to the modern generation.

There are a couple of different areas of these products that manufacturers experiment with in terms of adding modern elements to the design. By altering the base of the product, or the arm of the banana holder, manufacturers can achieve a barrage of unique and modern designs in a fairly simplistic way. The base of the banana hanger accessory tends to provide the largest amount of material to work with. As such, manufacturers have the opportunity to alter this area in a number of different ways by adding minute details, or changing the structure of the area entirely. One popular alteration is incorporating little designs and patterns into the base, the most popular being spirals. This is particularly prevalent in wrought iron and bronze banana hangers.

Banana holders are an interesting and fashionable accessory for the kitchen that commonly gets overlooked; There are a wide array of metal banana hangers available that offer a modern accent and produce preserving functionality that is unique to this accessory.

The History Of Landscaping

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Mayans lined walkways leading to their temples with intricate plants and flowers, the Romans created courtyard gardens within the boundaries of their properties for the enjoyment of their family and friends, and royalty would plant profuse amounts of flowers and trees as a symbol of their wealth. In the 17th century in Jamaica, slave plantation owners would line the walkways to their mansions with Royal Palms. Throughout history, landscaping was used as a sign of not only beauty, but also wealth, power and respect.
Hardscaping is the use of the terrain itself, or rocks and stones brought in from other places. Nowadays it’s mostly just rocks and stone walls for aesthetics, but hardscaping was also used for practical purposes. The most obvious example of this is the Great Wall of China. Qin Shi Huang unified all the states of China in 221 B.C. and to block invasions from the Xiongnu people in the north, ordered that the wall be built to help protect his new borders from enemies. Of course in this case hardscaping was completely utilitarian.
Another example of hardscaping is the mystical Stonehenge of England. The mystery of these rocks is that though they are in England now, they actually came from Whales, which means that the builders somehow transported these rocks over 200 miles. This has led to many theories of everything from aliens to astronomical miracles. Most likely these creators were just very dedicated (or well-paid) individuals committed to finishing the product.
Nowadays, from the San Joaquin Valley of California to New York’s Hudson Valley, landscaping and hardscaping are now used for personal homes and commercial businesses as a way to improve the quality of peoples’ physical surroundings and to give a sense of nature in an increasingly material world.

The Basics of Landscape Diploma Courses and Landscaping Courses Online

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Landscape Diploma Courses as well as landscaping courses online have been gaining in popularity in recent years. The reason for this is that the market has expanded for professionals engaged in the business. Clients have expanded from commercial establishments to include individual households. In both cases, they opt to go to individuals who have gone through Landscape Diploma Courses.

Both landscaping courses online and Landscape Diploma Courses tackle a combination of subjects. These include design principles, horticulture, as well as ecology. The ultimate goal is to create landscaped and usable spaces for the structure. There are also different specialties that may be taken with Landscape Diploma Courses, especially landscaping courses online.

An example of this is taking subjects that emphasize with the way plants grow. Students can then create designs based on how the plants would look like once they have matured. Another specialization that can be taken through Landscape Diploma Courses is landscape architecture. In this field, the structure of the building is considered to address certain issues such as the placement of the building and its environmental impact.

In landscaping programs, such as landscaping courses online, students learn the basic skills needed to become a designer or owner of a landscaping business. The specializations depend on the curriculum offered by the school. However, the fundamentals include plant propagation and even business management. Skills in equipment and design software are also taught in order to come up with good design proposals.

For Landscape Diploma Courses, the program can expand to include further details such as soil science and site design. In most cases, trigonometry and geography are included in the curriculum to improve the design elements. For those interested in specializing further, landscaping courses online can build up on existing skills. In this case, specialized classes such as historical architecture and landscape management can be taken.

Landscape Diploma Courses can be a lucrative business for individuals who prefer careers that combine creativity and being with the outdoors. It is ideal for those who are interested in the environment and gardening because inevitably, it would entail inspection and even onsite work. For those who want to switch careers, landscaping courses online can be the ideal scenario because it provides the convenience of learning without going to traditional classrooms.

To get more details on Landscape Diploma Courses and landscaping courses online, visit

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What Sets Gloster Furniture Apart

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If you follow quality teak outdoor furnishings closely, then one name will come up with regularity: Gloster Furniture. Gloster has been the gold standard for going on four decades now, and it has been that way for a reason. They give consumers quality and choice, something that is rarely if ever reproduced by their competition. If you have been considering a purchase of high quality outdoor furniture, but youre not really sure why you should go with one brand over another, consider the ways that Gloster sets itself apart from the rest of the pack.

Diverse Catalogue

At last count Gloster Furniture offered its customers more than 300 different products, ensuring that there is a style for every taste and preference. How is it possible, you might ask, that one could have 300 different looks for outdoor teak furniture? The diversity comes thanks in part to Glosters attention to detail, their sophisticated design, and their rigid quality control standards. Gloster uses the finest teak materials and craftsmanship from all over the globe, and coincidentally, it appeals to locations worldwide. The companys mark can be felt in more than 50 countries and on six of the seven continents in the entire world, taking the something for everyone creed to a whole new level.

Industry Recognition

Gloster Furniture makes an impact on the outdoor furniture sales market not only because of the choices the company provides for their customers, but also for the proven quality as recognized by numerous industry awards. When it comes to quality and design, the casual furniture industry has recognized this company as the name to beat year in and year out. The professional standards, in particular, have received the most praise as the company thinks about details that slip through the cracks at other furniture manufacturers.

Customer Service

Perhaps most convincing to consumers, who buy Gloster Furniture, is the commitment to quality customer service with warranty standards that ensure every piece of furniture that leaves Glosters plant facilities is one that will give the customer what he is looking for out of a quality piece of teak outdoor furniture. Whichever vendor you purchase your outdoor furniture from, whether its Gloster Furniture or another brand, you should accept nothing less.

Landscaping in Oakville

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When you are looking for landscaping services in Oakville, it will
be important to make sure that you take the time to look around online
at some of what you will have to choose from before making a final
decision on a certain business. You will find that after doing some of
this research that it will be a lot easier to decide on a certain
Oakville company to go with. There are going to be quite a few different
companies to choose from so you should take your time with looking
through some of them.

You should also make sure to get references from some
of these landscaping companies, just so you will be able to find out
which one will be able to provide you with the very best services. There
are going to be certain landscaping companies that will not be able to
provide you with references and it will be important to make sure that
you consider crossing those businesses off your list when you are
looking for one in particular to go with. A landscaping company that
already has references ready for you is almost certainly one you can
trust to get the job done well.

If you are searching for a
landscaping company in Oakville, it will be incredibly important to make
sure that you find the very best one there is. This way you will be
able to get top quality landscaping services while staying within your
budget. You might just be surprised at what a little bit of research
will accomplish. Oakville is a fairly large place is filled with all
kinds of companies that offer these services, but you will not want to
trust just any of them to do this work for you.


Another good thing to do when you are looking for one of these
companies is to go online and look up reviews for certain ones. By
taking the time to look at customer reviews for various landscaping
companies in the area, you will be able to get some idea as to which
ones have a good overall reputation in the community and which do not.
After you have taken enough time to do this research, you should be able
to make a good final decision of some sort on a specific landscaping
company that can meet your needs exactly.

You should talk with
each landscaping company to get estimates on the work that you want
done, just so you will be able to see which one is going to be able to
offer you the lowest price. Those who are on somewhat of a tight budget
will definitely need to consider getting estimates from some of these
companies so that they can find out how much they will end up paying
with each. Even though it will take a little bit of time to do this
research, in the end you will most likely find that it will be worth it
because of all the money you will save.

We proudly offer the widest range of hardwood flooring in Calgary

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Hardwood Flooring

Hattons Hardwood Flooring provides complete hardwood flooring services to Calgary . We specialize in dustless hardwood floors and hardwood wood flooring . >

We offer proficient assistance for your entire floor covering needs, including hardwood and ceramic tiles . We specialize in the sale and installation of Hardwood, Laminate, Ceramic, Vinyl, and Carpet Floor coverings. We also provide sanding and refinishing services for existing hardwood floors .

Hardwood floors are timeless. While many other floor coverings can become obsolete over time, hardwood’s beauty is superior with age and typically increases the value of a home. What’s more, hardwood flooring is more long-lasting than most other floor coverings. Today’s technology and nearly immeasurable choices of stains, finishes, styles and designs make hardwood flooring one of the most realistic, simple and flexible floor coverings available. Hardwood Flooring Calgary

Hattons Hardwood Floors is a leading flooring stores for full-service hardwood flooring in Calgary , specializing in high-quality wood flooring products and reputable brand names. We proudly offer the widest range of hardwood flooring in Calgary , and with a quarter century in the Calgary hardwood flooring business we are very well versed in all facets of the industry. This includes the entire range of hardwood floor applications and products as well as installation, cleaning and maintenance techniques. Wood Flooring Calgary

For nearly 13 years we have been supplying and installing quality wood flooring in Calgary area.

Hattons Hardwood Floors is a collection of finely crafted engineered and solid wood floors. We specialize in quality products with a fashion focus that meet the changing requirements of designers and consumers.

All about Your Gas Equipments and Requirements

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Most countries use LPG or liquefied petroleum gas for cooking. It is also used for heating or as fuel and even for refrigeration along with cooking. Most of us are aware of and require gas for cooking purposes. Gas is also used for outdoor cooking by many who have a patio or a backyard. People who go for camping also use gas for their various requirements of cooking and generating heat. With so much importance being attached to this form of fuel, it is very important that all the various requirements and equipments needed for it be available to us at all times; and if these are available online, then that is the best case scenario.

Outdoor requirements

Outdoor cooking can be undertaken by people who have a backyard or a patio. Otherwise, people who do not have a definite kitchen area, such as backpackers and campers also resort to outdoor cooking. Using special outdoor gas stoves, cooking, roasting or direct heating is undertaken in the outdoors. Many people also install outdoor fireplaces that help them keep warm even outdoors, during winter. A firebox or a chimney is all they need for these purposes. Some people even go for more permanent set ups that are made of brick enclosures and are more elaborate. Camping requirements

Outdoor gas stoves also come handy when camping or going backpacking. For the purpose of camping, portable gas stoves are needed. These portable stoves or camping gas stoves are lightweight and can be carried with you anywhere you wish. Available in various sizes and shapes, they are designed for outdoor use. They work just as well as your kitchen stoves. For the camping stoves that used LPG as fuel, there are canisters available to be refilled as needed and they also have storage and stowage covers available for easier and better transportation. Boiling rings and burners

Gas burners and gas stoves are different from each other in that burners are primarily used where heat needs to be directed in one particular place, say for example in soldering; while a gas stove is primarily used for cooking and hence heating up the vessel containing food to be cooked that is kept on top of it. Gas boiling rings are something totally different from both the stoves and the burners. Particularly used in commercial or outdoor cooking, boiling rings has parts and functions similar to that of the gas stove. It consists of regulators and an LPG hose and can use LPG, butane or propane as fuel.

How To Choose Granite For Kitchen Countertops

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Of all the natural stones out there, none has made a mark quite like granite. Abundant, extremely hard and very durable, it’s the top pick for many residential and commercial kitchens.

Just what is it about this material that makes it a favorite? Is it the range of colors and patterns? The fact that it’s impervious to heat? Or is it because it boasts elegance unmatched by any stone? Whatever the reason, it’s safe to say that unless installation is shoddy, it can last for decades without looking overly worn out. Truly money well spent.

Like most natural stones, granite does require a bit of maintenance. Even ceramic tile does for that matter. What distinguishes it is that stains and spillage don’t cause structural damage because it’s incredibly dense. Choosing a darker colored stone that’s moderately to heavily speckled will mask signs of spillage.

Choose quality over low cost

The best way to get the most out of granite is to invest in higher-end stones. They last much longer and look the best. Poor quality stones are fairly easily recognizable with pitted surfaces, low density and a tendency to chip and crack during installation. Hairline cracks and inconsistent coloring will also be present.

Types of granite

There are four main types of granite with a couple being particularly suited for both indoor and outdoor use:

Biotite granite, the hardest, is the best type because the stone’s color and durability are not affected by weather conditions. It comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, is readily available, and most installers have extensive experience working with it.

Hornblende granite is another good choice because it weathers well. It’s immediately distinguishable by its dark hue, perfect for counters that are frequently used or if you want to create a stark contrast.

Tourmaline granite is very soft which means it’s unsuitable for countertops or areas that see heavy use. Use it only for decorative purposes such as accents. If you can afford to, choose white tourmaline granite which is rare but beautiful to behold.

Talcose granite is slightly harder than tourmaline granite but is better left for decorative purposes.

Since the patterns, colors and textures of granite are varied, it’s vital that you know which suits your kitchen. Dark-colored stones are ideal for moderate to large kitchens especially when contrast is created. Light-colored shades like white or pale grey -enlarge’ small kitchens. If you must use dark stones, have them as accents against white backdrops.

Cabinetry, wall color and kitchen style also influence how well granite can add to overall look. Unlike concrete which is typically plain or marble which has very fine veins, granite patterns are more noticeable so busy kitchens with a lot of hardware or dcor can look cluttered. The safest route to take is a countertop that matches the color of the floor or the walls so that cabinetry and hardware are contrasted. Or, let the countertop be the only focal point against a very light-colored kitchen.

Granite dealers are everywhere but reputed sellers make sure they sell only good quality stones. Know that the choice of countertop will influence your house’s resale value so think long and hard before picking any one stone.

Granite marble offers the perfect mix of aesthetic, multipurpose functionality coupled with a variety of designs with top most quality to suit all your makeover needs.

Advice On Decorating And Furnishing A Buy-to-let Property

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Furnishing a buy-to-let in Sofia!
The ground rules for renovating for successful tenanting of a residential rental property are space-light-neutral-accessorise!:
Space = value: Creating the illusion of more space (hence more rental income compared to similar apartments) is based on choosing lighter space enhancing tones for paint and flooring and even the kitchen which enhance rather than detract from the sense of space. Let’s face it most developers tend to maximise the so called ‘common areas’ and your average 120 m2 2 bed apartment is then in real terms more like 95 m2 of habitable space. Obviously with such a relatively limited amount of space you do not want to crowd the apartment with heavy dark or traditional style furnishing which may detract from the illusion of space that you are trying to create. It is a highly competitive business especially after the building boom so every small advantage you can get at design stage will help to differentiate your product i.e. your apartment at point of ‘sale’ i.e. renting to a potential tenant. If with these 4 simple steps you can create the illusion of having 10% more space than is physically there then your apartment will be chosen against a similar apartment which again on paper is offering the same or similar living space. To create this sense of space I advise knocking out as many unnecessary partition walls as possible to open up the property to allow natural light and movement and communication with the person cooking in the kitchen transforming it into a shared social activity rather than a solitary experience. Of course you have to weigh this against the odour from the kitchen which will then spread around the apartment. However with modern strong extractor hoods (absorbatori) you resolve most of this issue and in any case with hectic modern lifestyles many people nowadays whether you like it or not microwave their food or simply cook a quick snack or re-heat a takeaway, this is the hard reality of modern living! The strategic use of mirrors is also as I am sure you are aware key to creating the illusion of space. Regarding furnishing space is created by choosing glass tables over heavy wood items as it is all about allowing the onlooker’s eye to travel around the room without obstruction giving this valuable sensation of space that you need for optimum rental. The other area that affects space impression is the choice of flooring polished tiles reflect back the light, whilst lighter parquet floors also create a sense of space especially classical styles with a modern twist such as bleached oak laminate flooring. Regarding the skirting the eye should be allowed again to travel to infinity without obstruction through the wall so a trick here is to make the skirting the same colour as the wall not the floor, yes I know it is counter-intuitive but believe me it works! For wall paints light yellow/primrose is good for bedrooms cosy and fresh at the same time with green undertones to reflect back light and give a sensation of space. Very pale green is space enhancing as is very pale mauve/salmon (NOT PINK!), even the lightest of biscuit or browns can accent a specific wall for detail. The best colour for enhancing space is a very light grey almost but NOT WHITE as this rather like URULU (Ayers Rock in Australia) then allows external light to penetrate the surface of the paint then reflect back so that the walls then take on a life of their own at different times of the day reflecting back the shade and light from the source of natural light. However I heard you today with Maria and you have good ideas for the paint colours so this is obviously one of your strong points where you have a clear vision.

Light = space: More lights are better than less lights it is an affordable way of zoning a property especially when it is open plan and gives a cost effective sense of luxury to the future tenant, for this it is always good to have a zone where there is a dimmer switch to allow the occupants to change the mood of their environment. Light also refers to light tones for paint and flooring and furnishing. One trick taught to me by an architect who rented out her London property to tennis stars is to have a cream or White leather sofa s a feature in the property, don’t ask me why but it works when attracting the all important tenant you seek! Many of the furnishing and finishing points such as use of mirrors and polished Gres tiles is also mentioned in the section above. Breaking down partition walls internally also allows light to filter through the property. Darker floor & wall finishing and furnishing is OK for rental but only in large apartments with high ceiling s and lots of natural light where they will not dominate or cramp the available space but rather enhance it by making it on a more human scale. So I would recommend this for apartments with over 150 m2 in livable space where you do not face the challenge of making the property feel bigger than it really is to compensate for the size.

Neutral = mass appeal:
Tenants do not need or want to feel that your style or anybody Else’s for that matter has been imposed on them. Having neutral coordinated tones throughout the apartment helps to allow the prospective tenant to imagine living there and bringing their own accessories paintings and personal possessions into the space to make it their own. Rather than restricting and limiting your options you want to appeal to the most people possible whilst offending the least possible this is where the neutral element comes into it’s own. It may seem bland and boring not cosy or unappealing to you or I but let’s face it we are not going to live there it is a rental property a rental unit a retail business commodity that you want maximum ROI on as a result!

Accessorise:
This is another reason to avoid the heavy cosy so called ‘oyutno’ style so favoured by local designers and property owners seeking international and executive tenants for their rental property. You can always accessorise with cushions and the odd painting on the wall or a small carpet under the coffee table or curtains etc… to give the place character if you are afraid that so much light and neutral leaves the place feeling sterile believe me this is far from my intentions as you can see by an apartment I bought, gutted and renovated from a shell to a luxury hi-end property in 3-4 months when I first came to BG. It is only 111 m2 but it feels like many properties of 140 m2 due to the design focused on open spaces, neutral tones, accent colours and light space enhancing finishing materials . This property encapsulates the styling I recommend for rental property without being too crazy or modern but with that constant theme of space-light-neutral-accent-accessorise!

If you want to spend real money from the budget that will make a difference to help get your property rented-out then spend most time and thought on the kitchen and the bathroom it is still a woman’s world and they invariably choose the property for their man when it comes to renting, this is the same the world over!

I hope this diatribe has not put you to sleep yet and that you have managed to read through it if you have congratulations and I hope that at the very least I have been of help and that you now see I have method in my madness!