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May 07 2020

Home Improvement 101 – 4 Practical Tips to Stay Under Budget

Let’s face it, the greatest challenge that most homeowners face when it comes to making changes, modifications, or upgrades to their properties is the high costs that they generally entail.

When you get right down to it, home improvement projects can be expensive undertakings to pursue. And it is for this reason that many tend to delay the proposition – if not forget about it entirely.

Home improvement doesn’t always have to cost a small fortune. In fact, with some planning, research, and know-how, you’ll be surprised at how affordable it can actually be to give your house the makeover it deserves.

So, to keep costs down, here are some practical tips to stay under budget.

1. Plan ahead and secure bids in advance

Depending on the scope of your renovation or remodelling project, you may need the services of professional contractors. However, these building and construction trades usually have busy seasons.

And if you’re in a rush to get things done and need them to push you into their schedules, you’ll be forced to pay more than you need to.

Instead, always plan ahead and secure bids in advance. In this way, you’ll be able to get the services that your project requires without putting yourself in dire financial straits in the process.

2. Explore and compare all of your options

Whether you’re looking to secure that delectable freestanding bath that you’ve always wanted or are in the market for tools and equipment for your renovation, it’s a general rule of thumb always to explore and compare your options before spending your money.

It may not necessarily be the most exciting aspect of the home improvement process. Still, it’s undeniably the most critical since it will allow you to find better deals and cheaper alternatives. And this can make all the difference, especially if you’re working on a tight budget.

3. Pitch in whenever possible

It’s not hard to see why the vast majority of homeowners prefer to take the do-it-yourself approach with home improvement. It does give them the opportunity to keep labour costs low, after all.

And for tasks that don’t require the expertise of a trained professional, such as demolition, digging, or cleaning, it’s good standard practise to pitch in whenever possible. Tedious as this might sound, doing so can keep your project’s expenses to a minimum.

4. Stick to one project at a time

It’s always a good idea to stick with one home improvement project at a time instead of tackling multiple tasks simultaneously. After all, doing so will not only allow you to stay focused on the job and maintain a consistently high level of productivity. But it will also allow you to get a better grip on your budget too.

Contrary to popular belief, home improvement doesn’t always need to be a ludicrously expensive proposition. And by following these tips, you’ll get the results that you want under budget.

May 04 2020

It’s Possible to Make Your House More Eco-friendly

Apparently, humanity is destroying the planet. News items and articles in newspapers and on the TV gnaw at the collective conscience. David Attenborough’s smile and upbeat delivery from his very early appearances on TV has been replaced by a sullen, miserable frown with a downbeat, deadpan delivery.

Before we all become depressed and down like David, there are things we can do to help, in some small way, to alleviate the pressure on the environment, save on utility bills and make us feel good at the same time.

Let’s look at some suggestions which homeowners can introduce to reduce the burden on the environment.

Install solar panels

Coal, gas and oil powered generating stations are the source of the electricity which powers our homes, offices and factories. Without it we would be living in an unsophisticated agrarian society. We take electricity for granted, but the pollution which is caused by mining and drilling for coal and oil does untold damage to the environment, and that is without the millions of tons of CO2 pumped in to the atmosphere from power station chimneys.

The alternative is to generate power from more eco friendly and sustainable sources, such as wind, wave and solar. Solar energy power generating on a micro scale is something we can see in virtually every city, town and village in the UK. There are over one million domestic properties with solar panel installations in the UK, generating 2,499 MW of electricity (source:https://www.atlanticrenewables.co.uk/). These forward thinking homeowners benefit from almost zero cost electricity AND earn money from the government’s old Feed in Tariff scheme and the more recently introduced Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

Improve insulation at home

Another way to make your house eco-friendly is to improve insulation. When you have a well-insulated house, it lessens the need to turn your heater on. It keeps your home warm even if you only turned the heater on for a few minutes. Since air couldn’t escape the place, it’s easy to maintain the temperature. Seek help from a professional who can help improve the insulation at home. With proper installation, you can save up to 30% of your electric bills. Reducing electrical consumption could also help save the environment.

Apart from the positive effects of this effort to the environment, it can also improve your properties value. People prefer living in a house where there’s improve insulation to reduce their electric consumption.

Choose energy-efficient light bulbs

If you’re still using the old lighting system at home, it might be time to change them. Yellow incandescent bulbs, for instance, are not suitable for your house. They consume too much energy and increase your electric bills. Instead of the regular light bulbs, you can consider energy-efficient LED lamps. They are not only energy-efficient, but they can also last longer. Once you decide to have an LED at home, you don’t have to replace them frequently.

Avoid using chemicals

When you use chemicals for skincare, cleaning your house, and other purposes, you’re also hurting the environment. The chemicals from these products could go directly to the open waters after you rinse. Therefore, it helps if your shift to natural options and cleaning yourself and your house.

With these tips, you don’t need to feel guilty about your actions anymore. You know that even in your small ways, you’re preventing the destruction of the environment.

May 04 2020

Online Learning Entails Discipline and Focus

It appears that many parents have raised issues about the idea of distance learning. For them, it’s a difficult challenge to overcome. Many children are challenging to deal with, unable to focus their minds on the tasks in hand.

Although there are some downsides to distance learning, it doesn’t mean it can’t work. Education can take place anywhere, and it doesn’t have to stay within the four walls of a classroom. As long as students remain disciplined and focused, home schooling can and does work work.

Children need supervision

Parents play a crucial role in the learning process. You serve as your children’s first teacher. Even during regular classes, you are still the primary teacher. Teachers at school will only supplement the education which you provide at home. Supervising your children shouldn’t be a problem if you always remain involved. Make yourself available if there are questions regarding the lessons.

Ground rules

The problem some parents have is that their children spend too much time playing video games and other mind numbing pastimes like tik tok etc. while your children are at home, it’s easy to feel tempted to forget studying; it takes dedication and patience. Rules need to be clear and concise. You can’t stop them from playing video games, but you can allow them to do it only within a given time frame. They should also show proof that they already finished their academic work before playing again.

You should also have rules in place regarding the use of electronic devices. You don’t want your children to over expose themselves to these gadgets, given the potential harmful impact they can have on children’s health. You should also encourage the use of EMF protection. These protective devices will help them avoid the adverse effects of exposure to low level radiated EMF energy.

Keep close contact with teachers

Although you supervise the learning process, it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. You should maintain close contact with the teachers. If there are elements of the lesson that you don’t understand, you should ask. You should also work out strategies that could help you teach the lessons better. Most teachers worth their salt would be more than willing to guide you and offer some tips to help lessen your burden.

Extend your patience

Asking your children to remain focused and disciplined isn’t easy. They will do whatever they can to avoid having to undertake school work at home. They also have a limited attention span. You must extend your patience and learn how to smile amid the situation. You can’t take it out on your children; it isn’t their fault we are all in lockdown at this time.

You still want them to have an enjoyable learning experience. It shouldn’t be a shouting match. Encourage and coax gently but with a firm hand. If you shout and rant, they will lose interest in learning and become difficult to teach.

Distance learning might not be an ideal situation, especially for younger learners. However, the current situation is beyond our control. You have to make the most of it and find a way to continue teaching your children. They can still learn a lot through this method, depending on your level of support and attention.