If you are tired of living in your home as it is, or it simply is not big enough for you and your family anymore, you do not necessarily have to move. Remodelling your home can be less expensive and it means that you do not have to put up with all the stress of getting used to living somewhere new.

If you do decide to remodel your home, instead of moving on, there are several things that you should pay close attention to. Doing so means that the project is more likely to be completed successfully, producing the results that you are looking for.

Knowing what you budget is

It’s very easy for the cost of remodelling work to spiral out of control. It’s up to you to make sure that this does not happen. You need to spend time planning a realistic budget for the project. Do not over stretch yourself as the shine will definitely be taken off your remodelled home if you struggle to pay for the work. Remember, that there are likely to be some unexpected costs along the way, so you should factor additional funds in to your calculations.

When is the right time to start the project?

Remodelling work will demand your attention, whether you are doing the work yourself or not. You need to be available to make decisions and ensure that work is being completed as it should. You are not going to be able to do this if you are on vacation for part of the time, or if you are distracted by other major events in your life. Make sure that the project is undertaken when you are available to pay attention to it.

Taking care of the essentials first

You may want a high end freezer or expensive pictures for the walls, but do you actually need them? Always start your plans with the essentials, such as enough power sockets in the room and the basic amenities. Once you have accounted for the cost of all of these items, you can take a look at the latest trends in interior design and splash out on those extras that grab your attention.

Consider the whole picture

When you have remodelling work completed, there may be other aspects that it’s wise to consider. For instance, it may be worth speaking to a pest control expert about conducting an inspection of your home. If any potential issues are identified, such as gaps and cracks needing to be filled in, the work can be carried out at the same time as the remodelling, to prevent further disruption in the future.

Choosing the right professionals for the job

Remodelling work can be expensive, so you may be tempted to get an enthusiastic amateur to do the work. This is usually a bad idea. It’s worth paying more for the project to de done by professionals. You need to make sure that everyone you hire, including builders, architects, exterminators, plumbers and electricians, is reputable, fully licensed and insured.

Remodelling your home is not something that can be rushed. Trying to get everything done as quickly as possible is likely to lead to problems. Take time to plan, so that you spend within your means, prioritize effectively and get the right people to do the job.

Never rush into remodelling your home. Taking time to think ahead and plan can save you money, and a lot of wasted effort.

The real issue with rot is that if you don’t treat it promptly it will spread across your timbers; the result is you’ll be looking at house cladding options; not just repairing your rotting cladding.

Of course this is an option if our budget can stretch to it; there are some excellent options available on the market.

If you do find your cladding is rotting then here is what you need to do:

1. Check First

Walk round your home looking for any areas that could be rotting. Your cladding handles all the weather and could start to rot at any time. You can test the wood with a screwdriver; if it slides effortlessly into the wood you have rot.

It is important to pay particular attention to windowsills and any joints you have. This is often where water ingress starts.

2. Remove It

Rotten wood must be removed as quickly as possible. You can use your screwdriver or any other sharp edge to dig the soft wood out of your structure.  The point of this is to find out how big the damaged area is. Once you’ve worked out the extent of the rot you’ll be able to remove all of it.

It is best to cut your cladding on the good wood; this will make sure all the rotten wood is gone.

3. Cut Your New Cladding

The tighter the fit the better, when looking at replacing the rotten cladding; you’ll need to cut a piece or pieces of wood that fits the gaps you have.

Once you’ve cut it test it by putting it in and out of the hole in your cladding.

4. Glue Time

It is best to use polyurethane glue to fix your new piece of cladding into place. This glue reacts with water to create an excellent waterproof seal; you need to dampen the wood before applying the glue.

Of course you also need to clean all the surfaces to ensure the wood can bond effectively.

5. Fastening It In Position

The new piece of cladding needs to be securely fastened into position. The aim of the glue is to ensure there is a good waterproof seal. You’ll need to drill through your replacement piece and then into the wall behind.

This will allow you to fasten your new piece in place with screws.

6. Sand It!

Once the glue has set you’ll be able to sand it down to get a flush finish with the rest of the wood cladding. If necessary you can chisel off large amounts of glue.

7. Finishing Off

To ensure your repair blends in perfectly you’ll need to cover the screw heads with putty and then add a coat of paint to match the existing cladding.

You can then step back to admire your own work.

Of course the role of stairs has changed and the material used may be different; but you’ll still get the same warning signs that your stairs need to be repaired:

1. Creaking Stairs

You know the sound; as you bound up the steps a specific one always creaks. It is often dismissed as simple the character of your home. But, this squeak is a very early warning that there will be an issue with your stairs.

It’s also a good idea to fix the stairs in order to prevent the whole family being woken up by your nightly bathroom trips!

The most common cause of a squeaky stair is a gap between the tread and the riser. Simply fill the space with carpenter’s glue and your squeak should disappear.

2. Cracked Stairs

If you look at your stairs and notice that the tread or the riser is cracked, then you need to act quickly. This will prevent the rest of the stairs starting to get damaged.

You’ll need to remove the damaged tread or riser and replace it. You can do this yourself but you may prefer to call a professional.

3. Stairs Loose

If you find that one of your treads is loose or wobbly then you need to get it fixed before it causes you or someone else an accident.

If it is simply the tread you may be able to refasten it to the securing network. However, you’ll need to make sure it is secured into good wood to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

If the stair appears securely attached but feels loose then there will be a gap that needs carpenters glue.

4. Handrail Coming Off

This is an obvious sign that there is an issue with your stairs. After all the hand rail is designed to protect you and stop you from falling. You lean on it more than you realize; if it gives way it could cause a serious injury.

It is essential to replace the hand rail immediately or get professional help if you can’t do it yourself.

5. Wobbly Post

If the post securing your stairs or handrail is starting to wobble it is either suffering from wood rot or old age. You’ll need to replace the post. This is not a job to be taken on lightly although it is possible for someone with good DIY skills.

6. Water Issues

You may not instantly realize that your stairs have been damaged by water but a flood can start to rot your wood. You’ll be left with damp rot which can be easily tested for by gently inserting a screwdriver into it. If it goes in easily then you probably have wood rot.

It will be necessary to get professional help.

It’s also a good idea to contact an emergency electrician; your home electrics may be affected.

7. Naughty Pets

If you have dogs or cats, then it is possible they will decide to sharpen their claws or even take a bite out of your furniture.

Fortunately, you should be able to sand this out or replace the damaged covering; making this the easiest issue to deal with on the list!

Above image by James Dear – The Lighting Judge

Key considerations of home office design include (but are not limited to):

A home office has to have stable internet access. The connection also has or be accessible, so wifi extenders, routers, and modem have to be carefully placed. Not knowing where a modem connects to the wall can lead to a situation where the computer is across the room from it necessitating long cables or wireless.

• Good lighting both artificial such as lamps and natural such as sunlight.
• A well-placed desk with enough room to move and work on.
• Enough plugs or power strips for equipment such as computers, printers, monitors, phone and so on.
• Other needed furniture such as a chair, filing cabinet, storage containers and a printer stand.
• Lastly, consideration has to be given to the subtle aspects of good design. These include the overall furniture layout, color choices, and ergonomics.

Online Tools And Apps

As the above list shows, there are many factors that go into a good home office. Even with all the proper equipment figuring out how to place these items can present a challenge. In addition to this overall floor space has to be factored in as well. Every home office only has so much square footage to use. Here are six different online tools and apps to help in the office design process and help prevent common errors.

SketchUp: Can create a full 3D floor plan and room layouts. This gives a very precise idea of what a complete office floor plan will look like for daily use. It also offers 2D layouts and a paid professional version for more advanced features.

Ikea Planner Tools: This layout was created by the well-known furniture store chain. The platform offers floor plans for several types of rooms including home offices. This is a useful tool for creating a general floor plan. It also useful if the office designer favors Ikea products.

Sweet Home 3D: has both an online and downloadable version of its software. The site also offers optional registration to save online office layouts for later review. Finished floor plans can be viewed in both a virtual tour and aerial view formats.

HomeStyler: is a fully online 3D layout creator. What makes it stand out is it’s an entirely online product without any complex or time-consuming registration process. It allows for resizing of furniture, drag, and drop, and has several different design elements to make use of. It can also create 2D floor plans as well.

Planner 5D: is known for the versatility of the platform. It has several different designs, layouts, and interior options to pick from. It can create 2D or 3D renderings of proposed office layouts as needed. It’s also cross-platform and can run on Android, iOS, and Mac OS platforms.

Floor Planner: this is a simple and effective layout tool that offers a built-in office floor plan. The site has to be registered for with an email address. However, it does offer both free and paid versions. A key feature is the variety of furniture and architecture elements offered to allow for highly customized office designs.

Final Thoughts

An effective home office is reliant on good design. The above elements of a good office cannot be achieved by randomly placing office furniture. Office design tools create a blueprint that can be followed that prevents avoidable mistakes. Such mistakes are time consuming and can result in having to move furniture repeatedly or in some cases return it. Office design tools allow a designer to get an exact idea of how their layout and home office ideas will translate to the real world. This helps create a home office that meets all of the above-noted qualities of an effective office. It also creates a more uniformed approach to office setup and avoids multiple shopping trips or simply buying things randomly.  

The maritime industry is one of the most complex and challenging sectors in which to work. As a naval architect, you can become a professional engineer, tasked with the role of designing, construction and repairing some of the finest seafaring vessels known to man. Although it is often viewed as an incredibly niche profession, it remains an incredibly important one too, ensuring civil and military vessels can travel safely and efficiently at sea. It’s particularly beneficial for military fleets to have naval craft and submarines that are designed and engineered to be technically sound in use and comply with all necessary safety regulations; particularly as they will tend to travel 1,000s of miles at a time.

Naval architects are therefore pivotal to industrial design. Both in terms of the aesthetic and structural design of new seafaring vessels. Without innovative naval architecture, where would the superyacht industry be too? Betway Casino’s review of luxury yachts for its high-rollers suggests that the rich and famous wouldn’t be able to enjoy the finer things in life with their own private crew if naval architects did not exist. Even Yachting Pages acknowledges the changing trends in superyacht naval architecture. Just as fashion trends evolve with time, so too do superyacht designs that have to meet the needs of the super-rich, incorporating new technologies and providing a contemporary appearance.

Common educational routes and skills required

In order to gain employment in the world of naval architecture, you’ll need to obtain a degree in a relevant subject. Most budding naval architects will simply enrol in a BEng or Meng in Naval Architecture. Nevertheless, if your chosen university does not offer this specific course, you’ll find that related fields such as marine science and general engineering could also be acceptable. In the UK, the best undergraduate courses to look out for are those that are accredited fully by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects(RINA). In the United States, the best degree programs in naval architecture are those approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Post-degree, in the UK you will need to obtain professional status from the RINA before applying for jobs or setting up in business on your own. There are several levels of RINA membership available, including chartered engineer (CEng), incorporated engineer (IEng) and engineering technician (EngTech). On the other side of the Atlantic, American naval architect students that graduate through an ABET-accredited degree must then pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This eight-hour test is a prerequisite to obtaining a professional license.

In terms of key skills necessary to undertake the job on a day-to-day basis, you’ll need the following attributes:

• Capable of analysing and accurately interpreting technical drawings and data
• Be an inquisitive, logical person by nature
• Solid communication skills – both verbally and on paper
• Sound judgement
• Happy working as part of a well-oiled team
• Able to work with a commercial focus
• Strong IT skills and knowledge
• Good leadership qualities

Typical daily activities of a naval architect

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay.com

• Plan the entire build process of a brand-new vessel, overseeing everything from concept designs through to delivery of the manufactured final product
• Carry out thorough risk analysis inspections of marine structures and ships in line with the regulations stipulated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), based on stability on the water, strength and life-saving abilities
• Use CAD, simulation and 3D modelling software to test design projects thoroughly
• Consult with other engineers and technical departments and provide commercial guidance on concept designs, constructions, refits and conversions with a distinct focus on interior design as well as safety
• Offer safety training for crews on-board

Types of employers of naval architects

Although naval architecture is considered a niche industry to work in, there are a variety of employers that will require the services of a naval architect to build or repair vessels of all types and sizes. Passenger liners will require the design and engineering knowledge of a naval architect to build new vessels and retrofit existing ones too. From another commercial aspect, offshore support companies will need consultancy on oil tankers and other integral vessels.

Working for the military or the navy would be the pinnacle of most naval architects’ careers, with the ability to design and manage the manufacture and refitting of naval vessels and submarines for the country’s forces to use with complete reliability and safety. If you enjoy the safety side of naval architecture, there are classification societies that employ individuals to evaluate and approve the safety of new and retrofitted marine ships and structures.

Furthermore, you could also consider assisting with the design and manufacture of heavy industry products used at sea e.g. auxiliary systems, subsea production systems and propulsion systems.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) some 8,200 naval architecture jobs existed in the US in 2016. The outlook is that another 1,000 jobs will be created between 2016 and 2026, representing a 12% increase in vacancies, a faster-than-average rise compared with all other industries.

Career progression in naval architecture

Newly qualified naval architects are required to spend a minimum of two years in training before being able to progress to full RINA membership in the UK, achieving chartered status in the process. In the US, each state has its own licensing requirements for naval architects, so it’s a good idea to do your own research on what’s required in the state you live and work in. You’ll often need to take the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Principles and Practice of Engineering exam to obtain a working license. You never know, you might just become one of America’s next greatest living architects of your generation.

What’s hugely exciting about a career in naval architecture is the salaries on offer, capable of accurately recompensing you for your specialist skills and knowledge. Even a starting salary for a graduate naval architect starts from around $40,000 up to $46,000. You can then expect to earn between $46,000 and $66,000, having gained some level of experience. Senior naval architects tend to command salaries upwards of $86,000 in order to take charge of high-profile projects within a significant organization.

To help make the transition as smooth as possible, quotezone.co.uk has created an expert infographic to help first-time landlords make the right decisions when it comes to their responsibilities and insurance options.

Do Your Research

As above, the infographic recommends that you would be wise to gain a thorough understanding of your legal obligations before you welcome a new tenant. For example, you are required to provide each tenant with a safe property that is free from health hazards.

Also, try to gain an understanding of your market and think about the type of tenant you want to attract. Consider not only their life stages and the property’s location, but their income to ensure they pay their rent on time each week or month.

Manage the Property

You should also regularly refer to the infographic to learn about the different ways you should manage your property. For example, every landlord must ensure the building is fit for rent before they advertise the property to a new tenant, why not think about getting a home cleaning service to help. For example, you should ensure no loose wiring is on display and that the boiler has been serviced by a professional.

As recommended by quotezone.co.uk, you must have a clear understanding on how you will manage the property. Ask yourself if you have enough time or passion to manage the property yourself. If you don’t, consider hiring a professional property manager, who can perform regular inspections on your behalf, but as the infographic states, you must provide a tenant with the right level of notice before doing so.

Choose the Correct Cover

The difference between a profitable income or a drain on your bank balance could be landlord insurance. As a landlord, you are financially and legally liable for any theft or damage to the property, which is why you should never underestimate its importance.

Quotezone.co.uk suggests every first-time landlord should review multiple policies using a reputable insurance comparison website, so you can find the right level of cover and type of insurance, which should be based on the property type, number of tenants, number of properties, and number of rooms at each property. You must also identify what will be covered within each landlord insurance policy, such as theft, water damage or fire damage. For example, it will be you who will be left out of pocket if a property experiences a fire, but you failed to invest in fire cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate landlord insurance, after all.

If you want to read more landlord insurance tips to help you become a successful landlord, check out the above infographic from quotezone.co.uk for expert advice, which you should save onto your computer or smartphone for future assistance.

Whether your living situation is temporary or long-term, personalizing a space is the key to making it your own. With this in mind, here are five tips to help you upgrade your rental without losing your security deposit.

Add Splashes of Color

A splash of color can do wonders for a lifeless room, but renters often get stuck with magnolia walls that do little to inspire. Check with your landlord before ruling out painting your apartment, as some are more relaxed about tenants redecorating if it’s done tastefully. Most of the time, however, painting a rental home will cost you your security deposit, so don’t unleash your paintbrush on the walls without permission.

If you can’t change your wall colors, don’t despair – you can paint your furniture instead. Just make sure you buy multi-surface paint and clean and sand items down before starting, and lay dustsheets to avoid getting paint on the floor.

Hang Pictures Without Leaving a Mark

Personal photographs and artwork are what turns a house into a home, but most landlords are reluctant to let you drill holes to hang them up. Instead of living with bare walls, try using command hooks or washi tape to personalize your space. You can even use Velcro strips if you want to be able to move items around easily. If making holes in your walls is unavoidable, know that they can be filled easily with spackling paste before you leave.

Create Artistic Storage Displays 

Who said storage had to be boring? These days, there are tons of clever storage ideas on the Internet, including wire basket displays, ladders as shelves, dry bags on display and tree stumps as side tables. Open shelving is also really popular, giving you an opportunity to showcase your best crockery or organize your pantry essentials into pretty jars.

Go Big on Lighting

A beautiful space is nothing without proper lighting, so invest in some stylish table and floor lamps, even if you can’t change the overhead fittings. YLighting offers an extensive collection of statement lamps and lighting solutions that will take your interior style up a notch, while melding functionality with beauty. For instance, a contemporary floor light with reading light would be ideal for a reading nook or home office, being both practical and artistic at the same time.

Dress Your Floors

You may not be able to get carpet or change the tacky flooring in your bathroom, but you can lay rugs to transform the look of your home instantly. Using rugs will also help to insulate the property – not to mention they will keep your feet feeling toasty when the weather drops. Look out for large area rugs that will add to your style, or consider making your own using scraps of material.

The Competition between the vinyl plank flooring and Ceramic flooring hardly exists when it comes to qualities like beauty, design, durability, and installation. The vinyl plank flooring products are designed for luxury using the latest technology. It is less comparable with ceramic flooring options which are not as attractive as vinyl plank flooring in many areas. If you break the floor down and explore the five qualities of the installed floor in your house, you will get a clear picture of how vinyl plank option outranks any other option.

The five options

The five options to look for a quality floor are Look & Style, Durability & Stability, Environmental Impact, Applications, and Cost. When it comes to looking and style, the ceramic floor is a strong option because it lasts for a long time. But it also can become a flaw if you think of a fashion designer. The real truth is that Ceramic flooring is expensive, messy, and time-consuming to install and remove. Conversely, luxury vinyl flooring is extremely easy to install.  Even when it comes to reinstalling the ceramic flooring option, it takes a lot of effort, cost, and the help of a professional to do a satisfactory job.

The money invested in vinyl plank flooring by homeowners never go wasted; it does not require many expensive tools to cut down the vinyl plank floors. It takes professionals hard effort of many hours to cut the ceramic floors on the other hand. You can simply make use of a utility knife and a measuring tape and get the job done easily with vinyl plank. The luxury of vinyl floors always lasts as they are very easy to install and reinstall in an office or home where the small or large gathering of people feels comfort on a daily basis.

The durability of the floor can be measured with its long life and hardness of the floor; the quality material used in the vinyl plank flooring comes in various sizes and shapes to cope with the climatic changes. It needs less taking care of as compared to ceramic which fails with the changing weather. Vinyl plank option is best suitable for heavy commercial use. However, the stability factor in ceramic is also a stronger point for owners to decide during purchase. The environmental impact of the vinyl tiles as compared to ceramic tiles is excellent, the issue of removing ceramic tiles with smashing makes it less environmentally friendly product and not recyclable. GoHaus Vinyl Flooring provides the most affordable and elegant designs of vinyl plank flooring for their loyal customers. Visit our website for more details.

With Internet have appearance, people have got a lot of advantages:

• Students can order their papers online through the reliable writing service, for example, here: https://thesispanda.com/graduate-thesis. It’s a great chance to save your money and get a brilliant and professional work in time.
• It’s possible to buy anything online without wasting your time on driving through the town and looking for a decent store. Nowadays, you can buy online perfumes, clothes, and even cars and houses.
• People can find a lot of useful information on the Internet, when they write their scientific work, or just want to get some knowledge about particular things. It’s much faster than to go to the library and spend a lot of time there, looking through piles of books and magazines. The same with books – you don’t need to search for any book in the library or in the store, but all you need to do is just find and download this book on the Internet.
• Internet gives us a great possibility to communicate with friends and relatives, even if they are far away from us. You can use various software that allows you to see the person you are talking to. Nowadays, a lot of people use meeting sites to find their match.
• Thanks to the worldwide network, you can send any kind of information to your friend, colleague or boss easily. No matter that you are working in the office in Miami, and your boss is going to make a speech the conference in China – you can send a finished presentation in just a couple of seconds.

But, apart from good things, there are some disadvantages people get every day when they interact with the Internet:

• When students use the worldwide network to find all the needed information to create their essays and reports, they always can be very distracted with all those games, advertisements and other banners. As a result, they can spend a lot of time, but their work won’t be even started.
• Social networks can be very addictive, and many people can’t imagine their life without Internet. They used to make new photos and share them on Facebook or Instagram, but people forget to share their real emotions with their family or children. It’s possible to say that Internet connects people, but in the same time it separates them.
• When people get into online dating on the meeting site, they often can’t find what they are looking for. Most of the men and women are searching for a good partner, but on the Internet everything is different. You never know who is that person you are talking with, because people can make fake profiles just to have fun.
• You can make payments through the Internet, but you should always check out if the company or store uses secure online payments. There are a lot of possible ways for thieves to stole money through the Internet.

It’s very important to use Internet wisely, then it will bring you a lot of benefits people couldn’t even dream about in the past.

Image source: http://www.inmyinterior.com/modern-kitchen-design/

Stage Your House to the Max

A well staged home sells homes—plain and simple. People want to be able to imagine themselves in your home so you want to declutter as much as possible and take down most if not all of your family photos. Make sure your interior is immaculate, but you don’t want to clean and declutter to the point that your house looks cold and uncomfortable either. Style each room with things like fresh flowers and such, but do it in a minimalist fashion. Simple accents like throws, accent rugs, and pillows will do the trick. And don’t forget to stage your closets! If you’re extra proud of how great they look and how well they are organized, think to leave these open. Big closets void of clutter are a huge selling point. One last tip for the inside: Beware of bad smells! Many real estate agents bake cookies to give to the prospective buyers—not only so they can eat them but it’s also so the house smells inviting. Make sure you’ve steam cleaned or replaced any carpets that were holding pet odors. A lot of people even tout the benefits of using essential oils, as they are less likely to cause the adverse reactions or allergies that some synthetic home fragrances cause.

Also, make sure to stage the outside of your house, too. As the masterminds behind We Buy Houses Denver note, you want to boost curb appeal by making sure your landscaping is pristine and that your porch is welcoming. They always hire window-washers for the homes they’re selling, as nothing is less appealing than being greeted by filthy windows. Stage any outside patio furniture you have around a fire pit (if you have one) or other focal point, and a hammock or porch swing are always inviting touches, too.

Advertise Away

Staging your home to perfect does nothing if you or your real estate agent doesn’t advertise. Make sure to put a rider on your “For Sale” sign a week before the event. Of course, signs on the day of are an absolute necessity. But online advertising goes a long way these days, as many prospective buys have downloaded apps from places like Realtor.com. So many people are tech-savvy, so you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Neutralize Your Home

We already talked about picking neutral paint colors so that prospective buyers can envision themselves in your home but it goes beyond this. You don’t want your home to scream something personal about you, so that giant framed photo of Ronald Reagan you’ve got hanging above the fireplace? Yep, it’s gotta go. You can hang it at your new home once you sell. Any drawings by your kiddos and dog or kid toys should also be removed. You want your home to be one giant blank slate.

Go Away!

Unless you’re selling your home on your own, you want to be out of the house. You want the prospects to feel free to “snoop”, as they want to see every inch of a place that might become theirs. They’re less likely to be okay with doing that if they feel like you’re looking over their shoulders. You can greet the first few prospective buyers if you’d like just so they can put a face (or faces) with the property, but leave once the introduction is made.

Selling your home is no easy feat but a successful open house can get you that much closer. Pass along these tips to your realtor and you’ll surely get results.