Category: Home Improvement

by: Geoff Broughton
The conservatory -sunroom, is this UK phenomenon about to hit the other side of the Atlantic?

In the UK the conservatory as a live-in sunroom has become nothing short of a 15 billion ($25 billion) a year industry. It is now estimated that one in every four homes in the UK has a conservatory as a room addition.This popularity easily outstrips all other form of home improvement. Is the US about to follow the trend or is this destined to be a purely English phenomenon.

It is not difficult to appreciate why the people in the UK have warmed to such an idea. They create a space that benefits from being enclosed and protected like the rest of the home but at the same time enjoying the warmth, light and air that a conservatory sunroom offers. It has also proved to be the only form of home improvement that could practically guarantee an increase in the value of a home that was in excess of the capital outlay. The additional value would never be enough to make a fortune for a homeowner, but at least the return made them feel very comfortable about the wisdom of the necessary outlay.

In the UK with it’s cooler climate that added warmth might also, at first, persuade you that it was the key reason for their popularity. This again proves to be one of the benefits, but I would suggest being able to choose a room with added warmth, was not quite the same as relocating to Florida!

A few years ago I was asked by two brothers who were re- locating from New York to help set up a company in Austin,Texas. They intended to build English style conservatory sunrooms. They had decided to use components and fabrication methods imported from the UK. As every American knows, the climate in Texas is more akin to that of Egypt than the UK. Nevertheless, as I was not financially involved, and they persuaded me that there was a market, I agreed to provide design support both in the office and out in the ‘field’ (or should that be desert or scrub). On a personal note at this point I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Texas. I was made very, very welcome. My visits to Zilker Park and Barton Springs on a Sunday morning was an absolute treat, and how could a stay in Austin go without mentioning Fat Tuesday, St Patrick’s and 6th Street. Back to conservatories. I was of course totally intrigued, but I was also amazed. The English style thing proved popular but what about the comfort level in a sunroom in such a climate. Firstly, on the technical side, the heat was reflected from the roof by using a form of multi-walled that had aluminium ‘flecks’ co-extruded through it. One of the trade names is called ‘Heat Shield’. The IG units in the sides of a conservatory in the UK would be designed to keep the heat in. I learnt that in Texas that same technology that I was so familiar with in the UK was used by reversing the units to keep the heat out! Then what were the benefits. A few enquiries with our Texas cousins soon clarified the situation. In the UK conservatories were used to free us from being surrounded by walls during long winter months. (a little morning sunshine would make breakfast in the conservatory very agreeable) In Texas a conservatory sunroom would do precisely the same except in Summer! Instead of being surrounded by walls in the middle of summer (protected from the heat in air conditioned rooms), an air conditioned space such as a conservatory would provide a very welcome break!

After being in the conservatory business for over 20 years this threw an entirely new light (forgive the pun) on the benefits of a conservatory, not just in warmer climates but also as used on my home ground. I now believe that this reason is probably the key one in the UK!

There is a further aspect that enforces the ‘purely English phenomenon’ opinion. In the UK at least half the conservatory sunrooms that are built do not require any form of building permission. Although this has bound to have had an effect, having to wait just 6 weeks in the UK to get full blown planning permission is not much of a deterrent.

The addition of a conservatory can have many benefits. Unless your climate is perfect at all times of the year, I am sure that a case can be made for an improvement in quality of life because of their acquisition. Whether this particular style will prove as popular in the US, only time will tell

Part 2 The conservatory as a substantial room addition, Learning from the mistakes made in the UK – plus! more tales from my travels ‘Stateside’

About the author:
2024 Geoff Broughton
http://www.conservatorydesigns.com
The ONLY internet resource devoted entirely to design for conservatories.

To subscribe for FREE newsletter and receive
FREE designs and specifications, email Geoff at
conservatories@yahoogroups.com

by: chris hickman
Have you been considering selling your home in the near future? If you have, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a good long look at your home, using an unbiased eye.

After all, a clean, appealing, well maintained home has much better odds of selling, selling for more, and selling faster.

When looking at your house, the thing you need to keep repeating to yourself is that first impressions are lasting impressions. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to selling real estate.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should take on a major renovation project just so that you can sell your property. Remember, there are no guarantees that you would recover the costs of an enormous overhaul.

Instead, take a more conservative approach, and have a look at the different cosmetic improvements that can be made for an overall improvement. These can include things such as cleaning, painting, refinishing, and other such efforts. These are the projects that don’t require all that much capital, and yet they make an immeasurable improvement to the overall look of your home.

Before you take on any fix-up-for-sale projects, take on the mindset that you are sprucing up your home in order to sell it. Don’t think of it as fixing it up for someone else. You’re trying to create more of an appealing look than you are a perfect home.

If you fix up the house with a certain person in mind, you’re limiting your market. Limiting your market will usually mean a slower sale, and a lower selling price.

So instead of tackling a whole mess of huge projects, just focus on making the home attractive, clean, presentable, and well maintained. Let the new owners do their own customizations.

About the author:
Chris Hickman owns a website that will take you all around your property and let you know the very things that you can do to get the most out of your sale, without having to dump huge amounts of time, money, and energy into repairs. Check Out his site at http://www.home-selling-miracles.com

by: Kevin Carraway
The con artist’s philosophy is “the gullible were put on this earth to be gulled.” In the past, con artists were usually referred to as con men. This is no longer the case as more and more women have become involved in con games and numerous variations of con games. Before we proceed with some tips on “how not to get conned” you should always remember that a con artist could be a male or a female. In addition, many times the con artist will work with a child who will assist them in accomplishing their goal. That goal is to GET YOUR MONEY.

Here are some good rules to follow all the time – whether or not you suspect a fraud:

Don’t believe in something-for-nothing offers. You get what you pay for.

Be suspicious of high-pressure sales efforts.

Take your time; think about it before you part with your money.

Get all agreements in writing. Insist that agreements be in plain English and not legalese.

Read all contracts and agreements before signing. Have a lawyer examine all major contracts.

Beware of anyone who comes to your door asking for money for charity or for personal reasons.

HOME IMPROVEMENT FRAUD
Home repairs and improvements can be costly. Watch out if:

Somebody offers to do an expensive job for an unusually low price
2024
If a firm offers to make a “free” inspection or if the person just happened to be in the neighborhood.

The most popular home improvement frauds are roof repair and painting, driveway sealing, and termite inspection.

To avoid home improvement and repair fraud, try the following:

Always get several estimates for every repair job, and compare prices and terms. Check to see if there is a charge for estimates.

Ask your friends for recommendations. Alternatively, ask the firm for references – and CHECK THEM!

Check the identification of all “inspectors.”

Call the loan Consumer Affairs office or the Better Business Bureau to check the company’s reputation before you authorize any work.

Be suspicious of high-pressure sales tactics.

Pay by check – never with cash. Arrange to make the payments in installments.

Remember, it’s YOUR hard-earned money at stake here. Don’t be so willing to “give it away” without a second thought.

About the author:
Kevin Carraway is the owner of http://www.buy-stun-gun.com,which specializes in Stun Master 775,000 volt stun guns and offers a free crime prevention tips newsletter.