Get Rebates for Home Improvement

In New Zealand, no good deed goes unrewarded, particularly good deeds related to environmentally friendly home improvement.

The Australian government, in order to promote greener homes, offers rebates that help residents offset the cost of making improvements to their homes that increase their energy efficiency, make better use of water resources or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other things. Rebates may vary from state to state and by municipality throughout New Zealand.

Here’s a few of the home improvement projects that may be eligible for a government rebate:

The Solar Homes and Communities Plan provides rebates for certain households with incomes less than $100,000 per year to install solar panels for home energy. The subsidy comes nowhere near the cost of installing the panels, but can help folks save a little on the cost of undertaking this project

Insulation rebates provide an added financial incentive for improving your home by installing more insulation. Insulation can help reduce power bills by keeping heat and cold out, thus lowering your energy use for climate control within your home. An estimated 2.5 million homes in Australia are under-insulated, and while the Commonwealth Government insulation scheme no longer applies, various state benefits may.

Rainwater recycling rebates are available for residents who install equipment that allows them to capture, treat and use rainwater. Rebates vary from area to area in Australia. For example, in Western Australia, homeowners can get a rebate of up to $600 or half the cost of a rainwater tank that’s 2,000 litres or more. In Queensland, the Home Water Wise Rebate Scheme provides rebates of up to $1,000 for the cost of purchasing rainwater tanks, pumps and diverters and having them installed.

Energy audits can be obtained for $30 in the Australian Capital Territory. The fee pays for a professional to come to your home and make suggestions on how it can be made more energy efficient. Homeowners who take up one of the professional’s suggestions can receive up to a $500 rebate for work done in a related improvement that costs at least $2,000. The homeowner must let the State government monitor their power bills for one year after the improvement to see how much more effective the home improvement measures have proven to be.

What Does Home Improvement Include?

From the name itself, home improvement is a process of improving your home by yourself or with the help of professionals who are experienced in making your home look better than its present look. It actually has a very broad scope because it involves so many things concerning almost every corner of your home like your bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and other parts of your house including outdoors. Home improvement can be associated with a huge amount of money but it also depends on how big are the changes that you want, how many and how complicated they are. This simply means that as you make some improvements on your home, you are also increasing its value.

Home improvement may include adding up some useful appliances in your home. In this fast changing and advanced world, different appliances are being invented every now and then which can make your life a lot easier, in other words, better. Depending on your budget, you can get one of these appliances and add it on what you already have.

Another part of home improvement is installing outdoor and indoor lighting. This is actually an important part because through the right type and form of lighting, you will be able to bring out the best look of your home whether it’s outside or inside. You can consider pendants lights, fire pits and other types of lighting that will compliment to your house perfectly.

Outdoor and indoor decorating is another part of home improvement that makes you more look more inviting and pleasing to the eyes to everyone’s eyes. Decorating your outdoors refer to landscaping and adding some outdoor furniture like chaise lounges, gazebos and patios. You can do the landscaping by yourself if you want but you can also hire someone else to get the job done. When it comes to the furniture, it’s best for you to consider those that are made of wood for a natural look.

Having leaks and other plumbing problems fixed, putting everything in their right places and getting of molds and mildew are also included in home improvement. These things are also very important because if not given any attention, these problems will eventually ruin everything. No doubt, leaks, clutter and molds will make you home look like a mess. Hence, you should find a solution and have these problems fixed before they cause any damages to your home.

As a homeowner, you would probably think of different ways and ideas to improve your home and your bedroom furniture. You will definitely want everyone to appreciate the beautiful and inviting look of your home. But because home improvement includes so many things, you should plan it carefully. Make a decision on where you want to begin with and how. You also have assess you budget because planning a home improvement project will definitely involve money. You have to be certain on the things that you want to change and improve so that you will not regret any of your decisions in the future.

Home Improvements – Selling Your Home

Are you planning on moving soon? If moving is in your future plan, you want to discuss with a professional and perhaps a Realtor on what areas of your home you should fix up. When the market is slow for selling homes, you want to make sure your home is presentable and sought after over other homes in your price range.

For instance, if there are three homes for sale all in the same price range, the house with the new roof and windows is sure to sell first. New homeowners do not want to spend a fortune to fix up a house especially on these two big ticket items. You can easily call a professional window installer and roofer to get these jobs done quickly. If you try to do this yourself, number 1) you may do it incorrectly and end up spending more money having to fix it. Number 2) You may get injured on the job. If you hire a professional they are more then likely insured and bonded so they are covered with insurance as well as able to replace anything that needs to be replaced and it will not cost you another dime out of your pocket.

If you are thinking of selling your home, one area you will not want to invest money in is the basement. A recreational room may add to the likability to your home but it will not add much profit to the cost of your home. If you improved your family room, the price of your home will rise. A good rule of thumb when having home improvements performed on your house is that whatever you spend, half of it will count towards the total value of your home. You may double check with the bank loan officer if this rule applies to the area you live in.

Kitchens are an excellent investment when you want to make home improvements to sell your home. People hang out in their kitchens much of the time. Just think about it. When you have company over, do you and your company sit at the kitchen table and hang out there? When you have your family and/or friends over for the holidays, where do you end up? Most likely you all end up in the kitchen whether you are standing or sitting down. For some reason, people seem to congregate in the kitchen.

Things you can do to improve the look of your kitchen include, but are not limited to, new flooring, sliding glass doors out onto the deck if you currently have a single door, new lighting underneath the countertops so you can see better while cooking and/or a new bar area with chairs so you have more sitting room for you and your children.

There are many home improvements you can have a professional perform on your home when you are thinking of selling it. To get the best ideas and solutions ask a professional before you buy any home improvement items.

Deciding When to Do Home Improvement Remodeling

If you want to do a home improvement remodeling project, timing is crucial. There is much to consider, and you will need to know a few basics if you are going to do it yourself. Certain parts of the project will take longer than others, and it may be important to time a particular task with precision.

For instance, if you are doing a project which requires the water to be shut off, you will need to time the home improvement modeling work carefully. You will want all your plumbing work to be done in a short time so that you will not have to be without water for weeks.

Alternatively, you can choose a home improvement remodeling method where parts of the plumbing can be done each day, as long as you can turn on the pipes you need most at the end of the day. Either way, it is easier to work with an expert home remodeler who is accustomed to working around people’s water consumption needs while doing a project. Otherwise, you might be left scratching your head about how to get done without leaving your household waterless.

Depending on the scope of the project, you might want to choose a time for your home improvement remodeling project when you expect the weather to be warm. This would be the case if there will be any windows or doors being replaced, or if an outer wall is being moved. However, bad weather can make an appearance even in times of the year which are usually mild.

A home improvement remodeling company will schedule your work so that it is done quickly, between weather events. With expert workers, you will not have to worry about delays and false starts which might increase the chances of bad weather days. You can stay comfortable in your home, and the interior of your house will not be in jeopardy.

Finances are one reason people tend to choose the timing for their home improvement remodeling projects. It may seem like a good idea to start working and build a little at a time as you have the money. There are two major problems with this idea. One is that you will keep your household in chaos for a long period of time. The other is that you may never really finish. It is much better to save up or arrange your finances so that you can get the work done all at once.

Timing is also a consideration when it comes to the holidays. You would not want your kitchen or bathroom torn up during Christmas or New Year’s parties. You might start in what you think is plenty of time to finish before the holidays roll around, but you might run into problems and delays. If you work with a professional home improvement remodeling company, you can schedule your work to be done when you need it to be done. All in all, the end result of choosing your timing should be the ultimate in comfort, practicality, convenience, and superior construction. With a professional home improvement remodeling company, you get all four.

Home Improvement Ideas: Recreational Room

Doing home improvement on your recreational room is the perfect answer in a slow economy. You can improve your home and have many fun things to do as a family in your home instead of leaving it and spending more money.

Home improvement ideas include having a professional install carpeting, wood floors or laminate wood floors to your recreational room. To choose which type of flooring to put in your recreational room ask yourself these questions:

If I am to put carpeting in my recreational room, will it last? Will there be a lot of children using the recreational room? If there will be a lot of children using the recreational room you may want to opt for wood flooring or laminate flooring. You want everyone to have a relaxed and fun time in the recreational room, not stressed and nervous about spilling on the carpeting.

If I buy wood flooring will my dog’s nails scratch the flooring? Will there be a hot tub in my recreational room that will get water on the floor? If you have a dog or multiple dogs you may want to opt for laminate wood flooring. These days laminate wood flooring is very strong and you can even purchase laminate wood flooring with grooves between the “wood” to make it look even more natural.

If you live alone or as a couple you may choose wood flooring or carpeting in your recreational room as most adults are more careful with regards to stains and scratching the floor. Remember the choice is yours with the flooring you choose. We are giving you thought out suggestions when you choose to improve your home.

Before you hire someone to install the flooring, make sure you add a fresh coat of paint to each room you will be improving. The professional that you hire can also help you choose which type of flooring is best for your home and living situation.

If you have a large rec room with a few rooms off of it, you may choose to make the largest room your main room. Many folks like to have this room as their media center. The media center will have a large screen TV, comfortable chairs and/or couch with cup holders. You may choose to add a bar to your recreational room. You can put in a little freezer to keep the ice cold as well as beverages. If you are going to stock your bar with liquor please remember to lock it up.

You may also add a game system such as the Wii, PlayStation 3, etc. to add to more fun.

A pool table and/or air hockey table, vintage games such as Pac Man and foosball are nice additions to entertain you and your family as well.

In one of the rooms off of the recreational room, you may have the floor installer add carpeting or another type of flooring. Use this room to put all of your workout machines in. This can be your quiet workout room. You may want to add the home improvement of having built in speakers in this room so you can listen to music to get you working out even harder. Another home improvement idea is to add mirrors to this room so you can watch yourself workout and your body improve.

The other room off of the recreational room can be the room you design for relaxation. You may put in wood flooring, safe tile with ridges on it so no one slips or laminate wood flooring. Beforehand, hire a professional painter to paint the room a comfortable cool color that makes you feel relaxed. Now add a hot tub to the room that fits you, your spouse and/or the size of your family. Add candles and make sure you have a built in speaker or two in this room so you can listen to soft music while you de-stress.

Other home improvement ideas include making sure the windows in your recreational room are keeping heat in and the cold air out and vice versa in the summertime. If not, it is time to replace your windows so you can save money on your heating and air conditioning bills. New windows will also improve the look of your home.

The best ways to modernise your home

Modernising your home doesn’t have to cost a lot. Whether you want to make a couple of cosmetic changes or want a radical overhaul, there are many ways you can completely transform your home. So let’s take a look into some of the easiest ways you can modernise your home.

Reupholster

Buying new furniture is expensive, especially if you are someone who wants to change it all the time. However, there is a nifty little trick that you can do to get a new look without too much cost – reupholstering. You can, for example, change your traditional armchair or sofa from an outdated print to something modern and with colour. Take a look at Mother Earth News for tips and instructions on how to reupholster your furniture.

Get rid of the clutter

For a modern and minimal look you need to declutter. The best thing about decluttering is that you end up with the things you really need and want. Look at your room living space for a start and get rid of everything in your eyeline that has no purpose. Having less clutter in general means that you can focus on a few ‘statement’ pieces of furniture, for example.

Dress your statement furniture

Many say that matching furniture sets are the now a thing of the past so, if you happen to have these in your home, don’t be afraid to mix things up a little (and don’t feel the need to buy a whole new set from scratch if only one item needs upgrading).

The key to decorating with mismatched furniture is the way you dress it all up and you can still embrace a theme across numerous rooms. For example, in the bedroom, you can embrace your wider design theme or colour scheme by the way you dress your bed up to be a ‘statement’ piece of furniture. If your bed is tired, head over to Divan Beds Centre and find yourself a new one. Items such as this – and your sofa – are the important pieces to build your whole home around.

Add some art

Art will make a lovely addition to a modern home, whether it’s in the bedroom or living room. You should be looking for artwork that will complement your current furnishings and you should make sure it is hung at eye level so it is noticeable to your guests. If you are on a budget when it comes to artwork, switch your usual picture frames to ornate modern ones for a simple-but-effective change.    

Technology

A modern home relies on technology and the right pieces can be an important part of your design. Your first step is investing in a good TV – this will make optimal usage for your space in the living room and can add a sleek look to your overall space (since this is the focal point of the room for many families). Opt for a TV mounted on the wall for maximum efforts.

New lighting

Having proper lighting in a home can truly bring it to life. Poorly lit spaces can be dark and cramped, while having somewhere that is brightly lit will appear open and welcoming. Place floor lamps in dark corners and add lamps to side tables for a cozy feel. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, replace those outdated ceiling or wall fixtures with a modern centrepiece.

Update your window treatments

Windows are often overlooked but they need to be dressed and not left bare. With windows, you can be as bold as you want – think geometric curtains, bright colours and plants to change the look. If you are stressing over how to style them, sometimes the easiest thing to do is match your curtain panels with the colour of your walls.

Focus on the garden

Don’t forget about keeping on top of your garden. Some people plant one or two trees and assume that they are done. Whilst we don’t all have green fingers, we can all easily do a little more to add a modern look to this part of the home. For example, add a couple of flowering shrubs and some raised beds to the walkway leading up to your front door. Layer the height of your plants in the back garden from the tallest at the back and the smallest at the front and experiment with styles and colours. This can be really rewarding when you get it right.

As you can see, there are lots of different ways to modernise your home without too much mess, huge expense or even complete remodelling. Study your rooms and ask yourself what are your most outdated features. Once you’ve done that, you’ll know where to start.

Brands to Consider When Shopping for Office Furniture

Shopping for office furniture yet anxious about which one to go for? You certainly want to be sure which brand is best aside from the specs. So, before a sales agent comes to you and starts preaching his polished sales speech to convince you to buy something you actually don’t need or eventually will regret about in the future, here are brands to consider when shopping for office furniture pieces.

Herman Miller

It’s a brand known for its inventive furniture designs that aim to improve human experience. It started manufacturing furniture back in 1905 under the name Star Furniture. Just recently, Herman Miller took home a Gold Stevie Award in the tenth annual American Business Awards in the Company of the Year – Consumer Products – Durables category. Isn’t that enough to say this brand deserves the first mention in this list?

The HON Company

HON offers many different office furniture solutions to decorate your workplace. The company is inspired by practicality and aspires to inaugurate purposeful product solutions that surpass market demands. They have an exhaustive line of file storage cabinets, chairs, tables, desks and cubicles. This brand is certainly among the good ones you should watch for.

Haworth Furniture

Haworth is known for its adaptable workspaces such as movable walls, raised floors and office furniture. It started from a garage back in 1948, and now it is one of the widely recognized furniture brands. Haworth’s full range of interior solutions can be seen applied in their Chicago showroom, which won the IIDA 2004 NeoCon Best Large Showroom Award. If you are curious about how their innovations can help you end up with very conducive workplace, you should visit their showroom.

Steelcase

Steelcase Inc. is another furniture manufacturer aiming to provide superior human experience by creating high performing and sustainable workplaces with the use of its line of innovative office furniture products. They started in 1912 and currently celebrating their 100th year anniversary. What is very attractive about Steelcase is that their creations are based on how people spend their time at work, which only means your efficacy is supported by their products.

Techline

TechlineUSA, carrying a reputation of over 40 years, is a leading maker of office furniture, laminate casework and millwork. Their product lines allow patrons to standardize and customize according to preferences. They started manufacturing residential furniture back in 1960s and experienced a greater demand, which prompted them to buy a new location and built a new factory later in the 60s. The competitive prices of their products probably have been a factor of their greater number of customers.

Knoll

Knoll took advantage of modern design to unite its customers with their world. Their 70 year of existence is already a good proof that their brand has been gaining a great share of loyal patrons in the furniture market. Knoll product lines respond and adapt to changing needs. This means, no matter how you modify your workplace to serve your needs; knoll has the solutions.

La-Z-Boy

This brand is known for its multi-functional seating product lines. If you are looking forward to enhancing the look-and-feel of your business reception area, different seating products from La-Z-Boy Contract Furniture can make a good reception seating arrangement. In 1971, the company introduced reclining office chair to the furniture market. Since then, they’ve been growing dramatically, now serving a broad range of healthcare and office furniture.

Teknion

Talking about high-end office systems and related furniture products, Teknion should be the first brand to look for. It is like if you need mobile furniture, ergonomic seating, architectural wall systems, filing storage, freestanding casegoods and other several lines of systems furniture, Teknion is the name. The company only started serving the furniture market in the early 1980s with its office systems products, but their offerings are so in demand forcing them to expand their product lines to many other functional office furniture products in just a short period of time

Buying Solid Wood Bedroom Furniture

When buying solid wood bedroom furniture you get what you pay for. The more you pay, the better the quality, although there are certain things you can look out for to ensure that you get the best possible quality and value from every dollar you spend. Here are a few tips on buying solid wood bedroom furniture with reference to two specific brands.

The two bedroom furniture collections to be reviewed are the Millennium Camilla range by Ashley and the Farnsworth collection by Broyhill – both American furniture manufacturers and both crafted from solid wood

The Camilla Range – Millennium by Ashley Furniture

In each case we shall look at the king bed, and also check out the other pieces available in the collection. Whether or not the bedroom furniture is part of a wider collection of home furniture is immaterial, since it is only the bedroom furniture we are considering here.

Crafted in brown cherry and cherry veneer, this Camilla solid wood bedroom furniture in the Millennium collection by Ashley Furniture is well finished to an attractive sheen. The case tops are finished with a pecan veneer which, together with the hardware in an antique bronze shade, offers an elegant and good-looking collection of bedroom furniture.

The king bed comprises a sleigh headboard and footboard, and a set of rails, slats and support legs. The headboard is 80 inches wide by 65 inches high by 11 inches deep with the footboard 83 x 36 x 11 inches. The rails are 8.75 inches from the floor.

The nightstands are 35H x 31W x 19D inches, with three drawers, the top one of which is felt lined for jewelry. The 55H x 45W x 20D chest has four full-width drawers and two half-width drawers at the top, the latter also being felt lined, and the dresser is the same depth, but 73 inches wide and 38 inches high. The dresser is fitted with eight half-width drawers, and comes with a beautiful mirror framed in the same dark cherry.

On the whole, this is a beautiful collection of bedroom furniture crafted in a traditional style by Ashley Furniture. Perhaps the only criticism could be that the selection is restricted, with no alternative to the sleigh bed design. It appears there is no under-bed storage which many people find essential. Apart from that, this is an excellent collection and offers a traditional style of beauty to your bedroom.

The Farnsworth Collection by Broyhill

In contrast, the Farnsworth bedroom furniture collection by Broyhill is a simple English design, not nearly as ornate as the Camilla, with square lines and finished in black. However, the collection offers an Old World charm that is completely functional with more pieces on offer than the above although again, only the sleigh bed design is offered.

The king bed sleigh headboard is at 79.75W x 56H x 8.75 in inches, slightly less than offered with the Camilla. You have the choice of a plain or storage footboard. The latter is dimensioned at 82.75W x 18H x 18D and comes with two drawers, providing the storage space that many find essential.

However, there is also ample storage offered by the chest which is 54H x 40W x 18D. The drawer arrangement is the same four bottom and two top as with the Camilla collection, but the edges are beveled giving the whole set a softer look than it would otherwise have. The top two drawers have slightly curved fronts.

The dresser is 60W x 42H x 18D with a 42 inch landscape mirror that is plainly framed in black wood. The drawer arrangement is the same eight half-width drawers. The nightstands are 30 x 30 x 18 inches, smaller than those in the above collection. Overall, in fact, the Farnsworth collection is smaller and less substantial than the Camilla range, but where it scores is in the extra pieces.

Broyhill have included a 4-drawer 46 inch media chest for your TV. To many, this is an essential item of bedroom furniture. If you want, there is also a small round pedestal table and chairs so you can either have more furniture in a larger bedroom, or take advantage of the smaller dimension of this collection for a smaller room.

Which is For You?

These two collections of solid wood bedroom furniture differ in several ways: one is in brown cherry, the other in black; one is in a traditional more ornate style while the other is plain; one offers only the basic pieces while the other offers a TV chest and table and chairs. One provides antique finish metal handles, while other has simply wooden knob pulls. Which should you choose?

In fact each of these collections, the Millennium Camilla by Ashley and the Farnsworth by Broyhill, are beautiful collections of solid wood bedroom furniture. Each person will make their choice according to their personal preferences and to their needs. However, one thing is sure: if neither of these attract you, there are plenty more to be found online and in your local furniture outlet showroom.

How to Organize Your Bedroom with Modern Bespoke Fitted Wardrobes

Contemporary fitted furniture is a fabulous way to make the best use of your space. If you are struggling to find a way to keep your closets organized, then a fitted wardrobe is the perfect solution. These customized fitted wardrobes provide endless possibilities, including soft-closing drawers and doors, hanging spaces, rails, shoe racks and more.

Important consideration when investing in a customized fitted wardrobe

To understand the purpose of buying bespoke fitted wardrobes, you need to find out where you’d like the wardrobes to be fitted and for what purpose? For example, storing clothes in the bedroom, office files and stationery for a home office, tools and craft supplies for a garage, etc.

Another important factor that needs to be considered is the size of the wardrobe. Will it be fully fitted wall to wall, floor to ceiling? Or will it only occupy a specific part of it? With this information, you can easily determine the functionality and style of the wardrobe.

Endless varieties of customized fitted wardrobes

The beauty of a customized built-in wardrobe is that you can easily decide how small or large your fitted furniture should be; the material it will it be made of, and the types of drawers, shelves, and mirrors you want incorporating with it. These wardrobes can be easily customized with whatever colour, wood grain texture or material you like.

Fitted wardrobes come in a wide range of finishes, colours and styles, making it easy to find one that goes well with your interior decoration.

Flexible price

Another key benefit of modern fitted furniture is its flexible price. The price can vary depending on the type of customized design you choose. However, it depends on the fitted furniture manufacturer you buy from. Professional fitted wardrobe companies may charge a little more than a local DIY store, but the quality will be much better. Designers are quite flexible to work within the given budget as well.

Finally, if you do decide to move and choose to leave them behind, there is nothing to worry about. Made to measure fitted wardrobes add considerable value to your home so they are a perfect investment when selling.

Your room looks more spacious

Bespoke fitted wardrobes are beneficial for any type of house, big or small. Once it is installed, the original space will appear to be a lot larger than before. They use space very effectively and make a cluttered area a lot more sophisticated.

Make your home organized

Everybody would like their clothes and accessories stored in a convenient and organized way. Fitted wardrobes are one of the remarkable ways to keep your clothes in the best condition and shape. This is due to the fabulous internal design and innovative features of the wardrobe.

Conclusion

Handmade, bespoke fitted furniture for bedrooms, loft spaces and living rooms is the first choice to consider when perusing the dream of a more organized home.