With August coming up shortly, many are the ones who want to rebuild or optimise their garden or outdoor space. This is naturally a hard mission to accomplish, especially if you're not an experienced designer or simply because you don't have a big budget planned for such renovation. In order to reshape your outdoor space, analysing which pieces are still working in your current picture is the starting point, unless you're going after a complete renovation. Let's break down 4 tips in order for you to achieve great results when it comes to space optimisation and general outdoor planning.

Number One: Small Spaces Are Easy To Organise

If you have a small garden, this may sound weird to you: given the fact that you don't have a big space, placing all your pieces of furniture in order to create more space or simply because you want to give them a cleaner look could be hard. By simply following a process known as "the central progression" you can overcome this obstacle: place your table/your bulkiest piece of furniture in the centre and everything else around it, in order to have more space for you and your guest to move. This could be a great starting point for optimising your outdoor space, especially since it naturally creates more space.

Number Two: Accessories And Decorations

If there's a simple tip everyone can follow when it comes to decoration, it is "don't exaggerate." No one, in fact, is expecting you to build a glass fountain in the middle of your small garden, so don't over complicate your life and just place something that truly describes who you are (framed pictures, for example, are a great hint) in order to create an "outside living room."

Number Three: Buying New Furniture

If your furniture is old or simply not so good looking, before changing it you should follow two simple steps:

• Plan your budget. Regardless of the fact that you're going after this kind of outdoor living furniture, deciding the amount of money that you want to invest is possibly the most important thing.

• Once again, don't exaggerate. If you are planning on inviting 2/3 friends once every two weeks, let's be real: you don't need any fancy looking piece of design. With that being said, the pieces don't have to be cheap looking, so try to get the best of both worlds.

Number Four: Lights

Is there anything better than having a small soiree between you and your friends after the sunset? Maybe with some chilled drinks talking about the most random stuff that happened to you during the week? I don't think so. In order to do so, especially when it gets dark, you must have a proper lighting system. This doesn't have to be expensive, but practical and stylish. That's why my personal advice would be relying on LEDs, especially since you can get them for cheap on Amazon nowadays.

About the Author

Vicky Layton is a fashion designer, running enthusiast and occasional model. Fashion is and will always be her passion and she also loves sports. She is currently doing an internship but would love to open her own showroom soon.

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The luxury marketplace is the part of the real estate market concerning properties approximately highly valued from one to 20 million AED. This very broad range consists of the highest quality properties which can be found in the marketplace. Research carried out on the average price tag of the houses that belong to this particular segment over a long-term period (10 to 20 years) explain that they're in a position to improve their worth more than the houses of the popular segment (i.e., the properties below a million AED). This feature makes them a fascinating property for people looking a safe and secure way to make investments.

Why Luxurious Properties Can Maintain Their Worth

The crucial reason why high-end properties maintain their worth better as compared to normal properties is that the particular offer of most of these properties is fixed with regards to the demand from customers and the demand is usually created by worldwide clients who make up quite a steady base. This helps to ensure that luxurious properties are not too difficult to promote. The buying price of most of these properties should, first of all, reflect their high quality and quality ought to be the first facet to be deemed by the buyer. The standard of a property can be established by many aspects, and they have to be carefully examined before choosing: the place is just about the first because the rest of the aspects are usually resultant to the particular location.

What is High Quality?

Allow me to provide you with a couple of good examples. A property of 10 rooms with a backyard, swimming pool area and so forth in an exceptional position overlooking the marine obviously hasn't exactly the same worth as the same property built in a remote hot place not even close to the ocean and from the city center. But no one (probably) would make a luxury property somewhere which seems like a desert. A condo of 3 bedrooms with frescoes in any palace way back to XVII millennium in hypothesis may have around the same price of a 10 bedrooms condo in the periphery, but exactly what can you prefer as a financial commitment? XVII millennium castles are uncommon, and they are usually located only in the famous cities. This allows that they'll still maintain their worth. What exactly I mean is that the finest properties have been in the best places: the historic centers of the cities, the hillsides, the ocean and the off-road resorts.

More About the Price Tag

A price covers anything from 1, and 20 million AED in Dubai may seem too broad. The truth is, the low end of this particular assortment is impacted by the popularity of the marketplace more than the top end. The typical price tag demanded by the buyers who flick through the specific global sites is about 3 million. On the other side, you can ask the reason why we put a top limit on the cost of this particular segment. This is because properties above a decided price (that is roughly fixed at 20 million) are exclusive pieces that get rid of the essential manifestation of a good investment asset: to be valuable.

What Stats Say

As one example of the way the prime property or home market is doing work well in this time period of ongoing crisis, we can consider the stats of the sites specialized in promoting luxurious properties in Dubai. Facts state that the pursuit of this sort of properties has raised by 2% within the last year and that one of the most active customers come from nations around the world such as Portugal, Spain, and the UK. Exactly what does it necessarily mean? Quite simple: the rich people from the nations around the world most impacted by the economic crisis are searching for safe and sound investment in another country.

Important Questions You Should Ask Before You Start Searching for Luxury Property or Home

Deciding Where you can Buy

When you start to check out the real estate market for higher properties, take into account that beachfront properties are likely to be the costliest that you run into. So many people are keen on traveling all over the world so they can make the most of estates, holiday villas, and properties with stunning sights of perfect beach locations. You can easily understand why such houses are extremely popular; having the ability to wake up every morning to a window looking over the course of water isn't a thing most people find to do. Because of this, while you start a search to keep the spending plan in your mind while selecting a location or contact www.luxuryproperty.com for free consultancy before taking any decision.

Deciding When you should Buy

Another significant idea to bear in mind while purchasing a luxury house is the growing season in which you buy it. A lot of luxurious houses are placed in perfect locations for example on seashores and along coastlines. While houses in these types of locations will tend to be higher priced as compared to properties in normal locations, the time of the season in which the houses are bought will considerably impact their selling prices. For instance, if you are planning to buy luxury property in Dubai, you'll likely spend a lot more cash in case you try to purchase the house during the summertime than if you try during the springtime or the autumn months.

Is Your Perfect Home Worth the Cost?

You shouldn't sign a contract to a property till you have had the house thoroughly checked by a property evaluator with considerable knowledge of that specific kind of high-end property. The thought of not purchasing a house without having it evaluated first is typical among people purchasing a regular house they want to live in, for example, properties and condominiums that retail for well within the million-dollar tag.

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If you're like many people you spend money without giving much thought to how you might do better. That is until you come to the end of the month and you have nothing left over for personal enjoyment. Luckily, there are literally hundreds of ways you can start saving money today without making any huge sacrifices.

Pest Control

You may not think that pest control can save you money. However, if you have a termite or carpenter ant problem chances are what you see is only the half of it. Generally, you won't see them until they have done considerable structural damage which can result in thousands of dollars in repairs. Thankfully, regardless of your location on the map, there are companies that specialize in the safe and effective removal of insects and rodents. If you live in Central Ohio, begin by checking the listings for pest control in Columbus Ohio to find a service which can rid your home of these pests and save you money in the long run.

Lose the Brand Names

Food shopping can consume a large portion of your leftover cash.  In most cases, the generic brands work just as well as the higher priced brand names. The only difference is that brand names spend a lot of money on their publicity campaign and have fancy, eye-catching labels. If you're a bit squeamish about switching over all at once, try a couple each shopping trip. Within a year, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Utility Bills

If you have extremely high utility bills, you're consuming too much energy. A few simple changes like turning off the lights, timing your showers, installing a programmable thermostat, lowering the heat and raising the air conditioning and washing your clothes in cold water will help you work those bills down to a reasonable monthly payment. Regular maintenance of your heating and cooling system including changing out the filters every few months will also help you to save more and keep your equipment performing at its best.

Cable Television 

Television is something that most people enjoy. However, do you really need access to 200 to 300 channels? Chances are you don't even know how many you have. Contact your service provider and switch to a lower plan that has the channels you like and eliminates the ones you don't watch. If your cable company also offers internet and phone services you can also check to see if bundling the services together will save you more money.

Check for Coupons

Take advantage of 24/7 access to the internet and check for coupons before you buy anything. This can include things like dining out at your favorite restaurant, shopping for electronics and clothing, lawn care, pest control, pet grooming, and haircuts. Almost anything you need is on sale somewhere.

Buy Second Hand

If you are in the market for a table and chair set or a lawn mower check the local paper or websites like Craigslist to see if someone has something in good condition that they no longer need.

Pay in Advance

Some companies such as insurance agencies offer a discount if you pay 6 months or the entire year in advance. Before paying your next bill contact the company to see if they have any incentive programs for early payments.

Take Care of Your Health

Make annual visits to the doctor and the dentist for everyone. This will help you avoid costly expenses for progressed illnesses and cavities turned root canal that would otherwise not get to that level.

Keeping more of your hard-earned money should be the goal of everyone. Afterall, you work all week so that when your time off arrives you can kick back and spend time on the things you really enjoy. The good news is that it doesn't take long to turn around from penniless to funds available.

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Have you ever considered designing or building your own eco home? It may be much more within your grasp than you may think. When looking to design and build an eco-home (or simply make your current home more environmentally friendly) there are a multitude of features which are not only easy to install but can help save the environment and save you money in the long run!

The four must-have features of an Eco-Home:

• Solar Panels are widely recognised now as the perfect way to provide electrical energy to your home. They produce 0 emissions, can be fitted to almost any home and the best bit? They can save you upwards of £8,000 over the course 20 years!

• As an alternative to traditional boilers wood burners are a great alternative. The wood used is renewable, carbon neutral as a fuel source and dependable.

• Underfloor heating (not just for expensive hotels and spas!) when installed and used correctly it is one of the most efficient ways to heat your home and can increase energy efficiency by up to 40%.

• The easiest introduction, smart technology. It’s possibly the easiest way to keep track of your spending and your energy usage and some people have recorded savings of around £200 from simply being more aware of their energy usage.

For more information on how to design and build your own eco-home, have a look at the infographic below…

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From the smallest of studio flats to family homes which need just that bit more room (perhaps to make way for a new member!) there are a whole host of tips and tricks you can implement to help maximise your living space. Why not try our top three tips?

1. Low ceilings and limited storage space? Think vertical and try using floor to wall shelving or utilising the space above cabinets and room above doors for shelves and storage. Not only does this add places for you to store or your bits and bobs but helps to draw the eye upwards and create the illusion of height. Just make sure if you’re doing it yourself you use good quality materials and tools!
2. Double-duty solutions are key, for everything! Your bed? There’s space under that mattress, Your dining room table? It’s also a perfect desk space and the area that’s collecting dust under your coffee table? A great bookshelf alternative…
3. The most important tip is to have a really good de-clutter! Maximise space in any home by getting rid of those objects you don’t need. Every time you place your hands on an object ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this?’. (most of the time it will probably be a no!) If you do feel the need for a decorative piece go for some wall art or a mirror as this will add your own little touch of personality but also helps to create the illusion of a bigger room.

If you’re after more tips and tricks, have a little look at the infographic below…

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Many homeowners do not have the space for a home office or if they do, they fight through the clutter that has been created in the room. Whether you have a desk crammed full of office supplies or a room seeping out items from the closet, it is time to sit down and add some additional storage space to your home office.

There are ways that you can secretly add storage to your office to provide you with a place to stash some extra items you may have around the house and you never have to worry about your friends or guests seeing it. Below, we will go over some secret hidden home office storage options that will allow you to free up space, store items, and feel good about it at the same time.

Electrical Strip

If you need to use an electrical strip to plug in all of your home office’s equipment, then you probably know how unsightly it can be just plopped onto the floor. Not only that, the wires become a nuisance and you may trip over them as you try to get up from your desk or move around. To prevent this from happening, you can install a small basket to the underneath of your desk and place the electrical strip into it. This way, you can access it when needed and eliminate the potential danger of tripping.

In-the-Wall Cabinet

An in-the-wall cabinet is a great hidden storage location for some of your office supplies. Depending on your needs, you can have a single shelf for a printer or you can have multiple shelves that house and hide some of your office necessities such as files and books.

Velcro for Your Wires

If you have exposed wires, you may not want them in the view of other people and this is understandable. One hidden storage option for them is to Velcro them underneath your desk. This way, they are out of sight, but they are still accessible if you find yourself needing to unplug one of them.

File Drawer for Your Printer

Sometimes, the printer is the largest and bulkiest of the items within your office and you may want to keep it hidden and out of sight. You can quickly and easily place your printer inside of a file drawer and open the drawer as needed to use the printer.

If you are worried about wires when it comes to this option, you can either run them down into the file cabinet or you can get a wireless printer, which would not have any wires.

Keep Your Home Office Supplies and Equipment Out of Sight

Your home office should be a place that is free from clutter that allows you to work and accomplish the things you need to throughout the day. The above hidden storage ideas are perfect for any home office and will free up space. If you still need more space, you can rent a storage unit and keep your additional items stored away safely until you are ready to use them again.

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When it comes to chronic diseases, many people are often surprised to hear that allergies are the most common of chronic disease in all of Europe. For some of these people, their allergy may be so severe that it triggers an asthma attack or worse, so it's not something that can be taken lightly. Breaking the stats down even further, it seems as though the UK is among those with the highest number of allergies in the entire world, which means if you happen to suffer from allergies, you are far from alone.

For allergy sufferers, the key lies in learning what they are allergic to first, and then finding ways to avoid that trigger. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy or possible, but in many cases, concessions can be made in your lifestyle, your daily routine, and even the environment in which you live. Since you tend to spend a fair amount of time in your home, this is one area of your life that is wise to examine closely and look for ways to make positive changes that will help limit your allergies.

One such change that can prove incredibly beneficial for allergy sufferers is to look for a new home with a heat recovery system, which is a type of ventilation system. This is actually one of the best solutions out there in new build homes if you happen to have allergies. Let's take a closer look.

A New Home Isn’t a Sure Bet

If you have a large number of allergies and/or severe allergies, then being able to get through a day without allergy symptoms or an allergy attack is typically pretty high on the list of priorities. Perhaps you have been looking for a new build home thinking this is the best way to go since there won’t be any allergens present. Unfortunately, allergens are something that can build in any home, regardless of age, so purchasing a new home isn’t a sure bet.

What it comes down to is the air that is circulating in your home. For those homes that are a bit older, they are probably very airtight – in fact they may be so airtight that everything is trapped inside including air that isn’t exactly fresh and could be filled with allergy triggers. With that air circulating in the home, with no means of escaping, you certainly aren’t doing yourself any favours.

Remove the Stale Allergy Laden Air

The key tends to lie in being able to remove that stale allergy laden air and making sure that the air you are breathing in is fresh and trigger-free as possible. This is exactly what a heat recovery ventilation system is able to do. This system actually works to ventilate the stale air and moisture out of your home, so that the air that remains is healthier, fresher, and free of any moisture. At the end of the day, this tends to create a much more comfortable living environment for allergy sufferers.

As for installing this system, it’s a good idea to talk to your builder and discuss how it can be incorporated into your home.

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Maybe you're running a factory or warehouse. Maybe you just work in a really intense office. Whatever your reasons for considering workplace safety, here are a few ways to prevent accidents, injuries and tragedies.

1. Read the Manual

The good news about improving workplace safety is that there are already hundreds of resources at your disposal. You don't have to stumble around in the dark and figure things out on your own. OSHA has a searchable database where you can learn about everything from scaffold set-up to hazardous waste disposal, and there are plenty of guidelines available from places like the U.S. Department of Labor. The information is out there; you just have to track it down.

2. Train Your Employees

You can't stop crazy accidents from happening, but you can prepare your staff for when they occur. Make sure that everyone knows what to do in an emergency situation. Sit them down for written evaluations, and put them through physical drills where you asses things like reaction times and efficiency rates. Repeat this process every year or so. Don't let their skills get rusty, and don't let them slack off if they aren't taking it seriously.

3. Give Your Employees a Reason to Listen

Piggybacking off the above, it's important that your employees don't treat workplace safety like a game or a chore. You'll need to instill the right attitudes to keep them from behaving recklessly even when you aren't around to supervise. Think about both rewards and punishments. Can you give them a prize if they make it 100 days without an accident? Can you take disciplinary action if they accumulate more than three safety warnings in a 90-day period?

4. Buy the Right Tools and Supplies

There's no use in preaching about workplace safety if your heavy machinery is fundamentally unsafe. You'll need to practice what you preach when it comes to the equipment around your job site. Why should people care about following forklift protocols if your forklifts are 20 years old and throwing sparks everywhere? Find some room in the budget to give your workers safe and effective equipment so that they can get their jobs done without compromising their safety.

5.Invest in High-Quality Flooring

This is especially important if you work in an industrial setting. You'll want something like flame retardant surface protection or Aqua Shield to protect your floors from the damage of both environmental factors and everyday foot traffic. Don't be afraid to spend a little money on it, either. Cost-cutting measures should be saved for non-essential areas and not important things like floors.

6. Restrict Access to Dangerous Areas

People shouldn't be allowed to walk freely in places where they could get hurt. Start erecting barriers to keep untrained or unqualified personnel from compromising the safety of a potential hazard zone. If you can, try to do more than just hanging a vinyl sheet to block off the area; this can be easily ignored. You'll need things like doors, fences, swipe cards or access codes if you're truly dedicated to protecting the sanctity of a lab or construction site.

7. Start Emphasizing Safety

It's common for managers to pay lip service to the idea of workplace safely while also encouraging a "whatever it takes" mentality in regards to getting the work done. If you're rewarding employees who disregard rules and regulations in the name of productivity, you're undercutting your own message that safety comes first. Try to shift your perspective around this. Let your employees know that you'd rather have something done safely than quickly.

8. Be Open to Suggestions

If you're a supervisor, you probably aren't walking the floor like the everyday employees. You don't know about their habits, routines and struggles, and you don't know how these things affect daily productivity. The only way to educate yourself is to allow your employees to come and talk to you. Do they have suggestions for making the assembly line a little safer? Listen to what they have to say, especially if it involves an area in which you're ignorant.

These are just a few tips for making and encouraging a safer workplace. As you can see, it's not something that you can will into existence with the snap of your fingers. You'll need to invest some time and money into the idea. If you're serious about protecting the health and security of your workers, however, you'll find a way to get it done.

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