Archive for August, 2010

A few years ago, a work colleague was lucky to be alive after he fell from his roof where he was doing some work.  Today, he still suffers side effects from the fall.  Last year one of my friends spent every second of his spare time during the summer, painting his house.  With the job still incomplete, he started painting again this summer, but as fate would have it, he fell and broke his arm.  He is now shopping around for a painter to complete the job.

OK, so like me, you have two left hands and would not be caught doing house repairs or painting to save your life. Nonetheless, aren’t we all doing “stuff” that we either don’t like to do, don’t do well or could avoid doing? Last weekend I watched my mother slave over an iron board all day, ironing, among other things . . .  polo shirts!  This is fine by me; it’s her time, and she can do what she pleases with it.  However, as the weekend drew to a close, she started complaining that she was tired and had not had time to rest all weekend.   Sounds familiar?

Here’s another example: one of my clients used to drive 2 hours one-way, every week, to do grocery shopping for his mother, a senior with Alzheimer’s; and the worst part was, when he visited, she was usually upset with him, because he never spent any time with her.  Now that we are caring for his mother, he can spend quality time with her when he visits and is not rushing to beat the traffic back home.

Why do we choose to clutter our lives with so many “things to do”? I know: someone has to do it, but does that someone have to be you?  Is it really cheaper to do it yourself?  Did you factor in the cost of your time, injury or stress-related illness – time not spent with your family and friends?

Think for a moment about what important or critical things you could accomplish, if your entire day wasn’t cluttered with the many trivial tasks to be completed.

Large companies are getting back to their core operation while outsourcing supporting tasks; small business entrepreneurs are learning that they can’t do it all – they must outsource so they can spend their time growing their business.  As individuals are we any different?  Personal success guru, Brian Tracy, applies this to the 80 / 20 rule. Most people spend 80% of their time preoccupied with tasks and activities that are not ultimately the most important – for your life or your business.

Those who have become iconic in their success, devote 80% (or more) of their time to the 20% of activities that produces the most value or income. The remaining 80% of activities are handed off to someone else, so they can focus (like a laser) on the most important and crucial elements of life or business.

Shouldn’t we be managing our time efficiently by outsourcing tasks that we don’t do well or can’t do efficiently, leaving us with time to do the things we really enjoy doing – time to relax and de-stress, time to make more money doing the things we do best?

Athletes do well because they have a core of people supporting them, leaving them to focus on their sport; during the recent US election, President Obama got a myriad of people from all walks of life to assist him in any way they could.  Being successful does not mean doing everything for ourselves, it means knowing when to get help.  We all have 24 hours in a day; no more, no less than anyone . . .  let’s make the best use of it.

Home is that asset that requires regular improvements to maintain its amiability. Besides this, you also want some greater changes depending upon your needs. These changes may be one of the expensive works and that is why it often enforces for an external helps, when your own resources fail there. The market has devised help plan for such purposes too that are making you comfortable at these task. You can avail this help in the form of Home Improvement Loan.

Home improvement loan is available in both the forms i.e. secured or unsecured that can be chose matching the convenience of your personal circumstances. The secured form is backed by collateral and has loan amount depending upon the market value of the collateral. However, the unsecured form of the loan is not backed by collateral and the loan amount is decided here according to income level and repaying capability you have. Although, the general range of amount available her varies from £5000 to £75000 with longer and flexible repayment duration of 1 to 25 years.

The rate of interest here is not same with every one; it can also vary with your personal profile. The secured form has somewhat lower in the market, while it is somewhat higher with the unsecured form. This is only done for the variation of the risk attached with the lent amount.

Availing such loans is not a tougher task, as it is available with a variety of lenders. The online lenders can be opted for a comfortable deal as they keeps simpler processing and are accessible easily by simple click of mouse.

You can find this loan facility even when you credits are not perfect, as bad or poor credits are not a barrier here. You can avail this loan even in such condition but you can find somewhat harder terms for that.

Home improvement loan provides the required sum for any kind of improvement in your home. It has options for every one of you that give you freedom to choose either of the form here without putting any particular obligation on you. A range of loan terms and sum can be found here that help you execute even the bigger improvements in your home.

Make your school reports look longer than they are with these tricks.

Flat roofs have a bad reputation for causing expensive problems for house owners. Although modern buildings that feature flat roofs are designed with the latest technology and built to a much higher standard than older houses, if you own or are looking to buy an older house with a flat roof, you should be aware that it is almost inevitable that it will leak.

Local leakage problems in flat roofs can be solved by the keen DIYer, although more serious damage can only be fixed by removal and replacement of the top layer of the roof.

Flat roofs have several elements, including a covering, thermal insulation, a structural deck, drainage outlets and often a heat and light reflecting coating.

A leaking flat roof can usually be detected by checking the ceiling of the room below for stains. If the leak is in the top layer of the flat roof, water will leak through, run down the slope of the roof inside the structural deck and appear as a ceiling stain, possibly some distance away from the original hole in the roof.

Ponding is a term used to describe depressions or hollows in the flat roof, where water accumulates. The wind may blow seeds up from your outdoor plants and lawns and over time, you will develop an unexpected roof garden in the ponding area.

As well as holes in the outer covering of the flat roof, other areas that may cause leaks in the flat roofs of houses are joints in the covering, and cracks in the covering around chimneys. Blocked gutters and drains are another cause of water accumulation.

If the flat roof has a layer of gravel on top of the covering, check the areas where the gravel has changed colour, as this may give you an idea as to where water is collecting and where it may be leaking slowly down through the roof.

Flat roofs can suffer rot, not only from obvious water leaks on top of the roof, but also through condensation from the heated room below and from moisture trapped within the flat roofspace. Modern flat roofs have provision for ventilation to minimise this problem.

Most DIY centres and building merchants offer a range of felt tapes and adhesive for small localised repairs to your flat roof. However, if the flat roof has many problem areas, you should consider replacing the entire top covering.

This article is only intended as a basic general summary and you should always seek professional advice where necessary.

A guide on how to remove the fan assembly in a 13″ Macbook. Visit www.powerbookmedic.com for more repair guides.

Washing the vehicle is a great Sun. lunchtime activity ; sunshine, a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and the garden hose. But what do you do when you wish to give it more than just an once over clean? Where do you start and how do you know what to use and where? Detailing takes cleaning to the next level, beyond the usual wash and wax routine.
Start by removing the floor mats ( vacuuming and washing them ), cleaning the carpeting and upholstery and finish with a thorough vacuuming. Use the different nozzle attachments on your vacuum to get into as many places as possible. Repair any burns or holes in your upholstery using a fix kit from your auto shop. Clean all of the hard surfaces of the inside with a humid fabric and mild soapy warm water.
The dashboard will actually give you a sense of what detailing is all about with all of those buttons, crevices and spaces you will need to get into to remove dust and dirt. Another couple of good tools to have is a cotton swab and a clean paint brush, they can help get into those actually tight crevices. Clean all of the glass with a special glass cleaner, taking special care to remove any streaks when you are done employing a dry soft towel. Now you are prepared to move onto the outside of the vehicle.
When you’re washing your auto, do not forget to get into all of the wheel wells and inside the door jams to give it that finished look. Polish the auto to give it that last gloss ; it also will help to protect the paintwork from further sun damage. Finish off the job with a coat of tire dressing and you are done with your DIY vehicle detailing. Finish off that great Sunday with a nice quiet drive and show off your fantastic looking car!

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There is no need to put anything at stake for a small loan that you want to use for renovating your home. Instead, it would be better to borrow such an amount under Unsecured Home Improvement Loans, which are specifically designed for providing finance for small needs, on some conditions. However, ensure that you do not fall into a debt-trap.

You can borrow anywhere from £5000 to £25000, under these loans for any renovation work on your home. The loan is approved without taking your home or any other asset as collateral. in other words, these loans can be availed without any risks. However, any late payments or defaults will leave a stain on your credit record.

Repayment of these loans has to be made in short term. Usually, depending on the borrowed amount and your repayment capability, you can repay the loan in 5 to 15 years. However, due to lack of collateral, unsecured home improvement loans carry a bit higher rate of interest. So, you should be prepared to make higher interest payments.

Still, these loans can be availed at lower rate of interest once you have an excellent or good credit rating. It is always helpful to apply for the loan with an improved rating. In case of the borrower having a history of late payments, defaults, arrears or CCJs, the rate of interest is enhanced.

You should take advantage of growing competition in the market of unsecured home improvement loans. Some of these offers may be cited at comparatively lower rate, as lenders want to win you as customer. It would be a wise step to take out rate quotes of these loans. Make a good comparison of the different offers you are given. You should also compare the extra charges of the lenders to find out a less costly deal.

The Cameron Highlands – a paradise not only for teadrinkers, with huge photogenic varieties from adventurous jungletreks with an unbelievable fauna including skyhigh ferns (like in prehistoric times – I was always waiting for a Dino to show up behind those huge fern trees), waterfalls and orang asli settlements, old country style British houses(Tudor Style architecture), huge lush green teaplantations covering hills and valleys for miles and miles, fruit, vegetable and flower (especially orchids and rose gardens) farms of all kinds. The locals favourite must be the strawberry farms profiting from the cooler climate – you see strawberry merchandise (from strawberry shaped pillows to strawberry house-shoes…) on every corner – and do-it-yourself strawberry-picking is a national sport here

There could be a number of reasons why you might be considering remodeling your kitchen. Maybe you’re a new home owner looking to get started on the “fixer-upper” house you just bought. Maybe you’ve been in the same house for twenty years and are simply looking to add a little variety and spice to your current dwelling. Whatever the reason, you probably don’t want to blow your life savings making sure your cabinets match your stove. Luckily, it is possible to get the look and feel you want without breaking the bank. Proper research, innovative design techniques and, most importantly, simple do-it-yourself projects can help turn your kitchen area from dishware disaster into flat-wear fabulous.

In order to rediscover your kitchen’s inherent style and beauty and stay within your budget, it is important to start with a cost effective, proven remodeling plan. Do your research -what types of remodeling plans can you find online or in specialty magazines? How much work will you do yourself? How much will you hire a contractor to work on? Are you hiring a designer? A finishing carpenter? A plumber? Electrician? Getting involved in a remodeling project without answers to these and similar questions can leave you frustrated and up to your eyeballs in unexpected side projects and expenses.

One of the best (and most fun) ways to cut remodeling costs is to choose a few smaller projects that you feel comfortable handling yourself. Cabinets, lighting fixtures and accessories are fairly simple, fun projects that don’t require a background in carpentry or construction. Do you really need to buy brand new cabinets? Perhaps all your current cabinets need is a good sanding and refinishing. Painting or staining freshly sanded cabinets can take years off their look, especially if you add new handles or other accessories. If your cabinets are too old or too damaged to be salvaged, look for replacement cabinets that will fit with your planned design scheme. New cabinets do not have to be a large expense. Look for wholesalers that can get you the latest cabinet styles at a lower cost or join a manufacturer buying group like Direct Buy to get direct access to products at the manufacturer’s price.

Another do-it-yourself, money saving project is painting. Before you pick a color scheme, consider how your kitchen relates to the rest of your home. Does the paint need to match what’s on your living room walls, or would it look better as a stark contrast? Would the kitchen look and feel better with warm, cozy reds and yellows or cool, sophisticated blues? Do you need to paint the whole kitchen or simply add a few fresh accents here and there? A few coats of a new color can dramatically change the newly remodeled kitchen area, and being creative with color combinations is an easy way to personalize your project. But be careful -like any aspect of your remodeling project, a hastily made decision can come around to bite you once the project is finished.

Lighting installation should be saved for qualified professionals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t design your lighting scheme yourself. Choose a lighting design that will match your kitchen’s layout and color scheme. Under-cabinet fluorescents and rope lights can add a romantic, ambient glow, but they might not offer enough light if you’ve chosen a dark blue, black or green color scheme. On the other hand, powerful overhead or spotlights might be overkill if you’ve chosen bright yellows or whites. Creating your own lighting scheme and buying your lighting fixtures and lamps directly from a local lighting wholesaler can save you money on a designer as well as make you feel even that much more involved in your remodeling process.

Of course, you probably won’t be able to handle every part of the remodeling process yourself. A good contractor can help you decide which parts of your kitchen should definitely be repaired or replaced and which can be simply touched up. Get bids from a number of contractors, remembering that while price is an important factor it shouldn’t be the only thing you consider. Make sure your contractor has a current license, proof of insurance, verifiable references and a list of suppliers. You should also pick someone that you feel comfortable working with. You’ll be spending a good deal of time with this person; choosing someone you don’t get along with will make your entire remodeling process a miserable one.

Remodeling your kitchen is a big endeavor. It can be frustrating and expensive, and the end product might not be what you had imagined in the beginning of the process. However, with just a little planning, patience and do-it-yourself know-how, it can be an exciting and cost-effective adventure.

~ Ben Anton, 2008