Monday, August 17, 2020

Top 10 Home Reno DIY Projects in the UK

 

 

As we’ve highlighted in some of our other posts on the Bi Fold Doors UK blog page, home renos are a favourite past time for those of us in the UK. With our lovely, ambient winters, why wouldn’t we want to be building something?! GoCompare Home Insurance runs a survey of homeowners, and one of the things we enjoy looking at is their Top 10 list of DIY Home Renovation projects. So we thought we’d share the results…

10. Improved insulation

13 in every 100 homeowners to undertake a DIY project in the last year upgraded their existing insulation. With electricity bills ever rising, it’s surely to be expected. Luckily, our BiFold Doors come with high-tech insulation!

9. Exterior redecoration

This is a pretty common item to see in DIY lists – a lick of paint or a wall garden on the outside of a home can change it from drab to dynamic. The great thing about BiFold Doors is that, well, you can then enjoy that dynamism!

8. New shed or garden building

One thing that has been growing over the past few years is our desire to experience the outdoors more often. A big part of that is getting out into your yard and watching the birds fly around. Another great idea is to enjoy those sights from the comfort of your armchair, whilst looking through your beautiful new aluminium Bifold Doors.

7. New windows/double glazing

Now we’re talking. People appreciating the importance of nice, big, clear aluminium windows to admire the garden through. But whilst this might go okay, we don’t recommend installing BiFold products on your own. Get someone experienced in to do it for you.

6. New boiler or central heating

1 in 4 homeowners to under take a DIY project installed a new boiler or upgraded to central heating (that’s a whopping 25%). That’s a big amount of boilers getting fitted, by local companies like Evans Heating. We guess people are getting ready to sit inside and watch winter unfold through their lovely new folding doors!

5. New kitchen

A lot of people renovated their existing kitchen to make it look a bit more swanky. Or perhaps it was just to make it more user-friendly for all the cooking their doing. We expect this was a result of all the entertaining homeowners are undertaking following the installation of their…. you guessed it!

4. Garden makeover

See number 8!

3. New bathroom

Whilst we all love a new bathroom, there is something we should say about this. It’s all well and good to want that rainforest shower-head and the trendy, polished concrete basin with those lovely antique brass taps. However, we don’t recommend installing folding doors in here. It’s just the sort of place you need some privacy.

2. New flooring

Flooring is something that we feel has long been overlooked in home renovation projects. Carpet and lino are great, but there’s something really satisfying about watching those floorboard make their way seamlessly into your bifold doors at the end.

1. Interior redecoration

Now the winner: interior redesign! 50% of people to undertake a DIY included this on their project list in the past 12 months, which shows a real sense of ‘home is where the heart is’. Whilst we’ve been a bit tongue in cheek about our connection to the above renos, we’d love to hear about how your redesigning the inside of your homes! Leave a comment underneath.

Friday, August 14, 2020

3 Things To Know Before You Invest In Property In The UK

Originally Posted On: https://propertyinvestormarket.com/real-estate/3-things-to-know-before-you-invest-in-property-in-the-uk/

Before you take your hard-earned money and invest in a property in the UK, there are a few things you need to know. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Being a UK landlord is tough

You may think that being a landlord in the UK is one of the most straightforward jobs there is. After all, all you need to do is find a tenant, and then you get to sit back and rake in the money, right? Well, sadly, it can be a lot more taxing than that.

In fact, UK landlords have a range of responsibilities that they must fulfil, including safety inspections, routine maintenance and emergency repairs. Of course, if you are in between tenants, you will also need to make sure your property is cleaned, painted and made habitable for the next people that rent it.

The good news is that a lot of this hard graft can be avoided if you opt to use a property management service. In fact, they will be able to deal with all sorts of issues for you from finding people to lease your property, to dealing with complaints and repairs.

Of course, such services do not come for free, and that means you will need to deduct any management service costs from your property investment profits.

UK property ownership isn’t always clear cut

You buy a property, you own it, right? Well yes and no, because when it comes to property investing things aren’t always as clear as investors would like.

Firstly, there are two types of ownership in the UK, including freehold and leasehold. You must know the difference between them before you invest though, because the first means you have the deeds to the building and the land it’s built on. While the second means you only have the deeds to the building for a set amount of time. After which it will revert back to the original owner. Of course, if you are buying to renovate, or demolish this will have a massive impact on what you can do.

Additionally, it’s essential to realise that if you buy a property while married in the UK, it is seen as jointly owned by you and your spouse. Conversely, property owned before marriage will be counted as separate to any joint finances. Therefore if you are looking to retain your investment no matter what, buying when you are single is the best idea.

Flippin’ ain’t easy 

Flipping may sound like easy money, bit just like any other investment there is risk involved. One issue that many people forget to account for is that you may not be able to sell the property you have renovated straight away. Something that means your capital will be tied up with no way to get to it.

Additionally, it’s easy to get in over your head when it comes to buying a property to flip it, especially if you buy at auction. This is because often UK auction homes go sight unseen or with just a cursory inspection. Something that means they could be full of serious and costly structural problems you will have to sort before being able to sell them on.

Friday, February 28, 2020

How the Serenity Addiction Rehab Clinic in the UK Can Help You


 Originally Posted On: http://fooyoh.com/iamchiq_living_lifestyle/15366745/how-the-serenity-addiction-rehab-clinic-in-the-uk-can-help-you

 

Addiction is a disease. Like many medical conditions, there are different levels of treatment. In the initial phase, you’re still learning about the disease, its symptoms, and how it affects you and the people in your life. After the first approach, you’re feeling better, but not secure, and start talking to other people to gain more knowledge about the disease and how to overcome it. Because addiction is a chronic condition, you have to maintain treatment to continue feeling good.

Detoxify Your BodyAt the Serenity Addiction Rehab Clinic in the UK, you can get treatment for your condition. Detoxifying your body is an important step. It helps remove toxic substances, such as alcohol and drugs, like prescription medications, opiates, and crystal meth.
The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. After accepting help, some patients need to have a safe location to stay while eliminating all traces of these substances from their bodies. There are two options, inpatient medical detox with 24/7 care and monitoring. During practitioner-assisted detoxification, you can get prescriptions and other treatments that ease withdrawal symptoms. With home detox, patients get the comfort and privacy of their personal, safe, place, and 24/7 phone support with therapists and relapse prevention staff to help when needed. Whether inpatient or in-home, the goal of detox is to clean the drugs and alcohol from your body and start your path to recovery.
Reclaim Your LifeDuring inpatient and structured day programs, you will attend 12-step meetings, individual counseling sessions, and therapy groups to learn about addiction and talk to other people in recovery. Counselors work with you to find the root of your addiction, such as childhood traumas and help you heal from that point forward. By addressing the beginning, you can break the cycle.
In addition to therapy, you’ll attend educational workshops that will teach you about drug and alcohol abuse and how it affects your body. Other classes help you learn about proper nutrition, exercises to stay fit and healthy, and spiritual retreats to find a higher calling. Full fitness equipment is available for all patients to replace bad habits with healthy ones.
Learn to Live Drug- and Alcohol-FreeIt’s more than therapy, groups, classes, and 12-step meetings. Addiction recovery is about learning to live life without drugs and alcohol. This entails learning new skills to cope with stress, including new hobbies. You can take painting, drawing, sculpture, and other hands-on tasks, including photography, to fill your time with new skills. Another popular option is that of music therapy.
Another part of recovery is pampering yourself. Counseling sessions and nutrition lessons are as important as spending time in the jacuzzi, steam room, and on the tennis courts.
Do you or a loved one have a substance abuse problem? There’s no shame in asking for help and going into recovery. Contact us today for a consultation.

The Best Advice To Detoxing In The UK

 

Photo by Toni Cuenca

Originally Posted On: http://www.trueactivist.com/the-best-advice-to-detoxing-in-the-uk/

 

While detoxing may seem like a fairly new fad, it’s been practiced for centuries. The purpose of a detox is to allow your body to rest. However, it’s also an opportunity for elimination organs like your kidneys and liver to clear out such accumulated junk as the build-up of food waste in your intestines, cellular debris, and environmental toxins.

While your body is always eliminating waste and working to keep your system clean, it can sometimes be overwhelmed if you’re under stress or have overindulged. Here are some basic things you can do to help your body to detox.

Stay hydrated

Water is one of the best ways to detox and to help your body function regularly. Water prevents premature wrinkling, helps you lose weight, prevent kidney damage, help your blood deliver oxygen, lubricate your joints, and it cushions the brain. Adding lemon, (water and lemon is a popular combination in a detox diet), speeds up the detoxification process, and gives you powerful enough antioxidants to wean you off coffee and kickstart your metabolism. Buy yourself a water bottle and refill it whenever it’s empty.

Jump on the probiotic bandwagon

Probiotics help you regulate the good things occurring in your gut. Science says that if your gut is healthy, your body is in a better position to ward off toxins, as well as maintain the strength of your immune system and the health of your brain. Probiotics also help you fight sugar cravings. Just be warned that if you’re thinking about stocking up on yoghurt, too many probiotics can leave you with a bloated feeling.

Adhere to a basic menu

Having a one-day, three-meal detox can prep, recharge, and cleanse your body by intaking a perfect balance of ingredients. For breakfast, try a curated bowl of oats and fruits. For lunch, have a balance of fat and carbs, and an overload of antioxidants and vitamins for dinner. This fuel can set you on the right path to feeling like a new person.

Take a juice shot

To give yourself a healthy complexion and a boost to your energy levels, justice shots are the way to go. You’ll want to include some beets for your heart, experimental algae E3 to help your face look younger, and vitamin C for your tan.

Add fibre

Another detox craze is colonics, or manually clearing out your colon. Instead, you can simply add more fiber to your diet. It’s safer and more natural. Waste and toxins stick to your digestive tract, and fiber grabs gem and drags them away. Fiber also assists in weight control, simply because a high-fiber diet is filling, controls both your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and helps you live longer. Just add more fruit and vegetables to your eating plan.

Work out

While sweating out toxins isn’t a scientific thing, exercise helps to circulate the lymph and blood, which means that toxins exit quicker. The more that blood circulates, the more your liver works to filter it out. Working out is good for your general health, as it makes your insides operate like they’re supposed to. It’s also the simplest way to purify your body.

Spice things up

There are a wide variety of spices, herbs, and vegetables with detoxifying properties. Try making a spicy vegetable curry with garlic and chillies, or a raw salad with blood-purifying carrots and beetroots. You could even provide your liver with a morning boost by juicing ginger, apple, beetroot, lemon, and celery.

Skip your regular toxins

Alcohol is essentially a poison to the body. Smoke inhalation is no different. Neither are refined oils, processed sugars, or an excess of acetaminophen (Tylenol). Eat whole foods as much as you can, use cooking oils with high vitamin content, and resist that second glass of wine before you go to bed. It might not sound like much fun, but your liver will thank you for it, as painkillers and alcohol can damage it.

When this isn’t enough

While these tips are all great starting points for a healthier and cleaner body, oftentimes people need more help. Many people need to go on a detox after years of abusing their body through a poor diet. Others, however, have been addicted to particularly harmful substances. A professional rehabilitation centre such as Serenity Addiction Centres can help and support anyone who has suffered from alcohol or drug dependency. If you feel you could benefit from some advice, visit www.rehabclinic.org.uk now, and get in touch for a free consultation.