Living safe and secure in your home in Swindon in Wiltshire.

When you purchase a new family home, you do so hoping that you will be safe, secure and happy, living there for many years to come.  Nobody envisages the horrors of being burgled or opportunist thieves stealing your work tools or children’s push bikes from your garage!  A professional company like upandoverdoorsltd.co.uk/garage-doors/swindon who specialise in providing quality, Garage Doors Swindon could certainly help you improve on the security of your garage by installing a new, state-of-the-art, up and over door that also improves on the overall aesthetics of your home.

Image credit

With a population of over 230,000, Swindon is a popular place to live, work and raise a family, located just over seventy miles from the capital city of London, twenty-six miles southwest of Oxford and thirty-five miles, east-northeast of Bristol, the town lies directly on the M4 corridor which makes it great for commuting to the capital but unfortunately also makes it a viable target for opportunist thieves and hardened criminals. Having a new, strong, garage door installed and fitted by a professional company will certainly deter those criminals from trying to enter your home.

Image credit

By investing in some security lighting, cameras, sensors and a smart doorbell system, alongside your new garage door, you will keep the criminals at bay, making your Swindon home, definitely safer and considerably more secure and adding value to the sale price, should you ever decide to sell.

How and why, many ordinary families are Scrimping and Saving every penny to make ends meet.

In today’s difficult economy, where gas and electricity bills have sky-rocketed, mortgage rates and house prices have soared, and essential food items are more expensive than ever, it’s no wonder that many ordinary families are having to Scrimp and Save every penny they can to make ends meet at the end of each month. It’s the poorest people who are struggling to juggle their wages and any benefits they are entitled to, and the families who are not receiving any extra income, who are the ones finding it harder and harder to keep their heads above water. They can no longer afford to buy brand new electrical equipment, even if it’s essential for their work, children’s schooling or keeping in touch with family and friends.

Image credit

They have to look at alternative and affordable ways to be able to buy their mobile phones, and computers and they are now looking for companies that can provide them with Cheap Laptops that are of a great quality but within their tight budgets. Professional companies such as https://www.refurbishedlaptops.co.uk/ have stepped into that much needed market and can provide quality, reconditioned laptops that have been programmed with all the essential software people need, so they can carry on with essential online work projects, while their children complete their school assignments and they can keep in touch with family and friends.

Image credit

These professional companies are a lifeline for parents and working families all over the country and they are providing an essential service to hardworking ordinary people everywhere.

Mistakes to avoid when building an extension

When planning a home extension, you will want to get it exactly right. It should serve the purpose you want it for and add value to your property. However, not all extensions go to plan and here are some mistakes you will want to avoid:

  • Not understanding what it is for

Some homeowners want extra space but embark on the project with no tangible idea of what the space will be used for. Nobody wants to invest all that time and money on;y to have the same problems. Do you want a bigger kitchen? Is there always a queue for the bathroom? Do you dream of more space for entertaining? Have a clear picture of what you want the space for. Builders Bristol can help. For trusted Builders Bristol, contact Mogford Prescott.

Image credit

  • Not considering how you will ‘feel’

A vast extension can feel cold and uninviting if you haven’t given any thought to how you want to feel in the space. There are clever ways to incorporate elements to make a space feel more cosy and inviting, so consider ceiling height, warmer paint shades and inviting textures.

  • Not creating flow with existing property

Whilst you might want the new space to be unique, it should ideally flow into the existing house. Flow is an essential element of interior design but if you don’t want to use the same flooring or paint colour as the rest of the property, consider similar styles to tie it all in.

Image credit

  • Not thinking about furniture

When it comes to deciding where to mount radiators and position windows, factor in what furniture you want at the planning stage so there are no nasty surprises further down the line, such as finding you have nowhere to place a sofa!

How to run a building site efficiently and effectively.

A building site of any size needs to be organised, efficient and effective for it to run smoothly, contractors, suppliers, labourers, and the site manager have to communicate well together on a daily basis.  Having a professional company like https://www.tc-consult.co.uk/service/quantity-surveying/ on your team will certainly make your lives much easier as they are one of only just a few elite specialist Quantity Surveying Companies.  Keeping communications open and honest between all the teams is essential and an experienced Quantity Surveyor will have a wealth of experience behind them in order to ensure these crucial talks are conducted effectively.

Image credit

A building site can potentially be a fatal place to work with all the building machinery and equipment as well as labourers possibly working at incredible heights. The most common injury to occur on any building site is a fall and these accidents make up 35% of all construction injuries.  Falling from scaffolds, roofs, ladders or chimneys, it depends on the height from which the fall occurs as to the possible severity of the accident.  Having a well organised, well-run site will certainly reduce the potential for any unfortunate accidents.

Image credit

An honest, down-to-earth, practical approach from your professional Quantity Surveyor means that all the way from the first feasibility study until the final hand-over at the end of the building project the day to day working of the site will be smooth and the success of the build will be guaranteed.

Who is responsible for repairing and maintaining drains and sewer pipes?

Problems with drains and sewer pipes can cause headaches, not only due to the inconvenience that results, but also from trying to work out who is responsible for fixing the issue. To try and minimise your stress, let’s take a look at who is responsible for what, ensuring that you’re in the know if future problems arise. Continue reading Who is responsible for repairing and maintaining drains and sewer pipes?

Ruislip Lido is a beautiful, sandy beach on the Piccadilly Line in West London

Living and working in London can be incredibly hectic, with thousands of people travelling around the busy city for work and leisure. Having a stunning sandy beach on your doorstep at the Ruislip Lido and the seven-hundred-acre nature reserve and woodland to go to and unwind certainly helps the lucky locals and inhabitants of London. The beach may be artificial but the beauty of the landscape with the magnificent trees, sandy beach and wonderful natural environment is real.  If you are lucky enough to live near this area you will know that the lakes were used during the second World War for training Aircrew in survival techniques.

Image credit

Being a local to this beautiful part of London you will also know that there are professional, locally based companies like http://www.theboyswhosew.co.uk who are specialist Curtain Makers London, who can provide you, your family and friends with quality, bespoke fabrics and curtains for your homes.  Living near the city and working in a busy business environment, you want your home to reflect a warmth and calmness that encapsulates your family dynamics. Quality fabrics used to make your individually designed window coverings that keep in the warmth in the cold winter months but allow the air to circulate throughout the hot summer.

Image credit

Tasteful designs that reflect your families style and taste and made from quality, practical fabrics that will stand the test of time, just like the beach, woodland and nature reserve on your doorstep.

Choosing the Right Flooring for Each Room of Your Home

There are so many flooring choices nowadays, and making the right decision is a big part of making sure that your home is not only practical and suited to your needs, but also that it looks good and fits in with your own personal style.

When you are deciding on flooring, both of these things play a big part in the decision that you make, and it can often be easier to think on a room by room basis, working out what you need from each room and also fitting the choice of flooring in with the decoration and style of that room.

Here are some of the main rooms in the home to consider, and what to think about when you are making the decision…

Kitchen – This flooring needs to be practical and durable. A hard flooring that is easy to clean is always best for the kitchen. You can get a professional clean done on hard flooring by someone like this hard floor cleaning Cheltenham based company intocleaning.co.uk/services/hard-floor-cleaning-gloucestershire/Cheltenham to keep the kitchen floor looking its best.

Image Credit

Hallway – The most wear and tear on a floor comes through the front door and into the hallway. This means that you are going to need to prioritise durability of the flooring and also choose something that is resistant to scuffs and dents.

Bathroom – A bathroom floor needs to be able to deal with a lot of moisture, so this should be the first thing that you prioritise when you are choosing a floor for your bathroom. As well as this, you might want to use underfloor heating in the bathroom to keep the floor warm, so have a look into the types of flooring that work best with this type of flooring.

Image Credit

Bedroom – In the bedroom, you want a floor that promotes the feeling of comfort. Carpet is a popular choice, but you don’t have to go for carpet. A bedroom with wooden flooring and some soft rugs can be equally cosy.

Living Room – The way that you use your living room and the layout of the room are two things that you need to consider when choosing flooring for this room. If you gather in the kitchen or family room, or you have a living room that is part of an open plan design, then your choice for this room may be different to if you have a room that is used less frequently.

Using Marketing and Branding to Help your Business Grow and Succeed

To grow a small business, you need to make sure that you get your name out there. Marketing is essential, whether you have a business that is large or small – however, before you start, you firstly need to have a strong brand.

Branding a business is something that requires a lot of thought. A brand is more than a company logo, or uniform – you need to get across a message about your business, your values and what makes you stand out. A strong brand is something that people become familiar with, building a relationship of trust.

Image Credit

There is a lot that goes into creating a brand – from using the right colours to thinking about your brand values. Once you have the right branding, you can then go forward and start to think about how you will market your company effectively.

Image Credit

Online marketing should not be ignored in this day and age – for a small business, local SEO can be really beneficial. Get in touch with a professional like this SEO services provider https://www.rycomarketing.ie/seo-services/ who will be able to help you to target the area that you want and help you be found online.

Social media is also something that many businesses, both large and small make the most of in regards to marketing. Different social media platforms can be really beneficial, helping you connect to other local businesses and also to target your particular market for your business.

Brexit – The Best or Worst Decision?

One of the most divisive things to happen in the UK in the last decade – something that will go down in history as the best or the worst big decision made by the UK (depending on which side you are on) is Brexit.

With many public figures and politicians taking a side and arguing their point vehemently, the decision to leave the EU was huge news, and changed the way that the UK would go forward, breaking apart from Europe and going it alone.

Image Credit

The weeks in the lead up to Britain were unusual and often fraught – with bizarre scenes such as Bob Geldof chasing Nigel Farage on a boat down the Thames, to the now infamous Brexit bus, touring the country offering the princely sum of 350 million pounds to go to funding the National Health Service.

Image Credit

This frenzy of activity and high feelings and strong opinions boiled over when the MP Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was killed by an ardent Brexit supporter, shocking a nation that was seemingly in the grip of a civil war.

As the day of the referendum arrived, the stock markets at least seemed confident that the result would swing in favour of remain – however, by a small margin, it was in fact leave that took the highest share of the votes, starting a series of events that saw Britain start making plans to leave the EU.

The former advisor to Tony Blair, and mental health campaigner, Alastair Campbell, is someone who was passionately against the decision – the Editor for the New European https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/contributor/alastair-campbell/ he has made no secret of the fact that he believes Brexit to be the worst decision made in his lifetime by the UK.

In June 2023, we will be seven years on from that deciding day, and with both remain and leave sides still divided, it looks like it is still something that stirs up some strong feelings.