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General

We don’t often think about our heating during the summer months, but it’s a time when we really should. It’s very easy to leave the heating on its normal setting from spring into summer and waste valuable energy. Here are a few tips to help you save money on your energy bills in summer.

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House design

If your rooms are all open plan a good way to keep warm air in one area is to put up curtains and get a new source of heat like from a Stoves Northern Ireland company which could be found at websites including www.stovebay.com/stoves#.xlct9-hkhpy. This could be a quick and easy solution to warming the room you are currently in without heating the whole house.

Reset your thermostat

There are a couple of things to consider here – not only the temperature that it’s set too, but also the on-off times. It won’t be as cold in the mornings or evenings as it is in winter. Of course, you could also consider turning it off completely and only switching your heating on when you notice the cold.

The Energy Saving Trust has lots of useful information for homeowners to help them understand their existing systems, as well as tips on how to save energy.

Make sure your boiler is serviced

An inefficient boiler can really ramp up the cost of your energy bills, so it’s important to have it serviced annually by a Gas Safe trained engineer. It’s useful to have this done during the summer months so that if it needs repair or replacement, you can have the work completed without having to worry about being freezing cold if you’re without your boiler for a couple of days.

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If you are looking to replace your existing boiler, you should make sure that the supplier you choose is Gas Safe trained.
Get smart

Most appliances, nowadays, can be controlled using your smartphone, and your heating is no different. This technology means that if you install a smart thermostat, you can control your heating remotely. So, if the weather improves while you’re at work, you can turn the temperature down or switch the heating off entirely.

There are a number of smart thermostats on the market today and it’s worth doing some research before you choose one to ensure that it meets your needs.

You can also invest in a smart meter, which will help you to identify where you’re using the most energy and can also alert you to an inefficient boiler or other appliance. Your energy provider will often be able to supply and fit one in your home free of charge.

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General

Having a man cave of your own is the ultimate dream (and you don’t have to be a man to have one!). It is simply a place that you can retreat to, close the door on the outside world and spend some time doing whatever you want! If this idea appeals to you, then get started and make one! You don’t even have to sacrifice a room of your house – the perfect spot is a garage. If you are using yours to hoard junk, then the first thing to do is to get in there and have a sort-out. You could even sell all of the things that you don’t want and no longer use, to fund your new man cave.

Think about what the use of the man cave will be – do you want to pursue a hobby that is noisy or requires a lot of room that you don’t have in the house? Maybe you fancy learning the drums, or doing some DIY and want a place to be able to use all your tools? If you are wanting to store your tools neatly and get a bit of organization in there, you could use the services of https://www.rackzone.ie/pre-owned/racking who provide Used Pallet Racking for any extra shelving in a safe and secure, cost-effective way.  If you are wanting to take up the drums, you may be thinking where do I get my own drum kit? The key is to plan what you will want from your man cave before you begin.

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You may want the room to be able to have friends round for a few drinks and a game of pool? The garage is the perfect place for a pool table. You can even create your own bar by screwing some optics to the wall and buying a few kegs for that authentic pub feel. Even invest in a fruit machine to go in the corner!

If you are into gaming, then this is the ideal place for a couple of gaming chairs and a big television! You won’t have to watch the volume so closely in the garage either.

Make sure that if you are going down this route you have the required electrical supply to your garage and you may want to think about some sort of heating in there too, especially in the colder months. But really, whatever you decide to do with it, make it your own sanctuary where you can have a bit of your time.

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Lifestyle

We all want to look our best when we leave the house, whether we’re going out to work, a party where we have carefully looked through the Maxi Dresses available and selected the one we like, from places like https://www.axparis.com/collections/maxi-dresses/ or just to the shops. However, it’s unrealistic for everyone to have a model figure that’s perfectly slim and toned. For the rest of us, we often need a little bit of help to enable us to look our best. This could be through simply wearing the right underwear, having a correctly fitted bra or undergoing a surgical procedure.

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Both women and men struggle with their body image, even if they don’t have any real reason to feel this way. Some 80% of men are negative about their body image, with 75% of women also feeling this way. This negativity can lead to feelings of anxiousness and prevent people from living their lives to the full. There are ways that you can alter your image, whether on a temporary or more permanent basis.

Using body shaping underwear

Having the right type of underwear can alter how an outfit looks and feels. If you choose the wrong pieces it can lead to lumpy sections or cause the outfit to not sit properly on you. Body shaping underwear can provide a smoother and more toned appearance. Depending on the type of underwear you choose, they work by slimming the thighs, lifting your bum and flattening the stomach, so that your clothes fit and hang better. These are ideal when you’ve got a special occasion and you just want a temporary lift to help you feel better about yourself.

Choose the right size lingerie

Wearing the wrong size bra can seriously affect a woman’s confidence. However, there are still thousands of women across the country who are opting to wear one that’s far too small or large for them. Research commissioned by Triumph found that 73% of women said that ill-fitting lingerie damaged their self-confidence, but 76% still wear an incorrectly sized bra. If you’re fitted properly for a bra, it will help to give you a better figure, without any bulgy bits, so that you can enhance what you already have.

Are you considering surgery?

If you’re looking for a more permanent option to help you look your best, then there are a range of cosmetic surgery options available. It’s important to consider these carefully, as the procedure produces a permanent effect and it’s not just as simple as taking off your underwear at the end of the day.

Vaser liposuction is growing in popularity, largely due to its benefits for patients. This is a procedure that removes stubborn fat pockets across the body, which you can’t alter by exercising alone, to give you a more sculptured look. The advantages are that there is a minimal inconvenience in terms of recovery and there is less discomfort when compared with other procedures.

Once you feel better about yourself, whether you’re wearing the latest underwear or you’ve had cosmetic surgery, you’ll gain in confidence. Body image is a large part of our belief in ourselves and if we know we look good we’re more likely to have a confident persona.

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General

Moving house is well known for being one of life’s most stressful activities. Not only is it expensive and long-winded, but there’s also a real chance that the sale won’t go ahead at all. In this article, we take a look at how you can minimize your risk by appointing the right conveyancer.

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Money

Solicitors are legally required to post their conveyancing fees on their company website; such transparency, which has been advocated by The Competition and Markets Authority, will allow customers to make an informed decision on which conveyancing solicitor to appoint ahead of moving house. Don’t be fooled by cheap quotes: safe to say, in most walks of life you get what you pay for.

Set Fees

Of course, when moving house there are a number of set fees that have no bearing on which firm you choose to instruct for the legal work surrounding your purchase. However, there can be huge differences between the fees for work charged by different firms. Choose wisely!

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Think Carefully

The Authority’s report confirmed that even though people are on the whole happy to go on a recommendation, this does not mean that the service will be any better than if house buyers were to do independent research. So the first thing that should be done is investigations into a number of firms – and there’s plenty out there, such as https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/no-sale-no-fee-conveyancing-153.

What to Compare

Most solicitors’ practices will quote a baseline conveyancing quote and then top this up with associated fees for items such as completing the Stamp Duty Land Tax return. We would advise looking further into a firm that can provide a menu of fees for common activities and for those unexpected occurrences such as the purchase of indemnity insurance policies that the buyer, seller or conveyancer couldn’t have predicted.

Check Out

The most useful piece of advice when appointing a conveyancer is to do your homework, check the paperwork and read the small print. It’s also worth being aware that instructing a local conveyancer has some definite advantages over hiring one mile away from where you love. Put simply, a local solicitor will have local knowledge that could come in very handy as the process moves forward.

Beware the Referral System

Referral agreements between a firm and an estate agent aren’t always a good thing, so do your research.

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Home

It is a sobering statistic. Of the many deaths caused by fire every year in the UK, over three quarters occur in the home. In 2014 alone, over 200 people lost their lives in domestic fires. A large proportion of these fatalities could probably have been avoided had better fire protection, such as that provided by companies like the Main point, official Automist installers in Bristol, been in place.

More information on fire safety in the home can be found at the official website of the UK Government. In the meantime, here are some top fire safety tips which all homeowners should be aware of.

Test Smoke Alarms Regularly

As detailed on the UK Government website, people are four times more likely to lose their lives in a domestic fire if there is no working smoke alarm present. Testing a smoke alarm is a simple process and should be carried out every month.

Install a Sprinkler or Misting System

Fire safety experts have been campaigning for the compulsory installation of sprinkler systems in new build homes for many years. Misting systems, such as those provided by Mainpoint Automist installers in Bristol, are the more modern equivalent of the sprinkler. They are proven to be highly effective in tackling outbreaks of fire.

Safety Tips at Night

Families can stay safer at night by closing all interior doors when they go to bed, thereby helping to prevent the fire from spreading should a blaze break out. Door and window keys should be kept where everyone can readily find them.

Electrical Precautions

Domestic fires caused by electric malfunctions are an unfortunately common occurrence. Plug sockets should never be overloaded as this could easily result in the electrics blowing and a fire subsequently breaking out. Electrical items that are not constantly in use should be unplugged from the mains overnight.

Extra Care in the Kitchen

The kitchen is the most likely room in the house in which a fire could break out. Pans and saucepans should never be left on the heat unattended. If a pan does happen to catch fire, never try to douse the flames with water as this will only make it worse. If it is safe to do so, turn off the heat source. Close the door to the kitchen and call the emergency services.

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Business

A few years ago, business owners were rushing to get fully-featured websites and thriving social media profiles. Now those things are so commonplace it is not considered “a good thing” to have a website so much as it is considered incredibly unusual to not have one. Today, the rush is to conquer the mobile space.

Why are mobiles so important? Well, the smartphone is near-ubiquitous today, and people use their phones constantly throughout the day. Even having an icon on the home screen can help to reinforce your brand’s presence in the mind of the user and having the ability to push offers to your users will help to build goodwill, and encourage past customers to revisit your brand from time to time. Using the app as a part of a loyalty scheme will improve your analytics too.

What Goes Into a Mobile App?

Almost any business could benefit from a mobile app, but there are a few key considerations that you should remember when getting the app developed. It’s easy to fall for ‘feature creep’ when laying out what you want from your app. So, look at the features and functionality and be ruthless when deciding what is a ‘must’ and what is simply a ‘nice to have’.

Be realistic about who will use the app and how, too. Adding ‘share to Facebook’ functionality is easy enough and reasonable, rebuilding your own social network in your app is much harder, and will likely be a waste of time because it will not be used by a lot of people.

Getting a Great Mobile App

If you are already working with a local company that undertakes web design in Nottingham, it is well worth asking them if they offer mobile app development.

Mobile apps are a great investment if you rely on repeat business. If you can persuade a customer to install your app, then you will have an easy way to reach them via their phone’s notification screen, putting marketing messages in front of them whenever you wish, and also giving them value-added benefits that will build goodwill.

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General

Keeping your home and family safe from fire is something that everyone should be aware of, but many people don’t know the best way to go about it. Whether it’s alert systems such as smoke detectors or sprinkler systems from Automist installers in Bristol, there are many things to consider.

Existing Property

Existing domestic property is exempt from much fire safety legislation. A smoke detector is the main thing most people choose to fit – indeed, they’re usually installed in new houses. This will give you an early warning of a fire and give you time to escape. Do make sure you test it occasionally, though, and change the battery when needed. Even mains-powered systems generally have a back-up battery to guard against power cuts.

Give some thought to how you would escape from the property in the event of a fire, and keep internal doors closed at night. You should also take care not to place objects close to heaters and open fires.

Many fires start in the kitchen, and a useful precaution is to have a fire blanket. This can be used to safely smother pan fires. An extinguisher is another option, but for kitchen, fires make sure it’s not a water-based type.

If you’re adding an extension, converting the attic or doing other work, it will need to conform to the latest Building Regulations

Landlords and Letting

If you’re letting out your property, then you are responsible for the fire safety of your tenants. This means carrying out a risk assessment, identifying any hazards and removing or protecting against those risks.

In older houses, you should have the wiring checked by an electrician and give consideration to removing any flammable older décor, such as polystyrene tiles. Make sure smoke detectors are fitted; this will mean having linked mains-powered detectors covering the main escape routes. You might also want to give consideration to a mist type sprinkler system such as those supplied by Mainpoint Automist installers in Bristol.

Multiple-occupancy properties – such as student accommodation – will need extra measures such as a heat detector in the kitchen and emergency lighting in communal areas and escape routes. There will also need to be signs indicating escape routes and any fire-fighting equipment such as extinguishers and fire blankets.

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Business

The latest construction headlines hitting the UK say it all: there is a brick shortage coming. For those with brick projects under construction and brick products not yet secured, this means a steep rise in costs. For many companies and individuals in London the gap between supply and demand simply means the viability of their projects, and even home improvements, are severely at risk.

What is the solution?

Many people are throwing around the idea of importing. This is a possibility, but it doesn’t solve the cost issue. Alternatively, by importing the skills needed via an immigrant workforce, the bricks could be made in the UK. This is more practical, but the question that needs to be asked is why not consider a different material?

For many people, there is no alternative. Bricks are the fabric of Britain and the capital. Anyone riding on a bus through London can see this. Bricks are our heritage and history, they are practical, hard-wearing, beautiful and durable. Buildings constructed out of brick last for centuries.

New cutting-edge research

All this could be about to change. With sustainable design and construction playing a huge part in many projects, from city hospitals to manufacturing facilities to private residences, sooner or later a solution will arise. British universities and architects in London are already pushing forward in the research, development, and use of alternative materials. Fantastic products such as self-healing concrete, 3D printed ceramic brick units, vacuum glazing, smog-absorbing concrete, algae walls, and engineered timber frames are taking off. It is a process that once started will not stop, but when will it start?

Every year we are becoming bolder and braver with our product choice, which is showing in the quality and look of our homes and offices. The brick will always be a fantastically strong and stable product; however, as with a stone, there may come a time when it is no longer commercially or environmentally viable. Let’s prepare for the future and not get too hung up on the past.

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