​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.

​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.

​Few people are fortunate enough to live in their dream home, which means most of us have to make the best of our living situations. In many cases, this means living in a space that may be a little smaller than we would like. Unless you have serious storage issues or have to share one bathroom with five other people, coping with a smaller living space can be done with a few easy-to-manage tricks. 

​No matter what type of small space you may have, there are a lot of simple yet effective techniques you can use to make that space feel much bigger. You won’t gain any square footage, but you’ll be able to spend time there without feeling cramped and claustrophobic. By taking control of your small space’s colour, texture and patterns, you can change the design of that space in a fundamental way that will affect how you and others feel in it.
 
For example, going with a monochromatic colour palette for your smaller space can help the room feel more open and airy than having lots of contrast. Choosing accents in your space such as curtains made of light fabrics and furniture with long, thin legs also can contribute to the impression that the space is a lot larger than it really is. Walls and floors can be accentuated with striped elements that help guide the eye horizontally or vertically to create the feeling of additional height or width, as well.
 
Accepting your small space doesn’t have to mean feeling like you’re always trapped in a phone booth. Mastering some simple elements of design and using psychology to your advantage can help small spaces feel much larger — ultimately making you more comfortable in them. The accompanying guide contains many ideas for making a small space feel bigger. Apply them to your home and it will feel much closer to the dream space you’ve always wanted.

Colour

• Choose light colours for walls and floors to make the room feel more open and airy.
• Colour-code items on shelves to create an organised look. Arrange those items with the darkest at the bottom and lightest at the top.
• Use different shades of the same colour in the room to make the space feel more open.
• Paint your ceiling a darker colour to create depth and draw the eye upward.
• If you have drapes or window curtains, use the same colour as your walls.

 
Texture

• Cluttered shelves and tables make a space feel cramped, so keep them as clear as possible.
• Use floor-to-ceiling bookcases or shelves to provide the feeling of height.
• Use glass tables and shelves that reflect light and give the impression that spaces are larger.
• Choose furniture pieces with long, thin legs that allow you to see more space underneath them.
• Hang curtains and drapes of light, gauzy fabrics (rather than heavy fabrics) to make rooms feel larger. 

Patterns

• Choose rugs and carpeting with stripes to make floor space feel longer.
• Cover walls with vertical ship-lap to help accentuate the height of the ceilings.
• Alternatively, use horizontal ship-lap to help a narrow room feel wider.
• Add mirrors and reflective surfaces to help create the illusion of depth and additional space.
• Keep any decorative accents relatively small so they don’t overwhelm the room.

 Small homes don't have to be small. Make your home a new home with these simple tips!

 Business leader Ben Creamer received his B.A. from Saint Norbert College and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School. After law school, he worked as an attorney and counseled sophisticated real estate clients with law firm Mayer Brown LLP. Creamer’s passion is real estate business, as his father was a real estate developer and broker for more than 50 years. In 2009, this family tradition sparked Creamer to co-found Downtown Apartment Company (DAC) — a provider of Chicago rental apartments. DAC’s mission is to help clients find downtown Chicago apartments in the Loop and surrounding neighbourhoods. 

​​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.

The reasons for choosing to go tiny range from reducing debt, inability to afford a conventional home, the search for sustainability, a life crisis, or even preparing for an uncertain future in the face of climate change by going off-grid. Or perhaps a combination of these.

An important first step is to decide what type of tiny house you want.
To many, the phrase "tiny house" brings to mind an archetypal tiny house on wheels, a miniature cottage on a trailer, often made of wood, with a pitched roof and dormer windows.

Indeed, most tiny housers prefer some degree of mobility, whether a ready-made or DIY tiny house, converted caravan or bus/van.

....Continue Reading this ABC News Article....
​

​I've written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.

​There’s no question that trees are beautiful and majestic, but they can be a pain to homeowners. When it comes to reinforcing the foundation of your home, trees play a more significant role than you may assume and it is our continued goal to ensure that your home is as safe and as comfortable as possible. Read on for more information:
Tree roots are strong. Super strong. And the reason that trees can be so beautiful is that those roots search out water and nutrients. When you plant trees too close to a home, they’re going to seek out water and nutrients directly under your home. Directly under your home is also (as one might assume), the best place to fortify your foundation, either through restumping, reblocking or underpinning. When these two priorities meet, they don’t work out so well.
Right off the bat, you should determine what kind of soil or land that your home is built on because tree roots will act differently.

• You may have the clay-dominant soil. This type of soil compacts a lot more easily, but the converse effect is that the soil will become more and more dense when tree roots arrive.
• The second type of soil that you may have on your property is made up more of loose dirt and rocks and will move on a more regular basis, so roots have a much easier path to push through and navigate.

Both of these can affect your foundation.
Tree roots aren’t the only culprit of damage that can happen to your foundation. Even though they’re one of many pieces in the equation that you should be aware of, they’re nonetheless a significant one. That’s because tree roots are a catalyst for concrete settling, and when concrete settling occurs, your home’s foundation can shift and even crack. 

Concrete settling isn’t the nicest thing to look at, but if gone undetected, it can also be dangerous for the inhabitants of the home. So, look for the warning signs. Keep an eye out for doors that don’t swing open or shut correctly, floors that tilt one way or the other and cracks in the walls or ceiling.
These symptoms can impact homes of any age, but they’ll be much more prevalent in older homes or those that haven’t seen maintenance in a while. The easiest way to avoid any of the above? Reach out to your local experts who can assess your property and correctly advise you if you need to take care of any trees that are too close to your property. A lot of neighbourhoods have guidelines on this, but the bottom line is if trees are very close, it’s a challenge that you can take care of easily.
We’re here to help, so if you have questions, comments or feedback, please reach out.

​Company Bio: Vic Underpinners are Melbourne’s underpinning specialists, having performed thousands of successful underpinning jobs for many happy customers for more two decades. Our work is guaranteed for 15-years, so that you can shift your focus to building memories inside your home.

It starts innocently enough — a hairline crack on the lounge room wall. But, before too long, that annoying little line creeps further down the wall and widens.

As a record-breaking drought continues to overwhelm large parts of Australia, more of these kinds of cracks are appearing in homes throughout the country.
"In extraordinary dry times like now, those cracks will widen," warned Professor Nasser Khalili, the head of geotechnical engineering at the University of New South Wales.
In the vast majority of cases, cracks in houses are caused when the soil underneath the house starts to dry and contract, causing the footing of the house to shift unevenly, which leads the walls to move and crack.
...Continue Reading...

Click to view this article on ABC News

​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.
​For under $20 you could save thousands of dollars and avoid time consuming and frustrating mistakes!

Before construction of your new house begins, or you start renovating your home, ask these important questions:

• Is there a signed contract between you and the contractor?
• Are adequate insurance policies in place? If the work entails renovating an existing building has your insurer been advised that construction will be occurring. The contractor should have suitable employees’ insurance in place to cover medical costs in case of accidents involving their workers.
• Have you received the contractor’s surety or insurance bond to cover for their non-performance? Have you checked that these are correct and offer you adequate protection?
• Have the necessary building and planning approvals, permits and permissions been received from the various authorities?
• Are all your finances in place to pay for the work?
• Do you own the land?
• Are the site boundaries clearly demarcated?
• Have you reviewed and approved the latest construction drawings?
• If you or your designers are providing construction drawings to the contractor have these been issued to the contractor?
• Is everything ready for the contractor? Will they have the required access to the work site?
• Have you removed, or arranged suitable protection for items that mustn’t be damaged during construction?
• Have you procured materials that you must supply and will they be delivered before the contractor requires them?
• Does everyone know where the existing utility lines (power, communication, water, gas) are and are these clearly marked? Cutting them could be expensive, even dangerous, and undoubtedly it will cause inconvenience and even delay the construction work.
• Will the required utility connections (water and power) be available for construction?
• Is everyone clear what their scope of works is?
• Have you recorded the status of existing structures, the sidewalk and the road, and other structures which could be damaged by the contractor? It's difficult to prove structures were damaged by the contractor if there's no record of their condition and what they looked like before construction started.

Failure to ask these questions could result in the contractor being delayed when permits or drawings aren't available. In this case the contractor will claim a delay and additional costs. 
Mistakes are often caused when property boundaries aren't marked or utility lines aren't protected.
Failure to put adequate insurance in place could be costly if things go wrong.
Never start a construction project unless there's a clear signed contract in place with the contractor. A contract is there to protect you and the contractor.
Please like and share this article.

​​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.
​For under $20 you could save thousands of dollars and avoid time consuming and frustrating mistakes!
© 2019 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.