HSBC Report Reveals New Policy On Property Sales

HSBC Report Reveals New Policy On Property Sales


New research by HSBC has revealed a new set of ‘rules’ that homeowners need to know in order to get the sold sign up in an unforgiving property market.

If you think that simply neutralising your walls and throwing down some beige carpet is an easy way to get your property sold then think again.

First on the list is de-cluttering. The survey finds that 93 % of home improvement experts believe this is important in giving your home the sell-appeal. They advise also on making sure the lawn is mowed and any paint chips are repaired prior to a viewing.

Conversely, 69 % of home owners are sticking to the old-fashioned myths like cleaning windows and displaying fresh flowers. Painting front doors and putting up new gates in the garden would be money and time better spent according to the HSBC Home Improvement Survey, but only one fifth of homeowners recognise this.

It seems that buyers are now a lot more discerning when looking for a new nest.

Here’s what vendors can do to minimise any uncertainties for would-be buyers:

De-clutter the home
Replace wall paper and get any chips in the wall fixed
Mow the lawn and spruce up the garden
Fences, walls and gates – consider mending, painting, varnishing if needs be.
First impressions last – paint or varnish your front door if required
Only one 1% of experts believe that a freshly washed car on the driveway and a new set of window boxes actually work, 2 % say cleaning windows and moving unsightly dustbins out of the way matters and no one in the survey believes that displaying a vase of freshly cut gladioli makes an ounce of difference.

Using Apps In DIY, Home Improvement, Decorating and Design

Using Apps In DIY, Home Improvement, Decorating and Design
There are applications for everything from getting the latest exchange rates, to discussing kittens and cats, and it probably won't be a shock to many of us to also find that there are numerous excellent DIY and house style ones too. So, what are the very best mobile phone and tablet applications for fanatics of this persuasion?

I.D. Wood

There are a lot of different kinds of wooden out there and also a lot of misconceptions about which is most apt for what type of structure or purpose. The I.D Wood app is your wooden manual, helping you to identify wood by its type and use and reveals most everything you'll ever require when it comes to choosing wood for your DIY and home improvement projects.

Color Capture

For those of us who are a little more into interior design and decorating than nails, hammers, saws and wood, this color scheme app is excellent for colour matching snapshops taken with your phone with any of more than 3,300 paint colours from the Benjamin Moore collection. You need never be undecided as to what colour you need to buy when you find that perfect shade on your travels again.

iHandy Carpenter

Everyone who aspires to be any type of DIY carpenter, needs accurate measuring tools and this one app provides that - courtesy of iHandy Carpenter. There is a complete kit of 5 professional DIY tools included with this application. A plumb bob for ensuring that vertical lines are straight. A virtual steel protractor for measuring angles of up to 180 degrees. A similar 'virtual' steel ruler, bubble measuring tool and a surface level tool to measure flat surfaces.
So, there's a brief roundup on just a few of the many DIY, home interiors and design apps which are popping up on the market now.
Enjoy your DIY.

How To Build A Brick Garden Barbecue For DIY Home Improvement Enthusiasts

The first step to building a garden brick barbeque is site selection. The barbeque site should be a level section of garden located close enough to the house for frequent trips to the kitchen but far enough away, so the smoke does not vent directly into the house. As well as smoke concerns, fire hazards such as overhead branches and awnings also help select the location. After selecting the site, determine the length and width for the barbeque and mark it out on the ground using a measuring tape. It is a good idea to do a dry run of bricks to check the measurement before starting the building process.
Some measurements that are useful to determine the total materials needed are as follows: the nominal size for one brick and mortar is 225mm x 102.5mm x 75mm, for mortar a rule of thumb is 25kg of dry mortar for 25 bricks. Do not forget to add a percentage of bricks for breakage. The typical brick barbeque is thirteen brick rows high. Keep brick storage close to building location and keep bricks dry using tarps. Wet bricks can result in lime blooming, which is white staining on the surface of bricks. In addition to bricks and mortar purchase barbeque grates and ashtrays.
After selecting the site and purchasing the bricks, the next step is digging the footings. Dig the footings 24 inches deep along the laid out barbeque outline and tamp down dirt at the bottom of the hole. Coarse cement is appropriate for the footings. Create a pile of mortar on a board and place a well in the top of the pile to add water. A watering can is a good tool to use to add water for the mortar mix since it is easier to control than a bucket. Pour the mortar in the trench and tamp down and level with a timber then leave the footing to cure for two days.
Lay the first course of bricks. Butter the bottom and side edge of each brick with mortar using a trowel. The mortar should be mixed to a consistency of butter and the mortar should not fall off the trowel when held sideways. Check the first course of bricks for level using a spirit level. Build up the corners by three or four bricks then install corner blocks and stretch lines to mark level for the other courses. After every three rows of bricks are laid on the barbeque, point the joints, vertical joints first. Be sure to check for plumb and level frequently. Install brackets in the second and third row of bricks from the top. The lower bracket is for the ashtray and the upper bracket is for the barbeque grill. Cap the top row with coping stones or hard bricks.
Allow the brick barbeque to cure for forty-eight hours before enjoying your new home made DIY garden barbeque.