Here’s another post inspired by a slideshow I saw at MSN. This time, it’s about one of the most important rooms in the house: the bathroom. I don’t know about you, but I consider the bathroom to be very very important. It should be a place where you can relax and pamper yourself no matter what. According to experts, homeowners are starting to see their homes as a place where they can escape the harsh realities of life and the bathroom being turned into something like a spa is part of that. So here goes some of the bathrooms that may be dreams for now…
Space-age steam shower
Isn’t that gorgeous? I can already imagine myself spending hours in that shower. And why not? It has six water jets that can massage your body and they’re all fully adjustable, too! More so, the unit has controls for lighting and has a built-in FM radio as well as capabilities to be connected to your own sound system.
Luxury tubs
There are many of these in the market today, and they come in all shapes and sizes. I particularly like the idea of having a bottom that forms to fit your body shape. Name it, you’ll find it for sale somewhere. Just be prepared to pay the price.
Audio massage while you bathe
Taking a bath isn’t complete without music, is it? This bathtub from Kohler integrates music into the bathing experience. You may opt to choose from the settings or use your own mp3s to soothe the stresses of the day away. It also makes use of chromatherapy for added relaxation.
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Everyone has his own dream house. Whether or not this dream will ever come into fruition does not matter. After all, as they say, it is free to dream. I saw some houses at MSN today, though, and not in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined their existence. There are a total of 18 strange homes, which are located all over the world. Here are some of the most “interesting” ones.
Everingham Rotating House
Located in Taree, Australia, this house is built on a rotating drive which can spin the house anytime the inhabitants wish to do so. Now I can think of various reasons to want a different view at any time, but I just didn’t think that someone would actually go to such lengths so as to build something like this.
The Nautilus
One look at this house in Mexico City will tell you that it is no ordinary home. Shaped just like a seashell – and decorated like one, too! – it was designed by Javier Sensonian. He practices what he calls bio-architecture, which builds on the designs of natural creatures. He says it is enlightening.
Steel House
A trip to Lubbock, Texas will show you this extraordinary house, which was built on the fly. That is, the structural basis was not the first consideration. Owner Robert Bruno – both an artist and an architect – has been working on this house since 1974 and says that it is supposed to resemble both an animal and a machine.
For more of these strange houses, visit the slideshow here.
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You’ve probably heard it many times, but let me say it again: buying your first home is probably one of the biggest decisions you’d ever have to make in life. If this is one of your goals for 2010, let me help you get on your way with a few tips that have been tried and tested.
Examine your lifestyle. Your home is going to be a central part of your life. While it is inanimate, it is definitely going to affect how you live your life. Its location, especially in relation to your place of work, is going to be important. The floor plan, the size, the layout – all of these should fit your lifestyle. From the outset, determine what it is exactly that you want: where should the house be located? How big should it be? How many rooms? What rooms do you need? And so on.
Know just how much you can afford on the house. Knowing what you want and need is one thing. Having to pay for all those needs and wants is another story altogether. Once you have decided on your first house and every other physical detail, you have to know what you can and cannot afford. You have to set the limits before actually going out and looking.
Seek professional assistance. It’s your first time. You want to do it all by yourself. The best way to go, in my opinion, is to seek expert advice, especially in legal aspects. It’s better to go about it the right way than to regret things later on.
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What are your goals for 2010? This question is probably the most asked question these days. If you are thinking about buying a house in the next year or so, you should be asking a different set of questions.
For starters, ask yourself if buying a home is the right move. Why are you looking to buy a home? Do you want to move to a more suitable house? Do you want to buy an additional home? Are you going to buy a new piece of property for investment purposes? At the outset, it should be clear to you as to why you are planning on buying. From there, you can proceed to the other details.
If you are planning on buying a new house for personal – not purely investment – purposes, here is one question that you should answer with all honesty. Never mind that you really want a new house, or that you “think” you can manage all the related expenses. Ask yourself this: If your household income suffers a drastic decrease (say half), would you still be able to manage the mortgage payments? If your answer is no, then I suggest you take a second – even a third – look.
Another question you should ask is about the interest rate: if the rates go up considerably (say 10%), would you be able to afford the mortgage? Again, if you are sure that such an increase will pose a problem for you, then you will have to re-examine your goals.
It all boils down to planning and a realistic view of the situation. Good luck in finding that dream house next year!
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At the outset, I have to qualify that title – the assumption is that you want to look for property in a city where the prices are low. This year, many cities across the United States are experiencing a positive outlook in terms of house value; that is, the prices of houses are not falling as steeply as it used to. Indeed, some cities have stable house prices to date.
Forbes recently published an online article about 17 cities which have actually experienced an increase in house prices. What this means for the house buyer is to steer clear of these cities if you’re looking for a bargain. Then again, it might be a good idea to buy now before the prices go even higher – then you can sell later on for a profit.
What cities are these? This is the list according to Forbes.
1. Minneapolis, Minn.
2. San Francisco, Calif.
3. Detroit, Mich.
4. Chicago, Ill.
5. Phoenix, Ariz.
6. San Diego, Calif.
7. Los Angeles, Calif.
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Denver, Colo.
10. Seattle, Wash.
I am sure some of you will find this list quite useful in making your decisions in the year to come, especially now that 2009 is almost at an end. More so, real estate experts forecast that the rate of the decline of home price values (annually, that is), is improving. This spells good news for those who engage in real estate activities as a business, no matter the scale. Good luck!
Photo courtesy of Domain Tools
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So you’ve found a piece of property that you want. There is even a house built already; but how do you know if you should merely renovate that structure or tear it down completely? Here are some things to look out for to help you decide whether to restore or to tear down.
The size of the house. If the house built on the property is way too small and you know that a larger structure can be accommodated by the land, then you might want consider tearing down. It would be such a waste of land if you settle for a tiny house. Naturally, you’d have to take into consideration your budget and the condition of the house.
The design of the house. Take a look at the neighborhood and compare the house to the other structures. Is it terribly outdated and dilapidated? If so, then tearing down may be your best choice. You would probably end up saving more money on restoration and repairs if you build completely from scratch in this case.
The amenities and foundation. A house may look good, but it is worth almost nothing if the foundation is becoming “wobbly.” Bad walls and foundation will certainly bring about more trouble later on. More so, if the house is severely lacking in amenities – good plumbing, electric wiring, and the like – then it is better to tear it down and build a house that you will be happy in for the rest of your life.
Photo courtesy of jdlong
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Most of the time, you hear and read about home improvements aimed at saving energy and heating costs; but we don’t really hear much about saving water, do we? If you think about it, though, saving water is just as important as saving on electricity and other utility bills. After all, water is fast becoming a precious commodity and we have to start conserving this resource NOW or suffer for it later. Here are some home improvements you can consider geared towards helping save water.
Upgrade to a new toilet. You may not know it, but flushing the commode uses up so much water; so much that it accounts for about 30% of the water consumption of a single household! There are newer models, though, which use up much less water – go for them!
Get a nice shower head AND take more showers than baths. I know, there is nothing like relaxing in a hot bath after a long hard day at work. I suppose every now and then wouldn’t hurt much, but make it a habit to take showers more than baths. In order to entice you to take showers more than baths, get a nice shower head that has a powerful spray. Newer models also use less water, so you do your part for the environment.
Check for leaks regularly. If you don’t do this, you may never find out that you have a leak until you get an astronomical water bill. By then, it will be too late – the water has been wasted and you’d have to pay for the bill. In order to avoid such things from happening, do regular checks and maintain your plumbing.
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I was watching reruns of the TV show Criminal Minds, when a thought for a post occurred to me. In that episode, the serial killer pretended to be a potential customer. He got the real estate agent (a woman) alone in a house for sale in a secluded neighborhood. The rest, as they say, is history.
While it is highly unlikely that you will find yourself in that exact same situation, it is quite possible to be in unsafe circumstances when you look at houses. Reverse the scenario. After all, you may not know who you are dealing with, and who is to say that unscrupulous individuals are not pretending to be real estate agents?
If you think about it, both real estate agent and potential buyers can be in danger. You never know exactly who it is you are dealing with. The only thing you can really do is to take certain steps to stay safe.
A cardinal rule is to always let people know where you are going and with whom. As much as possible, do not visit houses alone. Actually, even if you are with another person, it does not ensure your safety. At the very least, tell someone else what you are up to.
Another important thing is to find out everything that you can about your real estate agent. If you have been using this agent for a while, or he/she has been personally recommended, then you should be okay. But if you are dealing with a new agent, make sure that he/she is from a reputable agency.
You can also suggest a meet up in a neutral, populated area first. The real estate office is the best place. This way you can check out the legitimacy of their operations.
Do your homework. Stay safe.
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Are you looking for waterfront property? This is perhaps one of the dreams of many an average person. Having a piece of property fronting a lake or the sea is something that makes you think of the ultimate relaxation, time off from your daily routine. If you have the means to purchase waterfront property, now might be a good time to do so. Before you do that, however, why not take a look at some of these tips to help you make the right choice?
Look for a specialized agent. There are a lot of real estate agents offering their services. Perhaps you may even have one already. However, if it is waterfront property that you are looking for, you should make sure that the agent handling your purchase is specialized in waterfront property. He will be able to provide you with information that you will be thankful for in the future. This includes points such as fishing spots, seaweed problems, and so on.
Take a look at insurance costs. Waterfront property may have higher insurance costs, especially if it is located in a hurricane-prone area. You should make sure first that you will be able to handle these costs and if the property is worth the premium.
Find a specialized inspector. Much like with the real estate agent, you would want to hire an inspector who knows what to look for in waterfront property. Aside from regular damages that may be present, an inspector specializing in waterfront property will know what to look for in terms of damage due to the weather and water.
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Technology is permeating our daily lives like nothing else, and it is but common sense to take advantage of what is available and use it for our specific purposes. When it comes to buying a new home, technology has got a wide array of offerings for those who are willing to make use of them. Here are some of the best new useful tools in this regard.
The iPhone!
Yes, the iPhone is more than just a phone. It is a gaming machine as well, among many other things. More than that, you can actually use it to get information on a house or property that you pass on your way to wherever. Say you see a sign on the lawn of a piece of property that you just have to take a look at. Of course you have some info on the sign, but that is not enough. If you have an iPhone, you do not have to wait till you get home or to the office. Just go to Zillow.com, which has released a special version for the iPhone. There you can get all the information you need on over 88 million homes! How’s that for accessibility?
Trulia
This is another web site that can prove to be very profitable for those who are looking for houses on the cheap. Trulia.com recently launched a feature allowing home buyers to filter out listings at a reduced price. You just need to know which town (or the ZIP) you want, enter it, and you’ll get countless results. It’s an easy way to narrow down your search!
These are only two of the most useful tools out there. In the next post, let’s take a look at a couple more.
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