Fairfield Lake Marion Realty

Renovations Timber Flooring

Hidden Treasures – Timber Flooring

November 22, 2017

Many years ago, in the 1980’s it was, I purchased my first home in Western Australia. The suburb was up in the Hills area – Greenmount. It was an old timber home, constructed probably circa 1950’s or a tad earlier. One of the main reasons for buying that home was the view. It had spectacular, uninhibited views over Perth. All the floors were jarrah timber flooring. But do you know what? They had all been carpeted over and in the kitchen, believe it or not, they had laid ceramic floor tiles over the jarrah floorboards.

The house even had a name: York House, as it was built on Old York Road. We lived in that home for the next 13 years, raising a family and making home improvements almost every weekend. The yard was half an acre of clay and unforgiving granite boulders. As I played football, the gardening served as a secondary way to keep fit!

Home Maintenance Electrical Work

How to Save Money on Electrical Work

September 11, 2017

Can we safely say that the days of non-qualified tradespeople doing work in your house are gone? Or are there still remnants of those types of people wandering the neighbourhood offering their services door to door? When it comes to hiring an electrician you are sometimes caught between the need to save money and getting an expert job done in an area where mistakes can be fatal. So, hiring an affordable electrician can sometimes feel like Catch-22.

You don’t want to take any shortcuts on electrical work. But you also don’t want to hand over a king’s ransom for a minor electrical job. Let’s look at a few ways you can save a bit of your heard-earned when you’re in the market for trying to find an electrical contractor.

Renovations Gazebo

5 Things to Check out Before Installing a Gazebo

July 19, 2017

Unlike an attached verandah or patios a gazebo is a free standing structure this means it is not attached to the house, not that it is not attached to anything else. Unless you want to risk it blowing over, it is a good idea to ensure it is attached to something firmly, even if that is the ground on which it stands. Here are 5 things to check up on before you go ahead and build that gazebo.

Check the drainage to ensure that the spot you have chosen does not become a pool of water during rainy times. It could be that the lay of the land means it is a natural watercourse or pool. It is also important to find out what kind of soil you have. Some soils hold water while others form a good foundation that drains freely.

Home Maintenance Pool Cleaner

How to Keep Your Pool Cleaner

June 22, 2017

Automatic pool cleaners are ideal for cleaning the swimming pool and can save a lot of hard work. Some are good for large debris such as leaves and grass, while others are made to clean the water of small particulate that makes it cloudy. More expensive cleaners do both, but what they all have in common is using up power.

So how can you keep that pool cleaner and save money? If your pool tends to have a lot of leaves and grass in it, the best thing to do is remove it before it gets to the pool, then you will be able to purchase the kind of cleaner that attends to the finer particulate. This can save costs in power and in the kind of cleaner purchased.

House Design air conditioning

What You Need for a Split System Air Conditioning Unit

March 19, 2017

If you’ve decided to get air conditioning to help you cope with the heat of summer, a split system air conditioning unit might be just what the doctor ordered. For a start, it is easy to install in a home that is already built and it is reasonably priced. You can choose between cheaper models and more expensive ones, depending on your budget and needs.

If you live in a small flat, you wouldn’t need to have a large one, so the cost would be moderate. A larger home may need to have a larger model to cool it more effectively. There are many different models to choose from and within each brand, you get different sizes, so there is sure to be something that suits you with the wide range of units available.

Home Maintenance carpet cleaning

6 Carpet Cleaning Myths Exposed

February 19, 2017

Most homeowners choose carpet as a floor covering for at least some rooms. It is increasingly popular for bedrooms but is also used in the lounge or family room.

Carpet is ideal for a home with toddlers as it makes a soft landing when they are learning to walk, which is much better for them than falling on hard tiles. A carpet cleaner should be booked regularly.

When you have carpet, it needs to be cleaned to remain hygienic. You may have heard a great deal of conflicting advice about carpet cleaning and maintenance, so here are six myths exposed to ensure you deal with your carpet in the correct way.

House Design plumbing

Banishing Smells in Your Kitchen or Bathroom

December 17, 2016

Getting Rid of Kitchen and Bathroom Smells

Is there a bad odour coming from your sink? Does it seem stronger after washing the dishes? What about at different times through the day? Not only is a stinky sink unpleasant, it can also affect the health of your family. The fastest and easiest way to attend to the problem is by calling your local plumber.

The reasons your sink smells

When you wash your dishes, pots, pans and cutlery, food debris is being flushed down the sink. Regardless of what’s on your dishes, and even though you may have scraped leftovers into the garbage, you still get grease, vegie scraps and fat residue. The water just takes it from the dishes into your drain. This can cause many future problems.

Your drain can be clogged by particles and food scraps. When you wash fats into the drain, they solidify once the water turns cold. Fat just sticks to the sides of the drain pipe and whatever is in it starts to rot. It’s not only the drain pipe, but blockages occur in the trap as well.

Your Bathroom Drains

In the case of the the outlets in your bathtub, your toilet or the basin, it’s usually a problem with the trap. It’s the ‘S’ bend in your pipe prevents sewage smells coming into the house. Another problem might be the seal around the toilet pedestal is cracked.

Any problems with leaky or dry traps in the bathroom should be fixed immediately, otherwise the house is going to have a lot of unpleasant odours. This can cause health problems as well. A plumber has the appropriate tools to unclog drains filled with hair, skin particles and soap.

Landscape & Gardens Landscape Design

6 Tips For Starting Up a Landscape Design Business

July 11, 2016

Many people have a great vision to start up their own business. Some do it successfully, others try and fail and yet more don’t even try. If you are not happy in your work or work environment, starting up a business such as in landscape design if you are passionate about that, can be the right thing to do. And if you do it carefully you won’t be one of those who fail. Here are 6 tips to help you.

Have a vision and consider it carefully. You have to decide what area of your passion will suit you best. Is it just in design, or is it also in implementation? It could be that you prefer the hands on part, or just the actual designing of a landscape area. If the latter, you’d need to have employees or subcontractors that would follow your plans while you simply oversaw and directed. If you just like to get your hands into the soil and plant things, you might be better off offering simple gardening services.

House Design shade sails

How to Get a Cooler Courtyard

June 8, 2016

Many homes have a courtyard area surrounded by the brick walls or other homes or by a high fence for privacy. Often, it is the only space the residents have to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Unfortunately, in a hot climate the courtyard is often too hot to sit in, or even grow plants in. According to the experts Shade Sails Perth, one way to make it cooler is by installing shade sails.

Sails make a pleasant shady area for everyone to enjoy and they screen out around 98% of those harmful UV rays. And because they are up high there is enough room that the breeze can get underneath them and help to cool the area even more. Instead of having the hot sunlight pouring down into your confined space, there will be shade, so you’ll get much more use from this small alfresco area.

Renovations outdoor furniture

Ways to Make Your Accommodation Safer for Seniors

May 14, 2016

Since Australia has an increasingly older population, it is important for many businesses to ensure their premises are safe for them. A good thing about outdoor furniture is its stability, which makes it ideal for older people, even if you use it inside instead of out.

Business managers or those who design interior space for any business, be it an accountants office, a medical centre or accommodation often don’t think in terms of the age of their clients or guests.

This can be especially true of some hotel or motel rooms where the only seating apart from the beds is high stools that can be difficult for older people to use safely. Many older people get a bit dizzy when they stand or sit and doing so from a stool that does not allow your feet to touch the floor can be quite dangerous. Older people get much more tired when driving and if they stop overnight, they need to have really comfortable chairs to sit on.

Renovations Removalists

A Trouble-Free Removal

March 3, 2015

Brilliance Removalists Perth remind us that moving is house is not an easy task. That’s why it’s listed high as being a most stressful activity. It’s not as if you can simply call a removalist and then it all happens smoothly. Some advance planning needs to be completed to make sure all the important stuff is done. By doing a few preparatory jobs it will lessen the stress.

Preliminary Tasks

A checklist or two, some preparation, and a bit of work beforehand will make sure that everything goes off without a serious hitch and the move is stress free. The first thing you need to do is to hire a removalist company that suits your budget and your individual requirements. The company can do all the packing and carting, or, you can pack up your home yourself and even hire your own truck to do it all. Whichever way you decide to go, you should do some costing and work out some logistics in advance so that everything runs smoothly on the day.

Let’s take a look at a few effective things that you can do as part of your plan.

Insurance Cover – Make sure you have enough cover, especially if you own any valuable antiques or other similar items. Your removalist will probably be able to offer insurance as well, but if not, obtain adequate cover with your insurance company.

Landscape & Gardens Landscape Designer

Tips on Choosing a Landscape Designer

December 16, 2014

It’s not all that easy when it comes to choosing a landscape designer. There are so many designers and landscape companies out there that deciding on the right one might take you a bit of time. Ask the right questions and you will be much better prepared to make the right decision.

You may have hired a landscaping company in the past, or this is your first time, then this information will save you some time and money.

1) Do you have a licence and insurance?

A reputable company should have at least a trade licence. Any company without the proper licences could present a potential liability issue for you. Insurance is a must when you have people working on your property. For their protection and yours.

2) Is the price fixed or an estimate?

Any contractor can low ball a price to get the job. The trouble is that the price could be an estimate. You need to get a firm proposal outlining the services that will be provided and the work that will be done. An experienced and reputable landscaping company should have no problems providing a firm quote.

Once you are comfortable with their proposal, sign a contract and agree on the scope of work. Again, a legal document protects you and the contractor.

House Design Fencing

Why Fencing for Your Home Needs to be Given Some Thought

November 17, 2014

Once you decide your property needs fencing, you must find a contractor to do the job, right? But wait; there’s more to putting up a fence than that. A wall will be there for a long time, so you’ll look at it every time you go outside. It will spoil the pleasure you get from your lawn and garden if it is ugly.

Your needs and budget will dictate the kind of fencing you end up with, but rather than going with the cheapest type of fence that suits your needs, compare styles and prices first. Having an ornamental and attractive fence can make all the difference to your pleasure and the value of the property.

One of the best ways to see what lovely fences are available is to go online and do some research. You can see plenty of pictures of fences that are a little out of the ordinary and still offer privacy or security – or both. There can be any number of materials used in a fence or combination.