An Old Lady

A candid shot. During on the way to Bandung (West Java, Indonesia) yesterday, we dropped by a while at one rest area. My husband parked the car right on the right side of the benches. This lady sat on one bench. I was interested with the hair rolls on her hair. Cute!

Reviving the Past: Tips on Renovating a Heritage Home

People today are succumbing to the charms of heritage-listed homes and there are a number of great heritage listed areas in Sydney, ranging from Eastwood and Arncliffe to Strathfield and Parramatta. However, there can be a lot involved in renovating or restoring a heritage home, from finding experienced builders in Sydney, to installing the right flooring and, most importantly, knowing what changes you can and cannot make to a heritage listed home.

Outlined below are some of things you need to be aware of when looking to fix up a heritage home.

Tip 1: Know Your Property and the Laws

If you’re looking to buy a particular heritage listed property, or if you have already purchased one, it’s essential that you know the historical background of the property.

Get in touch with the local council and a heritage adviser to find out the historical significance and value of your home. By knowing the historical relevance of the house, it will help you decide on what is required to restore it back to its original period, or if you want to renovate and incorporate some modern fixtures.

It’s also essential that you research the laws regarding heritage listed properties and any specific regulations that apply to your residence. Familiarise your self with the EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) act of 1999, which will help explain the parameters of the changes you are allowed to make to a heritage home.

The reason why you need to familiarise yourself with the property’s history and the heritage conservation laws is because homes that are heritage listed often have restrictions placed on them. These restrictions ensure that renovations or restorations have no negative impact on a place’s heritage value.

Tip 2: Developing a Management Plan

When renovating or restoring a heritage home you have to write up a development management plan of all your intended changes to a home. This plan also has to be submitted to the appropriate government officials so it can be determined if your plans are going to have a damaging effect on the properties heritage value.

When developing a management plan enlist the aid of professionals, such as a local historian, construction builders, interior designers, flooring specialists etc. so that they can help you ensure that your renovations are viable and not going reduce the heritage value of the property.

A good development management plan (in combination with the advice of professionals) can also help you establish a budget. The budget will provide a rough idea of what your renovations are going to cost.

Tip 3: Hiring Experienced Professionals

When getting a group of professionals on board, such as builders, interior designers and flooring specialists, make sure that they have had previous experience in working on a heritage home.

Renovating a federation or heritage listed home requires a certain finesse and knowledge, because you’re essentially working with foundations, fixtures and a structure that can be over a hundred years old. Heritage homes require more care and can require specialised materials or knowledge of older building practices.

Tip 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Modernise

Whilst some heritage homes cannot be changed much, many heritage homes do allow for the inclusion of modern fixtures and features.

Owners of a heritage home shouldn’t have to feel that are constrained to the historical period of the house. A great home can be established that retains the old world charm of its period and yet incorporates a number of necessary and comfortable modern features.

Modernised bathrooms and kitchens can complement an old federation home well. The installation of modern floor materials (such as heated tiles) can also bring style and warmth to an older home.

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Inside a Mosque

Many praying places, whatever the religion is, have great building structures, such as this old mosque (Sunan Ampel Mosque, Surabaya, Indonesia). It's the part of original building that built in 1421.

The Weekend in Black and White

8 Reasons You Should Build a Kit Home

There are many reasons you should build a kit home. Kit homes are a fantastic option instead of building a conventional home. They have all the benefits of a normal home except you can save yourself a lot of money. There are many designs to choose from and styles to suit your exact location. You can also still include all the usual extras that you might have on any other house, such as patios, verandas, solar panels or rain water tanks. There are kit homes in Victoria being built all the time, including other states around Australia. Kit homes are being increasingly popular.

Cost

A kit home is a very cost effective way of building a home. The materials to build the home will be delivered to your property all at once, along with comprehensive instructions as to how to build it. The home will come complete so that you can build it to lock up stage. You will usually still then need to do the plastering, the electrical work, the plumbing, fit out the kitchen and bathroom, put in the flooring and paint. Despite this it is still a cheaper way to build a home. You can have a builder construct your home for you, but to save even more money you can build it yourself.

Quick to Build

Once the materials have been delivered to your property the home is relatively quick to build. If you worked on it every day you could build your new kit home in as little as eight weeks. It is likely the procedures would be slowed a little when it comes to waiting for different tradesmen to do things like the plumbing or electrical work. You also might lose time due to bad weather.

Flexibility

With many kit home companies you have the flexibility of altering the floor plans of different home designs to suit your lifestyle. Some companies will also include the kitchen and bathroom if you wish. You can sometimes have the choice of a home built with a timber framework or one constructed from steel. You can choose to either build it yourself or have a builder do it for you, or you might use a builder for some parts of the construction.

Owner builder

The fantastic thing about kit homes is that you can build them yourself, in the meantime saving yourself a lot of money. It could be a fantastic project for you and your partner to complete together.

Designs

There are many different kit home designs to choose from, different sizes and styles to suit many different locations.

Steel frame

Another advantage of building a kit home is having one with a steel framework. They are easy to put together and are very strong but light weight. They also have the benefit of being termite resistant and will survive a bush fire better than a timber framed house.

Choose your own kitchen and bathroom

If your kit home comes complete to lock up stage only you have the advantage of being able to design your own kitchen and bathroom completely from scratch.

Additions

With a kit home you can have all the usual additions that you might make to a conventional home, such as a veranda, a patio area for entertaining or you might install solar panels or rain water tanks to make your home more eco friendly.

Accidents You Should Insure Against Your Home

It is important if you own your own home that you take out home insurance. The unexpected does and can happen and even if you think it is unlikely there is still a possibility of things like fire, storm damage or even a flood occurring. When you take out home insurance you should also consider contents insurance as your home insurance will not cover your personal belongings like your furniture, your clothes, jewellery, electronic equipment, your Westinghouse fridge or other appliances.

House fire
House fires can start quickly and more easily than you would think. Common causes of house fires include faulty wiring, lit cigarettes being left and forgotten, candles being left alight and setting fire to curtains or furniture, or fires that start on the stove top. House fires can spread quickly and your whole house can be alight before you realise. Your insurance will cover you for any damage caused by a fire.

Flood
The unexpected floods in Queensland early this year are evidence that water can do an incredible amount of damage. Flash flooding is destructive and can leave people homeless. Creeks and rivers can rise quickly and as the population grows many houses are being built on land that was once swamps, therefore during periods of heavy rain they naturally start to return to that wet state, and people living in these areas find they are subject to floods. Protect yourself by insuring your home which will cover you against flood damage.

Storm damage
Storms can cause a lot of damage to a property. Wind and heavy rain as well as hail can break windows, cause trees and branches to fall across houses, lift up tiles and tin roofs and also cause localised flooding. The cost caused by a storm may be small or it may run into the thousands of dollars. Don't take the risk by not having home insurance. Your insurance company will cover any damage that an unexpected storm might cause.

Cyclones
Not everyone would be having to worry about cyclones. If you live in the northern half of Australia then cyclones may be an issue. Tropical Queensland, the coast of Northern Territory and in the north of Western Australia are all areas where cyclones occur. A large scale cyclone can completely flatten a house and the cost of replacing your home is likely to be something that would be impossible to do. If you live in an area prone to cyclone your insurance will cover you against property damage.

Earthquakes
Australia is fortunate enough not to be sitting on a fault line, but there are parts of Australia that have felt minor quakes such as Korumburra in South Gippsland, which experienced several minor quakes earlier this year. Any damage from these sorts of quakes is more than likely to be minor but it pays to be covered.

Bush fire
If you live in a rural area, particularly in the bush, it is wise to have home insurance due to the possible threat of bush fires. As well as taking steps to protect your home from bush fire, such as clearing trees and foliage from around your home, you should also have insurance that will pay if your home is damaged or destroyed in a bush fire.
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5 Must Have for Moving Out of Home Students

You’re about to move out of home for the first time. There is so much change happening around you that you may not realise what you need to set yourself up in for the first time in your new home.

Moving out of home to study is often a rushed time. You’ve just found out that you’ve been accepted, and are expected to be ready to start just a few weeks later. Once you’ve tackled the rental market and found somewhere to live, you need to furnish your new place.

Whether you’re renting alone or sharing a house with friends or even strangers, you need the house essentials to set yourself up. Regardless of your style, budget or location, there are 5 basics that you need in order to set yourself up to study successfully:

1. Quality doona, sheets & mattress

When you’re finally ready to sleep after studying all night or working late at your part time job, you want to be comfortable. When you’ve found time to sleep, you need to make the most of it. This means that you need a good mattress, sheets, doona and pillow. You’re going to be busy balancing your new commitments, so when you’re resting, ensure that your body gets the best treatment.

2. Car

You’ve left home and no longer have access to your parent’s car. You also no longer have personal taxi drivers to ferry you around. But that hasn’t changed your need to get from A to B. In fact, your need to get around has probably increased.

You need a car to get you from study, to home, to your part time job, to your friends and of course back to your parent’s place. If you need a car loan, there are loaners out there who’ll support you.

3. Study desk and chair

You’ve committed to study. Now you need the equipment to enable you to succeed. You’ll need a good desk and chair that will help you study for hours on end. When looking for your chair, ensure that its height is adjustable so that it can match the desk height. This will help you to find the perfect height that will be comfortable but will also care for your body, specifically your posture, whilst studying.

4. Kitchen equipment

You’ve left home and that means that you are now responsible for yourself. You’re the one who needs to cook in order to eat. Try to avoid slipping into bad eating habits. Resist the urge to live off noodles or take away food by investing in some cooking essentials. Buy a frying pan, pots, kettle and toaster. With these tools at your fingertips, you’ll have no excuse to not treat your body well. Give it the sustenance it needs by using this cooking equipment.

5. Computer

When studying, you need to be up to date on the latest technology. Set yourself up for the best academic grades by having the best technology available to you. For example, you might want to consider investing in a laptop that you can take to university. This will allow you to take electronic notes during class and will also mean you won’t have to fight with other students for a computer during breaks between classes.

With these 5 studying must- haves, you’ll be set up for success!