Monthly Archives: July 2011

Basement Ideas – Make Better Use Of This Valuable Space

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Do you have a basement? Are you making use of it or is it just a dumping area? There are so many good basement ideas that are really underused, today the property market is in decline, houses are difficult to sell, often people just need a little more space in the home but to move can be so expensive.

So space is limited, you can’t afford to move, and right beneath your feet is that dark spider filled room nobody uses. You are not alone many people would rather move, build an extension or convert the loft or garage before they consider the basement. It is sad really because the basement could be anything that you want it to be, there really is no limit to its uses from playroom, games room, bathroom, home cinema, bedroom, bar, kitchen, office, workroom, the list is endless.

So why do you need to move, do you need more space for the teenagers or a home office, your basement could really solve this dilemma. First you need to clear and clean the entire space and see what you have to work with. If you are hands on type of people then this is a great project to start. One of the main problems depending on the area that you live; will be dampness, moisture even possible some flooding but all these can be resolved to create a great living space.

If there are any structural changes other than basic remodelling its always best advice to get a professional involved, never take any major decisions without having first taken advice or enlisting the aid of a professional builder or even architect. I personally had a photographic studio in a basement for many years in an area prone to damp and mild flooding, with the aid of professional advice and help, this was never a problem and the basement studio worked perfectly.

Another point to consider in your basement renovation will be the lighting as in the main there will be very little or no natural light in a basement so good lighting will be essential and perhaps different for different uses. One very popular way to light basements is to use spotlights recessed into the ceiling, this will give an even light without having any dark corners in the basement. It can be a little extra work as they need wiring throughout the ceiling but if you are creating a new ceiling as part of the project this will not be a problem. Another really great idea is to fit a few lights into the floorboards this can really look really modern and fantastic as well as being practical by lighting any dark places, a really great basement finishing touch.

Basement Colour Ideas

The colour of your basement is also important depending on what the use will be and obviously teenagers etc will usually love those dark colours, but for most purposes the best basement colour idea would be to use light warm shades that help make the room look bright, working in harmony with the lighting, creating a gentle warm feel, that you will enjoy being in and not some kind of austere windowless office space of the last few decades. Whilst on this colour and lighting subject, good use of mirrors on the walls or perhaps even some form of mirrored furniture could be included, mirrors are a great way to increase to light levels in any room and could work really well in your new basement room by reflecting the light back into the room.

Basement bar Ideas

So what is your new basement room going to be? Many men will think entertainment, games, cinema or bar. These are all great ideas, if you are social people; what could be better than inviting friends round and having a purpose built room to enjoy a game of pool, or convivial chat and a drink,or maybe relax on a sofa and watch a movie; all whilst not going out but staying at home without disturbing the children in bed or even the need to hire a babysitter?

Perhaps you are not that frivolous person, you are a serious studious person; it could be a reading room, study, library or home office, a haven away from the world enabling you to write that book, complete home study assignments, check tax accounts or create a new business from one of the new home business opportunities, having the chance to concentrate on the task in hand all safely tucked away from family interruptions but still on hand seconds away if needed for household problems or emergencies.

Basement Bathroom Ideas

Now if you are the lady of the house you will really have a different set of plans for the new basement room which will it become? What about that idea for an extra bathroom. Not a boring functional family bathroom, the luxurious one with spa facility and subdued lighting maybe even recessed candle alcoves, not forgetting those wall mirrors or mirrored furniture they could reflect the candles and their light and multiply the lighting effect making for a really relaxing, completely luxurious bathtime.  The place to escape from the chores, kids and husband or wife for a short time, a little bit of you time that we all know you deserve, a tranquil place far enough away to relax but close enough to resolve a new dilemma in the household.

More Basement Ideas

This is a great opportunity so don’t waste it with a boring utility room that is really joyless, it’s a real chance to enhance family life one way or another but if it’s difficult to decide why not try to make it a dual purpose room? A bedroom and games room, a gym and cinema, an office and workroom, a bathroom and guest bedroom, a safe play and sleep over room, a hobby room and studio. I am sure that you can add to this list with your own thoughts, but as you can see this dark, insect filled hole in the ground could really be the room that changes family life for a long time, so why not start today, make a plan of how you will change your basement and really improve your house; get a budget together and don’t stop until you see that basement finishing line!

Please don’t waste this opportunity to enhance family life now, use and enjoy the basement renovation to the full. Then if and when in the future you finally want or need leave the property, you will have really enhanced the property value, this will surely be a feature that can easily add a lot of value to the property and a helpful selling point. It will make the house all the more saleable and attractive to buyers, after all you only have to start talking about all the good times, the usefulness, the benefits to the buyer of your basement, and your joy will start to be infectious the buyer will want to experience a home with this special basement, and when it comes down to choosing which property to buy yours will be a property head and shoulders in front of normal boring homes.This really would be an excellent use of your basement asset.

What Is A Home Insurance Calculator?

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Home insurance together with a home insurance calculator like all forms of insurance is a pain. I say again home insurance is a pain, but at the same time very, very necessary. If we are really unfortunate we could be burgled, burnt out, flooded, or maybe a truck or bus crash through the front door or a plane land on the roof, in the next heart beat we can either lose everything we ever had, or reach for the insurance claim form; I know which I would rather do and I am also sure I know which you would rather do as well.

So what is home insurance, which do we need, and do we need a home insurance calculator?

Firstly there are usually two main types of home insurance, buildings insurance and contents insurance, as the names imply one covers the buildings and the other covers the contents. They can be purchased both together in one policy from one company or separately, two policies two companies the choice is yours.

Buildings insurance protects the building element of your property, the bricks, mortar, roof tiles, and doors windows etc, also permanent fixtures within the property such as bathrooms and fitted kitchens, outbuildings like garages, sheds etc are included but usually not boundary fences and walls and gates. Having said that before you sign any insurance document it is advisable to read all the small print, make sure that you understand exactly what is, and what is not covered, if any excess need to be paid by yourself when making a claim also how many claims can be made over a period of time. It’s too late to question the exact cover at the point of claiming. Most mortgage lenders insist that you have buildings insurance in place before they offer any loan.

Home Insurance Calculator

Buildings insurance cover (usually called the sum insured) is based on the cost of actually rebuilding your home as opposed to the market value of your home, if you are using the market value for this purpose you may be over-insured as well as paying too much money. To get a true reliable value for this a building survey needs to be commissioned this can be expensive, you may be having one made anyway if you are just buying the property, if not certain comparison websites have different types of home owners insurance calculator available to use although obviously they may not be as accurate as the survey option.

Contents insurance protects your possessions you do not need to have this insurance- it is not compulsory but very advisable. Possessions this is anything from clothes, furniture, jewellery, electronic equipment, sports equipment, tools, freezer food even garden plants or as I like to call it ‘the good stuff!’

Just like the building insurance, contents insurance will cover you for fire, theft and third party damage, again you need to read the small print as to whether the policy covers flooding, frozen or burst pipe damage, storm damage, and accidental damage like say spilling a can of paint on the carpet when redecorating etc.

Within the policy you can have different types of cover this is also a point for you to understand and make sure that you have the cover that you require before you sign any agreement. The basic cover is called indemnity insurance this covers the cost of your possessions but takes into account depreciation in value of each item, that means if your carpet is five years old when the claim is made the insurance company will deduct an amount of money from the claim for depreciation in value of the carpet.

The next cover is called ‘new for old’ this is slightly more expensive insurance but it means that your possessions are replaced with new ones without any deduction for depreciation at all.
You can add to this for certain items an ‘all risk’ cover this will cover particular possessions against loss or damage outside the home like jewellery, mobile phones or bicycles.

Home and Contents Insurance Calculator.

How do you calculate the sums to insure for your contents? Do you need to use a contents insurance calculator? What is this home insurance calculator? I’m afraid the best one to use is a piece of paper and a pen then simply write down a list of your possessions and add up the values. To be logical and not miss any important items start in one room, list everything in that room then move on to the next until all the rooms contents are on the list.

This truly sounds a pain to do but it really is the only sure way of quantifying your possessions together with their value, then if the worst happens you have a place to start with your claim.
I should also point out whenever you deal with an insurance company, always tell the truth if you decide to underinsure to save money, say the value is £10,000 instead of the actual value of say £20,000 perhaps halving your premiums you may find that if you have to make a claim the payout that you receive is only half the value. Tell the truth! If you have made a claim before, tell them, if the area is liable to flooding, tell them, the alternative is if you are unfortunate enough that you need to claim even for something totally different, they may decide that your policy is invalid and refuse the claim, always tell the truth.