If you have decided that your pet deserves a new doghouse, there are several ways you can go about constructing the ideal dog house for your four legged friend. Of course, the easiest way to build a doghouse is have a professional come in and do the work for you. However, if you prefer to build a doghouse yourself, there is some preparation you need to do before you begin the project. Here are some tips to help you build a dog house that both you and your pet will be proud of.

In order to build a doghouse that will stand up to the elements, you need to invest some time in looking at doghouse plans. You will find a number of different plans that are used to build doghouses. Some of the plans will be quite elaborate, while others are more simplistic. Your goal is to find a doghouse plan or two that (a) you possess the skill level to complete, and (2) will prove to be a safe and secure dwelling for your pet.

Take into consideration such factors as the size of your pet, the type of weather that your dog will deal with when using the doghouse, the location for the doghouse, and the amount of money you can reasonably afford to invest in the construction of the doghouse. Just as you need to plan carefully for the building of any edifice for yourself or your family, similar care should be given to the construction of doghouses. By determining what you need in advance, as well as what you can afford, will make it much easier to build a doghouse that will fit your needs and your budget.

Once you have found the right plans, you can begin to assemble the tools and the materials needed to build a doghouse. Plans for doghouses usually come with a list of what you will need. If there is no list, then read through the instructions on the plans carefully, making a list of every item required, down to the last nail and screw. Also take note of every tool that you will use during the construction. You will quickly find that in order to build a doghouse without undergoing a great deal of stress requires that you have everything you need within arm’s reach before you begin.

Unless you are a master carpenter, stick to the plans while you build a doghouse for your pet. While you may find great joy in being creative, keep in mind that you have never done this sort of thing before. Don’t second-guess the experts this time. Follow the plans to the letter and make a note of how things come out. Once you have completed one doghouse, you can always try a few changes the next time you build a doghouse. Staying on track will mean less stress for you and a quicker completion of the project overall.

]]> http://makedreamhome.com/build-doghouse/feed/ 0 http://makedreamhome.com/feng-shui-apartment/ http://makedreamhome.com/feng-shui-apartment/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:53:54 +0000 Dream Home http://makedreamhome.com/?p=430

In fact, the principles of Feng Shui are the same applying for both apartments and houses. But, because the design and structure of apartment that does not have land or outside environment to remedy for health and prosperity, the Feng Shui for apartment is mainly focus with the interiors.

Due to most apartments’ kitchen is near to the entrance, many people are misunderstanding that apartments normally has bad Feng Shui than houses. In actual fact, it is not all true. Apartments can have just as good or better Feng Shui than a house, depending on other compensating features. Among the features include:

* What floor is your apartment located in a multi-level building? Feng Shui numerology suggests that you should always pick a floor that matches your personal Trigram; a personal trigram is calculated based on your birth date. The rule of thumb, your apartment should always be as far away as possible from the garage entry gate or the building’s trash dumpster.

* The dark entrance can affect your apartment Feng Shui. When you are living in an apartment building, there are two things to consider: The entrance to the building; and the entrance to the individual apartment. Because these types of apartments are all enclosed in one building, the entrance is very important. The rule of thumb, if your apartment has is not bright enough, it is better to install a skylight, it will help to improve the environment in general and remedy Feng Shui in specific.

* If you are living at the middle floor and there is other apartments close to your apartment. These building blocks will block sunshine entering your apartment causing your apartment have dark environment during the day time when you did not turn on the light (which normally people will light off in day time).

This dark environment can be improved with the installation of bright lights just inside and outside the front door and left them on during the dark hours. Good lighting also helps stimulate the general flow of energy and is one of the best accessories for promoting balance and harmony within the home.

* Most of average size apartments have limitation of the space. When arranging dining room furniture, make sure that chairs do not restrict doorways. There should be ample space for people to walk around the table without having to maneuver around chairs or other furniture.

Again, Feng Shui principle is applying for both apartments and houses but because of the limitation of building structures and design of apartment, the Feng Shui remedies are slightly different than houses.

All homeowners are looking for ways to reduce our home insurance costs. Costs continue to rise and budgets get tighter and tighter with each passing year. Here are 8 tips to reduce your home insurance costs.

1. Increased Home Security

Most homes are fitted with some sort of security device. To make the most of your Home Security Discount make sure that you home is fitted with: dead bolt locks, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and a burglar and fire alarm that are monitored. You do not have to have all of these to receive a discount on your home insurance so even if you only have one or two make sure that you ask for the savings.

2. Keep your credit score as high as possible.

While it would seem that a good credit score would have nothing to do with insurance rates, it is a fact that they do. Home Insurance companies are using your credit score as an indicator of responsibility. The theory is the more responsible the individual the less claims they will have. So, insurance companies are giving lower rates to those individuals with a better credit score.

3. Consolidate your policies.

Most, if not all companies that sell home insurance, offer discounts for insuring your autos with them. These discounts can sometimes save you up to 30% off of your total insurance bill. Plus, you get the added convenience of having one agent for both your home and auto insurances.

4. Protect your home with updates.

Discuss with your agent about the possibilities of receiving home insurance discounts for keeping your home in good repair. Some home insurance companies will offer savings for a anew roof, electrical, HVAC, plumbing updates. The discounts are generally not enough to warrant the replacement but if you needed it anyway, be sure to get the discounts if applicable.

5. Make sure you are not over insured.

Your home insurance coverage should not necessarily be what you paid for them home. Land values are calculated into the final sales price and should be considered when insuring the structure. In others words you cannot hurt the dirt. A good idea is to call local builders and ask them what new home construction cost per square foot is going for. Take that number, multiply that times your square footage and that is the amount that your home should be insured for. Companies will not pay more than what it is going to cost to rebuild the home anyway, so make sure you are insured correctly.

6. Stay away from low deductibles.

The deductible is your portion of the claim that must be paid before the insurance company pays for the claim. The lower your deductible, the higher your premium will be. Deductibles can range anywhere from $100-$5000 or more. The majority of homeowners will carry a $500 deductible, but the savings one can receive by raising your deductible to $1000 can be significant, up to 20%. It doesn’t take too many claim free years to make up the difference between the two deductibles, but remember you should never raise your deductible to a level that you could not afford to pay.

7. Ask your Home Insurance Agent

Most of the time, an agent will make sure that you are receiving 100% of the home insurance discounts that you qualify for, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Some insurance companies have discounts that others do not. Some offer discounts that most would never dream as being a discount such as 55 and retired, non smoking, military service, law enforcement, single parent discounts, etc.

8. Don’t be afraid to shop Around

Home Insurance shopping is easy. Insurance shopping online is even easier. Be aware that not all insurance companies are created equal. There are some bad ones out there but most, at worst, are pretty good. Getting the best price is great, but check up on the company offering you that price at reputable insurance rating sites.

Feng Shui is a process that affects your internal landscape just as much as it affects your physical environment. In order for your spirit to be nourished by the enhancements you make to your home, you must start the entire process by looking inward, and this is an important Feng Shui tip that most Feng Shui consultants like me would offer to all Feng Shui beginners. This in fact is the essence of spiritual Feng Shui which looks at the Feng Shui at a higher level than the other types of Feng Shui which mostly aim at improving at a niche level; be it your office, home or bedroom.

The Spiritual Feng Shui sees the whole concept of Feng Shui at the universal level, the level to which your soul belongs and relates. If you practice spiritual Feng Shui you can never think of improving your life at the expanse of harming your neighbor or your environment. The Feng Shui tips that are offered in the article not only aim to highlight the important points one has to remember before practicing it; it also introduces the Feng Shui beginners to the new horizons that the spiritual Feng Shui can open up for them.

Though the spiritual Feng Shui communicates to your environment, your home, your office through the bodily objects, it heals your soul — to know how it works it is important for you to remember the following Feng Shui tips. All these free Feng Shui tips have valuable advice contained in them so try to imbibe them before you start your practice.

There is nothing religious about the Spiritual Feng Shui. It talks about purifying your soul, not only the empty or occupied spaces in your house. The purified soul has the radiations that are reflected from you to have strong positive energies; in Feng Shui practice, these positive energies referred to as Chi, which is the universal energy and the guiding principle.

As one would never build a new home on a rotting foundation; likewise, it is essential to clear away the debris of negativity before you create your new Feng Shui space. Only then can your spirits soar with true energy and vitality.

As you come to recognize the importance of cleansing your old attitude and beginning anew, what ever Feng Shui enhancements that you use for a Feng Shui home design seem to be working for you.

You can either buy or sell the house yourself or you can hire a real estate agent to do the work for you.

What is a Real Estate Agent?

Real estate agents are licensed salespersons  who work to negotiate and manage real estate sales.

Choose a Good Real Estate Agent.

People usually use real estate agents to sell their house instead of buying one. You basically do not need a real estate agent when you are buying a house but they can be helpful if you are interested in looking for a specific kind of house. A good real estate agent can spend a lot of time in the field to look for a house that you specified.

Before hiring a real estate agent, keep in mind that there are good real estate agents that are willing to work with you and there are the bad real estate agents that are only interested in your money.

You should also interview real estate agents in person to get the feel if you are comfortable with them or not. Personal interviews can determine if they are serious about the business or just in it for the money.

Try to get recommendations first from family and friends, and then locate their recommendations to set up your interview. You can also look for real estate agents in the internet.

Good real estate agents are committed people who try their best to get you the best deal possible. They should advise you about the real estate laws and tell you about the neighborhood the house you are buying is located. They will usually include details like schools, parks, malls, church and more essential for people’s everyday lives.

To choose real estate agents, ask people about the agent’s reputation. They should have a lot of success in selling houses with the best deal possible. Keep in mind that good real estate agents have many houses listed. Bad ones may only have only few houses listed. Look in your local home classified magazines about the listing of houses.

Do not rush in to hire real estate agents. Take your time and you will find excellent real estate agents to work for you more efficiently. Remember that buying or selling a house is one of the biggest and important decisions you will ever make.

You are planning to building your own house  It could not be a dream home if the cost, for many reasons, is out of your control. Following are 5 tips for controlling home building costs.

Tip 1: Planning Your Home Building Costs Take the time to plan on paper what you want your house to look like. When doing your budget, visit stores to look at appliances, fixtures, cabinets, flooring, etc. In doing so, you will have a clearer idea of what you want and more importantly, what it will cost. Then, build that amount into your budget so there are no surprises later.

Tip 2: Specify Home Building Materials When working with a contractor, be sure that the specific materials you expect to be used are included in the bid and subsequently, in the contract. If your plans say wood floors and you are expecting teak and get oak, your recourse is limited because you did not specify it in writing.

Tip 3: Change Orders If you take the time to plan your home building project on paper before breaking ground, you can minimize the number of Change Orders. Change Orders frequently increase the cost of your project because they were not planned for in the original budgeting. If you agree to a change order and there is an expense involved, you are responsible for those costs unless the contractor has agreed he will pay for the change. Depending upon the extent of the change, it can involve modifying the original plans and having the local building authority review the changes including the labor and materials. Always keep an eye on any changes to the original plan and design and take the time to determine the financial impact of the change on your project. Changes to construction projects represent the single most common reason a project goes over budget and/or the completion is delayed. Take the time to plan before you build.

Tip 4: Size, Style and Shape of the Home These three factors can significantly contribute to the cost of building your dream home.

• Size – Work with even numbers and have your home size rounded up or down to increments of two (2) feet. This reduces wasted materials. Also, build a home no deeper than 32 feet to eliminate the need for specially designed trusses.
• Style – Typically, it will cost less to build a two-story home than a one-story home of similar square footage. A two-story home will have a smaller roof and foundation. In addition, plumbing and ventilation are more compact in two-story homes.
• Shape - Having more corners and angles will increase the amount of labor and materials needed to build your dream home. A rectangular or box shaped home will cost less to build.

Tip 5: Two Most Common Times for Cost Overruns The beginning of your home building & construction project – when you are doing excavation and possibly putting in a well. You won’t know what is under the ground until you begin to excavate. If you are drilling for a well, you will have no control over how far down you will need to drill for water. This is where having a contingency fund is essential.

The second most common time for a cost overrun is near the end of the project when you are selecting your finishes, i.e., cabinets, counter-tops, lighting and plumbing fixtures, flooring, appliances, etc. If you took the time to shop around before you did your budget, you can more easily stay within your budget when you do your final selections.

]]> http://makedreamhome.com/5-tips-controlling-home-building-costs/feed/ 0 http://makedreamhome.com/solar-water-heater/ http://makedreamhome.com/solar-water-heater/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:44:12 +0000 Dream Home http://makedreamhome.com/?p=406

There are two kinds of solar water heater – passive and active. Both collect radiant heat from the sun into a solar hot water panel, and both can serve much of any household’s hot water needs, while at the same time, both can cut back considerably on energy costs.

An active system circulates water (or other heat-transferring fluids) through a solar water pump, while a passive system circulates the liquid(s) through use of a process called natural convection.

Many factors influence how much hot water a solar water heater can provide, most particularly:

• the type and size of solar water heater used

• the climate at the site in question

• and the quality of the site as regards solar access

Whichever type of solar water heater system one uses, both utilize certain similar components, most notably: a collector and a storage tank.

The most common type of collector is a “flat plate” solar hot water panel – a weatherproof, insulated box made of aluminum or other metals that holds, beneath one or more transparent covers, an absorber plate.

When sunlight streams into the box, its heat passes through the transparent cover or covers and is soaked up by the dark plate which then transfers that collected heat through the heat-transferring fluids that flow through or past it.

A more expensive but often more powerful alternative to the flat plate solar hot water panel is a concentrating collector. These have the potential to produce much higher temperatures than flat plate panel solar water heater systems, although on cloudier days they can actually be less effective than their more economical counterparts.

Though storage tanks are not a required component of solar water heater systems, without them one can only utilize the solar power available in that given moment. With a storage tank, on the other hand, the solar water heater preheats the water and the tank maintains its temperature until the hot water is needed. A typical storage tank will hold enough heated water to provide for a single day’s supply.

There are both 1- and 2-tank solar water heater storage tanks, the first housing its own backup electric heating element to reheat cooled water on cloudy days and during the nighttime, the second feeding into a conventional electric or gas water heater.

If you’re considering installing a solar water heater of your own, you may be able to get a free energy audit to determine the potential cost savings you could reap. Whether you conduct one yourself or have it done for you, the energy audit must take certain factors into consideration, including:

• the ease or difficulty you’ll have routing ducts or pipes from the ground floor or basement to the roof;

• whether sections of the wall will need to be opened up;

• if there’s room on your ground floor or in your basement for a storage tank and how you’ll be able to load it in (ie the width of stairwells and doorways) and set it in place;

• if your roof is accessible enough to install a panel on it and, if not, whether you have an appropriate site on the ground to put it;

• how well and how sturdily you can fasten your collector’s supports to your roofing materials (for example, clay tile and slate can be more difficult to work with);

• how well you’ll like the aesthetics of the system once it’s in place.

For best results with your solar water heater:

• aim the solar hot water panel “true south” (as opposed to compass south);

• tilt it upward at a right angle to the sun;

• avoid shade (particularly between 9 am and 3 pm when the sun’s rays are usually hottest);

• have a backup system in place for periods of excessive use and for off-peak solar accessibility hours.

A solar hot water panel installed properly should perform well for 15 to 20 years. And a solar water heater requires far less maintenance than its more conventional counterparts. Today homeowners even can make their own solar water heater.

The use of solar energy is versatile; it is used for electricity, central heating, hot water, cooking, for producing salt and even for desalination. The energy comes from the sun’s rays and is known to be very environmentally friendly. However, when the sun rays enter the earth’s atmosphere it is quite dilute. Although the advantages are clear there are also disadvantages.

Let’s start with the biggest advantage; it is a clean form of energy. To produce electricity or heat you only need the sun rays. There is no need to use fossil fuel in combination with sun rays to produce electricity or heat. You just need a solar energy collector or solar power panels in order to convert the energy into electricity.

Another advantage is that it is cheaper than to use traditional electricity for heating. If you are using traditional electricity for heating you can save a lot of money. In return you will get lower electric bills and it also means that you don’t have to maintain heaters.

If you live in a remote area where there are no power-lines solar energy can be the solution. There are remote areas where power companies have no means to access your home. This great alternative can provide you with anything from heating water, electricity, and even cooking.

Another great use is for desalination in areas where fresh, drinkable water is scarce. The brine is evaporated and leaves the salt crystals in the bottom of the basin. The water in turn condenses back in another basin where it is now drinkable.

The advantages mentioned above are tremendous but there are some disadvantages. These disadvantages also need to be discussed to paint a better overall picture.

The main disadvantage of solar energy is that it’s dilute. This means you have to have a lot of solar collectors installed around your house. The energy itself is free, but the solar collectors are relatively expensive and some require regular maintenance in order to work properly and efficiently. If you decide to go solar you need to calculate the return on investment in order to know if the investment will be worth it.

One big disadvantage is that you need the sun rays to make use of it. If you are situated in a part of this beautiful planet where there is not much sun light then this could be a problem. In other areas, the sun rays are almost always covered in clouds making solar energy collectors less efficient. You should first know if the sunshine in your area is abundant for the most part of the year. Of course if you live in desert areas like in Arizona or Mexico the sun produces a lot of sunshine for the most part of the.

Lastly the sun only shines during the day. Therefore if you need electricity or hot water during the night, like many of us do, it can be a problem. You will need a backup system like the ‘old’ utility grid or you will need to store the electricity for later use. There are battery systems that can store solar energy for later use. The hot water collected during daytime is often stored in a tank for later use. The modern systems are becoming more sophisticated in storing electricity or hot water. If you are still using your grid, the produced electricity can be pumped back into the grid.

Solar energy is very clean and is a good alternative for traditional electricity. Although this is true it is also good to mention the disadvantages. If you are considering using solar energy you should check out www.earth4energy.com for helpful instruction.

Remodeling your bathroom takes a lot of planning. You will need to decide if you would like to replace the sink, bathtub and shower and it is always good to update the toilet to a more water efficient model. When you are trying to decide if you are going to do with the sink you have a few choices. There are sinks with cabinets, stand alone sinks, pedestal and more with the tub and shower you need to choose if you want to put the bath and shower combination or just a shower or just a bath. Then there is the lighting in todays market there are probably hundreds of choice for lights so you need to go out and do some research bring home some samples and then do your home work because bathrooms can be expensive and you will want to be sure you have the lighting that you will love for a long time to come.

Once you have decided on all the amenities then what do you do. The Internet has become a great resource to help with home improvement bathroom and remolding. You can find help on how you can design your bathroom, which can be very important part of the project. On the Internet you will be able to find bathroom sinks, cabinets and many more items. If you do not have the experience or the time to do the bathroom yourself you can always look into hiring a contractor.

If you do choose to hire a home remodeling contractor try to get one that has a lot of experience in the project you intend to do. Like with this project you are going to do the bathroom then get a contractor that does a lot of bathrooms so he can help you with everything from design to fixtures because he will be up to date on all the products.
They should have some samples of paints, tiles, fixtures and other products you will use this may or may not help you or you may want to go to a home improvement center and look for yourself.

If you have been involved with a remodeling project before you know that one of the hardest parts of the project is where to start. You can have the contractor help you with this or just leave that part up to him.

A good contractor can sometimes be hard to find but you can start by asking family and friends if they know of a good contractor. If they do know of a contractor this will help because you will have some background on the contractor to help you decide if you want to use them or not. If they do not know of a good contractor you can look for one on the Internet a lot of them have websites and then there are services that can help you find a contractor and they will let you submit questions to several contractors at a time and then you can choose depending upon their response.

Remodeling a kitchen is a great way to bring new life and light into a home. There are many considerations to have when remodeling a kitchen, because it is important to keep the kitchen user friendly and pleasant to spend time in.

The first thing to consider when doing any type of remodeling or construction is your level of skill, and whether or not you will need to hire a contractor. If you are making significant changes to your kitchen which include changes to plumbing and wiring, a contractor may be needed. A contractor can also make sure that your remodeling plans agree with local building codes. When hiring a contractor for remodeling a kitchen, shop around to several companies for bids before reaching a final decision. Also consult your friends and neighbors about who they hire to do construction work.

One of the primary reasons for remodeling a kitchen is expansion. Kitchen storage, counter space, and pantry space are always at a premium, especially in a small kitchen. Expanding the kitchen means there is more room to work and move around. In addition, more than one person can be in the kitchen at a time. If the kitchen is made large enough, it can also accommodate a kitchen island, a valuable tool for cooks of all levels of experience.

When remodeling a kitchen to enlarge it, the options are either to take space from elsewhere in the house, or expand the house outward around the kitchen. Consider your options with care before making a choice, as knocking down structural walls can get expensive, although possibly less expensive than expanding.

When remodeling a kitchen, appliances should also be updated. In some cases, this may be the primary reason for the remodel. In all cases, you should assess your appliance needs honestly. Although restaurant style stoves are very popular in kitchen remodels, you may not need an eight burner stove with three ovens. A traditionally styled four burner gas stove is probably sufficient. For bakers, additional ovens can be purchased separately.

Your refrigerator can be upgraded to hold more food and supplies, which may mean getting a roomier freezer. Finally, sinks are a vital part of the kitchen. It is very helpful to have at least two sinks: one sink for food washing and a split sink for washing dishes. Some cooks also find a dishwasher helpful, and you may want to consider a high speed, high efficiency model. In addition, you will need a dish rack for delicate dishes which cannot go through the dishwasher.

Because the kitchen is often the center of activity in a home, when remodeling a kitchen, think about how to make it hospitable. Many kitchens include bars with bar stools for people to sit on and eat casual meals or talk to the cook while he or she is working. If you create a social area when you remodel a kitchen, make sure that it will not interfere with your work space.

Finally, think about the kitchen tools you need and how you like to organize your kitchen. Overhead racks are an excellent solution for baking pans and cooking pots, moving them up and out of the way while leaving them accessible. Be sure to make more cupboard space than you think you need, because kitchen cupboards have a way of filling up. Build a roomy cool pantry for storage of dry foods, and consider spice racks in a central location for commonly used herbs and spices. Use the shelves below a kitchen island to store things as well, and make sure to distribute your kitchen utensils in a functional way.