Hey guys! Anyone out there busy building their dream home? Helpful tips are all over the place in this blog.. just click at any of the posts to get INSTANT and FREE advice on how to build your home.
If you did not find any helpful tip here.. I will answer it the best way i can if you just type it in your comment just under this blog post! ANYTHING so that i can help.
I have seen countless houses being built the wrong way and i do not want you to make the same MISTAKE!
Glad i can help..
Let's start building!!!
- Emil M.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tips for choosing Paint Colors
Before reading the post below, i would like to share a Color Visualizer software from the website below. Try it NOW (You may need a fast internet connection to fully appreciate the visualizer)
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/visualizer/
__________________________________
Tips for Choosing Interior Paint Colors
Written by: Chris BibeyChoosing an interior paint color can be a lot of fun. But this fun can turn to disaster if you make the wrong decision. It is very important that you choose a color that you are going to be happy with for many years to come. The last thing you want to do is find yourself painting the same room over and over again. Not only is this a waste of money, but it can take up a lot of time as well. The good thing is that choosing an interior paint color can be an easy process with these five tips:
1. What works with your current décor? You need to consider all details of your current color scheme including your furniture, wall art, flooring, trim, and much more. You may be redoing your entire room. In this case, you do not have to worry too much about matching everything up. That being said, some people just paint – they are not buying everything else.
2. Lighter colors will make your room look bigger. This is something that you may or may not be concerned with. It all depends on the size of your home and the room that you are painting. But as a general rule of thumb, if you want a room to appear bigger you should opt for a lighter color.
3. Don’t forget about the flow from one room to the next. Depending on the layout of your home, you may have one room that flows directly into another. This means that you have to choose a paint color that suits both. The last thing you want is for a clash of colors.
4. Trim counts. There is a good chance that your home has baseboards, door trim, crown molding, etc. Most people opt to keep their trim white, but you do not have to fall in line with everybody else. It is your job to decide what you want your trim to look like – just make sure you consider this color before you start on the walls.
5. Neutral for selling your home. If you believe that you may sell your home in the future it is a good idea to opt for neutral paint colors. Not every prospective buyer will love neutral paint, but the majority of them will. On top of this, neutral colors are the easiest to match with any décor.
If you are in the process of selecting interior paint colors for your home, follow the five tips listed above.
The tips just mentioned are so simple they can be applied right away! don't just imitate the colors of your neighbor or the celebrity house you just saw on TV. Choose it based on your taste and personality.
Get it right the first time!
Lets start building..
Emil M.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or in anyway connected to the author of the article or the Color Visualizer program maker and its marketers. For appreciation purposes only. Thanks!
1. What works with your current décor? You need to consider all details of your current color scheme including your furniture, wall art, flooring, trim, and much more. You may be redoing your entire room. In this case, you do not have to worry too much about matching everything up. That being said, some people just paint – they are not buying everything else.
2. Lighter colors will make your room look bigger. This is something that you may or may not be concerned with. It all depends on the size of your home and the room that you are painting. But as a general rule of thumb, if you want a room to appear bigger you should opt for a lighter color.
3. Don’t forget about the flow from one room to the next. Depending on the layout of your home, you may have one room that flows directly into another. This means that you have to choose a paint color that suits both. The last thing you want is for a clash of colors.
4. Trim counts. There is a good chance that your home has baseboards, door trim, crown molding, etc. Most people opt to keep their trim white, but you do not have to fall in line with everybody else. It is your job to decide what you want your trim to look like – just make sure you consider this color before you start on the walls.
5. Neutral for selling your home. If you believe that you may sell your home in the future it is a good idea to opt for neutral paint colors. Not every prospective buyer will love neutral paint, but the majority of them will. On top of this, neutral colors are the easiest to match with any décor.
If you are in the process of selecting interior paint colors for your home, follow the five tips listed above.
The tips just mentioned are so simple they can be applied right away! don't just imitate the colors of your neighbor or the celebrity house you just saw on TV. Choose it based on your taste and personality.
Get it right the first time!
Lets start building..
Emil M.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or in anyway connected to the author of the article or the Color Visualizer program maker and its marketers. For appreciation purposes only. Thanks!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Bathroom Furniture - Bright Ideas
Hi Dreamers!
I came accross the website http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/bright-ideas-bathroom-furniture . Its a UK site with great bathroom furniture. Great Ideas and Great Pictures! Here is the article below..
BRIGHT IDEAS FOR BATHROOM FURNITURE
Utilising the space beneath the basin is a growing trend, with double vanity units or those designed to accommodate wide contemporary basins particularly popular. Choose vanity units with dividers and/or removable drawer organisers – which can be taken out and cleaned in the dish washer in the event of a leak – to help separate out the toilet rolls from the shampoo bottles.
Other clever ideas include units with space to hang clothes, dressing gowns and towels. A large vanity which doubles as a full-length mirror, or as a mirror above the basin, is another good solution.
Following on from the trend for wall-hung sanitaryware, wall-hung bathroom furniture is the perfect solution for sleek, contemporary bathrooms. On a more practical note, wall-hung units provide clearance below — making them space enhancing, and the floor beneath easy to clean. This will, however, mean that renovators replacing old free-standing or built-in units (around which the existing flooring was cut to fit) with wall-hung ones, may have to replace the flooring too.
You will also need to consider the wall construction. Design consultant Alan Stanford, from the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (kbsa.org.uk), explains: “The one thing to remember about wall-hung products is that they are only as secure as the wall to which they are fitted. In other words, if the wall is a plasterboard partition with little strength, it’s probably best to avoid wall-hung fixtures.” Free-standing furniture on legs is a good alternative where wall-hung is not an option.
Ample storage, including dedicated space to store away bath toys, is key to the success of family bathrooms. Mobile storage units are particularly good for this purpose. Yet, layout is also important: vanity units which will hold medicines and/or cleaning products
should, for example, be positioned out of easy reach. Locked cabinets (right) are another good alternative.
Soft-close doors and drawers are increasingly being introduced as standard, which is good news for young families — preventing doors slamming shut on little hands. While handleless doors will prevent young children from banging their heads against protruding door furniture.
Your furniture will need to withstand the additional knocks, bumps and splashes that a family bathroom is likely to come up against — so choose a material up to the job. “For front finishes, look out for solid acrylic doors from Parapan — the high-gloss finish runs all the way through the material and is impervious to water,” says Alan Stanford from KBSA. “So too is Corian and other similar mineral-based man-made materials.”
For furniture with an MDF, chipboard or plywood core, Alan recommends specifying pre-assembled units. “The ideal construction is a traditional glue and dowel, rigid construction, delivered to site as a complete finished article. Having said that, a good, conscientious fitter can make a perfectly reasonable job of fitting flat-pack furniture with a few extra precautions.” Alan also suggests that “all exposed edges should be sealed with a suitable edging strip”, for a durable finish.
Small bathrooms and en suites require careful planning. Too little storage can result in cluttered surfaces, while over-sized cabinets and vanities will make the space look cramped. Built-in units, such as those which incorporate the WC and basin (and conceal the plumbing) with storage, can prove a good solution in small, boxy rooms (above). While small wall-hung under-basin vanities lend a compact, but contemporary feel.
Made-to-measure fitted furniture is often the best way of maximising on storage potential in awkwardly shaped small rooms. “Corner vanity units are especially suitable for smaller bathrooms, making the most of an unused area of the room,” suggests bathroom planning expert Geoff Wells from fitted bathroom specialist Dolphin.
Where possible, try to maintain a minimum comfortable circulation space of 400mm around furniture and sanitaryware.
Vanity units and cabinets do not just play a functional role, but are integral to the bathroom aesthetic. Needless to say, the furniture you specify should complement the style, finish and colour of your chosen sanitaryware. This is particularly key when renovating an old home or building a period-style house where you intend to recreate an era style, such as Regency or Art Deco. Mixing contemporary wall-hung units with a Victorian-inspired high-level cistern toilet, for example, will inevitably detract from rather than enhance a bathroom. Matched well, furniture is an asset which will help to create a timeless bathroom interior.
Bathroom furniture can also be utilised as an eye-catching room divide. This works particularly well in large bathrooms, helping to creates zones — with a practical space for getting ready for the day to one side, and relaxing and bathing to the other (as above). Add to the ambience with illuminated shelves or lit vanities to showcase your favourite products and lend a soft and relaxing background glow.
Furniture could also be positioned so as to hide the WC from view of the door or the bath. If the vanity will stand away from the wall and you intend to mount a basin on top, remember to plan in advance for the wastes.
Finally, bathroom furniture need not be square or rectangular: the current trend for curved kitchen units has seen curved bathroom furniture quickly follow suit. Vanities and cabinets are also beginning to be seen as pieces of well-designed furniture in their own right.
Lets start coming up with your own designs that fit your design taste!
Now your bathroom will look soooo unique.
Emil M.
Join the Truly Rich Club. Click the link below:
http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=9494
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or in any way connected to the site http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/
I came accross the website http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/bright-ideas-bathroom-furniture . Its a UK site with great bathroom furniture. Great Ideas and Great Pictures! Here is the article below..
BRIGHT IDEAS FOR BATHROOM FURNITURE
More than just providing functional storage, your bathroom cabinets can make a real statement. Claire Lloyd takes a look at the latest trends and reveals her top design tips
Be clever with your storage
Bathroom vanities and cabinets should not be secondary to choosing sanitaryware — they are an integral part of the design. After all, it is the storage they offer – both for hiding away clutter and for displaying expensive-looking bottles – which will make a new bathroom the haven that it is supposed to be. “There are also cost benefits,” comments Peter Elson of Ellis Furniture. “Using furniture can reduce the cost of other materials such as tiles. Time and money can be saved on labour for boxing in pipes, for example, which are also unsightly.”Utilising the space beneath the basin is a growing trend, with double vanity units or those designed to accommodate wide contemporary basins particularly popular. Choose vanity units with dividers and/or removable drawer organisers – which can be taken out and cleaned in the dish washer in the event of a leak – to help separate out the toilet rolls from the shampoo bottles.
Other clever ideas include units with space to hang clothes, dressing gowns and towels. A large vanity which doubles as a full-length mirror, or as a mirror above the basin, is another good solution.
Make a statement with wall-hung units
Following on from the trend for wall-hung sanitaryware, wall-hung bathroom furniture is the perfect solution for sleek, contemporary bathrooms. On a more practical note, wall-hung units provide clearance below — making them space enhancing, and the floor beneath easy to clean. This will, however, mean that renovators replacing old free-standing or built-in units (around which the existing flooring was cut to fit) with wall-hung ones, may have to replace the flooring too.
You will also need to consider the wall construction. Design consultant Alan Stanford, from the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (kbsa.org.uk), explains: “The one thing to remember about wall-hung products is that they are only as secure as the wall to which they are fitted. In other words, if the wall is a plasterboard partition with little strength, it’s probably best to avoid wall-hung fixtures.” Free-standing furniture on legs is a good alternative where wall-hung is not an option.
Make storage family-friendly
Ample storage, including dedicated space to store away bath toys, is key to the success of family bathrooms. Mobile storage units are particularly good for this purpose. Yet, layout is also important: vanity units which will hold medicines and/or cleaning products
should, for example, be positioned out of easy reach. Locked cabinets (right) are another good alternative. Soft-close doors and drawers are increasingly being introduced as standard, which is good news for young families — preventing doors slamming shut on little hands. While handleless doors will prevent young children from banging their heads against protruding door furniture.
Your furniture will need to withstand the additional knocks, bumps and splashes that a family bathroom is likely to come up against — so choose a material up to the job. “For front finishes, look out for solid acrylic doors from Parapan — the high-gloss finish runs all the way through the material and is impervious to water,” says Alan Stanford from KBSA. “So too is Corian and other similar mineral-based man-made materials.”
For furniture with an MDF, chipboard or plywood core, Alan recommends specifying pre-assembled units. “The ideal construction is a traditional glue and dowel, rigid construction, delivered to site as a complete finished article. Having said that, a good, conscientious fitter can make a perfectly reasonable job of fitting flat-pack furniture with a few extra precautions.” Alan also suggests that “all exposed edges should be sealed with a suitable edging strip”, for a durable finish.
Plan Small Bathrooms
Small bathrooms and en suites require careful planning. Too little storage can result in cluttered surfaces, while over-sized cabinets and vanities will make the space look cramped. Built-in units, such as those which incorporate the WC and basin (and conceal the plumbing) with storage, can prove a good solution in small, boxy rooms (above). While small wall-hung under-basin vanities lend a compact, but contemporary feel.
Made-to-measure fitted furniture is often the best way of maximising on storage potential in awkwardly shaped small rooms. “Corner vanity units are especially suitable for smaller bathrooms, making the most of an unused area of the room,” suggests bathroom planning expert Geoff Wells from fitted bathroom specialist Dolphin.
Where possible, try to maintain a minimum comfortable circulation space of 400mm around furniture and sanitaryware.
Turn furniture into a feature
Vanity units and cabinets do not just play a functional role, but are integral to the bathroom aesthetic. Needless to say, the furniture you specify should complement the style, finish and colour of your chosen sanitaryware. This is particularly key when renovating an old home or building a period-style house where you intend to recreate an era style, such as Regency or Art Deco. Mixing contemporary wall-hung units with a Victorian-inspired high-level cistern toilet, for example, will inevitably detract from rather than enhance a bathroom. Matched well, furniture is an asset which will help to create a timeless bathroom interior.
Bathroom furniture can also be utilised as an eye-catching room divide. This works particularly well in large bathrooms, helping to creates zones — with a practical space for getting ready for the day to one side, and relaxing and bathing to the other (as above). Add to the ambience with illuminated shelves or lit vanities to showcase your favourite products and lend a soft and relaxing background glow.
Furniture could also be positioned so as to hide the WC from view of the door or the bath. If the vanity will stand away from the wall and you intend to mount a basin on top, remember to plan in advance for the wastes.
Finally, bathroom furniture need not be square or rectangular: the current trend for curved kitchen units has seen curved bathroom furniture quickly follow suit. Vanities and cabinets are also beginning to be seen as pieces of well-designed furniture in their own right.
Lets start coming up with your own designs that fit your design taste!
Now your bathroom will look soooo unique.
Emil M.
Join the Truly Rich Club. Click the link below:
http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=9494
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or in any way connected to the site http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Check the Roof of the House
Here is a simple tip for checking out old houses for sale. Check the roof! Check the gutters also.
It will tell you a lot about the house. If it looks very rusted, it may have already holes on it and the rain could have enterned the house.
If rain goes through the roof, it will touch your ceiling. your ceiling will moisten and affect the paint and be discolored.
You can actually just initially look at the ceiling. if there are dark spots or water mark spots, chances are, the hole in the roof is above it. but it is not always the case. you may need to hire someone to go into the roof and check if the water just crawled into the spot and remained there to cause the water marks.
The roof and ceiling is a bit expensive to replace and doing remedial work will usually be a temporary solution.
Now you won't be fooled!
Emil M.
It will tell you a lot about the house. If it looks very rusted, it may have already holes on it and the rain could have enterned the house.
If rain goes through the roof, it will touch your ceiling. your ceiling will moisten and affect the paint and be discolored.
You can actually just initially look at the ceiling. if there are dark spots or water mark spots, chances are, the hole in the roof is above it. but it is not always the case. you may need to hire someone to go into the roof and check if the water just crawled into the spot and remained there to cause the water marks.
The roof and ceiling is a bit expensive to replace and doing remedial work will usually be a temporary solution.
Now you won't be fooled!
Emil M.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wrong Choices on Home Building
Its frustrating to see home builders that go into the project without a clue on how to go about it. They trust their builder or foreman to do the work hoping they will take their best interest in mind always.
An example of this is the house construction just at the back of the house. Here is what's happening:
1. The house is not yet complete after about 10 months. (Very long for a small bungalow house)
2. There are only 4 workers doing the construction. (Too little if you want to have an efficient and effective crew).
3. They seem to take their time. Doing small work here, then doing short work there.. all over the place. (The construction has no direction!)
4. No one familiar with the construction business is supervising the work.
5. The owner seem to have hired the workers on a daily wage. (This can only be ok if there is someone to supervise). This is probably the reason why the workers are moving soooo slow - the slower the work, the more money they get. And they get to be paid even if they are doing wasteful work.
6. Probably no milestones, no deadlines.
Add the fact that they wake me up every Saturday morning with their power tools noise at 8am. I still need to catch up on sleep but no can do.. Frustrating!!!
Did the owner really think the construction can take that long? Is he not getting good advice from someone besides the builder?
10 months is very long for a small house. A brand new one can only take 7 month to build (just make sure you have the cash to finance your building project). A full year is only good for mansions with intricate architectural details.
Only 3 or 4 workers doing the work? This is a disaster on efficient work especially in construction. They will only slack (tatamarin) doing small work here and there. There is no motivation. There is no accountability. for every skilled worker, you need one or two "helpers" to make the job efficient. the one doing the plastering works in your wall must not be the same person mixing up the cement or getting water to put on the mix. the helpers make the work so much more efficient and FAST! Even carpenters need helpers. Only painters can have no helpers.
Construction workers doing meaningful work without supervision are a rare breed and can be likened to someone winning the BINGO game with 10,000 people. You need proper supervision.
When you have competent supervision, you can now pay the workers on a daily basis.
Are you building now and going nowhere and losing money on inefficient work? Its time to get help before its too late.
Emil M.
emilmendoza2003@yahoo.com
An example of this is the house construction just at the back of the house. Here is what's happening:
1. The house is not yet complete after about 10 months. (Very long for a small bungalow house)
2. There are only 4 workers doing the construction. (Too little if you want to have an efficient and effective crew).
3. They seem to take their time. Doing small work here, then doing short work there.. all over the place. (The construction has no direction!)
4. No one familiar with the construction business is supervising the work.
5. The owner seem to have hired the workers on a daily wage. (This can only be ok if there is someone to supervise). This is probably the reason why the workers are moving soooo slow - the slower the work, the more money they get. And they get to be paid even if they are doing wasteful work.
6. Probably no milestones, no deadlines.
Add the fact that they wake me up every Saturday morning with their power tools noise at 8am. I still need to catch up on sleep but no can do.. Frustrating!!!
Did the owner really think the construction can take that long? Is he not getting good advice from someone besides the builder?
10 months is very long for a small house. A brand new one can only take 7 month to build (just make sure you have the cash to finance your building project). A full year is only good for mansions with intricate architectural details.
Only 3 or 4 workers doing the work? This is a disaster on efficient work especially in construction. They will only slack (tatamarin) doing small work here and there. There is no motivation. There is no accountability. for every skilled worker, you need one or two "helpers" to make the job efficient. the one doing the plastering works in your wall must not be the same person mixing up the cement or getting water to put on the mix. the helpers make the work so much more efficient and FAST! Even carpenters need helpers. Only painters can have no helpers.
Construction workers doing meaningful work without supervision are a rare breed and can be likened to someone winning the BINGO game with 10,000 people. You need proper supervision.
When you have competent supervision, you can now pay the workers on a daily basis.
Are you building now and going nowhere and losing money on inefficient work? Its time to get help before its too late.
Emil M.
emilmendoza2003@yahoo.com
Monday, May 2, 2011
Zen & Modern Houses. Granite Walls!
Hello Dreamers,
Dreaming of that new house yet? Have you been browsing the web or magazines for the perfect look of your dream house?
The past weeks, I am trying to inspire myself with beautiful pictures from the Web on modern houses. Having a modern or Zen type looking house is not just "Modelo" or "Hip" these past years, but it is also practical and possibly even more affordable than the "Italian" or "Mediterranean" themed homes.
But don’t be deceived by the beautiful photos.
The stone-looking materials in the walls and toilets could be solid granite! On average, its about 2,000 pesos per square meter. Pretty expensive but if you can afford it, it’s worth the price for a wall that would never fade and will never be replaced ever. (well.. not forever but a long, long time).
Don’t buy the cheap ones – they are just that – cheap stones that will easily crack and will not look as good.
I stumbled upon Busyboo Design blog and Hometta (see pictures below from their websites). They have great concepts and architectural pictures.
http://www.busyboo.com/
http://www.hometta.com/
What I envy from the houses abroad is the wide spaces and great surroundings. You can only get that here in the Philippines if the development is made by the top developers. Think about Nuvali or Anvaya Cove. They have almost picture perfect lots and great views. The open spaces are wide and so many activities that can be done there.
Back to the Zen or Modern designed houses. Did you see the interplay of materials? Great architecture! Go see the websites now and go back reading this blog..
Done?
I know you saw it. Wood, Glass, Concrete, Stones, Steel.
Usually we have wooden floors, but wood clad walls are just as nice.
The big picture windows with top to bottom glass are very elegant and classy.
Steel structures are poised for the minimalist approach.
The Hometta designed house is more practical for us here in the Philippines. They practice the design of smaller houses (medium size for us Pinoys).
Be inspired. Don’t let that dream die down.
Emil M.
Photo Credits: Busyboo and Hometta Websites
N.B. I am not affiliated with any of the above mentioned Design Firms
Dreaming of that new house yet? Have you been browsing the web or magazines for the perfect look of your dream house?
The past weeks, I am trying to inspire myself with beautiful pictures from the Web on modern houses. Having a modern or Zen type looking house is not just "Modelo" or "Hip" these past years, but it is also practical and possibly even more affordable than the "Italian" or "Mediterranean" themed homes.
But don’t be deceived by the beautiful photos.
The stone-looking materials in the walls and toilets could be solid granite! On average, its about 2,000 pesos per square meter. Pretty expensive but if you can afford it, it’s worth the price for a wall that would never fade and will never be replaced ever. (well.. not forever but a long, long time).
Don’t buy the cheap ones – they are just that – cheap stones that will easily crack and will not look as good.
I stumbled upon Busyboo Design blog and Hometta (see pictures below from their websites). They have great concepts and architectural pictures.
http://www.busyboo.com/
http://www.hometta.com/
What I envy from the houses abroad is the wide spaces and great surroundings. You can only get that here in the Philippines if the development is made by the top developers. Think about Nuvali or Anvaya Cove. They have almost picture perfect lots and great views. The open spaces are wide and so many activities that can be done there.
Back to the Zen or Modern designed houses. Did you see the interplay of materials? Great architecture! Go see the websites now and go back reading this blog..
Done?
I know you saw it. Wood, Glass, Concrete, Stones, Steel.
Usually we have wooden floors, but wood clad walls are just as nice.
The big picture windows with top to bottom glass are very elegant and classy.
Steel structures are poised for the minimalist approach.
The Hometta designed house is more practical for us here in the Philippines. They practice the design of smaller houses (medium size for us Pinoys).
Be inspired. Don’t let that dream die down.
Emil M.
Photo Credits: Busyboo and Hometta Websites
N.B. I am not affiliated with any of the above mentioned Design Firms
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Easter Time Deck Flowers and Garden Tips
Happy Easter!
The flowers are almost in full bloom this time of the year. Did you see the Deck Decoration Concepts page of the blog? I took pictures of the same deck plant decors and most the blooming white buganvillas are in full bloom.
The flowers are almost in full bloom this time of the year. Did you see the Deck Decoration Concepts page of the blog? I took pictures of the same deck plant decors and most the blooming white buganvillas are in full bloom.
Some of the Yellow Bells are also starting to bloom if you noticed. The flowers just love the sunshine.
You can decorate the exterior of your house with different stones or paint colors but nothing beats the low maintenance flowering plants! You cannot really have them all at once. They need time to grow and adapt to the surroundings. Ask your local gardener which ones are best in the shade and out in the sunshine.
Grass
For example, carabao grass will not grow in the shade.. like most of the local grasses available. I like the carabao grass better than the Bermuda. For one, its cheaper to buy and another is that it will not grow tall. It will crawl and thicken.
Not all planting methodologies are the same. Some plants need good soil and some just grow anywhere.
For those who have the budget to have their grass the perfect way, you need about 6 inches of sand underneath (this will help drain the water) and not cause "Ponding" of water in one spot of the lawn or garden. Then you have the grass in mats (that's the square patches of grass when you buy them form the Plants supplier) and you sprinkle sand on top just enough so that the grass will not be muddy when you water them daily. this will also help retain the soil because it will not be easily washed away.
Happy Easter again to all!
Emil M.
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