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Smart Selling: Bathroom Updates for Sellers

02 Jun

The ambience and convenience of the bathrooms in your house are very important to buyers. To enhance their appeal, update bathrooms of all sizes with cosmetic and other fixes, many of which you can do yourself. Your strategy for a bathroom connected with a bedroom should differ from your strategy for one that stands alone. A bathroom that adjoins the master bedroom, dressing area and closets requires a coordinated design to market the area as a master suite. A hall bathroom or powder room should relate to your overall décor.

Develop a design concept, including a coordinated neutral paint color plan.

 Analyze the condition of permanent elements like fixtures, faucets, flooring, etc. and set priorities for replacement or cosmetic work.

 Replace bathroom carpet with hard flooring.

 Replace a sheet mirror with a framed mirror over each sink for a custom look.

 Replace or paint a worn laminate countertop.

 Replace the toilet and sink, if the porcelain isn’t a neutral color.

 Replace dated faucets.

 Refinish a colored tub or shower. Replace a worn shower door.

 Remove wallpaper and borders. Make cosmetic repairs and repaint.

 Replace dated light fixtures and be sure they suit the architecture.

 Stain or paint old or worn cabinets in a harmonious accent color.

 Coordinate cabinet hardware with the faucets and light fixtures.

 Remove a dated medicine cabinet. Replace only if necessary.

 Remove toilet seat and tank covers and remove bath mats for showings.

 Replace the towel bars, tissue holder, toilet handle and other accessories and coordinate with the faucets, light fixtures and cabinet hardware.

 Coordinate window treatments, shower curtain and towels with the bedroom fabrics.

 Use a few medium to large scale decorative accessories coordinated with the bedroom design.

 Place bar soap in an attractive dish, or put liquid soap in a decorative dispenser.

 Hide all toiletries and personal items.

 Hide the clothes hamper, waste basket, bowl cleaner, etc.

 
 

House To Home: Start Fresh With A Bathroom Redo

30 May

Q: I am redoing the two bathrooms in my home. They are wallpapered, and the walls behind are not very smooth. Can I paint over the paper? I’ve redone the rest of the house and want these rooms to look good, too.

A: Yes, in most cases, it is possible to paint over wallpaper, but I wouldn’t advise it. You have taken the time and energy to update your home, and it sounds like you are pleased with the results. Now is not the time for shortcuts that might not measure up.

A bathroom is not a large space, and you could really make a big impact by fixing up the walls. Strip off the paper and start fresh. Venetian plaster and stucco have made a big comeback in bathrooms and kitchens. Both can be pretinted, which saves the painting step, if you choose. It’s not difficult to apply, and plaster walls feel luxurious.

 
 

About Rice

28 May

From Rice 2004 – the international year of rice site

Rice-based production systems and their associated post-harvest operations employ nearly 1,000 million people in rural areas of developing countries. About 80% of the world’s rice is grown by small-scale farmers in low-income and developing countries. It follows that efficient and productive rice-based production systems are essential for economic development and for improved quality of life of much of the world’s population.

Improving the productivity of rice systems would contribute to hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, national food security and economic development. According to FAO estimates, there are about 840 million undernourished people, including more than 200 million children, in developing countries. Undernourishment greatly limits development.

However, rice production is facing serious constraints including a declining rate of growth in yields, depletion of natural resources, labour shortages, gender-based conflicts, institutional limitations and environmental pollution. Overcoming hunger, poverty and malnutrition – while protecting the environment – requires collective action by all stakeholders. The diversity of the regions, peoples, and resources connected within the world’s rice-based systems, requires a diverse approach for global rice-based development that includes participation from the local to the international level.

 
 

Bathroom with a View

27 May

Hotel rooms often come with amazing views. But what about the bathroom? These spectacular resorts make sure to take full advantage of their surroundings,so that even the bathrooms offer out-of-this-world vistas. The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa  showcases 80 overwater villas celebrated for their breathtaking views of Mount Otemanu and the turquoise waters of the lagoon. Guest baths have panoramic windows looking out over the lagoon, large soaking tubs, double sinks and separate rainwater showers. (Courtesy InterContinental)

Go check it out – here

 
 

Choose The Right Bathroom Cabinet For Your Space

23 May

When you are looking to decorate your bathroom it’s important to choose items that fit well into the space you are trying to fill.  A bathroom cabinet can give you extra storage space and add a fabulous look to your bathroom setup.  Even if your bathroom is very small, there is a bathroom cabinet for your room.  They are available in such a huge variety of shapes and sizes that anyone can find the perfect cabinet for their bathroom.

If your bathroom is limited in space, look into a bathroom cabinet that hangs on the wall.  You can buy a cabinet with a mirror on the front that hangs right over your sink.  That way you have combined both your mirror and your cabinet into one and you save space.  Another option is to hang a cabinet on the wall right above the toilet.  You can also buy cabinets or shelves with long legs that sit right over the toilet.  If you have more space in your bathroom you can look for a bathroom cabinet that sits on the floor.  There are all kinds of colors and styles that can really compliment the look of your bathroom.  Don’t just go out and get any old bathroom cabinet.  Look for something that perfectly fits your bathroom.

 
 

Luxury Showers Are A Great Way To Pamper Yourself

22 May

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice warm shower?  It’s one of the best things to wake up in the morning and get going for a full day.  Showers have evolved from a simple spigot in the wall to include all kinds of option for luxury and enjoyment.  Steam showers are becoming more popular and prominent.  Imagine flipping a switch and getting undressed while your shower fills with steam to create your very own at-home sauna.  Doesn’t that sounds like a great, relaxing way to end your day?

Different shower heads can provide an enjoyable experience for your daily showers.  You can get a removable hand-held shower head for convenient cleansing.  There are plenty of shower heads that are made to massage with many different settings to provide relaxation to the lucky person in the shower.  Many showers have several different shower heads set at different levels within the shower.  When you turn on your shower in the morning you are sure to get clean from every angle.  Shower tiles can also make your shower special.  Some showers have custom tile work to create a beautiful design that really makes a unique and enjoyable experience.  If your shower is somewhere that you spend time every day, why not make it memorable?

 
 

Shower Flooring Is Available In More Options Than Ever

19 May

bathroom floor

Showers are an important part of almost everyone’s day.  Can you imagine waking up without the help of a shower to spray you in the face and get your blood pumping?  Most showers with older floors are made of fiber glass.  Usually this is durable and affordable, but you may want to look into some other options to make your shower feel a little more like a spa.  Especially consider re-doing your shower flooring if you have problems with mildew and soap scum.

If your budget is tight, you can just repair your fiberglass shower flooring.  There are kits available at your local hardware store that will include all the supplies you need to revamp the floors by yourself.  If you want to beautify your shower experience you can look into tiles.  Ceramic tiles are the most popular material.  You can choose all kinds of different colors to give the shower that spa feeling.  Don’t try to install tile yourself though, because it’s too easy to leave a crack that can leak below and do some serious damage to your house.  One more option for your shower flooring is to use teak wood.  Yes, it sounds strange but teak wood is actually water tight and extremely durable.  Plus, it will add a whole new look and feel to your shower.

 
 

Shower Heads Are Available In All Shapes and Sizes

17 May

When you start shopping for shower heads get ready for an eye opening experience!  Personally, I’ve never given too much thought to what type of shower head is on the shower I’m using.  My main objective is to get in and out while cleaning myself thoroughly and avoiding that moment when someone flushes the toilet and the water burns my skin.  As it turns out, there is a lot of thought that goes into designing shower heads.  Some are designed to save water and don’t provide a lot of pressure.  Others are made to have the highest pressure so that the person in the shower can enjoy a massage from the water.

Shower Head

There are shower heads that have a setting to switch between different options.  The water can flow from the shower in patterns to create a variety of sensations for the person showering to enjoy.  Some shower heads are detachable so they can be hand held, which is very convenient.  Other showers have multiple shower heads to spray the person showering from every angle.  There are even rain shower heads that are designed to feel like rain falling on you in the shower.  Whichever shower head you choose should be based on how you want to feel in the shower and how you want your shower to look.

 
 

What are Lawsuit Loans

15 May

A Lawsuit loan is a type of pre-settlement funding designed to help you pay your bills when involved in a personal injury lawsuit. In reality, the cash isn’t really a “loan” but rather an advance. It’ not considered a loan because you do not make monthly payments on it, and you do not pay it back unless you win your personal injury case.

From the standpoint of the company giving you the money, the cash that you receive is considered and “investment” or a kind of venture capital. They take the risk of giving you the money in exchange for a payback if you win your case
Are there better lawsuit financing options?

Depending on your credit and finances, you may have other options for funding your lawsuit and personal expenses. For example, you may want to get a credit card cash advance or home-equity line of credit. Unfortunately, as you may have already found out, these types of funding sources are drying up in today’s recessionary economy. Also, credit card advances and home equity lines require monthly payments. Lawsuit loans do not require a payment until after you win your case. Thus, they will not be a drain on your current finances.

Using a pre-settlement loan to your case is advantageous because it poses no risk to you. For example, in the event of your lawsuit settling for less than the amount sanctioned by the cash advance, or in the event of the defendant ultimately prevailing, you do not have any obligation to the company funding the lawsuit.

 
 

Modern Bathroom Design- More Fun Than Ever

14 May

Have you re-modeled your bathroom lately?  If not, maybe you should take notice that avocado green and harvest yellow are no longer the rage.  You will be quite astounded when you start looking around at options for your new bathroom.  Modern bathroom design has really gotten creative and you can find sinks, toilets, faucets and all the fixtures in a huge variety of unexpected designs, colors and styles.  Instead of simply tearing down your hideous wall paper and repainting your bathroom, think about getting some new fixtures to spice things up.

Modern bathroom design is all about looking cool and unexpected.  You may be slightly overwhelmed by your options as you take on this project.  But keep in mind the size of your bathroom, the color scheme you have picked out, and the prices of the items you are looking to purchase to decorate your modern bathroom.  It is not uncommon to see sinks that look like they are floating above the countertop with a faucet built into the wall to look more like a shower head.  Tile work is also an attractive feature of modern bathrooms.  A little bit of special tile design in the shower or on the sink countertop can really spice up your modern bathroom.