Volunteer organisation BlazeAid says that repair and replacement of hundreds of kilometres of fencing is now complete, almost six months after the bushfires that devastated Coonabarabran. 53 homes were lost to the January bushfires and close to 60,000 hectares of land was burned.
Selecting colours for your garden can be difficult and it is easy to end up with a dull looking brown mess. With some forward planning, you can really bring your garden to life and have it looking stunning all year round. (more…)
When you are buying a property, are looking to sell or are making renovations, it is always wise to check your property boundary lines. Over the years with the erection of fences and the planting of hedges by multiple homeowners, it is common for the boundary to shift significantly. This can mean that you are losing a significant number square metres from your backyard and around your home. This can be a costly loss when it comes time to sell because you will be advertising the property as less than it is worth. Herein we consider how to go about checking the boundary lines of your property.
Why Boundaries Matter
Boundaries are important because land is very valuable. Particularly in a country like Australia, the value of land can be significant. A boundary line that is out of position by just a metre can mean that you are losing a significant portion of your land and significant amount of money too. A misplaced boundary may seem insignificant on paper, but when you tally up the lost land and revenue, it can be noticeable.
View the Blueprints
The blueprints and deed to your home are an important place to start because they outline your rights of ownership. Getting a tape measure and checking the boundaries as best you can prove to be helpful. The best way to measure boundaries and long distances is with string. This will allow you to measure round the corners of your fences and calculate the distances effectively.
Checking For Yourself
Checking the boundaries for yourself is an important first step because it is possible that your fences enclose more than you are actually entitled too. If you get the land surveyed and it is noted that you have too much land then you will be required to shift the fences inwards to release the land that you do not own. Measuring yourself at first can allow you to recognise this and ignore the fact that your boundaries are spread too wide.
Surveying Your Property
To get an accurate measure of the boundaries of your home it is important to get your property surveyed. A surveyor will come to your home and accurately measure the area enclosed by your property. The surveyor will measure to the fences as a boundary and to the centre of the hedgerows too. The middle of the hedgerows is deemed to be the edge of your property because this point is shared with your neighbours.
Defining Hedgerows
If you do recognise inaccuracies in the boundary lines of your property, it is important to take steps to claim the land as your own. This will always be a difficult conversation with your neighbours because they will not want to sacrifice part of the land enclosed within their borders. With evidence from a surveyor, you will be able to justifiably discuss the movement of the borders to represent the actual ownership. It is also important to remember that your deeds and blueprints will make it clear which property owner is responsible for the fence line between the properties because this could add costs.
When you are creating a backyard for yourself, it is very tempting to focus entirely on aesthetics, but it is far more important to focus on safety. (more…)
It is always difficult to know how to decorate your home. Modern styles are attractive, but they can sometimes look too clinical. The rustic on the other hand has an innate charm, but it can also look haphazard and messy too. Getting the right blend between modern and rustic is a good answer to this conundrum and herein we consider how that is possible.
The driveway is the first thing that people will see when arriving at your home, so this is a good place to start tailoring the look of the property. Laying a gravel driveway is a good way to embrace the rustic and benefit from security improvements too. Gravel allows you to hear anyone approaching your home. Installing tall driveway gates is another great way to embrace the rustic look and you can combine the modern by opting for the automatic version. Arriving home to gently swinging gates is an excellent way to improve your home and your enjoyment of it.
The perimeter of your home is one of the hardest areas to make look nice because you have to install a boundary. Running a timber fence around your garden, however, is a good compromise. Timber blends in naturally with the surrounding foliage and still provides the security of a barrier.
Blending the modern and the rustic with plants is difficult, but sculpted foliage offers a good solution. Sculpted foliage looks modern and stylish, but it is also an historical style of garden that dates back to pre-colonial England and much of Europe. With a nicely designed and sculpted pattern of hedging, the blend of modern and rustic will be great to enjoy.
The blend of modern and rustic allows for some very quirky decorations. One of the best is the combination of a small wooden wheelbarrow with some bright and vibrant flowers. Using a small wheelbarrow as a flowerpot in this manner allows the creation of a wonderful blend because the wheelbarrow will begin to crumble over time, but the flowers in contrast will shine with new life each season. Another good option is the combination of a small stone well with a flowerbed because this presents the same image of the old and the new.
Using natural foliage to create screens is another great way to utilize the rustic in your garden. Creating a screen out of willow, for example, will allow you to cast shade on an area with a hammock or some other modern seating. The seclusion this creates will be comfortable to enjoy in private and the surrounding foliage will provide a rustic feel.
Most barbeques today are modern gas powered models and the quality that these barbeques provide is excellent. A modern barbeque can look out of place in a rustic garden, however, so combining this with a brick barbeque area is a good option. By creating a brick area for a barbeque you will be able to get the best from a modern model and a rustic place to house it too. Be sure to leave space to upsize your barbeque if you do this, however, so you have space for growth.
As a home owner, it is vitally important that you are always aware of the state that your home is in so that you can make repairs before a crack causes costly damage and ensure that your home is secure from burglars. (more…)
If you own a pool and want to make it as eco-friendly as possible there is a lot that you can do, and it is amazing the difference that even a small effort can make. The following are some of the easiest and best ways to reduce the negative impact of your pool on the environment.
The fewer chemicals you use in your pool the more eco-friendly it will be, and one of the most effective ways to reduce pool chemical use is to keep on top of the water quality in there. By conducting daily water testing you will only need to add small amounts of chemicals in order to keep your pool water clean, meaning you can avoid having to use the larger doses of chemicals required to clean pool water that has been neglected. Staying on top of your pool water quality will also be helping to save water, as the cleaner you are able to keep the water in there the fewer total water changes your pool will need.
A great way to make your pool more eco-friendly is to reduce the amount of energy you need to use to keep it clean, and an easy way to do this is by investing in a decent pool cover and putting it on whenever your pool isn’t being used. Your pool cover with keep out leaves, twigs and other debris, leaving less work for your various pool cleaners and filters to do, meaning you will benefit by having a cleaner pool at far less of a cost to the environment.
For your pool to be considered anywhere near eco-friendly it needs to be safe for the local wildlife as well as your family, with one of the best ways to achieve this being to invest in a decent pool fence in order to keep any of the local kids, critters and other animals out. So whether you have kids, pets or just want to make sure that the local wildlife doesn’t end up drowning in your pool, make sure that your pool fence is providing an effective barrier to anyone or anything unauthorized from ending up in there.
While it can be great to always have your pool water at the perfect temperature for swimming, if you are interested in making your pool more eco-friendly try and use your pool heater a little less and use the sun to heat the water instead. On those colder days you can still use your pool heater to get the water temperature just right, but when the sun is blazing throughout the summer save some energy and use the sun to heat the water instead.
The better job you do of maintaining your various pool equipment the longer it will last, and considering the amount of resources and energy that go into making all those pool supplies, the less often you need to replace those pool related items the more eco-friendly the overall running of your pool will be.
Wooden fences were once considered one of the best types of fencing available, with many homes having wood fences in both their front and back yards. (more…)
For the majority of people, their backyard is one of their favourite parts of their home. Even though you might have a great backyard already there are always ways to make it much better. The following looks at a few easy ways to improve your backyard. (more…)
In order to relax and get the full enjoyment out of your home it is crucial that you feel safe there, and the following looks at some of the best ways to make your home a far safer place.
Invest in Screens for your Doors and Windows
The doors and windows of any home are the most likely places to be targeted in an attempt to break in, so if you are looking to make your home a safer place, boosting the security of your doors and windows is a very good idea, with the best way to do this being to invest in security screens for them. Your screens will prevent your doors or windows from being forced open, and with secure screens protecting your home you will even be able to let the breeze in to cool your place down without having to worry about letting in intruders.
Your fence plays an important role in the safety and security of your home as it really is the first line of defence, so if you have an old fence that is falling apart, replace it before an unwanted guest is able to make the most of this weak point in your security. Older fences can also be a safety risk if they have broken palings or loose nails sticking from them, so you will be making your home safer in more than one way by investing in a better quality fence.
If you have a garage at your place make sure that your garage door is of good quality and well maintained, especially if your garage has an entry point into your home, because if a potential intruder can make it into your garage they will be one step closer to getting inside your place. Old style garage doors can also pose a safety risk if there is any chance of them falling onto you or your car, so if you have an old garage door, consider upgrading it for the sake of your home’s all round safety and security.
Unless you can see what you are doing in and around your home you will be at risk of tripping, falling and causing injury to yourself, so whether you need more lighting in your driveway, garage or in your backyard, improve it before you hurt yourself. Investing in motion sensor lighting is a fantastic idea, both inside and outside your home, because this will mean you always have light whenever you need it, and it can help to scare off would-be intruders as well.
If you live in a dangerous part of town or just want to ensure that you and your belongings are 100% safe at home, investing in a monitored alarm system is a wonderful idea, both for your security as well as your peace of mind. Monitored systems can keep an eye on more than just who is coming and going, as they can monitor the environmental conditions as well, which can help to keep you safe from flood, fire or even gas leaks as well.
