Smart homes – previously only something your saw in a sci fi flick, controlling your home by computer is now within the realm of possibility. The concept is not something new. As you will see from the infographic provided bySafeAtLast, the concept has been around since the sixties.
For quite some time now, we have had apps that allow us to check the cameras within our homes and control some smart appliances.
What has changed, however, is the way that we communicate with those smart devices and how they can now communicate with one another. Improvements in tech have led to an increase in the number of smart devices.
That, in turn, has made companies more aware that smart devices need to be able to communicate effectively with one another. Advances in tech have led to the rise of smart hubs – centers from which you can control all the smart devices that you own.
Instead of having to worry that you buy all your devices from the same supplier, you can now use an assortment of manufacturers. The tech should all work together reasonably well.
Currently, smart tech is most used to control:
Locks
Thermostats/ Fans
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Lighting
But these applications really are only the tip of the iceberg. We already have smart fridges that can keep track of the food placed in them. This is still in its infancy, so, for now, it means functions that are more a novelty than practical.
For example, playing music or sending photos from the fridge but you can also do useful things like compile shopping lists or create reminders. It’s just a start, though. Imagine a fridge that knows you’re running short of milk and automatically puts in an order.
Even that will be a run-of-the-mill feature in the smart homes of tomorrow.
For most of us, selecting the perfect home design is one of the most crucial decisions we will ever make. Get it wrong and not only will this impact the comfort of everyday life, but there can be a costly flow on effect which may mean a lower selling price down the track.
One example of this may be a family with young children underestimating the living space they will require once the kids turn into teenagers or the number of bathrooms they can comfortably live with.
Extending a home is an expensive exercise with many ‘up and out’ extensions costing the equivalent of a new home.
Visiting display homes can overwhelm the senses, and it can be too easy to fall in love with the interior aesthetics whilst ignoring its design shortfalls.
By arming yourself with a clear picture of what your family needs prior to visiting display homes, you can identify floor plans and layouts which will optimise your comfort, family enjoyment and social interactions.
The exceptional home designs in Sydney by Hoot Homes are one example of how modern builders are reflecting this new demand by buyers seeking a residence which is designed for 21st century living.
Question time
By asking yourself a few pertinent questions, you can pinpoint facets of the floor plan which are non-negotiable.
Try a few of these questions on for size:
Do you have a young family?
Is your family growing or shrinking?
Will a home business or hobby mean extra rooms and storage requirements?
Is entertaining guests a high priority? If so, what type of functions do you prefer? . . . Formal dining rooms are becoming obsolete in many home designs. Unless dinner parties are a regular feature on your calendar, a theatre or rumpus room may be a more practical inclusion.
Will aging parents or long term guests be a part of your future living arrangements? . . . Many buyers are now opting for two master suites – one on the lower level and one on the upper.
Where do you want to ‘spend your space allowance’? . . . Many people opt for larger master suites at the expense of upstairs family rooms which are often underutilised.
Flow and function
The flow between principal rooms of a home are the vital aspects contributing to livability and the functionality of the living areas.
The relationship between the kitchen and entertaining zones is of particular importance to encourage socialisation and promote family interaction.
Pay particular attention to the layout of the master bedroom. Do you have to walk through the wardrobe to get to the bathroom?
This can be inconvenient in many households. Is a separate toilet required to prevent the bathroom from being monopolised?
If your block is situated on a main road or busy intersection, would the bedrooms be best situated to the rear of the home for privacy and to reduce noise?
The shape of things
When building on your own land, one of the most crucial aspects of the design is understanding how the house will work on your specific block.
Will the house design fit comfortably and allow for adequate outdoor leisure areas?
If your block is shallow and wide or conversely narrow and deep, it stands to reason that only specific house designs will be accommodated, particularly if there are building restrictions on the block.
Take into account easements, boundaries and / or shared areas. Other considerations, particularly if your block is narrow, shallow or oddly shaped, should include:
Placement of the garage. For narrow blocks this may mean placing the garage to the front of the home which may impact both the orientation of the driveway and the facade.
Balconies and overhangs
Privacy issues for neighbouring homes
Placement of external features such as pool, structures and leisure zones
Visibility and line of sight to gardens and swimming pool (important to parents of young children)
Many buyers are now demanding mud rooms and butlers pantries to provide solutions to their storage needs.
Don’t forget things such as bicycles, sporting equipment and tools, which can clutter a garage and impinge on floor area.
A well-designed home is a pleasure to live in.
It should make family life easier, while also encouraging interaction and socialisation.
There is a wide divide between what a young family demands and what empty nesters may require from their home.
By arming yourself with a clear list of prerequisites, you can build a dream home which will take you through the now and also cater for any unexpected surprises in the future.
Wouldn’t it be great if you can decorate your home so it screams your personality?
You’ve worked hard to achieve the home your heart wants, and you wouldn’t want it to look like any generic showroom. You want something that shows your personal touch.
You can do this in two ways – first is by hiring an interior designer; or second is, doing the decorating yourself.
Now the first option calls for sufficient budget but if doing it yourself excites you, here are some tips to get you started.
Start small. Begin by adding quirky shaped objects on display. The easiest step to give your home a unique look is to display lanterns, sculptures, or figurines with exciting shapes. Take note that you don’t need to burn your pockets since you can look for interesting objects to display from thrift stores or bargain sales. Your best bet would be eBay and Craigslist.
Look for balance. If you’ve chosen to add pretty colors and prints in a particular room, you want to make sure that a few things look plain. If you’re using a variety of patterns and prints in your curtains or rugs, keep a small table or a rustic stool nearby to neutralize the different patterns.
Think layers. If you can make a plain outfit look chicer by adding a scarf, you can apply this concept to your home, too! Think about draping strikingly beautiful fabrics around your plain sofa. Try a crocheted afghan or a quilted blanket with fun colors. This will make a cozy resting spot in your home. You can also add rustic looking rugs to add to that nostalgic look to your space.
Mix and match. The idea to make your home look unique isn’t to limit yourself to a single style. Think about pairing modern pieces with classic ones. It brings about a fresh and unique look. The variety of things won’t clash but will complement each other and harmonize.
Take advantage of vintage. You know how something a little worn out can exude that feeling of comfort and warmth? Aside from giving an area a pretty vintage look, most of these items are well-built and functional.
Add more storage. Put together non-matching pieces of cases to create a new look. Don’t be scared in breaking the rules on what furniture goes well together. While doing this, keep one common element common in them like using shades of the same color. This will prevent your room from looking like there’s too many things going on.
Update old furniture. Take that vintage chair and repaint it to give it a fresh new look while adding fun into a space in your home. You can also update an old bed frame and still use it in your bedroom. However, you need to check the measurements of antique bed frames as there’s a chance that it may be differently-sized. Add a super cool Vision Bedding piece to complete the look.
Consider wallpaper. Using wallpaper is another simple way to make a space unique especially if you’re creative enough to style using it. And remember, you don’t have to cover the whole room to get the results you want!
Try adding drama to a room. The idea is to add a stylish seat in a room so that it’s the first object you see when you enter it. Using a similar shade as your present furniture, it’d look beautiful and natural at home.
Choose a chandelier. You can maybe add a modern light to mix or match other furniture in a room. Try also adding a mirror to give the illusion of space.
Use a big bed in a cute room. As long as the top of the bed is six inches away from the ceiling, a large bed won’t drown the space in a bedroom. Although wallpaper will do, a plain and light colored wall will accentuate the geometry of the bed to create a stunning effect.
Add a peculiar sculpture. A quirky statue placed in a noticeable spot is sure to let out some smiles and maybe a few questions. Again, this piece doesn’t have to break the bank. If you’re lucky, you can get a grand bargain from garage sales!
Try placing an open table in a spacious room. Use this to hold some stunning pieces of art or put a lamp or candles – anything your heart tells you! You’ll be surprised at the warmth and interest it will add to an otherwise dull space.
Summing things up, whether you want to improve just one corner or the whole house, the ideas are limitless!
The 3D style in visual arts has been around for quite some time, and now it is being applied for real estate marketing for many reasons.
3D rendering simply means creating a three-dimensional image using a computer.
One of the more popular things where 3D rendering is applied would be in animation, like those in feature films of Pixar and Dreamworks such as Toy Story.
Using 3d models & rendering in the construction industry is more preferred than 2D CAD drawings simply because of the more realistic feel to it.
Three-dimensional images can better present size and texture of the object it is representing and is generally more pleasing and interesting.
Reasons why 3D Rendering is a Big Hit in Real Estate
The use of three-dimensional presentations is a big hit in real estate marketing.
It is proven that 3D rendering and real estate are very much compatible especially since these produced images are very versatile in the field.
1. It is more Engaging
Picture this, you are looking to buy a house in a new development that isn’t built yet and the sales rep gives you a brochure.
In the brochure is only 2d black and white blueprints.
Do you think it would sell well? I don’t.
With that said, in real estate marketing, 3D rendering makes way for a more in-depth experience to the audience of the presentation.
The audience, or those who the presentation is being given to, would feel more immersed into a 3D model than with a two-dimensional CAD plan.
It gives a better sense of what the building will look like.
2. It is More Realistic
Marketing real estate is not at all an easy feat.
Property is a big investment and it would be hard to convince audience in buying or investing in a property especially if that certain property is yet to be finished.
To successfully market a house or building, there’s a need to establish its reality.
Take note of the first word in real estate. How can you convince someone to invest in a property by giving them abstract representations?
Figures, statistics, and analytics, might be key points in pitching property, but everything should be founded on the idea that it is real.
Something realistic is definitely more convincing.
3. It is Very Versatile Throughout the Process
3D rendering isn’t only used for real estate marketing; it can be used in construction and designing.
It can be re-purposed along the way because of its realistic and interactive nature.
Have a chat with Render Vision and they can discuss some of the uses for your visuals.
4. Staging: Enhancing an Empty House
Presenting a design for a property that is yet to be constructed isn’t the only purpose of 3D rendering; it can also be used by real estate photographers to enhance existing photographs by adding in 3D furniture.
This is called virtual staging. The traditional way of staging is both very tedious and costly.
Hiring furniture for a day just for photos consumes too much time and resources.
This is where 3D rendering comes in, virtual furniture can be put over pictures of the empty property taken by real estate photographers.
Yes, it’s that simple.
The real estate market has always been very competitive, which is why more are changing their approach to reach out to prospective clients.
Technology, as it does on other lines of business, plays a big part in innovations in real estate Marketing.
It looks like 3 wall plugs with a screw in the one on the left. . . . . but lets hear what the Art Gallery says;
Things aren’t always quite what they seem. Susan Collis creates small, subversive rips in the institutional façade, offering unexpected payoffs for close attention.
Here, faced with a bare wall punctured by three rawlplugs and a single screw, her triumphant title is strangely incongruous.
Was a work left in storage by mistake? . . . Removed for repairs? . . . Stolen?
In fact, what looks accidental, even shoddy, is carefully calculated – those unsightly plugs contain delicate turquoise inlays, while the ‘forgotten’ screw is cast in 18-carat white gold, set with a sparkling white sapphire.
It’s an elegant ruse, honouring the messy, essential work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the illusion of the Gallery’s white cube intact and also reminding us that what we value often depends entirely on perspective.
Size isn’t everything, and treasure can be found in unexpected places.
Now more than ever, we as a population are looking for as many life hacks as we can find to help us on our journey towards more sustainable living.
With some shocking evidence about climate change revealed by scientists in recent times, the hustle towards environmentally friendly living has never been as strong as it is now.
One of the many routes towards sustainable living is by harvesting rainwater and utilising it for your daily activities.
Whether you choose to use a poly tank, a concrete tank or a metal tank, utilising rainwater is one of the best ways we can conserve this precious resource.
In this article, we will look into how you can go about doing so, so read on to find out more!
Understanding Just How Much Rainfall Capacity Your Roof Can Capture
Obviously, it is important for us to know just how much water we will be able to capture, and this is highly dependent on the amount of rainfall in your area as well as the surface area of your roof.
A simple formula you can use to figure this out is
Estimated average annual capture amount (KL) = Roof Area (in m2) x average annual rainfall (in millimeters)/1000.
Alternatively, you can hop online and calculate exactly what sized water tank you will need in order to be not just sustainable, but efficiently sustainable.
Understand Water Sources
When it comes to water sources, the main two contributors will be rainwater and stormwater.
Water collected from your rooftop is considered rainwater, the higher quality of the two.
This is the water that you will want to use for chores such as washing your car and washing clothes.
In fact, you can even use rainwater for cooking and drinking if it is properly maintained.
When it comes to stormwater, this is water that flows over the ground and down pavements – ideal for outdoor usage, garden and in toilets.
On top of these two water sources, many also choose to utilise recycled wastewater.
Recycled wastewater is the water you use to flush toilets, wash your dishes, in the shower and for washing clothes.
Reusing this water will help you save even more when it comes to water bills.
Do keep in mind that this will require you to have separate wastewater tanks and water will need to be treated, filtered and sanitised before you can use it.
This may seem a little inconvenient, but considering more than half of the water you use at home ends up as wastewater, you’ll be taking sustainable living to the next level by utilising it.
Remember That Tanks Require Maintenance
Having a rainwater tank, like any other appliance or vehicle you may have, will need the occasional maintenance check or job.
You can avoid having to do this too often by always ensuring that your gutters are kept clean and by using a first-flush diverter to collect the first flow of rainwater from your roof before it even goes into your tank.
These diverters will assist in significantly reducing the amount of contaminants, dust, pollution and other nasties such as bird droppings from your tank, resulting in you not having to maintain it more than necessary.
Ideally, you’ll want to do a maintenance check at least once a year and ensure that your downpipes are properly set up as this will greatly reduce the build up of any sludge in your tank.
Health and Safety First!
Now, whilst we are all for sustainable living, we are even more focused on ensuring that your health is of top priority.
Do take note that if you live in the city or in an urban area, it is highly recommended that you avoid drinking your rainwater as higher levels of harmful pollution may be present in your water (think of all the cars and how much pollution they emit!).
On the flipside, if you live in an older town/older home that may have lead flashing on the roof, it will be too dangerous for you to consume the water that you collect from the roof.
In these situations, it is best to utilise your rainwater for tasks such as washing the car, in the toilets and anything that does not require high quality water.
We hope that this article has been helpful in giving you some insight into how you can shift towards a more sustainable lifestyle by utilising rainwater tanks.
