Home Improvement

Choosing a venue is one of the most important decisions you will make when planning a party. Choosing a large enough space that will fit your guests is a must. You will want to keep location in mind for attendees travelling.

There are many questions to ask when choosing a venue. The big question is what will your budget allow? Choosing the right spot isn’t always easy. A smaller budget often forces you to get creative. Consider a party venue close to home with Marquee Hire Bristol. Find out more at Good Intents, a Marquee Hire Bristol company.

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The best way to determine which venues are a good fit is to discuss your requirements with the venue in advance. It’s also helpful to have floor plans of the space in hand. This will help you visualise your event.

It’s also a good idea to check out the onsite amenities. Some venues provide catering, an in house DJ or decorating services, for example.

It’s also a good time to ask about their music policies. The venue you choose should be able to accommodate performers and let you know about any sound restrictions. If you plan to drink, ask if your chosen venue has a full alcohol licence.

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Finally, if you are hosting a large event, make sure to ask about the availability of free parking. Insufficient parking can lead to traffic congestion and late arrivals, two ills that you want to avoid when organising a happy occasion.

There’s nothing like getting home from work on a cold winter’s day after being wrapped up from head to toe in a woolly hat, long scarf, heavy coat, thick socks, and knee length boots and then stepping into your warm and cosy hallway.  Immediately your whole day is brighter, and you feel happier as the glow from your previously cold cheeks is echoed in the glow of the coal effect gas fire in the sitting room.  Each room you pass through to get to the kitchen, to make yourself a hot cup of tea, is warm and so you take off your boots and let your feet slide into a pair of fluffy pink slippers.  The tap water is piping hot and the bathroom cosy for you to take a lovely hot shower before popping on your favourite pair of Christmas pyjamas and dressing gown.

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Thank goodness you had the forethought to have your boiler and central heating system serviced before the cold weather kicked in!  With new Copper Pipe Fittings supplied by a professional company such as watkinspowis.co.uk and your boiler working like new you have complete peace of mind that your home will be warm and cosy all over the winter. Houses of all shapes and sizes can be kept warm with an A rated gas boiler and central heating system.  As long as you have the radiators, pipework and boiler fitted, checked, and serviced by a fully qualified gas engineer every year you shouldn’t have any expensive repairs to worry about.

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Of course, things sometimes do go wrong, and your water pressure may drop, or a radiator may not get as hot as it should, it’s in these circumstances that you need to call out your fully qualified gas engineer to check your central heating system properly. Lots of families who rely on their central heating systems have an insurance plan in place so that if anything does go wrong then a qualified engineer will call and fix the problem quickly.  Without central heating you may have to rely on electric fan heaters or night storage heating to keep your house warm, this can prove costly especially this year, when gas and electricity suppliers are having to put their prices up and the forecast is for even more price rises in the future.

The winter is a time that we all feel a little worse – the cold the darker days, the lack of outdoor activities and fun. As well as us, your home can also suffer the effects of the winter – in particular the roof. Although it is a part of the home that we don’t really give that much thought to, it is vitally important and never more so than in the winter months as it keeps us warm and dry. Checking your roof in the winter is important – here are the winter weather conditions that can cause problems…

Rain – Rain is something that can be problematic all year round but in the winter in particular it is something to look out for. We usually experience periods of heavy rainfall and even flooding in the winter which, if a roof is already in need of repair can lead to leaks in the roof which can cause damp indoors and damage the electrics – roof sealant like this www.ct1.com/product-applications/ct1-the-ultimate-roof-sealant/ is a good thing to have in just in case this happens during rainy weather.

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Wind – High winds are another wintery problem and if you have trees nearby beware – keep an eye out for any signs of them being blown down as they could land on the roof of your home. It is also possible that high winds could dislodge tiles from the roof.

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Ice and Snow – Ice and snow are a treat for sledgers and people who want to build snowmen but not so much for the roof! The expanding ice can cause problems for the roof, working its way into cracks and making them bigger.

It is nice to spend time out in the garden on those hot summer days – but one problem that can crop up from time to time is a bad smell coming from the drains. Not only is this unpleasant when you want to spend time outdoors enjoying the sunshine, but it also could indicate other problems going on below the ground, which could worsen in the future.

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Updating our homes and gardens became a national pastime during lockdown. Many of us found ourselves spending much more time at home. Whilst updating our homes gives us a lift, the future still looks uncertain, making it more desirable than ever to carry out improvements on a budget. We look at five easy hacks you can use to update your living room without breaking the bank.

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Flooring

Laminate wood flooring such as that from https://www.irwintiles.ie/wooden-flooring/laminate-flooring.html flooring/laminate-flooring.html is a quick, straightforward and cost-effective way of giving your living room a complete makeover. A new laminate wooden floor will make your living room bright and modern. Wooden floors look instantly cosy and are simple to keep clean. They are hard-wearing, practical for pets and children and require little to no maintenance.

Plants

If you do not already have house plants in your living space, these can be added to provide texture, interest and a relaxing atmosphere. House plants are available in garden centres and DIY stores, but you may be able to get cuttings for free if you ask around friends and family.

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Feature Walls

A bold, contrasting wall remains popular. The current trend is for a dark colour such as navy blue, forest green or charcoal grey. Adding a painted feature wall is a weekend project which needs only a small budget. The dark colour will add depth to your room, and it will make the other colours in your room ‘pop’. Plants look particularly good against dark feature walls, as do metallic accessories.

Colour Blocking

A tired living space can be made to look more stylish if you have a colour theme running through it. You could take the colour of your feature wall or sofa and use this to match accessories such as throws, cushions and a rug.

Revamp Existing Furniture

If your furniture is scratched or stained, then a revamp will be much cheaper than replacing it. Furniture paint is available from DIY stores and can be used to paint furniture in the colour of your choice. Painting mismatched furniture can help to bring a room together and give you a much more stylish look for a fraction of the price of new items. You can use the same paint to cover photograph frames and mirrors to help tie the look together.