Most people living in Perth are working with a small outdoor area.

Whether it is a narrow courtyard between terraces in the eastern suburbs or a balcony on the fourth floor of an apartment building, the assumption is usually that the options for doing something worthwhile with the space are pretty limited.

That is not really true.

Some of the best gardens we have created at Garden Spec have been in tiny areas. A small limestone-paved courtyard with the right planting can feel far more considered and enjoyable than a large backyard that has never been properly designed.

Small spaces reward careful thought in a way that larger gardens often do not.

Deciding to put your property on the market can be a nerve-wracking affair.

You might have a figure in your mind that you’d like to get, but it might be far different from what real estate agents believe you will achieve.

If you’re trying to get maximum bang for your buck, why not look at landscaping?

Small, inexpensive changes could equate to significant increases in value; hiring professional, experienced landscapers can dramatically improve your return on investment.

If you require extra storage space for your personal belongings, commercial storage units might be the perfect solution. However, many myths have been created surrounding storage unit rental that can make it difficult to know what to expect. In this blog post, we aim to debunk ten of the most common myths about storage unit facilities in the hope that you make any decision regarding renting them with confidence.

Myth #1: Commercial Storage Units Are Only For Business Use

One of the most common myths about commercial storage units is that they are only meant for business users and not for individuals. That is not the case, and, in reality, secure storage units can be used by anyone who needs extra storage space, whether it is for personal belongings or business inventory. Specific examples are when moving home, during home renovations, or a life event occurs such as needing to store items for a new baby.

There are numerous ways in which carpet cleaning can be done in homes and businesses. Still, one method provides many more benefits than others: steam cleaning and exceptionally professional carpet steam cleaning. Whilst you can buy or hire carpet steam cleaners and do the work yourself, you will always find the best results when you hire a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your carpets.

We say that not to suggest that you would not do a good job of steam cleaning your carpets; however, given that professional carpet cleaners are likely to use the best equipment and have experience in steam cleaning all kinds of carpets, it stands to reason that letting the pros steam clean your carpets will invariably produce the best outcome in terms of clean carpets.

As for how you and those who live or work with you will benefit when you call in a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your carpets, the good news is that there are several benefits. Read on, and you will discover the top five benefits of professionally steam-cleaned carpets.

When it comes to using SEO to help increase the search engine rankings of your interior design business’s website, much of the attention might be on text and backlinks, and that is understandable given how important these are to SEO. However, as the SEO specialists at www.seoperthexperts.com.au advise their clients, the images on a website can contribute hugely to SEO, and they must not be overlooked.

One of the reasons they are often overlooked, even by some who claim to be SEO experts, is that much of SEO is based on text, and an image does not have text…or does it? Well, it can do, and as we are about to explain, there are ways in which you can optimise the images on your interior design business website to aid your SEO, and ultimately improve your search engine rankings.

The first point we must make about images that their use alone can help your rankings. For example, imagine a visitor landing on your website, and all they see is loads of text, with a random image here and there which adds nothing to the page. How long would you expect them to stick around? Not long, is the answer, and this alone harms your rankings.

If your office or business carpets are dirty, it sends the wrong message to customers. It says ‘take your business elsewhere!

After all, if your company can’t sort out something as simple as carpet cleaning, why should customers trust you to care for their business needs?

Office carpets often get a lot of wear and tear due to heavy foot traffic, so having a lot of dirt and grime in your carpets is quite normal.

Landscaping can be about more than adding a few flower beds and edging your lawns. With the right team of professional landscapers on board, it can be a significant undertaking that transforms your yard for your long-term benefit. However, did you know that some yard additions could require a permit? Read on to learn more about what may and may not need to be run through your local council.

Verandah

There’s no better place to enjoy the sunshine than on your very own verandah or deck. However, if you intend on adding this to your existing abode, then you require a permit. A building contract is also recommended. You will not need a registered builder to carry out the work, but someone skilled in landscape design could make the process go a lot smoother.

Garden Shed

You now have a garden of which you can be proud, but where do you store all the tools of the trade? It might be time to build a garden shed. However, this is yet another addition that could require a permit.

If your shed is on a rural or large property, has no drainage, electricity, or plumbing, and is shorter than 2.1 metres, it may not require one.

Building a new home or renovating your existing home can be a very fun and rewarding process, especially if it’s the first time you’ve done it. However, it can also be hard. According to Limestone Blocks Perth and Stone Cladding supplier, Meteor Stone, choosing the right building materials and design can be stressful and time-consuming, and many people end up with a home that they’re not completely happy with because of this.

One of the most popular and versatile building materials is stone cladding. It can be used on a range of internal or external surfaces, and it provides a very tough, durable and stylish finish.

There are two main styles of stone cladding – smooth and rough. These styles also come in a range of different textures, patterns and colours, but pretty much all stone cladding can be defined by whether it’s smooth or rough. Choosing the right style for your home or verandah can be hard, which is why I’ve put together the following short list of pros and cons for both smooth and rough stone cladding.

Rough Stone Cladding

In general, rough stone cladding is used in outdoors areas. Rough cut stone is designed to look somewhat natural, without artificially smooth surfaces.

The average yard size has shrunk by as much as 26 percent since the 1970s. Not only has our need for larger homes increased, but the sections on which they are built are getting smaller too. As a result, more and more people are turning to garden pots to give them a sense of garden, instead of sprawling lawns and immaculate flower plots.

Garden pots are the epitome of versatility. Not only can they blend in with an established garden, but can take on the form of one when apartment life sees a real one impossible. The market for garden pots is growing by the day, and so is the variety.

You can now walk into a store only to find yourself overwhelmed by the selection. So, how do you know which garden pots are for you? Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Where Will I Put it?

The location of your new garden pot can be the deciding factor. It has to complement its surroundings, blend in with your lawn, but stand out at the same time. For example, you would choose an edgy, contemporary pot for a formal setting, but a traditional garden pot for a cottage-like setting. How much space you have can dictate its size too.

There’s a wide range of things that you need to think about when you’re choosing the right style of glass pool fencing for your home.

Although most traditional pool fences have been built with something of a tubular metal design, it’s important to realise that there are a lot more modern, stylish options out there. Glass is just one of these.

Choosing between the different types of pool fencing that’s made with glass can be hard.

Modern businesses face a lot of threats during their day to day running. Some of these – such as extreme weather events – are uncontrollable and unpredictable. Others – such as fire – can be prevented by consulting fire protection experts like Integral Fire Protection and then doing things like installing fire extinguishers and developing fire action plans.

As an employer or business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your business is protected from fire. You need to reduce the risk of a fire breaking out, and you need to make sure that everyone on site understands what they need to do if a fire does happen. You need to install fire protection equipment throughout your building, and you need to make sure that it remains up to date and well maintained.

Our top 4 ways to make sure that your business is protected from fire include:

1. Make sure your employees are trained in fire safety:

This is one the most important things that you can do, as well-trained employees will know how to respond to a fire if one does break out. Consider enrolling them in a fire safety course through your local training provider, or employ a fire safety officer to visit your workplace for a day or two.

If you own a residential or commercial building which is used by numerous people, the chances are that you are responsible for both maintenance and cleaning communal areas.

Although you may choose to do the cleaning yourself, you will find it much easier to employ a professional commercial cleaner especially if you have large areas to clean.

Using your kitchen to accentuate your cooking talents might mean a kitchen remodel. If you go down that path, make sure that you get more than just the visual aesthetic value, but also the new kitchen helps you cook and bake at your best. This is where custom-built cabinets for your kitchen and a great cabinet maker are the solution.

Love Cooking and Baking?

Items that you use on a consistent basis should have their own designed spaces in the kitchen. It’s not only about where you place and store your kitchen tools and appliances, but how you access them…easily. If baking is your thing, and you have a stand mixer, you should think about having a place specifically designed to store and access it. Another handy thing to do in the kitchen is to have power points where you need them. Then you are not moving things around the kitchen to make space.

What a waste of space

Once you have custom cabinets fitted, that is the end of wasted space. Creativity with your cabinet maker and designer will result in unique storage ideas to fill every nook and cranny. We all need a special spot to hide the Tuppwerware and smaller bowls, utensils and anything else you can fit. Perhaps a small corner space turned into a set of drawers.

I’m a реrfесtіоnіѕt. Alwауѕ have been. And ѕоmеtіmеѕ іt drіvеѕ mе сrаzу.

There isn’t enough time in the day to be perfect in everything, so I prioritise. I paid most attention to my performance at what I do, my schooling, being a good dad, my personal appearance and cleanliness in my home and car.

The area of perfection I want to address here is how good my home looks.

Landscaping is an art that beautifies your home and makes it more conducive to living. Everything that’s treated as an art isn’t just about the “creativity.” It also needs to be logical — and smart. You come up with a beautifully manicured garden when you merge creativity with logic. Thus, you need to have a smart landscape design. Here’s a list of the smartest and easiest gardening ideas for the not-so-green-thumbed:

Maintain the focal points

Standing out is different from sticking out because the latter doesn’t go with the flow. According to experienced landscape designers, you must ensure that your landscaping design has a focal point that complements its environment. A repeated texture, shape, or color greatly helps. It should capture people’s attention and make them want to look at it for as long as possible without feeling bored. The purpose here is to move through the garden experience seamlessly.

Always have movement

Movement is key to having a great landscaping design. You want to add movement so that your garden will have life. Gardens aren’t like paintings that you just hang on a wall. It’s an environment where you interact. You can add flowers to attract butterflies, or perhaps have an ornamental grass that sways gently in the breeze.

A report out today says that the 5 most stressful things in life include making a speech in public, and at number three?  Moving house! If it’s your first time move, then the stress is tenfold.

The amount of organisation, the strain emotionally, and just imagining all the new things you have to adapt to in your new home are the main drivers of stress.

You may think that a Shade Sails Perth installation business is quite simple and so there is no real need for insurance, after all, you always take care when you are working, right? You may take care, but it’s far better to have insurance anyway, because other people don’t always take the same care that you do.

Public liability insurance

What if you were installing a sail in a public area such as a park, and a jogger came along listening to their music and stepped right into that hole you just dug for the post? They couldn’t hear your warning because they had their ear buds in. Even though it was basically their own fault, they could still sue you and very likely win. Your business would quickly go down the drain without public liability insurance. This also covers you for accidental damage caused by you as you work.

Nobody looks forward to having a household plumbing problem, but it’s a common enough occurrence. Many people don’t know the basics of choosing a professional plumber.  Either they just want the problem fixed as quickly as possible by anybody listed as a plumber, or they have never had a plumbing problem before. When a plumbing problem arises, it’s not always as easy as going online or checking your local directory and picking a random plumber to do the job. That could be a severe mistake. When hiring a plumber there are certain qualities you should look for.

Licence

Is your plumber fully licensed for the service you want him to perform? Gas fittings and water pipes are separate qualifications requiring separate licensing.

Are they local? You can’t tell from the phone number if it’s a mobile. There are not too many plumbers running around the neighbourhood who are not licensed at all. What’s the big deal about the licence? It means that the plumber will adhere to a strict set of service codes set by state and national legislation. That means the work carried out is to a set standard. Should the standard not be met, then the customer has the option of taking legal action. The chances of you hiring an unlicensed plumber in Western Australia is highly unlikely, but a handyman who offers to do plumbing work might be such a scenario.

If you don’t have a verandah you may think that adding one to your house would cost far too much, but this is not necessarily so. It is possible to get a verandah on a budget and it does not need to look ‘cheap’. Much depends on the materials used, but labour is a big part of the cost also. Another thing that might bump up the cost is the location of patios or the verandah – that is, if it is at ground level or raised high off the ground. The ground level one is the cheaper, since it will not need as much material to provide support and it need not have balustrades. Here are some tips to reduce the cost of the verandah.

• Use timber flooring if the verandah is above ground level. You may be able to access enough boards from a recycling centre.
• Use a polished concrete finish if the floor is at ground level. This is low maintenance, strong and durable. It is also ideal if you use steel support posts.
• Use roofing materials that have good spanning abilities to reduce the need for supporting framework. Steel is a good choice.

Many suburban homes these days have steel panel fencing to give privacy and because it is very difficult for intruders to climb. In addition, it prevents dogs from trying to fight each other through the fence because they can’t see each other. Fencing contractors can put this type of fence up quickly and easily, but you may want a different type of fence for the front.

While steel fencing has many advantages, even providing some shelter from cold winds for children playing outside, it does nothing to add street appeal to the front of the home. Many homeowners like to have a different kind of fence for the front, while some don’t even have a fence there at all.

Having no front fence certainly allows the beauty of the garden to show up, but in fact it makes all the front area useless as far as children and pets go. With no fence at the front you don’t dare let kids out there to play because they would be sure to run onto the road, or be exposed to other dangers. Pets would certainly wander away.

Anyone with a swimming pool will know that they have to be kept clean so the pH of the water is maintained and it is safe to swim in. Automatic pool cleaners are one of the best ways to ensure debris is removed and your pool does not develop mould on the walls or floor.  Having your cleaner chugging away will remove most of the debris from the bottom of the pool, making it much easier to keep clean.

It’s not that hard to scoop leaves and other floating rubbish from the top of the pool when you use a long handled scoop, but it tends to sink after a few hours in the water, so anything that blows in after dark will likely sink before morning. Getting it up off the bottom of the pool is very difficult with a scoop.

Many blocks of ground are situated on sloping and sometimes very steep ground. Such blocks still need to have fencing, but expert landscapers will tell you that there are more challenges to overcome on such a block. First you must take care to implement sustainable practices to preserve the ground and any surrounding habitat, especially if the block is located in the mountains where diverse flora and fauna occur.

When the block is steep, it’s important not to dig a deep trench straight down as this can cause erosion during heavy rain if it storms before the fence is finished. It can not only wash away half your topsoil, but affect properties that are located below yours.

The two main methods of erecting a fence on a slope are raked – sometimes called racked – and stepped.

Raked fence: this is when the fence rails remain parallel to the ground, but the picket posts are upright, which means they are not fixed square on to the rails. The advantage of this method is that the fence is low to the ground all the way along, so it will keep pets in. However, it is not always suitable for a very steep slope. For a raked installation the drop should be no more than 6 inches or 12cm per 6 foot or two metres of fencing. When finished, this type of fence would have a smoothly sloping top, rather like the handrail of an escalator.

If you are looking for ways to incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle, a good place to start is with food.  Since we don’t have a choice about buying food, it’s important to buy well and make other important food choices in order to become eco friendly. Here are some tips in how to implement environmentally friendly habits with food – and encourage your children to do the same.

• Only buy what you need of perishable items.
• If the fruit you purchase is getting riper by the hour and no one wants to eat it, cook it. Stewed apple, peaches and plums, baked bananas and orange juice in cakes or icing will all save that fruit going to waste. You can even stew and freeze it for later on.
• Train your children to eat what is in the house, rather than refusing it and wanting something different.

These days with air travel so fast and easy, it’s no wonder our world is referred to as a global village. We can quickly visit places like Bali and enjoy a change of culture and scenery.  We can get many great ideas from such countries and implement them in our own when we return home. Outdoor furniture is a prime example. Bali has many fine examples of furniture that they use out of doors for the comfort of their guests.

Enjoying rest and relaxation as well as the excitement of all that Bali has to offer is a great way to spend a week or two.  You might wish you could bring some of that beautiful furniture home with you, but of course, it is too large and heavy to take to the airport, even if the plane would accept it. If you are truly dedicated to the idea you might use up a few days of holiday time in finding out how to import it to your own country.

However, there is a much easier way – one that does not use up your precious holidays.  Many Australian furniture stores already import outdoor furniture from places such as Indonesia and Bali. It would be far easier to wait until you return home and purchase the furniture you like from one of these stores. They have already done the hard yards of importing furniture. They have the right contacts in those other countries that enable them to import what they want and get a whole container full of furniture – or several – all at once.

Dreaming Kitchens

When you’re flicking through the pages of some décor magazines, it is easy to imagine how your ideal kitchen would look in your home. The reality is that most these days are sold as prefabricated modular units. You can see them in the big hardware stores, all laid out in a specific way. The problem with these is that you don’t always have the option of where everything is stored. The manufacturer determines the layouts; therefore, to make everything fit, you have to work around their kitchen design. If you’d rather stand out, you might choose a custom-made kitchen specifically designed. This will allow you to select particular design elements that may be a little more. Keep reading for kitchen design advice from the experts themselves at Kitchen Professionals.

Your Personal Kitchen Designer

By utilising an experienced kitchen designer, you get complete control over your kitchen layout and choice of materials. You are only limited by the physical space of your existing kitchen and your imagination. You can get many ideas from DIY stores, showrooms and magazines and then adopt these into your own kitchen.

Shade sails have many advantages as they provide a cooler area to your property so you can enjoy the outdoors more. They also cut glare and keep the home cooler if installed in the right place. While there are also a few disadvantages, most of these can be avoided by installing the sail in the correct way and in the correct place for your situation.

• Don’t install a sail under a tree, or even under a single branch. Why? The debris that falls off the tree will fall onto the sail and accumulate. This will discolour the sail and make it sag and droop. It can also cause mould or mildew to form, which will look ugly. Plus, having dried up leaves and twigs piled into the centre of the sail can be a fire hazard. It’s important to have the sail installed by an experienced professional to get the angle right. This will allow water and debris to run or blow off.

Regardless of the type of service you are searching for, reputable, professional removal companies know what to do. They do local, interstate, and international relocations all the time.

It is important to determine the service you want and how you want it rendered. After this, let your removalist take over.

If you have a small business or even a home business you’ll need at least some furniture for the office to ensure it looks professional, especially if you have clients coming in and out. Furniture that is made especially for an office is best and can be purchased from most furniture stores.  It is best because it has been designed to hold the things an office needs and to fit your legs into the space in front of the chair.

Without the right design, you will never be comfortable enough to do the kind of work you envisaged – and neither will your employees. Office furniture that is both comfortable, ergonomic and looks nice is more expensive than rubbish, so how can you save on the cost of nice office furniture? There are several ways.

People often ask themselves whether they need to employ a landscape designer for the garden renovation or improvement project they have in mind. Others may consider whether they are going to need professional landscapers for a particular construction project that they are working on.

With regard to hiring landscape specialist, it will certainly depend on the task at hand. Where one project might be specifically geared toward needing a landscape architect, another might need a couple of gardeners or labourers to do the grunt work so that your plan can be realised.

Perhaps by looking at some scenarios it might help to know which particular one could use some real professional help and which one might just need a landscape contractor to help you with the project.

A beautiful and functional kitchen design is worth every investment according to Perth cabinet makers Colray Cabinets. The kitchen is the heartbeat of all festivity, a core to every family gathering, and the beat of every party. When the kitchen is well designed eating becomes an enjoyable experience. However, selecting the right kitchen design is never easy. It involves more significant purposes other than comfort and aesthetics.

The following are the qualities of an ideal kitchen design.

Ample space
Food preparation and cooking requires ample space for free movement. Therefore, a good kitchen design should provide enough space for at least 3 people to work in without crowding.

Storage
A good kitchen design should support proper storage of utensil and all the other things used in the kitchen. It should feature well-organized kitchen drawers and cabinets. Most of the designs in the modern world feature great looking cabinets which are so high up.

Such designs limit maximization and are not readily usable. When choosing a kitchen design do not be impressed by fancy, instead get a design that will inspire great purpose and accessibility.