Villeroy & Boch Tableware

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fixer-Uppers: Project Management 101

Your goal in real estate investing should be to make the most profit in the least amount of time using as little of your money as possible. Buying fixer-uppers and renovating them for resale is an excellent way to increase your profits. But how do you avoid becoming a renovator and losing sight of your investment goals?

You must focus on becoming a project manager. Project management puts you in the position of making sure the renovation gets done instead of doing it yourself. Project management for fixer-uppers will include finding subcontractors, getting quotes and scheduling the work.

Know What You're Getting Into

Your agreement with the seller should include access to the property so you can complete inspections and uncover any hidden problems. It's best if your agreement allows you to re-negotiate the price or even nix the deal if major problems are discovered.

Be Flexible

When starting any fixer-upper renovation project, realize that the process may not go as smoothly as you expect. There will always be unplanned delays and unanticipated obstacles. Keep your schedule flexible, allow for some extra time, but work to minimize any delays that do occur.

Let the Professionals Work

It may seem like doing the work yourself will save money. This may be true if you're working on your own home. But when you are renovating a fixer-upper for resale, everything you do must pass inspection and conform to local building codes. Are you sure enough about your skills to meet these requirements? You're usually better off to start with a professional subcontractor rather than trying it yourself and then paying to have it done over.

Hire Qualified Contractors

When hiring the pros to do your renovation work, ask for references and check them out. Ask yourself if you can develop a good working relationship with the contractor. Don't rely on a handshake for your business agreement. Draw up a document that spells out what's expected from both parties.

Create a Work Schedule

To renovate your fixer-upper most efficiently, you'll need to put together a work schedule for the subcontractors. Keep in mind that some jobs need to be done before others. Remember, subcontractors don't always show up at the time or date you've scheduled. Make sure you allow for this so that one late worker doesn't wreck the entire project.

Don't enter into a renovation project without a budget and a set of priorities. Hire qualified subcontractors and let them do their job. Make sure the work proceeds according to schedule, but expect the unexpected. Efficient project management of your fixer-upper renovation will pay off in extra profits when you get ready to sell.
Source: Free Articles by renovator

Friday, October 30, 2009

The 10 Christmas Decoration Tips You Must Know

Decorating for Christmas is one of the best things about the holidays. The twinkling of lights, the sight of a perfectly trimmed tree and a perfectly placed wreath adorning your front door are all gentle reminders of the joyous Christmas season.

When decorating your home, you want the d?cor to reflect your own personal style while keeping the Christmas tradition always present. A few tips can help make this holiday decorating season even brighter.

Christmas Decoration Tip #1: Lights Out

With each year that passes, Christmas lights tend to burn out at some point. Unless you have a strand that burns with the exception of the troublesome light, it can be a real headache to find the faulty bulb. Consider investing in a light tester, which will check each individual light and detect the one that needs replacing. These can be found with the Christmas supplies at most department stores.

Christmas Decoration Tip #2: Angels Nearby

Whenever possible, decorate your home with angels. They add a touch of peace and tranquility to your home and we all need to know that there are angels watching over us.

Christmas Decoration Tip #3: Be fruity

Prepare a fruit-filled clear glass bowl as a centerpiece for your dining room table. Nothing smells like Christmas as much as an orange or a nice fruit combination.

Decoration Tip #4: Add a personal touch

If you hang Christmas stockings, consider personalizing them with your name, your spouses name and those of your children. These days, even pets have stockings, so don't forget to add Fido's name on a stocking. You can easily personalize a traditional stocking using a glitter pen, preferably one that writes in silver or gold. A personalized stocking is a nice idea and a special added touch.

Christmas Decoration Tip #5: Pucker up

Decorate your home with poinsettia and mistletoe, which are both holiday traditions. A nice artificial poinsettia plant will always be beautiful and is easy to take care of - no water required. A mistletoe is always a nice touch and especially if you just need one more reason to smooch.

Christmas Decoration Tip #6: Working with wreaths

.Don't forget to place a beautiful green wreath on the front door of your home. Make sure to add a red bow for a brightening touch! Artificial wreaths will last year after year, but real wreaths do have a wonderful scent. If you want to add wreath's to the windows in your home, consider purchasing a magnetic wreath hanger. This type of hanger comes in two parts - one goes on the inside of your home and the piece with the hook will go on the outside. These hangers have been around for years, but they are steadily beginning to gain in popularity. The magnets are so strong that they can work through doors and windows, which is ideal for hanging wreaths on the outside of your home without the fuss of a traditional plastic wreath hanger, which drapes across the top of your door.

Christmas Decoration Tip #7: A perfect fit

When choosing a Christmas tree, make sure to measure the preferred location from side to side and from floor to roof. You will want to make sure that perfect tree fits when you bring it home. Artificial trees are easy care, but a real tree requires plenty of water.

Christmas Decoration Tip #8: It's all about tradition

It's nice to start a family tradition by decorating your tree on a certain day each year. Perhaps after Thanksgiving dinner, the whole family can spend the evening dressing their home for Santa.

Christmas Decoration Tip #9: Shop smart

Make sure that all electric decorations are UL listed to ensure that they have been tested for quality and safety. Don't forget to unplug everything before you leave home or go to bed at night.

Christmas Decoration Tip #10: Say Cheese

Always remember to have plenty of film and batteries for the camera. Now that you have the perfect decorations, don't forget to capture them on film.

Source: Free Articles For more great Christmas decoration related resources check out http://decorations.christmashub.com

Christmas Flowers – Integral for Christmas Decorations

Flowers play a significant role in Christmas decorations, all over the world. People decorate their homes and work places with a variety of flowers in nearly all possible colors. Churches and chapels are also decorated with flowers and this adds to the beauty of the ambience in the highest magnitude. Some of the most popular Christmas flowers are Mistletoe, Christmas rose, Poinsettia, Ivy and Christmas cactus.

Christmas flowers are used mostly to decorate the entrance of the homes, the Christmas trees as well as churches and even public places. These flowers on Christmas are also used as excellent gift items to be exchanged among friends and family. Bouquets, flower wreaths, and flower baskets… are available across the choicest collection and in the most attractive prices so that you could afford them without burning a hole in the pocket. However there are numerous flowers that exclusive and special and thus also very expensive.

Christmas flowers add to the beauty of the atmosphere and spread elegance and fragrance to the ambience. There are several religious connotations also surrounding the flowers on Christmas like kissing under the mistletoe and various others in the genre. Therefore no Christmas celebration is complete without the Christmas flowers playing an integral part of the entire celebrations and revelry.

Christmas decorations play an important part in the preparation of the event. No home, no workplace and even no public squares are free of elaborate Christmas decorations. People start decorating their homes for Christmas, days in advance and with portable are artificial Christmas decorations now available in the market, people with time constraints can also decorate their homes colorfully and in no time. However, what still remains a favorite with all; all throughout the world are handmade Christmas decorations that add a personal element to the entire ambience.

There are a number of elements that generally accompany all Christmas decorations. A few of the most significant ones have been mentioned below for your perusal:

- It is important that you plan a theme for Christmas, a little in advance so that you could creatively design every part of it. Rather than rushing at the last hour it is better to devote time also for the planning bit of it.

- Try to engage every member of the family in the Xmas decorations so that they feel very much a part of the entire creative endeavor as well as use their creative inputs as well.

- Try to keep the Christmas decorations simple yet elegant, subtle yet innovative and thematic yet safe at least for the families that have infants. Many a times we tend to be careless about the glass Christmas decorations as well as light decorations and that may prove perilous for young children and babies.

- Christmas decorations like ornamented Christmas tree, Santa Claus and nativity scene (crèche) are the most popular elements, all over the world.

- Homemade Christmas decorations add a distinct aura to the entire place and therefore in case you were interested in doing it this way, try using reuse stuff, recycled products and a variety of regular articles that you could put to use.
Jenny Rodes is Content Coordinator forCelebrations in world. This website gives you comprehensive information on festivals celebration around the world covering Halloween, Christmas, New Year and other occasions. You can avail information for festivals and traditions all around the world.

Jenny Rodes is Content Coordinator forCelebrations in world. This website gives you comprehensive information on festivals celebration around the world covering Halloween, Christmas, New Year and other occasions. You can avail information for festivals and traditions all around the world.
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