Category Interiors

Despite the fact that renovations can be messy, disruptive, and stressful, thousands of people embark on this feat every day, and perhaps you want to renovate your property too. This is because, even though the process itself might be an unpleasant or uncomfortable one, the end result is always worth it, and this is what should be kept in mind at all times. 

There are many different reasons why you might choose to renovate your property, and each one will depend on your situation and your preferences. Here are some of the main reasons why people choose to carry out home renovations. Is it time you started thinking about yours? 

Fix A Problem When You Renovate Your Property

No matter whether you live in an old property or a brand new one, sometimes things go wrong, and you will need to deal with that issue. Many of these problems can be solved quickly and easily without the need to have a complete change of décor, but some can cause a tremendous amount of damage which needs to be mended. Plus, you might just think that since you are putting paint on a wall to cover a problem in one area, maybe it’s time you painted elsewhere too. 

The bigger problems that can mean you have to start a renovation project even if you hadn’t intended to include:

• Leaks that a plumber needs to fix
• Roofing problems
• Electrical issues that require expert attention

The sooner you make a start on these repairs and renovate your property to fix any problems they have caused, the easier it will be, so these are not jobs to be put off to another day.  

Add Value 

When you renovate your property in the right way, it is possible to add value to your property, so if you’re thinking about selling your home and moving elsewhere, it is often worth undergoing the disruption associated with renovations. It’s a good idea to have your home valued before you start spending a lot of money on changes, as you might spend more than you can get back in terms of value. 

In some cases, changing the décor to something less personal and more neutral can be a good idea, and certainly making any small repairs should be on your list. Adding a conservatory, a new driveway, or turning your attic into a bedroom might not bring you much in the way of profit, so be careful. 

Even if the price you can ask for your property doesn’t go up because you’ve redecorated, it might help make the house sell more quickly since the new owners will know there is nothing they need to do, and they can move right in. It will make it a much more tempting proposition. 

For You 

Sometimes there is no reason behind going through with a home renovation other than the fact that you want to. If you’re bored with your current décor and want to update it, or you simply want a change because you think it’s time or you feel like it, then go ahead. 

There are no rules when it comes to why you might want to renovate your property, and if something has caught your eye and you want to include it in the new décor, then it’s entirely your choice. 

What can a landlord do about smoking in a rented property? It’s a difficult thing to have to deal with. On one hand, it’s no secret to landlords that daily smoking is hazardous for a property’s air quality and may cause significant damage to the interior. However, a landlord’s lenient attitude toward smoking will open the door to the greatest number of potential renters, because there are still many smokers.

How Many Smokers Are There?

When it comes to smoking in a rental property, according to a recent poll, just seven percent of landlords agree to allow tenants to smoke during the tenancy, despite the fact that more than one-fifth of the population are smokers.  So, are landlords passing on a golden opportunity? Before making any hasty choices, landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupation should examine the following research, which discovered that smoking renters are not very popular with their flatmates:

Barely 19 percent of other renters indicated they would be pleased to live with smokers, 37 percent of flatmates would share housing with a smoker if they would smoke outside and 44 percent of flatmates usually would not want to share with someone who enjoyed smoking in a rented property.

Another recent poll, this one conducted by Easyroomate, found that 38 percent of private landlords would evict tenants who were detected smoking within a rented property.

Do Landlords Have A Choice If Tenants Are Smoking In A Rented Property?

In these days of the Human Rights Act, do landlords have any right to ban their tenants from smoking in their rental property. The quick answer is… yes.

It is completely feasible to include a brief phrase to ban renters from smoking in a rented property. We recommend something like this:

3.7.13 Not to smoke or let any guest or visitor to smoke tobacco or any other substance in the property, unless the landlord has provided written approval.

How To Enforce A Smoking Ban

The enforcement of this provision, on the other hand, is a concern. If the landlord is confident that a tenant was smoking without authorization, they must first acquire evidence to prove it. Simply stating that the room smelled “a little smokey” is unlikely to suffice in a court.  To evict a tenant on these grounds, a landlord must use one of the fault-based grounds for possession, such as Ground 12: The tenant has violated one or more of the provisions of the rental agreement, excluding the responsibility to pay rent. However, this is one of the reasons for possession where the court has discretion in granting a landlord a possession order.

This implies that no two cases will be the same, but more importantly, there is little chance that a ‘liberal minded’ court would toss a tenant out on the streets for having the ‘odd smoke’ in their own house. As a result, there is little prospect of a landlord obtaining possession. This means, the odds of a landlord winning while a tenant continues to pay rent are small. Is there anything more a landlord could do if a tenant keeps smoking in a rented property?

Other Approaches To Prohibit Smoking In A Rented Property

One technique to cope with any harm produced by a smoking renter is to request a premium rate. It doesn’t have to be much, maybe five percent, just enough to pay the price of redecorating. As we indicated earlier, 1 in 5 individuals still smoke, therefore being tolerant may provide a landlord an opportunity in the market, providing you don’t mind redecorating on a recurring basis.

The alternative method may be to require a larger deposit from a smoker in the expectation that if damage occurs, the landlord would be successful in withholding a portion of the renters deposit to pay the damage caused by smoking in a rented property. However, we’re sceptical that a landlord could persuade a TDS adjudicator that the damage (which, let’s face it, frequently smells worse than it appears) is a problem even where you’ve gone to the time of meticulously creating a property inventory.

The long and short of smoking renters is that although the law seems to be on the landlords’ side, enforcability is a far more difficult and unpredictable procedure. Unless landlords have a trick up their sleeves, the best solution seems to be to attempt to pick an honest non-smoking renter in the first place, or to just accept the fact that there will be smoking in a rented property.

Having plants in your home is something that you should certainly consider; they add a lovely touch of colour to your rooms, plus they produce oxygen, which makes you more alert, more productive, and you’ll generally feel better. Yet whilst some people seem to have been born with green thumbs, others tend to only be able to kill off the plants in their home rather than keep them alive and thriving. If the latter sounds like you, here are some great tips on how to keep your house plants living.

Watering

Plants need to be watered, especially if they are kept inside and there is no chance that a shower of rain is going to fall on them. This is a basic fact, but something that many people do tend to forget as they go around their busy lives. The plants can become rather neglected, and although this won’t generally have happened on purpose, the problem is still there. If you do keep forgetting to water your house plants and this is the reason they keep dying, then it’s a good idea to write a reminder on your calendar, or set a reminder on your smartphones, for example. After a little while, you won’t need the reminder anymore as watering your house plants will have become part of your daily routine.

Of course, over-watering is just as bad for your plants as forgetting to water them entirely. Too much water can effectively drown the plant, which won’t allow it to grow healthily at all and the roots can rot in the water that sits at the bottom of their container. It’s a good idea to gently touch the soil in the plant’s pot before watering – if it feels slightly dry to the touch, it’s time for watering.

Another important tip to remember is to only ever use water for your plants, and no leftover drinks such as tea and coffee. The additives in these drinks can harm the plants, and they can also attract small flies which are annoying and can eat away at the leaves.

Drainage

When the watering is done, you should tip away any unused water (wait for about half an hour to be sure) because plants don’t like to sit in old water for too long. Ideally, your pots should have a good drainage system, and pebbles can be ideal for this. Line the bottom of your pot with a layer of pebbles and that will keep the water away from the roots – they will be able to drink it, but not be resting in it. Make sure that whatever pot you use has holes in the bottom of it for the excess water to seep out. You can collect this in a saucer or container and then discard it.

Lighting

The lighting in your home, natural or unnatural, might be having a negative effect on your plants. Some plants need to be kept in direct sunlight, or even do better on a patio rather than inside. Others prefer more shady spots, so they should be in a darker area of your home. It will all depend on the type of plant you have chosen, which is why it is best to do your research before heading out to the store to get one. If you have a specific place in your home that will work best for your plant, then over the course of a few days make a note of where the sun is and how warm it gets. Then you’ll know just what type of plant to get. At the store, read the labels to get as much information as possible.

Smoking

Just as second-hand smoke can affect your friends and family, it can also have a negative effect on the health of the plants in your home. Smoke causes plants’ leaves to fall and causes a condition known as epinasty (a curvature of the leaves). Plus there are plenty of air pollutants found in cigarette smoke including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, and these can kill plants quickly.

If you want to keep your plants alive, then it’s best to smoke far away from them or give up entirely (which is better for your overall health as well).

Stability

Plants don’t like to be moved around a lot; once you have selected a good spot for them, that’s really where they should stay if you want them to be as healthy as possible. Unlike pieces of furniture that can be moved around in any way you want, plants are living things, and moving them can cause them distress, which will make their leaves wilt and drop, or they may not grow properly anymore. In extreme cases, it can kill them.

Try your best to leave your plant exactly where you initially placed it. If you do have to move it then do so gently and gradually.

Humidity

Watering a plant is hugely important, as we’ve already mentioned, but that water will only really be used by the roots. In order to make the whole plant a healthy one, you need to use humidity. Spraying the leaves and petals of the plant with water every few days will certainly help in this regard, and will make the leaves shiny and the petals bright and beautiful. Be careful though; too vigorous and the petals might fall.

Deadheading

It sounds rather brutal, but deadheading your plant can help it to grow more healthy. Deadheading is the act of removing any dead elements such as leaves or stems. This allows the living parts more space to grow, and they won’t be affected by whatever killed the other parts, or the rot that will eventually set in. Pruning the plant will also help – this means taking off parts that are still living but that are essential in the way of the rest of the plant living as it should to thrive and grow.

If it’s time for you to make some changes to your investment property because your last tenant has moved out and your next one has yet to be found, you can help make that search a much shorter one. As a landlord, it’s wise to keep your properties looking good, and even to redecorate every time a tenant moves out. With that in mind, here are some of the big interior trends to think about in 2021.

Art Deco

Art deco is distinguished by geometric forms and bright colours. Art deco elements may be seen in tiles, on the staircase, carpets, and light fixtures.

Neutrals

When it comes to interior trends, consider the colours cream, white, grey, and beige. Neutrals are timeless, simple, and relaxing.

Green

This year’s colour trend is sage green (pastel green blended with grey). It’s been spotted in homeware stores and high-street fashion.

Boho

Layers, textures, and patterns in bohemian homes are relaxed. Because it is a personal style, no two bohemian-inspired homes will ever be the same.

Wood

This year’s interior trends include wooden doors and highlight beams, as well as chunky furniture and original flooring.