The Best Tech For Your Home Office

Business

Ultimately when working from home and keeping a home office you need to make sure that you keep a clean, organised desk. It is as essential as having the proper tech at your fingertips. Fortunately, you can achieve both these things at the same time by making an investment in wireless gear.

A great wireless mouse, keyboard and pair of headphones can significantly reduce the amount of clutter on your desk. However it can also make it simpler to change locations once it’s time to get back to the office. If you’re ready to clear your workspace of those annoying cables and free up your computer’s precious USB ports, here’s some of the best work-from-home tech we’ve tested.

Apple AirPods Pro

Invest in a great pair of noise-cancelling earphones that’ll work well for cancelling out distractions during your video conference calls. Apple’s AirPods Pro are a top pick – they might be pricey however they last ages and deliver top-quality audio, whether that’s at work or away from your home office.

Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5 2-In-1 Windows Laptop 

This is one of our favourite Windows laptops. The Ryzen 5 processor and its 16 GB of RAM offer up plenty of power for the usual everyday tasks. Better still, the excellent 14-inch IPS screen is paired with a 360-degree hinge that gives you the ability to convert it into tablet mode and interact with the touchscreen (with your finger or the stylus included). If you would like more power, go for the Ryzen 7-powered model.

Logitech MX Master 3

A good mouse is a must-have for any serious workstation or for anyone who loves playing keno online real money games. Trackpads are all well and good however when you have to do a lot of text editing, clicking around, or any kind of click-and-drag, a mouse just does it better. The mouse that rules all mice is the Logitech MX Master 3S, which made a couple of improvements on the prior spot holder, the MX Master 3.

Whether you’re at your desk utilising a mousepad, on your couch utilising your leg or armrest, or in the kitchen utilising a marble countertop, this mouse will keep working thanks to its Darkfield sensor. With this latest version, you also get a bit more sensitivity, which is adjustable up to 8 000 DPI, so faster mouse movements are at your fingertips.

Portable Dual & Triple Screen Laptop Monitor – TRIO

There was a period not that long ago when laptops were so cumbersome and carrying them was not convenient. However today, with the development of silicon technology, laptops have become thinner than ever.

In fact, not only can you travel with your laptop but also with its accessories such as a portable monitor. One such accessory is TRIO, which stands for a triple monitor system for your laptop. This innovative product features up to three screens which will offer you efficient multitasking together with boosting your productivity.

If you are a stock trader, gamer, coder, entrepreneur, student, or even a working professional, this portable dual-screen laptop monitor is the answer to impeccable multitasking.

Continue Reading

How to maximise your chances of getting a mortgage

DIY / Home Improvement

Getting a mortgage is no easy endeavour. House prices are consistently increasing with the average UK house price now sitting at more than £270,000. Rises in house prices markedly outpace wage increases. This makes it much harder for mortgage applicants to gain acceptance among lenders. Despite these roadblocks there are actions you can take to maximise your chances of getting a mortgage.

Save For a Larger Deposit

The easiest way to enhance your probability of being accepted for a mortgage is to save for a larger deposit. The larger you deposit, the more ownership you will have of the house relative to the loan amount. If the property price is £280,000 and you put down £70,000 as your deposit, you will require a mortgage of £210,000. In this example the loan to value of the property would be the mortgage amount divided by the purchase price. That would result in an LTV of 75%.

With a lower loan to value more mortgages at better rates will be available to you. The reason for this is because as a borrower you present less risk to the lender. The more money you have in the house, the more there is for the lender to recover should repayments not be made.

Pay Off Debts & Don’t Apply for Any New Credit 

Pay off any debts you have in full as quickly as possible. Set up a realistic plan to pay back any debts you have before making an application. Mortgage providers are ultimately most concerned with a borrower’s ability to service their mortgage payments. If you have existing debt you will need to make monthly payments, reducing the amount of disposable income available to pay your mortgage. Anything you do to decrease outgoing and increase disposable income helps your mortgage application.

Taking out any new additional loans before applying for a mortgage will hinder your chances of a successful application. The new debt you’ve acquired will be recorded on your credit line. This is a big red flag to prospective lenders who will check any outstanding credit you have via credit rating agencies. Thinking of getting new furniture on credit? Considering a new finance hire agreement for a new car? Think again. These likely unnecessary purchases will adversely impact your ability to get accepted for a mortgage.

Check Your Credit Rating & Make Sure You’re on the Electoral Register?

Every Lender will check your credit rating via a credit rating agency such as Experian or Equifax. Before applying for a mortgage it’s imperative you check your score. Being aware of your score and knowing how to improve it will help maximise your chance of mortgage acceptance.

Credit agencies are aware of your entire credit history as well as current loan amounts outstanding.  Late payments and defaults adversely affect the score. Your payment history impacts 35% of your entire credit score. Even one late payment can lower your score. We’d advise setting up direct debits to ensure all debts are serviced in a timely manner to avoid this.

Credit usage has the next largest impact on your credit score at 30%. This is how much you spend on revolving credit e.g. credit cards relative to your total credit limit. It shows how reliant you are on available credit for regular spending. Lenders will want to see you aren’t overly reliant on available credit and your score will be penalised for excessive usage. To be safe ensure you spend less than 25% of your available credit usage.

Credit history length makes up 15% of your credit score. Generally the longer your credit history the higher your credit score provided you’ve paid debts on time and not defaulted. We advise building up a credit history for multiple years ahead of applying for a mortgage. Credit mix makes up the final component of your credit score at 10%. Generally a more diverse credit mix is favoured by lenders.

When applying for a mortgage you will need proof of residency. One easy way to do this is to ensure you are registered on the electoral register. This validates you have a permanent residence and often increases your credit score.

Continue Reading

6 Useful Gadgets For The Home Of The Future – Available Today

DIY / Home Improvement

Six Household Gadgets That Will Make Your Home Feel Sci-Fi 

1. An Electric Lighter

What’s the big deal? You may wonder. Electric lighters have existed for decades!

True, but those lighters still ran on gas, and it was only the spark that was electric. The new SUPRUS USB-powered electric lighter, however, doesn’t rely on gas, or even a flame. Instead, it creates a super-heated plasma charge at its tip using electricity. This may sound dangerous, but the SUPRUS lighter has a treble-lock safety mechanism, designed to keep the user safe from accidental use, and has passed CE, RoHS, and UL safety tests and certification.

This handy electric lighter is further windproof and can be easily recharged via USB, making it perfect for everyday household tasks like lighting candles, stoves, barbeques, and log fires, etc.

2. A Digital Herb Grower

The AeroGarden Harvest is a small and portable countertop digital herb-growing device, that uses a full spectrum 20-watt LED light system to amazingly grow herbs up to 5 times faster, and without the need for soil. Looking much like an ordinary pot of herbs at first glance, the AeroGarden Harvest is a self-regulating mini-grow room, and a brilliant addition to anyone’s kitchen.

Not only does it provide continuous herbs for the kitchen in a simple and hygienic manner, but it also looks great as decoration.

3. An Air Fryer

Once steam was the big thing in healthy cooking, but these days kitchens can get an upgrade. Introducing the Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer, which does exactly what its name implies, it literally fries food with heated air, and with brilliant results.

Now you can make restaurant-quality fried foods at home, and in the healthiest way possible. Whether meat or vegetables, the Instant Vortex Plus can also roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate food.

4. A Smart Power Strip

Always wanted to control your lights with your phone? The Smart Power Strip by Teckin makes it super simple and easy by connecting your device and lights via a simple Wi-Fi application. It’s as easy as playing at Black Lotus no deposit casino. At a very affordable price, the Smart Power Strip further provides surge protection, and can even act as a sort of alarm system by notifying the homeowner if someone turns on the lights when they’re not at home.

5. A Robot Mop

You’ve seen them in sci-fi movies since the eighties, and there have been a few attempts over since then at commercialising them, but now you can have your very own, highly affordable, iRobot Braava Jet 240 Robot Mop. This little gizmo will happily mop up the dirt and stains, get to those hard-to-reach places under cupboards, keep your home smelling fresh and clean, and all by itself while you get busy with other important things.

6. A Sensor Mirror

The simplehuman 8” Round Sensor Makeup Mirror has a sensor that illuminates the mirror and viewer in a pleasant natural light as you approach. It also has a distortion-free 5x magnification reflective surface, touch control for brightness level, and an led bulb that is guaranteed to last virtually forever. Furthermore, it’s cordless, making it a very handy, clutter-free household item.

Continue Reading

When You Should Consider Hiring a Lawn Care Service

DIY / Home Improvement

Whether you are new to homeownership or you have owned your home for decades, you may be considering doing some work on your outdoor space. However, lawn care requires more than mowing and watering, and you may feel overwhelmed with all the work involved. These are examples of times you should consider hiring a lawn care service.

You Need a Landscape

Whether you have no landscaping or you just need to refresh your landscape, you may consider a professional lawn installation North Shore. A professional understands what will make your home look the best and can balance that with what your family needs. They also dig all the holes, add topsoil and do the planting, all the work that isn’t so fun. These individuals understand the plants that will grow best in your area.

You Need Lawn Maintenance

After you receive your lawn installation services, it needs to be maintained. Depending on your landscaping, your maintenance could be time-consuming and the equipment necessary may be expensive. Therefore, you should determine whether you have the time, equipment and knowledge necessary to maintain your lawn and landscape. In addition, consider what you want to do with your time, e.g., spend more quality time with your family, travel or enjoy local events.

Consider calculating your hourly wage and multiplying it by the time you will spend in your yard. Don’t forget the time you need to spend picking up supplies and the equipment maintenance, such as yearly tune-ups or blade sharpening, and fuel. Also, calculate the cost of equipment, fertilisers and herbicides. Then, compare this amount to the weekly or monthly cost of working with a lawn care service.

You Have Problem With Your Lawn

At some point after your lawn installation Northern Beaches, your landscape may experience an invasion of pests or other diseases on your plants. When you have a regular lawn care service, these professionals can diagnose a problem early, before it kills your plants. They also know the exact method for taking care of these problems. For example, if your landscape is overcome with weeds, a lawn service can identify the weed type and find the herbicide that will work best to get rid of it.

If you can find and treat a problem lawn early, your lawn will receive less damage and can recover more quickly. Services can also help you with your issues, such as mosquitos, fleas and ticks. Some plants naturally repel these insects, and your lawn care provider can regularly spray for pests.

You Need Tree Care

Trees and shrubs need special care. Trees need yearly pruning to improve their growth and prevent falling branches. Shrubs need pruning to remove uneven branches and improve their shape and appearance while opening up their middles so they can breathe. Fruit trees need additional care to improve their production. Many trees and shrubs are also susceptible to diseases and insect infestations, so regular care can catch these problems early. These plants also need regular fertilisation. These plants are costly, making them a long-term commitment, and you don’t want to lose them due to improper care.

You Need Irrigation

In addition to your lawn installation services, you may consider irrigation installation. If you aren’t a plumber, you may have difficulty installing irrigation. Regular watering improves the health of your landscape, and proper irrigation goes a long way to keeping your plants healthy. These professionals understand the best locations for each sprinkler, what type of irrigation is best for each plant and how to set your system up so that all your plants get the water they need.

These individuals understand state and local laws and your homeowner’s association rules. They also understand and can perform regular checks and maintenance to quickly identify leaks and keep your sprinkler system working properly.

You Are Concerned About Safety

Landscaping care can be dangerous. Lawnmowers and weed whackers can pick up and throw debris, which can damage your home and hurt your family. Also, you and your family should avoid some landscaping chemicals, and a professional will know which ones to spray that won’t harm you or can warn you if a toxic chemical is used.

If your home, vehicle or lawn is damaged, professional lawn installation services have liability insurance to protect you financially. Also, if they are hurt while completing your lawn services, they are covered.

You can have an outdoor space that is just as enjoyable and useful as your indoor space, and when your landscape looks great, your home looks great.

Continue Reading

Popular Remodel Upgrades for the Home

DIY / Home Improvement

There are several reasons why house owners choose to upgrade their homes. It could be to resell the property or to change things up a little. When the same designs or appliances have been used for a long time, it is normal to want to try new things or replace the old and faulty ones.

Generally, some remodeling options are more popular among homeowners than others. Furthermore, some remodeling upgrades are popular in some regions than others. Some popular remodeling upgrades for the home include:

Room Dividers and Partitions

Room dividers are especially useful for homes that have an open floor plan. Several types of dividers can be used, however, the most common method is to use partition walls for dividing rooms. 

Indoor plants that have been carefully trimmed to be opaque and block the view from across the room can also be used as room dividers. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could erect a partition wall with built-in planters. Other types of dividers and partitions include extra high curtains, drapes, floating arts, and sliding doors. 

In homes that use an open floor plan, not having room dividers and partitions can be very distracting. However, having too many dividers will only make the rooms feel small and cramped. 

Wallpapers

A little old-fashioned, but wallpapers have evolved with the times so homeowners have a myriad of genres and options to choose from. The right wallpaper can give your home a significant upgrade. 

However, in the spirit of remodeling, you probably want to get wallpapers that are easy to remove for the next time you choose to remodel your apartment. Also, easy-to-remove wallpapers will not damage your walls, so there’s that. 

Fashion an Open Space

Sometimes, it’s important to create partitions to divide and make rooms smaller. However, open spaces are very important to have in your home. Therefore, if you’re looking to upgrade your home and it doesn’t already have an open space, now is a good time to create one.

You don’t have to tear down your walls to achieve this, creating open space in your home can be achieved by getting rid of large furniture. Furthermore, If you have appliances or areas you no longer use, like an old dining room, get rid of them. You could also create an illusion of a bigger, airier room by positioning mirrors opposite your windows to reflect light into the room, this will make it look more spacious. 

Upgrade Your Kitchen and Bathroom

It’s easy to overlook your kitchen and bathroom when upgrading your home. However, paying attention to these rooms can have a more significant effect on the ambiance and overall awesomeness of your home. 

It is important to always keep your bathroom clean. No brainer, right? Also, you should change the old and rusted designs or appliances e.g your old doorknob or faucets. Furthermore, you can repaint the space and add a few things to beautify your bathroom e.g indoor plants.

In the kitchen area, cabinets are popularly overlooked. So, make sure to change the design and replace the old and/or broken kitchen appliances. You can also repaint the cabinets and the room to make them look new and pretty. 

Painting

Generally, cleaning and painting your home never gets old. It is perhaps, the most popular of them all. You can repaint using the previous color or you could go with an entirely new one. You could go light or dark, simple or crazy. Basically, the ball is in your court. 

Continue Reading

Ali Ata – Common Mistakes People Make When Buying a New Home

DIY / Home Improvement

Buying a new home is something incredibly exciting yet there are many who do make mistakes when they begin their search. Many in the real estate community at the moment are predicting a big rise in the number of people moving home this year and next, following the great shift which the pandemic has brought about. It is for this reason that real estate experts like Ali Ata are warning people of the importance of avoiding some of these common mistakes, so that everyone can get the right house for them, at the right prices.

Here are just some of the common mistakes which people make.

Not Getting Pre-Approved

There are few things worse than finding a property which fits your needs and your requirements, only to get refused a mortgage at the crucial time. It is for this reason that it makes much more sense for you to ensure that you have been approved a certain amount which you are able to borrow, before you start your search. Knowing how much you are actually able to borrow will make a huge difference in the way that you search for your new property.

Failure To Look At Big Picture

There is much more that you should be looking at than just the property. Whilst this is of course the most important aspect to think about, once you have found the property that you are dreaming of, there are some additional checks to make. You have to think about the big picture here, with regards to life in general away from the property. Considering crime rates for example, the quality of schools, the proximity to hospitals and other services, all of this is highly important.

Looking Beyond Appearances

It can of course be very easy to get swept away in the idea of a property and how it looks, but there should be much more behind finding the right property than just this. The appearances will be the first aspect that captures the imagination but to make the right move you have to think about the nuts and bolts of the property. The intricacies around plumbing, electrics and structural integrity are all important, far more important in fact than just looking at how the property appears.

Not Thinking About The Future

Unless you are intentionally thinking short term, it is important that you have a clear idea of what this property means to you, both now and in the future. This means that you should take into consideration the family plans which you may have in the coming years. The property looks great now, but what will it mean to you in the next 5 years, or 10? Considering what will happen to your family will make a big difference in terms of the property that you eventual decide upon.

These are just some of the common mistakes which are made when people go out looking for a new home.

Continue Reading

3 Tips When Your Home is Your Office

Business

Whether you have been working from home for years or this is something new to you, the goal is to be productive.

That said do you feel like working from home is in fact working out for you?

In the event you need to make improvements on your home working situation, it would be wise to review things.

So, what is working and not working for you when your home is your workplace?

Finding Success from Your Home Office

In working out of your home, here are three tips to make things work out better for you:

  1. Make organization a priority – You won’t find much success working at home if organization is an issue. With that in mind, take a look at your setup to see how organized it is. Can you find the items you need on a regular basis to get the job done? This can be not only technology items you need but also paperwork. Having your papers organized is critical to success. The last thing you want to do is having to oftentimes search for missing documents and more. Come up with a system that works for you and allows you to find what you need without any hassle.
  2. Make room to operate – If your home workspace is congested, odds are you could find it hard to get work done. Take a look around to see if you need to make more space for yourself. For example, is your desk always seemingly cluttered? If it is, now would be a good time to do some reorganizing. If you use headphones to talk to clients, do videoconferencing and more, a headphone stand is key. This not only frees up some space on your desk, it will better protect the equipment. Also look at making sure you have space for clients if they come to your home. Along with being organized, you want to be sure clients feel safe and secure in your workplace. If they do not, it could lead to some of them refusing to do business with you moving ahead.
  3. Make the schedule work for you – Some people get the notion that individuals working from home are on a call 24/7. Since you are likely not a doctor where you may well be on call, come up with the right schedule for your needs. Overdoing it can lead to making mistakes; have a negative impact on your health and so on. The key is to work in moderation and know when you need your breaks. When not having to report to an office, warehouse or be out on the road on a regular basis, you have more flexibility. Come up with the schedule that your body and mind adapt to. That schedule still makes you quite productive when all is said and done.

When it comes to working from home, consider it one of the perks of life.

Yes, while you may miss having others around at times, you may in fact be more productive. That is not having all the typical workplace distractions and so on.

So, is working from home working out for you?

Continue Reading

Fireplace Screen Ideas For Your Home

DIY / Home Improvement

Having an open fireplace at home is a wonderful addition which can make a room feel cozy, warm and comfortable. If you do have an open fire then there are some accessories which you simply cannot do without. Fireplace tools for example are absolutely critical to making sure that you can tend to the fire and give it the TLC it needs to keep on roaring. Another key component here is having a fireplace screen which looks the business, and there is a wide range of screens which you can find that will really add some style to your fireplace. 

Benefits of a Screen 

Have a great fireplace screen is both functional and stylish. Ultimately without a screen you run the risk of hot ash and embers shooting from the fire, back into the room. This of course presents quite the health hazard. Beyond this however fireplace screens are also a great style option and there are many cool choices which you can take a look at.

Fireplace Screen With Glass Doors

Buying a fireplace screen with glass doors can be a welcome addition to your living room and offer a stylish and highly functional option. These fireplace screens make the fire glow through the glass and when it comes to tending to the fire you can do that with ease. The doors will not block the heat, so you will still have a nice warm fire by which you can relax. 

Artistic Screens 

Previously fireplace screens would be very simple offerings which did the job, but thanks to some very smart and creative people within the metal working world, there are some truly beautiful screens which you can now find. These cast iron screens come in all manner of designs and they often like to play with the gaps in the screens in a way which really delivers. Make sure that you don’t get too swept away by the designs of the screens, as they can often block the view of the fire from different angles. Style is nice, but function should always come first. 

Mesh Screens 

Some people simply don’t want to block up the fireplace with thick, iron screens, and so they prefer a much easier and more flexible option which is a mesh screen. These screens in particular are very low cost, they do a great job in making sure that the ash and the soot doesn’t come into the room, and they are light and easy to move around. The only downside with these screens is that they do take quite a bit of cleaning if you let the ash and soot build up. 

These are just some of the options which you have in front of you when you decide to invest in new fireplace screens. Always remember that function comes first, it doesn’t matter how fancy or fitting your fireplace screen looks if it doesn’t protect your home from the debris which comes out of your open fireplace.

Continue Reading

The Best Equipment For Hot Yoga

Health & Fitness

You may be a regular attendee at your local Hot Yoga Studio so you will be well aware that the Best Equipment For Hot Yoga is actually quite minimal. You are not required to buy a whole range of supplies but there are a few necessities that you will need to invest in. 

It is vital that you are able to use a room that is capable of being heated to the desired temperature for hot yoga and that temperature is 105 Fahrenheit, it has to be a specially designed room as most normal rooms are unable to reach that high temperature with a regular heating system. Another vital piece of equipment for joining in with hot yoga is a water bottle filled with cool refreshing water. Along with the heat comes very excessive sweating and when exercising it is so important that you replenish your lost bodily fluids and keep hydrated. Becoming dehydrated when exercising, in fact at any time, can become problematic for your body so bringing along some water will make sure your body is able to rehydrate and perform to your best ability. Purchasing a high-quality yoga mat will also be beneficial as some mats do not come with the non-slip feature and when carrying out some of the extensive postures having a non-slip mat will be a saving grace as it means you will be secured to the ground and you will not have any embarrassing moments slipping or falling in front of your class. Another piece of equipment that is worth investing in to also save any further embarrassment is high quality yoga clothes. Due to the amount of stretching involved you will want to be sure that your fabric does not also become stretchy and cause it to become see through. We have all been eye witnesses to the poor people in the store bending to retrieve their groceries and our eyes are quickly averted. Save yourself the embarrassment and buy the best hot yoga clothes you can find. 

There is in fact one other piece of equipment, considered the best for home hot yoga actually, it is quick, easy and simple to set up and it is everything you need to carry out your hot yoga class in the comfort of your own home. This equipment is The Hot Yoga Dome! It is a highly desired product and unbeatable on the market, absolutely worth your investment. A room that can be inflated and warmed to that all important temperature with all the space you need to carry out your postures. They are available in a variety of sizes depending on the space you have available in your home and you can choose which size is most ideal for you. All the equipment you have already purchased will not be wasted as you can use it all whilst carrying out your hot yoga exercises and postures whilst inside the dome. It is definitely they best equipment for hot yoga.

Continue Reading

What Changes Would You Like to Make at Home?

DIY / Home Improvement

If the notion of making some changes at home appeals to you, any train of thought to what such changes may be?

From your living space to how you live at home, you may well feel now is the time to make things different.

With that in mind, are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work on them?

Don’t Be Afraid of Change

In your quest to change things at home, here are a few possibilities you may want to consider moving forward:

  1. A new job – How happy are you in your current job? If the answer is not all that happy, is now the time to do something about it? You may be in a position in life where change in your career is both necessary and doable. If so, see what is out there waiting for you. Even as scary as a job change can be at times, you want to be happy in your line of work. Dreading going to work each day can be one of the worst feelings to have.
  2. Your current relationship – If in a relationship with someone, how is it going? This can be another area of your life where change in fact may be needed. Although it can be difficult to move on for a variety of reasons, think about your current situation. Would a change be best for both your physical and mental well-being? If yes, how hard would it be to find such change? 
  3. New look to your home – Has it been a while since you did any notable changes to your home? If you haven’t done anything in a while, now might be the time to push forward with some renovations. Changing things up can breathe new life into your home. If worried about potential costs involved, take the time to find affordable renovations. This may mean doing some or much of the work on your own if you are handy around the home with such things. In breathing life into a home, it can be painting, new floors, exterior sliding glass doors and more. In the event you like the doors option, take time to go online and see what is out there. Having some new doors can bring the outside world more into focus in your home. That is especially appealing if you have been missing out on some great views.
  4. Bringing a pet home – Finally, any thoughts to bringing a pet into your life? If you said yes, make sure to think things over first. Pets are often great additions to a home. That said you want to be sure you have the time and patience to be a pet owner. Your pet be it a dog, cat or other form of animal life will more times than not give you unconditional love. It is important for you to make sure they feel the love in return.

When you are thinking of changes at home for your world, adding accents of new materials to your home, like brass rods or steel angle framing, can breathe some new life into it.

Continue Reading
1 2 3 … 5