Saturday 25 July 2015

Protect Your House From The Rain


The monsoons bring beauty and greenery into the landscape. The weather is comfortable and relaxing. But the rains can prove to be a constant source of problems for your home. To protect yourself from these common troubles, take the following precautions:
1.     Get your roof checked for leaks and cracks to prevent seepage that will ruin not just the walls, but the furniture and other items in your house as well.
2.     Check your walls and ceiling for cracks and make sure they’ve been repaired and waterproofed to prevent water from entering and causing dampness.
3.     Clear and clean all pipes, gutters, and spouts of dead branches and leaves to prevent stagnancy of water and ensure free flow.
4.     Before the start of the rains, make sure that all electrical wiring and equipment is protected from water, to prevent short circuits from occurring.
5.     Ensure that all metal joints, doors and windows are painted with waterproof paint to prevent rusting.
6.     Get your exterior walls painted with waterproof paint as well, to protect the walls. A water sealant should also be used for added protection.
7.     If your wooden doors swell due to the rains, take them out, tighten the hinges and fix them back only after varnishing.

8.     Wax or polish your wooden furniture to prevent swelling and to protect your furnishings from water.

Following these eight simple steps will ensure that your home is safe from the brunt of the monsoons.

Saturday 18 July 2015

How to create an Eco-Friendly Home


It has come to a point where every action needs to be thought out carefully in terms of the environment. This transcends into the construction, designing, decoration and appliance usage within your homes. It is important to know how to go about creating an eco- friendly home.
·        When purchasing an appliance, always make sure of its efficiency so that no energy is wasted. Do not take too long to replace an old appliance.
·        Use incandescent bulbs and LED tube lights to increase efficiency, stop energy wastage and ensure long life.
·        Set up solar panels for all your heating needs.
·        Turn off computers, fans and lights when not in use, to save electricity.
·        Use non toxic eco-friendly paint within your homes to prevent lung problems and other disorders.
·        Replace all the taps and shower heads with high pressure, low flow faucets and close all them properly when not in use to ensure water conservation.
·        Put potted plants on your balcony and at specific points within the house to keep the air fresh.
·        Use natural products such as linen, bamboo and cotton in your household.
·        Separate your inorganic and organic waste. Create a composting zone to make your own fertilizer using organic waste.
·         Use biodegradable cleaning and polishing agents to maintain your home.


Friday 10 July 2015

Read This Before Getting A Home Loan!

Home loans are a popular option for house buyers today, especially with the rise of the EMI method of payment. Many developers offer home loans and EMI by themselves to make the process that much easier. When a buyer applies for a home loan, the housing finance company/bank/developer will go through various stats, readings and general information of the applicant.

CIBIL stands for Credit Information Bureau Limited, which is India’s first company of its kind.  It procures and updates information for banks and the like on a monthly basis in reference to an individual’s monetary records such as credit card usage and loans. CIBIL also provides a CIBIL TransUnion score that shows an applicant’s credit and financial health. This information is used by banks to create Credit Information Reports (CIR) which when combined with CIBIL TransUnion scores, aids in deciding whether the applicant should be given a loan or not. Therefore, it is very important to score well in the Credit Information Report and the CIBIL TransUnion score.

A low credit score (below 700) will mean your application is not even considered, while a high score above 700 will mean your loan is sanctioned. A good score will mean better interest rates and relative ease in all the bank related procedures. It makes it that much simpler to procure a housing loan. As a precaution, get a credit report done in advance. If it is low, there are various agencies that help you improve it. Since the credit score reflects on payments and data from the past, it is important to ensure that you pay your bills on time. If there was a genuine reason for defaulting on a payment, you can contact CIBIL and get a fresh report.