Tag Archives: life

Considerations for Home Extensions and Renovations

As the family grows you might need to add a study or increase the size of your kitchen and bathroom area, or even work with your local pool builder to put a pool in your back garden, and might be thinking that this is going to be an expensive thing to do. However, there are many inexpensive and simple ways to improve the quality of your house. Many houses have spouses using the bathrooms only after one has finished using it. Some have houses where all children are using one single room or some have to share a bathroom with their guest. In these cases, people generally opt for a home extension.

Tips to Consider While Extending Your House or Renovation

Everyone wants to change these features in their house. You might think that adding a new extension to your home is difficult because there are a lot of legalities you need to think about, including the money to do the changes. Not only this, but you also need to find a local builder capable enough to take on your project. It’s vital you Learn More about the builders in your area before choosing one, as some may have a better reputation than others. Here are some more things you need to consider:

  • Property Lines: Measure the property lines and prepare a plan of extension which includes the original house plan as well which has the landscape and the location containing the utilities. All these are important as the local laws have a particular restriction in regard to how close any one’s property can be to their neighbor’s says this website.
  • Design According to What Suits Your Current Floor Plan: Always go by the structure and the design of your floor. Consult with an interior designer or an architect and design the extension according to your need. You can make it attractive or useful as per your wish. You should not just add a room to your house, always consider the look of the house from outside as well.
  • Plan: Before starting the extension or renovation create a detailed plan of the extension. Always have the materials and the people working to get the extension ready before you start the work. You should always think of the details when planning an extension because you might not want to lose time gathering the materials. Make a list of materials and have a couple of choices handy. Pick the ones you like the best for the work. You may find that the material which you have chosen is not in your budget. So, decide if you still want to go with the choice or if you can go with the second material you had liked.
  • Cost: Everyone wants the best materials when planning for home extension. However, until you have a bag loaded with money you will have to make compromises. A survey conducted by researchers found out that an average home addition costs about $40,000 and a high-end extension would cost up to $150,000 approximately. Always keep your budget a bit higher if you are leaving inn an expensive area or if there are heavy slopes. Consult with four to five contractors and choose from the list of people you think are capable and experience enough to do the work for you. Take bids and check the price they offer to complete the work. Never go for the lowest bidder as they might not be good enough. Check for hidden costs while dealing with them.

The (Un) Healthy Habits You Need To Say Goodbye To

We all want to be healthy. At the moment, given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining in good health seems more important than ever. However, it can be a challenge. Most of us try to do what we think is right to keep ourselves happy and healthy and recognize that the odd bad habit – perhaps a few glasses of wine or a pizza on the weekend – is fine if done on moderation.

However, some of the things that we do that we think are healthy and do on a daily basis can actually do more harm than good. Here, we look at some of the healthy-but-not-really-healthy habits that you need to consider saying goodbye to.

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels CC0 License

Choosing salad over a meal

It sounds like the healthiest option, right? A nice healthy salad – low in calories, full of vitamins and minerals. It is a great choice, is it not?

Well, not all of the time. If you have a plain salad, then yes, it is healthy, but how many people have a plain salad? Not many. Most salads come with all sorts of delicious toppings, extras, sauces, and dressings, and that is where the problem lies. These extras all contain added salt and fat and can often be more calorific than having the burger that you were craving.

Not only that but if a salad does not fill you up, you can often find yourself reaching for the cookie jar or other unhealthy snacks later on.

Listening to music before bed

It has been proven many times that listening to music can reduce your stress levels and help you to relax. Because of this, many people listen to it before they go to bed. It makes sense, does it not? If it helps you to relax, it will help you drop off into a nice, deep sleep.

But what if you are listening to your chosen music through earphones? It might be time to find a new way of zoning out before you go to sleep, as regularly blasting out the tunes into your ears can very easily cause damage to your delicate eardrums and canals.

The thing with hearing damage is that it happens gradually over time, so few people notice a problem until it is too late to reverse or repair the damage. Of course, regular hearing tests can help, but the best way of preventing hearing loss, which usually requires a hearing aid, is to protect your ears. No blasting music, no matter how relaxing it might be, no putting things like earbuds into your ears to clean them and wearing ear defenders if you are exposed to loud noise at work. 

Drinking smoothies and fruit juices

Smoothies and fruit juices, on the face of it, are super healthy. They are jam packed with fruit and seem like an easy way to get some of your portions of five fruit and vegetables a day. They taste pretty delicious at the same time and are healthier than grabbing a takeout breakfast or a can of soda.

However – they are not quite as healthy as you think. In fact, they can be pretty unhealthy. Firstly, if you are replacing a proper meal with a liquid, you are not going to be getting the nutrients that you need. Secondly, the fruit is packed with sugar. It is natural sugar, and nowhere near as bad for you as refined sugar, but it is still there. This can cause a spike in insulin levels, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels, which can lead to unhealthy cravings. 

If you are relying on smoothies to help you lose weight, you may find that your weight loss plateaus very quickly or that you end up putting on weight.

Drinking a cup of tea at bedtime

All the advice and guidance for getting a good night’s sleep tells you to have a warm drink before bed. Many of us put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. It’s hot, it’s comforting and feels like the right drink to help us unwind before we go to sleep.

The problem with this is that tea contains caffeine, and we all know that is not the best thing to have before you go to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant, which will do the opposite to help you have a quality sleep!

There are plenty of habits that on the surface appear to be healthy, but in reality are damaging to your efforts. Take heed of these – you don’t have to cut them out completely, just be aware!

Common Health Hindrances And How You Can Cope

It’s a sad fact that illness, disease and even something rather fatal can affect us at any point in our lives, even without forewarning. Of course, there are things we are made aware of. But some health issues we can all struggle with can affect us quite severely, and often without us even realizing. As we approach the summer, it is already apparent how fast time is going, it’s vital that we take care of ourselves, both in mind and body and ensure we do all our can to remain healthy and happy. With that in mind, here are some of the health issues we could all face.

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Image source – pixabay – cco license

A heart attack

Having a heart attack is a serious medical emergency that must be taken seriously at the slightest moment you think you might be suffering from one. Symptoms include seriously painful chest pain which can often feel like you have a heavy object placed on your chest that doesn’t make breathing easy. It is important to make heart health a priority. You may also struggle with anxiety, shortness of breath and suddenly feel very weak. If you are worried, then seek medical advice straightaway by dialing your emergency numbers. 

A stroke

Similarly to a heart attack, a stroke is something that can attack you without warning, and it happens to be in your brain. It happens when the blood supply is cut off to your brain. Without blood, your brain can’t function as it needs the oxygen for the brain cells to survive. There are different types of strokes and the damage caused will depend on where your brain is attacked. You may start to feel a tingly sensation down one side of your body, or perhaps your face may start to droop. If you spot any signs, you must seek medical attention immediately. 

Depression

Depression is a black cloud that can often ascend on us when we least expect it, or where from the outside life appears absolutely fine. But depression and our mental health can affect us more than we realize and is not something to be ignored. Depression can cause you to lose hope in your life and to not take any enjoyment from anything. It can isolate you and make you feel alone, even when you aren’t. If you are starting to feel low and upset more often than usual, then please talk to someone to see what is going on with your mental mindset. Sometimes things like therapy can help, but you could also try alternative therapies. Things like counselling or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy could also help you combat these feelings of depression. 

Anxiety and panic attacks

Finally, anxiety and panic attacks are a different sort of mental health issue. They can go hand in hand with depression or it can be something that manifests all on its own. It can be the feeling of a loss of control of a situation. The fear something terrible might happen or the panic about something that you have to face. Mentally, you build it up in your head to cause you to feel anxious and upset. Again therapies and also things like lifestyle changes can help you to manage this. 

Let’s hope this has made you more aware of health hindrances that you may face in the future.