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Are you preparing for an international move? We all know relocating abroad comes with its unique set of challenges as well as tasks - from applying for visas to learning new languages and everything in between. Fortunately, this post has been created in order to help you check out one of the most important to dos that’s probably on your list - determining how to move your personal belongings to a new country. Here, the first thing you should know while moving household items outside the borders is that it’s usually a bit more tricky than moving them within the United Kingdom, but it can still be achieved with proper planning. Below is an overview of the best ways you can put into consideration to move your personal belongings abroad.

• Moving by sea freight. This is the most common and cost efficient means to transport household items to another country. In order to achieve this, an international moving company will send a container to your home to be loaded with the household items. Once done, a truck will pick it up and carry it to the port. Generally, most international moving companies offer door to door and door to port service, in which an agent helps manage the move to make sure that your container is forwarded to the right carrier as well as seeing to it that all customs clearance documents are duly completed and submitted.
• Moving by air freight. This is less common and more expensive way to move household belongings to a new country. Although an airplane can only carry so much cargo, but many holds the belief that the convenience it offers is well worth the hefty price tag as well as space limitation. Therefore, if you wish to receive your personal belongings as soon as possible, going for this option would be your best bet.

The holy grail of home extensions is basically the need for additional space for living as well as leisure. However, before commencing your home extension project, you’d probably want to know just how big your new building can be. In this article, you’ll find the answer to this question which is also frequently asked by many other home or property owners in the UK.

Besides your budget, there are two other major influencing factors that can determine just how much extra room that can be added. These factors include whether you wish to carry out the extension project under Permitted Development rights which is usually for a smaller project or you’d prefer to opt for a larger project which is covered by Planning Permission.

Apart from the limitations in the size of an extension under Permitted Development, the extensions are also a lot more affordable and consumes less time when compared to the extensions under planning permission. So what exactly is the size limit for an extension under Permitted Development and the ones under Planning Permission?

For a single storey extension, the maximum size that can be constructed without having to submit an application for Planning Permission includes:

• An extension should have a maximum length of 6m, if you reside in a terraced home or a semi-detached property.

• Extensions for detached properties can have a maximum length of 8m.

• The extension built must not go beyond half your garden’s area.

• The extension should have a maximum height of 4 metres, but in the event whereby the extension is situated within 2 metres of the boundary of your property, it should not exceed a height of 3 metres.

• The extension should not be higher than the highest part of the existing house’s roof.

Fitting a wall hung toilet in your home or property bring about a plethora of benefits. Not only are they a feat of modern washroom design, but they’re also able to offer a wealth of practical benefits. Given the fact that the cistern and pipework are all going to be concealed within a duct system, the areas that’ll be exposed is significantly reduced. This, ultimately, protects them from accidental damage and tampering, and also leaves a flush, easy to clean surface which goes a long way to improve the hygiene in your washroom.

Fitting a wall hung toilet can be a tricky and time consuming task especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you lack the confidence to pull this off, it’s advisable to hire the services of a plumber who can guarantee the best results for help. So how do you fit a wall hung toilet?

• Complete the 1st fix plumbing works. This should be done before the installation of the IPS panels and cubicles.
• Fit the stainless steel frame to the wall. High Pressure Laminate and solid grade Laminate IPS panels usually comes with pre-clipped metal DUCT set framing. Simply unclip the panels and number them on the back. Fix Unistrut to the back wall of where the new IPS DUCT will be positioned. Once done, you can then fit the stainless steel framework and fix the frame with M10 bolts to where it makes contact with the wall and floor.
• Wall hung pan support frame. This involves bolting the frame into the floor and back wall of the newly created void
• Lining up your toilet. Make sure that your toilet pan are marked out even and spaced before hanging it to enable cubicle enclosures that’ll be fitted later on.
• Cisterns, flush kits and cut outs. This invloves cutting out holes on the solid grade laminate IPS panels to allow for you push butoon or sensor flush control, waste outlet, flush cone and fixing rods. Once done, clip back the IPS panels to the stainless steel DUCT set frame.
• Second fixing your wall hung toilet pan and controls.

All new windows come with an energy efficiency rating from A to G. A is best, while G is the lowest rating. Anything above C is considered good, but these days most companies will be able to supply you with A-rated windows to maximise your energy efficiency.

Do Septic Tanks Smell?

The simple and shot answer to this question is yes, septic tanks smell. There are a plethora of very pleasant fragrant smells to enjoy in the United Kingdom, but the smell that oozes out of septic tank systems are certainly not one of them. In fact, if you care for yourself a lot, you should not even try smelling your septic tank at all. However, if you do notice a bad odour wafting from the direction of your tank, it may be that there’s an indication that something is not right. The septic tank system is always with strong malodorous scents, but when you start smelling the odour from the septic tank on your property, then something is wrong and if ignored, may lead to a contamination of your water supply and or other dangerous situations.

✓ When you’re able to perceive the smell of your septic tank from your property, it may imply a full or overflowing septic tank. In this case, you should call in a professional to have your tank pumped. Generally, most tanks are designed to be pumped every 4 years but this is definitely going to vary depending on the size of of the tank as well as your home’s water usage.

✓ Another possible reason for a smelly tank is a covered septic tank vent. This usually happens when a home is renovated or remodelled after the septic tank system has been fitted. You should make sure that the septic tank vents are always uncovered.

✓ If the septic tank starts to get smelly right after showering, then it’s most likely that the septic tank was not installed the way it’s supposed to and may have been fitted without any type of vent.

✓ A smelly tank can also be caused by inappropriate items making their way into a system like cooking grease, oil or fat, paints, solvents, industrial cleaning products, condoms, feminine hygiene products and so on.

The bath waste is primarily responsible for the safe drainage of the bath once the plug is removed. Generally, it’s connected to the overflow which enables excess water to go away if the plug is in and the bath is overfilled. There are times whereby the bath waste can corrode and start to leak, so when this happens its important to replace the components so as to make sure that there’s no excessive water damage as well as other complications. This is a task any DIYer, regardless of the experience level can achieve, however if you lack the confidence to pull this off, then we’d recommend you get in touch with a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we aim to take you through the bath waste fitting process to ensure you do it the right way. Let’s take a look!

• Remove the old bath waste. Do this by unscrewing the screw probably located at the centre of the waste cover. Then pull the outer cover away from the bath. Locate a larger washer underneath and lift it out, the clean the hole of any old sealant to make a smooth entry for the new waste.
• Disconnect the connector and pipe. Locate the plastic pipe that runs from the bottom of the bath to the overflow rose high up at the bath’s end. You’ll observe a connector at each end of the pipe, remove the pipe from the connectors and unscrew both connectors.
• Connect new fittings to new pipe. Take the new plastic waste and connect it to one end of the new plastic pipe and repeat the same process at the other end with the plastic overflow.
• Connect to the bath. Push or screw the waste up into the hole underneath the bath and connect into the trap pipe underneath. Push the new overflow into the bath’s back and on the front then screw I the rose or the cover of the new overflow.

With the ability to add approximately one third of your existing living space ( by converting your old, unused attic) to your home or property without having to let go of your garden, it’s quite easy to see the reason why loft conversion has rapidly grown to become one of the most popular home improvements in the UK. However some homeowners usually shy away from the idea simply by looking at the perceived high cost of carrying out such a project, despite several researches showing that loft conversions offers the best rate of return on initial investment when compared to the other home improvement projects. So exactly how much would it cost to carry out this project?

Just like several other home improvement projects, the cost of a loft conversion varies greatly depending on a wide range of influencing factors. These factors include the size of your home, how old your home is as well as the quality of the fixtures and fittings you want to install. For instance, a high end bathtub alone can cost you thousands of pounds, meanwhile you can also construct a full bathroom suite on just a couple of hundred pounds. However, to give you an idea of the minimum cost of a loft project we’ll look at the most popular types and the minimum cost of each.

✓ Internal Loft Conversion - The most affordable type of loft conversion tends to start from £25,000 and above.

✓ Dormer or L-Shaped Dormer Loft Conversion. These are the most popular types of loft conversion. Dormer price tends to start from £35,000, while the L-shaped dormer starts from £45,000.

✓ Mansard Loft Conversion - This involves replacing the entire side of a sloping roof with a vertical wall and flat roof. It requires a planning permission. The type of loft conversion usually starts from £45,000.

✓ Hip To Gable Loft Conversion - This usually starts from £50,000.

You’ve got to admit it that nothing feels better than knowing your house is spotlessly clean and safe. But even at that, only a few truly have the time to scrub, sanitize and clean their living space from top to bottom. If you don’t have the time or aren’t confident enough to tackle this task, then we’d high recommend you get in touch with a professional who can guarantee the best results to ensure your residential space is looking spick-and-span and totally safe. In this guide, we’re going to walk you through a few home cleaning tips if you’d prefer to handle the task by yourself. Let’s take a look!

• Stock up on supplies. Regardless of your home’s size, there’s a need to get the right products for a successful outcome. For a great result, you’ll have to take an inventory of your cleaning supplies and identify the tools that needs to be replaced such as old sponges, dusters, mops and the likes.
• Start by dusting away dirt. Use a microfibre cloth to wipe clean both obvious and forgotten areas around the house like the top of doors, fans, light fixtures and more. For the stubborn messes that just won’t come off easily like on the kitchen counter or stove, you can introduce baking soda especially in the kitchen area.
• Take on the bathroom. No one likes cleaning the bathroom or toilets, however the cleanliness of your entire house largely depends on how clean your bathroom is, so can as well do it well.
• Vacuuming. Vacuum the stairs, upholstered furnitures and the likes to ensure your home is spotlessly clean.
• Treat the floors properly. This involves sweeping, mopping and treating the floor, in that order.