CrossTeam Properties Offers Advice on Home and Garden Improvements

Modern homes are better insulated now than ever before and it is more important than ever to ensure that the quality of the air we breathe in them is of high and suitable quality. Adequate ventilation for homes with gas fires and cookers is a legal requirement and we will only too pleased to check on this and bring it up to the necessary legal requirement.

In the kitchen we recommend that if you have a gas cooker, you should fit a hood fan that exhausts air to the outside. All fuel burning appliances should be professionally inspected yearly to ensure that these comply with legal requirements otherwise occupants could suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning. Bathrooms are another area where good ventilation is essential. Often we use chemical cleaners and installing a window or wall extractor fan will remove the chemical smell from the house. The bathroom is also a place where steam from baths and showers can cause condensation problems such as damage to decorations and woodwork so it is essential that it is removed quickly and efficiently.

If you have been cursed with a small bathroom, we can suggest many options that can add space, or at worst just make it look bigger. Whilst some of our suggestions are inexpensive, others should only be undertaken if you are considering if you are planning to do some major renovation work, in which case it would be wise for us to look at the room before giving you our thoughts.

Assuming that you are not intending to replace all of the sanitary ware adding light to a small room can have a dramatic effect. Placing light fixtures near mirrors is another good way to add light to the room because the light will be reflected. Also mirrors can create the illusion of more space and putting a mirror opposite a window can give the appearance of another window. Putting one mirror opposite another one is an old trick that can and does work particularly if you arrange lighting to strike this.

A general rule is that all bathrooms require adequate light, good ventilation, plenty of storage, and fittings and fixtures that are as practical as they are attractive. Decorating to a Victorian style with depend to some extent on the style of sanitary fittings that are installed, easier if you are going to replace these with say a free standing roll top bath. Custom made stained glass windows will give an authentic look along with a tiled floor.

For a more traditional ‘English’ look this comfy style is one of the world’s best loved styles and has been since the Victorian era. For that relaxed look we would install traditional styled cabinets in a fine-grained wood of maple, cherry, or mahogany. This would be best finished by a white marble top which could be real or manufactured. A simple way to change the mood of the bathroom when this is complete would be to simply change the towel colours according to the season.

When we consider bedroom décor, naturally our thoughts turn to the decoration of the walls and ceiling. But perhaps more importantly the actual furnishings can completely take over a room and change its appearance. Curtains for instance can play an essential part in the overall look of the room itself.

We would suggest that you consider what kind of effect you are trying to achieve because this will play a major part in the choice of curtaining and other furnishing that you choose.  Some styles of bedroom décor are more subtle, simple design with plain colours, versatile enough to last year round. Silks and velvet, often with a textured design, can bring out an elegant touch to your bedroom and here you would be achieving the desired look. 

From here you would have to look to the bedding coverings as these can have a major part in how the bedroom will eventually look when finished. We suggest that you should be sure to choose the very best bedspread for your personal taste, especially if you will be using a long lasting duvet cover all year round.

Condensation is the curse of the modern home which is more susceptible than houses of yesteryear. A modern house has double glazing, draught proofing and is well insulated unlike the older house which had open fires and the windows probably did not fit all that well.

Condensation occurs when warm moist air settles upon a cold surface, this is usually a window and the bathroom is obviously the place where this is seen the most with showers and baths happening morning and evening. At Crossteam properties we can provide simple solutions to prevent the formation of condensation which if this continues regularly can cause damage to decorations and timber surfaces can also be affected by wood rot.

Ventilation is the easiest way to prevent a build up of warm moist air and we can advise on the best means of extracting the air from the bathroom. Positioning extractor fans in strategic places will usually solve the problem, but just putting one in a window may not be the best or most efficient place.

Look no further than the web pages of Crossteam if you are considering having your bedroom furnishing replaced, for here we can not only give you ideas and suggestions but fit in with your budget whatever that may be. Your up-grade can take many forms form decoration to complete re-furnishing of the bedroom, but replacing the bedding can be all that is needed.

We have suggestions for and information on different types of Bed Spread, Bed Sheets, and duvets all from the finest fabrics. These can be from top grade Egyptian cotton, quilted bedspreads, and satin bedspreads. . Each and every piece of bedding covers will strongly represent a simple and unique way to represent your personal taste and we are confident that when we have completed the upgrade, all the boxes will have been ‘ticked’.

A great deal has been written about memory foam mattresses they are recommended for back problems or as a means of getting a good night’s rest; television advertisements are full of their praise. But what is it about memory foam that makes it such a popular choice for bedding?

It is now widely known that memory foam was developed of the space program in the United States. The idea was to find ways to ease the negative effects of periods of acceleration and deceleration for astronauts who were in space. Memory foam responds to body temperature and the mattress foam moulds itself to the contours of the human body, providing excellent support at pressure points along the spine, legs, and elsewhere. This makes it possible to avoid some of the stresses on the skeletal and muscle systems of the body that are incurred during sleep on many other types of mattress.

Many householders find themselves unhappy with their current bathroom and look to us to offer help and ideas before embarking on a bathroom project. Remodeling a bathroom can be a simple or complex task, depending on just how far you want to go with the project. The outcome of a bathroom makeover can enliven a house and totally change the feel of the bathroom. Here are some considerations which should be taken into account before we undertake any work with your bathroom makeover, ensuring that you get just what you are looking for.

First start by determining what needs to be changed in your bathroom, the existing fixtures, are they to your liking or are they outdated? In some cases, it may be necessary to remodel a bathroom so that light and air can be admitted to the bathroom for better ventilation. In others, the bathroom floor may be alright or will you require this to be replaced, perhaps with ceramic tiling? Are the decorations looking tired with signs of condensation and mould growth? All these and many others we can help you with, which can save money for you in the long run.

One of the most difficult places to undertake a renovation project can be the kitchen, it is after all one of the most important places in the home and is used constantly that is unless we are eating out for every meal!  Whilst you may have a wish to have a kitchen that emits a special grandeur budget constraint mean common sense has to prevail.

We can often suggest savings which entail re-using such items as the extractor hood by using all the mechanical workings but redesigning the hood over the cooker. Choices for kitchen units can also influence the final price and often it is possible to utilise some or all of these by redesigning the layout of the room, perhaps with a peninsular unit and a breakfast area. Modern lighting can also change the look of a kitchen which combined with sympathetic decoration can mean that your kitchen can be transformed without breaking the bank.

The Bank of England base rate has been cut to a low not seen since soon after the Second World War but lenders are being a little slow to respond. There can be no doubt that new mortgages are going to be difficult in the future and may never return to the previous model seen over recent years. With all of this, the slump in new housing starts and resale of property has flooded the news reports in the last month or so. While this may not be the best time to sell a home, it’s a great time to buy and an excellent time to remodel your existing home.

The kitchen and the bathroom are great places to start on your refurbishment plan and with the modern items such as sinks and mixer taps, sleek new cooker units with hoods built in to the new kitchen units you are on your way to a new look for your kitchen.

Similarly with bathrooms, there have never been better looking free standing baths and basins on sleek new furniture that can completely transform the look of your bathroom. Refurbishment of these two areas can and will add value to your home when you times are better for a move, and in the meanwhile you will enjoy the new look and comfort they provide.