CrossTeam Properties Offers Advice on Home and Garden Improvements

Wooden gazebos are a fantastic way to create something unique and stylish in your garden. Wooden gazebos are soaring in popularity because there are so many designs, sizes and shapes available.

Wooden gazebos not only create a relaxing place to sit in your garden, they are also great for keeping safe in sunny weather. The sun has harmful rays that can even be harmful when it is very cloudy. A wooden gazebo provides a garden with permanent shade and a safe place to enjoy the weather.

If you have a hot tub outside you may want to protect it from the elements. You can easily do this with a wooden hot tub gazebo that allows you to enjoy the hot tub whatever the weather.

Wooden gazebos are often installed in a panelled system. This makes maintenance easier as you can unfix one panel if it becomes damaged and replace it.

The types of wood used for gazebos will not be very heavy and will be light enough for DIY beginners to handle. This means that if the gazebo is damaged or installed incorrectly then the entire structure can be taken apart and put together again, without the cost of having to buy extra materials and supplies.

Wooden gazebos are a great focal point for any size of garden or outdoor space. They provide shade, comfort and are a fantastic addition to any home’s outdoor area. You can buy complete kits to build them yourself, purchase materials from DIY stores, or hire a contractor to design and build the gazebo for you.

If you’re considering a significant property development project, whether with your own home or somewhere you’ve acquired to renovate, there are a few things to bear in mind before you start. Unless you’re a very accomplished all-rounder, with excellent building skills, you’ll be grappling with a lot more than DIY. You can certainly help keep costs down if you’re confident with painting and decorating and if you can stretch to plastering, too, significant savings can be made. Depending on how adventurous you aim to be, calling on the advice of architects would be a wise early move, not least because they can also advise and apply for, any planning permission you may need before you begin. Prominent extensions and major internal alterations usually require the local planning department’s approval. Unless you have the required permission for building projects that alter the form and use of the building, you’ll be breaking the law.

In addition to planning permission, you’ll need to be familiar with the relevant building regulations. These generally don’t apply to minor alterations, like repairs, a new central heating system or installing a new bathroom or kitchen. However, new extensions or changes to elevations, including significant internal renovations, like loft conversions, will require building regulation conformity. Again, architects can ensure that the legal requirements are complied with, as can chartered surveyors and master builders. You need to be prepared for all of the costs involved with the fittings for a property. The main expenses will be the kitchen, so plan for every cost from appliances to granite worktops.

Always remember that if your project affects any wall between your property and another, you’ll need to obtain a ‘party wall agreement.’ This obliges you to pay to rectify any damage to the integrity of the party wall that any building work on your part might cause. A simple motto, ‘plan before you build’.

Over the past few years there has been an increase of people renting properties rather than buying. This is due to the current economic climate, high house prices and the reluctance of banks to give big mortgages to first-time buyers.

Flats are amongst the most popular properties to rent especially in major cities like London, Birmingham and Liverpool. There are also more properties to rent on the market, as the housing market slows forcing new developments to rent out their properties instead of selling them.

Finding a property to rent is relatively easy nowadays, with many estate agents having their own websites which list available properties for a specific area. These websites have pictures and maps of the properties, giving a brief description and price so you can find what you’re looking for. Viewing can also be booked through the websites so you can see the properties in person.

With no end in sight for the current economic crisis, the best thing to do especially for first-time buyers is to rent until the housing market stabilises.

If you’re planning a significant bit of property development, it would be wise to begin by employing architects. If you can afford the fees, they’ll ensure that any necessary planning permission is obtained. They’ll not only design your dream plan in detail, but ensure it conforms to current building regulations too. To economise on the project, rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck into the DIY aspects, such as painting, decorating and even, if you’re able, some plastering, will save you a significant amount of cash. The more sophisticated aspects of the project, however, will usually mean calling in another expert. A good, reliable builder is worth his weight in gold. Don’t randomly select one from Yellow Pages though, always go on trusted recommendations and ask to see examples of their work. Good builders are usually proud to display their handiwork.

Project management is pivotal. You’ll need to calculate out labour, materials and price schedules and wrap these up into a contract. Avoid paying hourly or daily rates, you need to know the price for the complete job and that the contractor will deliver. However, you should always allow an extra 10% for contingencies.

Work out all your major purchases at the design stage, including materials and items likes basins, baths, appliances and granite worktops don’t be left having to improvise as work proceeds as this can be very expensive. Upgrading your home involves installing basics that you shouldn’t compromise on, especially if it’s going to be significantly larger, like getting a new, more powerful boiler, expert plumbing and electrical installation. Most importantly, throughout the construction phase, daily communication with your builder will prevent expensive misunderstandings.

A garden gazebo is a great way to add some class to any outdoor function you may be hosting. However, choosing the right garden gazebo for your purposes can be tricky as there are many factors to consider.

Garden gazebos have grown in popularity since they became cheaper and easier to erect. However, the lower prices can mean poor quality materials, which are only good for a short lifespan of the gazebo.

A top quality canopy gazebo will cost a lot more than many standard types. If you intend to use the gazebo regularly for entertaining throughout the summer months then you should pay a bit more for a really durable and attractive structure.

If you see your garden gazebo as something more permanent then you should consider building a wooden gazebo. This will cost more than buying a high standard canopy version but it will last for longer and a wooden outdoor gazebo will become a useful permanent fixture in your garden.

Many people hastily buy a gazebo and erect it without much thought and careful consideration of where to position it in the garden. Pick a sunny but sheltered spot; gazebos do not like high winds!

You can see what a gazebo will look like when erected, as the stores will have show models on display. This will give you the perfect opportunity to see which style, size and quality is best for your garden.

A pergola is a type of gazebo that forms a walkway, its pillars and cross beams offering a structure on which vines or bougainvillea are traditionally grown.  It thus offers shade and protection as an extension of an existing building or as a sheltered pathway between pavilions.  The word originates from the Latin meaning projected eave.

Pergolas are permanent features usually constructed of stone or wood unlike the temporary green tunnels built of willow or hazel in the early Renaissance period.   Branches were knotted together to form arches and then longer pieces were woven through to support the growth of climbing plants.  The walkways then allowed pleasant strolls as they provided both shade from the sun and protection from the rain.

During the 18th and 19th centuries when cottage gardens and more natural landscape architecure was in vogue, the obviously man-made character of pergolas made it a less popular garden ornnament.

Today pergolas are very popular mainly because of their use in gardening programmes on television.  Modern pergolas tend to be constructed of wood, a cheaper option, and thus makes this type of garden gazebo available to a wider market.  They can be incorporated into a large garden as a shaded walkway or as an alternative to a solid fence in a garden where space is limited, training climbers and creating a more open perspective.

Large pergolas can provide a space of relaxation and shade whilst smaller ones can add structure and interest to a particular part of the garden.

Picture courtesy of iagoarchangel

Gazebos have been popular garden and outdoor structures for centuries, sited so that the occupant can appreciate a beautiful garden, a breathtaking view or simply to enjoy a time of solitude.

The word gazebo first entered the English language in the middle of the 18th century when a book was published named Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste written by an architect writer William Halfpenny and his son John.  The origin of the word is unclear although there are several theories.

One is that it is a combination of two words: the English word gaze and the Latin word ebo meaning I shall, thus gazebo means I shall gaze.  Another supposition is that it derived from the French term Que c’est beau meaning how beautiful.  Both are obviously apt descriptions of a gazebo, as it has no walls and is sited so that views can be appreciated in all directions.

It has also been proposed that the word gazebo is a derivation from Casbah, a Muslim word for the area around the citadel in Algiers or from the Hispano-Arabic qushaybah.

During the Renaissance, Italians developed a gazebo-type structure called a belvedere.  It has a similar meaning to gazebo as belvedere in Italian means beautiful view.

Belvederes could be freestanding but unlike gazebos could also be located inside a building, usually at the top of the structure to provide a panoramic view. 

Freestanding belvederes or gazebos were used during the Renaissance in gardens of monasteries as places of worship and meditation.

More and more people are buying gazebos as a decorative feature for their garden.  Used for thousands of years and built in a variety of materials, today’s garden gazebos tend to be wooden structures not only because it is a cheaper material but also because they can merge into the landscape as a more natural feature.  This appeals to those who view the gazebo as a place to become closer to nature.  A choice of woods can be used to build the gazebo and can look both striking and attractive.

Traditional gazebos were structures that were open but modern gazebos can be built fully enclosed or with lattices that can be used as a structure for climbing plants such as wisteria or clematis.  In parts of the world where insects such as mosquitoes are a problem, screen slides can be built on wooden gazebos in order that the owners can relax and enjoy the beautiful views without the nuisance of mosquitoes.

Before purchasing a gazebo it is important to determine its purpose as this will have a bearing on the construction material and its design.  It is also essential that the gazebo be constructed on the correct site, taking into account landscape, weather conditions and planning permission.

A good site for a wooden gazebo would be on an incline that would offer attractive views or beside a garden pond, where favourite flowers could be planted.  A gazebo is a place where one can find tranquillity and appreciate ones natural surroundings.

For anyone who loves gardens but hates gardening, the idea of a maintenance-free version has enormous appeal.

Whether you’re a DIY aficionado or into some serious property development, it’s a big mistake to neglect the ‘outdoor room’: there are few sights more off-putting to visitors or potential buyers than overgrown, tatty, unloved gardens.

Whether you’ve got architects revamping your property or you’re about to get stuck in to some painting, decorating or plastering indoors, here are some ideas for creating a stylish, genuinely low maintenance garden that’ll looking great all year round. I

If your idea of gardening is a quick sweep once in a while, building a low maintenance garden is a must.

If you don’t especially want a tennis court or a football pitch in your garden, assuming it’s that large anyway, you can afford to start visually carving it up into zones without making it look smaller.

Simple lines using different materials and colours can work wonders, and the boundaries can be softened with judicious planting with no maintenance plants like ‘verbena’.

Bamboo can also be a good choice: it looks the same all year round, but pot it before you sink it into the ground, or it’ll send shoots through your gravel and paving.

When choosing materials for hard landscaping, don’t be afraid to be adventurous with colour combinations; slate gray tiles and skelpings can look stylish and classy next to red-stained decking and salmon-pink gravel, especially with a row of verbena between them.

Box hedging planted in a block can add a splash of low-maintenance panache to an otherwise featureless paved area.

Loft conversions usually need the expert input of architects, not just for the design but to handle the necessary planning permission. However, whether you’re embarking on a property development project or just feel confident to make a large DIY attempt on your own home, there are some tips which a building project like this could always benefit from.

It will require a lot of skill, involving more than a bit of painting, decorating and plastering, but you can spare yourself trouble later by being clear about your plans at the beginning.

Always physically go into the loft and work out exactly what is and what isn’t usable space (headroom is a big factor). Areas where there isn’t headroom are often used for storage.

It’s important to consider how you’ll get natural light into the space. Velux windows are good, but Dormer windows are great, giving you precious extra space.

Think carefully about the function of the space – is it an office or a bedroom? If the latter, do you want an en suite bathroom too (if you do, you’ll have to get water into it and out again). Don’t go to all the trouble of installing a bathroom/WC that will never get used.

Give a lot of thought to the new staircase – it must comply with building regulations and should look and feel pleasant, as opposed to a glorified loft-ladder. Always remember to insulate, preferably double the requirements of the building regulations (it’ll save a lot of hard-earned money on heating bills).