You have to admit that old, wood shutters have an irresistible pull. There is something about their link to the past that adds allure to their somewhat rustic appearance. But what do you do with those shutters from your grandparents’ old homestead or the ones you discovered in the dusty corner of an antique store? Check out these great ideas for repurposing those charming shutters and creating something both beautiful and useful for your home.

Home Office Organizer
There is nothing classy about those plastic mail sorters. Let’s be honest; they just look boring. If you want to add a little charm to your home office while getting rid of some of that paper cluttering your desk, hang a couple of shutters on the wall over your desk. Use the slots to sort bills and outgoing mail and display a few of your favorite photos. Clothespins are a great way to clip papers to the shutters if you have trouble keeping them in the slots.

Magazines, Anyone?
Another fantastic way to use a shutter is as a magazine rack. Simply hang a shutter on the wall, and then slip one magazine over each slot, creating an orderly, eye-catching display for your favorite reads.

Funky End Tables
If you find four matching shutters, you can create a fun and eye-catching end table. You will need a square countertop piece to top the creation and a way to keep the pieces connected and strengthened. Good Housekeeping offers some easy-to-follow instructions for this project.

Stunning Headboards
Find at least two sets of matching shutters, one taller set and one shorter set. Combine with some crown molding or other wooden decoration, and fit the shutters together over the bed with the two taller ones in the middle. The effect is simply amazing. Simpler headboards can be created with four matching shutters all lined up in a row. The options are limitless.

A New Twist on Consoles
Perhaps you have seen tables created from repurposed doors. Try creating a console or buffet table out of shutters. It is not as hard as it sounds, and the results are truly unique. If you are at a loss for the how-to of this project.

Frame It Up
Shutters can create great frames or backdrops for other decorative items in your house. A single round clock may get lost on a large wall; place it on a shutter to create a little extra pizzazz in your room. You can also try attaching a spray of flowers to a shutter or hanging a row of shutters with framed pictures of your friends and family attached to each one.

Preparing Shutters
Many old shutters look fantastic just the way they are, but if you are trying to combine several shutters to create a single look, you may want to match the colors. Traditional painting is the easiest method, but many people love a more distressed look on their shutters. A simple Internet search is sure to result in instructions on how to transform your old set of shutters into a remarkable work of art. If you have an artistic flair, you can also custom paint your shutters to match another household decor.

Rented apartments are becoming readily popular in the United States, especially in highly populated states like New York. This is because these states are a home to several people who come here looking for work. Also, there are thousands of international students who need to rent apartments. Regardless of the sphere of life you belong in, renting an apartment can be a tedious task. This is because several considerations need to be made. For one, you need to decide whether you want a furnished or an unfurnished apartment. Here are a few things to help you make the decision.

Your budget – Before setting out to look for an apartment for rent, you need to sit down and draw up a rough budget. You need to decide on the amount of money you will be willing to spend on an apartment. In several areas of New York, furnished apartments are available in affordable prices. This means that while they certainly do cost more than unfurnished ones, there is not a great margin in the prices.  If you do not have a lot of cash to spend on buying furniture as well as other equipment for an entire house, it would be appropriate to buy a furnished apartment. If, however, you can afford to invest in household equipment, you might as well go for it.

The length of your stay – How long do you intend to stay in your rented apartment? If your work requires you to travel from time to time, it would not be appropriate to buy new furniture for an unfurnished apartment. This is because you will have to manage the transportation and settling of this furniture every time you relocate. If, however, you have found the perfect unfurnished apartment and intend to stay in it for a long time, you might as well as choose your own furniture and equipment. Decorating a house yourself can make you feel a lot more comfortable with living in it, especially if you are planning to stay for years.

The reason you are renting and apartment – Renting an apartment does not only mean that you can not afford a house of your own. There are several other reasons people might be looking for apartment rentals. If, for example, you are a student and need an apartment to live in, it would be advisable to go for a furnished apartment. This is because furnishing can be a lengthy and tough process, which you might not have the time or resources for. Moreover, you might need to move to another apartment as your affordability and need fluctuate. In such a case, you almost certainly would not want to have to deal with furniture.

All in all, both furnished and unfurnished apartments have their advantages. The choice between the two entirely depends on your needs as a dweller. Therefore, you need to consider certain factors so as to make sure which one is the best for you.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Do you know why? If you do, you must be one of the rich. If you don’t, good luck to you. We don’t know the secret either, but what we do know is that many of the world’s richest people watch their pennies. Some watch their pennies so closely that they’re very reluctant to let go of any of them. According to a recent announcement by TPN Credit Bureau, some wealthy folks are so reluctant to part with their money that they make a habit of paying their rent late.

To be honest, the very rich are not the only late payers; the very poor are also guilty, but that makes more sense, doesn’t it?

If you’re looking for stats, TPN Credit Bureau found that 17 000 of tenants in the high-income bracket pay their rent late. When we’re talking about rent as high as this, we’re talking about a significant cash flow problem for landlords.

Buying high-end property with a view to rent
If you want to take on risky high-income tenants then your only option is to have a very posh house. On the lower end of the high-end market, monthly rent is in the region of $3500, but it really depends on location. PilotOnline.com reports that a high-end two-storey, two-garage property in Virginia Beach goes for about $3500 per month, but in Los Angeles, super-high-end property can go for over $100 000 per month.

The high-end rental market is also interesting in New York, where property has always gone for a premium price. Back in 2010, NYMag.com reported that studio apartments went for around $3000 per month (compare that to Virginia Beach), while three-bedroom apartments (not houses mind) could fetch around $23 000. Would you like to guess at what the rental prices are now, two years and plenty of uncertainty later?

According to Luxe List Home, there is an increasing demand for luxury home rentals, which the COO, Alan Shafer, attributes to the property market’s continuing shakiness. The wealthy don’t want to be laden with a fantastically luxurious home that they don’t have a prayer of selling; at least not if they want to recoup their costs.

On the other hand, if you are wealthy and willing to take a property risk, you could always buy something big and fancy and rent it out to your more cautious peers.

If you’re worried about going too big, you could buy a house that is not quite a true-blue mansion but which still offers single families and even single professionals the chance to live the high life. You could rent it for around $14 000 per month. At the very worst you’re looking too boost your monthly income by around $4000, right?

There is no point in renting out a property if you cannot make a good return on your investment. In an increasingly competitive market, it makes sense to do all you can to make sure that your property stands out from the crowd.

Image Credit

However, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money that you don’t have to. Here are some practical ways in which you can freshen up your rental property on a budget.

Investing your money in rental property

Buy-to-let property can be a good investment but it is not a guaranteed way to make money. According to money advice website The Money Advice Service, they are great for people who prefer investments that are more ‘real’ than bonds and stocks. They also only suit those who are willing to tie up their money for many years.

Protect your investment

Once you have spent a lot of time and effort making your property perfect you need to protect it. The first way to do this is via comprehensive landlord’s insurance. The second is to clearly record what is in the property and what condition it is in using an inventory. You can get a management agency to prepare this or you can do it yourself using property inventory software such as that supplied by https://inventorybase.co.uk/. This can save you time and money.

Image Credit

Enhance your investment

You can make the property more stylish and appear more spacious by clearing out any clutter. If you are providing furnished accommodation, invest in a few high-quality pieces rather than filling it up with cheap furniture.

Don’t get carried away with elaborate interior décor schemes. Stick to neutral colours that the tenants can put their own stamp on.

The property must look clean and fresh and a lick of paint can go a long way to achieving this. It costs very little but is effective.

The bathroom and kitchen are very high on a tenant’s priority lists. Scrub the tiles and use a mould remover if necessary. Replace stained and damaged floor covering with a mid-range linoleum. Glass shower panels look a lot better than a mouldy curtain too.

With just a few minor touches you can freshen up any rental property and offer it back to market quickly to start receiving your rental income.

Some of us when we go on holiday love nothing more to shop till we drop. Making sure that we get to check out all of the local markets and seeing what bargains we can find. Even going to the local shopping malls will show you things that you may not have seen before and can give you an idea of the local fashion in the country that you visit. There are some great bargains to be had when you are on your holidays in Turkey, you just need to be careful and keep a sharp eye out for them.

East meets West
Turkey is a country which spans the two great continents of Europe and Asia and is the gateway to each of these great land masses by road. With such a rich tapestry and diversity of culture, Turkey is a melting pot of both eastern and western philosophy and ideals. This can also be seen in the architecture, the religion and also the foods that you can enjoy in Turkey. All of the famous spices which came from the East to the West would come through Turkey and this has had a big effect on the local food. With a range of local delicacies on offer you are sure to be able to find something which will tantalize your taste buds and get your mouth watering. Some of the best food you are likely to try may be off one of the stalls in the many markets that there are, freshly cooked and prepared in front of your eyes and with a taste which will leave you craving for more. The food alone can keep you coming back to Turkey for years to come.

Remember to haggle
If you are going to go shopping on one of the many markets in Turkey then you must remember to haggle over the price. This is a tradition and is expected of people looking to purchase something. This can be treated somewhat as a game but you are best to leave the haggling to when you are purchasing from a market rather than a shopping mall or restaurant. You can ask in Turkish “pazarlik mümkün mü moomkoon moo” which basically translates to “is it possible to negotiate”? This is something that can take some getting used to as in the West we are given a price which we accept and either take or not, we do not have the chance to haggle over the price. You may need to practice the art of haggling and also make sure that you do not start off too aggressive as you may unintentionally offend the seller and even possibly create a scene. When you ask for a price of a product, offer them around 50% to 60% of what they are asking, you can then keeping trading offers until you both reach a compromise that you are happy with. This can actually be great fun but remember that you cannot haggle everywhere and also be respectful when negotiating with the locals.

Which currency to use?
The national currency of Turkey is the Lira but there are also other currencies that you can use when making a purchase.

• Lira
• Pounds Sterling
• Euro
• US Dollar

All of these currencies can be easily exchanged at any of the banks or post offices throughout the country, or even in some cases at jewellery shops as well. Some sellers will accept the foreign currency and give very favorable exchange rates when doing so. This can mean that you can get some very good bargains for things such as furniture, white goods and textiles. It is advisable to make a decision before you go away as to which currency you are going to take with you as you may end u making a purchase in a foreign currency and getting your change back in local Lira, which can cause confusion when keeping a check on your money and how much you have spent. You may even want to download an application to your Smartphone to work things out for you quickly and easily. The Turkish people are a wonderful people who can be very friendly and hospitable, you can also get some great holiday bargains here as well as bring back some truly memorable holiday moments which will stay with you for a lifetime.

Hair transplants have been desirable since decades due to several hair fall reasons. Everyone wants to look good and young. Hence, the wish of the clients is not only surgery or the transplant of hair but also full hair restoration. Hair restoration being the major objective requires the right procedures and the right methods for treatments and the surgery.

To understand the procedure it should be understood that for full hair restoration the major requirement is an excellent donor hair site for the client. This donor area should be from the patient’s own body from somewhere where the hairs are in abundance. The ideal place as a donor is a better side of the head that may not be bald yet. If there is a good donor area on your head, you are all set for hair restoration!

The Hair Restoration Surgery

Grafting or the other method being strip incision is ideal for a hair restoration surgery. The procedure requires the peeling off of the dermis from the donor area. Along with the hair and the hair follicles, the dermis is implanted on the donor area of the patient. The problem arises in terms of the quantity of hair fibers, as each skin graft contains only approx 10 hair follicles each. Approximately 30 skin grafts could be used.

This method is one of the most ancient methods when it comes to hair restoration surgeries. It is less time consuming and also less expensive, which makes it one of the most common methods, opted for hair transplant. The major disadvantage of this technique being is the appearance of the output, as it makes the surgery-hair look quite unnatural. Many surgeons have shifted to new and improved methods however this method is still widely used.

The latest procedures for hair restoration have the advantage as they require fewer grafts hence fewer follicles. For excellent results the copying method or the hair for hair procedure should be used.

Hair Restoration Procedures

There are two basic procedures when it comes to hair restoration procedures.

i)                    The mini micro grafting procedure

ii)                  Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation Procedure

Hair Transplant Costs

It should be kept in mind that the hair transplant surgeries are not at all cheap. It costs a fortune to look young again and get your hair back. The approximate cost for a full hair restoration surgery may range from $2500 to $3000. The costs per graft vary from $2 to $15 per graft. However the Follicular Unit Transplant method costs much more than the micro graft method. The cost for a Follicular Unit Transplant maybe as much as $15 per graft. Approximately about 200 grafts are used in one session. Hence, the cost sums up to around $3000. The major difference in costs is due to the difference in procedures and the time spent for the surgeon. Moreover the number of grafts required and the number of sessions also matter.

A thorough research must be done by the patient before choosing which clinic or which surgeon is the best in town for your surgery, you could also compare the costs for a better idea.

As spring finally arrives, your lawn will need some much-needed tending to after a punishing winter. With so many options available on the market, choosing a lawnmower can often be a confusing decision to make. Your selection will most likely be based on three factors: the number of obstacles in your lawn, such as trees, the size of the lawn and the level of terrain.

Image Credit

Push Mowers

Perfect for smaller lawns, push mowers are a great eco-friendly and low-maintenance option. As a manual reel mower, it must be pushed relatively fast to activate the blades, but as it has no engine it can be easily stored vertically. As the average garden in the UK is 14 square metres, this could be the ideal option for your lawn.

Walk-Behind Mowers

Available in many different options, powered walk-behind lawn mowers have been a favourite for decades. With adequate care, powered motors can cut through miles of lawn and run for years – just ensure you measure your garden’s dimensions, including shed doors or garden gates, and consider manoeuvrability before buying.

For lawnmower parts, such as Mountfield spares, enquire with a company such as https://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/.

Image Credit

Electric or Petrol

Petrol mowers tend to offer more power and have a longer runtime than electric ones, but can create a mess and require maintenance. Electric mowers are cordless or corded and are cleaner to operate but are limited by cord length, which can also be a nuisance to dodge when mowing.

Self-Propelled or Pushed

All-wheel self-propelled mowers offer the most assistance when cutting the grass on inclines and make the chore of cutting grass much easier and faster. However, they can often be heavier and harder to manoeuvre.

Cutting Type

Walk-behind lawn mowers organise grass clippings by mulching, bagging or by side discharge. Side discharge will distribute the grass clippings back on the lawn, mulching breaks the grass down and bagging collects the grass into a bag which can be disposed of.

Ride-on Mowers

If you have a very large lawn, ride-on mowers are a big step-up and go beyond the walk-behind mower. Ride-on mowers cut down the time it takes to mow a lawn significantly with powerful engines, whilst lawn tractors can be hooked up with attachments such as aerators or spreaders to really make gardening a breeze.

Everyone has heard the statement than when buying and selling a house it is all about ‘location, location, location’. But in this time of easier movement and job prosperity it is more about ‘relocation, relocation, relocation.’

It has become very common for people to relocate for work. Whether that is simply moving themselves to be near better job prospects or using employee relocation services such as http://www.dtmoving.com/relocation-services to help when moving perhaps to an existing employers alternative office.

Image Credit

Moving to a new house regardless of whether it is for relocation purposes or not can be incredibly stressful. Before you move most of the tips for relocation are the same as for any house sale and purchase so let’s take a look at some top tips for adjusting after a relocation:

• Make an effort to meet your neighbours and introduce yourself.
• When you settle back into work talk to your colleagues about your move and use them as a sounding board to find out places to visit, best places to eat out and shop in the local area.
• Find and join local clubs and societies. This is a quick and easy way to get to know more people in the area.
• If you are sporty, take a look at the local leisure activities and gyms. You will automatically have something in common with the people there and breaking the ice with them will be much easier.

Image Credit

• It’s good idea to actually visit the area you are relocating to first. If you can send some quality time, there then it will help you to a climatize easier once you have made the move. Though it may seem a little over the top perhaps it maybe an idea to make a quick rudimentary study of the history of the place so that you better understand where the culture has risen from.
• Why not have a list of all the things that you need to do. Once you have it all written down it makes it easier to work through what needs to be completed.
• Learn all of the local Football, Rugby and Cricket team’s names and how well they are doing currently and have done in the past. Not knowing about that FA Cup 6^th round appearance in 1983 can make a world of difference.
• If out what famous people come from the town. You never know, one of your new teammates may have gone to school with someone famous.

Above all else remember that this is your opportunity and your life. Try and embrace this wonderful change and see it as the life affirming exercise it can turn out to be. There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet.