4 Important Innovations to Give Your Family Clean Air

If you suffer from allergies or asthma, you understand the importance of clean air. And you certainly realize when you visit a home with poor air quality. Dust and other pollutants can wreak havoc on your respiratory system, causing sneezing, coughing, aching, or, at the very least, a miserable day. But, is the air in your own home as clean as you think? Here are a few things to consider when you're trying to make sure your home has the cleanest and freshest air for your family.  

Track Your Air Quality

The first step when determining the cleanliness of your home is to track its air quality. One option is to use a desktop air quality monitor to measure your home's carbon dioxide levels, humidity, ventilation, and temperature. Keep up-to-date readings to determine when your home is most exposed to pollutants, which can help determine the main culprit. 

It's also important to track your area's air quality. You can look up accurate readings of your hometown's air quality, which the Environmental Protection Agency measures using the Air Quality Index (AQI). Anything over 100 is considered unhealthy. If levels reach over 200, you should limit your outdoor activity, especially if you have compromised health. 

Prevent Pollutants From Entering Your Home

Image via Flickr by Kazuko Oguma 

Arguably the best way to have good air quality is to not let it become contaminated in the first place. Try to determine the source of your home's contaminants and keep them from entering your home. Seal windows and doors properly. Keep the air's humidity level low. Avoid things that collect dust easily, such as wall-to-wall carpeting or upholstered furniture. Also, clean and dust your home regularly. It's impossible to keep dust and pollutants out completely, but routine cleaning can limit their effects. 

Choose Low-VOC Components

Different factors can contribute to indoor air pollution. Outside of common allergens such as pollen and pet dander, the materials in your home can lower your air's quality. Common culprits include volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as chemicals that evaporate and pollute your air. You can find VOCs in different types of flooring, adhesives, composite wood, and more. Be sure your home utilizes low-VOC-emitting materials. 

Get Professional Help

To improve your home's air quality, contact an HVAC professional to help determine the source of your indoor air pollution and the best measures to treat it. Your home might benefit from air cleaners and purifiers, dehumidifiers, air duct cleaning, or a simple lifestyle change. Plus, once you've addressed your home's issues, you can set up a regular service schedule with a licensed professional — something homeowners often overlook.

It's easy to say, "It's just the season" when allergies strike. However, you don't have to live with a tissue box in hand. By cleaning and treating your home properly, you can improve its air quality, your health, and your family's way of life. You can take simple and inexpensive measures to be sure you're living the best, and freshest life possible.

Read more...

Top 5 reasons why people live in Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is one of the most desirable and sought after neighbourhoods in Dubai. This waterfront destination is buzzing with activities and is surrounded by beautiful buildings. It is the biggest marina in the world and offers residents an exhilarating and vibrant urban lifestyle. The development features residential buildings, shops, restaurants, sports and leisure facilities.

image:pixabay.com/photos/dubai-marina-dubai-marina-1908485

Here are some of the reasons why people prefer to live in Dubai Marina

i.             Bursting with activities

Those living in Dubai Marina are never bored. This neighbourhood is bursting with activities that cater to different needs. Since it is a waterfront destination, there are many water sports activities available at the beach such as fly-boarding, paddle-boarding and more. The Dubai Marina Mall features hundreds of local and international brands to suit every budget.

ii.            Apartments for every budget and lifestyle

There is a rich selection of apartments for sale in Dubai Marina for both singles and families. One of the biggest benefits of living in Dubai Marina is that a majority of the residential complexes come with high-quality amenities and facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, children play area and more. There are numerous top real estate brokers in Dubai who can help you find an apartment that suits your needs. However, you have to ensure they are registered with RERA.

iii.           Magnificent views

Residents of Dubai Marina enjoy some of the best views of the sea and the skyline. Whether they are in the office, restaurant, home, they are always guaranteed to get gorgeous views. These views of towering and beautifully designed skyscrapers complimented by the glittering marina, personifies engineering dexterity of the area.

iv.          Efficient transportation

One of the biggest benefits of living in Dubai Marina is an efficient transportation system. In fact, residents don’t require a car to move around. There are two metro stations that are at a walking distance from most residential complexes. The trains help residents access other parts of the city in no time. Apart from the trains, there is also a Dubai Tram that can take people around the marina and the city.

v.            Proximity to the beach

Even though Dubai is located in the desert, residents can still enjoy gorgeous beaches. While residents of other parts of the city have to use a car or a taxi to access the beach, Dubai Marina residents can walk to the beach in a matter of minutes. There are a variety of activities to do at the beach including swimming, camel riding, jet skiing and more.

Read more...

5 legal tips every home buyer should know

Buying a property in Dubai is one of the best and probably the most significant investment decisions you will ever make in your life. Over the past few years, the Dubai property market has gone through a lot of changes that make it easy to acquire property even for non-nationals.

If you are looking to buy a property in Dubai, you should consider Meraas Bluewaters Residences. This is because they are currently being sold off-plan at a lower cost than the completed ones. Also, the payment terms are very friendly.  Dubai Creek Harbour projects, Emaar Beachfront apartments, Port de la mer are few most prominent new real estate projects in Dubai.

image:pixabay.com/photos/sale-sold-hand-signature-house-3701777

Below are some legal tips for home buyers in Dubai:

i.             Ownership

The law no. (7) of 2006 was one of the first laws that facilitated foreign investment in Dubai. This law provides the right to freehold ownership of property without time restrictions. It also provides the right to lease a property for a period not exceeding 99 years.

ii.            Non-GCC nationals

There are two main ways in which you can acquire a property in Dubai if you are a non-GCC national.

·         Individual- it is the most popular method of property ownership in Dubai. This way, you can purchase the property as an individual and register in your name.

·         Joint ownership- This method allows ownership of a property for up to four people. The title deed and the register will recognise all the individuals involved as joint owners of the property.

iii.           Brokers and agencies

Law No. (85) of 2006 regulates real estate brokers and agents in Dubai. According to the law, an agent or agency cannot conduct any activity without being registered by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Therefore, when buying a property, you have to ensure that the agent you are dealing with is registered. Also, agents are not permitted to accept cheques in their own names. All cheques must be addressed to the seller or landlord.

iv.          Mortgage

According to law No. (9) of 2009, a mortgage is not valid unless it is registered by the Dubai Lands Department (DLD). Any agreement that is not registered is null and void. The mortgagor (owner of the property) bears the cost of the contract unless otherwise agreed. The fee of registering a mortgage is 0.25% of the loan amount plus AED 4100. On the other hand, buyers are not allowed to seek personal loans or use their credit cards to pay for a down payment of the mortgage.

v.            Jointly-owned property

Law No. (27) of 2007, also known as STRATA law, allows property owners of a master community to form an association for the purpose of managing expenses and managing the community. The owners association is a non-profit organization and has a separate legal entity from its members. This means the association has the right to sue or own movable assets.

Read more...

Top family fun activities in Dubai

Dubai holds a high status when it comes to family-friendly activities. There is a wide selection of activities that you can do with your kids. Depending on how long you are going to stay, you are going to have an experience of a lifetime. In fact, most activities are free of charge or as low as 1 Dirham.

image:pixabay.com/photos/dubai-view-girl-fence-brave-gorge-2047485

Here are some of the top family-friendly activities to do in Dubai

i.             Visit Burj Khalifa

Dubai features the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. It stands at staggering 830m and visitors can visit up to the 125^th floor to have a spectacular view of the city. However, you should book the tickets in advance because they cost four times more at the door. Even though you might get long queues at peak times, the views are worth it.

ii.            The Dubai Mall

Apart from the tallest tower, Dubai is also home to the biggest mall in the world. Besides shopping, the mall offers other family-friendly activities. For instance, you can catch the spectacular waterfall inside the mall or the dancing water fountain outside for free. Take your kids to browse for gifts at the Toy Store and Hamleys. Also, don’t forget to visit the Aquarium, KidZania Dubai and the Olympic sized ice skating rink.

iii.           The amazing flower garden

The Dubai Miracle Garden is a spectacular flower park that runs from November to April. Each year, the gardening personnel create different floral displays with over 45 million flowers. You can stroll through the Mega Park with your family and be amazed by the various intricately designed structures.

iv.          Artificial Archipelago

It is hard to believe that a man-made archipelago can hold such incredible features. Known as the Palm Jumeirah, it is built off the coast of Jumeirah District. The archipelago is packed with luxury apartments for sale in Palm Jumeirah, townhouses, villas and resorts and can be accessed using road or monorail.

While in the Jumeirah District, don’t forget to visit Madinat Jumeirah Living apartments. These apartments are sold at very affordable prices with flexible payment plans.

v.            Biggest Ferris Wheel

The Dubai Eye or the Ain Dubai will be the biggest Ferris wheel in the world. It is located on the Bluewaters Island and is expected to be opened soon. The Island is also home to some of the famous residential complexes such as the Bluewaters Residences Dubai.

Read more...

How Creating A Perfect Environment & Bedtime Routine Help You Sleep Better?

Is a perfect sleep environment a myth?

Our lives are getting busier with literally no work- life balance. One day you could be in Tokyo, the next in the Middle East and hopefully back home by the end of the week, yet again to endure a late night soiree! Everything being time-bound too, even falling asleep may seem like a tick box exercise without truly resting.

image:pixabay.com/photos/bed-bedroom-blanket-books-cover-1846251

Sounds like your schedule?

Thanks to progressive technology, a lot of research has gone into studying human sleep patterns and its effects. An article by India Times reports, ‘Fitbit recently revealed, that Indians are one of the poorest sleepers in the world, clocking in an average 6.55 hours, which is far lower than the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep.’

This, of course, can lead to a list of serious health problems not limited to but include,

·         Anxiety

·         Depression

·         Heart Problems

·         Lack of appetite

·         Absentmindedness

·         Impaired judgment leading to accidents

Sleep, therefore, is absolutely critical for our body to maintain a healthy life, immune system, protect our cerebral functions and, that’s right, even to maintain a healthy weight.

More and more people have access to this information and are slowly but surely choosing to keep their wellness as a priority. Mattress manufacturers like Wakefit take these statistics seriously and customize their products to suit the new age lifestyle.

However, with practically no time to unwind and plenty of schedules to juggle, how does one maintain a perfect sleep environment and a bedtime routine?

No matter where you are and what your schedule is, use these tips to your benefit

Set a sleep environment:

·         Invest in a good mattress and pillow

Leading mattress manufacturer, Wakefit, design mattresses and pillows that give you a balanced sleep experience. With so many options now available in the market, choose one that suits your posture, sleep position, and comfort.

·         Room temperature

Our bodies are designed to sleep in cooler temperatures. This is why you naturally feel cooler in the evenings feeling a need to cosy in and sleep. The optimal temperature for sleeping is between 60-67 degrees F. Find your comfortable temperature to fall into deep sleep using layers of blankets.

·         Lights

Turn off all lights in the room to maintain absolute darkness. You can do this by installing dark or blackout curtains to block light from outside.  Exposure to artificial light as well, like bulbs, blue light from mobile phones, TV, alarm clocks, all slow down our sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. Turn these off completely before bedtime. So no more stalking your friends on social media in bed!

Along with setting the right sleep environment, consider following a consistent bedtime routine as well.  Here are a few tips:

Plan your day ahead

Have your clothes set out for tomorrow, do your meal preps, charge your worktops. Keeping your gear ready reduces last minute stress. Also having them ready a night before tricks your mind into believing you are all set.

Relax

Choose to do an activity that really calms your nerves- a bit of a ‘me’ time. Read a book, make a cup of tea, meditate- whatever your Zen, indulge! Whatever you choose, make sure it relaxes you and most importantly, remain consistent with it.

Bedtime-wake up hours

Different people have different sleep patterns. Listen to your own body’s need for a proper night’s rest. Try to maintain at least 7 full hours of sleep, whether a weekday or weekend.

Repetition is key and soon, your body will respond with a slowdown inducing restful sleep.

Read more...

Smoke Detector, saving life!

Smoke detectors or commonly known as smoke always are becoming life-saving devices but they are too often neglected and there are many cases in which if not neglected, they were worth saving lives in many households and offices. So we are today going to see what these smoke detectors are and what the advantages of using one at home are.

It is seen many times, that households have smoke detectors at their home, but they do not give proper attention to them and do not check them periodically or change the battery. This results in malfunctioning of these devices and they will be of no longer use which will remove all the point behind having a smoke detector at home. Now as with the advancement of technology, the smoke detectors are becoming affordable to everyone. But how do they work and what are the advantages of having one at your place? Well, we will be explaining this here.

Smoke detectors are devices which detect the fire or smoke in the house and alert the people there about the fire. The smoke detectors generally consist of two parts which have one part used for detecting the smoke and fire around it in the house and other part is the horn for alerting the people. Most smoke detectors operate by using a 9-volt battery or 120-volt for electrical house current. There is also a smoke detector camera which can be used for more advanced features. Now coming to the advantages of these smoke, detectors, there are many benefits of using them, which are stated below:

Early Warnings

There are many cases in which the fire broke out in the places where no one is present or it may happen at night when one is not able to see for it and detect the smoke itself. The loud horn from these always will help the individual to get the early warning and take proper precautions and this will be able to save a life if the intensity of a fire may increase if kept neglected. It provides time for the people to escape or take measure before the fire becomes out of control.

Placement options

Nowadays, the fire detector alarm can be placed anyplace of your home. You can put the fire alarm in the places which are not too often accessible in the house. You can choose the places which are most likely to face an accident. But there are certain places which are not recommended to put a fire alarm. Avoid placing them near bathrooms because the smoke from the hot showers will trigger the alarm and smoke detector beeping will become a problem for the residents.

Remote Monitoring

There are more ways in which the security can be enhanced and you can get the attention from the fire security services as well. When these fire alarms are connected with the system and it is not possible for the inhabitants to come out of the building, the signal is sent to the department and the help arrives for them. When one fire alarm go off, it triggers all the other fire alarms to go off.

So give your family extra fire protection using these smoke detectors at home as well.

Read more...

How to Find Sydney Home Builders in Facebook

Usually, Australian homebuilding companies start off establishing their own presence online by utilizing the most basic digital marketing tool: websites. It is through these websites that they are able to reach out to their prospective clientele, using strategies as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, pay-per-click marketing (PPC), and others. Utilizing these strategies often help them get into the position they want to be in the search engines, in which they would most likely be landing the top page of other people’s searches.

image:wincrest.com.au

Social Media in the Homebuilding Industry

Later on, the emergence of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn has provided a new marketing venue for homebuilding businesses marketing their services through their websites. Indeed, social media marketing exploded further; not only are home builders Sydney and clients limited themselves to just answering queries through phone calls and face-to-face appointments.

Through social media, Australians are updated with keep themselves in touch with certain updates regarding homebuilding companies. On their end, these companies are able to keep people informed by posting quality content, and more importantly, engage with their followers in many ways. Of course, with the social media boom among delicate businesses such as those involving homebuilder-client relationships, there are certain ethics that should be adhered to. Indeed, privacy is still of great importance even in this seemingly public world of social media and the Web.

Social Media: Connecting Companies to Clients

Because majority of Australians are basically Internet-savvy, and with today’s generation getting hooked up with mobile devices and keeping themselves connected to the Internet, the possibilities of home builders Sydney obtaining clientele becomes even more apparent, thanks to the Web. Before and after social media was on full swing, people get to homebuilding professionals and companies through Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and all other search engine sites. Nowadays, doing so is not limited to just the use of these sites; Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and all other social media sites have become venues for individuals searching for homebuilding and designing businesses.

With social media, there is always a likelihood of interaction between the person obtaining the service and the professional who provides it. No longer are they limited to just conversations through phone and appointments; they get to interact with each other through regular posting of updates and other relevant information about the company’s news, services, and even promotional activities. Add in the fact that it helps these businesses establish their online presence even further through social media makes their marketing efforts even more enhanced, paving the way to them incurring more and more potential clientele.

Improved Customer Service

Another good thing about social media sites is that homebuilding companies can use them for customer service purposes. Clients can send in their inquiries and concerns without having to call or personally visit the company. Needless to say, customer service becomes more relevant, up-to-date, and progressive with the help of social media.

Searching for a homebuilding company using social media is the same as with using Google; however, the former is often leads to even more relevant results. Using search engines, the results of the search are often based on strategies. In other words, a homebuilding firm appearing on the first page does not mean the best one in terms of providing services. But with social media, a person is led to numerous recommendations from friends, ensuring that he or she is able to obtain the best homebuilding company for him or her. Indeed, it is important for homebuilders to ensure that they maintain a good reputation and online presence in order for them to draw closer to their clients.

Read more...