GARDENS HOME

3D Home Designer Software – Home Designer Pro

Even though it comes with a fairly high price tag, Home Designer Professional Edition is definitely a worth investment. Serious designers and professional builders will realize that the $ 495 needed to buy this software will actually prove to be money well spent in the long run. Here are some reasons why Home Designer Pro has been named as one of the best home design software in the entire industry.

3D Home Designer Software - Home Designer Pro

At a glance

Designed, developed, and published by a well-known home design software design company, Chief Architect, Home Designer Pro is a program that has been created specifically for home and serious design enthusiasts. The latest edition of this program is version 9.0 and is similar to its predecessor, it also contains the same sophisticated tools used by actual professionals for various purposes including interior design, home renovation, landscaping, deck design, and even cost estimates.

This program basically combines all the main features of the program designed by other Chief Architects such as Landscape and Deck Designers, Interior Designers, and Home Architecture Designers. Plus, it also includes a myriad of the most advanced CAD tools available on the market today. With Home Designer Pro, users are given the power to make blueprints, roofs, manual framing, and many others. It’s almost like an all-in-one program that clearly justifies retail value that seems high.

Professional level

As mentioned earlier, one of the best features of this particular program is that it is able to produce output from a professional level. This capability is caused by none other than the advanced tools of this program which are leading in every term. Users can create floor plans that are scaled accurately and within minutes, automatically generate 3D models. Home Designer Pro also uses a high-tech 3D camera that really allows many different user views such as Cross-Sections, Elevation, Framing, Doll House, and Glass House. In addition to making a scale representation of one’s dream design before actually building it, users are also given the opportunity to take a virtual tour to ensure that they are more than happy with their plans.

But Still User-Friendly

Even though Home Designer Pro makes use of very sophisticated design tools, it does not fail to maintain the overall friendliness of the program. In fact, this program makes it a point to ensure that users will be able to navigate through the program with as few complications as possible. For example, there is a Quick Startup Option Guide that serves as an excellent resource for “how to” tutorials that serve all types of projects. The pre-installed House Wizard tool is also a great feature that makes designing a home a lot easier for less experienced users.

Many actual landscape and home design templates are also available for users to choose from if they don’t want to start from scratch. This template section is even equipped with decks, cabinets, colors, and more. If users find problems again with this program, they can use the online help system or watch dozens … READ MORE

The 12 Stages Of Building A New Home Using A Building Broker

It’s certainly an exciting prospect to build a new home that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come. Especially when you get to call the shots on exactly what it will look like so it suits your individual requirements. Using a building broker will give you the best opportunity to maximise your new home investment.

But you probably have many questions in your mind, one of which might be:

What actually happens during the building process?

Like most people, you probably don’t have time to visit your building site every day or even every week to see first-hand exactly what’s going on. Here is give a brief run-down on the various stages of building.

Stage 1 – Site Survey

A land surveyor will prepare a comprehensive report detailing the contours, services, orientation, and position of neighboring properties (if relevant) for your block. Depending on your surveyor, this stage will usually take around two weeks.

Stage 2 – Home Design

This is the fun part!  You meet with your house designer to work out the design requirements for your new custom home.  An initial sketch is created, including elevations (external appearance) and floor plans.  This will be modified until you’re happy, then a final sketch is prepared.

Stage 3 – Builder Tender

At this stage you will experience the real advantage of using a building broker.  Several trusted builders are invited to tender based on your design and usually within a month you’ll receive the tenders for consideration, which will include prices and specifications.  At this point you can nominate your preferred builder and they will begin with the next stage.

Stage 4 – Preparation of Plans & Contracts

Now you can begin to select colours and finishes for your home.  In the meantime, in conjunction with your chosen builder, your planning drawings are created and submitted to the local council for approval. During this assessment phase the structural engineers will create their drawings and all required changes from the planners and engineers will be incorporated into your final working drawings. Now you’re ready to sign your building contracts.

Stage 5 – Pay Building Deposit

Once signing your building contract you will be required to pay your building deposit. The builder will also submit the final working drawings, engineering plans, specification and addendum along with the energy efficiency report back to local council for building license approval.

Stage 6 – Siteworks

You may have heard the term “slab down”.  Before the foundation is poured, there is a lot of work to do including the excavation of the site and installation of the plumbing pre-lay.  For you though, it’s an exciting time as your home is now underway and you can start to see the progress. You’ll also see a site toilet, builders sign and site shed appear on site along with a temporary power pole.

Stage 7 – Brickwork

This is when your home really begins to take shape. Interior walls, exterior walls, and whatever stairs are … READ MORE

5 Ways Mosquitoes Can Be Professionally Controlled on Your Pond

Bodies of water like lakes and ponds attract mosquitos as potential breeding grounds. When conditions are right, the mosquito population can skyrocket out of control. Below are five ways that bringing in professional pond maintenance services can help control mosquito populations in natural, effective ways.

5 Ways Mosquitoes Can Be Professionally Controlled on Your Pond

Aeration Systems

Getting your pond water moving will do more to cut down on mosquito breeding than nearly anything else. The muck and mire that builds up on the bottom is the perfect place for mosquito eggs to find a home and hatch. Aerator systems that are built for bottom agitation work wonders in controlling these pests.

Environmentally Harmless Specific Bacteria Introduction

Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacteria that makes a mosquito deathly ill when ingested. It offers no ill effects for anything else in the environment. It’s another tool that can be used to get bad mosquito problems under control.

Reduction in Pond Weeds

Excess amounts of weeds in your pond contributes to the mucky mire that settles on the bottom. Reducing the welcoming environment mosquitoes love for egg dropping can naturally reduce the problem.

Addition of Specific Fish Species

Blue gill and minnows are another addition for your pond that loves to eat mosquito eggs, larvae, and the fully-grown ones that land on the water. The minnows can be added by the hundreds or thousands to larger ponds without any detrimental effects.

Routine Monitoring and Maintenance

Putting your pond on routine professional monitoring and maintenance plan is a great way to minimize mosquitoes and maintain the good overall health of your water. You will get the expert advice you need to make the right decisions in pond maintenance.

Get the help of specialists for mosquito pond treatment that both reduces the problem and doesn’t cause any imbalance in the sensitive ecosystem. Make your pond an enjoyable place to spend quality time.… READ MORE

Why You Need to Get a Shed

If you are looking for a storage shed to purchase you will quickly realize that there are many options to choose from. You will need to decide on the size, material it is built out of, roofing material, color, and so on. It is important to know already where you will be putting it so that you know how big you can go. You may also want to have it match your home, and you may want to have a few extras as well.

Why You Need to Get a Shed

You may also want to have a sloped roof if you live in an area that gets heavy snowfall, so you don’t have to shovel it off to prevent the roof from sagging. When shopping for any sheds for sale, you should have an idea of what you want before you begin your search because it will make your ultimate decision that much easier.

Different sheds offer different advantages, and some require more maintenance than others. For example, a woodshed will require more maintenance than a shed made out of PVC or a similar material since it will need to be painted or stained. But you may prefer the look of a wooden shed over a plastic one.

A shed is a very useful thing and can really expand your storage space. If you don’t have room for storage in your home, but you need to put your gardening supplies or seasonal decorations somewhere, it can be costly and inconvenient to rent out a storage unit. It also does not make sense to throw out your seasonal decorations each year when the holiday has ended simply because you do not have the room and it doesn’t really make sense to spend money on a storage unit every month if you don’t have to.

A storage shed is a great solution for your storage needs. A shed can be used for so many different things. You can use it to store your lawnmower, summer or winter supplies, or you can even use it as a playhouse for the kids. You can even make it into a man cave, or she shed.

Shed come on all sorts of sizes and heights, and you can even have some windows installed or gutters so that the rain will run off of the shingles and prevent any extra wear and tear. If you run a business out of your home, you can also use it to store your extra inventory. You can even add cupolas or flower boxes to really spruce up your shed and make it more of a statement piece than a shed with a utilitarian purpose. 

A shed is durable and since there are so many different options to choose from you can easily work a shed into your budget. You can get a kit to put together, or you can build one from scratch that you can completely customize to your specifications and to your liking. There are plenty of resources to refer to when looking … READ MORE

Making Your Home Feel Like Home

If you are a homeowner, you are going to be looking for best ways to maximize the space inside of your own. At times you may consider adding on another room in the home. There are others that may be interested in the possibilities that are connected with getting connected to a system that helps you make better use of your space with your home. Whatever the case may be, there are times where you simply do not have the ability to go without getting an increase in the amount of space you have now. That is why you should consider things like backyard sheds if you are struggling with the amount of space that you have. 

Making Your Home Feel Like Home

Finding Additional Space 

Your life can be quite complicated if you are fighting for storage space. You definitely want to have a home environment that is going to support whatever amount of space you need inside a phone. The reality is that you are not always going to want to move into a bigger home just because you are struggling with some issues with space. It is better to look at things like sheds for your backyard that can provide you with a greater amount of space without moving. 

Repairs for the Home 

The Proper repairs can make a big difference when it comes to your home environment. Sometimes the repairs that have to be performed will be based largely on the time frame you purchased the home. If you acquired a home that was updated with new appliances when you acquired it, you may get the chance to benefit from many of the long-term benefits of quality appliances. If you are on the other side of the fence where you purchase a house with outdated equipment and appliances you may find yourself repairing just about everything inside of the house. It is at these times that you take a moment to look at what is actually available when it comes to repairs that can be made for your home environment. You may want to get a home repair service that can help you save money if something breaks inside of your home. 

The Foundation of the Older Home 

The big part of your home environment issues will be connected largely to the type of home that you have. If you have a home that is on a slab foundation you are going to have fewer problems than you would with a home that has a crawl space. You can find yourself with a significantly higher number of problems because your home bypassed the potential to acquire a lot of fungus that can eat away at the wooden floors. There are all types of issues that you can find yourself facing when you have a home that has a crawl space. You should be prepared to take care of these things if this is the type of situation that you have found yourself in. Don’t ignore these problems.… READ MORE