Creating A Home Improvement Plan

You’ve got your eye on the out-dated kitchen or you think you might want to just tear up your carpeting and install hardwood floors, but before you start to rip out the cabinets or the carpet make sure to establish some guidelines for your home improvement plan. A good home improvement plan should take into account: budget, financing, scope of work, functionality and aesthetics, resale value.

Budget Considerations

One good way to find out what you can afford is to simply get three estimates from contractors. Discuss what you want with the contractor and if the estimate is high, ask them how you can reduce the costs. The estimate should be separated into cost of materials and cost of labor. By getting a professional opinion first, you may find that the bids are very similar and you have a good starting point for the high-end cost of your project.

Now, you can begin to factor in whether there is some work you can do yourself. This will improve the amount of cash outlay necessary to complete the work. Another way to get to meet your budget is to shop for a cheaper source of materials or change the type of material used. Either way, these are highly flexible items in your home improvement budget.

Sources of Financing

If one doesn’t have the money, the inclination is not to do the home improvement. Cash, however, is not the only way to pay for a home improvement plan, you can also finance. If you find you don’t have enough cash, you can use a home equity loan to finance the remodeling of your home. Try to identify additional forms of financing in case you need additional monies to complete the project. In the end, a home improvement project should add to the resale value of your home for it to be a sound purchase.

Scope of Work

This is where a good plan is essential. If you are planning a major remodel, you will want some basic plans drawn up, preferably by a professional. You don’t want to find out later that the wall you envisioned removing for a more open space is a critical weight-bearing wall. Similarly, you don’t want to plan for electronic appliances and devices in an area where there are no outlets. If you plan on revamping a kitchen, the dimensions of workspace and appliance real estate are very important. Don’t try to eyeball it or you’ll end up paying for it later in time, additional work, or wasted purchases. By trying to define the scope of the work on paper first, you can bypass many of the simple problems that arise from not having thought the improvement plan out thoroughly.

Functionality And Aesthetics

Obviously, we don’t just want to substitute one thing for another, we want the new home improvement to outshine the old room. We want it to work better for us and we want that “ah” factor too. Have you done your research on the functionality of the appliances and space arrangements? How about the aesthetics and maintenance of the materials you chose? Does the improvement help to accommodate the growing needs of your family? Will it continue to be of service after 5 years? 10 years? These are all factors that should be considered and weighed against budget, scope, and resale value.

Resale Value

This is a tricky value that can’t really be foreseen that much. We know that kitchen and bathroom remodels recoup the most on the sale of the house. No home improvement will recoup 100% of the price it took to remodel, however, if you are in a climbing real estate market that might not matter. What you don’t want to do is to add a home improvement that detracts from the value of your property. Adding a fifth bedroom in a neighborhood of four bedroom homes would be detrimental to the value of your home. Adding a swimming pool in areas where houses with pools don’t sell well would also be considered an investment that could not be recouped. Some people still do it anyways. The point is that most home improvements are done to meet the needs of a particular family and the desire for a more comfortable living space. While resale value is important, it is just one of the many considerations that have to be evaluated in a good home improvement plan.

Author Info:

Hunter Pyle: Hunter Pyle wrote this article for the purpose of sharing some tips on home improvement. For some great home improvement ideas, check out Get Organized or Kitchen and Much More. http://www.shopgetorganized.com/

My Great Great Uncle The Lighthouse Keeper by Janie Corbett

I love the water and lighthouses. As I was researching my family history I discovered where my love for lighthouses originated, Captain Claude Sutton.

My great, great Uncle, Captain Claude Sutton served the longest of all lighthouse keepers - 40 years on the Page Rock Lighthouse off Coke in Gloucester, Virginia. Captain Sutton liked for people to stop by the lighthouse. He told someone he had just returned from his home on Cedar Bush Creek and that his wife said to him "go down to the pig pen and see the two pretty pigs that I bought yesterday." So he did, but he saw no pigs. He went back to the house and told his wife that the pigs were gone. She said "you must be mistaken because that is a new strong pen that I just had built. His wife then said "come go back with me", which he did. She took a small stick and turned over a cottonwood leaf, he said, and uncovered both pigs. I said to him they must have been small. "Small", he said, "they could stand with all four feet on a grain of corn and eat out the heart of it.

Lighthouse structures are placed on dangerous coasts and shoals located in exposed environments. Individuals who inhabited these locations were the Light keepers. The keepers took their jobs very seriously. Each of them swore an oath to keep their light burning and each of them knew they bore this awesome responsibility for the safety of the countless ships' crew and passengers.

The mariners counted on the light or the sound of a fog signal to warn them away from underwater obstacles and to guide them into a safe harbor. From the late 1700s until the last tower was fully automated and unmanned in the 1960s, hundreds of dedicated men, women, and their children manned the light twenty four hours a day. Their duties were a rigorous daily routine, not to mention the nightly watch to assure the light was burning and signal timing was accurate. Those who served at wood and coal beacons endured the hardest labor. Early lights did not have roofs until early 1800s.

High maintenance was required for lights with mirror or lens. Lenses and mirror were cleaned, wicks trimmed, clockworks oiled etc. Fog Signal building and other equipment may also be under the light keepers responsibilities. Light towers tend to have spiral stairs up to the top; they were required to carry oil and any other tools, cleaning supplies up with them. The lamps had to be cleaned and lenses polished everyday. The light tower and other structures had to be cleaned and painted. Lighthouses help ships stay away from dangerous shorelines or rocky cliffs. Lighthouse keepers often lived in the most dangerous spots in a body of water. In very early days of lighthouses, some of them did not even have a roof. It must have been very difficult for them to do their job during a storm in those days! Often, the lighthouse keepers family and animals lived with him.

A keeper's life was unique. It was very different from that experienced by most Americans in the late twentieth century. If there is a big snowstorm or hurricane, you usually get the day off from work or school but if you had a job as a lighthouse keeper, there were no days off. You had to work all the time. In bad weather, you usually had to work even harder and most ofthe time their work could be boring.

To occupy themselves keepers turned to a variety of recreational activities. Reading was a common pastime. Fishing was popular, both for recreational reasons and to supplement the station's food. Many keepers used their spare hours to take correspondence courses and improve themselves and their skills.

When storms blew in, high winds, pounding waves and driving rain brought danger. Of course, ships leave waters when storms are coming but the lighthouse keepers had to stay and be sure the lights were kept burning. Because the lights were at the top of the lighthouse, winding stairs had to be climbed in terrible weather so the lights would continue to warn anyone still out in the storm.

A lighthouse keepers day revolved around the lamp and daily logbooks kept in detail. The government required detailed record keeping, and unannounced inspections were routine. It had to be kept meticulously clean and was tended from dusk until dawn every day. Additional duties included the transportation of fuel to the lighthouse, the regular maintenance of the buildings, cleaning the lens, and filling the oil lamps. The lamp's wicks had to be trimmed so that the lightwas clearwith a minimum of smoke. They were also responsible for the fog signal, the weather station and played a major role in search and rescue at sea.

Some tasks brought danger. Painting the lighthouse tower was a difficult task. Keepers had to climb high with brushes and paint buckets to keep the lighthouse sparkling. Keepers wives often proved to be extraordinarily resourceful and resilient and often stood watch in the keepers absence. For the lighthouse keepers and their families who formed their own small communities at the stations it was a dangerous and lonely existence. The women took care of domestic matters and the children, who either attended a school at the lighthouse or were sent to boarding schools on the mainland. Sometimes family members could take a trip to a store for supplies.

Sometimes a boat would arrive with food or mail. When a family or keeper could talk with other people, this was exciting! It helped break upthe lonely days and nights. Lake navigation ceased during the winter and therefore during the winter there was no need for many lights. Thus the keepers of the most isolated stations were allowed to extinguish their light at the close of the navigation season and spend the winter in nearby towns or villages. Leaving the lighthouse at the end of the season often proved difficult and dangerous.

Deaths were common when keepers, leaving a lighthouse in a small, open vessel, ran into sudden storms. In 1900, for example, five keepers died on their way home for the season. The passage of time in some ways made the annual ritual of leaving the lights more complex, as crews from ever more remote points needed to be brought home.

Why anyone would want to be a lighthouse keeper? Many people love the water and being a part of life on the sea is exciting. Some liked being away from other people and enjoyed the loneliness. Being a lighthouse keeper meant you had a place to live and you were paid for staying at your house.

Today, electricity means that most lighthouses do not need keepers. The lights arerun automatically. Workers check the lightsevery so often but they are not required to be at the lighthouse twenty-four hours a day. Improved navigation instruments on ships means fewer lighthouses are needed. But some people still long for the days of lighthouse keepers. If you are one of those people, you can take a vacation at a lighthouse! You can polish lamps, dust the lens, or even paint stairs. It was very difficult for them to do their job during a storm in those days! Often, the lighthouse keepers family and animals lived with him.

A keeper's life was unique. It was very different from that experienced by most Americans in the late twentieth century. If there is a big snowstorm or hurricane, you usually get the day off from work or school but if you had a job as a lighthouse keeper, there were no days off. You had to work all the time. In bad weather, you usually had to work even harder and most of the time their work could be boring.

To occupy themselves keepers turned to a variety of recreational activities. Reading was a common pastime. Fishing was popular, both for recreational reasons and to supplement the station's food. Many keepers used their spare hours to take correspondence courses and improve themselves and their skills.

When storms blew in, high winds, pounding waves and driving rain brought danger. Of course, ships leave waters when storms are coming but the lighthouse keepers had to stay and be sure the lights were kept burning. Because the lights were at the top of the lighthouse, winding stairs had to be climbed in terrible weather so the lights would continue to warn anyone still out in the storm.

The lighthouse keepers day revolved around the lamp and daily logbooks kept in detail. The government required detailed record keeping, and unannounced inspections were routine. It had to be kept meticulously clean and was tended from dusk until dawn every day. Additional duties included the transportation of fuel to the lighthouse, the regular maintenance of the buildings, cleaning the lens, and filling the oil lamps. The lamp's wicks had to be trimmed so that the light was clear with a minimum of smoke. They were also responsible for the fog signal, the weather station and played a major role in search and rescue at sea. Some tasks brought danger. Painting the lighthouse tower was a difficult task. Keepers had to climb high with brushes and paint buckets to keep the lighthouse sparkling.

Keepers wives often proved to be extraordinarily resourceful and resilient and often stood watch in the keepers absence. For the lighthouse keepers and their families who formed their own small communities at the stations it was a dangerous and lonely existence. The women took care of domestic matters and the children, who either attended a school at the lighthouse or were sent to boarding schools on the mainland. Sometimes family members could take a trip to a store for supplies. Sometimes a boat would arrive with food or mail. When a family or keeper could talk with other people, this was exciting! It helped break up the lonely days and nights.

Lake navigation ceased during the winter and therefore during the winter there was no need for many lights. Thus the keepers of the most isolated stations were allowed to extinguish their light at the close of the navigation season and spend the winter in nearby towns or villages.

Leaving the lighthouse at the end of the season often proved difficult and dangerous. Deaths were common when keepers, leaving a lighthouse in a small, open vessel, ran into sudden storms. In 1900, for example, five keepers died on their way home for the season. The passage of time in some ways made the annual ritual of leaving the lights more complex, as crews from ever more remote points needed to be brought home.

Why anyone would want to be a lighthouse keeper? Many people love the water and being a part of life on the sea is exciting. Some liked being away from other people and enjoyed the loneliness. Being a lighthouse keeper meant you had a place to live and you were paid for staying at your house.

Today, electricity means that most lighthouses do not need keepers. The lights are run automatically. Workers check the lights every so often but they are not required to be at the lighthouse twenty-four hours a day. Improved navigation instruments on ships means fewer lighthouses are needed. But some people still long for the days of lighthouse keepers. If you are one of those people, you can take a vacation at a lighthouse! You can polish lamps, dust the lens, or even paint stairs.

About the Author

I am retired from the Information Technology corporate world. I enjoy reading, traveling and writing articles. I maintain my two Blogs http://www.lighthouse43.wordpress.com and http://www.giftsforeveryone.wordpress.com and my website http://www.lighthousesandtravel.com

I can be contacted at corbettslighthouse@yahoo.com

simple ways to improve your memory

Struggling to recall things isn’t just frustrating – it can be frightening, too. But if your memory is letting you down, there are simple ways to improve it, says Anne Montague

Almost everything we do is affected by memory. And there is far more to it than just recalling bits of information – it’s what makes you who you are. ‘Memory is about important aspects of yourself and the way you relate to the world,’ says Martin Conway, professor of cognitive psychology at Leeds University’s Memory Group.

That’s why the so-called ‘senior moments’ that affect up to two-thirds of people over the age of 50 can be worrying. But, reassuringly, it’s normal for your memory to change as you get older. Understanding why this happens – and which bits of your brain you can improve – can help dispel any fears that these moments of confusion may be something serious.
How do you remember?
Why do some things stick in our memory more than others? ‘The key is how well the experience engages us, so focus, motivation and attention are vital,’ says Professor Conway. That’s probably why some people can spout football scores, name the 1986 Wimbledon finalists or quote poetry they learned 30 years ago. If you’re not interested in football, tennis or poetry, you might struggle to remember, however hard you try, because the information isn’t important to you.
Emotions play a part, too. We may have more vivid memories around moving or shocking events. You can probably remember where you were when you heard about Princess Diana’s death, for instance, or the attack on the World Trade Center, whereas you might struggle to recall what you were doing two weeks before or after those events.
Does memory decline with age?
Although some aspects of memory worsen as we get older, others can actually improve. ‘Although your “fluid” intelligence – the ability to think on your feet, learn new things quickly and do abstract things – declines with age, your “crystalline” intelligence, which allows you to use what you’ve already learned and evaluate new information more effectively, can improve,’ explains Dr Chris Moulin of the Leeds Memory Group. ‘As you age, you also make better sense of the memories you have, and interpret the negative events you remember more positively. That’s good news, because we remember negative memories much better than positive ones.’
Why do we forget things?
Sometimes forgetting is necessary to stop irrelevant information from interfering with what we need to know now. ‘You need to remember where you’ve parked your car today, not last month, so our memories work to keep the things we need and that are relevant available to us,’ says Professor Conway.
But what about the things we do forget? Do they vanish for ever or is it just harder to retrieve them? ‘It’s probably both – we forget some, but we remember more than we realise,’ says Professor Conway. ‘Give people the right cues and they’ll recall things they didn’t even know they remembered.’

This is illustrated by research using the Microsoft SenseCam, which takes thousands of images of a user’s daily life. ‘When we’ve used it with amnesiacs and older people, it’s had a powerful effect on their memories – probably because it’s stimulating networks in the brain that weren’t stimulated before,’ says Professor Conway. In one trial, an amnesiac was given the camera to record events and then asked to play back the images – the patient amazed experts by recalling almost every detail, even months later.