Ray and Michele Blundell built their Elizabethan-style home in Lichfield, Staffordshire entirely from scratch Both had come out of divorces when they embarked on the ambitious project in 1998, buying a third-of-an-acre plot The couple spent 90,000 on the land and spent next two-and-a-half years living in a static caravan on the site They taught themselves key building skills and spent 110,000 on building costs as their dream home took shape The home, which includes an oak frame, low ceilings and a spectacular garden, is now worth more than 600,000

By Harry Mount for the Daily Mail

Published: 18:20 EST, 12 November 2014 | Updated: 03:33 EST, 13 November 2014

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Walk past Ray and Michele Blundells home near Lichfield in Staffordshire, and you might think you had stepped back 450 years.

It is in the classic, half-timbered, Elizabethan style - built on an oak frame, with an ancient tiled roof, and the first floor teetering over the ground floor.

In fact, the cottage is only 14 years old. Whats more, the Blundells built the whole thing from scratch, teaching themselves plumbing, electrical wiring and medieval carpentry into the bargain.

Oh, and they also carved a majestic garden out of a dreary third-of-an-acre plot, which had only three plum trees and a lawn when they bought it. And all for only 200,000.

Read this article:
Lichfield couple who built their own Tudor home for 200k

By Scott Baker

Published Nov 11, 2014 at 2:50 pm (Updated Nov 11, 2014)

NEWTON While it is true that HT Install NJ, based out of Newton, is the number one Google result returned for search term New Jersey TV mounting, the company does much more than just hang televisions.

We are first and foremost a professional home theater installation company, says HT Install NJ owner Dave Cammarato. Not a company that does home theater work on the side.

With more than 10 years of experience in the industry, Cammarato and each of his employees are experts in their field.

We know the proper wiring and correct setup for every piece of equipment we install, Cammarato adds. We also follow up every job with post installation support to make sure the customer stays satisfied.

The company has received five-star reviews across all online platforms.

We recently had a room added to our home and Dave installed a TV and surround sound, all completely wireless. The work was done professionally and very neatly, one Google+ reviewer says. We had previously gotten a quote from one of the big box stores, and Dave's price came in at less than half the price!

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Stone installation HT Install NJ is the only fully insured home theater installation company in the area with a master stoneworker on their payroll.

Originally posted here:
Newton business offers home theater installation

New gadgets

A growing number of companies are rolling out home automation products that tap into new capabilities of Bluetooth, giving them the potential to be cheaper and easier to set up and use than previous home-automation gadgets. Among the new gadgets

A touch-activated door lock. The deadbolt lock, from industry stalwart Kwikset, unlocks at the tap of a finger when it detects a Bluetooth signal coming from an owner's phone. Users can also configure it to recognize visitors' phones, such as those of a housekeeper or a nanny.

A smart home kit. Designed by Archos, a French company best known for its low-cost electronics devices, the kit includes a collection of security and automation products such as cameras, weather monitors and controllable wall plugs that all communicate with a specialized tablet over Bluetooth.

A remote-controlled light bulb. Designed by startup company Oort, the bulb allows users to turn it on or off or change its color using an app on a smartphone or tablet. It works similarly to Philips Hue light bulb, but for less than half the cost. And unlike the Hue, it doesn't require an extra device to communicate with it using your phone.

A wireless light switch. Designed by Avi-on, a startup company, the device allows users to place a new light switch wherever they'd like, without having to carve a new hole in their wall or extend their wiring. The switch, which is set to debut next spring, uses Bluetooth to send signals to power plugs and light bulbs that can turn the lights on or off or even dim them.

A remote-controlled wall plug. To be released early next year by San Francisco startup Zuli, the plug will allow users to dim their lights or turn on an appliance like a crock pot with their smartphones.

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Wolverton: Smart-home products powered by Bluetooth

As a performer with multi-generational appeal, 1970s pop star and 2009 Dancing With the Stars champion Donny Osmond needs no introduction. Earlier this year, however, the 56-year-old father of five (and grandfather of six), and Debbie, his wife of 36 years, partnered with decor manufacturers to launch Donny Osmond Home. Priced to compete with offerings from popular catalogs and flash sale websites, the furniture and accessories collection also includes rugs, wall art (including the 3D-patterned wall tilesshown in the photo above) and tabletop items in a wide range of contemporary styles. There are modern geometric rugs (from $250) and Belgian-style velveteen settees (from $600) as well as a nature-inspired gilt branch chandelier that retails for under $500 and a set of five industrial-style reclaimed-wood-and-steel nesting tables priced at $699. For a list of retailers,visit Donny Osmond Home.

We teleconferenced with Osmond, who will release his 60threcording, Soundtrack of My Life, in January 2015, and his wife for a chat about his new family business.

A lot of entertainers put their names on bedding or accessories. Youre selling everything from furniture and lamps to electric fans. What made you want to do this?

Donny:Youd think that being in show business, wed have a palatial home, but its more of a family-oriented casual, comfortable space. And thats what we want to offer people. Debbie really has a way of making a house feel like a home and now that were almost empty nesters, its something that we can do together for the rest of our lives. (Laughs) And Ive always loved my fans and now I am selling them.

Debbie: A lot of electric fans tend to be awful-looking, but we had a company called Deco Breezeshow us ones that looked really cool and dont have to be hidden in the corner of a room.

Is Donny Osmond handy around the house?

Debbie:I am going to be honest: He is not a great plumber, but he is my total lighting guy. He can wire a whole house. If you need an electrician, call Mr. Osmond.

Donny:I started by wiring recording studios for myself. And weve taught all our kids woodworking and painting.

How did you become interested in home decor?

Donny:When I was 14 or 15 and I was one of the big teenyboppers of the time, we lived in the San Fernando Valley and my room was a tiny cracker box. I was really into electronics, so I had a workbench and I put my bed on a motorized lift that would go up into the ceiling. Id push a button and the bed would come halfway down, just above the workbench. So I built myself a little chrome platform elevator that took me up to my bed. When I woke up in the morning, Id push another button and my closet would come out of the ceiling. It was my James Bond room. Everything was dark brown with shiny chrome; red, white and blue furniture because of the bicentennial, and purple shag carpeting. Then I married my wife and she changed my evil ways. And I still drive Debbie crazy because I rearrange the furniture just to change things up.

See original here:
5 Questions: Donny and Debbie Osmond unveil new home furnishings line

When you look around at many of the smart home systems coming to market,mostrequire what is called in the business tech world afork lift upgrade, meaningyou have to throw out your old hardware and replace it with new gear in orderto get theadvantages of new technology.

Takethe Nest Protect smoke alarm. Its a neat device that enables you to get alerts and to control it via a mobile device, but in order to do so you have to toss out the oldsmoke alarmin the process.

But now, some newer smart home products are coming to market that enable you to use what you have by transforming a dumb device to one thats smart.

Consider the Roost smart battery. Just announced a week ago, the Roost is a Wi-Fi enabled battery that turns any smoke alarm that takes a 9 volt battery into a smart smoke alarm. The battery, developed by a team that helped pioneer some of the earliest low-power Wi-Fi chips, can last for up to 5 years and costs $25 to $35 depending on how many batteriesyou buy.

Swapping out batteries too much work for you? Then try the Leeo smart night light, which sends you alerts when your old smoke or carbon monoxide alarm goes off.

The Roost Smart Battery

And whatabout that door lock? If youve been thinking about making it smart, new smart locks from the likes of August and Danalock fit over your existing lock mechanism and make it a Bluetooth enabled smart lock.

Dont want to throw out those LED light bulbs you bought for $20 a pop at Costco a year ago? Try the Emberlight, which makes a smart light socket that transforms existing lightbulbs into smart bulbs.

And so on.

You might ask why not just throw out the old gear and replace with the new? For one, its a bit wasteful. A million homes throwing out a whole households worth of smoke alarms results ina whole bunch of electronics heading to landfills.

Read the original post:
In Smart Home, Retrofit May Be The Next Big Thing

Nicor

Tips:

Open curtains during the day to allow sunlight to heat your home naturally, and close curtains at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows

Keep furniture, drapes, stuffed animals and other objects away from your heating sources

Caulk and weather-strip drafty doors and windows

Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months

Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors and ceilings

Install insulated gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls to prevent drafts

Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home

Check your attic If your insulation is just level with or below your floor joists (or you can easily see your joists), you should add more insulation.

View post:
Your Money Matters: Energy Saving Tips

The government offers two different tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements.

The more-generous credit covers expensive and somewhat exotic equipment and has no dollar limit. So it can be a major tax-saver.

The smaller credit cannot exceed $500, and it expired at the end of 2013. But it will probably be resurrected for 2014 right after the election.

However, you cant claim either credit on this years return unless the improvements are up and running by year-end. Heres what you need to know to cash in.

It's a conundrum even in 2014: Who pays the dinner check on dates?

The bigger credit equals 30% of expenditures to buy and install qualifying energy-saving equipment for your home. As mentioned earlier, there is no dollar limit on this credit. So big qualifying expenditures can generate big credits. Unlike many tax breaks, there are no income limits on this one, so even billionaires are eligible. If your 2014 credit is so large that you cannot use it all up on this years return, you can carry the excess credit forward to 2015 and beyond.

Qualifying expenditures

The credit equals 30% of qualified expenditures (including costs for site preparation, assembly, installation, piping, and wiring) for the following gear.

You cannot claim the credit for equipment used to heat a swimming pool or hot tub (that would be too good to be true). Special rules apply to expenditures for residential co-ops and condominium buildings.

Make sure to buy certified gear

Continued here:
Tax Guy: Even billionaires would qualify for these energy-saving tax credits

Phyllis Nix said she returned to her Jupiter Farms home after picking up her grandson to find it engulfed in flames Wednesday night.

The house was in flames for 30 minutes -- destroying a lifetime of memories.

A firefighter on the scene told her the house was "gone" and that there was "nothing left" when she got there.

According to Nix, firefighters said the fire started with the electrical wiring in the walls.

"It's been hard knowing that everything in life that you held dear is gone," she said. "My daughter passed away last year and her urn and ashes were inside there."

Nix said fire crews scoured the property and found the urn.

Since the fire, Nix has received an outpouring of support from the community. Her and her three grandchildren are staying at a hotel for now. She said the family has received donations of food and clothing.

"I can only go forward," said Nix. "There's a great network of people who are coming together to help me."

Nix said rebuilding the home could take up to a year and will be costly.

Her boss set up a GoFundMe account for donations.

Go here to see the original:
Community rallies after fire burns family's home

home wiring safety

By: Mr. Bennet #39;s Channel

Follow this link:
home wiring safety - Video

For most of us, home is where the heart is! But, is your home fully protected and safe? Think again, it is probably not as safe as you think. People spend plenty of time and money on renovation to beautify their homes, but when it comes to their house wiring, they consciously compromise. The situation is grave and it needs your utmost attention. The health of your home directly impacts the safety of your family and property. So, using low quality electrical units into your homes is like breeding dangerous animals.

A healthy home is the abode of safety, security and happiness. If your home is unsafe, with possibilities of sparks, fires and short-circuits, then it is time to partner with us. Being the leading manufacturer of wires and cables, we at Polycab know that safety and security are the two fundamental values which enforce life. Hence, we have incorporated the same in our electrical house wiring solutions.

Powered with Tri Guard technology, Polycab's Stranded wires promise excellent savings, durability and safety. Curbing power leakage and preventing short-circuit issues, they are created to serve efficiently for longer periods. Designed by our experts and tested for quality, the electrical wires we produce saves 25% more energy than ordinary wires.

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Electrical House Wiring Solutions - Polycab