Guides

DESIGN SPECIALTIES Designers often specialize in one or more specific types of interior design.  Some designers specialize in only residential or commercial (or, contract) projects, but many designers do both residential and commercial projects of various kinds.  Residential. Residential interior design focuses on the design, professional design team coordination, planning, budgeting,...

Interior design concerns itself with more than just the visual or ambient enhancement of an interior space, it seeks to optimize and harmonize the uses to which the interior environment will be put. Many factors come into play in formulating the design solution. There is the space itself--its dimensions and construction--with its potential and its limitations. There is how the space will be used--for work...

Feng Shui or Geomancy has been studied and practiced by the Chinese for several centuries. Through carefully observation, it has been noted that certain surroundings have better positive influence than others do. Using this knowledge, Feng Shui has been used to improve the surroundings and thus improving the quality of life for its residence.  Over the years, it has evolved into its present day...

A "foreign person" is defined in the Residential Property Act as the follows:  1) Any person who is not a citizen of Singapore 2) Any Permanent Resident 3) Any foreign company or converted company 4) Any society or converted society which has not been granted approval or received exemption by the minister  Unless there is a written approval from the Controller of Residential Property Land Dealings,...

You may have found an ideal place to rent but it is not furnished, or the current furniture is not to your liking. What about furniture leasing? With furniture leasing, you can either choose from the current selection of furniture from the leasing company or simply choose any item from any store in any city. Most furniture leasing companies will be willing to buy the furniture for you and include it in...

What should you fix? Anything that a prospective home buyer will think should be in working order on the day of sale, including:  All appliances. These include air-conditioners, furnace, boiler and hot water heater. They don't have to be new, but everything should be in working order. Clean out lint from the dryer. Make sure the ice maker is working properly. Install new air filters in your heating and...

One of the biggest mistakes home sellers make is listing a home with obvious, although small, problems. Any house -- even a brand-new house -- needs fixing from time to time. It's just that buyers don't want to be reminded of this obvious truth when it comes time to plunk down their cash. Most buyers would rather believe that their home is going to be fine, and for the money they're paying, they'd prefer...

If you are looking to finance or refinance your home, here are a few things NOT TO DO: Don’t Kick The Tires. How much you put down, credit affects your interest rate. It drives lenders crazy to pick up the phone and be asked what their best rate is. How much you put down on your home and how good your credit is directly affecting the interest rate on your loan. You can shop for rates, but be prepared to...

Project management in its modern form began to develop only a few decades ago. Businesses and organizations began to realize the benefits of organizing work into projects and the importance of communication and integration of work across the different departments and professions.  The project management cycle involves five phases: initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing. The Chartered...

There are real estate investing "tricks" and techniques that you may know, or want to know. There are new ways of doing things that are worth learning. Knowing about the latest types of financing is another way can also help. Before all of these, however, you need to learn some basic principles. Here are six of them. 1. Build relationships. 2. Understand the numbers. 3. Reduce risk. 4. Be prepared. 5. Set...