Keep Your Home Safe This Diwali !!

Ultimately, the date has reached when you will start for your family vacation. It’s all about last minute checking if you have packed all luggage and essentials with you. In this topsy-turvy of pending works, do not forget to check a few details about your home before you leave.

Really don’t want to scare you, but you have to take some safety/preventive steps which will keep your premise safe and secured.

Tell your neighbour: This is the best way to keep an eye on your house when you are not there. Your neighbour must be busy and has his/her busy schedule, however, if he/she take a few minutes time to look at your place it will perfectly serve the purpose. If you have good relationship with them, you may ask them to keep the house keys so that if necessary they can check the house in 2-3 days gap or arrange cleaning.

Close all the curtains: Closing all the curtains is a simple and effective safety feature you must ensure before you leave home. It will create a natural obstruction for intruders from peeping inside the room. Remove all fragile, valuable items from near proximity to windows and if possible use the child safety locks to ensure double protection from the unwanted trespassers.

Turning off pipe lines and electrics switches: In both these cases leakage may create a disaster. Before leaving your place, check twice if all the faucet points in your bathroom, kitchen, and balcony are tightly closed. Also check twice if you have put off all electric switches. To ensure better precaution, you can switch off the main switch before you leave house. But do take out all food items out of refrigerator and leave it open if you are turning it off.

Indoor Plants: You can keep your indoor plants either with your neighbour or you may ask your care taker to keep the plants at his place for a few days for watering.

Arrange garbage removal: Put all garbage into a big plastic bag and after sealing its mouth, ask our gatekeeper to keep the bag with him till garbage cleaner comes next day. This is a way you will find you place is not messy when you are back.

Take care of your pipes: If you live in a cold region and you have decided your holiday in winter, you will have the risk of frozen pipe problem. In these cases keep heat on for keeping water pipes in its condition or else make them insulated for avoiding any wear and tear in plumbing lines.

Some more points

In addition to these ask your newspaper vendor to stop supply of newspapers; unused piles of newspapers in front of the door will indicate your absence. We know you love social networking, but please don’t update your vacation status on net; it will simply make your house safety a bit more vulnerable. And lastly, keep your burglar alarm on, if you have any.

Decorate Your Home This Diwali ,Reusing Your Old Material !!

Diwali, the festival of light is incomplete without Diwali home decoration. The time of the year is here when we light up our lives with the lamps of goodness winning over the evil and sharing sweets of a year’s hard work and toil. This Diwali season, let’s make our homes more welcoming and fill in the festive atmosphere with Diwali home decoration items. Most of you or your family members may have already prepared shopping list for Diwali celebration. Today, festival of India is celebrated as eco-friendly celebration. So why not we can go for reuse home decoration for this Diwali?

Eco-friendly or tips for reuse home decor

Diwali is the time of the year when people start to clean their homes a week prior to the festival and deck up the home front to welcome in the winter festivities. This year, instead of throwing out all your rubbish, make a pledge to recycle it. Here are a few tips on how you can make this Diwali beautiful and environment friendly.

	Using old newspaper: You can use all the old newspaper and pieces of colorful left over craft papers from your kid’s craft book and make beautiful lanterns out of it. There are many tutorials that can be found online which are easy to follow and give guidelines to make wall hangings, Diwali lanterns etc. This could make your house look very elegant and welcoming.
	Diyas and Candles: Diwali festival popular festival of India and known as festival of lights. People celebrate them with lighting Diyas or Diwali Candles. You can make candles by reusing candle wax and given new life. Think about all the times when you have lit up the candles at home when the power went off. You can use the candle residue into making a whole new candle and you can light up your house with candles on the Diwali night instead of electric lightings.
	Diwali Lights: Diwali is meaning less without lights and people used to decorate their home and surroundings with diyas, Diwali candles and Diwali lights. You can use electric lights to decorate your living room and if you are a proud owner of a garden, however small or big, be it even your balcony garden, you can light it up with LED lamp strings which cost very less and pull is zilch electricity. Not only that you can reuse light bulbs to decorate your home for Diwali by making flowervase, craft or sculpture, ballon art etc.
	Curtains: On Diwali festival, you can see different styles and curtain trends available in market. People choose or explore for rich color and patterns for Diwali home decoration. This gives your home a festival look and gives privacy along with welcoming look. Today Diwali people like to explore recycle and reuse, you can use your old clothes, Sarees or old dress creatively to make a trendy curtains for Diwali decoration.Use beads and multicolored old dupattas to make a flowing decoration and light it up strategically.
	Bandanwars: Bandanwars are traditional door hangings. You can use good luck charms, strips of embroidered cloth and chimes to make your doors ring in the festive frivolity. Hang little bells on your doors which are decorative and this makes your doors ring in new guests into the house. Bandanwaars (torans) are the first thing that welcomes your guests and you can make Bandanwars with craft papers or reusable home decoration items. You can also use your embroidered or trendy dress to attract your family and friends by making embroidered Bandanwars. You can also use artificial flowers as Bandanwars.
	Indulge your kids: Get your kids to paint or graffiti goddess Lakshmi’s foot prints entering the house using paste of turmeric and kum-kum powder. Cut out a picture of Lakshmi or Ganesha and also encourage children to make their own Diwali greetings card.

Recycling brings out a whole new meaning into the festive season. The whole family gets together to make decorative Diwali confetti and this brings in a joyous atmosphere into the household. This Diwali make a pledge to not burst crackers and to spend it together with your family and let your creativity get the best of you while making your home look pleasant and inviting. Spread joy through sweets and warm hugs by letting go of your fears and old grudges. Light the lamp of your home and hearts. Try something new this Diwali. Prepare your sweets into shapes of Diwali crackers and lay it out on the table for your guests to relish. Name your sweets and savories like the names of crackers, e.g. Explosive rasgulla, sizzling sandesh , crackling crispy cashew etc.

Creativity in reuse home decor

Bulb Bee made of incandescent Bulb

Diwali Gift made of Decorative Paper

Bulb Lamp made of incandescent Bulbs

Flower vase from incandescent Bulbs

Go Green Now , Be A Part Of Our Eco-Friendly Diwali Contest

Going Green is an initiative to conserve the earth. It is not about making extreme changes in our life. It’s a way of living, you can be a part of it by making some basic changes in your daily life. By being more Eco-conscious, you can benefit the environment and your health. Besides, you can save a lot of money.

It’s pretty easy to lessen the impact on our environment in our daily routine. You just need to give a little more thought and take some important initiatives. Here is a list of things you can start off with.

Save Electricity: Go for CFL's and LEDs for lighting, they are not only eco-friendly but also save your money. Switch off the television, microwave, computer and other such appliances immediately after use. Unplug the devices which you don’t use frequently as most devices have standby power. Purchase products with energy star label. This will help to reduce your electricity bill.

Natural Energy Sources: Try to use electricity as less as possible and make your house energy efficient by using natural sources of energy. Install a solar water heater to get hot water. This will help to reduce your electricity bill as well as the emission of carbon dioxide.

Eat Local Produce: Buy vegetables and fruits produced locally from vegetable vendors and farmer’s markets instead of retail stores and supermarkets. Retail stores have products traveled from other parts of the country. Refrain from buying imported vegetables and fruits.

Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater floods the streets when we face the scarcity of water. You can meet your water requirements by harvesting rainwater. You can either go for rooftop rainwater harvesting or surface runoff harvesting. It not only helps to meet your water requirement but also save your water bill.

Waste Management: The three Rs of waste management are reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce the waste produced in your house. Reuse whatever you can like bags, containers, papers and clothes. Go creative with your waste. Keep different wastes separately and give for recycling what is recyclable.

Green Cleansers: Instead of buying ready made cleaning products which contain harsh and toxic chemicals which are harmful to your health and eco-system, go for some home-made, non-toxic cleansers. Baking soda, vinegar and lemon are some good cleansers.

Go For Organic Products: Buy organic vegetables and fruits that are grown without using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Use natural and organic products for your skin care. Opt for organic fabrics like cotton, linen and bamboo.

Grow a Garden: Grow your own garden in kitchen window sills or in balconies. Growing vegetables and herbs in your home will not only save you money but will give you fresh vegetables to have. It will also make the air of your home fresh and pleasant.

Skip Bottled Water: Don’t buy bottled water for drinking. In producing bottled water, gallons of water and oil is wasted. Instead, install a water filter in your home to purify water. You can buy a reusable water bottle to carry while traveling and in the office.

Buy Smart: Buy products of daily use in bulk to reduce waste and save money. Buy products that are of good quality and long lasting. Avoid unnecessary buying. Buy energy efficient products.

Go Green With Small Things You Do In Everyday Life

Going green helps you reduce your impact on environment, saves your money, and makes your life happier and healthier. There are many ways to go green. You can start with the things you do each day, by making environment-friendly choices.

Here are some simple changes you can make for incorporating green practices in your everyday chores:

While washing clothes and dishes

Instead of using hot water, wash clothes in cold water. This saves energy. Also, wash clothes only when machine is full. Do not use machine for drying clothes.
Instead of bleach, use sodium percarbonate as clothes brightener. Sodium percarbonate is a natural mineral and is as effective as bleach.
Wash dishes in dishwasher to save water. Run dishwasher only when it is fully loaded.
If washing dishes by hands, use foam based soaps as they require less water.

While cleaning home

Use green cleansers and home-made cleansers for cleaning floors, walls and appliances. Try cleaning with steam.
Avoid using pesticides, as they are toxic and harmful for your health. Keep your home clean and fresh to prevent insects and pests in your home.
Take-off shoes before entering in the house, this will reduce dust and dirt in your home. Put welcome mat at the door to track less dirt in home.
Plant indoor plants and garden to keep the air in your home fresh and healthy.
Instead of throwing away everything, try to reuse whatever possible. This will reduce waste.

While buying grocery

Avoid using plastic bags. Use reusable tote bags while buying groceries. Make a habit of taking bag with you while going shopping to reduce usage of plastic bags.
Buy Larger packs instead of several small packets, this will reduce waste to a great extent.
Buy fruits and vegetables from local vegetable seller instead of stores or supermarkets.
Buy organic products.

Understanding Real Estate Terms

Abatement Notice: A notice served to the owner(s) or the occupier(s) of a property in the occurrence of any nuisance, warning them to enter on their land to halt the nuisance.

Absolute title: The right given to the ownership of a mortgage deed to demand full repayment of the outstanding debt before the due date.

Assignment: The transfer of a property interest from one party to another.

Anchor tenant: Supermarkets or department stores introduced in a particular place in order to attract public to shop for the purpose of encouraging other retailers to set up shops en route.

Asset valuation:Describes the worth of land and buildings or plant and machinery.

Agreement for lease/sale:An agreement is made to enter into a lease/sale in which the terms of the lease/sale have been agreed and will be annexed to the agreement in writing.

Atrium: An open space situated within a multi-storey building located beyond the main entrance door containing large windows, lifts, reception areas and plants.

Alternative user value: The value of land and buildings which can be utilised for different purposes than that of current use.

5 Reasons To Invest In Yerwada

With demand for residential property on the rise, developers in Pune are now focusing on the growth corridors such as the Yerwada . The Commerce-zone , Pune Metro rail & BRT's  made it a popular location. The games pushed the infrastructure activities and since a large parcel of land was available, developers got an opportunity to bring out their projects in the area. Here are five reasons why experts advice on investing in Yerwada.

Proximity to IT hubs: Yerwada, adjacent to Nagar Road, where prices have peaked, is also benefiting owing to the IT-led development in the periphery. “The area is particularly attractive to people working in the nearby IT hub of Vimanagar and looking for a residential accommodation near the workplace,” says Ammul Goel of Pushpganga Realtor's Pune

.

Connectivity: The locality is a growing choice for home buyers mainly due to its close proximity to the Nagar–Pune Highway. Also, the Alandi - Pune Road corridor passes through Yerwada . It has good accessibility through road network to other locations of Pune. Yerwada is approximately 2 km from the Pune Airport and 6 km from the railway station.

Affordable Price: The prevailing property rates of Yerwada are in the range of Rs 7,500-8,500 per sq ft, whereas the neighbouring localities, such as Kalyaninagar , offer properties over Rs 12,000 per sq ft. So, Yerwada becomes the nearest and affordable choice for those looking for residential space in Koregao park , Camp or Kalyaninagar but cannot afford it.

Social Infrastructure: As Yerwada is located close to Camp  and  Kharadi , the necessary social infrastructure is available in the area. Numerous banks, schools, restaurants and retail stores have emerged, drawn by an increasingly up-market population. “Yerwada is also the hub for several prominent educational institutes and hotels and home to establishments .

New Projects: There are many new projects coming up in the locality. These are at different stages of completion. Pooja Enclave a project by Pushpganga Ventures Featuring 2 BHK Super Luxurious homes . Most of these projects are going to be delivered by the end of 2015 .Yerwada

Checklist For Buying Your Dream Home

Lately with sky rocketing prices of land in India, plotted units have become luxury and most people are encouraged to purchase builder’s built floor or flats. In today’s consumer market flats are sold by SMS marketing and inbox are filled with property promotional messages. An aware buyer can make most out of this full of choices market. Though your dream house may have a much bigger wish list, these are few ‘should not compromise basics’ from the eye of a sustainable development enthusiast while one negotiates for more important equations like available finances/ date of possession versus maximum built up area or resale value etc. Here is the list:

Location: A builder may try selling you flat in jungle saying that sooner there will be a train/bus station for your rescue, only if you survive till then. Please consider the fact that man being social animal needs a connection with others and you may not always depend on privately owned vehicles. Consider proximity to public transport and day to day amenities.

Parking space: There should be adequate parking available for the residents and for the visitors, at what cost you get it, is secondary though. No column should come in between your dream of parking sedan.

Open spaces in the complex: humans have a strong relationship with the environment around. It is important to have greenery and park to walk your kids and dogs. If the property you are buying is planned to be constructed in phases, please monitor the future construction proposal for park not converting into parking later.

Waste disposal / Sewage treatment plant: Think where and how your building’s waste is disposed. Why?? It may be piled in front of your balcony, your street and places related to you, harming your environment. For example, in Pimpri Chinchwad area of Pune, a housing society was planned to have Sewage treatment plant, but the plan was out with builder moving out. Solid waste management became a huge problem for the residents later in the society. Better be cautious than being surrounded by our own waste. And if your waste can be put to some good use after recycling / treating etc.. Why should it not?

Power backup for service area/ preferably renewable energy based: If one wishfully buys a flat on sixth floor and is ready to do without elevator for good health, this may be ignored. Otherwise it is must to have all the lift cores functioning on power backup. Why renewable energy is being stressed on?? One it helps building decrease its environmental impact and other, diesel power is much more expensive in comparison and is eventually to be borne by the occupant. To everyone’s amazement, during the power failure earlier this year, commonwealth games village lifts were working when whole northern region was dark for 3 days since they had back up from solar PV.

Proper and uninterrupted supply of water / Rain water harvesting: Nothing can be worse than waiting for water when you have an important work to tackle with. Ensure regular water supply and check for municipality supply with neighbours. Trusting and respecting wisdom of our ancestors and scientists today, rain water harvesting is not just the mean of storing water for our current needs but also recharging the earth for future to come.

Well lit and ventilated rooms: All the rooms in the house receive their share of sunlight to see shining bright faces of your family. Air circulation in the house is equally valued for good health and prosperity in all sciences whether it be Indian Vastu Shastra or Chinese feng shui.

Observe orientation of your living areas: The room you consider well lit may prove to be an oven. Do check which wall receives maximum heat during harsh summers. Have they been protected with shade or covered with buffer spaces like toilets?? This may significantly impact air conditioning load of that room. Sincere suggestion is to survey the flat at different times of a day.

Electricity is metered adequately: Electricity meters are provided and you are not paying for the neighbour’s bill. A well designed space as mentioned in above stated two points will help you reduce the electricity bills in any case. Be more careful if you are opting for topmost floor. Cost and technique of the finishing on the roof will be inversely proportional to electricity bill you pay in summers.

Electrical Appliances if provided by the builder: Check for the appliances to be BEE star labelled. More stars, better efficiency and lesser operational cost.

No VOCs are used in interiors: paints and polishes used in the house should be free of VOCs as their presence may negatively impact health of occupants specially kids.

Operation and maintenance: Last but not the least, nothing works as planned if not maintained. Ask who will maintain the services and for how long?

To read more about how you may check comfort parameters yourself, follow our blogs.