Vistry East Midlands has teamed up with a new mortgage provider to give house-hunters in the region a helping hand onto the property ladder. The housebuilder, part of the Vistry Group which comprises Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Vistry Partnerships, has joined forces with Generation Home to make home ownership
Not sure how to deal with large storage spaces in your apartment? We’ll give you some hints and tips that will come in handy when designing, whether you hire a joiner or a built-in wardrobe company. Wardrobe as a separate room or closet? The best storage solution is a walk-in
Only the best and high-quality cutting pliers are necessary for activities involving wires, cables, ropes, and many more. Because of this, many workers have their own set of cutting pliers handy. Apart from cutting, workers generally use pliers in pulling, bending, and twisting materials too. Without them, different heavy-duty materials
Vistry East Midlands has teamed up with a new mortgage provider to give house-hunters in the region a helping hand onto the property ladder. The housebuilder, part of the Vistry Group which comprises Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Vistry Partnerships, has joined forces with Generation Home to make home ownership more accessible to young first-time buyers. Established in October last year, Generation Home offers a range of mortgage products with unique features which enable buyers to enlist the support of friends and relatives to boost their deposit or increase the amount they can borrow. Thanks to the partnership between Vistry East Midlands and the lender, people looking to buy a house at Linden Homes and Bovis Homes developments in the region will now be able to use a Generation Home mortgage to do so. “House prices in the UK increased by 13.2 per cent in the year to June, the highest annual growth since 2004. While this is good news for homeowners and a clear sign of the strength of the housing market, it does create challenges for those seeking to get onto the property ladder,” said Nic Chapman, sales and marketing director for Vistry East Midlands. “The Government’s Help to Buy scheme has played a pivotal role in making home ownership more affordable and accessible for first-time buyers, and many of our customers have benefited from using the scheme since it was introduced in 2013. Generation Home offers an excellent alternative for those who would struggle to secure the mortgage they need without assistance from friends or family. “First-time buyers are the lifeblood of the housing market, and we are keen to support initiatives which will help more people realise their dream of owning their own home. Making these products available now will also allow our customers to purchase their home much quicker.” Help to Buy is a Government-backed initiative that enables first-time buyers to put down a smaller deposit of just five per cent alongside a 75 per cent mortgage. This is supported by a 20 per cent equity loan from the Government, which is interest free for the first five years. Generation Home provides an alternative range of options to make getting onto the property ladder more affordable. With the Deposit Booster option, buyers can add a friend or relative onto the mortgage application to increase their household income and therefore enable them to borrow more. The Income Booster option means that buyers can receive a boost on their initial deposit from a friend or family member, who will then own a share of the property equal to their contribution.
Not sure how to deal with large storage spaces in your apartment? We’ll give you some hints and tips that will come in handy when designing, whether you hire a joiner or a built-in wardrobe company. Wardrobe as a separate room or closet? The best storage solution is a walk-in wardrobe – a separate room designed primarily for storing clothes and shoes. If you can concentrate the storage space in a room where you don’t live or sleep, this is the best solution. However, building a walk-in closet is not always feasible in terms of home space. So another solution is either wardrobes – built-in or free-standing. Wardrobe dimensions and basic design rules In order to avoid mistakes when designing storage spaces, you should be familiar with the basic dimensions you will be working with. The depth of the cabinet The depth of the cabinet is based on the width of the hangers you are using. The depth for wardrobes with wardrobe rods should be no less than 50 cm, while 60 cm is optimal. Smaller depths usually require special pull-out systems for the hangers. Wardrobe height To save space, always build wardrobes up to the ceiling. This means that dust will not settle on the top of the cabinet. Place seasonal clothes on the higher shelves of the wardrobe. The space in front of the wardrobe and the opening When designing, you also need to allow enough space for movement in front of the wardrobe. The minimum width of the space between two tall cupboards should be 100 cm, between a wall and a tall cupboard 90 cm and between a tall cupboard and a chest of drawers 70 cm. If you do not have enough space in front of the wardrobe, it is a good idea to think about the doors. Sliding doors make the handling space much more comfortable. However, you should pay attention to the depth of the wardrobe, which in this case should be greater than the stated 60 cm. The design of the sliding door alone takes up 6 to 8 cm in depth, whereas the hinge opening only takes up about 2 cm. The maximum width of the sliding door is approximately 120 cm. Wider doors require massive fittings, are heavier and harder to handle. In addition to sliding or hinge opening, you can also use folding doors. Lighting When designing, also think about the lighting in front of and inside the cabinet. Of course, good lighting is a must for closets that are in a separate room without windows. TIP: You can replace a solid wall in a cloakroom with a partition made of glass, luxfer, or polycarbonate. This will allow natural light into the space. How much space do you need for hanging individual items of clothing? The standard height for men’s shirts and jackets is 100 cm, for women’s shirts 80 cm, coats 120 to 140 cm and evening dresses 160 cm. The height of the space above the wardrobe rod should be at least 5 cm, but this depends on the type of hangers you use. The internal arrangement of the wardrobe – special fittings In addition to the classic shelves, there are various systems for organising the internal space of the wardrobe. Whether they are drawers, folding rods or a wire pull-out system. A hinged wardrobe rod is a good helper when storing clothes up high. Using a special handle, you simply fold the entire rod down. If the room does not allow you to choose a sufficient depth of the wardrobe, you can use special pull-out rods for wardrobes 40 cm deep and more. In this case, the hangers are not arranged side by side, but behind each other. TIP: If you find the inside of your wardrobe too drab, coloured shelves can brighten up a neutral wardrobe or dressing room design.
Only the best and high-quality cutting pliers are necessary for activities involving wires, cables, ropes, and many more. Because of this, many workers have their own set of cutting pliers handy. Apart from cutting, workers generally use pliers in pulling, bending, and twisting materials too. Without them, different heavy-duty materials may be more challenging to work on. If you’re planning to buy your first-ever pair of cutting pliers, you may have limited knowledge of what qualities to look for. In this article, you may gain insights that could help you choose the type that’d suit your needs. Continue reading to learn more. 1. Best For Hard Wire There are a lot of cutting pliers in the market to choose from. They come in different forms and sizes. However, there are cutting pliers that cut hard wires or thick cables better than the others. These tools are what you may need to look for. You may check how wide their jaws are. You may look into their sharp blades too and determine whether they could slice through multi-layered wires. If you do a lot of cutting day to day, then choosing the end cutting pliers by Maun is best, as they offer a compound lever action to save your hand strength. Or you could browse similar cutting tools that would address your needs. 2. Cutting Power Efficiency Aside from the pliers’ ability to cut through hard and thick lines or wires, you may look if they’re capable of slicing through an object efficiently as well. Aside from the blades, you may consider the metal or steel quality. Also, it’s advised to check the pliers’ grips span and select the type with 6-9cm to avoid cutting accidents. In addition, you may look into the pivot point. This part should easily move sideways when gripped or un-gripped for better locking. This way, you’d be sure that you’ll cut wires evenly and well. In some cases, you may use your pliers in cutting metal strips or hard components that may be challenging to rip off. If your chosen tool can cut through these materials, they’re likely to slice similar objects. 3. Ease Of Use And Maintenance Although maintenance is your job to ensure your tools’ excellent performance and extended lifespan, it’d be better if the pliers were easy to use and maintain. If the pliers need simple gripping and slight pushes, you’re less likely to have troubles with their use. In addition, you could avoid untoward cutting that may come along with its use. In maintenance, you may prefer pliers that are easy to clean with just by merely wiping and oiling them. In addition, you may check if the pliers have an excellent return spring as it’s one of the parts that usually dislodge. If you want to properly maintain your cutting pliers, you could keep them in a toolbox. Apart from it, you may try the following steps: Dry your pliers thoroughly when they get wet, especially when they’re submerged underwater. Wipe the dirt before and after using the pliers. Coat the cutting tool in a layer of oil. Lubricate the pivot joint regularly. If the blade and jaw points start to be blunt, hone them with a reliable sharpening tool. Store them in a clean and spacious toolbox. Refrain from putting it in storage with dirty or rusty tools. Run maintenance checkups every after repair in between home improvement projects. 4. Durability And Longevity You may look into the durability of the tool through its hardness level. In many cutting pliers, the standard is pegged at HRC 64. The blade’s sharpness also has something to do with the general durability and pivot joint strength. It’s believed that the sharper the blades are, the more durable the tool is as it won’t need extra force when cutting. In addition, you may check on the general performance of the pliers when repetitively used. You may choose the type that requires minimal effort yet provides better performance. Lastly, look into the tool’s body if it’s prone to cracking or chipping and other damages. 5. Feed Generally, feed refers to how deep the pliers could bite. For this feature, you may look into the maximum gap created between the two jaws when opened. Typically, the wider the gap is, the thicker the size of the wire to be bitten. However, it may affect the jaw strength of the pliers. On the contrary, smaller gaps could mean a stronger bite. 6. Cost-Effectiveness Cutting pliers come at different prices. If you’re considering the latter, you may compare the prices of the various cutting tools you like. After viewing the points mentioned above, you may use the price as the deciding factor. Having that, you may select the cutting pliers that could cut thick wires and cables but cost lesser than most tools. Dos And Don’ts In Using Cutting Pliers After considering the points mentioned above, you may want to know how to keep your cutting tool efficient and durable. For that purpose, you may try to follow these reminders: Avoid using your pliers in cutting bolts and nuts as they could get blunt and chipped. Assess the thickness and hardness of the wire you’re planning to cut before you slice them. Choose appropriate pliers for thick cables. Refrain from exposing your tool to extreme temperatures. Avoid submerging your pliers underwater. Don’t use pliers with loose joints and worn-out blades. Use pliers in a forward or pulling manner instead of pushing way to prevent accident off slips. Final Thoughts Tools like cutting pliers are necessary to get heavy-duty tasks done properly. In many cases, they’re used in quick repairs and home improvement projects. Because of this, it’s vital to use high-quality tools to avoid accidents and ensure excellent results. If you’re planning to buy cutting pliers, you may want to use the insights you’ve got from this blog. Consider the tips and features in choosing which pliers could help you in your tasks most efficiently and
