The rise in numbers of homeworkers has fed a new industry of garden office manufacturers. Companies have sprung up over recent years in response to the demand for bespoke office space at home. Craftsmen and designers have worked together to come up with thermally-efficient, compact models that are easy to erect, install and fit out. Small buildings and pods specifically designed to slip into garden spaces are now widely available. Some of the stylish and contemporary designs available at OECO make a real statement and are beautiful places in which to work, as well as being eco-friendly.

Why move house for extra space when you can put the extra room you need in the garden?

Since planning regulations were changed back in October 2008, the number of bespoke garden offices in the United Kingdom has increased. With garden building experts such as OECO, the possibilities for your outdoor office space are endless. If necessary, they will work with your plumber to enable the installation of a shower room and toilet. Interior walls and doors can be fitted, extra sound-proofing, bespoke lighting and exterior decking are all feasible. The limits are only in your imagination.

The TUC states that the average commute-time for conventional workers who attend a place of work other than their home was 47.8 minutes back in 2008. Well, the average commute time for those with a garden office is about 30 seconds. Just think of all the extra work you can get done during that time, let alone the positive effects on the environment and your bank balance.

A solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water in a bucket will clean windows very effectively.  Use old newspapers torn into wide strips, crumple them into balls, and dip in the solution (you may want to wear rubber gloves for this to save making your hands smell of vinegar after repeated dunking them in the solution, although the liquid isn’t dangerous to your skin).  It’s best to use black and white newspaper sheets rather than any coloured pages.

Squeeze out the excess from the crumpled newspaper ball, and rub over the window, moving in circles, and taking a new wet ball as soon as the first starts to disintegrate.  Wipe the paper dry with a new sheet of paper, taking care to remove any streaks that remain, using another wet ball if necessary.  Newspaper gives a clearer, more streak-free finish than cloth or paper towels, so the finished result should be shiny, clean windows at a low cost.

Cleaning them can be a quicker route than re-grouting to get the grout looking good again, though it can be labour intensive: scrubbing them with a hard tooth brush with some bleach on the bristles often works, but is hard work.  For relatively small areas, a grout pen – literally a pen you use to colour over the grout – can be effective.  Whilst for bigger areas of damage, a steam cleaner with a fine nozzle may be the answer.

If cleaning doesn’t work, or the area has lost large pieces of grout, then re-grouting may be your only option.  Firstly, you need to scrape out the old grout, using something like a grout rake or scraper.  Make sure you get out at least 2mm of the old grout, otherwise the new grout may not attach and seal properly.  Vacuum clean over the tiles afterwards in order to remove all of the little bits of grout that remain.

Then apply the grout itself.  Grout can be bought ready mixed in tubs, or you can get a powder to mix with water.  Use a rubber float tool to force the grout right down into the gaps between the tiles.  Don’t worry about getting grout on the tiles, just use a damp cloth to wipe it up before it dries.  Use your finger to get a smooth finish.

Nottingham

Nottingham may not be as richly associated with history as York, but it too has its origins in the ancient past. It was held by the Anglo-Saxons before falling to the Danes in 867. Testaments to its later history include Nottingham Castle, built in the 11th century, and its association with Richard the Lionheart. Centuries later it was a centre of the textile industry.

Today it is a thriving student city, with houses to rent in Nottingham available in the lively central districts. The city has a strong music scene, especially for modern dance music styles such as dubstep and grime. Tourism revolves around the theme of Robin Hood, and the magnificent Sherwood Forest is of course nearby. The city is home to a number of stylish restaurants and bars, with the vibrant Lace Market and bohemian Hockley popular nightlife destinations.

York

When it comes to combining historical beauty with contemporary life, there are few better options than York. Recently voted the most beautiful city in Britain, and with houses for sale in York remaining at reasonable prices, a characteristic welcoming Yorkshire vibe, and a rich historical legacy dating to the Romans, there are plenty of reasons to love this city.

York has a lively cultural scene, with theatres and art house cinemas, and quirky cafes and galleries in the bohemian quarter of Gillygate. The riverside area by the Ouse is a great place to eat and drink, and when it comes to pubs, York has some of best, from medieval inns to contemporary wine bars.

In order to construct a pond you’ll need to collect string, stones, sticks, plastic lining, plants, a shovel, a pump and filtering system and any permeable material (this can include old towels and anything that can be used as underlay).

First of all, measure out the area that you have chosen for your pond with the sticks and string and then dig the hole. The depth is up to you but remember that if you are trying to create a large pond for ducks, make sure that the pond will be deep enough.

Then line the hole with the old carpet and towels. On top of these materials place the plastic liner and then, taking off any footwear, climb into the pond and make sure that the liner fits into every nook and cranny. Be careful to let the plastic spread out over the edges of the pond.

Now begins the exciting part of filling the pond. You can either wait for the rain or perhaps use the water collected in a water butt. Once the pond is filled you can then trim the black plastic liner, and this is also the time to install the pump and filtering system.

It’s up to you how glamorous you want this area to look. Some gardeners like to landscape their ponds with wooden decking, whereas others prefer to surround their ponds with a rockery. It’s a good idea to place more old towels underneath the rocks in order to contain any loose soil and stop it from entering your pond.

For homeowners seeking solutions for tall and large windows, vertical blinds are an attractive, affordable solution.  Stylish and practical, vertical blinds can be custom made to fit your windows, or ordered in standard sizes.  For rooms requiring more privacy like the bathroom, television room or nursery, or where you need more control over the ambient light, blackout liners can be added to vertical blinds to ensure privacy and reduce glare.

Materials are an important consideration.  For kitchen and bathroom blinds, you’ll want to choose a moisture-resistant material like faux wood, PVC or bamboo.  Unlike curtains, vertical blinds don’t collect dust and encourage mould and mildew growth.  They’re easy to clean, just wipe with a damp cloth.

Vertical blinds are great for the bedroom as well.  The elegant, simple lines create a soothing sense of peace, while the swivelling hanging slats allow for the best control over ambient light and privacy. Options include right, left or centre opening, making vertical blinds perfect for sliding doors, conservatories and other rooms throughout your home.

You may wish to choose blinds in neutral colours like white, cream or beige, to match any décor unobtrusively, or make a bold statement with bright primary colours.  Bright colours are especially popular for children’s rooms, and the hanging-slat design of vertical blinds make them safer for the kids, as there’s less danger of entanglement.  With so many choices available, vertical blinds are a good selection for busy families looking for a convenient, practical, attractive and affordable window covering solution.

Start in the centre of the room and lay a single row of tiles from the centre to one of the walls.  When you reach the wall if there is a small gap you will need to relay the line.  To counter this problem, move the starting tile back about half a tile’s length and then repeat the process.  Lay lines from the centre to the other walls ensuring there is a gap of about half a tile’s width all the way around the room.
 
Begin to fill in the areas between the main lines, making sure the tiles are butted up closely together, and secure each fourth or fifth row with double-sided carpet tape to prevent movement.  Fit all of the whole tiles before tackling any leftover spaces and gaps.

To fill in the gap around the edge of the room, simply lift the last tile nearest the wall and replace it with the tile that will be cut.  Put the other tile on top of the tile that will be cut and butt it up against the skirting board.  Use the top tile as a template and mark the tile where it needs to be cut.  Repeat the process around the room and fit the cut tiles into the gaps.

The most useful place to fit your tap is on the exterior of the kitchen wall. This means that it will be close to the household water supply, and after you have drilled through the mortar wall most of the hard work will have been done. Make sure that you place the tap with enough space to fill a watering can or any other gardening appliance.

Drill a hole from underneath the kitchen sink with a 150 mm masonry drill. Then cut 22 mm of copper pipe to act as a container for the actual tap plumbing. Turn off the house’s cold water supply and then it is safe to access the domestic supply with your new pipes for the outside tap. You must ensure that you have a stopcock and a double check valve in order to make sure that your new external tap doesn’t affect the household’s cold water supply, should water pressures drop.

After you have cut and trimmed all the new pipework and fitted it through the external wall, you can now attach the tap. Make sure that all the compression joints are firm before you reconnect the water supply. It’s also a good idea to apply some sealant between the pipe’s cover and the actual tap pipes.

First off, dig a small trench (18 inches wide and 12 inches deep) in the garden at one side of the border or bed and transport the excavated soil to the other side.

Use a fork to take out the bottom of this trench to a depth of the full length of the prongs and as you go along work in some sort of growth assistance. This could be leaf mould, peat, manure, or garden compost.

Turn a parallel strip alongside this trench down into the trench and then fork over the trench you just produced by the removal of the new strip, incorporating the compost again as you go.

Deal the same way with the new trench, turning in a strip parallel with it to form a new strip, and turning the soil alongside into this trench.

Allow the ground dug over to settle for about six weeks before planting.

It may be the case that the head is secured in place by a screw under the ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ button, or alternatively next to the head. If there is no screw there, you might be able to simply pull off the head, or it may need to be unscrewed after turning the tap on full.

Drain the supply pipe and expose the screw that retains the head by pulling away the coloured indicator button.

Next, release the screw completely and lift away the head of the tap. The head may be held in place by a side screw or it could be a push fit as mentioned above.

Use a couple of spanners when doing this, utilizing one of them to prevent the body from turning and the other to release the headgear nut, and then completely lift out the headgear assemblage.

Finally, remove the washer from the jumper unit by simply releasing its retaining screw. Choose a new washer of the correct size from the DIY store, fit it into the tap and reassemble the whole thing.

If in doubt about the exact type and size of washer that you need, take the old damaged one along to the store to make sure that you get the correct one.