Posts tagged: real estate

A Moving Walkway, also called Moving Sidewalk, is a walkalator or revelator used to transport people over short to medium distances across a horizontal or slightly inclined plane, unlike an escalator that moves vertically inclined. Several other terms like autowalk, flatalator, horizontalator, movator or movealator are also used to refer to the Moving Sidewalk.

First put in use in 1983 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, it was in the shape of a loop that ran down the length of walkway from the lakefront pier to the casino ahead. The walkway had two different sections, one where people could just stand or keep walking slightly ahead and the other where they could be seated. In 1900, a similar moving walkway was presented at the Paris Exposition Universelle.

The first commercial use of a walkway was proposed by a New York City firm, The Beeler Organization in 1924 for a Continuous Transit System for Atlanta, roughly on the lines of the Paris system using a linear induction motor, but the project did not materialize.

The credit for the first commercial moving sidewalk or walkway went to Goodyear, Inc., the company that built the “Speedwalk” inside the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Erie Station in Jersey City in 1954. It covered a distance of 277ft and moved up a 10 percent gradient at the speed of 2.4 kms/hr.

In 1958, Love Field airport in Dallas, Texas got the distinction of being the first airport to have the moving walkway installed.

Walkway Designs

There are two basic styles of moving walkways.

1. Pallet type – in this type, a series of flat metal surfaces conjoin together to form a moving walkway, similar to that of escalators. While most walkways are fitted with metal surfaces, some have rubber to provide extra traction.

2. Moving belt – this type features rubber walking surfaces or metal belts fitted over metal rollers that move along; the speed determines whether the surface feels solid or bouncy.

Both types of walkways are fitted with moving handrails for passenger safety.

High-speed walkways

Between the 1970s and early 2000s, several designs and patents were tested for high-speed walkways at various locations around the world. However, while some provided the advantage of transporting passengers over distances in quick time, the reliability, safety and comfort factors were always in question, indicating that a lot more had to be done before they could become commercially viable and a safe mode of transport.

Inclined moving walkways

Several high-end super markets, malls and multiplexes have installed incline moving walkways to transport people from one floor to another. Especially in supermarkets and stores that have multiple floors and where people use trolleys to handle purchases, these are very useful as they can transport the shopping carts and trolleys as well. They are similar in operation to an escalator except that there are no steps going up or down only a sloped incline with grooves on the ramp that prevents wheeled items like carts and trolleys from rolling away.

Applications of moving walkways

Airports, Museums, Public Transport, Theatres, Theme Parks, Zoos and some heavily populated urban cities are some areas where the application of moving walkways will serve the public well.

There is a global shift happening that is left unnoticed. The greatest exodus is occurring right under our noses and nobody is realizing the implications this will have on global markets and the economy in the upcoming generations. The U.A.E is priding itself with being one of the highest annual population growth countries worldwide with a staggering growth of 3.83 per cent from 2008 and a projected growth of 6.3 per cent for 2009. What is happening globally and what are the possible problems we are facing with the vast human evolution and recreational preferences?

Without much said, population is moving globally. Whether the shift is back to a country of origin or to greener fields, people all over the world are moving, restless from not knowing what is going to happen next with the rapidly changing economy we are currently living in. Thousands of people are losing value on their investments from moving about and the property market is suffering with big players holding back on investments and opting out of major deals with property developers.

The world’s biggest construction site, the U.A.E, is probably the one country that is suffering the hardest from the international movement crisis worldwide. Property prices are expected to fall by up to 60 per cent this year which has resulted in more than 50 per cent of Dubai’s construction projects being postponed or cancelled. This leads to manual workers leaving the country, followed by well educated white collar workers leaving. When they are gone, where will they go and what will they do? Better yet, if educated expats leave, will the UAE survive without the Western influence?

The U.A.E population is made up of approximately 20 per cent national Arabic and an overwhelming 80 per cent expats from all corners of the world. Currently, 1,500 visas are being cancelled daily, which means that well skilled and competent individuals are being forced to their home countries, leaving the place they have helped to develop and taking the red carpet home with them.

The major spotlight is now focusing on the real estate sector. Agents are working longer hours and showing more apartments, villas and office spaces to prospective buyers and leasers than ever before and only few are lucky to close a deal. It comes down to a matter of supply and demand and agencies are realizing that the client will go beyond means to get the best deal, especially with the current fluctuation of markets.

Dubai’s property market is foreseen to decline by up to 10 per cent by 2010 and analyst estimate that the population in Dubai will increase by 6.3 per cent by end of 2009, while 1,500 people are currently being made redundant. The revolutionary movement is happening as we speak and it will be interesting to see how and when this will affect the generations to come.

Here is your guide to Bahrain freehold property, some of the more popular real estate around.

Bahrain property is actually one of the fastest growing areas in the middle east, and the real state market is absolutely booming. Why is this? Very simply, the area enjoys awesome weather, crystal clear water of the Persian Gulf, and is a very wealthy area due to the low taxes and conservative economics.

So what kind of jobs area available in the area, and why are they so wealthy? Very simply, in the last several years the area has definitely moved away from being just based on oil, and now is home to many different kinds of business, such as financial companies, a growing tourism industry, info technology, to name a few.

The result as been many global companies are now moving to the area and setting up based there, which has therefore attracted top level executives and CEOs to move to the area. The result has seen the area grow in prosperity and wealth enormously in the last several years alone.

Of course, along with the growing business sector and people moving in, the real estate market is taking off as well, and in particular Bahrain freehold property. Since the growth started very recently, there just aren’t enough homes right now to meet demand, and therefore rental rates are getting very high.

The area is often compared to Dubai because of it’s close proximity, and because both are growing at very rapid rates. However, if you want to move to Bahrain, you can still do so much more affordably than you could in Dubai, as the pupation explosion isn’t quite to that standard yet.

Because of all this, if you want to get in on the real estate market, either to live there or invest in it, this is the time. Don’t wait much longer to get in on Bahrain Freehold Property, as the prices are going to drive down your profit margins and increase your expenses.

Due to the massive growth the area is seeing right now, this is certainly one of the top markets in the world today, and the time to buy Bahrain freehold property is now.

As a consumer who has decided to build their own modern and stylish home, you must be sure to choose the right luxury home builder. There are many questions that you should ask to ensure that you will receive the quality and precision that you desire as a homeowner. Never allow yourself to be rushed into any decisions regarding the house you hope to build. This is a key problem that affects many consumers when building their luxury homes. Keep in mind that this house will be your escape from the world – the place you enjoy both by yourself and with your friends and family. It should be exactly as you picture it. The time spent in the early stages of planning with the guidance of a developer is crucial to the end result.

When choosing a company or an individual, bear in mind that you and your opinion are what matters the most when making decisions about your house. Your developer is there to guide you and advise you in all aspects of turning your dream home into a reality, and to advise if the house you envision is possible in terms of physically building it, as well as budget and time wise. You must rely on their expertise and knowledge to ensure that the luxury home you build is safe and secure, meets all of your expectations and is possible within your budget and time constraints. The two of you must work alongside one another in order to make the right choices together.

The partnership between a builder and the consumer is much deeper than many would ever suspect. Your goal as a consumer is to have the dwelling you picture as the perfect place to live in for the rest of your life. Your developer’s goal is to ensure that you have just that, while taking into consideration your budget, your safety, and the future use of your residence. So, for this partnership to work for both parties, you both need to work toward the one same goal – producing your dream house.

A luxury residential developer is a key part of making your future home the perfect place you have always dreamed of. Many builders are also capable of not only of building your new place of residence, but of designing it as well. This is a huge benefit to those consumers who have no experience in designing a home on their own, as well as benefiting those consumers who have the ideas but not the knowledge to put them on paper. Choosing the right builders for the job is very important and worth the extra time and effort.

1. Time is money when selling your home

After you’ve made the decision to sell your home, the longer it remains unsold on the market, the more it costs you. Many home sellers feel it’s very important to receive close to their full asking price. But they overlook the additional months of carrying costs, such as mortgage interest, property taxes and maintenance. I’ve seen homes remain unsold on the market for years! Obviously, those home sellers are not highly motivated to sell. If they’ve already moved to their new home, maintaining a vacant, overpriced house can be very expensive, usually costing $1,000 or more each month the home remains unsold.

2. Get your home into near-model home condition

Most home buyers today want to purchase a home which is in basically good condition and does not need major fix-up work. This is called a “red ribbon deal” home because it’s like a gift wrapped with red ribbon.

There are few buyers for fixer-upper houses–and they want bargain prices to compensate for the necessary work. The goal of home sellers who want to sell fast for top dollar must be to get the home into near-model home condition. However, spending major money is not required. Most homes just need basic, inexpensive work to get the residence into very good condition where all the buyer must do is turn the key in the door and move in.

3. The reason most homes don’t sell–they are overpriced!

Many home sellers want to set their asking prices above what their realty agent recommends. These sellers often hope an out-of-town buyer will overpay for their home. That rarely happens! There are several reasons, such as buyer’s agents who look out for their buyers, competitive listings which are realistically priced close to market value, and lender’s appraisals which reflect market value. Buyers quickly become experts on home values after they’ve inspected a dozen or more similar homes in the vicinity. They rarely overpay. Most homes have a “range of values.” Many factors influence this range of values–such as local economic conditions, the home’s location, supply of similar homes in the same price range listed for sale, number of buyers currently in the marketplace, the physical condition of the home, the skill of your realty agent to properly market the home to as many prospective buyers as possible, the financing available, quality of the local school district (the best schools create home buyer demand), and the desirability of your home compared to other nearby homes now available for sale.

4. Be flexible–don’t get greedy

If you’re just testing the market and will sell your home only if you get your inflated asking price, then you’re not a serious motivated seller. However, if you are motivated to sell, the best attitude is to be flexible, don’t get greedy and don’t insist on receiving the last dollar of profit. Instead, consider all purchase offers which are presented. No matter how low and insulting the purchase offer might be, make a counteroffer! After several days or even weeks of counteroffer negotiation back and forth, home sales often result. But sellers who are inflexible and don’t make counteroffers have only themselves to blame when their home doesn’t sell because they are inflexible and greedy.

5. Get out of the house!

Finally, if you listed your home for sale with a professional realty agent, let that person (or a buyer’s agent) do their job. Whenever you know an agent is bringing a prospective buyer to inspect your home, even on short notice, get out of the house! There’s a very good reason you don’t want to meet the prospective buyer.

Experienced realty agents will tell you that until a buyer criticizes a residence, he or she is not a serious buyer. If the seller is hovering nearby, the prospect usually will not criticize your home. Instead, he or she will look at it and leave without making a commitment to that possible future residence. Also, the buyer’s agent won’t comment about the pros and cons of the house if the seller is within hearing range. Even if you just walk around the block 10 times while a buyer inspects your home, get out! Also, get your pets out–there is nothing worse than an offensive pet (or pet smell) to chill prospective home buyers from quickly buying your home for top dollar.

Nursing homes are designed to serve patients who require preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative nursing care services for non-acute, long-term conditions. Usually residents are elderly and frail, but not bedridden, although many will require canes, walkers, or wheelchairs to help them get around.

Patient stays are on the whole relatively long, with the majority of residents staying for the remaining months or years of their life. Most UK Nursing homes will also care for a number of convalescent patients who are in recovery from acute illnesses, but no longer require hospitalisation.

Nursing homes present special design challenges in that for most residents the nursing home is not just a facility, but indeed their home. The reality is that in most cases the residents will live there for the rest of their lives and, moreover, rarely leave the premises at all. The nursing home therefore becomes their entire world. The challenge is to design an environment that is sensitive and responsive to long-term human needs and well-being, both physical and emotional. Thankfully there are a growing number of companies who specialize in the manufacture and supply of stylish yet practical Nursing Home furniture, which means designers are no longer limited in terms of interior décor.

Building Attributes

Nursing homes are primarily patient care focused rather than medically focused, and consequently its more important attributes are those focusing on the general happiness of its residents rather than high-tech considerations. Features of a well designed nursing home are as follows:

Homely environment

The impact of surroundings and environment on the recovery of Nursing Home patients cannot be underestimated. Both the building’s architect and interior designer needs to gain a thorough understanding of the function of the venue and the profile of its patients. Attention must be paid to ensuring that the exterior and interior design cater for physical and mental disabilities along with loss of sight. This should all be packaged in such as way as to suggest a home away from home as opposed to a medical institute.

Efficiency

In order to create the most efficient space possible for both staff and patients, the nursing home’s design should promote efficiency by minimizing the distance it is necessary to travel between spaces that are most frequently used such as recreational rooms, dining areas and toilets.

Ease of supervision is another essential feature, as allowing supervision of patients by minimal members of staff can reduce the total number of employees required by the nursing home, and can free up nursing staff to perform other tasks at any one time.

Cleanliness and Sanitation

Odour control is a priority for all nursing homes, since many patients are likely to experience occasional incontinence. The resulting odour can give the impression of poor hyginene and uncleanliness to family and other visitors. In addition to operational practices and careful choice of nursing home furniture, the following design features can also help:

Highly visible toilet rooms in key locations near spaces where residents congregate

The use of appropriate, durable finishes for each space used by residents

Proper detailing of such features as doorframes, casework, and finish transitions to avoid dirt-catching and hard-to-clean crevices and joints

Adequate and appropriately located housekeeping spaces

Effective ventilation, which may need to exceed nominal design levels.

Kit homes are pre-fabricated homes designed and manufactured in the factory and shipped onsite with all or most of the materials, components, and even plumbing included. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with each parts measured, designed, and fabricated to fit perfectly to create a complete piece. Some people think that these are lesser quality homes that have smaller spaces and low-grade materials. However, this is a general misconception because quality will always depend on the supplier or manufacturer. You can get a huge kit home that will last for a lifetime with a reliable supplier that offers high-quality materials, components, and services.

First and foremost, what makes this type of home popular, especially in the Australian market, is the lower cost to build a home. Compared to the traditional approach to home design and construction, a pre-designed and pre-fabricated kit can cost 30% less than site-built homes. The overall expense can be reduced further if you build it on your own without hiring contractors for construction. This works for homeowners who have the skills and some help from family members and friends. The time it would take to finish building a home is must faster because design, materials, and other components are already available and would simply need to be put together for completion. With the help of contractors, it would take 2-3 days to finish building a home. That’s faster than site-built homes that would normally take months or years to be completed. It saves you time and cuts down more costs along the way.

Despite the benefits and advantages a kit home offers to potential homeowners, certain limitations prevent others from availing of this low-cost property alternative. Considering terrain and other environmental conditions, a regular kit home may not always be appropriate to areas with uneven and challenging terrains, which requires a customized home design and architecture. While kit homes are generally popular in Australia due to the availability of land, other countries and states like the UK have limited lots for homeowners to build kit homes.

Furthermore, while kit homes come in a variety of designs from traditional or rustic to modern and eco-friendly, there’s little or no room for modification or adjustments as the design and components are fixed or predetermined. If you prefer your home to be a certain way with a couple of inclusions and alterations, a kit home may not be ideal for you. Homeowners, however, are initially given several options from existing designs by suppliers. While adjustments are not always accommodated by suppliers, you can inquire if a supplier can oblige you with slight modifications to existing designs.

With these advantages and disadvantages, you can now make informed decisions whether to opt for a kit home or not. For such a long-term and lifetime investment, always be an educated consumer and know the pros and cons involved.

Building Homes of Your Own is a computer game where you are challenged to get a loan, select and purchase property, design and build a house, and sell it for a profit. There are three levels to the game, Urban or Suburban, Rivers and Lakes, and Coastline. For each progressive level you will be given a larger loan for your budget. On the third level, Coastline, you will receive a loan for more than 1 million dollars.

Construction Technology Engineering is the main focus of the software. It is meant to be as close as possible to real world situations in the building homes industry. Many students in Technology Education and Engineering class utilize this software to learn the steps to planning and building a house.

Here are some of the main tips for being successful in the Building Homes of Your Own game. First, you need to remember that you are not designing the house for yourself. You will be given different situations depending on which property location that you choose. Most design something they would want to live in while ignoring the demographics of the surrounding area. The surrounding houses and neighborhoods are big clues to whom you may want to sell your house to. You must check the demographics for information surrounding your property. For example, average population age is very important. You don’t want to build a skate park in the backyard of a neighborhood where the average age is 65 and older.

Second, when designing your floor plan and interior remember you are trying to make a profit on the property. Your profit is the amount of money above what you spend on building the house. For example, if you design a very large house with the most expensive interior choices, you will not be able to make as much profit on your property.

Third, planning for your house designing decisions is the most critical step that most people overlook. There are three planning phases you need to consider. The “site phase,” where you find and purchase your property. The “building phase,” where you decide on your floor plan, exterior, and interior. The “sell phase,” where you advertise and sell your house to potential buyers.

Your home will be judged by how much profit you make on your property. You must be able to find the right buyers by checking their credit information. They will be rejected by the bank for a home loan to buy your property if they have bad credit. A score of 70 percent or higher means you can go on to the next level. Remember these tips and tricks for reaching the next level when playing Building Homes of Your Own.

Rammed Earth Home is one of the most economical, comfortable, durable and elegant looking building structures. It was an ancient method of building construction which is still very popular up in order to these days. Why? Simply because of the many top qualities it possesses that benefits both the homeowners and the rammed earth builders. These advantages include the following:

Long Lasting Strength and Durability

The thousands of years of remaining standing from archaic times to the present day plus several scientific testing conducted are evidence enough so as to prove the durability and long lasting qualities. They have been recognized by the engineers as having load bearing characteristic, so no need to spend for additional framing to protect the structure. Not just that, rammed earth construction has exceeded the minimum requirements achieved by most timer frame construction because of the substantial bracing and stability it provides against natural calamities.

Thermal Mass

The thick material density is one among the reasons why these homes remain standing for thousands of years in spite of extreme calamities. There’s just a slight penetration because of this quality that takes place during hot or cold climate. Therefore, it gives off natural warmth during winter and chill feeling during summer when inside the house. This also makes it an ideal choice in areas like Australia, where temperature fluctuations need to be kept to a minimum.

Versatile

Because of the natural color and texture variations of rammed earth constructions, many architects find it very easy to style rammed earth homes many styles with a great deal more elements. A stunning beauty is given to the structure by combining the foreign materials with the natural properties of rammed earth materials.

Termite/Sound/Fire Proof

Termites and pests have no place in order to stay due to the durable quality of the materials used. There are no cavities in walls for pests to reside or use as a route in order to the roof or other timbers. Plastering, wallpapering, or repainting is not required so as to reinforce a rammed earth home. Apart from all these, you can even ensure that no unwanted sounds like traffic noise could go through the walls due to its sound insulation property.

Nature Friendly

Unlike other building structure materials such as bricks and cement, it doesn’t produce toxic, is non-polluting and especially, it breathes. Utilizing all these qualities, rammed earth homes are ensured safer, more comfortable home building in order to live in that stays longer throughout the years.

They are a team of companies specializing in stabilized construction. The group comprises local and international teams who work together to deliver the best outcomes for clients wanting to use this beautiful, natural and durable walling for their houses or commercial projects.

Placing a loved one in a care home can be a stressful and upsetting time for everyone involved. But when you’re no longer able to provide adequate care, they are the best option. And while the negative stigma surrounding care homes has been quashed, it is shocking the number of poor facilities that are out there.

If you’re choosing a long-term care facility for a loved one, you should make sure you keep an eye out for these ten tell-tale signs of a bad care home:

1. Firstly, assess how you are greeted upon your visit. Are staff willing and prepared to be helpful, or do they try and prevent you from asking questions and seeing the full premises? If staff are disrespectful to you, your loved one may face similar treatment.

2. If the care workers refer to staff as ‘the man in bed A’ rather than by name, alarm bells should ring. Your relative may have lost some of their independence, but they are still human and should be treated so. Bad care homes won’t give a personal level of care.

3. Unhygienic and unclean residential homes should also be avoided. Strong smells of disinfectant can also be a warning sign as this is often used to cover up something. When choosing potential homes, ask to see a lived-in room to inspect the level of care.

4. Note the appearance of the residents. Are the clean, dressed and well groomed? A tell-tale sign of a poor care home is one that doesn’t appear to be taking these most basic elements of care seriously. You should also assess whether residents appear to be distressed, upset, or lonely.

5. How do staff speak to the residents? Are the patronising, passive-aggressive, or disrespectful? You want to make sure your loved one is treated with the respect they deserve, and this kind of attitude is a sign of a terrible care home

6. Are residents being fed adequate meals? Inspect the quality of the food, and whether or not residents are eating. It is important that those in care home eat a healthy, well balanced diet. You should also see if those that need help eating are given the care and attention they deserve.

7. A bad home for the elderly will leave residents sat in their chairs all day. Speak to as many people as you can to see what the day-to-day activities are. Are those who are able given the freedom they deserve? Are those that need assistance given it to enable them to get out and about?

8. During your visit, see how promptly calls for help are answered. A bad residential home will leave residents in distress for a prolonged period, or may go to their aid slowly. Poor care homes will also be lacking in safety features like grab bars.

9. A tell-tale sign of a poor residential homes is one that is outdated and poorly maintained. When looking at potential homes for the elderly, make sure that all the rooms are well decorated, light, and airy. Check that all carpets are laid properly and that personal safety is a high priority.

10. Perhaps the biggest and most alarming sign of a bad care home would be the use of restraints, or the presence of bruises on residents. If you see any of these signs, you should leave immediately and alert the appropriate authorities.