The home is a place where lighting plays an important part to make the whole place take on an inviting and warm look. There are types of lighting that can be applied to the whole house, task, ambient and accent lighting. Accent lighting gives focus to the special things in and around the home such as artwork, a wall filled with family photos and more. Ambient lighting gives light to the spaces of the home giving light to each and every space making it easy on the eyes, keeping every aspect of the spaces for everyone. Full Story »

The many luxury homes that are mostly owned by celebrities and other high profile individuals have also been hit by the recession with several falling victim to foreclosure due to their inability to pay their mortgages. These multi-million or even multi-billion dollar homes took a long time to erect but they are also quite a liability due to their huge price tag. From maintenance costs to the mortgage, they all carry a high price that this current recession has taken a hard bite at resulting in their getting foreclosed by their lenders may they be private or banks. From Hollywood stars to former magnates in every field, they all suffer the same fate, Full Story »

There have been a rash of destructive storms in recent years that have baffled scientists for these places were normally areas of peaceful weather. For a homeowner, the only option is to either rebuild or relocate, making sure they get ample insurance coverage the next time around. Other natural disasters are also jacking up the price of insurance which has resulted in billions of dollars in lost revenue from insurers. If you do have ample coverage and can get the courage to rebuild, then a good option would be to consider storm-proof home designs that are now the latest innovations Full Story »

While your luxury home is a great place to live in, it is sadly a bigger target for burglars and robbers, who see it as profitable targets for their crimes. Here are a few tips for making your home safer from shadowy elements:

1. Trim any shrubbery that obscures the view of doorways and windows as burglars can easily hide behind them.

2. Install lights at strategic locations like windows and doorways and other possible points of entry robbers may utilize. You may also install floodlights with motion detectors as additional deterrents.

3. Make sure your hose looks occupied at all times. Burglars consider empty houses easier and much safer targets.

4. Install a good security system and invest in sturdy and secure locks. Make sure that all possible points of entry are secure.

People have always been drawn to art in it’s many shapes and sizes, from paintings to sculptures and ancient collections that have been passed from generation to generation. Though most paintings can be easily hung and displayed there are some necessary precautions for prized antiques and heirlooms to prevent them from degrading and thus ruining them forever. Lighting an object is good but be sure the light cannot damage the object being displayed. Lighting fixtures that use halogen bulbs tend to get warm and emit UV rays, drying out fragile objects and damaging them forever. Some precious works of art can be preserved in glass display frames that encapsulates the whole item in some inert gas that prevents oxidation of paint and other materials.
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Life is getting dangerous by the minute, the recession, jobs are being lost and many factors that indirectly effects crime and the frequency of such criminal activities. Investing in a luxury home, you should also invest in a respectable security system to defend it against the criminals out there. From the perimeter to the inside of the home, all these areas deserve protecting assuring you have ample warning of an intrusion. With some upgrades, you can even tie down the pool security system to your alarm giving you a way to cover all bases with less equipment.
Some security systems come with membership to a security group that installs and maintains the system, responding to alarms before notifying police and other law enforcement if necessary. The options are limitless so you decide on the value and protection you need for peace of mind and your family’s safety.

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Another precaution to be followed when you have children and a pool at home is to remove chairs, tables and other things that could help them climb over the wall surrounding the pool. It is still best if you never leave a child or children alone in the pool even if it is to answer the door or the phone. Remember, it only takes so little time for accidents to happen. Check your pool equipment regularly if they are in working order like the skimmers, drains, grates and heaters. Pool chemicals must also be stored in a secure place at a level that cannot be easily reached by children.

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Buying properties abroad is not a very easy task. An investor must be willing to spend at least a year from the time a decision was made to buy to the actual moving in date. Here are a few things to consider:

Even if you have made up your mind to live abroad, it is a sound decision to still keep a property or two in your country (if you can afford to), just in case, things don’t pan out in your chosen country. That way, you can still come back home.

Try renting a house in the area you wish to buy property in and get to know the place. Take note of modes of transportation, shopping malls and recreational complexes. Have a seasonal try-out period. The place could look alive and kicking in season but, how would it look off season?

Read an English newspaper in the area just so you know what is going on in there. By reading the local paper, you will know things like the lifestyle of the community, the security status of the area. Is it a safe place to live in?

It will be good if you could talk to other expatriates who have bought property in the same or nearby area. You could compare notes and whatever information you get here is first hand.

Find out also if your state pension is payable in full in the country you are moving to or not if you are buying this property as your retirement home.

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Buying properties abroad is not a very easy task. An investor must be willing to spend at least a year from the time a decision was made to buy to the actual moving in date. Here are a few things to consider:

• Even if you have made up your mind to live abroad, it is a sound decision to still keep a property or two in your country (if you can afford to), just in case, things don’t pan out in your chosen country. That way, you can still come back home.
• Try renting a house in the area you wish to buy property in and get to know the place. Take note of modes of transportation, shopping malls and recreational complexes. Have a seasonal try-out period. The place could look alive and kicking in season but, how would it look off season?
• Read an English newspaper in the area just so you know what is going on in there. By reading the local paper, you will know things like the lifestyle of the community, the security status of the area. Is it a safe place to live in?
• It will be good if you could talk to other expatriates who have bought property in the same or nearby area. You could compare notes and whatever information you get here is first hand.
• Find out also if your state pension is payable in full in the country you are moving to or not if you are buying this property as your retirement home.

Talking about luxury homes, check out the world’s first billion-dollar home. It’s more of a high-rise hotel than a house, but this home is meant for Mukesh Ambani, the fifth richest man in the world, his wife and three children. It’s a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing $2 billion. When the Ambani residence is finished, after a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 400,000 square feet of interior space. The Ambani home, called Antilla, is set to have six stories of parking lots, a lobby with nine elevators, a ballroom, a health level with an ice room where guests can escape the Mumbai heat with man-made snow, a four-story open garden and entertaining spaces for the business guests. Lest you be fooled into thinking this is actually a hotel, the Ambanis will live in it, and only occasionally use the residence for corporate entertainment. They look and feel of the home’s interior will be distinctly Indian.