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10 Stunning Garden Decorations!

February 28, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

While you’re enjoying playing games in the garden, give a thought to decorating your outside space. There are lots of fun and interesting things you can do without spending tons of cash…

1. Wind-Chimes - There are some beautiful wind chimes on the market, and you should be able to find some that suit your style and budget. However, you could go one step further and make your own. Study how they are made, and get the kids to join in! Wind chimes are soothing and very compatible with gardening, so position your chimes well.

They must be in at least a slight draught, which you should be able to find outside with ease. Also, they can scare the birds away from your fruit bushes. Hang them on the patio and in the vegetable garden.

2. Lights and Lanterns - For those smooth hot summer nights. Choose candles for calm nights and opt for lanterns if there’s a breeze about. Solar powered lights are a good choice as there aren’t any cables, batteries or plugs to worry about. They must be in sunlight during the day to re-charge though. Large garden candles will burn for many hours and are available in all sorts of aroma-therapeutic scents.

3. Garden Furniture - Invest in some comfy chairs for the garden. We don’t spend half as much time as we should outside, simply because we don’t feel comfortable. Look at unique ways of furnishing your garden. Do you have a couple of trees a hammock could be strung between? Or how about a park-type bench with comfy cushions set under the shade of the apple tree? Whatever the style or size of your garden, look for relaxing furniture so you can fully enjoy your outside space.

4. Fake Flowers - Well, hey, we don’t all have mature gardens and fresh flowers blooming all year round! If you have to resort to a little ‘deception’ who cares if it looks good? Hang some pretty silk flowers on a wall, or low roof or even in a tree! If nothing else, you’ll keep your visitors guessing :-)

5. Colour it up - If you still need a bit of colour around the place, get the kids involved. No, I don’t mean let them loose with a tin of paint and brushes… what they could do is draw some great pictures of trees, flowers, animals etc, and you can pin them around the patio area or ‘blu-tak’ them to a tree or two. Remember to rescue them if it rains!

6. Cut down on Big Toys - Children’s outdoor toys, such as swings, slides etc; can take up loads of room in the garden, and they’re not always very attractive. Look for something a little less permanent. Maybe separate items you can load away in the shed at night, or go for something completely different and build a giant chess set. Or if you really feel creative, what about a tree-house? They can always go to the park for the swings!

7. Containers - Collect large pots and grow plants you can move around the garden, every day if you like! Grow herbs and flowers and position sweet smelling plants on the patio or round your seating area. Strawberries grow very well in containers as do other useful plants. Make sure the pots aren’t too heavy for you to move, or invest in a garden trolley if they are. If you grow colour co-ordinated flowers, a wonderful display can be created by positioning your pots well.

8. Wild Corner - I know this may be hard if you like a neat and tidy garden, but leaving a wild patch can be very entertaining and visually very pleasing. Nettles and other wildflowers attract butterflies and bees, and it’s often suprising how delicate and colourful wildflowers can be when allowed to grow in their own space. If you’re still unsure, how about building a little fence around the area and making a wooden plaque declaring it a wildlife zone…well, it was just an idea!

9. Water Features - are becoming more and more popular and also more affordable. Create a water feature that will suit your garden. Try not to be persuaded by an over-enthusiastic sales assistant trying to sell you a system that will be far too big or even too small for your outside space. Do some research before you start. There could be a fair amount of physical work involved and you should arrange some strong arm help. You could go for a full waterfall and pond or perhaps a simple water feature on your patio.

10. Rock Gardens - Rock gardens can take on different themes and colour schemes throughout the year with a little careful planning. There is again some heavy physical work involved when you’re putting together your rock garden but well worth it in the end. Make sure you can get to all areas for weeding, watering etc; Try out different rock plants and flowers until you feel happy with the overall view, and even then you can change it. Nothing’s set in stone!

These are just a few ideas. Let your imagination free and decorate your outside space with love. Read through the Garden Decor and Garden Ideas pages on the website for more ideas and resources.

Linda Gray is a freelance writer and has spent more than ten years creating an organic family garden from an acre of neglected land. Linda shares her experience and expertise at http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com

[tags]garden decor,gardening decorations,outside decor[/tags]

Organic Gardening - The Pros And Cons

February 27, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

Picture three ripe red tomatoes arranged on a wooden cutting board awaiting your pleasure. They’ve each come from a different source: can you tell which one was grown organically?

Two of the tomatoes were lovingly tended in backyards - one in a conventional garden and the other in an organic garden. The third tomato came from the supermarket, and it’s easy to eliminate from the guessing game.

The supermarket tomato is the pale red one the size and shape of a tennis ball. Bred for packing, shipping, and storing, (not flavor), this tomato was picked green, has traveled more than a thousand miles from farm to store, and has sat on the shelf for weeks — looking none the worse for wear.

Set this one aside. It was definitely not grown organically.

Two remain. For the sake of the game, they are the same tomato variety, let’s say Big Beef slicers. Bright red, they were just picked and are still warm to the touch from afternoon sun.

It’s not so easy to tell the difference in these; we have to look beyond the surface… literally. The quality of the soil from which they grew is the key element to naming the winner of this game: conventional tomato vs. organic tomato.

The chemicals in the fertilizers used in conventional gardens actually break down the health of the soil. Microbes that are necessary for making soil nutrients available to the plants are killed off.

The dead soil requires increasing doses of conventional fertilizer, and still the plants are malnourished, falling prey to insects and disease. Enter the deadly pesticides, sprayed liberally on the plant.

Now, the game is getting serious. One of the two remaining contestants in our tomato contest had better be carefully washed before being eaten; it’s been dusted with poison.

On the other hand, the organically grown tomato also had fertilizer applied to it, but this fertilizer was made from naturally occurring substances like bone meal, fish emulsion, and rock phosphate. These additions fed the soil and did no harm to the beneficial microbes that make nutrients available for use by plants.

Pesticides probably weren’t necessary because a healthy plant produces its own pest-resistant chemicals. But if there were pests, the organic gardener might have used a home-mixed spray of hot pepper and garlic, or something similarly non-toxic to humans.

There are a few additional techniques the organic gardener probably used, such as tilling in a cover crop to add organic material for the microbes and earthworms to decompose. This process results in a crumbly textured soil that holds moisture and allows the roots to breathe.

But even without the soil improvement from a cover crop, it’s fairly clear which tomato is better for health: the only nutrients that can be found in the fruit had to come from what was available in the soil. The organically grown tomato provides better nutrition.

What is not so clear is which tomato is better for flavor. A test of the ratio of sugar to acid might be made, but that isn’t a big issue. Both the conventionally grown and organically grown tomato are vastly superior in flavor to the poor tomato found in most supermarkets.

The original question in this tomato guessing game was whether you could tell which one of those ripe, juicy tomatoes on the cutting board was organic. Turns out that it’s hard to tell just by looking, or even just by tasting.

So, what’s the big issue? Mainly this: sustainability. Conventional growing depletes and eventually destroys the soil. Whereas organic growing techniques actually build and improve the soil.

In the end, the nutritious organic tomato contributes more to your health, and it is certainly better for the health of the soil from which all future crops will come.

Life-time gardener Judith Schwader specializes in organic gardening methods. She shares expertise, humor, and advice for your gardening success at A to Z Gardening. Also visit FB Home for additional home and garden information.

[tags]garden,gardener,gardening,organic,health,environment,environmental,soil,plants,vegetable,tomato[/tags]

From Soiled to Stunning How to Clean Leather and Fabric Upholstered Sofas

February 26, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

No matter how durable or stain resistant the upholstery, your sofa is destined to receive an unfortunate spill every now and then. Even if your furniture enjoys only light use and the most pristine care, dust accumulates daily and leads to dingy fabric, dull leather, and diluted colors.
Follow these easy tips for cleaning even the most stubborn sofa stains, and you’ll protect your investment and maximize its beauty for years to come.

Cleaning fabric upholstery

Most common messes such as dirt, dust, and mud can be removed by shampooing or steam-cleaning the fabric.

1. First, vacuum the entire surface of the sofa to remove dry, loose dirt. Always complete this step before getting your upholstery wet–it will ensure a much more effective result.

2. Next, it’s time pre-treat the stain. Using a clean, white, very damp cloth, dab the stain to saturate it with water and loosen stubborn dirt particles.

3. Use your cleaning agent to spot-test the upholstery for colorfastness. You can use a commercial upholstery cleaner, or you can save a few dollars by making your own: In a large bowl, combine

Global Warming Home Improvement Can Save the Planet and

February 25, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

I recently read a news report which at first glance seemed like a misprint. The article stated that in the UK

Home Improving while Budgeting

February 24, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

As we all know, budgeting and home improvement does not always go together but this article will give you information that could help improve your home and still save a little money.

Home improvement projects regularly scare people off, because many judge that they will pay thousands of dollars to alter one room, because they do not have the skills to do the job them self. They may also feel that the job is costly because supplies and tools are needed.

To the contrary, home improvement does not have to be costly at all. Of course, if you hire a subcontractor or contractor to do the job, you will pay a fortune, but if you have patience and the ability to read and stick to the directions, then you can renovate an whole room in your home for fewer than a hundred dollars. Of course, you will need to change and correlate materials.

Before starting the procedure of improving your home, you will need to system of funds and a schedule to get started. You will need to ponder various notions when considering and preparing home improvement. For example, do you plan to paint your home? Do you plan to tile your home? Do you want carpet in your home?

Going through the final part of this article, you will see just how important budgeting and home improvement can be done which will help save you money and improve your home.

Asking questions is part of analyzing and preparing for home improvement. One of the best tools to have when considering home improvement is calculating what you like and calculating what you want. When I improve my home the first thing I do is explore my mind searching for favorites and what excites and appeals to me. Thus, when I go to the home improvement warehouses, I already have in my brain what I am ready to purchase, therefore this relaxes my quest to improving my home.

If you are short of funds to improve your home, then setting up a financial plan will help you get what you want as well as put away some cash for a rainy day. You may even think about purchasing equipment and tools for home improvement at the companies that propose lower prices and/or purchases with no payments until a particular date. This notion will give you time to get your home better while putting away the currency to purchase the improvement equipment and tools.

Unfortunately, many people go for another home loan to enhance their home. Receiving loans from lenders regularly lead to debt, and home loans for improvement only leads to paying off your home twice. Thus, elude high interest rates and loan payments and learn to plan your finances to improve your home.

Let me give you a general view of what one area could cost you for repairs. Say you want to paint a specific room in your home. You will need plaster, sealers, primer, paints, paint thinners, scrapers, screwdriver, paint opening (often come with paint purchases), patches, paintbrushes, tray, and so forth. Now you may think this will cost you a lot of money to improve your home, but to the contrary, you are wrong.

The paint and tools will cost you the most, while the other items will be priced less; thus, primer, sealers and plaster be priced around fifteen dollars if you go to the correct store.

Paint thinners, trays, brushes and screwdriver will cost around fifteen dollars if you go to the right store. Thus, the patches should be purchased with a plaster kit, which will salvage you a few pennies. The paint will cost around twenty dollars per can, depending on the kind of paint purchased. Therefore, for around a hundred bucks you could alter a room in your home lacking hiring anybody to do the job providing you stick to the instructions.

What about the bathroom, can you alter the room on a financial plan? It depends on the range of the area, but if you are yearning to tile your bathroom and paint the walls you could get the job done for around a hundred bucks give or take. If you go to the correct home improvement store and know what you are doing, you could remodel a small bathroom or average bathroom for around fifty bucks.

Learning to create a financial plan and prepare for home improvements can help you to remodel your whole home (if the home is in good standings) for a few hundred dollars. Furthermore, completing the work yourself, you will recoup you thousands of dollars.

Having this budget and home improvement information handy will help you a great deal the next time you find yourself in need of it.

K Hoyng is the web master and operator of http://www.quickcash2u.com which is an excellent source of home improvement information and much more valuable information to help you. For information on home remodeling, visit us at http://www.quickcash2u.com/BathroomRemodeling.html.

[tags]home,home improvement,improving the home,budget,budgeting,improve the house,house improvement,home i[/tags]

Bunk Bed Shopping - 10 Point Safety Checklist to Protect Your Children

February 23, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

Every year thousands of children are admitted to hospital emergency rooms due to incidents involving bunk beds involving improper use, manufacturing, or set up. If your follow our 10 point safety checklist, bunk beds can still be a great bedding solution for your children:

Reputable manufacturer

Look for manufacturers that are established, and have a long history of manufacturing bunk beds. A good manufacturer will also stand behind their product by providing a lifetime warranty.

ASTM and CPSC guidelines

Ask the retailer if it meets the voluntary safety guidelines of the American Standards of Testing and Materials and the minimum safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If it does, you’ll know that the bed meets all current and reasonable safety standards.

Strong frame construction

Examine and test the durability and strength of the bunk bed frame. It should easily hold a parents weight - climb on it and wiggle the frame a bit. A good bunk bed with remain firmly grounded without movement or noise.

Only rounded edges

Check the entire bed construction for smoothness of materials and fasteners. There should be no sharp edges or protruding points anywhere in the construction.

Measure the safety rails

Safety rails should run on both sides of the top bunk, and the lower rail should be no higher than 3 1/2 inches above the top of the mattress height - any higher and your children could slip underneath it. Also make sure the top rail is at least 5 inches above the mattress top to prevent your child from rolling over the safety rails.

Ensure proper mattress fit

Strangulation deaths have occurred in the US when children fall through openings between the mattress and the frame during the night. Make sure the mattress opening snugly fits the mattress without a lot adjustment room. If the mattress has a gap greater than 3 inches from any side of the mattress to the bed frame, headboard or footboard - it does not fit properly.

Sturdy ladder construction

Make sure the ladder in well constructed and is firmly attached and bolted to the bed frame. Test it out with your own weight - if it moves around it is not safe.

Sturdy mattress support

A lot of injuries are caused by children in the lower bunks pushing up on the underside of the top bunk and dislodging the mattress or support frame. Ensure the top bunk has sturdy mattress supports that are secured to the bed frame with bolts or screws. You don’t want a floating board support system, as these will move around and can possibly fall through the opening.

Repair and maintenance

Immediately replace or repair any loose or missing fasteners on the bed. Periodically check the tightness of fasteners holding the bed together, as well as the cross support rails holding the upper mattress.

Safe use

Teach your children not to push up on the underside of the bed, or to climb on it like a jungle gym. Proper safety is important at all times, and you may wish to also use a night light near the ladder so children can see the ladder steps in the dark.

If you follow these basic tips then you should get years of safe enjoyment out of your new bunk bed.

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Loft Beds Bunk Beds resource site, and can be reached at http://www.loft-beds-bunk-beds.com/

For more bunk bed resources and tips you can visit our website.

[tags]bunk beds,bunkbeds,bedding,children,sleeping,beds,bedtime,furniture,bedroom,bed time[/tags]

Landscaping Tips- the Water Garden

February 22, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

There are a lot of new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the new interests. Water gardening can include waterfalls, ponds, streams and fountains, all of which can be combined with lighting, plants, and fish. Water gardening need not have a pond or natural water source moreover, it could be a plastic tub, plastic lined shallow in the back yard or, almost anything that will hold water.

An important consideration in planning a water garden is the choosing a location. Plants and fish both need plenty of sunlight, places in direct light away from trees and bushes are the top places. This will also help prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the water.

When planning for a water garden the next step is to choose the size you want. This depends of course on the resources you want to dedicate to it, how much money and time you are willing to spend. A water garden can be expensive if you go for a big garden filled with plants, rocks, fish, and lights. Also think about your property’s size, which will also affect amount of time you’ll spend maintaining your water garden.

Aquatic pond plants can be free floating, submerged, or marginal. What type you select is a matter of aesthetics and preference. Some plants are known for their scents, some for supplying oxygen keep the pool healthy, and some are just picturesque. Remember that the plants should only cover about half of the water, especially if you have fish. Fish are not only nice to look at; they’re beneficial in that they help keep debris at a minimum and help in controlling larva and other insects.

One of the big challenges in water gardening is maintaining water free of algae. Algae problems are usually the result of nutrients in the water from feeding fish too often or over fertilizing plants. By cutting back on feeding and fertilizing, adding more plants, putting in a pond filtering system, or replacing the water with fresh water, algae is easily controlled. If a pond is constructed correctly and maintained properly algae problems can be kept at a minimum.

All garden pools, no matter the size, require some maintenance during the year. With proper planning you can create a healthy equilibrium between living and decorative features of a water garden that can almost care for itself with simple maintenance inputs from you.

Carlo Morelli writes for OnlineTips.Org, where you can read about landscaping to attract birds, Murray lawn mowers and other home/garden topics.

[tags]pond landscaping, water gardening, goldfish pond[/tags]

Parenting in the Kitchen - Lessons in Cooking, Socializing, and Bonding

February 21, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

Kitchens are where everything happens. It’s not just where meals are prepared - it’s usually the hub of the home, where family and friends get together to spend time. Cooking and eating together is about more than nutrition for the body. It’s also the experience of connecting and interacting with family members, to feed relationships. Try to choose one meal that everyone comes to the table. It doesn’t have to be dinner. This is a challenge as everyone has their own activities (especially as children grow), but starting early promotes the importance of family time together, and also demonstrates a healthy attitude towards food and eating.

Socializing

Children love playing with simple pots, pans and wooden spoons. Give them some to play with, or buy them their own play set

If you’re in the kitchen they want to be there too. Find a place that’s safe, but also allows you to engage with them

When eating, have them sit at the table in age appropriate high chairs and booster seats

Interact with children at mealtimes, even when just starting on solid food

Create a stress fee feeding environment for your baby

Teaching

There are many lessons to be learned in the kitchen. You can start teaching very early. Cooking is a skill your children will use forever and you’ll create fond memories together. Even a baby’s early development can be taught in the kitchen:

Colors and numbers - have your baby count the numbers of apples you’re peeling and ask the color

Vocabulary - tell the baby the names of all your ingredients and ask her to repeat them

Safety - show them the dangers in the kitchen - what not to touch and why

Agriculture - where food comes from. How do fruits and vegetables grow? You may even consider planting a garden, so your child can see the whole process

Table manners - the use of utensils, saying “please” and “thank you”

Following directions - a recipe can help with reading comprehension and how to follow instructions

As your child ages, you can also teach them how to make family recipes and share with them about your own childhood and family mealtimes.

Cooking

Cooking does not have to be a major event if you do not have the time or energy. Many people think they can’t cook, but they prepare meals all the time. It does not require a recipe book or hours of time alone in the kitchen. You only need an imagination and a stocked pantry or refrigerator.

Find a safe place for baby to watch you cook and talk to them to keep them interested - always remember to take a break and spend a few minutes playing or hugging

Interruptions will happen - make foods that can be prepped easily or make meals in stages

Allow children to choose foods and meals for the family - they can take pride in the family meal and that they’ve contributed

When age appropriate, allow children to help with tasks such as mixing dough, peeling vegetables, setting the table, making family name cards

Children will spill and make mistakes - be patient

Health and Nutrition

You want your child to grow up with healthy attitudes towards food and nutrition. They will look at what and how you eat for guidance. If you are always dieting and not enjoying food, you may pass along negative feeling about food to your children.

Have them see you enjoying healthy foods

Avoid foods that you do not want your child to eat. If they see you eating cookies, they will want cookies too.

Avoid forcing your child to eat - children will eat if they are hungry

Introduce a variety of flavors and textures to your children’s diet

Eat whole foods vs. “fast” foods

Create a stress fee feeding environment for your baby

Avoid bribing children with sweets

Food and Memories

Food can remind us of special occasions, events, people, etc. “Comfort foods” are those that make you feel good and often remind you of your past or childhood. Usually these foods are rich in flavor and texture (creamy, crunchy). We sometimes rely on these foods to comfort us when we’re not feeling well or want to be reminded of a special time or event. These foods may also reflect an ethnic heritage, culture, region and time. They may be time consuming to make, such as a Thanksgiving dinner or they may be quick and easy (Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches)

Ask yourself “what are my comfort foods and why?”, and “which foods would I like to become my child’s comfort foods and why?”

Lisa Barnes is the owner of Petit Appetit a cooking service devoted to infants and toddlers. She teaches private and group cooking classes to parents throughout Northern California, and is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (Penguin, March 2005) For more information visit http://www.petitappetit.com

[tags]parenting, feeding, cooking, teaching, comfort foods, bonding, kitchen, health, childrens nutrition[/tags]

How to Buy an Oven or Cooker

February 20, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

Are you shopping for an oven cooker? If so it would be worth reading on to gather all the information before you buy online! Millimart has done the research to present the most important features that you should bare in mind when shopping for an oven.

Self cleaning ovens

At last we have the ovens and cookers with the capability to clean themselves, allowing us to relax after our meal! There are two main types of self cleaning ovens, pyrolytic and catalytic lined ovens. Both of these oven types burn off the dirt left inside the oven, however, catalytic lining does this at almost have the heat and can leave the presence of dirt inside the oven so choose carefully if you have decided to pay more for this feature.

Oven recipe function

The recipe function helps you choose the best time and heat setting to cook your food. This is very helpful when cooking meats like chicken when it is important that the meat is cooked properly and to the right oven temperature. Using a recipe function does not necessarily make for a better tasting meal of course, but it helps to ensure that all food is properly cooked through, which is a good start!

Meat probe

If an oven has a meat probe you will be able to judge the temperature of the meat to make sure it is optimally cooked. You insert the probe into the meat so that the oven can alert you when it is cooked to your chosen temperature. This is a great feature when you are cooking a large joint for a special occasion and need some intelligent assistance!

Oven turnspit

The turnspit is exactly as it sounds, cooking your food like a rotisserie. Turnspits do not offer any assistance as to how the food is cooked such as the meat probe, however, if you are a fan of rotisserie dishes then it is an added bonus.

Pizza function

The relevance of the pizza function obviously depends on the amount of pizza you eat! Generally ovens with pizza modes offer only slightly better results than using the standard fan function.

Find more information on how to buy an oven or cooker.

Dave Wyness is a senior researcher at http://www.millimart.com Having started his career in consumer research he has now built up a substantial body of knowledge and experience in online retail.

[tags]buying online, over, cooker, shopping guide, kitchen equipment[/tags]

Kitchen Design - How a Kitchen Designer Closes a Sale

February 19, 2011 | Category:Articles-Host | Author: admin

It takes a long time to sell a kitchen

After 2 hours in your home the designer of your new kitchen by this stage will have finished the vast majority of his presentation. He’ll have made sure already that you’re more than happy with your chosen door, the quality’s what you’re looking for in a new kitchen and you wouldn’t change anything about the design. It’s now time for the price presentation. This will be an experienced kitchen designer’s favourite part of the visit. But before he tells you the price, he has a very important set of procedures to follow…

Calculating how much he can drop the price
First of all, after completing the design whilst sat away from the customer, the designer will calculate the ’sale’ price. He’ll then calculate how far he can reduce the price in order to hit his ‘lesser earning bands’. Then the designer will then decide upon a ‘reason’ for dropping the price.

Hitting your hot spot
During the visit you will have had many discussions with the designer about
your ideal kitchen. You may have expressed a desire to have a double integrated oven or an integrated washer ‘if I could afford it’. Unknowingly, you’ve just given the designer a great reason (a ‘hot spot’) to encourage you to go-ahead on the night. He’s just about to give you the reason-to-buy.

Presenting the price ‘correctly’
It’s now time for the designer’s ’showpiece’. He makes sure that if you’re a couple, you’re both sitting down. This is conducive to the right ‘atmosphere’. The designer will then begin to list everything he has included in the new kitchen design. He’ll say, “This is the final price. I won’t do any rubbish like giving you the full retail price, then dropping the price in half. That’s sales rubbish. So the price here is the final price you’ll pay. Now this includes us taking out and getting rid of your old kitchen, your new furniture, your new oven, hob, extractor, integrated dishwasher, all the plumbing, electrical and joinery work as well as your 10-year comprehensive guarantee. Now obviously you’ve said this is your dream kitchen, so you know from what’s in there and the quality of everything that it’s not going to be the cheapest one in the world.”

Guess the price
You’re now feeling very nervous. You’re not sure now if you even want to hear the price. The designer has now just done as much as he possibly can to make sure you think that you won’t be able to afford the kitchen at all. It’s a classic sales technique to ‘take something away’ before it’s offered back to you again on a plate. The designer then says, “Go on guess! Just before I tell you the price I want to see how much you think it’s worth. I’ve got it written down on this bit of paper so obviously I’m not going to change it!”

There are many ways that an experienced kitchen designer can get you to guess the price. However it’s done he will get you to guess. From him that’s imperative.

Get a commitment to buy
If the kitchen designer’s done his job properly, then you’ll guess that the kitchen is worth more than the sale price. If you do guess more than this price then the designer will ask you one more simple question before he presents the actual figure to you

“So if I could do it for that price would you buy it?”

If you say “maybe”, he knows that he’s got you. He then presents the price. It’s just more than what you wanted to pay. You go “I do like it, but it’s slightly more than I wanted to pay.” The designer then says, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t quite get it in your budget, but I’ve got everything you wanted in it.” After another few minutes of consideration, the designer then says, “Well there’s one other optionI didn’t really want to tell you
because you said that you wouldn’t consider making a decision today. We’ve actually been given some integrated dishwashers as a gift from a supplier after we gave them a big order if I could manage to include the dishwasher for free would you consider going ahead today?”

What do you do now? You have to decide. If it’s presented correctly though,
most people believe it’s a genuine offer.

Steve Smith worked as a professional kitchen designer for over two years. In his time working in the kitchen industry, he designed over 1000 kitchens, selling nearly 400. Latterly he became disillusioned with the ‘hard sales techniques’ being employed by many companies in the industry and has since developed an online Kitchen Design Guide.

[tags]Kitchen Design[/tags]

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