Current rules state that if the ridge height (the highest point of the roof) is less than 2.5 meters high, and the log cabin is not within 2 meters of the boundary of your property, you can build a log cabin without planning permission.

This is great news for those of us who want to build a log cabin in the garden.

Log Cabins South West have a great range of log cabins than don’t need planning permission. These log cabins come as a complete pack, ready for you to assemble yourself. One can build a cabin like this in a weekend, with a friend, a hammer, a screwdriver and a utility knife. All parts are supplied, and cut ready to assemble.

The cabins come with high quality double glazed windows and doors as standard. You can also choose to have twin skin walls, allowing insulation to be placed in the cavity. This can make the cabin perfect for year-round use.

These log cabins are perfect for adding extra rooms to your property. Great uses include summerhouses, pool houses, studios, offices, extra rooms for the kids, somewhere to put a snooker table, or even somewhere to house your own gym.

Not only do these cabins look and smell great, they have little environmental impact too. Wood is a lot nicer than concrete or brick.

Only high quality, slow grown redwood is used. The best cabins use wood only from manageable forests. The cabins are made using the latest CNC technology, which means each piece is cut perfectly, allowing the cabin to be assembled easily and without having to trim anything. With the proper care a log cabin can last a lifetime.

Log Cabins South West have been building log cabins for more than 20 years. Their expertise and experience mean you can have the perfect log cabin for you and your family. All of their log cabins have free delivery to most of the UK. They also offer a construction service if you don’t have the time, or don’t fancy building the cabin yourself.

Their range is not only limited to log cabins that don’t need planning permission. They have a complete range of cabins, including everything from high quality sheds to complete residential houses, with many bedrooms. All of which you can build yourself.

Popular projects have included setting new fences around the garden, renovating the bathroom, or re-decorating the entire house, one room at a time. According to the Wickes Report, bigger jobs like building an extension, installing a new kitchen or converting a loft are still being left to skilled tradesmen whilst 71% of all DIY jobs would be done by someone in the family. However, with all this DIY craze sweeping across the country it is surprising that the average spend per household last year was just over £1,790. This is a sign that families are still reluctant to spending big money on non-essentials while the credit crunch keeps hold of the economy.

Another common reason to call in the professionals is when DIY has gone wrong. Tradesmen across the country have been reporting an increase in call-outs to rectify DIY projects gone wrong. This is a great example of false economy and a good reason to leave big and important projects to someone who really knows what they are doing. After all who wants to spend £10k on their dream kitchen only to then try and save some money by installing it themselves, risking to ruin it all in the process..? Or jobs involving water like replacing a bath or sink for example or any work involving plumbing of appliances or radiators. These jobs should really be left to the professionals as no home insurance will cover a water leak if the work has not been done by a professional.

But DIY achievements are a great source of happiness giving people a sense of achievement and pride which is why the DIY sector will be going strong for 2012 as well. A staggering 59% of people surveyed in the report said they were proud of their DIY improvements in the past 12 prior to the survey, another good indicator that this trend is sure to continue through to 2013. However, the report also held a big surprise for many – when asked which dream improvement people would choose for their home if they could have a free pick, swimming pools were missing from the list of most popular answers. The list of dream improvements was led by the ‘big three’: Luxury kitchen, loft conversion and extension.

So what does the future hold for the trade and a nation of DIY enthusiasts for the next year? With house prices still on their knees and the cost of moving house at an all-time high, Britain will surely be in for another year of climbing sales of DIY products with non-trade mega stores like B&Q and garden centres being the winners. For the trade we can only hope that the trend of extending or converting existing homes over moving house will provide enough business to keep the large number of small businesses afloat until the economy picks up again and bigger building projects get off the ground.

Real estate agent RE/MAX has disclosed new figures in which the majority of agents have noticed that prices are either rising or remaining the same in 2012 which are the crucial signs for recovery of the market. There are many who are anticipating an increase in the number of properties sold too. The projected rate is a 26.7% rise as compared to 10.7% rise in the year 2011. Margaret Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer of RE/MAX was of the opinion that the sense that home prices and sales are improving indicates that the housing markets are on the brink of gradual recovery in 2012. The industry trends are best perceived by these agents as on an average they look into more home sales as compared to agents of any other national firm.

It is being expected that the Southern states particularly is going to perform well with expecting prices stabilizing at 49.6% following a period of falls and 26.7% anticipating an increase. The United States has also appeared in the top 10 list of The Sun’s annual list of best buys abroad. It has taken the fifth place between Italy and Turkey with Florida being named that the most coveted destination in United States for buyers. Thus it can be seen that all these factors will lead to a rise in the housing market of U.S. In 2012.

Edmont Marlon with his vast experience in the mortgage industry has been associated with the MortgageFit Community as a Mentor. Not only does he participate in the community forums to give his suggestions, but also makes his contributions through different articles on mortgage, mortgage loans [http://www.mortgagefit.com] etc.

 Rapadura

Plain old sugar, albeit the green version.  Also known as panela or papelón, this is evaporated sugar cane juice that is typically formed into bricks for household use.  Rapadura retains the vitamins & minerals that processing removes and is usually a fair trade product that promotes sustainable development.

Renewable wood cutting board

Prices have come down on these one-time luxury items, and now anyone can afford a good cutting board made from palm or bamboo (technically not a wood, but let’s not split hairs).  Attractive handmade boards can often be found at farmers’ markets.

Coconut cooking oil

Coconut oil is taking kitchens by storm.  It tastes wonderful and is a great butter substitute for vegans.  It is also heat-stable which makes it suitable for frying and oxidizes slowly, meaning it will keep in your pantry for more than a year.  Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, so use in moderation.

Bulk bags

Reusable cloth bags you can take to the market for bulk items including beans, rice, nuts, fruit, etc.  A great resource at food co-ops and natural markets.  Number needed depends on your shopping habits, but a half-dozen works for most people.

Organic nuts & seeds

Time to use those bulk bags.  Nuts and seeds punch well above their weight when it comes to providing essential protein, fats, vitamins & minerals to your diet.  Don’t get the salted, processed kind… just plain old almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds, and more.  Quick tip – nuts and seeds can be frozen to keep them fresh for longer.

Shop local

In general, being conscious about the types of food and produce you buy will be the quickest way to a “green” kitchen and lifestyle. Shop at farmers’ markets when you can. The produce, meat, and other food items at farmers’ markets are often organic. If you’re not sure, just ask the farmer at the stand! Your local food is fresher and has spent fewer miles on its way to get to you. Sure a tomato from Argentina sounds exotic, but I guarantee your local tomato tastes just as great, if not better, and didn’t need a plane flight to get to you.

These suggestions will get you off & running and ready for new challenges in assembling a sustainable, green kitchen.

Kombucha is a contributing writer for RENTCafe where you can find apartments for rent in Philadelphia and enjoy engaging articles about green living, roommate issues, and apartment living.

Typically you will find that the Spring and Autumn are the best times to sell and if you think about it then this makes a lot of sense. The Spring time is a good time as the days are lighter, flowers are in bloom and the weather is generally mild. This helps to create a better environment, which makes your house look more appealing. People are more keen to go and look at different properties after the cold weather of Winter and after the expense of Christmas.

In contrast to the Winter the Summer is also a bad time for property sales. This is largely down to the school holidays, which greatly reduce the chances of selling a family home. Parents are having to entertain their children and taking them to view properties probably isn’t the best way to do this. It is also the time of year that most people go abroad on holiday so the market for potential buyers is greatly reduced. Autumn is generally a good time to sell a property, especially in September and October. This is because the time of year is similar to Spring. The weather is generally mild and the kids are back at school and the expense of Christmas has yet to kick in.

It is important to make sure that you put your property on the market during one of these peak times, as adding your property to the housing market during a quiet market can make it harder to sell in the long run. Potential buyers can become suspicious of a property that has been on the market for some time, this can do you harm as it could lead to you having to drop the price of your property.

Paving and driveways that let water run through them and into a SUD or soak away rather than directly into a sewer system put less pressure on the water systems in urban environments. This is much better for the environment as this process helps to reduce the risk of flooding. As a result, using permeable paving and driveways when applying for planning permission is likely to get your application to be looked at far more favourably and could result in your application being processed far quicker.

Switzerland’s Geographical Location – Switzerland is placed practically in the middle of Europe. This means that travelling to other countries for a holiday can be as simple as a car drive rather than a 5 hour flight. The top destinations for tourists such as Holland, Italy, Croatia and Germany can all be reached with very little hassle.

The Snow – The Alps of Switzerland share a border with some of the finest ski resorts in the world including France, Austria and Italy. These are incredibly popular areas for snowboarders and skiers to move to. With more and more affluent people taking up these sorts of extreme sports there has been an increase in people buying Swiss chalets as well as French ski property. Many people buy this type of alpine property purely to use during the ski season as most of them can be found in and around the ski resorts.

Switzerland’s Neutral Policy – Switzerland has always remained neutral when it comes to war. They only participate in peace keeping missions rather than conflicts. It is for this reason that Switzerland only spend what they need to on military operations, barracks and weaponary. This means that more money from tax is spent on public services which is why Switzerland has some of the best public healthcare, transport and other services in the world.

1. Rain Or Shine Will Effect Your Pool – The weather can effect the conditions of your pool dramatically. Gusty winds and extended periods of rainfall will shake up the swimming pool chemicals causing them to break down more quickly. Hot and humid conditions have the same effect as both types of weather speed up chemical reactions. One of the best ways of dealing with this problem is to regularly give your pool shock treatments.

2. Put In Some Elbow Grease – When it comes to cleaning your pool putting the right amount of swimming pool chemicals in the water is just one stage of the job. Brushing algae off of the swimming pool liner and around the pool will also help. You should also get a good vacuum to clean the bottom of the pool. An automatic robot vacuum can be expensive but are worth it as they can clean the pool whenever it is not being used. It is also important to skim any debris of the top of the pool that might clog the vacuum.

3. Check The Filter – It is sensible to monitor your swimming pool filter and take care of it. When it comes to swimming pool filters you need to check them regularly. If yours uses a paper filter then keep a supply of replacements so you can change them as neeeded. If you have a sand filter you need to regularly backwash it to keep it in good shape.

1. So You Don’t Have The Hassle Of Moving And Selling – If you have paid for your own furniture and will have to move back overseas after a short time living in a country then there area a number of logistical issues you will face when moving back. You may want to sell your furniture while you are still hear but you are likely to get far less than you originally paid for it. You may like your furniture and want to take it with you but this will result in costly shipping expenses in order to have it delivered to your new home. Having it delivered can be fraught with problems such as damage occuring during transport or pieces of furniture going missing.

2. To Save Money – If you need a to fully furnish a property an empty property then buying everything you need can be very expensive. If you are only going to be living somewhere for around two years then it should cost a lot less than buying it outright.

3. Speed Of Delivery – When you buy large pieces of furniture such as beds and wardrobes you often have to wait for a long period of time to get the furniture delivered to your property. Most furniture hire companies can have it delivered to you within 48 hours or less. This means you can be settled in to a property with all the furnishings you need in a very short period of time.

The real test starts now for the markets. The question is whether they can sustain these gains?

At the moment there is a concern for the bulls. Looking at the financial spread trading charts, the lower-lows and lower-highs of the FTSE 100 indicate that the overall down trend is set to continue. Note though that there is certainly some pressure to the upside for the FTSE 100 as the recent gains have taken us back above the 20-day and 50-day moving averages where resistance can normally be expected.

The theme for now is the European banking stress tests. For all of the criticism that they are getting the markets still remember the US stress tests that were undertaken nearly a year-and-a-half ago. The US tests were thorough enough to allay many traders’ concerns that the US banks would at least be able to withstand another shock to the system.

This time around it is the turn of some 90 or so European banks to go through some similar tests to see if they can survive another recession or shock, should it materialize. The new stress tests will also cover how such a shock could affect other banks and, ultimately, what would happen to the flow of credit – a key part of the test. If the credit markets were to freeze like they did in 2007, then we could be in a serious pickle for the rest of 2010 and 2011.

Of course there are a few differences between now and the shocks of three years ago. As Simon Denham of Financial Spread commented, “Today the banks are required to hold more capital. Not only that but some of the largest big banks are propped up by the various governments. It is hard to see the tests revealing much more than what we would all want them to reveal”.

So if the banks are given a clean bill of health then stocks may continue to climb. Not only this but with inflation remaining under control and governments planning to implement a range of stringent austerity measures it is difficult to see interest rate rises for some time yet. Raising the cost of capital now, ahead of big spending cuts, would be a rather poor decision. The ongoing low rates therefore make the returns on trading shares and bonds far more attractive.

So can the stock markets sustain these gains? Are we in another bear market rally or not? For me the problem is still the lower-lows and lower-highs of the FTSE. Whilst I don’t want to miss the next uptrend I might just keep any new trade sizes smaller than usual.