Category: BUILD Magazine

If you own a home, you want to protect it by taking out an insurance policy. While your insurance costs may be a necessary expense, there is no reason to pay the highest prices. Not all insurance companies are created equally, so it’s essential to know all of your options to find the best coverage.

There are many factors that are considered in the calculation of your insurance premiums. Your insurance company will assess the risks of your home and property and quote you an estimate on your insurance costs. There are several actions that you can take to reduce your costs and still get the best protection.

From shopping around for several home insurance quotes to upgrading your home security system, there are many ways to save on your premiums. Let’s take a closer look at a few ways to lower your home insurance costs.

Raise Your Deductible

Your deductible amount is the cost that you are obligated to pay out of your pocket to fix damage to your home prior to your coverage kicking in. Most homeowners believe that keeping a lower deductible will save them money, but that’s not the truth.

On average, most policyholders set their deductible at $500. This is a generally affordable amount to have to pay. However, if you can afford to bump your deductible up to $1,000, you can save up to 25% on your premium costs. If you don’t have to make a claim on your insurance, you will save a bundle throughout the year. Keep in mind, if you raise your deductible, it’s a good idea to set that amount aside in your emergency fund so that you will have it available when needed.

Improve Your Home Security

When the insurance company considers where to set your premiums, they are trying to manage the risk of the probability of having to pay a claim. If you can upgrade your home security, you are reducing the risk and will likely end up paying cheaper premiums. Ensuring that you have fire alarms in all rooms, upgrading your locks, and installing a monitored security system can help you to bring down your insurance premiums.

Shop Around

Every insurance company is different and will offer different rates. If you are buying a home, you need to do your research into finding the most affordable coverage that suits your needs. You can start with an online search and check out a few companies. It’s a good idea to go beyond comparing bottom-line prices. Each policy will offer different coverage so it’s important to know what is included in the policies. Once you have settled on the type of coverage that you need, request quotes and use them to compare prices.

Consider Rebuilding Costs

If your home is destroyed by fire or other means, you will have to make a claim on your insurance policy for rebuilding costs. When you take out your policy, you will be asked to estimate this cost. It’s important to remember that the higher you set your replacement costs, the more you will pay for your monthly premiums.

It’s important to know that the purchase price of your home is not the same as your replacement costs. The land that your home is on cannot be destroyed but will account for a portion of the price that you pay for your home. For example, if your home sits on several acres, you will pay a price that combines the cost of the land and the cost of your home. When you file a claim for rebuilding your home, you need to only consider the actual costs of building your house structure. Setting a rebuilding price that only accounts for home construction can help to keep your premiums down.

Disaster Proofing

You never know when disaster can strike. It may come in the form of a severe hail storm, a tornado, a hurricane, or a wildfire, and the lengths that you go to protect your home can be crucial to your home’s protection. Upgrading to a steel roof that will protect your home from fire embers or adding hurricane-proof windows can help you to minimize your disaster damage and reduce your premiums.

Ask About Discounts

Most insurance companies do not advertise the discounts that they offer. It will be up to you to make a request about any savings for which you qualify. Common insurance discounts include:

– Loyalty discount
– Military discount
– Senior discount
– Safe driving discount
– Defensive driving course discount
– Multiple policy discount

Bundle Your Policies

Taking out your auto and life insurance with the same company that holds your home policy can save you on your premiums. Insurance companies would prefer to hold all of your policies and are willing to hand out considerable discounts for bundling your policies. You could save up to 25% on your insurance costs when you bundle your policies with one insurance provider.

Annual Review

Over time, your insurance needs will change. It’s a good idea to review your home policy annually to determine whether it is still meeting your needs. You may have a number of riders added to your policy to protect your special belongings; a review could save you money on your premiums if they are still needed. You will need to consider if you are getting the right price with your current provider or if you should start shopping around for a new policy.

Home insurance is an essential expense that homeowners can’t avoid. If you want to get the best protection at the most affordable cost, you need to follow these tips to save you on your home insurance costs.

If you’re planning to buy a coffee table, you might get easily spoilt for choice. In this article, you’ll find a brief and comprehensive guide on the most popular varieties of coffee tables.

You might want to buy a coffee table to create a striking focal point in the room. You can use this piece of furniture to serve meals and beverages, stack magazines and books, play games with your guests or display floral arrangements.

From this article, you’ll get to know about the most popular types of coffee tables and the most common materials they can be made of.

Types of Coffee Tables

The coffee table should nicely match your already existing interior. When you start looking for this furniture item in online and offline shops, you’ll be most likely to come across the following types:

Traditional. Such coffee tables will never go out of fashion. They are almost always crafted from carved wood and have a rectangle or oval surface.

Modern. The adjective is not synonymous with “contemporary”. It might refer to Bauhaus, Art Deco or any other design style of the middle of the 20th century. Coffee tables of this type are equally functional and aesthetically appealing.

Rustic. This style pays homage to the countryside in old-fashioned times. Rustic coffee tables are usually made of wood, carved into simple patterns. The most popular contrast details are brass fittings.

Coastal. These evoke an airy, natural beach house feel. Their distinctive features are natural shapes and light-toned wood.

Industrial. It recreates the purposeful look and feel of factory tools, utilizing metal and wood in more rough-hewn, sturdy construction.

Vintage. This style is focused not on any random design trends of the past but the quirkiest ones. A vintage coffee table might look classic and kitschy at the same time. Manufacturers can use various repurposed materials to produce such furniture items.

Ottoman. Coffee tables that double as ottomans have been one of the hottest trends of recent years.

Stacking. When you buy such a table, you get three furniture pieces in one. It looks stunning and it’s highly functional.

Folding. These are utilitarian and great for saving spaces. After having used such a table, you can fold it and hide it in the storage room.

Low platform-style. They look minimalistic and it should be very convenient for your guests to put drinks on them.
To surprise your guests, you might want to buy a coffee table with extraordinary design — for instance, a wheeled-cart-style one or the one that looks like a glass pyramid.

The Most Common Materials

The coffee table should be beautiful, durable and easy to take care of. To meet all these criteria, manufacturers normally opt for one of the following materials:

Wood. It is available in various shapes, styles and sizes. Manufacturers and consumers love this material because it’s rich, warm, versatile and timeless. The most popular types of hardwood used for coffee tables are oak, walnut, maple and mahogany. Cedar and pine are the most common types of softwood.

Metal. It is widely popular for industrial designs but its usage is not limited to this style. Metal tables are sturdy and often weight less than traditional wood constructions. Manufacturers can easily craft metal into any shape. They value this material because it allows for thinner legs and support structures. Consumers love that metal is resistant to stains or water damage and remains always cool to the touch.

Clear or smoked glass. It looks particularly stunning when combined with metal joints or support structures. Glass adds visual space and a luxurious sheen to the room. You’ll never see stains on such a table and you won’t damage it if you occasionally spill a drink on its surface.

Rattan, also known as wicker. Such furniture items are equally good for indoor and outdoor use. They can withstand the elements and look luxurious.

Acrylic. At first sight, it might look identical to glass — but is lighter and has a lower price tag. Acrylic tables often have unusual designs.

Leather. This material is used only for table surfaces. Thanks to the plush cushioning, you might want to prop your feet up on the table, and it can effortlessly double as an ottoman. To ensure stability for the drinks, many manufacturers sell leather tables together with wooden trays.

Pallet. These are casual and budget-friendly. If you would like to build a stylish coffee table with your own hands, opt for the pallets. It will look amazing and you’ll enjoy every minute of your creative process.

Besides, coffee tables can be made of molded plastic, stone, marble or concrete.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this article came in handy and now you better understand how to select an ideal modern coffee table. You can choose from traditional, modernistic, rustic, coastal, industrial, vintage, ottoman, stacking, folding and low-platform-style types. The table can be made of wood, metal, glass, rattan, acrylic, leather, marble, concrete or pallet. Such a furniture item will be functional and visually appealing at the same time.

When starting a garden clearance, it can often be overwhelming looking at all the waste you need to dispose of and not knowing the best way to deal with it. Therefore, it is always best to create a plan of action before you begin. This will help to limit stress and give you a clear idea of where you will start.

Fast Skips, who offer UK skip hire deal with garden waste and speak with customers completing these projects daily to provide them with advice. Because of this, they have created a guide with their top tips for easy garden clearances.

1. Create a plan

Before you get stuck, it is always best to create a plan of action. This will all depend on how much waste you have to clear and how bulky your items are. Start by sectioning off your garden and estimating how long it will take to do one section. Then you can work out how long the rest will take you for a total amount of time.

2. Separate your waste types

Once you have created a plan and estimated how long the clearance would take you, you need to decide what to do with the waste and where to take it. The most common waste types you will have in your garden clearance are grass cuttings and other general green waste. However, there will be some other items that might be more difficult to dispose of.

Although it will depend on how much waste you have, you’ll find that your green waste can usually be put into your council garden waste bins. However, if you do not have one of these, green waste can be taken to your local tip.

Write a quick list of the different items you can see and the different types of waste and do your research on the best ways these can be disposed of and whether you’ll need to make any special arrangements.

Remember, some general waste items can still be reused or upcycled. If you don’t fancy doing it yourself, you could take it to the charity shop or advertise online on websites such as Facebook Marketplace.

3. Make the waste less bulky

If you need to take waste to the tip or you are hiring help, more often than not, you can be charged for how much waste there is and how heavy your items are. After you have separated your waste items, try to remove the bulky items as much as possible. For example, if you have lots of shrubbery and branches, try breaking them down into smaller pieces, so they’re easier to transport and do not take up as much room. This will also be beneficial if you’re hiring a skip for your clearance and want to make the most of the space available.

4. Select the best disposal method

If the garden waste you’ve got to dispose of is too much to remove yourself, you may need to hire help. The best options for you include skip hire or man with a van waste clearances. Skips are an excellent investment if your project will take you more than one day and you don’t have the means to transport the waste to the tip yourself.

The company will remove the skip for you on an agreed date and recycle each waste type correctly. There is also the option of a man with a van if you want the waste removed the same day. They will be able to help with the heavy lifting and will take the waste to their facility to be recycled appropriately.

The construction industry is booming, and with the increase in demand for skilled workers, it’s no surprise that construction payroll processes are feeling the pressure. Fortunately, there are several ways to untwist this process and make things easier for everyone involved.

By deploying a self-service model, using cloud-based human capital management tools, and other automation software, you can untwist your construction payroll processes to avoid costly mistakes, streamline the process and ensure proper tax payments are made.

This blog post will explore common ways you can work things out in the construction payroll processing.

1. Deploy a Self-Service Model

One of the best ways to untwist your construction payroll process is to implement self-service tools for employees. These are simple portals that allow them to clock in and out, update their personal information or record their absences without filling out timesheets.

Time tracking software provides incredible amounts of data about your business operations, so there’s no reason to make employees track their time manually.
Implementing a self-service tool can help reduce mistakes and verify the information your managers rely on is accurate, resulting in more smooth processes.

2. Cloud-Based Human Capital Management (HCM) Solutions

Adopting cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions in construction enterprises can also help in untwisting the payroll processes.

The benefits of HR cloud solutions include automation, integration with other business apps, and seamless data management.

Working in tandem with a self-service portal, HR cloud solutions will play an essential role in streamlining construction payroll processes.

Some of these providers will provide an answer to the most common payroll questions . Their online websites will capture a spectrum of queries you may like to understand better.

3. Automate Tax Calculations

Tax calculations are essential for construction companies, but they can be an absolute headache to do manually. When every pay period comes, it’s time to calculate withholdings and submit payments.

However, this calculation depends on several different factors, including hourly vs. salaried pay rates, bonuses, and commission payments, among other things.

Several tax calculation tools on the market aren’t too expensive to buy and can save you a lot of time and money in the long run by automating your calculations.

They help ensure you’re not paying too little or too much, and they can also eliminate any mistakes made by manually calculating taxes.

4. Be Transparent: Clear Communication Improves Construction Payroll Processes

Another effective approach is to be transparent about how you are communicating with your employees. Clear communication helps reduce the chance of mistakes and ensures workers feel like they are getting all the information they need. This is important in making you competitive
One aspect of clear communication in construction payroll processes is providing regular updates about the status of their project, including any potential risks or delays.

This transparency will help reduce anxiety in employees because they know what to expect in terms of timeline and deliverables. It also helps them plan for their own lives, alleviating the stress that might otherwise lead to procrastination.

5. Use Construction-Specific Payroll Software

Construction-specific payroll software can help your business manage taxes, commissions, bonuses, and more. This type of software is designed to meet the unique needs of construction industries. A lower-cost option for construction companies is to use a cloud-based solution.
You have the flexibility to pay employees with direct deposit or by check for less than $250,000 per year.

Your construction payroll process will be easy because, with many cloud-based solutions, you won’t have to be burdened by maintaining the necessary hardware or staff for this process. You’ll be able to automate tax calculations and stay compliant with federal, state, and local laws.

In conclusion, there are ways to help with untwisting your payroll process and, for instance, adopting cloud-based human capital management. It brings more transparency and reduces anxiety in employees because they know what to expect as far as timeline and deliverables.

This is an example of how technology can create efficiencies for construction companies that could be leveraged to drive higher profits or decreased costs over time. Automation of tax processing and finding self-serving models is also vital.