Vasta

Vastu in many parts of India has been a way of life. It permeates your use of color, the direction of furniture, the direction in which the house should face and a host of other issues. However, it is important to remember that Vastu is the way you live your life rather than something remote to be addressed from time to time.

Raakesh Chawla, our expert on Vastu has been advising individuals and corporate houses on how to enhance the quality of their lives with principles of Vastu.

As a large part of the country prepares to switch from one season to another, our expert takes you through the colour change that you have to effect in your house.

By Raakesh Chawla

Can you feel the slight nip in the air early morning and the cool breeze during late evenings. Its welcome winters and goodbye to summers and also time to redress your home according to winter colours.

Colours have a powerful influence on the human mind. Their use is inexpensive and easy. They can make or break the energy. Depending on their use, they make you warm, friendly, calm or irritable. You should choose a colour scheme that appeals to you and which encourages optimism and positivity in life.

When decorating the interiors of your home one should balance colours.

Delicate hues and tones should be balanced to create a soothing haven in your bedroom which is a place of rest and sleep. The colour scheme should produce a calming effect. Don’t forget to place your bed towards the south or east wall and avoid keeping the dressing table in front of it.

Colours should be bolder in the living room which is a place for entertaining guests. One could use bold prints, warm colours and large objects, which would stand out, and yet not go overboard or make the place look gaudy. The idea is to make the room warm and inviting. Palms and money plants or aquarium and water fountain along the north wall would add to the vibrancy of the living room.

A baby’s room should have bright colours, as that is what a baby sees and responds to. A baby cannot differentiate one pale pastel from the other. One could decorate the child’s room in bright pinks, yellows, greens or blues. However too many gizmos in the room is highly avoidable as this will take away the tranquility and make the child feel restless as he grows. For the school going kid, the study should face east. All books should be neatly tucked inside drawers rather than the study table burdened with the load of books above the kid’s head literally.

A small room should be decorated in light soft colours to create an illusion of space. Large rooms can have warm colours. Homes in plains or hot areas should be also be painted and decorated in light colours as this keeps the house cool. Warm colours attract heat; therefore, houses in hills can use lots of red.

It is ideal to paint the ceiling pale blue rendering a feeling of space. Any room getting lots of sunlight should be painted in cool tones of green and blue. A room which is cold and receives little sun, should have warm tones of yellow, orange, red etc.

The colours for principal direction along solar axis depict the rising sun (yellow) and setting sun (blue), where as along the magnetic axis reflects the energies of peace (green) and action (red). The cardinal direction are a derivative there of.

Monnet Ispat & Energy (MIEL) will set up cement plants in Chhattisgarh and Gujarat with an investment of about Rs 2,400 crore, as it embarks on an expansion and diversification drive.

Work on the two plants will begin in the October – December quarter under a new division of the company to be christened Monnet Cement. The project is excepted to become operational in three years. The metals-to-energy conglomerate will initially set up a 3-million tonne cement plant in Chhattisgarh close to its existing sponge iron and steel melting facilities in Raipur with a total investment of Rs 1,400 crore.

The facility will use limestone from 220-million tonne mine that has been allotted to the company by the state government. Besides, ash and slag generated from its existing and upcoming units in the state will also used as basic feed for the cement plant. The company proposes to carve its cement division into a subsidiary at a later stage when other projects are also finalised, the executive said.

MIEL executive vice chairman and managing director Sandeep Jajodia said the company is looking at various options to expand. MIEL also plans to set up a 2-million tonne cement plant in Gujarat with an investment of close to Rs 1,000 crore.

Predictive Maintenance: A Key to Maximizing Property Value

Predictive maintenance ensures that building equipment is appropriatly instanned and managed - for the long term

For residential high-rise buildings, as well as other commercial and institutional facilities, predictive maintenance plays a key role in maintaining property value and reducing risk for the building owner. Whereas higher property value is often perceived as a result of attractive building appearance or amenities, the building systems behind the façade have the greatest impact on value.

Unbeknownst to many high-rise building residents, not all building owners and property managers keep well-maintained building systems. This often results in equipment failure and expenses for the building owner, as well as inconvenience, discomfort, and unexpected costs to residents. Unless building equipment is maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications, warranties can become null and void, and property values can plummet.

Because predictive maintenance keeps building systems running and in good condition, the equipment operates more efficiently and unnecessarily high utility costs are reduced. The life expectancy of the equipment also is extended, and expensive replacement costs can be deferred for longer periods of time. The following is a guide to developing an effective predictive-maintenance program:

Step 1: Install Appropriate Building Equipment
The first step in preventing unnecessary breakdowns and maximizing a property’s value is specifying the appropriate equipment to suit the building’s needs. Before building a new residential high-rise, for instance, it is important for the building owner to consider the wear-and-tear that may occur due to the high volume of people centralized in one location. For example, industrial-strength garage gates should be installed (rather than gates typically used for private residences) because of the frequency of vehicles entering and exiting. The initial cost for an industrial gate may be higher than that of a standard gate; however, money will be saved in the long run from not having to repeatedly replace an inefficient gate.
A building owner should also consider alternative, creative ways of implementing building systems that will prevent unnecessary costs down the line. For example, creating trashrooms with hard-surface floors (rather than trash chutes in carpeted hallways) will reduce the frequency of carpet cleanings and replacement.

Step 2: Develop a Predictive-Maintenance Schedule
Developing a maintenance schedule that systematically checks a building’s vital systems is a crucial step in reducing breakdowns and unnecessary repair costs. Ideally, predictive maintenance should be performed on all equipment; however, it is most important to perform maintenance on the systems that represent the greatest risk of exposure to resident safety and real estate value.
Systems such as air-conditioning, water treatment, fire and life safety, plumbing, and electrical (as well as pool and spa equipment, and access systems) should all be regularly maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ guidelines for frequency and work performed. A typical checklist might include the symptomatic conditions to look for, how often these items must be checked, and location for an inspector’s signature. Creating checklists for each piece of equipment is the simplest method of tracking maintenance and guarantees that the appropriate work is being performed in order to meet warranty requirements.

Step 3: Document All Maintenance
Record-keeping plays the most significant role in predictive maintenance and warranty management. Once inspection schedules have been created, it is imperative that the performing engineer document all work that is completed. Signed and dated reports specifying the exact work performed will be required by the manufacturer to validate a warranty. If the maintenance is performed, but there are no reports to demonstrate such work, the warranty will not be honored by the manufacturer; the building owner or residents will have to pay for repairs.
Hiring the most qualified people to perform building maintenance is key to ensuring that maintenance is performed correctly and accurate records are kept. Vendors who perform building maintenance are only as good as their staff, so accountability is paramount. Reputable property managers will insist on hiring the most qualified people they can find, even if that means paying well above market wages to ensure that the staff is as educated and trained as possible.

Step 4: Submit Documentation
For residential high-rises, submitting all documentation to the homeowners’ association’s board of directors (or to the building owner in commercial structures) each month is an important step in predictive maintenance. As time goes on and the developer turns over the building to the homeowners’ association, predictive maintenance becomes a necessary means of keeping costs down for residents. The maintenance records not only serve as recommendations for necessary repairs; they provide a reference for building owners and the board to track maintenance and repair history, and also serve as evidence to the manufacturer that all necessary maintenance has been performed.
A responsible building owner or board of directors will take all recommendations into consideration, performing the necessary repairs in order to prevent future breakdowns, unnecessary costs, and resident discomfort associated with equipment downtime.
Maintaining or increasing the value of a high-rise property depends on the operational capacity of its vital mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. When these systems are not functioning efficiently, each residential unit is negatively affected. Although some property managers may insist that maintaining building equipment is too costly or time-consuming and that only emergency repairs should be made, predictive maintenance keeps property values up and residents satisfied.

Why Do You Need A Real Estate Agent?

A real estate agent is a person who helps people sell their real estate. He also tries to buy property on behalf of other people. A real estate agent or broker normally undergoes formal training and also has to pass an exam in order to become licensed.

Today with the amount of technology and information available people wonder if they really need to hire the services of a real estate agent. However, the fact is, when it comes to real estate there are so many laws that need to be adhered to, that it is far simpler to employ the services of a real estate agent or broker. Another plus point is that when you hire an agent, the property that you want to sell will be listed as well as advertised by the agents company.

Besides this, there are also a number of other reasons why hiring a real estate agent is advisable. One such reason is that agents help you meet and deal with only those people who are genuinely interested in buying or selling. It is the job of your agent to filter the list of prospective buyers and sellers and introduce you to the serious ones. Brokers also have a wealth of information regarding your neighborhood and can find the best sales and the best locations keeping in mind your requirements.

Another benefit that real estate agents bring to the table is their excellent ability to negotiate. A good real estate agent is highly skilled when it comes to negotiating a price. This is because agents are able to remain detached while conducting a deal. Unlike the buyer or seller they are not emotionally involved. This is a valuable skill when it comes to getting the best deal for yourself.

Today, a purchase agreement could be as long as 10 pages if not more, and thats without counting the various disclosures required. A real estate deal normally results in almost three inches of paperwork. Keep in mind that a single mistake or a tiny omission in your paperwork could result in you landing in court or shelling out a huge sum of money.

True, with the Internet we can find the answer to most of our questions. However, when it comes to real estate it would be a lot wiser to work with someone who is an expert in this field - a real estate agent, and save yourself from a lot of unnecessary stress.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/why-do-you-need-a-real-estate-agent-2137872.html