Everyone wants their home to look amazing and beautiful, to be appealing to not only their eyes but even for visitors. The living room is a room where we sit down the most, either by ourselves to relax or have a chat with friends and family. It should express comfort in a fancy way and accessories do this. Well its easier said than done, here are some tips that can help you accessorize your living room for both comfort with a touch of your personality.

Get creative with a theme

First things first, you have to mark up a theme that you want for your living room. Themes vary from contemporary, modern, African, cabin, Mediterranean, vintage etc. all the themes represent different things and accessories help you put the point across. If you have already bought your furniture, it is easy to add a touch of what you want in your living room through accessories. For example, African themes you can use earth colours, buy African items, a fancy African drum or use African print covers in your cushions and covers. Themes help you build the foundation of what you will need when decorating.

Pop some color

Also get a color scheme for the living room. Maybe warm colors like orange, red, yellow etc. or go the cool way with blue, green etc. Your personality can help with this. What are your favorite colors and do they go together?  This can be incorporated with your theme and matching it up to tailor it to what you want.

Centre it creatively

Having a centerpiece like a sofa and sofa table, bookshelf, fire place etc. it depends on what you have and what you want. It helps you avoid a clutter effect in the room. Your able to have well placed small pieces and complement the look. Grouping items together to create a fancy feel around the room.

Show your attitude with some ornaments

Having ornaments placed strategically in the room. This include paintings, photos, accent clocks and mirrors, ornaments, carvings, plants etc. they assist in telling the story and complement the theme of the room i.e. An African theme, one could use a painting of an Africa, African mask, African beaded ornaments and carvings while still keeping in mind of what you have.

Rug it up and Pile it up

Rugs are getting more and more a necessity in any room and in the living room it creates a warm feeling to the room. Pillows add comfort, might as well help pop the color on the sofa.

Don’t forget to have fun, let the creative in you show.

Hoarding is the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. Basically, it’s when someone finds it difficult to throw things away. We all have a friend, family member etc. that we know has a hoarding problem, be it broken items from our childhood to clothes that are out of style or even just spoilt junk. Let’s face it this can get quite messy and no one likes a messy house. So, lets help you get rid of some of this clutter and maintain a clean clutter free house.

First things first, you have to realize it is a problem and the various risks that come with this. Clutter makes a room look messy and doesn’t give space to for more relevant items in the house.

Then you have to dive deep into the hard part getting rid of the already compiled clutter. Majority of people who have this problem find it hard to let go and that can be a problem to those who live with them or share a space. Here are some of our tips to a clutter free environment.

• Work room by room. Gradually but surely, we will get there. Going drawer to drawer in a room making sure that what is needed there is what is present i.e. kitchen utensils are in the kitchen etc. making sure whatever is in that room has a purpose.
• Getting rid of items that haven’t been used in a long time. Best example is that dress that you feel is too small or big or too out dated. It’s time for it to go. You can start as small as items you haven’t used in the past 5 years, let’s face it most probably you will never use it. Also, items that are require to be singular in a house/home i.e. Dishwasher, blender etc. one is enough.
• Sell all the extra items either online or give them out to family and friends.

These are some tips on how to prevent declutter.

1. Make a list of what you want and need

This can be done every month so as to do bulk shopping especially nonperishable items. This assists you to stick with the listed items and ensures you are able to maintain a budget.  You can do this throughout the month where the most essentials take the highest priority.

2. If you don’t need it don’t buy it. It’s the easiest way to stop getting more stuff in.
3. Be strict with yourself. Strict to the list and maintain your budget.
4. It’s okay to ask for help from a friend or family. It takes time to adjusts.

What you may see as outdated or something you no longer need due to downsizing, redecorating or relocating, someone else could consider a great find.

Burnley interiors is a used furniture store that helps you get rid of your junk by purchasing it. Once a client does contact us we:

• Schedule a survey whereby, we access the items the client needs to dispose.
• Client offers his sale price.
• If we reach to an agreement, the deal is sealed an ownership exchanged with a full payment to the client.

In need of replacing a piece of furniture in your home, electronics, Curtains or maybe you want a unique piece that is affordable and of great quality contact us on: +254 798 100 100. 

“Burnley Interiors offloading your junk and selling you a treasure.”

Being Santa Clause without the outfit this Holiday Season.

As we end another year, it is good to look back while looking forward to how we would like to live better in 2020. One of the global trends that we find interesting is de-cluttering and minimalism.

De-cluttering your home has a lot of benefits:

• Allowing someone else to use items that you do not use or even items you don’t use frequently
• Environmental benefits, if we share the items we have with someone else it reduces the items that have to be manufactured to be sold as new items. This saves money while reducing pollution, and while reducing the size of our land fills.
• Sharing is caring, allowing someone else to benefit from something that is not used just shares cheer especially in this festive season. Your old item can be the delight that someone else has been wishing for. Be someones Santa This Festive Season.
• Creating more space, that could be re-purposed for some other activity e.g. an entertainment area, hobby room, study, library, kids play room.
• When you reduce the items in your house you may realize that you do not need so much space. This can allow you to move to a smaller house that meets your needs, save you money or let out the extra unused rooms to a service like Air BnB.

For some this can be easy, while some of us have the tendency to want to keep items they do not need.

The first step is making the decision that you would like to get rid of your items.

Once you are sure that you are going down that road, then you can select the items you intend to offload.

From this point you have a number of options.

You may choose to go it alone or get some help.

If you choose to offload the items on your own, you can first list the items. Then take pictures of the items and share them with friends or family.

You may also visit your local church or children’s home and find out if they may be interested in taking some of the items.

The only down side to this is that you may have to deal with a number of different people, it may take quite some time to offload all your items and the logistical issues of organizing pickup or delivery for the items.

Another option is getting some help with this process. One company that Taylor Movers has worked with in the past is Burnley Interiors.

Burnley Interiors make it easy for you to offload items you will not use. The offer the following services:

• Review the items you are offloading.
• Give an estimate of what they would pay for the items
• Once the pricing is agreed upon, they will pick up all items at once and pay for the items.

Burnley Interiors has assisted a many to save time once they have choosen the items they want to offload. They also make it convenient as they will pick all items from you at once with their own transportation. This saves you time and hustle.

Included in the convenience offered by Burnley Interiors is the fact that you actually turn these items into cash that can be used for another purpose.

Having visitors to your home is always associated with a joyous occasion. However there are some guest who are definitely not invited to share your cherished space with you.

Some are those little intruders who appear from nowhere and take up permanent residency in your home. They take many different forms and shapes, there needs and effects also differ. We are talking about house hold pests. At Taylor Movers we have partnered with Roan Services to help you address the issue of Pest Control.

Pest control services is the action of taking care of the unwanted and nuisance pests, e.g.coach roaches, bedbugs, mosquitoes, rats/mice and termite. Normally the pests are mostly found in homes, apartments, offices, factories, hotels, restaurants, hospitals etc.

It is important to eradicate pests because they causes sickness like diarrhea, allergies and may trigger some other illnesses such as asthma.

Early detection and treatment is the key to proper pest control management. This means getting a home assessment from the experts at Roan Services at least every 6 months. If you are thinking of Moving, before you call Taylor Movers you may choose to get the current home and new home checked. This way you don’t move with any of those unwanted guest or find yourself moving your family into their home. Home inspection services are free from Roan Services.

The home inspection does not require you to get out of the house for the whole day. The time it takes to inspect a home depends on the size of the home and the size of the yard. This can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Once the inspection is done, Roan Services will give you a report showing the findings or our inspector. This will also include the treatment solution that would be best for your home.

For interior pests such as couch roaches the treatment may require application of the treatment gel that can be done while you are doing your house chores. Other pests can be treated with a spray which only requires you to be outside for only 2 hours.

For outdoor treatment such as against mosquitoes and termites the same fast and convenient approach is deployed.

Motorblowing machines are used on flowerbeds and trees which clears the mosquitoes. Termites are notorious for causing damage to both your lawn and even the structure of your home. This can result in expensive repairs if the termites are left to continue growing their colony. Our favored treatment option is carried out by filling up the termite holes with termicide to clear the termite colony.

For property treatment against termites we drill holes along the load bearing walls of the building and termicide is injected into these holes. We then cover the hole to its original color this way no one can tell whether treatment was ever done.

For termite treatment we give a warranty of 10 years with yearly routine checkup. If any infestation is noted the treatment will be redone with no extra cost.

We use approved chemicals passed by pest control board of Kenya and we also they are eco-friendly.

We look forward to ensuring only the guests you want to visit are those that come to your home.

Get in touch with Roan Services for the best solution for any pest seen or for an inspection to ensure that those that may be hiding are found and dealt with.

http://www.roanservices.com/

info@roanservices.com

Rose Kiriba 0720733828

I know some if not all of us are eager about Black Friday, most stores already started giving us great deals, but the official Black Friday date is usually the last Friday of the month of November, this time it falls on the 29^th of November.

Black Friday is the name given to the shopping day after Thanksgiving, originally coined in the US. It was originally called Black Friday because the volume of shoppers created traffic accidents and sometimes even violence. Police coined the phrase to describe the mayhem surrounding the congestion of pedestrian and auto traffic in downtown shopping areas.

These days, the tradition has been welcomed all over the world guaranteeing us great deals and discounts on things like electronics, shopping supplies and many more. We’re also excited about it but we also want to prevail on the side of caution, that’s why we created these few dont’s this Black Friday;

• Do not go shopping blind folded

Before you decide to purchase anything on black Friday make sure you have done your research. Check all the stores and sites that have that particular item on sale. This way you are sure you got the best deal.

• Don’t break the bank

The deals on black Friday are amazing and might coax you into thinking you can buy anything and everything. We advise setting aside a budget and sticking to it. A shopping list is also a good way to manage impulse buying. You do not need it if it is not on the list.

• Don’t buy everything on Black Friday

Yes, it has amazing deals but so does Cyber Monday and store clearance sale deals.

• Don’t spend more for an extended warranty

Most stores use this strategy to make up for the discount they are giving on big purchases. The extra amount you pay will be about 10-20% more. Most appliances rarely break down within the extended warranty period.

• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself

The deals are good and some might be great but it’s not worth the headache you are trying to inflict on yourself by going to all the stores to get several items all at once. Just take a deep breath, pick what you can handle and enjoy yourself.

Whether your looking to get a new place for various reasons, this is the best market in years to get the best deal for a new place. Whether buying or renting you have the best options in the current buyers’ market. Prices for both rentals and for purchases are down. As a buyer you are in a strong position to not only get a good deal on the overall price of the property, but you can also ask for extras.

The first part of this journey is determining what your needs may be currently and for the years to come for example are you looking to cohabitate with a friend or even a partner and start a family?

Once you have done that and you have an idea of what you are looking for, you may choose to shop around or get someone to assist you look for the perfect place and negotiate the perfect deal for you.

Taylor Movers has worked with Arnold Habil in the past to source great deals for both residential and commercial spaces for our clients. Reach him on: +254706178801

When finding your dream space, it is a good idea to consider the following factors:

• PROPERTY AGENT

Work with a reputable property agent within the area to advice on the best deals in and on the right market prices. Find out if the agent has any recognized accreditation and how many years the agent has been in the market. It is also a good idea to find out what the agent has been specializing in over the years, this includes the areas they are familiar with as well as the type of properties they frequently handle.

• AFFORDABILITY

Put to consideration the cost of the property as per your budget and needs. The size of the house also has to be considered mostly for a family setup. If your families’ ideal space is a 3 bedroom, consider getting a place with more space. A four bedroom house may even serve you better as one of the extra rooms can serve as a den, study, walk in closet etc. If your family is growing consider a space that will be able to accommodate your current family size and the planned growth.

• GENERAL AMENITIES AROUND THE COMPLEX

This should be considered not only as necessities but should be seen as the icing on the cake, let your imagination guide you. These amenities may include backup generators, swimming pools, high speed lifts, high storage water tanks or boreholes to supplement on water supply, large kids’ play area, security measures enforced i.e. electric fencing, cctv cameras, Gym, Spa, intercom and the premises should be manned by a reputable security firm.

• SERVICES

Identifying a property with close proximity to key services will make a difference for your entire family. There are two main types of services that should be considered. The first is the services that you continuously consume, these may include supermarkets, green grocers, colleges/schools, gym, golf course etc. Your home should not be more that 10-20 minutes’ drive or walk from these services. The second group of services is those that are consumed infrequently, these may include hospitals, salons, car repair, veterinary clinics etc. Consider getting a home close to both sets of services it will make your life all the better. The time saved in accessing these facilities can be put to better use.

• ACCESSIBILITY

Some of us have the luxury of working from home, the rest of us have to commute to work. Managing this commute is another aspect you should consider when choosing the ideal home. Trying your best to reduce your commute will add a lot of value to your lifestyle.

It is said that the number 1 reason of moving homes is for convenience of the commute to and from work.

Leaving work and being home within a few hours ensures that you can rest earlier or even engage in other activities of interest. Also, consider how easy it is to get in to and out of your neighborhood. Nairobi is constantly growing, causing some roads to experience heavy traffic at different times of the day. Before you choose your new home, spend some time visiting the area at different times of they day especially rush hour, you will be able to know for yourself how heavy traffic can get.

Also, project a few years down the line and this may give you an idea how long it will take to make it home or leave for work. In addition consider any planned road expansions, these may result in you needing to replace your vehicle shocks and spend even more time in traffic while road works are taking place but would generally mean that prices of homes there would go up (great news for buyers)

• GENERAL SECURITY OF THE AREA

Peace of mind is priceless. At whatever stage of life you may be in, you want to know that you and your family are safe in or around your home. Apart from checking to make sure that the prospective new home has basic security features such as cctv, security firm 24/7, electric fencing it is also important to get information about the history of the area.

Ask current residents or visit the local police station to get some information on any reported incidents in the neighborhood. We at Taylor Movers have had experiences where we have moved families to a new home just for them to call us a few weeks later to move them again. When we inquire as to why they are moving so soon after moving the first time they mention security concerns as the main issue. Also ask your agent to find out the security situation of a specific neighborhood or estate.

You can catch some security tips to consider before moving to a new house on this safety video we did:

Whatever decision you are going to make in regards to considering a new place, be sure to get as much information to ensure you not only get the best deal but the right deal for you and your family. Happy house hunting.

Moving to a new neighborhood is always challenging and there are lots of things in and around to take in.

One of them is the issue of security, so we decided we could help.

Taylor Movers Kenya has more than 10 year experience in helping people move combined with the 10 year experience of Soli Kiluta the CEO of Cavalier International, a security firm based here in Nairobi, we came up with these security tips.

Safety & Security Checklist when Relocating:

When relocating, here are some things to consider to ensure your security:

A) Prior to the Move

1. 1. Do your homework. Before you move into that dream home, do some research about the area. This information may be easier to get than most people realize. By befriend any of the following you will get to know about any security, noise, service or other concerns of the neighborhood.  When you have found the house you want to move into talk to any of the following to assist you know your neighbor hood before you move in. Talk to the caretaker, askari, previous tenants agent, previous tenant if possible, local police post. These are just some of the few people who have an invaluable insite into the new neighborhood.
2. 1. Before you move document all aspects of your new and old house. Take pictures of the all areas this way you will have documented the original house and the final house. This will help you to confirm a number of things later such as damages etc. This is especially for the new house you are moving into, once you do this and save the pictures to your email/cloud when you choose to move out of that new house you will have the condition of the house when you moved in. Reduces disputes between you and the land lord of the new or existing house.
3. 1. Before you move you need to know if there is a security feature missing from the house such as door locks, burglar proofing, razor wire or electric fence, alarms, access control etc. Before you sign the lease is the best time to request the land lord to ensure these items are added to the house before you sign on the dotted line.
4. 1. Before moving to any house in Kenya you need to know if there are any damages or safety concerns. If there are any loose or exposed wires, leaking pipes or plumbing. Inspect the home and ensure this is not an issue, in the event it is an issue ask the land lord to fix them prior to signing a lease.
5. 1. Moving in Kenya to a building with an elevator, ensure that the management of the building gives you express permission to utilize the lift prior to the move date.
6. 1. Prepare your family prior to the move date, ensure that they have located and secured all valuable items prior to the move this includes but is not limited to cash, jewelry, certificates, titles, micro electronics (phones, cameras, laptops, projectors). To avoid loosing any of this during the move we strongly recommend that these items are kept in the custody of the home owner through out the moving exercise.
7. 1. Inform all domestic staff to be present throughout the move to direct and assist throughout the move process. While moving many homes in Nairobi Kenya domestic staff have a very good idea of what the contents of the home. They are very helpful in ensuring a successful house move.
8. 1. Get to know the part of Kenya you are moving to: Before the move date we recommend that you know the following emergency contacts, document them and post them somewhere centrally located in your home:
      1. Local Police Station or Police Post and contact of a senior officer e.g. Officer in Charge of Police Station (OCS).
      2. Nearest emergency health facility.
      3. Several close by ambulance services. It is critical to know more than one as they sometimes get busy, ensure the ones on your list have fully services/functional ambulances. Some ambulance services do not have sufficient medical devices too ensure that they can sustain life as you travel to the hospital.
      4. Local security service provider contacts and the contacts of the head office.
      5. Home owners association contacts and social media groups(mainly whatsapp groups).
      6. Reliable and convenient shopping locations in case of an emergency that restricts movement within your area.
      7. Available public transportation stops and routes.
9. 1. Finally chose a moving company like Taylor Movers.
      1. Experience & Training: At Taylor we ensure that our movers are well trained and before they are given a chance to handle any of your items they have gotten experience through our Training Academy.
      2. Insurance: At Taylor Movers Kenya we ensure we cover all items we move with an Insurance cover. As carefull as we will be during your move there may be an accident. If this happens we are confident that you will be satisfied by our resolution of this accident though our insurance cover.
      3. Our Materials: At Taylor Movers Kenya we ensure that your items are wrapped with the best quality materials to reduce the chances of any items being damaged through the move process whether your moving from Kilimani to Karen or from Nairobi, Kenya to Brasilia, Brazil. We use world class material during our packing process. Each item is individually packed and wrapped by our experienced packing teams.

B) During the Move

1. 1. 1. 1. Ensure that only the moving crew are present during the move. This is not the time to have alot of friends, fundis or anyone else who is not directly involved in the home move process at either origin or destination houses. This reduces the risk of having an item disappear or even get damaged.
      2. 1. Often when a move is being conducted there may be work taking place at the origin and at the destination. Because of this it is always a good idea to have at least two people from your home present so this way there is one person at origin and one at destination.
      3. 1. Keep all valuables such as cash, jewelry, certificates, titles, micro electronics (phones, cameras, laptops, projectors) in your possession at all times. The movers will not take your items but during the transition it is very easy to misplace these items. Keep them locked in a place where only you have access.
      4. 1. Allow the moving experts to work freely. When Taylor Movers Kenya sends  a team to execute your move, they are experts at moving all kinds of items from precious artworks, pianos, safes, crystal, fine china, vases etc.  Once you show the team you have confidence in there expertise they will be more determined to do their best work.
      5. 1. During your move ensure that the kids are in a safe place throughout the move. It is always a good idea to involve them in the move however when it comes to handling the heavy and sensitive items it is best that they leave this to the professionals. If possible have them pack their toys and go to either a neighbors or relatives home for the duration of the move. This will ensure that they move proceeds quickly and that there is no chance of any accidents.
      6. 1. At Taylor Mover we go out of our way to ensure that we think of everything when it comes to moving your home or office. However accidents to do happen. Our teams always have a first aid box with them when they come to execute a move. We also recommend that you have a first aid kit prior to the move. If there is an accident at origin or at destination there will always be a first aid kit to help address the issue.
      7. 1. Benefits of using a moving company is confidentiality. We at Taylor Movers Kenya ensure that we pack and wrap all your items. This is to ensure they are secure during the move but also it ensure that any noisy neighbors or ill willed individuals to not get to know what you have in our home, both at the origin house or the destination house.

C) After the Move

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Change your Locks and Padlocks: In most cases we tend to believe we are moving to a safe and secure neighborhood. In our experience we encourage our clients to ensure that they change ALL locks and Padlocks in there new homes on the day of the move. In most cases there may be copies or your keys that you are not aware of. Anyone from the askari or
         2. 1. Use a lock box for keeping your spare keys. Keep the lock box code a closely guarded secret that only a few key people are aware of.
         3. 1. Keep a first aid box, emergency contacts in a public place where everyone in the home can be able to easily access them. Ensure that there is always someone in the home who understands basic first aid or CPR. There are course given by St. Johns ambulance or Nairobi hospital that will allow you to ensure that yourself or your domestic staff can confidently react to an emergency if it occurs. Some domestic staff may state that they have been trained, do not take there word for it, choose to have them take the training afresh.
         4. 1. Security lights & Flash lights. Ensure all Security lights are up and running. In the event a security bulb or the wiring has an issue, address it prior to moving in to the house or as soon as possible after moving.
         5. 1. Gas & Smoke detectors. This is a major security factor that we have found lacking in many homes. These detectors ensure that in the event of a fire or a gas leak you will be notified early enough to respond to the impending danger. Your loved ones safety is very important and we would like to give you the peace of mind to know that if there was any kind of issue, they will be saved in good time.
         6. 1. Make your home a fortress of sorts. Install security equipment to secure your home. This equipment can be the real thing or equipment that looks like the real thing but will act as a deterrent for any one with bad intentions. In this group we include the following:

• Controls access to your premises
• Know your mover and conceal your contents
• Purchase a Security System (Alarm, CCTV)
• Get a guard dog

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Backup power: There are many solutions on the market these days. We will mention the following:
            3. 1. Backup Generator: these range from a small 5Kva generator to a huge 100Kva generator. We believe a 15-20Kva is more than enough for most homes.
            4. 1. Inverters : These are very convenient and help you avoid the noise most generators cause. There price ranges vary, choose the one that is best for your home.
            5. 1. Solar: As technology advances there are many options when it come to solar. First it is a very environmentally friendly option. Solar may cost you at the onset, but after some time it is a very cost effective way of managing your power needs without relying solely on the power grid.
         2. 1. Internet security: These days it is important to remember that there are multiple aspects of you home that you need to secure. Whether this is your data, privacy or just ensuring your neighbor is not taking advantage your internet service. For most home having a not so easy to break WiFi password is enough to deter most intruders. You may also choose to have a firewall to ensure that if anyone tries to intrude on your network it is not very easy to gain access to it. As time goes by this will be come a very important part of securing you home. As more and more gadgets are connected to the internet, it will be important to start considering how secure your home network is.
         3. 1. Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood & befriend your neighbors. In most cases your neighbors are your first respondents in the even that you are not home. Know them and let them know you. Have there contacts prominently displayed in your home, this way if an emergency occurs they can assist before you get a chance to get home.
         4. 1. Vet your workers and minders