1.Plan in advance:
You may decide to start with the basics. Measure every corner in your living room. The same should be done to the walls and windows for wall arts and decorative curtains respectively. It can be a tragedy knowing that your newly purchased furniture does not fit into the available space within your living room; therefore, plan well in advance.

2.Thoroughly clean the room:
Cleanliness is vital towards achieving the best of decoration for your living room. Cleaning your ceiling should be your starting point before proceeding to the furniture. Ensure you also use a feather duster in removing dust from your furniture.

3.Decide on the style and theme:
Think about the kind of styles you want for your living room. Themes are actually derived from the styles you want. The choice of styles can clearly indicate the kind of person you are and even your personality.

Choosing on a theme can be a daunting task especially, when you are sharing the room with your family. Every person would want his taste be included in the theme. It is important to seek their opinions and include them in selecting the appropriate theme for you. Decoration ideas can also be obtained over the internet.

4.Consider lighting key in your decoration:
Lighting plays an integral role in setting different moods for the room. Getting the right lighting is therefore a priority. It is important to ensure you utilize the natural light available during daytime to save on energy. Table or floor lamps can also be used to supplement lighting in your living room as well as become beautiful decorative elements.

5.Have in mind the indoor plant.
Many people fancy nature. A little bit of indoor plant will do the magic for you. You should ensure the indoor plant is well positioned at the corners of the living room. Indoor plant not only brings along a feeling of class but also improve on the air circulation.

6.Use the available space wisely.
Keep your room cozy and the only way to do that is to ensure you have sufficient space in the room. Always remove items that do not have any use in your living room to avoid clutter. The fewer the items, the better and more attractive the room appears. Fewer items also ease your work during cleaning.

7.Go for the right curtains.
The right for your living rooms is solely dependent on the size of your room.

Katrina is a freelance writer that loves to share tips when it comes to home improvement. You can have a look at her site on wall fireplace if you want to learn more on her.

Raid Thrift Shops and Flea Markets

Surely, new furniture, beddings, paint, fabrics, and room accessories are a pain in the pocket, but thanks to flea markets and thrift shops, you can actually get all of these and more within the budget you’ve set. For instance, you can get beddings for $70 or even less, as well as cans of paint for $10 to $20. Lighting fixtures and furniture for your Bangkok condo are also sold in these thrift stores, so brace yourself in finding room accessories that will suit your budget and your taste.

Repaint Your Bedroom Walls

Nothing makes a bedroom look renewed and refreshing than newly painted walls. Paint your walls with pastel colors such as baby blue, light pink or pale yellow. If the budget doesn’t permit this, you actually don’t need to buy new paint and change the color of your bedroom walls. All you need to do is to buy complementing color paint and create interesting patterns and designs on your bedroom walls. And while you’re at it, you may place old pictures, nice prints and paintings from flea markets on the walls.

Refurnish Your Furniture

Make your furniture look brand new by repainting them and putting several coats of varnish on them. This will make them appear shiny especially when light strikes them. Also, change the colors of your lighting fixtures according to the color scheme of your beddings and window drapes.

Organize Your Stuff

The first step in any makeover is to remove all clutter and organize things accordingly. Use stylish containers to organize your clothes, shoes, accessories and other stuff. Remove anything that doesn’t help in relaxation or even in romance between you and your spouse. Keep your music player inside the room, but you may want to move the TV somewhere else, because studies show that it does not help when you want to take a nap or have a good night’s sleep.

Stylize Your Bed

This is probably the most critical task in any bedroom makeover. Your bed is the central piece in your room, so it should contain only the best beddings. If you don’t have one, you may simply use a comfort or a duvet and top it on the bed as bedding. The bedding must be thick, soft-looking and elegant with rich colors that suit your taste. If you can’t decide with the color, go for a dark brown, rich red, or feminine pink bedding. The style and patterns of the bedding must not be too complicated so that the pillow covers would look nice once you place the pillows on the bed. You may place a wall-mounted head board to turn your simple bed into a sleek-looking one.

Lighting Room by Room

Each type of room differs in its lighting needs, depending on what activities you are planning to do in such room. The master bedroom for you and your spouse must have an inviting, warm lighting to set a romantic mood when you are spending your time together in this room.  Swing-arm lamps are a common trend for big rooms such as this.The same goes for your kids’ bedrooms, but don’t forget to place a nice, bright light near your kid’s study table so he can read his books in comfort. Highly-demanding rooms when it comes to lighting include the kitchen, the home office and the dining area. Your living room only needs an ambient lighting to make it room friendly.

Natural and Artificial Light

Rooms that have many windows benefit from the welcoming feeling that is brought by letting natural light enter them. Natural light always provide a happy, cheerful atmosphere inside any room that is why you must maximize it by allowing natural light to pass through glass-block window in bathrooms and French doors near the living room. You may also place small windows near the staircase or at dark rooms to brighten them up. On the other hand, areas that cannot be reached by natural light can always gain a brilliant look with the help of an artificial light. These may include the kitchen and the dining area.

Choosing Bulbs

Bulbs using 200 watts that produce more light than others or those that have higher lumens are definitely preferable than 200-watt bulbs with lower lumens. They are more efficient to use and saves you from purchasing more bulbs than what you should when you buy high-lumen bulbs.

When it comes to what type of light bulb you should buy, you can choose among incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs. Incandescent bulbs produce yellowish white light, which looks great when you place them at the living room. However, fluorescent bulbs produce white and quirky colors like green and red, and also last longer, about 20 times, than incandescent bulbs. Halogen bulbs produce a brighter white light, but they produce more heat than fluorescent bulbs which make them fire hazards.

Lighting Fixtures

Lighting fixtures greatly enhance rooms by amplifying their elegance and sophistication. A chandelier on the ceiling of the living room and/or dining room improves the overall appearance of the room, as well as an ornate chandelier over the table in your home office or family room. Traditional rooms can be beautified by porcelain jar lamps, candle sticks, banker’s lamps and other conventional lighting fixtures. For modernized rooms, contemporary lighting fixtures with stainless steel or polished chrome are perfect.

Before you decide on whether to hire a realtor or not in leasing your Bangkok condo, consider the advantages and disadvantages of having one. The following information can help you in the process:

• Interview realtors who are experienced and expert in condominium sales. Talk to at least three.  Ask them about their pricing recommendation, a comparable market analysis, and how they will market your Bangkok condo. A full-service agent will normally add your condo into the Multiple Listing Service and on their company website, advertise, hold an Open House, show the condo to prospect renters, prepare purchase offers, help you with negotiations on the contract, assist with any issues or problems or even just simple questions that suddenly surfaces, escort you to settlement, and many others.

• Understand the responsibilities of a for-sale-by-owner. Remember that even if you are not residing in your condominium, your rights and responsibilities are still there. Most importantly, have all the paperwork ready. Your tenant will need multiple copies, for herself and her lawyer. Essential documents include copies of the legal description, including parking and storage spaces, the CC&R or Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, bylaws, rules and regulations currently enforces and the likes. To educate yourself further on what you will have to do if you sell your condo yourself, search Google for “CC&R” “Bangkok condo bylaws” and other similar keywords.

• Know if you have the expertise needed. These expertise include skills on knowing how to price the condominium correctly, create convincing advertisements, showing the condo to prospect tenants, handling information requests, respond to objections ethically and successfully, study and consider offers and counteroffers, provide all required legal and environmental disclosures, hire a lawyer to review your contract and every document you are supposed to sign, create solutions to any problem that arise in the settlement, etc.

• Run the numbers. You must be able to not just list the expenses you are to spend, but estimate them. Possible expenses can be those which are spent for advertising, legal fees, and other costs for marketing. Know if you will be able to cover this beforehand and how much will your expenses affect the price of your condominium to be leased.

• Know if you have the time needed. Preparing your condominium for leaser/s and eventually finding a renter can be time-consuming. It might ruin and turn your schedule upside down. Real estate is known as a service industry. Be ready not only for the responsibilities stated above, but also in answering inquiries and calls of potential tenants day and night, for showing the condominium to early birds before they go to work, spend evenings showing again your condominium to potential tenants after work,  or even spend your normal work day while handling calls. In short, you would have to adjust your schedule to the needs and inquiries of your potential buyers.

Below are a few know-abouts before you lease your Bangkok condo:

1. The  first thing you need to know is if your condominium permits rentals. They also might have restrictions on the number of units that can be rented, levy a minimum lease term, require a board approval of the lease, etc. To be sure, check the documents of your condominium.
2. Know how much the lease will be. Don’t overprice, or you’ll never get a renter. Rather, know what similar condos in your area are renting for per month. Find out what amenities and services are included, and if landlords offer incentives like gift cards or even cable.
3. Calculate the numbers and see if you can cover. There are a number of actual expenses, and you need to consider them. Few of these are mortgage, condo fee, real estate taxes, insurance, preparation costs, advertising, commission for the rental agent, rent loss on turnover, costs for repairs, legal fees if problems occur, and many more.
4. Learn the local laws regarding leasing. Regardless if you’re just renting out one unit, you must understand the local laws on tenant-landlord relationships. Why? Because some jurisdictions oblige you to register the property or even obtain a business license. Almost all cities with rent control require rental registration, and failure to do so can result to costly fines.
5. Know that your real estate tax will rise when you convert an owner-occupied condominium into a rental property. There are two reasons why. First, some jurisdictions give Homestead Exemption for owner-occupied residential real estate. This benefit spares a portion of the property’s value from taxation. Once you convert your property, you lose this privilege. Second, a non-owner occupied property is assumed to be held for investment purposes. Thus, tax rates are higher.
6. Paperwork, paperwork. If you don’t have a renter agent and you are renting out your condominium yourself, you are in charge of taking care all the paperwork needed. You are responsible for the advertisements needed for the lease, and in showing the condo to prospects. You’ll also need to keep accurate record of your income and expenses for tax purposes.
7. Know your tenant’s history on payment terms. It will give you a bird’s eye-view on your tenant’s payment history, and a clue on foreclosures and bankruptcies.
8. Get a suitable insurance. Call your insurance agent and tell them your plans. Although it can be another expense, remember that the cost is nominal compared to the added protection it can provide from your exposure to potential lawsuits.
9. A good lawyer is a must-have. He can help you through any process, decisions and even lawsuits.
10. Follow the laws on fair-housing. Federal law protects discrimination on the basis of sex, color, race, religion, handicap, etc.

Search Google and find websites that can help you find the perfect slipcover with guides on how to measure, tips for fitting, and the wonderful swatch service to let you choose whatever color you want. But if you have a scratched wooden furniture, just buy a furniture scratch remover at the local hardware store.

2.Change your incandescent light bulbs that emit dull yellow rays to fluorescent lamps that reveal the true colors of the room. Fluorescent lamps produce clean and clear light which makes all the colors of the room vibrant.

3. Old lamp shades with torn linings and is faded needs to be replaced. Get new shades that are in soft neutral tone, to make the room more stylish.

4. Don’t forget to clean the windows, inside and out. Do this even in the winter, to maintain its sparkly cleanliness. Dress it also with simple panels, not with fussy window coverings that ruin the style of the room.

5. Update the look of your appliances. Add new oven racks, change the knobs, get a new stainless steel door cover for your dishwasher, or replace your used oven tops with new ones.

6. Make cabinets look stylish with instant lights. You can purchase lights that are cordless and is powered just by batteries. Adhesive backing makes the installation easy, using no tools at all. By just touching the light, it can be turned on or off.

7. Fix the grouts. You wouldn’t want the kitchen or bathroom to look dirty because of stained or chipped grout. 3M TrafficMaster stain-proof grout does the trick. It is ready to apply, since it is pre-mixed, and comes in 30 different colors.

8. Make your floors good-looking. If it is gorgeous already, just clean and polish it. But if it is damaged, try covering them up with wall-to-wall carpets. Check out stores that sell carpet in your area and choose one that is in neutral tone and worthy for its price.

9. Don’t let your wall be rough. Yes, painting a rough wall is hard, and the result can be disappointing. Let’s learn something from paint pros. Before painting, cover the wall with Waverley wall liner.

10. Show off a good balcony or patio. A beautiful balcony or patio is an asset for selling. Make the space look best to exhibit a comfortable and relaxing place after a hard day’s work. Create a charming seating arrangement, and add planters with flowers or foliage. This final touch will surely add appeal and attractiveness to your Bangkok Condo, ready for selling.

But how can you do the task yourself with all your busy schedule and tight budget? Take a moment to savor the following simple suggestions:

• Turn your own hands into a magic wand. Few of us have that special skill to turn anything into a piece of art. Show off your creativeness. If you are one of these lucky people, use that ability to turn your living room into a personal artwork. Well, not the whole room of course. You can start with your cushions, or you can add patterns to your fabrics. Doing this will give your living room a more personal look, and, not surprisingly, a unique style.
• Out with the old, in with the new. Your decors have a significant effect on how your living room looks. Change it if you want to. Paint your walls with neutral colors such as beige, ivory or taupe. With simple colors as these, the fabrics and cushions you have experimented on will never be out of place. You can give your living room a whole new modern look by changing your traditional curtains to neutral vertical blinds. You can also add up other decors, such as lampshades and rugs. Such can be bought at a cheap rate, but with the right choices, they can have fantastic effects on the overall look of your Bangkok condo. Just don’t overdo it.
• Look for bargain stuff. Yes, this can be a little time-consuming and of course, expensive. But if you know the right places to hunt and the right time to do it, you just might hit the jackpot. At times you can find exquisite furniture, which you usually drool on but walk away when you see the outrageous expensiveness, at a very considerable price.  Quality and affordable price, a combination you would rarely find at department stores but extremely available at bargain stores and seasons.
• You can also invest in some sculptures and paintings which can give your condo a luxurious effect. It can be a little pricey, but an invested like these will be worth it. Instant transformation is guaranteed in no time.

Revamping your own home may not be as extravagant as those you see in magazines and lifestyle shows. But put in mind that doing makeover can also be a time-out for your busy life. Moreover, you are in control of the situation. You can do whatever you want, and your creativity can be exercised. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing the new look in your living room and thinking, “I did this on my own.”

First off, buying a pre-constructed condominium can sometimes be like gambling. You release money on a small scale, hoping for the jackpot and bingo, you’re a hundred dollars richer. But things don’t always go that way. As with gambling, there’s a bigger possibility that you will lose the game than the chances of you winning.

There are various payment schedules in buying a Bangkok condo, but there always is a substantial part of the purchase price to be paid the developer. This should be made prior to the completion of the condo and before ownership is transferred. The following is a usual schedule for sale and purchase payments:

• a reservation agreement (if any) with a 100,000 baht (approximately 3300 USD) reservation fee
• a 10-20% deposit of the total condominium price on the condominium sale and purchase agreement’s execution date
• payment via monthly installments during the construction of the condominium, and the final amount paid upon the completion and transfer of ownership of the condominium

Developers of pre-constructed condominiums have the biggest advantage in this setup. Since the condominium is still on its way to completion, a third party escrow is not necessary. An escrow, defined by the 2008 Escrow Act or new 2008 Condominium Act, protects buyers from tricksters cum developers that drain the money of investors down the sink. The neutrality and safety of the money deposited by the buyer is in the safe-keeping of a SET listed escrow. This way, the buyer is safe, knowing that the deposit is in good hands.

So where do you deposit the money? Directly to the developer. In fact, in Thailand, it is very uncommon at all for property developers to offer escrow arrangements. But, they are allowed to require installments straight into their bank account. And, take note, they can do this without offering any guarantee or security for such payments, except of course the contractual obligations under the sale and purchase contract.

For these reasons, there is a risk that the buyer’s money will all be flushed down the toilet. How? When the developer faces default or bankruptcy. What’s more daunting is that the developer has a much stronger stand in this.  Let’s say that the developer did not deliver as promised. Since the given circumstance, the buyer will not make the final payments. The developer could say that the buyer defaults by not paying the final payment, noting that he is permitted to relinquish any payment that the buyer had made, and sell the unit to another person. This action cannot be done if a third party escrow is present.

Of course, these risks can be minimized, or simply put to past, if the developer you’re dealing with is a trusted one. Remember that in everything, there is a risk, but it can be prevented if you will act smart and be skeptical about things your instincts, and lawyer, think you shouldn’t do.

1. Know what’s going on. Have time to examine the minutes of the association’s board meetings to fully understand what’s happening in the neighborhood. This will help you figure out if the management is at the top of its game, or down low. There are things that the seller might not mention, go check out yourself.
2. Know who are paying the fees and who are not. Delinquencies present in the community may warn you that the association is having troubles in the collection, or that they are underfunded.
3. Know how much is in the repair fund. Inquire if the community has had its reserve-fund review in the last five years. As much as the budget concerns, new complex which is one to ten years old should have at least 10% of the cost of replaceable items. Repair fund of at least 25-30% should be present when the condominium is between 10 to 20 years old. Those that are older than 20 years, 50% or above should be the repair fund. Beware of those condominiums whose residents brag that they don’t pay much in the maintenance. This can be a sign that the condominium is not well kept.
4. Know if the association can cover the insurance. Grab a copy of the certificate of insurance, which basically wraps up the association’s policies.
5. Know if there is any legal problem faced by the association. This step should be done with a lawyer at hand, to help you understand the bylaws of the association and know if it makes sense. There are instances when the bylaws can be just a bunch of technical terms, which basically leads to unnecessary information and unrelated rules concerning the condominium. Also, have the lawyer check the local court for any files against the association.
6. Know if the place is renter-friendly. Nowadays, condominiums are rented out for profit purposes. If the lessees in the condominium comprise 10% of the whole population, rental policies should be present. Look for written guidelines in the association’s bylaws or amendments concerning the rental policies of the condominium. Moreover, find out if the management can find renters for you, and if so, know if the renters they get are good and responsible occupants. You can also ask other owners about their leasing experiences to ponder further about the matter. Also remember that the association can, at any time, modify its bylaws to prohibit or restrict leasing.
7. Know the operations of the community. Beware of condominiums which are sustained by the owners themselves. Managing your own unit can have its benefits but it can be troublesome if you live far away from the unit and would have to come from time to time just to keep the place. On the other hand, if the condominium is professionally managed, scrutinize the management company as much as you have with the association.

But let’s face it. Being a Bangkok condo board member is a tough job, often viewed as a dreary responsibility by some. There’s a lot of decisions to be made, resolving arguments between neighbors, and most importantly, community finances to keep an eye on.

More often than not, this responsibility requires a lot of patience and hard work in an effort to keep the neighborhood from paying their part of the community maintenance, especially if there are delinquencies being faced. Monetary issues have always been one of the major issues within most communities, and here are a few know-hows to guide you in keeping the association from troubles along the way:

1. Know the law. It’s a must for every action taken, to keep you and your association from sues and charges that can be procured from negligence of the laws governing condo associations.
2. Act fast. No problem should be left hanging, to avoid patching up a bigger hole. There might be no perfect solution to delinquencies, but action should be taken immediately. Remind delinquent owners of their part of the responsibility to help keep the community afloat and the fairness within the neighborhood. Let them remember that it was part of the package they have agreed on by moving into your community.
3. Rely on professionals. It’s always best to know the proper way of handling things, with the advice recommended lawyers, managers, or even collection agencies on certain matters.
4. Charge a special assessment fee. It may be inappropriate at the time, but you’ll never know. It’s always best to keep a special fund in case a major project comes up. Just let the neighborhood understand the purpose, and keep in mind that there are laws governing this kind of fees.
5. Update your rules if necessary. The association’s governing documents, comprising of the bylaws and CC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions) also set boundaries for an association to act on something.
6. Utilize the power of the court. When you just can’t make a delinquent owner from paying, take the case to the court. This way, you can acquire a judicial order that enables you to confiscate wages or other assets. At times these owners do not fear delinquency records in the association’s credit record, but failing to pay a court-ordered debt does the trick.
7. File the board’s most powerful weapon, a lien. A lien is a legal claim that guarantees compensation from any profit once the property is sold. Do not let the circumstances drag on. File a lien to get the association’s right to the property, given that the law and the collection policy allow it. This act hints the owner that the association is determined about the collection and can encourage owners to pay immediately.