The borders are opening! Get your home ready for interstate visitors
With restrictions finally beginning to ease across state borders, many families will be reunited for the first time in months.
It's not too late to impress with Christmas lights!
There's only a couple of weeks left until Christmas and if you tend to leave everything to the last minute, you are probably already starting to panic about last minute gifts and how your property looks, especially when it comes to decorations, if you're hosting over the holiday period and especially lighting up your home for Christmas. However, don't forget your safety first. It's not too late to become the talk of town for your impressive light display, garden decorations and all your electronics, but you need to be safe doing so. If you feel like you're running out of time, let the skilled professionals help. Not only will it all be done within a small time frame but you're also guaranteed a safe environment for family and friends to gather for Christmas.
Christmas Lights
Make sure you check your local council laws before putting up your lights, as some may have changed in light of COVID-19. It's imperative to ensure all your decorative lightings are installed correctly with well secured wires. An electrical malfunction is the last thing anyone needs, especially when doing things last minute. Be sure to check that all new lights and lights you've used previously are not recalled items and have an Australian approved number such as Q12345, V12345, N12345, NSW12345 or the regulatory compliance mark logo. Any lights you're unsure about should be checked by a licensed electrician to ensure they're safe to use. When installing lights outdoors, only use lights designed for external use. Generally, these types will have a transformer and where possible, use ones with low voltage. Be sure to turn off outdoor lights during rain or storms and if you have outdoor connections, ensure they are waterproofed. It is essential that you do not piggyback double adapters or power boards and keep clear of power lines, swimming pools, driveways and walkways. Most importantly, secure outdoor lights to fixtures and keep out of children's reach.
Neat and tidy trees
Impress and make your decorations stand out by pruning and tidying up your garden. While pruning and tidying can be done yourself, do not attempt to cut back large trees on your own as this can be dangerous. It's important to bring in a qualified tree-lopper to get the job done. If you want to give the smaller jobs a crack, try using a power trimmer or a hand held pruner with a long scissor-like blade to get rid of branch tips and tidy hedges. Mow your lawn, tidy up the edges with a hedge trimmer and use hose-on fertiliser for a quick green boost.If your plants are looking sad, pull them out and improvise with some potted plants instead. Do it in the early morning or late afternoon so you're not outside in the heat and humidity in the middle of the day.
Up your game with smart electronics
Christmas can be one of the most expensive times of the year. Trying to impress a loved one isn't cheap and on top of the cost of presents, food and decorations, your energy consumption can also increase, putting you at risk of a budget blowout. To save on electricity this Christmas, swap your old string lights for LED lights. LEDs are more energy-efficient as they use up to 90% less electricity than traditional Christmas lights. Cut back on your energy use by setting your devices aside and spending more quality time with family. To avoid phantom energy loss, turn your Christmas lights off at the wall when you're not using them. Unplug and turn off all electronic appliances, this includes, TV, game consoles, chargers etc.
Need a helping hand getting ready for Christmas? Find qualified, experienced tradies at Buy Search Sell.
By Aminah Tejan
