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• Bright Ideas2

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Many of us enjoy apartment living andglobally, it is rapidly growing as a preferredlifestyle due to the desire for a more simpleway of life.

When living in some apartments you need tomaintain the floor space that falls within yourspace and there is no worry about garden orexterior property maintenance. However, limit-

ed floor space is usually a challenge and manyapartments end up looking “full” as storageand placement of personal and decorative arti-cles tend to overwhelm a space.

The cure is to remove the clutter. Peopletend to not see their “clutter” and live in denial– “Who me? I don’t live in a mess – I need tohave what I have!”.

Many of us are trapped in the vortex that is“Mass Consumerism” and forget to see thatthe space we live in is finite, at some pointnothing else will be able to fit! Ending cluttercan be the key to a happier soul and a healthi-er bank account. To be cured, try to see yourspace and your possessions from an unbiasedpoint of view – when you walk into this home,

does the space feel inviting or visually distract-ing? If you can’t see it for yourself, ask a dis-cerning friend to bring a fresh view and letthem know that you now want to present yourapartment with a clean sense of style, warmthand order, yet not lose your personal stamp onthe space.

The best way to begin is to pretend you areabout to move to a new home and then fol-lows these simple guidelines:

Step 1: Take EVERYTHING out of the room!Do this one room at a time or it may be toooverwhelming!

3• Design& Decor

BRIGHT IDEASHOW IMPORTANT ISTHE DOWN PAYMENTIN THE MORTGAGEPROCESS?PG 5

BACKYARD BASICSCURB APPEALPG 6

SELECTION BUILD YOURBARPGS 7&8

SPU Producer: Tracey Alonzo tracey.alonzo@guardian.co.ttHead of Design: Marketing/SPU Denise BaptisteAssociate Editor: Lisa JessamyDesign/Layout: Sean Simon • Nicolas Spencer

• Aadel Chin-AlbertKaren Orosco-Huggins • Nicolas Spencer

Writers: Akiela HopeContributor- Interior Designer:Darrel Dookoo • Randall WaddellSpecial Publications enquiries: spu1 @guardian.co.tt

SalesSales Manager: George Elias george.elias@guardian.co.ttAccount Executive: Bryan Saunders

Tel: 623-8870 Ext: 2702 M: 356-4331bryan.saunders@guardian.co.tt

Special Publications Unit

CURING CLUTTER

continued on next page

I N S I D E

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• Design& Decor

Step 2: Bring back the most important thingsfor the room, for example: in a living room - thesofa, chairs, TV, stereo, side tables, etc.

Step 3: Consider where all the importantthings sit in the space. Move them around sothe space flows and you can now move freelyaround the room. The original placement maynot have been the best, and moving the piecesaround in different configurations can create afresh perspective of the space. Then sit down,have a look around, breathe in - how do youfeel? Not having competing multiple colors andtextures around the room should give a feelingof liberation and freeness. Stop and think, whatare you now really missing from this room?

Step 4: Start layering. Select a few things at atime to bring back into the room to help deco-rate it. Paintings, pictures, a vase, a rug, lamps.Do it slowly and feel how the space is changing.Pick out the best items that you want to show,but don't use all you had before. Edit for your-self, select the best things and enjoy them. It isimportant that the room expresses the person-ality of the owner, but you don't need yourwhole life story in one room!

Step 5: Stop! Don’t go any further. You knowthe saying “Less is more”; well it is true, less isbetter in a room. Who hasn’t seen an episode ofTLC’s “Hoarding: Buried Alive”? Put all theremaining items in storage until you are happywith the new space. Then after a few weeks,sort through it all, keep what is reusable anddonate the rest to a good charity.

Clutter can quickly creep up on you; makesure if you are going to add new things, thatyou do it slowly and really consider their impacton the space. You may have to take somethingout to make room for it!

Be happy, live clutter free.

• Bright Ideas

Petrina Copeland-JamesMarketing Administrator

The decision to purchase a home is perhaps the single mostimportant investment that an individual makes in his or her life-time. It should not be taken lightly and as such, it must be careful-ly planned.

The actual mortgage application process requires a full assessmentand examination of an individual’s present financial situation as itrelates to the repayment of the mortgage loan.

There are a number of components that must be considered whenconducting a mortgage assessment. Some of these components wouldinclude the examination of income sustainability; good credit history;updated financial statements; evidence that the property’s rates andtaxes are paid up to date; debt service ratio of the potential mortgagorand evidence of a down payment for the purchase of a property.

The down payment represents the initial payment made by thebuyer to the seller towards the purchase of a property. It indicates thebuyer’s intent and interest to purchase. It is advised that this transac-tion is facilitated through a Purchase or Sales Agreement. ThePurchase or Sales Agreement is a binding legal document that statesthe conditions required by both parties to close the deal.

The down payment (up-front cash) required for a mortgage trans-action can range from 10% to 30%, depending on the policies of themortgage lending institution. For instance, a property costing$800,000.00 would require a startup cash injection of $80,000.00 to$240,000.00.

The down payment can affect the entire mortgage process in thefollowing areas:

How the Sales or Purchase Agreement is writtenSince the Sales or Purchase Agreement includes the down paymentmade by the potential buyer, the mortgage officer uses this informa-tion along with its receipt, as proof that a payment was made; it alsoguides the institution on the mortgage loan requirement needed tocomplete the purchase transaction.

The mortgage qualification processA higher down payment translates into a lower mortgage loan require-ment. This places the potential buyer in a beneficial position during themortgage application process since there is reduced risk to the mort-gage lending institution. This in turn can strengthen the buyer’s mort-gage application.

Negotiation for attractive rates and conditionsThe ability to better negotiate for attractive interest rates or conditionsin the mortgage facility can be taken into consideration by the mort-gage institution.The mortgage (loan) installment

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How Important is the Down Payment inthe Mortgage Process?The monthly mortgage (loan) installment is determinedby the loan rate; the duration of the loan; the loanamount to be repaid; income of the mortgagor/s, and thedown payment made. The down payment is importantsince it can affect all of the above factors. A higher downpayment can shorten the term of the mortgage, whichalso affects the total interest paid on the life of the loan.

The down payment plays a key role in the entire

mortgage process. It is advisable that a separate savingsplan be set up to assist potential homeowners in theirdetermination for home ownership. Start talking to amortgage officer about your desire to own your homeand they can assist you in turning your dream into a real-ity.

The Trinidad Building and Loan Association (TBLA)has been in existence since 1891, and is the longest

standing financial institution in the country. TheAssociation is a Building Society that provides affordablemortgage and credit financing for people to own, reno-vate or improve on their property. It continues to be guid-ed by an esteemed Board of Directors. In addition, TBLAalso offers a range of investment products and servicesto its shareholders, organisations and members of thepublic.

So many times you spendtime enhancing the inside ofyour yard, you neglect the curb.But reality is, the curb is thefirst thing that hits your visi-tor's eyes when approachingyour home. It says a lot aboutwhat kind of person you areand sets the pace for the restof the yard. Here are some curbappeal tips.

Clean...Clean...Clean...Pressurewashing front walls, gates, drive-way and pedestrian entrance,pavement and drains makes abig difference. Weeding, removalof any debris, repainting wallsand gates. If your front drain is amain drain and it is too much foryou to handle I suggest callingyour local Ministry of Worksdrainage department. Allowing afree flow of water muffles inde-cent smells and also discouragesmosquito breeding.

Pay attention to your mail box.I am positive most of you havenever thought of wiping theinside of your mailbox with adust cloth or giving it a new lookwith some paint. Most mailboxesthat I see crave attention. Golook at your mailbox. Is your mail-box leaking? Are the doors inworking order? Is it easily acces-sible by both you and the mailman? These are things that we

should pay attention to. If yourmailbox is not in good order,properly labelled or easily spot-ted and accessible, you can endup with wet or no mails at all.

One of the biggest problems incurb appeal is garbage disposal.The constant interference bystrays leaves the area untidy andunhealthy. Be sure to have a des-ignated area for your garbage.Make sure that you have a prop-erly built garbage dispenser thatis stray proof. When putting outgarbage freeze all left over foodand kitchen scraps that cancause alluring odours. If frozen,strays cannot smell them. Putsdrops of bleach on the garbagebags. These simple acts makesgarbage less interesting forstrays.

If there is enough spacebetween your pavement andfront wall, is an excellent idea tolandscape this area adding someplants, rocks, decor accents canenhance your property. Be sureto pay attention to using stuffthat is manageable. You do notwant to install anything thatcan cause poor visibility to driv-ers or affect pedestrians.

Your curb is the door toyour home and your life.Spend some time tomake this inviting.

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These days, most people areopting for at home recre-ations. Whether it’s entertain-ing the children, parents, hav-ing friends over for an occa-sional chit chat, or an intimateget together, it’s best to createa space that is both functionaland comfortable.

One way you can do this, is tocreate your own bar space.Mark Sealy, Joiner for the last12 years tells us how:

Here’s how to begin:Mark recommends that using

part of the kitchen counter isalways more cost-effectivethan building an attachment inthe kitchen. To define and dif-ferentiate the bar from thekitchen, you can use a mirror;the mirror pieces may varyaccording to the home owner.

• Stick the mirror(s) againstthe wall, just in the area youdesire, using double sided tapeor some other form of strongadhesive tape. A normal serving

tray can be utilised and placedjust in front of the class.

• Then you can take a few ofyour glasses and turn them up-side-down on the tray, whereyou will see their reflection, giv-ing it an appearance of manyglasses.

• Then place some of yourcoaster inside the tray our out-side in whatever pattern youdeem essential for the decora-tions. If you have an astray thisis where you would want toplace it as well.

• Next , you can add yourdrinks, strategically placing itaround the tray of glasses andcoasters. Big festive pictures toplace around and on differentparts of the mirrors would beyour next step. The pictures arenormally pictures of differentalcohol, but since this is yourchoice you can source picturesfor your taste.

One of the key factors of thebar is lighting, a down lighter or

an ordinary light bulb of a dif-ferent colour such as blue orred that shined directly on thebar area. You can add trophiesor little memorabilia for thatadditional bar look and keep inmind that too much of onething may give the impressionof being overcrowded.

For the smokers, you canrecycle your cigarette pack andalso stick it to the wall in a pat-ter. You can collect differenttypes of cigarettes packs toprevent monotony.

If your kitchen is big enough,stools can also be added aroundthe area to complete the look. Ifthere is no space for stools, youshould not worry because yourbar will be good as is.

If you have a small radio puton your radio and try one of thedrinks that Trinidad TripleNational Bartender RaymondEdwards has supplied.

Continued on page 8

7 Build your Bar

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Continued from page 7...

Brown CowGarnish: CherryGlasswear: Martini glassINGREDIENTS: 2 oz Mokatika Coffee

Liqueur 1 oz Evaporated Milk2 dashes Angostura® aro-

matic bitters

Method: Pour all ingredi-ents into shaker add icethen shake well. Strain overinto chilled Martini glass.Garnish with Cherry

Sunset Medley Garnish: Orange wheel and

Cherry Glasswear: Martini glass

INGREDIENTS: 3 oz Dailys Mango Cocktail Mix2 oz Orange juice 2 oz Passion fruit Juice 1 oz Grenadine syrup2 dashes Angostura® orange

bitters

Method: In your cocktail

shaker pour in Dailys mango mix,orange juice, passion fruit juice andAngostura orange bitters. Shakeingredients with ice then pour overinto tall glass filled with ice. Slowlydrizzle Grenadine syrup on top.Garnish with orange wheel andcherry.

Raymond is the In-House Mixologistat the House of Angostura and hasbeen mixing drinks for over 12years...Here are some drinks he suggestyou try at home...