Setting up your home

Guide

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Welcome

Matthew SteenTeam Leader, Whitegoods

Congratulations! You’re moving into your first house.

But now what? How do you begin to turn those

empty rooms into your home? This guide steers you

through the essentials of setting up a new home – the

things you need to know, room by room, inside and out, that

make your home modern, comfortable and low maintenance.

We outline how CHOICE can help you save money, heartbreak

and frustration with our uniquely unbiased,

independent advice and helpful services.

Setting up your home for the first time

doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We

take out some of the risk and guesswork,

whether it’s knowing which washing

machine has the lowest running cost or

choosing the right home and contents

insurance policy. We want you

to create and enjoy your

personal space with

peace of mind.

matt Steen

2

PLUS! Join CHOICE today and you’ll receive the latest issue of CHOICE Computer and

a CHOICE multi-mini tool set – FREE! Enter the promotion code CCTOOLOFFER

at the checkout to receive your giftsOFFER ENDS 31 DECEMBER 2013 OR WHILE STOCKS LAST

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Services & insurance 7Knowing your home is effectively powered, networked

and insured is essential for peace of mind

In the kitchen 10Fridges, dishwashers and ovens – oh my! What you

need to know about the room that will be the heart

of your home

how ChoICe helps 6The advice and services we offer makes the difference

between a good home and an amazing home

In the laundry 12Can you save money over time by buying a more

expensive washing machine up-front?

In the study 16Enjoy playing around with all your gadgets without

getting bogged down by all the technical jargon

around the home 18What about the stuff on your roof, down the side of

your home and in your backyard?

In the living room 14How to watch and record your favourite shows

effortlessly, in the comfort of a clean, climate-

controlled space

Contents

call us today

1300 360 655

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how ChoICe helps

As a CHOICE member you get free

access to our CHOICE Shopper

service. You select the $100+

product you wish to purchase and

obtain a price from a retailer.

Then, call CHOICE Shopper on

1300 360 655 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

to tell them your member number,

the brand you’re after, model

number and price to beat. CHOICE

Shopper calls back to advise you

of the best price they’ve been able

to find. If you’re happy with that

price,

CHOICE

Shopper

places the

order for

you.

SHOP tILL yOU drOP

Reliability surveyCHOICE lab testing always

rates performance and ease

of use for new products, but

we usually cannot test their

longevity. This is where

our members come in – do

products in our What to Buy

list perform better in the long

run? Could a Best Buy mean

savings years down the track?

And could a bigger purchase

price save on repairs in the

long run? This is why we

regularly survey members

asking them to share their

experience of reliability for

a number of products.

CHOICE RecommendedCHOICE’s endorsement

scheme allows eligible

manufacturers to use

the exclusive CHOICE

Recommended logo. Where

you see one in shops,

you can be assured we’ve

recommended that product to

buy in CHOICE magazine or

on choice.com.au based

on our rigorous schedule

of testing.

Services & insurance

EnergyBefore contacting a provider,

take a look at your overall

energy use and see whether

you can become more energy

efficient to reduce your bills.

CHOICE’s 10% Challenge (10percentchallenge.com.au/)

is all about simple tips that

will save you lots of money and

let you help the environment.

PhoneThinking of ditching your

landline? Before you do,

consider where you live,

how many calls you make

and where you call. If you’re

a fairly heavy user of your

home phone and internet –

and reliability is important

– keeping your landline can

make good sense.

248 words on this page + quotation

call us today

1300 360 655

Before you start filling up rooms with furniture, you’ll want to ensure it’s properly powered, networked and insured.

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Estimates vary, but some say up

to 80% of Australian homes are

underinsured. This could mean

you’re out of pocket by tens of

thousands of dollars or more

should your house burn down and

you need to rebuild. Make sure

you always read all parts of your

policy document and be clear

about what you’re covered for.

What you believe is covered in one

section of the document may be

explicitly excluded in another

section. For example, fire damage

is usually only paid for if there is a

tHE aSSUranCE Of InSUranCE

Services & insurance

flame,

so you

may not be

covered if your

iron scorches your shirt or a hot

pot scorches the benchtop. For

contents insurance, go through

every room of your home and

estimate how much it would cost

to replace each item. Include

everything: commonly overlooked

contents include crockery

and cutlery, bed linen, books,

CDs, clothing and footwear.

And shop around. We found the

average differences between

premiums across Australia were

$600 for home defined events

policies, $830 for home accidental

damage policies, $270 for

contents defined events

policies and $400 for

contents accidental

damage policies.

80%of Australian homes

are underinsured

InternetIf you’re picking an ISP for

the first time:

•Compare speed, download

limit and monthly costs for

a few plans on comparison

sites such as phonechoice.

com.au or whirlpool.net.au.

•Check the length of any

contract and whether there

are any charges if you

terminate before it expires.

•Check the terms and

conditions for minimum

charges during the contract.

•Enquire about any set-up or

establishment fee.

•Find out the cost for

equipment such as a modem.

•Ask if the ISP will support

a modem you purchase

yourself.

•Ask about billing cycles and

if you’re billed in advance.

•Find out the monthly

data limit and if there are

separate peak and off-peak

limits.

•Check for peak and off-peak

usage times and any excess

usage charges.

•Find out if your service is

shaped, or slowed, if you

go over your data limit.

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In the kitchen

Through our rigorous testing, we

reveal which espresso machines

have the best temperature

performance, are the easiest to use

and program and, most importantly, make the

best-tasting coffee. We also test juicers, centrifugal and non-centrifugal,

and find the latter in particular tend to perform well. And if you’re

interested in a food processor, we’ve found that whether you choose a

standalone processor or combination processor/blender will depend on

how much storage space you have and what you want to use it for.

SMaLL WOndErSThe kitchen is increasingly the centrepiece of many people’s homes, so it’s important to get it right from the start.

FridgesA good rule of thumb is that

two people need between

250-285L of space in a fridge,

and you should add 28.5

litres for each additional

household member after

that. Add freezer space on

top of that. The bigger the

fridge, the more features,

the better the efficiency

per litre and the better

performance. If in doubt,

get the bigger fridge.Keep

in mind that very large

fridges of all kinds can be

difficult to get into the house.

Check the measurements of

bottlenecks such as doorways,

hallways, staircases and lifts

before you buy.

DishwashersIf you’re limited by space or

renting, consider a slimline

or a compact model. Slimline

machines are narrower than

a normal dishwasher and can

be built-in or freestanding.

Compacts are usually half

the height of a standard

dishwasher and they can be

placed on a bench or built in.

There’s also a drawer option

in the compact type.

OvensYour new oven should be

reliable, easy to use and clean

and last through endless

hours of food preparation.

Most electric ovens these days

are multifunction, meaning

you can use a combination

of top, bottom, grill and

sometimes rear elements plus

a fan to optimise different

cooking, baking and grilling

needs.

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In the laundry

Buying big-ticket items such as

washing machines is about

more than just the purchase

cost. Our 10-year running cost

figure is an estimate of how

much it’ll cost you over 10 years

for water and electricity if you

wash the equivalent of one load

every day using a normal cycle.

The calculations are based

on 22c / kWh for electricity and

$1.50 / 1000L for water. We

exclude depreciation and interest

costs, as well as the cost of

detergent – people use different

amounts and the price varies

widely between brands. We

also calculate 10-year running

costs for dishwashers, fridges

and other big appliances.

dEaL Of tHE dECadE

Top or front loader?Front loaders work by gently

turning the washing over and

over in a tumbling action, a

process that is quite gentle

on clothes. This cleaning

action uses less energy (when

washing in warm water) and

water than a top loader and

can be more adept at handling

unbalanced loads. However,

often the wash cycle takes

longer, though many front

loaders often have fast-wash

cycles or options.

DryersWe purchase the most

popular clothes dryers on

the market, bring them back

to our laboratories and test

them for six weeks. Models

tested include electric

vented, heat pump condenser,

condenser and gas-powered

clothes dryers.

Once you’ve set up your dryer:

•Ensure there’s adequate

ventilation or have it

ducted outside. Humid

air circulating around it

increases drying time and

energy costs.

• Only dry full loads.

• Separate loads into heavy

and lightweight – lighter

clothes will take less time

to dry.

• Dry consecutive loads – you’ll

use less energy because the

dryer is already heated, even

if it has a cool-down phase at

the end of each cycle.

• Clean the lint filter after

each use to maintain full

airflow and maximise

drying efficiency.

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Our 10-year running cost f igure is an estimate of how much it’ll cost you over 10 years for water and electricity

22cThe per kilowatt figure

we use to calculate 10-year running costs

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In the living room

You can’t go past a vacuum

cleaner that’s light, quiet and

easy to manoeuvre over both

carpet and hard surfaces, has

a long cord so you’re not forever

changing power points and has

a neat compact design for

easy storage.

Like vacuum cleaners, steam

mops come in stick and canister

forms, but they don’t have suction

power. If you need to clean up

large amounts of spilled liquids,

you’ll need a conventional mop or

a wet and dry vacuum cleaner.

They’re suitable for

most hard floors,

including vinyl, tiles

and sealed timber.

But are they really

that much better than

an ordinary mop and

bucket? Sign up

with CHOICE

and find out!

KEEP It CLEan

Watching & recording tVIf you prefer to watch shows

on your computer rather than

on a TV, a USB TV tuner

is a good option. They’re

small, relatively inexpensive

and usually come with an

electronic program guide

(EPG) and software that

allows you to program a

recording. You can then watch

on the computer screen or, if

you have a TV that connects

to your network, stream the

video to the TV.

Heating & coolingBefore you buy any cooling or heating system, first

optimise the energy efficiency

of your home — for example

by insulating the ceiling and

walls, and draught-proofing

windows and doors — and

then calculate the capacity

you need:

•If you want to cool or heat

individual rooms with

separate appliances, use

our cooling and heating capacity calculators

available at choice.com.au.

•If you decide on installing

a central cooling or heating

system, the right size and

design depends on a

range of parameters and

should be determined

by the supplier for your

individual situation.

Central systems

shouldn’t be bought

off the shelf.

In our first CHOICE Guide we took you through setting up your home entertainment system – one of many ways we can help you out.

Before you buy any cooling or

heating system, first optimise the energy

efficiency of your home

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In the study

Digital camerasBefore you buy a no-frills

compact camera or advanced

SLR model, check out our

advice on all you need to

know, including megapixels,

memory cards, batteries,

comes with a screen that’s

clear to read in all lighting

conditions and does not cause

eye strain. Also check eBook

stores to see what format the

books you want come in (the

most common form is EPUB).

Also note where the page-

turning buttons are located,

as this has a big impact on

long-term comfort.

CamcordersWant to be the next James

Cameron? Think about which

connections to your TV and

computer you’ll use, and

make sure the model you’re

interested in has them. Get

all the necessary cables when

buying the camcorder. Then,

consider what features and

functions you need, and

make sure the model you’re

interested in has them all. Go

to a shop and try it out. Check

whether you can comfortably

hold them and reach the main

controls (such as the zoom)

at the same time, especially if

you’re left-handed — most of

the latest models are designed

for right-hand use.

PrintersIn many cases you’ll pay

a little more up-front for a

colour laser multifunction

(MFP) printer but be much

better off in the long term

once running costs are

factored in.

A desktop or laptop computer will likely be the focus of this space. We regularly review both, but what about all the gadgets that sync with it?

video output, viewfinders,

shutter speed, focusing and

image stabilisation.

eBook readersLook for one that’s portable,

has a long battery life and

We test MFPs for ease of use, print speed, output quality, cost per page and running costs, including power consumption

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around the home

Hot water systemsFor many people, replacing an

old electric hot water system

with a similar model is no

longer an option. Standard

electric systems produce about

four tonnes of greenhouse

gases per year (on average)

– similar to an average-sized

car – and about three times

as much as gas or solar HWS.

Electric HWS can’t be

installed in any new detached,

terrace or townhouse, or any

such existing property where

there is access to piped natural

gas (some exemptions apply).

From 2012, this applies to

all existing detached, terrace

or townhouses. You don’t

BarbecuesBefore you buy a barbecue,

think about the size you

really need. A large four

burner looks impressive and

will do the job but it may be

much bigger than you really

need and cost you more.

Our testing has found that

smaller barbecues not only

give excellent cooking results

but, depending on the brand,

may save consumers hundreds

of dollars as well. Keep your

barbecue clean by scrubbing

the plate and grill with a

barbecue brush and water

while the plate is still warm.

Installing a solar hot water

system produces carbon-free

energy and insulates you from

rising coal-fired electricity prices.

Solar panels work best when

they’re north facing, pointed

directly at the sun, at the correct

angle and not blocked by trees

or shading. The effectiveness

of solar panels also depends on

where you live and the weather.

SUCKIng UP tHE SUn

Your home is much more than the sum of its furniture, appliances and whitegoods. What goes on outside its four walls is just as important as what goes on inside.

Our testing has found smaller barbecues give excellent cooking results and can save you hundreds of dollars

need to replace a working

electric HWS, but if you

own a detached, terrace or

townhouse, and it currently

has an electric HWS, you need

to consider a gas, solar or

electric heat pump for your

next replacement. Electric

HWS are still available for

apartments and other homes

where gas, solar or heat pump

systems aren’t feasible.

To find out more or to subscribe visit choice.com.au or call 1800 069 552

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