Home Construction

{{featured_button_text}} In her final two months as chaplain for Ascension Providence Park-St. Catherine's, Sister Sini Paul — Sister Sini to almost everyone who entered her circle of warmth — found her ministry undergoing major changes. A lockdown for residents in nursing care and assisted living because of coronavirus protective measures meant no more Mass celebrated in chapel, which she often set up with volunteers or pushed residents in wheelchairs to. It meant no meals together or group activities. It meant temperature checks before entering facilities and a mask that covered what many remember best: her smile. Her eyes still would twinkle above that mask, and her voice still carried a friendly warmth and comfort when talking with residents. And, in a situation where contact with outside visitors was now rare, Paul's presence provided something many needed. "She was the only outside person outside from the nurses and staff. She was ...

Ethiopia's profile has risen in recent years. The introduction of an e-visa in late 2017, which made it easier to visit, boosted tourism by 48.6 percent, while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed caught the world's attention when he was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. But even as visitors flocked to Ethiopia's nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, its historic capital city remained a mere stopover. Green spaces in the city were nonexistent and outdoor activities sparse—until now. A multifaceted museum complex, Unity Park, opened in October 2019, stretching across 40 acres of the former 19th-century Imperial Palace grounds. Visitors can now walk alongside vibrant murals framing native plant and sculpture gardens and explore cultural pavilions showcasing Ethiopia's nine regions. The "Faces in the Shade" exhibit provides a deeper look at the country's history and details the Red Terror era, during which the communist Derg regime overthrew Ethiopia's monarchy, wit...

Witham On The Hill, S20/1620: Mr Ray Thompson - Partial demolition of an existing dwelling and erection of a new dwelling at Land Adjacent To Meadowside Bottom Street. Corby Glen, S20/1809: Mr and Mrs Benjamin and Olivia Smith - Change of use from partial wasteland to two Gypsy and Traveller pitches; including the erection of an amenity block, boundary fencing, creation of a new vehicular access to the public highway and the provision of hard-standing and parking areas at Land Off Mussons Close. Marston, S20/1831: Mr Andrew Barradell - Erection of single storey conservatory and single storey link extension between dwelling and garage.Alterations to existing front elevation of detached garage to replace existing garage door with window & masonry at Oak Trees, 3 Bridge Street. Planning Applications (12078486) Grantham, S20/1889: Mr Tim Gray - Class M Prior Notification for change of use from retail unit to residential at 16 St Catherine's Road. Grantham, S20/187...

While most homes in America have frames made of wood, a barndominium is a steel-framed house that offers a lot of advantages over wood: Lower costs, both in construction and maintenance, and flexibility of design, whether you prefer open-plan or filled with lots of rooms. The average cost of building a home in America is $100 to $155 per square foot, according to HomeGuide, a web portal between customers and homebuilders. And while that price will vary depending on what materials the structure of the house is made out of, the 2018 U.S. Census shows that 92.6% of single-family homes built that year were wood-framed. But there is a far cheaper alternative that's starting to gain traction, primarily in the South: Steel-framed homes known as "barndominiums" (see bottom for etymology). Image: LoJo The first cost savings comes in the construction costs: "If you include slab commissioning and finishing into the equation, expect to pay around $80 to $90 per square fo...

A house made from shipping containers. Will it have windows? Is it a tiny house? How will it be insulated? These are just a few of the first questions people ask my husband, Vaillant, and me when I tell them about our Pacific Pines Ranch project in Oregon. Several years ago Vaillant and I were discussing building our dream house and what that would entail. After watching a variety of alternative-building documentaries, we stumbled upon houses that were built using steel shipping containers. Some designed their container house to be simple and compact, and others designed theirs to be sleek and modern. After looking into it further, we decided this would be our dream home. So a little more than two years ago, we began the journey that we are currently on today. We started this project with minimal building experience. We knew we had a mountain to climb to master all the fabrication skills needed for this build. But we figured, why not? The skills we learned proved to be life-chang...

Merry Christmas to one and all. We hope this finds everyone in your current home well and happy. However, if you'd like to spend the new year in a new home with new possibilities, here's an outstanding listing from Mark Wright of Coldwell Banker that's filled with possibilities. Let's see if it'll fit your Christmas list: LOCATION: If your idea of convenience, fun, and total enjoyment is being in the middle of everything that's happening, you will love living at 42 John Street, for this street of friendly, respectful neighbors who watch out for each other, is just about dead center in the middle of Westerly. You can walk up to Rt. 1 (Post Road) in just minutes for restaurants, shops, and convenience items. Or hop in the car or take  your bike, and you'll be at the beaches in five minutes with no traffic jams nor long lines. Downtown Westerly and the train station are little more than five minutes away as well, and the hi...

Escaping to a cottage for a self-catering holiday was big in summer 2020 when we emerged from lockdown and were allowed to travel around the UK. Social distancing and a desire to escape the crowds is likely to continue into 2021, which will only see an increase in the demand for cottage getaways next year. With this in mind, we thought we'd speak to one of Britain's top self-catering specialists Holidaycottages.co.uk to discover the trends that are set to take over. From workations to breaks with your four-legged friends, here are the cottage trends to know for 2021. Winter – the new summer? After the year we've all had and with most people's summer holiday plans either cancelled or curtailed, there's never been more of a need for us to take a breather, appreciate both the great outdoors and each other, and set ourselves up for what we can cautiously hope will be a better year ahead. Holidaycottages.co.uk says it's seen a big increase in enquiries fo...