Reading Time: 2 minutes Some properties are more than just beautifully designed – they can be good for the environment too. The trend towards green building is no longer just limited to the western world. In emerging property markets around the globe, sustainable design is starting to take off. A recent report from McGraw-Hill Construction revealed that green building is taking hold around the world, with this growth not limited to one geographic region or market. In fact, more than half the architects, engineers, and contractors surveyed for the report predicted that the bulk of their work would be green by 2015. From supertall towers to small local projects, here are some inspiring examples of sustainable, environmentally-friendly property designs around the world. The home: Straw bale houses, Pakistan Since 2005, more than 400,000 people have died in earthquakes in developing countries. In Pakistan, one organization has found a sustainable building design that can withstand…
Reading Time: < 1 minute It is often said that we are living in a ‘digital’ age – one of connectedness, where we use the internet in every area of our lives. But what if you couldn’t access the internet? For many of us, that might sound unthinkable but it is a reality for many – in some countries of the world, as little as 1% of the population can access the internet. Whilst almost everyone is connected to the internet in Europe and North America, other continents have internet penetration rates of below 50% – including Asia and Africa. But internet access is growing fast in all four corners of the globe. Check out this neat infographic showing the astronomically fast growth of the internet in Bangladesh.
Reading Time: 2 minutes In 2014, 3D is everywhere – from the cinema to video games. Now, a Canadian firm is introducing 3D to the real estate market. Vancouver-based LNG Studios is pioneering an exciting piece of technology that captures images of your home and using special software, transforms these images into a browsable 3D model of your home. A special camera scans a rapid series of photographs from different positions in the room, capturing every intricate detail of a home – from dimensions to textures to the color of the wallpaper. The software then stitches these images together and then, as if by magic, perfectly recreates a 3D model of the home down to the last detail. You can then walk through the virtual model of the home from the comfort of your desktop computer. The whole process takes about 1 hour – the same amount of time for the traditional approach to…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ghosts frequenting dark corridors, old mansions crawling with zombies – and it’s up to you to fight them off. The survivor horror genre has been striking terror into the heart’s of gamers since the 1980s. Today we take a look at three of the best games featuring some very spooky property. Enter if you dare. Haunted House First game released: 1982 Console: Atari 2600 This is the game that kickstarted the survivor horror genre. Released by Atari in the early 1980s, the game is set in the haunted four-storey mansion of the late Zachary Graves. Your objective is to find three pieces of a magic urn. In the process, you have to ward off a series of enemies: tarantulas, vampire bats and the ghost of Mr. Graves himself. There’s no escaping until all three pieces have been returned to the front entrance and the urn is again intact. In 2010,…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dirty dishes piling up. Clothes left in the washing machine. Music blasted until 2 am. We all have our bad days, but what do you do when you realize your housemate has the hygiene standards of a grubby teenager – particularly after you’ve signed a one-year lease? To avoid a nasty showdown, you’ve so far been putting up with your roomie’s antisocial friends and love for food of the two-minute-noodle variety. Fear not: there are other ways out of this uncomfortable (and unsanitary) situation. These are your five best options for getting the housemate from hell to leave of their own accord. No messy confrontation required. 1. Master the art of the passive-aggressive note. Become an expert in angry letter writing. Then leave these poetic masterpieces on your housemate’s bedroom door. Aim for one a day for at least two months. We all know how effective this method is. Especially…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Twelve luxury bedrooms, more than 1km of water frontage and two of your own private islands just offshore. That’s what you get for $120 million USD: the cost of the most expensive family home ever sold in the United States. Copper Beech Farm, located in the town of Greenwich in Connecticut, was originally listed for a record-setting $190 million USD. The asking price had been reduced several times since last May and the 50-acre property eventually sold for $120 million – making it the most expensive single-family home ever sold in the US. The description from agents David Ogilvy & Associates reads like something out of a fairytale: a 75-foot pool with a spa, a private beach, a grass tennis court, two greenhouses, sweeping water views, and constant privacy thanks to the property’s walled gardens. But then with such a hefty price tag, a few creature comforts are to be…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Behind almost every city’s name is an interesting story. What a town is called can reveal plenty about its history, culture and even how it views itself. Today we debunk the myths surrounding how some of the world’s global cities got their names. Dhaka, Bangladesh Nicknames: City of Mosques, Rickshaw Capital of the World There are several theories about how Bangladesh’s capital city takes its name. Some say it comes from the Dhakeshwari temple, meaning ‘Goddess of Dhaka’, the country’s national Hindu temple. Others say the name comes from the Dhak plant, which is commonly found in the area. But our favorite theory has its roots in history. With the strongholds of Bengal rulers once located nearby, Dhaka translates as ‘watchtower’. Islamabad, Pakistan Nicknames: Isloo, The Green City Pakistan’s capital translates as ‘City of Islam’. Islamabad takes its name from two words: the Arabic word Islam, referring to the country’s…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Buying a home will undoubtedly be one of the biggest purchases you will ever make. The last thing you want is to end up with buyer’s remorse. Our team has put together a fun, practical guide to help take the stress out of property hunting. Bproperty’s 10 real estate commandments are designed to guide both first-time buyers and those returning to the market. There are a few simple steps that we find our customers often forget, like the importance of getting an expert opinion or having pre-approval for a mortgage. Keep these in mind and the house-hunting process will be significantly less stressful. The 10 commandments for homebuyers: Know the market. Do your research and know what else is out there. Never rush into a purchase without being fully informed – and never buy the first home you inspect. Save, save and save some more. Make sure you have a…
Reading Time: < 1 minute No doubt you’ve heard of castles built for kings, archdukes, local lords, and medieval rulers; but how about one with ties to a fictional Transylvanian vampire? The real-life Romanian castle that reportedly inspired the classic novel Dracula is on the market for an undisclosed price. New York law firm Herzfeld and Rubin, which is handling the sale, this week revealed it is accepting expressions of interest for Bran Castle, which has become something of a national monument in the eastern European country. “If someone comes in with a reasonable offer, we will look at who they are, what they are proposing, and will seriously entertain the idea,” Mark Meyer, of Herzfeld and Rubin, told the Daily Telegraph. The sale comes after the current owner, Archduke Domini, reportedly offered the castle to the Romanian government for $80 million USD. The historic castle is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s 1897 vampire…
Reading Time: 2 minutes You’ve just moved into your dream home but there’s a problem: the living room walls are a hideous shade of beige. Or perhaps you’re about to put your property on the market and know your daughter’s bright pink bedroom isn’t exactly a selling point. Either way, a fresh splash of color totally transforms drab, washed-out walls. A new paint job makes any room instantly more liveable and can even increase the value of your home. Of course, you could hire someone to do the painting for you. But why hire a professional if you can do the job perfectly well yourself? Follow the five simple steps below to painting interior walls. 1. Prepare the room. First up, there are a few things you will need to do to avoid unnecessary mess. If possible, move all the furniture out of the room. Otherwise, items should be stacked in the center of…
