Landscaping Articles Service Central Articles and Advice

Prepare your Investment Property for Sale or Rent!

Prepare your Investment Property for Sale or Rent! Want to get more value and profit from your Investment? Don’t have the time or the know–how to do it yourself? Well don’t worry we have put together a few basic ways that you can get a maximum return for a low to medium investment. First of all you need to assess the requirements of your Property, is it dull or Out of date? Most Properties can be simply updated with a coat of paint and some new floor coverings. What are your appliances like? If your oven is 20 years old and you lack a dishwasher it may be time to update these as the Kitchen is the most important room of your property and your prospective buyers / tenants will pay close attention here. Is there a useful, relaxing outdoor area? In the warmer months we tend to realise what a treasure a viable outdoor area is so adding some pavers, a small deck and sprucing up your gardens is a quick way to attract some positive attention. Read more...

Leave a comment · · · 1 rating

How to grow your own fruit

Sick of paying hefty prices for fruit at the local supermarket? Here's the perfect solution ... grow your own fruit. Read more...

Leave a comment · · · 1 rating

How to Pave

Guide to paving. Thanks to Bunnings for creating this handy video guide on how to lay paving. Read more...

Leave a comment · · · 1 rating

How to Build a Deck

Would you like to know how to build a deck? Bunnings have put together a series of great how to videos, including the 4 part series on how to build a deck. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Edible Gardens

Looking for a new way to make your lifestyle more sustainable and add value to your home? Then why not add an edible garden? Permaculture is one of the latest 'in' things, and not without good reason! Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Ideas for shading your home

At this time of year we all start to become aware of the sun and just how hot it can get. Keeping the house cool becomes paramount, but with the sun beating down on it all day even those with air conditioning units can struggle. So how can we go about shading our house from the sun? Read more...

1 comment ·

Renovation to-do list for 2012

Have you worked out your New Year's Resolutions yet? Why not include your home in the plans this time around? To get you started we've got some great renovation ideas you can implement in 2012! Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Pre-Renovation Checklist

Don't get caught out when planning your renovation - follow this handy checklist to make sure it all runs as smoothly as possible. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Mr Verandah wins Monash Business Award

Service Central is proud to announce that one of its certified businesses, Mr Verandah, has been awarded a Monash Business Award. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Your Local Council – what's the deal with planning permission?

If you're considering home improvements a question most people will need to ask is 'Do I need planning permission?'. Many alterations and home improvements will need council approval - so if you ignore the council you could be forced to return the building to it's former state at great expense or pay a fine. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Outdoor trends for the summer - decks, patios, pergolas and opening up the home

What are people asking for this Spring? The daylight hours are longer and people are changing their homes to take advantage of the sun - to add value to their homes and also to make living in them more pleasant! Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Keeping your garden low-allergenic

Spring arrives, and at the Service Central office, we collectively reach for the tissues, antihistamines and nasal spray. Not only more pollens about, but we also spend more time outdoors in our gardens or at friend's homes, and with 2 in 5 Australians affected by hayfever it's no wonder that the focus is on low-allergenic gardens. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Taking advantage of Spring - preventative pest control, heat prevention and more...

Spring is all about new beginnings to the crew at Service Central. We've used the Spring energy to launch our brand new redesigned website, re-organise our office space and start to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. So what can you be doing to take advantage of this time of year? Read more...

1 comment ·

What does the Climate Change white paper mean for the trades industry in Victoria?

Businesses are really just a collection of people, and so many of the changes experienced as individuals will be experienced by trades businesses, especially with the extension of the Energy Saver Incentive scheme to small and medium businesses (previously only for households). But there is also a further effect to businesses who work in trades related to the actual delivery of the goals outlined in the white paper. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

What do Landscapers do? The kings of the garden...

A common misconception of landscapers is that they only do big projects - designing a new garden and implementing it for you or with your help. But commonly landscaping companies offer a range of services. Some landscaping businesses also specialise in a specific area. Read more...

4 comments ·

Irrigation tactics - to water or not to water?

Water restrictions make it difficult for all of us to have perfect gardens easily. But it's still possible, especially by choosing the right plants and the right irrigation method. Many landscapers and gardeners are irrigation experts, but you can also choose to go direct to a specialist for advice - especially if you have a large plot or farm. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

What can concreting be used for around your home?

Concreting is versatile, and a quality concreter can use concrete in innovative ways to add design and structural elements to your home. Concrete also comes in a variety of textures and designs. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

To DIY your deck or hire a professional

To DIY your deck or hire a professional A deck is a relatively easy and cost effective way to add value to your home and at the same time increase your space and comfort while you live there. In my view, having a deck is the Australian dream. There's nothing quite like beers and a BBQ on a beautiful deck. Should you DIY or hire a professional to complete construction of your deck? Read more...

Leave a comment · · · 1 rating

Tools of the trade: Using Google Maps to quote from your office

You'll remember our blog about Google Maps, the free online map service. But two of the features of Google Maps have far more benefits for some tradespeople than just a simple map. Here are some ideas on how to use the this free service to improve efficiency in your business. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Pricing for decks: How much does a new deck cost?

Pricing decks before designing the job or seeing the terrain is virtually impossible, because not only are there many options in terms of materials, but also lots of different things can affect the cost. But, this guide should give you an idea of which options are more expensive and a very basic idea of the cost. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Save Water around the Garden

Looking for ways to save water around the garden? This helpful article will give you some great water saving advice, from choosing the appropriate plants to landscaping ideas to using greywater and rainwater Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Gardening and Concrete: How to use concrete to improve your garden

Concrete has a bad reputation in home improvements - it’s mainly considered as something to be used for driveways and pavements and is often seen as a low maintenance option over grass. Correctly used however concrete can offer solutions that are both attractive and cheap. Landscape gardening is just one example where concrete can be the perfect solution for your renovation requirements. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Video: Paving Tips

An Australian video filled with quality paving tips. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

Top Home Improvement Investments

Considering a home improvement? Check out the top 6 home improvements across Australia. Read more...

Leave a comment ·

DIY: Recoat your deck in a day

Bring your deck back to life in a day in just 3 easy steps. Read more...

3 comments ·

And the Top 10 Services for 2009 are ....

The results are in. Drum roll please ...... In 2009 Service Central generated 48,665 new jobs, read on to see which services were the most popular! Read more...

Leave a comment ·