Normally a hot tub comes with a means of heating the water, and maintaining it without having to empty the water. This is where water filtration and disinfection methods are worth it and less wasteful. It really doesn't matter whether it is stainless steel or not: you are heating up water to levels that naturally promote bacteria and algae. Hence the NEED for some type of disinfection - which can range from tossing in a chlorine table to add ozone or other types. I suggest you purchase a book entitled "What colour is Your Swimming Pool" 2003 edition. It will give you a practical guide to what you are looking for to maintain your spa tub and why you need to do it.

Hi Joanna, It really comes down to three questions that you will need to ask yourself; 1. How much can you afford now 2. How patient are you... 3. How much maintenance do you want to provide Screens will give you an instant effect and won't require any ongoing maintenance and they would provide a more modern aesthetic to your space. They won't help to soften your space though, and as you have a lot of hard surfaces I would certainly recommend you look at trying to achieve this. You could achieve this by growing some climbers up the screen or by planting planters in front. In terms of colour, I would go or a darker one as this will contrast well to your existing surrounds but darker colours tend to disappear into the background visually, so it won't feel as cramped. In terms of cost, i'm not sure exactly how large of an area you need to cover, but they can get quite expensive. Prefabricated screens you can get from hardware stores are the most cost effective but are limited by design and colour. Custom ones are more flexible but will cost around $900-1500 per 2m H x 1m W panel, plus labour. As for plants, here is where the patience comes in.... If you can wait for the plants to grow in, this will provide you with the most cost-effective approach if you get the plants young. However, you can scale your decision to suit your budget with either small, medium or mature plants. Medium-mature plants are likely to cost less than getting custom screens built and installed, whereas small plants might cost the same as a pre-fabricated screen choice. Plants will also soften your space, but will also require the ongoing maintenance and without a strict schedule, you may end up with a similar problem with pests like your Portgegues Laurel. Gardening and garden design are all about weighing up your priorities vs your ability to compromise against budget, patience and ongoing maintenance. In answer to your question - It's not about what I would do with the space! You need to live in it (and pay for it!), so make a decision based on what you are comfortable with now and into the future. Whatever you decide, any change to your garden is worth the investment! Good Luck! Martin City Botanics

Without looking it up , the new Credit Regulations came in on 1 Dec , and there is a fine of up to $200,000 for every instance of 'irresponsible lending' . The problem seems to be that it isn't defined . So a couple who have been together for 5 years , saved $100k , both on $100k plus , have $50k of cars that they are prepared to sell and drive $5k ones , plus 1 lot of parents has $50k to lend them . A house that is $1million they can afford . But what if the female gets pregnant ? What if he loses his job and takes 2 months to get a $50k job ? What if the parent dies and the lawyer wants the $50k back ( or $37.5k of it to distribute to other siblings ) ? Those clothes trucks that go around the lower income suburbs sell a pair of 'knock-off' designer jeans to a solo mum for her 14 year old daughter . They charge $5 a week for 20 weeks , mum and daughter are happy because it fits their budget . You and I can probably find them on-line for $40 , they might be able to too , but to get $40 might mean missing a couple of meals or not prepaying the power , so they don't . I am a director of more than 40 companies . Probably half of them I own 99% of shares , others I own 33% or 40% or 50% . Pre-Covid , combined turnover was well over $250k a day , my property holdings are well into 8 figures . In June/July when I bought the Lincoln Street property , the mortgage was almost a formality -- I've dealt with the same bank for 35 or more years , have good cashflow and own a reasonable whack of my properties . Almost all have mortgages , and the more valuable ones also have floating charges , but I doubt I am classed as a risky borrower . Tenders close on this place in just under a month , but as it is technically not livable ( a couple of walls have been taken out and additions started -- they have closed it in with building paper and ply and wrap ) , I cannot get a mortgage , even though my intention is make it better , spend up to $1.5mil , and live there for at least 15 years ( I will have turned 70 by then haha ) . So if I do get it , rather than a approx 3.5% mortgage , I will have to get it via Bridging Finance ( at 11% ) , then after a year or 18 months , when everything is complete and Lake Crescent ( my current place ) is hopefully sold , and hopefully the rules have been clarified , I then go the through process of getting registered valuations and applying for a mortgage etc . Assuming Lake Cres sells for around what everything thinks , even after spending $1.5M on alterations , the mortgage should be under $2M and valuation likely to be around $7.5M ( land and stables etc will make up about half that ) , but right now its harder to get that than it was to get funding for Lincoln Street , which depending on exactly how it all pans out , will be $15M plus when complete . Interesting couple of months . This is a picture taken from a spot towards the rear of the property -- a bit clearer than the other ones .

Transforming an Uninspiring Auckland Backyard into a Stylish Oasis Our clients enlisted us initially as their outdoor living space required some much-needed TLC. The worn and failing deck was structurally unsound, but most importantly the entire backyard lacked an outdoor living element for the family. The house space inside was limited and worth investing in the outside to extend living space. It was a renovation project they were keen to get into and make the most of their central Auckland location. The brief was to include a new deck with a focus on a large wood-burning concrete fire, a spa area easy to connect and get to from the house, a louvre roof and flow from the house to the garden with a daybed and staggered steps and platforms. They also needed a new front entrance that provided more of a "Wow" factor. They wanted top-quality finishes and materials that are long-lasting and will stand the test of time and NZ conditions. They also wanted a project-managed custom-built design, as they had busy jobs and trusted us to oversee every component needed to transform the space. Before: After: We first worked together in selecting the materials in mind of the brief, to create a stunning new outdoor entertaining area and front entrance. The grey composite decking with no screws and clip-in system is very streamlined and clean-looking. It does not fade in the harsh NZ UV light and is easy to clean and not slippery as some timber hardwoods are in winter. At the front entrance, we did a stacked blockwall that was honed and sealed and created a garden bed with style. The finishing touches of the planting colour scheme working with the cushion colours. Our clients had great taste in the finishing touches of the furniture, cushions and down to the beautiful table setting. The hardwood slatted screens feature throughout the design behind the fire, around the spa, at the front entrance and side gate. These add warmth and interest to the layout. Before: After: The garden lighting added in the garden beds, and steps as well as LED strip lighting in the louvre makes nighttime beautiful and draws you outside. The lights add depth to the garden and a welcoming entrance. The seamless flow from indoors out ticked all the boxes and the clients are very happy with the result. Before: After: Check out the entire project here -> https://www.houzz.co.nz/hznb/projects/maximise-outdoors-in-central-auckland-pj-vj~7397204