Rent Out Your Drive

ParkatmyHouse.com helps property owners raise extra cash by renting out their empty parking spots  

An online parking marketplace matches homeowners with drivers looking for parking space

ANDREW GOMBERT/EPA

Homeowners and business owners who live near destinations like Yankee Stadium can use ParkatmyHouse.com to rent out their parking spaces.

Live near Kennedy Airport? Great. Is your property near Yankee Stadium? Even better.

You might be able to turn your empty parking space into some cold, hard cash courtesy of ParkatmyHouse, an online parking marketplace that’s rolling into the city.

Based in the U.K., the website is making a big push into the tri-state area, Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. ParkatmyHouse.com matches homeowners, business owners, churches and schools who have spare parking space with drivers looking for a place to park.

Launched six years ago, ParkatmyHouse has so far taken in $5 million in fees for people, mostly in the U.K. who have listed on its site. After a recent round of financing led by German car giant BMW, it is hoping to do the same in the U.S.

“This is a great opportunity for homeowners to make some money,” the company’s founder, Anthony Eskinazi, told the Daily News.

It is free to list your space. ParkatmyHouse, which just opened an office in the West Village, takes a 15% commission from each transaction. Sometimes people who park at a home will arrange for the homeowner to drive them to their destination.

The closer you are to a hot spot, like a sports arena or train station, the more you can expect to get. So how much is that driveway near Yankee Stadium?

“On average, you could get $40 a game,” Eskinazi said. “You might be able to charge $60 or more. It depends on the proximity.”

PHYLLIS FURMAN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

pfurman@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/parkatmyhouse-helps-property-owners-raise-extra-cash-renting-empty-parking-spots-article-1.1000464#ixzz2nLiNIiSD

What a waste, all those empty seats

Another way to not have a garage....................................

Empty Seats in Your Car? Start Ridesharing to Stop the Waste.

Odile Beniflah is ready to rideshare and save resources caused by inefficient commutes (Image: Courtesy of Odile Beniflah)

GUEST POST FROM ODILE BENIFLAH OF CARPOOLING.COM

The next time you drive, try ridesharing as an alternative to driving alone.

Each time you drive alone, the empty seats in your car go to waste. Here’s the ‘sitch’: there are 1 billion cars on the planet and every car that’s now driving down a country road or highway has an average of 3.75 empty seats. Now multiply that by 3 trillion highway vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. each year. And factor in the $8,000 cost to own a car and the fact that the average American commuter spends 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. Come on you people: wake up and stop the waste. Try Ridesharing instead.

Solo Drivers Need to Go to Rehab!

For me, driving alone is like smoking. People get into the habit of doing it at a young age and simply can’t stop. They may suffer nasty side effects such as huge costs, sitting alone in traffic, or stress during long commutes but can’t seem to see a solution to their misery! Meanwhile, those who don’t have a car (like me) are always looking for a lift. We car-free people may love buses and trains but what’s better than ridesharing with friendly people?

Carpooling.com services 9 countries in Europe and will be available soon in the U.S. (Image: Carpooling.com)

Enter Carpooling.com for Ridesharing

When I moved to Germany in 2008, I discovered “mitfahrgelegenheit” and “mitfahrzentrale”: a service that connects drivers and passengers so they can share their rides together and share costs for gas. It was such a simple idea and it worked: the site was as big as Expedia and LastMinute! I was so excited that it was easy to land a job when the site expanded internationally as carpooling.com.

So Why Not Practice Ridesharing in America?

To those who come up with lame excuses such as lower gas prices, cultural differences, entrenched consumerism, selfishness, inconvenience, fear of strangers etc., I say Not So Fast! Americans love FUN and FREEDOM — so ridesharing via a service like carpooling.com would be perfect here as well.  And please stop saying that these green, social, smart behaviors only happen in Europe! I personally believe that America is the country that can make carpooling and ridesharing so cool that the entire world will follow. This is why I can’t wait to see the launch of carpooling.com in the U.S. Stand by…it’s coming SOON.

Ridesharing is Fun – Time to Show and Tell

Think about booking a ride in a fancy 4×4, comfortable sedan, funky pick-up truck, classy Cadillac, outrageous Jacuzzi-limo, luxury convertible, cruising Harley-Davidson, urban Zipcar, VW minibus. Imagine picking up a chef, a writer, a baseball fan, a folk singer from Tennessee, a French tourist, a student in philosophy, a developer of violent video games, a Kindergarten teacher, a BBQ master.

Ridesharing with Odile Beniflah is never boring (Image: Courtesy of Odile Beniflah)

Technology has finally enabled the ridesharing revolution to take off. With smartphones, people can now offer or book seats on-the-go. With user profiles and social networks, people can get to know each other online before meeting en route.

So I am calling all the people who already carpool “21st century style” to speak up and share their stories of cheap, convenient, happy, comfortable transportation. Please show and tell the world about how great ridesharing can be.

Welcome to the Peer-to-Peer Sharing Economy and a World of Infinite Possibilities

Now you can sell empty seats and reduce your car ownership costs by 75%. You can have access to millions of individual, affordable ride options. Carpooling and ridesharing is a real opportunity to celebrate equity and diversity, and to put human relationships back at the center of our daily lives.

So What Can You Do Until Carpooling.com is Launched in the U.S.?

Here’s how you can start to get out of your solo-driving addiction and start ridesharing. Start reaching out to friends and colleagues and offer them a ride. Ask neighbors if they want to join you on a trip to IKEA. Start a carpool group on Facebook. (Offer a free lunch to anyone driving you to a beach this summer.) And if you are lucky enough to travel to Europe this summer, carpooling.com  — it’s up and running in 40 countries.

All you need is to use your imagination and watch out for that ridesharing bug: it’s contagious! 

This article is by Odile Beniflah and you can read it here:- http://www.wehatetowaste.com/rideshare/ 

What if......?

Your car doesn't fit into your garage?

Well, just get rid of it (the garage) altogether then!  Much cheaper.  AND.....You get to have an extra room in your house.

Or get rid of the car - why not?

Work out how much you could save

In the Telegraph it is reported that "The RAC is refusing to budge on the pessimistic claim in its recently published Report on Motoring that it costs "an average of £6,689" per annum – or £557 per month, if you prefer – to own and run a car in Britain today."

There is a calculator for motoring costs on the AA site. http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/running_costs/

You could use a car pool like zipcar or http://www.hourcars.co.uk/ or http://www.easycar.com.  This arrangement is generally cheaper if you only use the car for a few hours.

Picture courtesy of graur razvan ionut / freedigitalphotos.net

Or, if you don't use the car regularly you could just take a taxi and hire a car for your holidays and have the weekly shopping delivered by whoever your favourite supermarket or shop is.

Thank you eHow.

This is for all you teckkies out there.  Me, personally, I wouldn't dare!

How to Install a Honda Integrated Garage Door Opener

By Nathan McGinty, eHow Contributor

There's not much more annoying than pulling into your driveway in your car only to find that you've left your garage door opener remote control inside the house. One way to prevent this hassle is by installing an integrated garage door opener in your car. An integrated garage door is a switch affixed permanently or semipermanently inside your car that allows you to open the garage door by remote control. This handy hack will work in many car models, including Hondas.

Things You'll Need

• Extra garage door opener
• Screwdriver
• Multimeter

Soldering iron

Solder

Insulated wire

Integrated switch

Wire cutters

Quick-fit wire connectors

1. • 1
     Obtain an extra garage door opener remote control for your door, if you have only one remote control. You will be cutting apart this unit, so make sure it's not the only garage door opener remote control you have. Purchase additional remote control units from your garage door opener manufacturer.
   • 2
     Loosen the screws on the opener remote control and pull the housing apart.
   • 3
     Examine the surface of the circuit board of the garage door opener, looking for the soldered connections directly beneath the push button. There may be four or eight soldered connections, depending on your remote control model.
   • 4
     Press down on the garage door button and keep it affixed in place with a piece of duct tape. This will hold the circuit closed for testing. Take one end of the multimeter probe and touch one of the soldered connections. Touch the other end of the probe to an adjacent connection. Watch the needle on the multimeter. If it falls to zero, you have found the connections that you need to solder together. If not, try a different connection with the second multimeter probe. You're looking for the pairs of nodes that have zero resistance across each other for soldering together. Once you've found the first pair, continue working until you've identified all the nodes and their zero-resistance partners.
   • 5
     Heat up the solder on the first connection with the tip of a soldering iron to soften it. Insert the end of the first bit of insulated wire. Apply solder to the top of the wire and melt it with the tip of the soldering iron. Repeat this process for the free end of the insulated wire, soldering it to the first connection's zero-resistance partner. Repeat the procedure of wiring the zero-resistance pairs together with the soldering iron and wire.
   • 6
     Remove the 9V battery cap connection wires from the battery terminals on the circuit board by cutting it with wire cutters. Solder two more connections from the positive and negative battery terminals on the garage door opener.
   • 7
     Connect the wire connected to the negative battery terminal on the opener to the negative wire of a 9-volt battery cap that you cut off the circuit board earlier. Connect the positive terminal from the 9-volt cap to a wire with a Quick-fit connector switch at the end.
   • 8
     Connect the positive battery terminal on the opener to a wire with a quick-fit connector.
   • 9
     Look for a location on your Honda dashboard that can hold the body of the garage door switch comfortably. For example, in 2003 to 2007 Honda Accords, remove the fuse panel cover, and then the fuse panel collar, to reach an open area behind the dashboard. Also note that you'll need enough wiring to run from the switch in the dash to the garage door opener remote control location.
   • 10
     Locate a connector switch that fits into one of the free sockets of your Honda dashboard. Find them cheap at online or physical retailers. You may need to test several until you find one that fits. Fasten a quick connector switch to the positive and negative terminals on the switch. Remove any unused switch panels on the dash, such as where optional accessories such as defroster switches might me mounted, and mount the new switch. How you'll mount the new switch depends on the type of kit that you purchased. Most will come with screws that can you can drive through the switch and into the dashboard.
   • 11
     Connect the 9-volt battery to the battery cap. Trim out any parts of the garage door opener as needed so the wires running out don't get bent, and fasten the garage door remote housing back together.
   • 12
     Mount the door opener remote control in a hidden part of your dashboard or glove box. Don't make the mounting permanent, as you will eventually have to change the battery.
   • 13
     Connect one wire from the switch to the battery assembly cap and the other to the garage door opener remote control by pressing the quick-fit connections together.

http://www.ehow.com/how_12228227_install-honda-integrated-garage-door-opener.html

States of jersey Police say.......

Drink Driving

On average, 3,000 people are killed or injured in drink-drive collisions each year in the UK.If you're convicted of drink driving, your life will change. You will:

• have a criminal record
• be disqualified from driving - for at least a year
• have to pay more for your vehicle insurance, as your premium will increase
• have difficulty hiring a car for the next 10 years
• need to re-sit your driving test once your disqualification period is over

These things will happen if you're simply caught and convicted for drink driving. If you kill or injure someone while drink driving, the consequences for you will be much worse.

The legal limit

The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. But any amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive safely, and alcohol affects people differently. So the only way to make sure that you're under the limit is to not drink any alcohol if you're going to drive.

What is a unit of alcohol?

One unit usually means:

• a small glass of wine
• a measure of spirit
• half a pint of normal strength beer

However, the strength of alcohol in various drinks differs hugely - and the measure you pour yourself at home is likely to be very different from the measure you receive in a pub. This all means that it's very difficult to determine how many units you've had - the only way to tell for sure is to take a breath test.

Again, the only way to make sure you're under the limit is to not drink any alcohol if you're going to drive.

How long after drinking is it safe to drive?

Are you legally safe to drive the morning after drinking? Take a Saturday night's drinking:

• at midnight you may have 200mg in the blood (2 and 1/2 times the legal driving limit)
• at 7.30 the next morning, you still have 90mg - so you're still over the limit
• by lunchtime, you'll have about 20mg - under the legal limit, but this is still enough to affect your ability to drive

It's impossible to get alcohol out of your system quickly; neither coffee nor a shower will help speed up the process. It just takes time.

Breath tests

You can be breath tested at any time of day or night, on any day of the year. For example:

• if you're involved in a collision - whether it is your fault or not - you will be required to provide a breath sample
• if you're attempting to drive a vehicle - this might mean you're trying to start a car, for example
• if you're in charge of a vehicle - this means that the driver is in the vehicle even if it's not moving
• if you commit a moving traffic offence - such as speeding, failing to stop for a red light or not wearing a seat belt
• if you fail to stop after a collision -we can trace your vehicle and request a breath sample, even if you had left the vehicle

You can read this article at www.jersey.police.uk/crime/roadsafety/Pages/DrinkDriving.aspx

How to Create or Replace Your Driveway!

Putting in a driveway is not an easy job, nor is relaying or resurfacing one. There are literally hundreds of different surface types, colours and techniques so it’s hard to know where to start.

Do-it-Yourself or Use Professionals?

We’ve written Driveway Expert as a resource for anyone who wants to build, replace, repair or maintain a driveway in the United Kingdom. The information contained in the articles on this website will allow a competent DIY fan to lay their own driveway. We’re honest about the surfaces that really should be left to the professionals and those that you can lay yourself.

You’ll also find information here to help people who definitely won’t be doing their own drive and will be hiring a firm to do it for them instead. Let’s face it, that’s most of us. And if you’re in that situation, the more you know, the less likely you are to be caught out by shoddy workmanship and unprofessional firms.

If you haven’t yet decided whether to DIY or pay someone else to do it for you, the expert articles here will help you decide.

Huge Variety of Surfaces and Materials

When it comes to laying a new driveway the first you need to know is how to identify the different surfaces, how to prepare them and lay them. We explore the different qualities that the various surfaces have so that you can decide which material is the right one for you. Once you've laid your brand new drive it's important to keep it well maintained but don't worry we've got that covered too!

Getting the Basics Right in the First Place

Much of the work planning and preparing for a driveway is the same regardless of the type of material you or the contractor will be using. There’s dealing with regulation and planning for a start, although unless you live in a conservation area or similar region, where there are restrictions on building, in most cases you can do what you like. Although this has changed somewhat in recent years with the realisation that hardstandings on urban gardens are contributing to the flooding problems and raising the ambient temperature in our towns and cites. This has meant that more people in towns now have to apply forplanning permission for driveways.

The layout of the drive, planning it and marking out, catering for gradients and ensuring that the slopes will drain rainwater away are all vital ingredients to ensuring a properly laid drive. We take you though what you need to know and how you need to do it as well as looking at the more specialist drainage solutions that are required for more difficult sites.

For the rest of this article please go to:- http://www.drivewayexpert.co.uk/

Carports & Canopies

OK, so your garage is jam-packed with stuff and I can't persuade you to de-clutter it so what options are you left with?

1.     Park on the drive.  Can the postman/lady/anyone who comes to deliver or visit you get past the car?
2.     Park on the street.  Not really an option for me as I am blonde and female.  Need 3 spaces!
3.     Park on your front lawn.  OK if you don't have an attachment to the lawn.  Looks scruffy.
4.     Park on your front hardstanding.  Can see the car in your living room.  Only just fits on!
5.     Park on your side hardstanding.  Now you are talking!  Room for a proper drive/garage here.

You don't have any hardstanding?  It's time to step up to the plate and start putting some money away for some hardstanding, a canopy, carport or building a garage or even moving to somewhere more car friendly.  Does anyone know how much a garage adds to the value of your property?  This is just a wild guess, £5 - 15K?



 For my friends in the US of A here are some kind of tent things to park your car in.  Yes, I know, they are canopies!  I think they are kind of neat.



If you live somewhere warm like Florida it could be perfect for you.  Keeps the car cool!  On the other hand, you may live somewhere cold so it will protect the car from the weather to a degree, especially if it is erected near to a building wall.  It may mean the difference between defrosting the windscreen or not, and hanging around in the freezing cold (we Brits know a thing or two about that - but maybe we will get a comment from Alaska telling us different!).  You can buy it on Amazon.  If you decide to buy one like this please make sure you have read the reviews.  All those helpful people have given you the benefit of their experience.

How much value does a garage add to your home?

A garage can add between 5 and 10 per cent to the value of your home.

Garages have two major uses in the UK. With recent research from the bank Santander finding that there are over 9 million private garages in the UK, almost half of privately owned homes have one. Whilst many people use them to securely store their car, increasing numbers of British homeowners are converting their garages into additional living space.

Building a garage to add secure parking and storage for your car can, according to the website upmystreet.co.uk, add 5 per cent to the value of your home. Indeed, recent research from the independent estate agents Spicerhaart found that a garage or parking was the number one request from prospective house buyers in the UK.

Garages can start at under £1,000 for a self-assembly metal or wooden garage but can add several thousand pounds of value to your home. They may also make your property more appealing to prospective buyers and, of course, it will reduce the cost of your car insurance.

Whilst many people are adding a garage to their home, many others are converting their garage from car storage into additional living space for their home. The Daily Telegraph recently reported that 650,000 British households have recently converted their garage into another room (an office, gym or additional bedroom/reception room) while a further 470,000 intend to undertake this conversion.

By adding additional living space to your home it is possible to add a substantial amount to the value of your home, particularly if your garage is converted to an additional bedroom. Virgin Media reports that ‘at around £8,000, garage conversions are much cheaper than building an extension and could up the value by as much as 10 per cent’.

So, whilst a garage can add value to your home, make sure you use the space wisely. Some homes will benefit much more from off-street, secure parking whilst other homes will see a leap in value thanks to the additional living space.

This article is from the following website     http://www.homeimprovementloans.org.uk/how-much-garages-add-property-value.html

Don't you wish you could use your garage?

OK, we have all seen it this past week or so, the weather has turned, there is a chill in the air and..............................

YES! It's frosty in the early mornings.  I know because I start work at 6 am.  The other day I noticed my blackberries were all iced up!

So, you know the routine, leave the house 10 minutes earlier just to suit the weather.  Start the car, search everywhere for the de-icer, you know you had it somewhere.  Is it empty, oh dear!  Sit in the car and freeze whilst you wait for the windscreen to clear inside and out, or get out there and scrape it off, or, go inside and make a coffee whilst the windscreen de-ices and then when you come out, OOPs! the car has been stolen!

Yes, you could have avoided all of this if you only had room in your garage for the car!  No more freezing in the mornings, no more peering through that little hole in the windscreen, no more backing into stuff because you set off before it had all cleared.

So, the solution is simple, declutter the garage and use it or declutter the garage and make it into another room.  It will give you enhanced living space and may add value to the price of your house.

Declutter your garage to park your car

The garage is supposed to be where people store their cars but unfortunately this is not the case most of the time.  At seems a shame that your car should sit on your drive or on the road and have to put up with abuse from passersby and the weather.  Plus on top of that you're paying more for your insurance premium as your car isn't really secure i.e. locked away.  Instead of using the garage for this purpose it's used as storage space for anything and everything people want to keep out of their houses or can’t bear to part with.  I'm sure most people don't even know what's in their garage and certainly can never find what they want.

There are many ways to save space in the garage and maximise its use but first you need to have a huge sort out, get organised and declutter.  Pull everything out of the garage and decide what you are going to do with everything i.e. keep, sell/give away or throw away; you could even have a boot/yard sale with the items you decide to sell.  It would be wise to spend a whole day starting very early and on a sunny day!

Depending on what your hobbies are, you could have either various broken computer bits or old parts of vehicles you used to have like spare tyres or parts you have replaced - either sell these items or if they are of no use to anyone dispose of them properly.  I've even known people to put their old washing machines and broken electrical items in the garage.  Don't!  When you replace an electrical item get rid of the old one straight away.  Most electrical companies that deliver new fridges or washing machines will remove the old one for you at no extra cost.

Decluttering tip - Only keep what you need!

I'm sure everyone has got unfinished DIY projects taking up precious space in their garage.  You must set yourself a realistic target (say 2 months) of either finishing the job off or getting rid of it.  Build shelving on the walls to store old pots of paint, decorating equipment etc...  Check the paint first as they do go off after about 4-5 years, even sooner if they haven't been stored correctly and have been exposed to extreme heat or cold.  Don't forget to get rid of those spare rolls of wallpaper and that box of old tiles you no longer have in your house.  Only keep what you need!

Another thing that takes up lots of room is surplus furniture which could be old furniture that's now been replaced or that old 1930's sideboard that you inherited from your granny.  Be ruthless, if you don't need it any more, get rid of it.  If you've got a lawn mower and lots of gardening tools and equipment then consider buying a small shed for your garden.  It makes more sense to have all your gardening things within easy reach of the garden as this is where everything will be needed.

Now that you've sorted everything out you need to put everything away properly.  The best thing to do is to try and keep as many things off the floor as possible.  For example, you can get different sorts of racks for various things.  Hang a bicycle rack on the wall to hang the bicycles up, mount big hooks up to hang your ladder and tools, and as mentioned earlier fix some shelving to the walls or even old kitchen cupboards would work really well.

Belongings like bags of moth-eaten clothes, old toys and games, things the kids have outgrown, nursery equipment, boxes of books, records and video tapes - do you really need them?  They are taking up valuable space in your garage so take them to the charity shop.  Things that you don't need access to on a regular basis, like Christmas decorations, suitcases and boxes of personal memorabilia, can be stored in your attic.  Or if your garage has a high roof or loft space, make use of it to store these things.  Alternatively, install overhead metal hangers which are attached to the ceiling joists as they are very good at providing extra storage.

Now you should have space in your garage to park your car!  In future, instead of chucking things out of the house and in to the garage, deal with it there and then and you'll always have space in the garage for the car.

This article is from     http://www.savingstuff.co.uk/declutter-garage.asp

GARAGE DOORS

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXCERPTS FROM THE WEBSITE OF ROLLER DOORS LTD, A COMPANY WITH OFFICES IN LANCASTER

"We understand that a lot of people don’t use their garages for vehicle storage anymore but we know that, whatever it is you use your garage for, it needs keeping safe and secure.  So whether it’s a car, a personal gym or a utility room, your door will help keep out unwanted intruders."

SO IT'S VIRTUALLY A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THEN THAT NOBODY USES THEIR GARAGE AS A GARAGE ANY MORE! SHAME ON US!  NEXT TIME YOU MOVE MAKE A MENTAL NOTE TO YOURSELF THAT YOU WILL GET A PLACE WITH A DECENT SIZED GARAGE!


"You may be wondering why you should install roller shutter garage doors rather than opting for the conventional up and over or side hinged garage doors. There is one simple answer to this question: Space.  You can pull your car right up the front of a garage fitted with a roller door, you can have more hanging space within the actual garage and, if your drive is a little shorter than you might like, you don’t have to concede even more space to cumbersome swinging side hinged doors."

OK, SO THEY HAVE COME OUT WITH ALL THE BRUTAL TRUTH NOW - NOT ONLY DOES NOBODY USE THEIR GARAGE AS A GARAGE ANY MORE, BUT NOBODY HAS A DRIVE LONG ENOUGH FOR THEIR CAR EITHER!

I KNOW!

IT'S TRUE!

SO NEXT TIME YOU MOVE MAKE SURE YOUR DRIVE IS LONG ENOUGH TO PUT YOUR CAR ON! 

IT'S TIME WE REBELLED.  SEND A LETTER/E MAIL TO YOUR LOCAL HOUSE BUILDERS AND YOUR LOCAL PLANNING OFFICE AND YOUR LOCAL MP, AND TELL THEM YOU WANT A DECENT SIZED GARAGE OR DRIVE TO GO WITH YOUR HOUSE!

HAVE YOU SEEN THE SIZE OF GARAGES/DRIVES IN THE USA?  YOU GET THE PICTURE THEN!

To learn more about this company and their information go here:- http://www.rollerdoors.co.uk

Are you buying a house?

Well, even if you aren't, lots of people buy houses all the time.

How much extra do you think you pay for a garage when you buy a house?

Will you use that garage that you paid all that money for or will you just put a load of junk in there and leave your car out on the drive or the road?