It doesn't matter how big your house is (even if it's the size of this one), how much it costs or even how much you are worth — the same rules for tree felling apply to everyone.

We're not just talking about the mechanics of lining up a cut and making sure it doesn't drop into your 24ft luxury swimming pool either, there is more to removing a tree than meets the eye.

The above will not make pleasant reading for a lot of property owners, who will have been looking for an excuse to fell a cumbersome tree on their land for years. Yes, they can add privacy, but they can also prevent development whether this is in relation to your garden or the house itself.

Therefore, if you are looking to rid your land of a troublesome tree, read on. The following checklist has been put together for any UK homeowner out there, but it's very likely that the same rules apply for most countries.

Rule #1 — Are you even allowed to fell the tree?

First and foremost, it’s all about legalities. You might own the most exclusive plot in town, but that doesn’t mean to say that you can do whatever you please with the tree. The UK has thousands of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and this means that permission has to be sought before you do anything that will drastically change the tree. The fact that this even includes pruning will tell you that most of the time, the thought of felling one is absolutely out of the question.

This is an occasion where bending the rules is pretty much unthinkable as well. It’s an offence to fell, or even do any work for that matter, on a tree protected by a TPO. Therefore, it doesn’t matter where you live, it’s generally not worth the aggravation and you’ll have to live with the tree for the foreseeable future (i.e., forever).

Rule #2 — Is it going to cause half your house to fall down?

In felling a tree, you also want to ensure that you don't fell your house. This might sound a bit over the top, but it really isn't. Additionally, we're not talking about the risks of the tree crushing your great big roof lights (although that's an obvious concern, as well).

Instead, we’re referring to the perils of subsidence. It’s an insurer’s worst nightmare and a lot of the time it’s related purely to the actions of the homeowner. Remove a tree anywhere near your home and you’ve just allowed an enormous amount of water, which the tree was previously using, to re-enter the soil and subsequently swell it. This can cause a whole host of problems and in the worst situations, it’s not been uncommon for houses to have to be rebuilt.

Rule #3 — Who will manage the whole process?

Once upon a time the only option would have been to take advantage of a professional tree felling service, as it simply wasn’t possible to source the specialist equipment on a domestic level. However, there are now numerous companies offering arborist clothing and machinery and this means that the DIY approach is entirely doable.

Whether you fancy getting your hands dirty is up to you. It will work out significantly cheaper to take this approach, although you’ll also have to factor in all of the calculations that are necessary when felling trees. On this note we should also remind readers that if you do get a calculation wrong, there’s every chance that one side of your house could be completely flattened. Therefore, make sure you read the appropriate literature before whipping out your chainsaw.

Rule #4 — What happens next?

No, this final rule isn’t like the famous part of ‘A Question of Sport’, but rather what is going to happen to the felled tree now? The answer to the above issue might have already covered it, as some companies will dispose of the tree for you.

However, if they don’t, you have a giant piece of lumbar in your back garden. Unless you need wood for your stove, it’s a nuisance to say the least. Moving it in one go is probably out of the question, while even sawing it up into tiny pieces will be too much for some. Unfortunately, it’s something else that has to be covered and this is exactly why, no matter what type of house you reside in, tree felling is never a simple topic and there is a boatload of planning required before even considering it.

VIA «Tree Felling 101 for the Lavish Property Owner»

There's one thing that's pretty consistent across all of the examples featured on this site — they're all as contemporary as it gets. There are no awkward features, everything is smooth, seamless and damn right modern.

Over the years the construction industry has seen technologies come and go, arguably at a faster rate than in other fields. It would be fair to say that one technology which has grabbed building experts by the scruff of the neck is solar. It's something which is being applied in practically every imaginable use and when it comes to contemporary homes it's no surprise why.

Solar is something that removes any aesthetic fears from architects. Once upon a time those famous panels may have been classed as intrusive, but nowadays they can be blended into any modern building. Similarly, smaller solar products (which we'll get into later), just don't hinder a home's appearance in the slightest and this is the reason it's here to say.

Of course, a lot of these products also happen to save a considerable amount of money - something which is surely required when you see some of the extravagant featured properties! Nevertheless, the point we're trying to make is that solar energy is here to stay and this is something that a lot of rival technologies haven't been able to say over the past few years. Here, we highlight how solar is growing, how you can use it on your home - and why it suits the contemporary, dream homes down to a tee.

The old favourite: solar panels

We may as well start with the thing that everyone associates solar technology with; those panels which seem to be affixed to a growing proportion of UK estates. Initially, they were targeted at local authority housing, but private homeowners have now caught on and they are especially popular with modern properties.

The nature of solar panels means that they are never going to be suited to a rustic dwelling. Shiny panels just don’t work on a converted barn, but when they are integrated to a potential Dwell award candidate, things start to change. They can actually look like a positive addition to such properties, while it’s now possible to purchase the panels in varying styles which make them highly compatible with different types of roofs.

Security lighting: no longer a tangle of wires

This is one use of the technology which doesn’t necessarily have to be implemented in a luxury home. The reason it’s been included in this article is because of the simplicity and it doesn’t matter where you live, gone are the days when you have to source an electrician to fit a complicated set of security lights.

Naturally, these lights arrive in various solar contemporary styles, but the big selling point is that they’re plug and play. Some security lights which are solar powered can be installed in a matter of minutes and this means that they’re certainly here to stay, and possibly overtake the standard security fittings that we have come so accustomed to over the last few years.

Water features: same as above

Take a look at the latest featured house on this blog and it will almost certainly be exquisitely landscaped, with a water feature to boot. The introduction of solar technology to these features has transformed the way in which gardens can be put together and again there’s no need to source a qualified electrician – a lot of these features are powered entirely by the sun.

Considering the fact that it’s also possible to obtain solar fairy lights to compliment the landscape, it goes without saying that water features are evolving and have become even more exuberant because of solar.

And finally… for the ultimate solar/contemporary enthusiast

We should probably have added another component to the title of this subheading, “for the ultimate property owner”. We’ll again refer to the houses that are featured across Art Architect and the vast majority have a pool in their back garden.

For a lot of years, the main problem with swimming pools hasn’t been the upfront cost (although these will still set you back tens of thousands of pounds, or more depending on your requirements), but the running costs. Again, solar has come to the rescue and through the use of solar thermal technology, it’s now possible to heat the water through the sun’s rays. Additionally, excess energy can be used for outside towel rails or even the water for showers – again elements that will accompany the contemporary plot down to a tee.

VIA «Solar: the Perfect Technology for the Contemporary Dwelling»