The Official Guide
Using Shabbat timers for operating lights and fans
Posted on 27. Jun, 2010 by buyitinisrael.
The Torah prohibits 39 activities on Shabbat. Included in these prohibitions are activities such as switching on or off lights, fans, air-conditioningand heating systems. A common practice today in Jewish homes in Israel and abroad is for the use of a Shabbat timer (shaon Shabbat) to perform these activities, where a timer is set before Shabbat and continues to operate on Shabbat without any human involvement.
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Home improvement season is underway
Posted on 24. Jun, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
Traditionally the Israel home renovation season opens its doors with the start of the spring rising to a peak around the Passover holiday and ending with the last days of the summer. For one reason or another home renovations in Israel are most popular around the Passover holiday, when houses are painted or undergo basic refurbishment or in the local jargon shipputz
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A guide to home insurance in Israel
Posted on 21. Jun, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
There are two types of Israel home insurance policies available: structure and contents insurance. A structure insurance plan includes coverage for the structure of your home in Israel for the following major risks: fire, rain, snow, lightning, storm, snow, hail, flood, smoke damage. A contents insurance policy will usually insure against fire, theft, water damage, willful damage, third-party liabilityand employers liability, and generally covers TV’s, video equipment, home computers, faxes and sound equipment, glass surfaces and windows, marble and sanitary ware, silver ware, etc.
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12 steps to take before building a basement
Posted on 21. Jun, 2010 by buyitinisrael.
A common trend nowadays in Israel is to build a basement beneath a house. The addition of a basement to an existing property, can provide the owner with a large amount of additiona living area and can also add significantly to the value of the property. However, basement excavations and conversions, carry many regulations and permissions with them. They are each unique and very much depend upon the condition and structural ability of the existing property.
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The Implications of the Construction Freeze
Posted on 11. Jun, 2010 by buyitinisrael.
On 26 November 2009 the Netanyahu administration imposed the ‘building freeze’ (order no. 1653) which will be in place until 26 September 2010 . Under the provisions of the order, any new building in the West Bank or East Jerusalem whose foundations were not poured by 26 November 2009, are prohibited from carrying out any building works. The order applies equally to all properties be they private, public, residential or commercial.
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Housing rights and benefits for Olim
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
Finding a home in Israel is one of the main undertakings which new immigrants or Olim are faced with when moving to Israel. In order to facilitate the absorption of living in Israel and integration into the everyday life in the Holy Land, the Israeli government grants new immigrants a number of rights and benefits that are related to homes.
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The importance of burglar alarm systems in Israel
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
In view of increasing numbers of burglaries around the country, today’s home in Israel has come to require a higher degree of security and safety as well as a growing need for users to be in control of and connected to their home, in particular if they are away from their home on a regular basis. Hence when renovating or building a new home in Israel, it has become a common feature to install an alarm system for deterrence.
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Ra’anana becomes first green building city in Israel
Posted on 27. May, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
Slowly, Israel is catching onto the idea of green building. The city of Ra’anana this month decided to adopt the green building standard, which will require real estate companies, constructors, and architects to plan and build in compliance with the green standard.
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Shabbat elevators – a necessity in high-rise buildings
Posted on 25. May, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
With the operation of a Shabbat control mode, an elevator will stop automatically on a certain floor and its doors will open, hence allowing users to step in and out without having to press any buttons. Otherwise it would be prohibited to use an elevator on Shabbat because pressing the button to operate the elevator closes a circuit, which violates the prohibition of building on Shabbat, which is considered a form of labor.
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Bank of Israel sets new rules for mortgage loans
Posted on 25. May, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff.
The Bank of Israel this week issued new guidelines for the country’s banks regarding mortgages which will make it more difficult for homebuyers, in particular young couples, to buy a new home in Israel. The new restrictive mortgage guidelines come in response to ballooning Israel real estate prices across the country over the past two years, which peaked in December 2009.
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Understanding building permits and planning permission in Israel
Posted on 18. May, 2010 by buyitinisrael.
Many foreign residents purchasing Israel real estate are surprised by the prevalence of illegal extensions to the apartments they view prior to finding the property they will ultimately purchase. This phenomenon has its roots in many different factors, including the complicated and drawn out process for obtaining building permits in Israel; the costs involved which can in certain circumstances be excessive and the limitations on the extent of construction imposed by local authorities.
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