Tuesday , March 19 2024

House

The costs of housing policies

I live in Croydon. Like many parts of the country, we are experiencing a severe shortage of quality housing. Yet Croydon Central’s current MP is the Shadow Minister for Housing, Labour’s Sarah Jones; its previous MP was Gavin Barwell, then the Minister for Housing. If these politicians were serious about …

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What is ‘affordable housing’?

I assume most people take ‘affordable housing’ to mean accommodation that is affordable, something that people on average levels of income are able to afford to buy. But let’s go back to basic economics: What determines the price of a property? Although there is a rough correlation in that, if …

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Housing hunt

The housing hunt is the bane of any young professional’s existence. First, you have to find a suitable new home. Second, you need to find roommates (and hopefully ones you can avoid killing during your twelve month lease). Third, you have to pack all of your stuff and somehow move …

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Pink Pineapple Event Design

Our senses greatly influence how we perceive the world and how we remember our experiences. We are most affected and engaged when a variety of our senses are stimulated. Does it not make sense then, to have an Event Designer who not only understands this philosophy, but practices it? History …

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Inspiration for First Time Gardeners

Becoming the owner of a garden can be an exiting and daunting experience. First-timers probably have big ambitions for their garden, but realising those dreams is difficult without the know-how. All too often, newbie gardeners play it safe and boring due to a lack of confidence in their abilities. Research …

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Designer Gardens to Suit You

Gardens, like homes, tend to reflect the lives of those who live in it. Sun worshippers will have garden furniture for sunbathing and dining, more private residents may opt for tall privet bushes to shield them from unwanted attention, while those used to entertaining might plump for more lavish displays, …

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Tubs and Troughs

It’s hard to be enthusiastic about gardening when the weather is grey and miserable. But think ahead to what a few splashes of localised colour will do to brighten your back garden and lift your spirits when the days improve. There’s no simpler way of perking up the smallest garden …

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Gardening made easy

What do you see when you open the back door? Is your back garden more jungle than Kew? It may seem like a daunting task getting your garden ready for summer and the customary array of BBQs and family get-togethers, but don’t panic, garden tool manufacturer Black & Decker is …

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Grow Your Garden’s Value

When most of us want to sell our home we focus on what we can do inside it, but the difference you make on the outside can prove extremely profitable. A well-kept garden can be a growing investment for your property, boosting its value by up to 10 per cent, …

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Grow your own spuds

Concerns over pesticides and genetically modified crops have got many people thinking about growing their own fruit and vegetables. But you don’t have to be green-fingered or even have a garden to start growing your own food. Potatoes can be grown from a sack with little to no effort at …

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Homebuyers commit after just 96 minutes

Buying a home is the biggest investment most people are likely to make. You would hope that such an important investment would be given plenty of time and thought, yet amazingly Brits spend more time booking their holidays than viewing the home they buy. Abbey Mortgages worryingly found that British …

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3 DIY Projects to Put a Spring in Your Step

As we emerge from the darkest depths of winter and look forward to spring, it is time to consider not just your imminent spring clean, but which DIY projects you are going to tackle to freshen up your house. Whether these are small-scale or grandiose, there are a variety of …

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Halfway to the dream

Getting a foot on the property ladder used to the first step to getting that dream home, but, sadly, few homeowners seem to be able to reach the higher rungs. Wherever the British lay their hats may be home, but few are living in their idea of heaven. Alliance & …

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Feng-shui your home

Feng Shui is an ancient practice which has been used by the Chinese for centuries to create a harmonious environment and living space. This is achieved by enabling positive energy (or chi) to flow freely around the home. According to the ancient art, when there is clutter, dirt and negativity, …

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Swim in your own back garden

If someone told you they had a swimming pool in their back garden, then your immediate thought might well be that they must be rich. Let’s face it, we’re not living in Australia, where a pool in the garden is about as normal as grass on the lawn. This is …

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Magic tricks for small gardens

Magic is all about illusion. When it comes to making a small space look larger, there are loads of ideas to trick the eye into a fooled sense of space. Gardening for small spaces borrows many tricks of the trade from interior design and the world of art, both of …

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Go green to be seen

Far from leaving people feeling blue, it seems the housing slump has made many of us turn green. In a bid to make our houses more appealing in an increasingly competitive market, many of us are making our properties more eco-friendly to entice prospective buyers. Tired of watching house prices …

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Housework, retro style

As we struggle through the kind of recession not seen since the 1930s there’s no better time to look back to the cleaning techniques of our grandmothers.  Frugal and often eco-friendly, cleaning the old-fashioned way can save you pounds every month.  So drop those antiseptic wipes and overpriced toilet cleaners …

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Garage conversions solve space issues

Most people’s garages are filled with household junk, bicycles, paint tins and a hairy spider or two, so it is hardly surprising that most of us wouldn’t let our pets sleep in there let alone use it for ourselves. But could we be missing out on a vital way to …

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Farms buck the property trend

Over the past 10 years the property industry has witnessed house prices skyrocket, but now it seems the tables are finally turning on the UK housing market as prices start to slide. However, while home owners watch their property’s worth depreciate, farmland is experiencing a welcome rise in value. Property …

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