Rip-off letting fees are finally banned – what will happen now?

Charges that could add as much as £800 to the cost of renting a home have been swept away

It’s been almost three years in the making, but to the huge relief of renters across England, the ban on rip-off letting agent fees finally came into force today.

Gone are the £300-plus admin fees and the £100 credit-check fee, the hefty extra charge if you want to keep a cat, or the steep surcharge to move in or out on a Saturday – charges that became routine and could add as much as £800 to the upfront cost of renting a property.

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What is Gentrification? Nottingham Estate Agents

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, gentrification is ‘the process by which a place, especially part of a city, changes from being a poor area to a richer one, where people from a higher social class live’. The area usually sees an increase in property prices which in turn defines who can afford, and is attracted, […]

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Let’s move to Didsbury: a Mancunian mash-up

If the metropolitan elite are not your bosom buddies, it’s probably not for you

What’s going for it? There are many Didsburys. There’s the teeny Lancashire hamlet, all lanes and rose-strewn cottages huddled round St James’s church, caught in a meandering curl of the river Mersey. Then, confusingly, there is Didsbury Village, not a village at all, of course, but an estate agents’ “Village”, up the road from the actual village. Keep up. It’s not at all village-like, being more like a normal town centre stuffed with Subways, passing lorries and Greggs, but contains a lovely cheese shop, a good butcher, a purveyor of sushi, and opticians selling “eyewear”. Then there is West Didsbury, which rocks more of an artisan coffee, slinky casual dining and boutique chocolatier kind of vibe. These three make up the Didsbury Of Popular Culture, the butt of jokes, natural habitat of the north-west’s metropolitan elite, a kind of Mancunian mash-up of Notting Hill and Hackney with more umbrellas. And not forgetting East Didsbury, which everyone seems to, perhaps because it is more affordable. It contains a Travelodge, a Tesco superstore and a Cineworld multiplex and couldn’t pass for a village even if its streets were bumper-to-bumper with combine harvesters.

The case against One of the priciest parts of Manchester, East Didsbury excepted. And, if the metropolitan elite are not your bosom buddies, probably not for you. The sometimes not-that-distant hum of M60 and Manchester airport.

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Let’s move to Didsbury: a Mancunian mash-up

If the metropolitan elite are not your bosom buddies, it’s probably not for you

What’s going for it? There are many Didsburys. There’s the teeny Lancashire hamlet, all lanes and rose-strewn cottages huddled round St James’s church, caught in a meandering curl of the river Mersey. Then, confusingly, there is Didsbury Village, not a village at all, of course, but an estate agents’ “Village”, up the road from the actual village. Keep up. It’s not at all village-like, being more like a normal town centre stuffed with Subways, passing lorries and Greggs, but contains a lovely cheese shop, a good butcher, a purveyor of sushi, and opticians selling “eyewear”. Then there is West Didsbury, which rocks more of an artisan coffee, slinky casual dining and boutique chocolatier kind of vibe. These three make up the Didsbury Of Popular Culture, the butt of jokes, natural habitat of the north-west’s metropolitan elite, a kind of Mancunian mash-up of Notting Hill and Hackney with more umbrellas. And not forgetting East Didsbury, which everyone seems to, perhaps because it is more affordable. It contains a Travelodge, a Tesco superstore and a Cineworld multiplex and couldn’t pass for a village even if its streets were bumper-to-bumper with combine harvesters.

The case against One of the priciest parts of Manchester, East Didsbury excepted. And, if the metropolitan elite are not your bosom buddies, probably not for you. The sometimes not-that-distant hum of M60 and Manchester airport.

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What does the new Tenant Fees Act mean for you?

Here it is in layman's terms.

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Asking prices rise £130,000 in five years around new Spurs stadium

Where does your club rank?

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UK house prices slump as confidence remains subdued, says survey

Nationwide reveals 0.2% price drop month on month in May after positive growth in April

UK house prices slumped in May as consumer confidence remained subdued, according to a new survey.

Property prices dropped 0.2% month on month in May, after adjustment for seasonal factors, sliding from positive monthly growth in April, the latest Nationwide house price index has revealed.

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Riverside homes for sale – in pictures

These homes from Devon to Aberdeenshire might just float your boat

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Top tips to ease the house buying process Nottingham Estate Agents

Buying a house, it is often claimed, is one of the most important decisions you ever take. Buying a home is a decision which, thanks to the difficulty of getting on the housing ladder, more and more people are taking later in their lives. But buy the right house at the right time and the […]

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Inside May’s quirkiest (and most haunted) homes

One of these is genuinely terrifying.

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Why it is important to set the right asking price Nottingham Estate Agents

A common mistake among sellers is to set an unrealistic asking price for their home. RE/MAX London offer their advice. Although there are valuation tools available online, setting the correct value requires specific area knowledge, an understanding of market conditions and an insight into the minds of buyers. A number of aspects affect property pricing […]

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Sensible Fiat Chrysler-Renault merger could be undone by politics

Frosty relations between France’s Macron and Italy’s Salvini could scupper talks over £29bn merger

That there is an economic case for the proposed €32.6bn (£29bn) merger between Fiat Chrysler and Renault goes without saying. A link between the two companies to form the world’s third-biggest carmaker after Volkswagen and Toyota has always made a lot of sense. If the deal is scuppered, it won’t be due to a lack of business logic; it will be because politics gets in the way.

There are two big arguments in favour of the deal. The first is there is a global glut of automotive capacity that is already forcing companies to cut production, close plants and lay off workers.

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Mortgage approvals jump to highest level for two years

Britain’s housing market shows signs of rebound

Britain’s housing market has shown signs of a rebound after figures revealed banks and building societies approved the largest number of mortgages for more than two years last month.

Trade association UK Finance said lenders approved 42,989 mortgages in April – the most since February 2017 – which was up 6% from 40,564 in March and 11.5% higher than a year earlier, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

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The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell

If you have had your house on the market for some time without success, dropping your asking price may seem an inevitable, if undesirable, next step.  Your estate agent will often suggest this move if they have run out of ideas, motivation and most importantly, confidence in your asking price.

But is dropping your asking price really the answer to selling your home more effectively?

It’s true that for some properties, reducing the asking price can generate new interest from buyers who would have been previously unable to afford your home.  It’s also a step that for some sellers, is unfortunately necessary, if they have an urgent move, for example, or are facing repossession.

However, with many houses – particularly premium homes – dropping your asking price is not always the answer, and in fact it can even harm your chances of selling your house effectively.

I’ve compiled these DOs and DON’Ts of dropping your asking price to help you get the result you want and move on with your life:

DON’T drop your asking price by less than 10%

– Or it just won’t make any difference to the interest you get. Buyers will usually look at homes 10% either side of their budget anyway so you’ll need to reduce by at least that to get noticed by a new set of buyers.

DO ask your agent why you need to reduce

– Your property was originally valued based on sound research and by an expert in the industry.  What’s changed? Understanding whether your agent misjudged the market, or the demand has changed for houses like yours, will help you make the right decision to either reduce or to stick it out.

DON’T keep making small drops in price

–  A price drop can cause suspicion among buyers, who may wonder what’s wrong with it?  Why have you lowered the asking price?  A buyer may not want to risk buying a house that seems to be falling in value. Each drop can signify a red flag to a buyer, so make your drop big and impactful, but make it just once.

DO drop to the next Rightmove price banding

– You can find these by going to www.rightmove.co.uk and entering a search. The list of price bandings that comes up is your guide as to the price your house should be marketed at. For example, there’s no point at having an asking price of £399,999 when the Rightmove banding is £400,000. You can read more about this subject here.

DON’T try to break the ceiling for your road or area

– Not only does this make buyers jittery, it will also make your surveyor nervous, too. Unless you really can’t avoid it, try to price your home at less than the highest price sold in your neighbourhood.

DO ask your agent the right questions before you drop your price

– If you’re feeling pressure from your agent to reduce, or you have a moving deadline looming and can’t afford to drop your price, ask your agency what else could be done to secure that sale, other than reducing your asking price. Have a review with them and look at your marketing critically. Could it be improved? A new twilight image or drone shot could show your home in a whole new light and generate new interest from motivated buyers.

DON’T give your buyers an excuse to make a low offer

– Make sure your home is wonderfully presented, with every room polished and attractive, otherwise you’re literally leaving money on the table. Home staging can add thousands to your asking price and making a few small changes now can help you reap the rewards when you do get an offer.

DO give yourself some negotiation room – but not too much

–  On average, you can expect to achieve around 95% of your asking price, with 5% lost in the negotiations with your buyer. This will depend on other factors of course, like how fast your local market is moving, the confidence in the housing market while you’re selling and how long your home has been on the market. Taking 95% as a benchmark, losing 5% of a £400,000 asking price means you will eventually receive £380,000 on completion. But if you reduce the asking price to £375,000 say, you’ll only get £356,250; quite a drop. Not only have you reduced by £25,000, you’ll also have lost an additional £23,750 in negotiations, putting your total ‘lost’ sale monies at £46,750, a significant loss of 12% of your original asking price.

DON’T forget to analyse your price per square foot

– it’s a far more accurate way to value a house than other methods. If your agent hasn’t already done this for you, make a spreadsheet of the other properties for sale and sold in your area and calculate the price per square foot of each, then compare it to yours. Read more about this way of valuing here – Price per square foot – a more accurate way to value

When your home hasn’t sold and you’re wondering if it’s the asking price to blame, use the above DOs and DON’Ts as a checklist to see if you’re doing everything you can to get your house sold. If your price per square foot is about right and you’re not trying to break the price ceiling for your area, and your home is presented in the best way possible, and you have time to wait it out, then have confidence in your asking price. Because if you don’t, no one else will

Happy selling

Sam

The post The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell appeared first on Home Truths.

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The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell

If you have had your house on the market for some time without success, dropping your asking price may seem an inevitable, if undesirable, next step.  Your estate agent will often suggest this move if they have run out of ideas, motivation and most importantly, confidence in your asking price.

But is dropping your asking price really the answer to selling your home more effectively?

It’s true that for some properties, reducing the asking price can generate new interest from buyers who would have been previously unable to afford your home.  It’s also a step that for some sellers, is unfortunately necessary, if they have an urgent move, for example, or are facing repossession.

However, with many houses – particularly premium homes – dropping your asking price is not always the answer, and in fact it can even harm your chances of selling your house effectively.

I’ve compiled these DOs and DON’Ts of dropping your asking price to help you get the result you want and move on with your life:

DON’T drop your asking price by less than 10%

– Or it just won’t make any difference to the interest you get. Buyers will usually look at homes 10% either side of their budget anyway so you’ll need to reduce by at least that to get noticed by a new set of buyers.

DO ask your agent why you need to reduce

– Your property was originally valued based on sound research and by an expert in the industry.  What’s changed? Understanding whether your agent misjudged the market, or the demand has changed for houses like yours, will help you make the right decision to either reduce or to stick it out.

DON’T keep making small drops in price

–  A price drop can cause suspicion among buyers, who may wonder what’s wrong with it?  Why have you lowered the asking price?  A buyer may not want to risk buying a house that seems to be falling in value. Each drop can signify a red flag to a buyer, so make your drop big and impactful, but make it just once.

DO drop to the next Rightmove price banding

– You can find these by going to www.rightmove.co.uk and entering a search. The list of price bandings that comes up is your guide as to the price your house should be marketed at. For example, there’s no point at having an asking price of £399,999 when the Rightmove banding is £400,000. You can read more about this subject here.

DON’T try to break the ceiling for your road or area

– Not only does this make buyers jittery, it will also make your surveyor nervous, too. Unless you really can’t avoid it, try to price your home at less than the highest price sold in your neighbourhood.

DO ask your agent the right questions before you drop your price

– If you’re feeling pressure from your agent to reduce, or you have a moving deadline looming and can’t afford to drop your price, ask your agency what else could be done to secure that sale, other than reducing your asking price. Have a review with them and look at your marketing critically. Could it be improved? A new twilight image or drone shot could show your home in a whole new light and generate new interest from motivated buyers.

DON’T give your buyers an excuse to make a low offer

– Make sure your home is wonderfully presented, with every room polished and attractive, otherwise you’re literally leaving money on the table. Home staging can add thousands to your asking price and making a few small changes now can help you reap the rewards when you do get an offer.

DO give yourself some negotiation room – but not too much

–  On average, you can expect to achieve around 95% of your asking price, with 5% lost in the negotiations with your buyer. This will depend on other factors of course, like how fast your local market is moving, the confidence in the housing market while you’re selling and how long your home has been on the market. Taking 95% as a benchmark, losing 5% of a £400,000 asking price means you will eventually receive £380,000 on completion. But if you reduce the asking price to £375,000 say, you’ll only get £356,250; quite a drop. Not only have you reduced by £25,000, you’ll also have lost an additional £23,750 in negotiations, putting your total ‘lost’ sale monies at £46,750, a significant loss of 12% of your original asking price.

DON’T forget to analyse your price per square foot

– it’s a far more accurate way to value a house than other methods. If your agent hasn’t already done this for you, make a spreadsheet of the other properties for sale and sold in your area and calculate the price per square foot of each, then compare it to yours. Read more about this way of valuing here – Price per square foot – a more accurate way to value

When your home hasn’t sold and you’re wondering if it’s the asking price to blame, use the above DOs and DON’Ts as a checklist to see if you’re doing everything you can to get your house sold. If your price per square foot is about right and you’re not trying to break the price ceiling for your area, and your home is presented in the best way possible, and you have time to wait it out, then have confidence in your asking price. Because if you don’t, no one else will

Happy selling

Sam

The post The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell appeared first on Home Truths.

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The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell

If you have had your house on the market for some time without success, dropping your asking price may seem an inevitable, if undesirable, next step.  Your estate agent will often suggest this move if they have run out of ideas, motivation and most importantly, confidence in your asking price.

But is dropping your asking price really the answer to selling your home more effectively?

It’s true that for some properties, reducing the asking price can generate new interest from buyers who would have been previously unable to afford your home.  It’s also a step that for some sellers, is unfortunately necessary, if they have an urgent move, for example, or are facing repossession.

However, with many houses – particularly premium homes – dropping your asking price is not always the answer, and in fact it can even harm your chances of selling your house effectively.

I’ve compiled these DOs and DON’Ts of dropping your asking price to help you get the result you want and move on with your life:

DON’T drop your asking price by less than 10%

– Or it just won’t make any difference to the interest you get. Buyers will usually look at homes 10% either side of their budget anyway so you’ll need to reduce by at least that to get noticed by a new set of buyers.

DO ask your agent why you need to reduce

– Your property was originally valued based on sound research and by an expert in the industry.  What’s changed? Understanding whether your agent misjudged the market, or the demand has changed for houses like yours, will help you make the right decision to either reduce or to stick it out.

DON’T keep making small drops in price

–  A price drop can cause suspicion among buyers, who may wonder what’s wrong with it?  Why have you lowered the asking price?  A buyer may not want to risk buying a house that seems to be falling in value. Each drop can signify a red flag to a buyer, so make your drop big and impactful, but make it just once.

DO drop to the next Rightmove price banding

– You can find these by going to www.rightmove.co.uk and entering a search. The list of price bandings that comes up is your guide as to the price your house should be marketed at. For example, there’s no point at having an asking price of £399,999 when the Rightmove banding is £400,000. You can read more about this subject here.

DON’T try to break the ceiling for your road or area

– Not only does this make buyers jittery, it will also make your surveyor nervous, too. Unless you really can’t avoid it, try to price your home at less than the highest price sold in your neighbourhood.

DO ask your agent the right questions before you drop your price

– If you’re feeling pressure from your agent to reduce, or you have a moving deadline looming and can’t afford to drop your price, ask your agency what else could be done to secure that sale, other than reducing your asking price. Have a review with them and look at your marketing critically. Could it be improved? A new twilight image or drone shot could show your home in a whole new light and generate new interest from motivated buyers.

DON’T give your buyers an excuse to make a low offer

– Make sure your home is wonderfully presented, with every room polished and attractive, otherwise you’re literally leaving money on the table. Home staging can add thousands to your asking price and making a few small changes now can help you reap the rewards when you do get an offer.

DO give yourself some negotiation room – but not too much

–  On average, you can expect to achieve around 95% of your asking price, with 5% lost in the negotiations with your buyer. This will depend on other factors of course, like how fast your local market is moving, the confidence in the housing market while you’re selling and how long your home has been on the market. Taking 95% as a benchmark, losing 5% of a £400,000 asking price means you will eventually receive £380,000 on completion. But if you reduce the asking price to £375,000 say, you’ll only get £356,250; quite a drop. Not only have you reduced by £25,000, you’ll also have lost an additional £23,750 in negotiations, putting your total ‘lost’ sale monies at £46,750, a significant loss of 12% of your original asking price.

DON’T forget to analyse your price per square foot

– it’s a far more accurate way to value a house than other methods. If your agent hasn’t already done this for you, make a spreadsheet of the other properties for sale and sold in your area and calculate the price per square foot of each, then compare it to yours. Read more about this way of valuing here – Price per square foot – a more accurate way to value

When your home hasn’t sold and you’re wondering if it’s the asking price to blame, use the above DOs and DON’Ts as a checklist to see if you’re doing everything you can to get your house sold. If your price per square foot is about right and you’re not trying to break the price ceiling for your area, and your home is presented in the best way possible, and you have time to wait it out, then have confidence in your asking price. Because if you don’t, no one else will

Happy selling

Sam

The post The Dos and Don’ts of dropping your asking price when your house won’t sell appeared first on Home Truths.

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I want to extend the lease on my flat, but the freeholders won't help

The person who owns 60% of the freehold would be uncooperative as we had a dispute

Q I live in a Victorian house that has been converted into five flats. I bought my flat several years ago and own 20% of the freehold. The lease on my flat is now less than 80 years, and understandably I want to extend the lease. The managing agent told all the leaseholders last year that he would take action to extend the leases but has done nothing about it and does not respond to my emails. He is not an easy person to do business with. There is also no point me contacting the other freeholders as the person who owns 60% of the freehold would be uncooperative, as I have successfully prevented him converting the garage attached to the house into a residential dwelling.

Is there anything I can do to extend the leasehold? (I am reluctant to employ a lawyer as their services are so expensive.) I understand that new legislation will shortly come before parliament which will make it easier for leaseholders to extend their leases. Should I simply wait for the legislation to be passed?
GL

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Why London’s not such a capital place to live | Letter

Figures that appear to show Londoners are significantly better off than people in other parts of Britain don’t tell the whole story, says Maggie Kemmner

The article (Big regional gaps revealed in disposable incomes across UK, 23 May) is very misleading. It makes no allowances for the increased housing costs most Londoners face.

In February 2019, Londoners spent the biggest proportion of their income on rent as compared to other areas of the UK; more than one third of a household’s income. The average monthly rental was £1,599 as compared to a £940 UK average. Over a year, this amounts to £7,908 extra housing costs: which pretty much wipes out the “extra money” that Londoners have to spend post-tax as compared to the UK average. This data is from statistica.com.

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Pot luck: unusual patio plants that love water | James Wong

Turn your pots into summer water features with aquatic marginals

Now’s the time when garden centre shelves are groaning with bedding plants destined to fill patio pots everywhere. With great reason – no other group of plants is as good at offering never-ending flowers throughout the summer.

However, there are downsides. The annual production of millions of bedding plants in heated conditions, only for them to be wiped out and rebought the next year, churns out a lot of carbon. Not to mention the expense of forking out for them every year. Most have lush growth, which means come mid-summer you’ll be out every day with the hose, especially for patio pots. They require slavish devotion and return a hefty water bill. An alternative that can add far more surprise and delight, for a lot less input, are aquatic marginals.

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Pot luck: unusual patio plants that love water | James Wong

Turn your pots into summer water features with aquatic marginals

Now’s the time when garden centre shelves are groaning with bedding plants destined to fill patio pots everywhere. With great reason – no other group of plants is as good at offering never-ending flowers throughout the summer.

However, there are downsides. The annual production of millions of bedding plants in heated conditions, only for them to be wiped out and rebought the next year, churns out a lot of carbon. Not to mention the expense of forking out for them every year. Most have lush growth, which means come mid-summer you’ll be out every day with the hose, especially for patio pots. They require slavish devotion and return a hefty water bill. An alternative that can add far more surprise and delight, for a lot less input, are aquatic marginals.

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Spring planting and birthdays | Allan Jenkins

Sharing time on the allotment just goes to prove that the family that sows together grows together

It is May, my daughter Kala’s birthday month. Time also to top-up pots and window boxes. Time to find room for another climbing rose. The rituals of our year.

I have been busy gathering seed for Kala’s summer. A bit manically, of course. This year’s new obsession is zinnias, an old-school garden flower, bright and beautiful. There are multiple packets of cosmos in almost every colour. There are new poppies, though last year’s have burst through already, plus the seed we saved. And always nasturtiums, sunflowers, too, and various calendula; it wouldn’t be our family without them.

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Spring planting and birthdays | Allan Jenkins

Sharing time on the allotment just goes to prove that the family that sows together grows together

It is May, my daughter Kala’s birthday month. Time also to top-up pots and window boxes. Time to find room for another climbing rose. The rituals of our year.

I have been busy gathering seed for Kala’s summer. A bit manically, of course. This year’s new obsession is zinnias, an old-school garden flower, bright and beautiful. There are multiple packets of cosmos in almost every colour. There are new poppies, though last year’s have burst through already, plus the seed we saved. And always nasturtiums, sunflowers, too, and various calendula; it wouldn’t be our family without them.

Continue reading...

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Home movies: how a coaching inn became a family house – and tiny cinema

An 18th-century pub in Somerset has been converted into a quirky home – and one of the smallest cinemas in Britain

When David and Juliet Mclay opened the door to their new home, an 18th-century coaching inn in Axbridge, Somerset, in 1997, they got something of a shock. “There were half-empty pints on the bar and fag butts in the ashtrays,” says Juliet. “The pub had been neglected and was a complete wreck. It was daunting.”

Today, when you walk into the front door of what locals still fondly refer to as the Red Lion, a stand-up Chas and Dave-style piano greets you, in homage to the building’s roots, and there are flashes of colour everywhere. The curtains are electric orange and turquoise enamel lamps dangle above the brilliant blue baize of the pool table.

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Home movies: how a coaching inn became a family house – and tiny cinema

An 18th-century pub in Somerset has been converted into a quirky home – and one of the smallest cinemas in Britain

When David and Juliet Mclay opened the door to their new home, an 18th-century coaching inn in Axbridge, Somerset, in 1997, they got something of a shock. “There were half-empty pints on the bar and fag butts in the ashtrays,” says Juliet. “The pub had been neglected and was a complete wreck. It was daunting.”

Today, when you walk into the front door of what locals still fondly refer to as the Red Lion, a stand-up Chas and Dave-style piano greets you, in homage to the building’s roots, and there are flashes of colour everywhere. The curtains are electric orange and turquoise enamel lamps dangle above the brilliant blue baize of the pool table.

Continue reading...

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Survival of the fattest: why the country birds are coming to town

Treating our feathered friends has had a major effect on the variety and numbers in our gardens. But not all species feel the benefit

As a child, I remember my nan throwing out a few crusts of stale bread for the birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds apart from the odd sparrow or starling. Later on, we discovered packets of Swoop “wild bird food” at the local store, which brought in more interesting species, such as blue tits and greenfinches.

Feeding garden birds has come a long way since then. Today, they can enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of gourmet offerings: from tiny black niger seeds to kibbled sunflower hearts and from peanut cakes to fat balls, complete with added insects. Sometimes I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids.

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Survival of the fattest: why the country birds are coming to town

Treating our feathered friends has had a major effect on the variety and numbers in our gardens. But not all species feel the benefit

As a child, I remember my nan throwing out a few crusts of stale bread for the birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds apart from the odd sparrow or starling. Later on, we discovered packets of Swoop “wild bird food” at the local store, which brought in more interesting species, such as blue tits and greenfinches.

Feeding garden birds has come a long way since then. Today, they can enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of gourmet offerings: from tiny black niger seeds to kibbled sunflower hearts and from peanut cakes to fat balls, complete with added insects. Sometimes I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids.

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How to plant courgettes | Alys Fowler

The summer vegetable that’s perfect for tardy gardeners

I have always failed to be first at anything and make an art of being behind, so why change that behaviour with courgettes? It is the one summer vegetable that, once you’ve cleared the windowsills of everything else, you can finally get round to sowing with little worry that other people are already boasting of putting theirs outside. The most flavoursome courgettes are small, and they will come quickly with lengthening days and warmer nights.

You can even sow outside, direct into the soil, if you want, though I’d wait until the first week of June to do so. If you’re sowing indoors or in a greenhouse, then sow one seed in a 9cm pot or larger. Their roots are so quick at racing to the bottom that you don’t want to be repotting.

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How to plant courgettes | Alys Fowler

The summer vegetable that’s perfect for tardy gardeners

I have always failed to be first at anything and make an art of being behind, so why change that behaviour with courgettes? It is the one summer vegetable that, once you’ve cleared the windowsills of everything else, you can finally get round to sowing with little worry that other people are already boasting of putting theirs outside. The most flavoursome courgettes are small, and they will come quickly with lengthening days and warmer nights.

You can even sow outside, direct into the soil, if you want, though I’d wait until the first week of June to do so. If you’re sowing indoors or in a greenhouse, then sow one seed in a 9cm pot or larger. Their roots are so quick at racing to the bottom that you don’t want to be repotting.

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Hope for 'mortgage prisoners’ as MPs and regulator act to free them

Thousands of homeowners whose banks collapsed in the financial crisis have been unable to move to a cheaper deal

Thousands of mortgage customers of now-defunct banks who had their loans sold on after the financial crisis are hoping new moves by regulators and MPs will free them up to shop around for cheaper deals.

These borrowers, dubbed “mortgage prisoners”, include Jayne Emsley and her husband, who took out a Northern Rock mortgage in 2006 and are now with Landmark Mortgages, which is owned by US-based private equity firm Cerberus.

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Tesco and Which? to stop offering mortgages

Supermarket giant and consumer body say existing customers will not be affected for the time being

Two household names this week announced they are pulling out of mortgages, seemingly because the margins aren’t big enough.

On Tuesday, Tesco announced it had stopped new mortgage lending and was planning to sell its £3.7bn home loans portfolio. It currently has a little over 23,000 customers.

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‘My flat was built in 2017 so why can't I get BT or Sky broadband?’

Jennifer Offord’s new-build does not allow her to sign up to internet and TV from major providers

Water, gas, electricity and broadband are essential household utilities, but a large number of new homes are being built without the infrastructure for a decent broadband connection – or, in some cases, with no service at all.

Jennifer Offord, 36, bought her new-build flat in Hackney, east London, in February 2018, four months after it had been completed, only to find out she was not able to sign up to any of the standard providers. “I had assumed it would be fine as I had never had a problem before, but when I moved in and asked the developer why I couldn’t sign up to Sky, I was told Openreach hadn’t been set up and I was ruled out of getting any of the affordable TV and internet packages that I wanted,” she says.

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Is it worth spending £350 on an inflatable hot tub?

We saw Aldi was selling one, but were wondering if they were throwing money down the drain

Every week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper.

We have always fancied a hot tub, but never had the money. However, we noticed that Aldi was selling an inflatable one for £350. Do the cheap ones do the job, and do they last? I don’t want to throw my money down the drain.

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Bank of England warns over risky lending in mortgage market

Regulation chief says stricter rules could be imposed as price war threatens stability

The Bank of England has raised a red flag over the state of the mortgage market, warning lenders that stricter rules could be imposed if they take on too much risk.

The head of the Bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority, which is responsible for stability in the financial sector, said it was “entirely unsurprising” that competition across the mortgage market had forced lenders to take on riskier clients.

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Win VIP Tickets To Chestertons Polo In The Park

Full terms and conditions for our competition to win tickets to Chestertons Polo In The Park 2019. Competition Terms and Conditions The competition will run from Friday 24th May 2019 at 14:00 until Thursday 30th May 2019 at 13:00. All entries submitted before or after this time will not be counted. Rightmove reserves the right […]

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Win VIP Tickets To Chestertons Polo In The Park

Full terms and conditions for our competition to win tickets to Chestertons Polo In The Park 2019. Competition Terms and Conditions The competition will run from Friday 24th May 2019 at 14:00 until Thursday 30th May 2019 at 13:00. All entries submitted before or after this time will not be counted. Rightmove reserves the right […]

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Experience: I’m a full-time cat sitter

I’ve looked after 30 cats, saved £10,000 on rent, and it has helped my social anxiety

I was living in a 15-person hostel dorm in early 2017 when I decided to start cat sitting. Since moving to London after graduating five years earlier, I had tried various unconventional ways of living. There was a year in a huge warehouse with 30 others, and eight months on a rented boat, but neither was as cheap as the hostel. For just £350 a month I could live in central London.

By the time I’d set up my own business, Special Guest, hosting events that allow neighbours to meet and become friends, the novelty of climbing on to the third storey of a shaky bunk bed had long worn off. Earplugs were a must, my roommates were total strangers and I once got home to find someone had “hotboxed” the entire dorm with cannabis smoke. I also really needed a quiet space to work. Around that time, a friend asked me to look after his cat while he went on holiday, and I realised the idea had potential on a bigger scale.

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Compact homes for sale – in pictures

Small but perfectly formed properties, from Essex to County Fermanagh

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A guide to selling your property Nottingham Estate Agents

There’s no doubt that moving home is up there with life’s most stressful events. Not only is there the emotional and physical upheaval to deal with, there’s the legal complexity, admin marathon and uncertainty around whether you’ll actually cross the finish line that can leave nerves feeling frayed. ‘When you are thinking of placing your […]

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We’ve had so many reports on inequality – now act | Letters

Chris Grover says austerity policies are even more punishing than the workhouse, John Veit-Wilson on social security for everyone, Jack Czauderna on so many reports, Dr David Alderson on why he won’t vote for the Lib Dems, and Paul Nicolson et al on the inequality between renters and landlords or landowners

Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, is right to say that austerity has sought to recreate the workhouse for the 21st century (Report, 22 May). The idea of “less eligibility” (that the experience of state support should always be felt as being economically and socially worse than earning a living) underpinned the 19th-century workhouse and frames contemporary austerity policies. But, in the weaponising of less eligibility for today’s precarious labour markets, social security policy goes beyond the oppressiveness of the poor law. Though the experience of the poor law was designed to be deeply unpleasant and grudging, it was also designed to relieve destitution by focusing on the needs of all household members.

In contrast, social security policy, particularly after George Osborne’s 2015 budget, is designed to create destitution by, for example, only providing support for two children per household and limiting benefit payments in arbitrary ways via the benefit cap. The Department for Work and Pensions claims that Alston provides a “completely inaccurate picture of our approach to tackling poverty”. If anything, he under-emphasises the regressiveness of contemporary social security policies.
Dr Chris Grover
Lancaster University

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Chelsea flower show 2019: this year's top garden trends

From embracing buttercups to candy-coloured planting, these are the highlights of this year’s show

Green was the dominant theme at Chelsea, literally and metaphorically. Main Avenue, home to the major show gardens, was awash with broad-leaved trees among a calming palette of green, pale yellow and white flowers, including swathes of cow parsley, euphorbias and meadowsweet. Andy Sturgeon’s M&G garden was a masterclass in the green sanctuary: echo the look in your own garden by underplanting a hornbeam, elder or field maple with the green-flowered Mathiasella bupleuroides, marsh spurge (Euphorbia palustris), Californian poppy ‘Ivory Castle’ and airy grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’. For shadier spots, try an angelica (A. archangelica) underplanted with pachysandra and rodgersias.

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Chelsea flower show 2019: this year's top garden trends

From embracing buttercups to candy-coloured planting, these are the highlights of this year’s show

Green was the dominant theme at Chelsea, literally and metaphorically. Main Avenue, home to the major show gardens, was awash with broad-leaved trees among a calming palette of green, pale yellow and white flowers, including swathes of cow parsley, euphorbias and meadowsweet. Andy Sturgeon’s M&G garden was a masterclass in the green sanctuary: echo the look in your own garden by underplanting a hornbeam, elder or field maple with the green-flowered Mathiasella bupleuroides, marsh spurge (Euphorbia palustris), Californian poppy ‘Ivory Castle’ and airy grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’. For shadier spots, try an angelica (A. archangelica) underplanted with pachysandra and rodgersias.

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Thinking of buying a second home? A guide to stamp duty for future landlords Nottingham Estate Agents

Ten key points to consider when buying a second home for your own use or as a buy-to-let investment To buy-to-let or not to buy-to-let, that is a difficult question! It can be quite a conundrum for people with capital to invest who are dithering between the stock market or bricks and mortar. Since April […]

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Get your home seen by serious buyers

Every second someone contacts an agent about a home on Rightmove.

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Simple ways for tenants to save money in their home Nottingham Estate Agents

Residential sales and letting agent, Mansons in the North East, shares its checklist of cost cutting tips to help reduce energy and maintenance costs As a tenant, you have far less control over implementing money-saving measures in your home than the average homeowner but that doesn’t mean that the amount you spend is already set […]

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Have you seen our guide? – Choosing your estate agent Nottingham Estate Agents

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make, and choosing the right estate agent is key. It makes sense to start thinking about the suitability of an estate agent early on. To help make the process easier, OnTheMarket.com has created an extensive guide called “10 tips to choosing your estate agent.” […]

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Moving to a new area? Top tips to help ease moving house Nottingham Estate Agents

Are you thinking about moving across the country to start again in a new area? Or even to start a new job? The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) provides five top tips to ensure moving house runs smoothly. Visit the new area It can take six to eight months to feel at home in a new town, […]

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Rental hot spots that won’t break the bank Nottingham Estate Agents

Is home ownership going out of fashion? As house prices continue to rise, we find the cheapest neighbourhoods to rent your next home. When you’re renting, location is everything. Just as when you’re buying, there are parts of the country where you can get a lot more property for your money. And the four regions […]

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Help to Buy scheme: everything you need to know Nottingham Estate Agents

Help to Buy is a government scheme which can help you to buy a property with just a 5% deposit. Find out how the scheme works and how to qualify in this blog by Money Advice Service.

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Five common mistakes first time buyers should try to avoid Nottingham Estate Agents

Buying a home is one of the most exciting and self-affirming life experiences but it can also be one of the most stressful. Martin & Co can help you stay one step ahead. Martin & Co has put together some of the most frequent mistakes that first time buyers continue to make to help you avoid them. 1. Becoming financially […]

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Ten Top Tips for First Time Buyers Nottingham Estate Agents

Buying your first property can seem a confusing process. But following a simple 10 step checklist will help the process to run more smoothly. Rachael Bewick is a Residential Property Solicitor at Osbornes Law.  1. Ask the estate agent key questions about the vendor: – Why are they selling? – Are they buying somewhere else? If […]

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Royal street names boost property values Nottingham Estate Agents

OntheMarket.com poll finds Britons will pay up to £50,000 extra for homes in streets with regal or titled prefixes. Streets with regal or titled names such as Royal, Palace, Lord and Bishop can boost the value of homes lining their pavements, OnTheMarket.com has found. According to new research by OnTheMarket.com, nearly one in 10 house-hunters […]

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A guide to inheritance tax Nottingham Estate Agents

Changes to the Inheritance Tax system could have far-reaching implications for homeowners Recent post-Budget analysis may have concentrated on the U-turn over National Insurance for the self-employed, but another tax change introduced on 6 April 2017 could have far-reaching implications for homeowners. This tax change means parents and grandparents are able to leave homes worth […]

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10 top tips to avoid being ‘stung’ by service charges Nottingham Estate Agents

Service charges are usually one of the ‘hidden costs’ when it comes to buying a property. OnTheMarket.com reveals 10 top tips to avoid overlooking those additional fees. The devil is in the detail, as the saying goes, and that is particularly true when it comes to service charges – those tiresome little add-ons which can […]

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Step inside the most viewed properties of 2019

Take five minutes to explore these beauties!

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Regional markets are defying Brexit uncertainty

Property prices in Wales have hit an all-time high.

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Can my brother be my tenant even if my mortgage doesn't allow it?

I am concerned about the consequences as I will be going against the terms of my buy-to-let deal

Q I have been approved for a buy-to-let mortgage. It has always been my intention not to live in the property. I live in London and am buying a property in my hometown further north. It now transpires that my brother would be happy to live in the property. I know family members are not allowed to be tenants as part of the terms and conditions of the mortgage. He will pay rent, but at a reduced rate. What are the consequences for me if we go ahead with this plan? AM

A If you breach the terms and conditions of your buy-to-let mortgage by letting the property to your brother (or any other close relative), your lender would be within its rights to demand full repayment of the loan. If you don’t tell your lender that a close family member is going to be your tenant, you would be committing mortgage fraud, which could also result in you being asked to repay the mortgage in full. Even if your lender did allow you to let to your brother, it might also take issue with him not paying a rent that covers 145% of the monthly mortgage payment, which would have been one of the requirement on which your mortgage application was approved.

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Renting in London: Top tips to stay ahead of the game Nottingham Estate Agents

London has a sense of energy and vibrancy like no other city. And if you are thinking of moving to or within the capital, you want to be in the heart of the action, or close to good transport links. The London rental sector is so vast, and so varied, that it remains highly competitive even in premium areas. […]

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UK property register 'needed urgently' to stop money laundering

MPs and peers say plans for register of foreign-owned property should not be delayed

Proposals for the first register of foreign-owned property aimed at preventing “McMafia-style” money laundering should be put in practice urgently and reinforced to plug potential loopholes, the government has been told.

Draft legislation contains insufficient verification checks to deter criminals from submitting false information and could allow those exploiting trusts to circumvent controls, MPs and peers have said.

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Ornamentally barking up the right tree | James Wong

Flowers get all the attention, but don’t overlook the dramatic effect that decorative bark brings to a garden

When it comes to picking out trees for small gardens, there are several attributes that jostle for top place on people’s wish lists: spring blossom, autumn colour and winter wildlife value to name just three. However, there is one spectacular feature guaranteed to delight the senses all year round that somehow rarely gets a mention, the dazzling colour and reach-out-and-grab-it texture of ornamental bark. With smart species choice and the right design technique, I believe bark can rival any other botanical feature for real wow factor, so here’s a beginner’s guide to doing just that.

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Ornamentally barking up the right tree | James Wong

Flowers get all the attention, but don’t overlook the dramatic effect that decorative bark brings to a garden

When it comes to picking out trees for small gardens, there are several attributes that jostle for top place on people’s wish lists: spring blossom, autumn colour and winter wildlife value to name just three. However, there is one spectacular feature guaranteed to delight the senses all year round that somehow rarely gets a mention, the dazzling colour and reach-out-and-grab-it texture of ornamental bark. With smart species choice and the right design technique, I believe bark can rival any other botanical feature for real wow factor, so here’s a beginner’s guide to doing just that.

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Hi-tech gardens bloom at London’s Chelsea Flower Show

3D printed soil, urban farming and artificial intelligence will all make an appearance at this year’s event

Weed is not a word often associated with the immaculate gardens of the Chelsea flower show. But with hydroponics and urban farming making grand appearances at this year’s event, it will be on a lot of visitors’ lips.

“With the right lights you can grow whatever you like, even if you’re inside a dark, north-facing flat in London or Birmingham,” said Jody Lidgard, one of Chelsea’s most decorated designers. “It’s almost like marijuana,” he chuckled. “It’s funny, but it’s true. They’ve been leading the way.”

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Hi-tech gardens bloom at London’s Chelsea Flower Show

3D printed soil, urban farming and artificial intelligence will all make an appearance at this year’s event

Weed is not a word often associated with the immaculate gardens of the Chelsea flower show. But with hydroponics and urban farming making grand appearances at this year’s event, it will be on a lot of visitors’ lips.

“With the right lights you can grow whatever you like, even if you’re inside a dark, north-facing flat in London or Birmingham,” said Jody Lidgard, one of Chelsea’s most decorated designers. “It’s almost like marijuana,” he chuckled. “It’s funny, but it’s true. They’ve been leading the way.”

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Ten legal terms first-time buyers should know Nottingham Estate Agents

The process of buying your first home can be daunting at times, especially when there are several legal terms to understand before signing on the dotted line. This guide should help to ease the process. To ensure important information is understood, it is really important that as a first-time buyer, you are familiar with some […]

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Good gardening is also about good eating | Allan Jenkins

It’s time to grill sausages and talk about hopes and plans for the plot

Spring barbecue, the tribal gathering. The collecting together of the allotment community after winter. Much strimming and sweeping of sheds and paths, cutting back overgrown spillage, sorting through the compost bays. With sausages, spicy chicken, vegetarian options.

It is the busiest day of the year so far. Tables are laid with an oilskin cloth. Chairs are cleaned, early summer flowers gathered for a jug: borage, dandelion, bluebells and forget-me-nots. There is a carpet of them, the beauty of benign neglect from a neighbour no longer with us. This was a favourite plot, a couple of fruit trees, a few cardoons, a quiet sitting space against a warming wall. It is more productive now, feeding a family, vines and yellow marigolds, a different beauty.

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Good gardening is also about good eating | Allan Jenkins

It’s time to grill sausages and talk about hopes and plans for the plot

Spring barbecue, the tribal gathering. The collecting together of the allotment community after winter. Much strimming and sweeping of sheds and paths, cutting back overgrown spillage, sorting through the compost bays. With sausages, spicy chicken, vegetarian options.

It is the busiest day of the year so far. Tables are laid with an oilskin cloth. Chairs are cleaned, early summer flowers gathered for a jug: borage, dandelion, bluebells and forget-me-nots. There is a carpet of them, the beauty of benign neglect from a neighbour no longer with us. This was a favourite plot, a couple of fruit trees, a few cardoons, a quiet sitting space against a warming wall. It is more productive now, feeding a family, vines and yellow marigolds, a different beauty.

Continue reading...

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The artist’s mews: small and perfect in Devon

A considered layout and bold use of colour elevate this studio apartment in Devon above its humble proportions. Rachel Ward gets the grand tour

As an artist and interior designer, Gemma Dudgeon is used to transforming spaces on behalf of clients up and down the country. This studio apartment, however, proved a different challenge – one that involved designing for herself, and from scratch. “My work is very client-led,” she says. “Deciding for myself was much harder. I had a blank canvas, which was a privilege, but also quite daunting, as I understood the sheer magnitude of choice and looks I could go for.”

Dudgeon moved to south Devon with her husband Alastair, a chef, in pursuit of a better quality of life. “I wanted my kids to grow up climbing trees and playing on the beach – to be in touch with the environment in which they live,” she says. In 2017, they bought a house in the market town of Totnes, which they share with their two young daughters, Olive and Frances, and their whippet, Skye. At the same time, the couple also purchased Mount Plym mews, an 1830s coach house located 100 yards away, for far more prosaic reasons: parking. “It’s a real issue in Totnes,” says Dudgeon.

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The artist’s mews: small and perfect in Devon

A considered layout and bold use of colour elevate this studio apartment in Devon above its humble proportions. Rachel Ward gets the grand tour

As an artist and interior designer, Gemma Dudgeon is used to transforming spaces on behalf of clients up and down the country. This studio apartment, however, proved a different challenge – one that involved designing for herself, and from scratch. “My work is very client-led,” she says. “Deciding for myself was much harder. I had a blank canvas, which was a privilege, but also quite daunting, as I understood the sheer magnitude of choice and looks I could go for.”

Dudgeon moved to south Devon with her husband Alastair, a chef, in pursuit of a better quality of life. “I wanted my kids to grow up climbing trees and playing on the beach – to be in touch with the environment in which they live,” she says. In 2017, they bought a house in the market town of Totnes, which they share with their two young daughters, Olive and Frances, and their whippet, Skye. At the same time, the couple also purchased Mount Plym mews, an 1830s coach house located 100 yards away, for far more prosaic reasons: parking. “It’s a real issue in Totnes,” says Dudgeon.

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Gardening tips: plant sun-loving ceanothus

Then visit a new children’s garden at Kew and harden off bedding plants

Plant this Blue doesn’t come more dazzling than the Californian lilac (ceanothus). Spring-flowering members of this clan of sun-loving shrubs flourish when trained against a sheltered wall: try the evergreen C. ‘Concha’ or ‘Puget Blue’. The more compact ‘Skylark’ will do well in a mixed border.

Visit this A new garden designed for children opens today at Kew Gardens, London. The space covers the equivalent of 40 tennis courts and includes an aerial walkway around an ancient oak, splash pools fed by water pumps children can control, a giant log scramble and more than 100 mature trees.

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Scented pelargoniums – blooming perfect for patios

These delicate plants can smell of rose, coconut, cedar and more. One head gardener shares tips from her 25-year-old collection

On open days at Offham House in Lewes, East Sussex, the greenhouse is a sea of competing scents: mint, rose, citrus and spice. “Most of the time it smells perfectly lovely,” says head gardener Jo Crispin. “And on open days we encourage visitors to rub the leaves of the scented pelargoniums, to find their favourites so they can buy cuttings to take home. They are constantly brushing past them as they walk around, too.” Crushing and brushing releases the essential oils that are held in these plants’ leaves and allows clouds of scent to rise.

Scented pelargoniums (often known as scented geraniums) are distinct from bedding pelargoniums, their gaudier, bolder relatives, commonly seen flowering from hanging baskets and window boxes all summer long. The scented types are descended from species that use strong scent to see off grazing animals and draw in pollinating insects. Those descended from Pelargonium cordifolium give off a scent of apple; those from P. crispum smell citrussy; and there are species with cinnamon, coconut, hazelnut, ginger, camphor, balsam, peach, pineapple, myrrh and rose scents. All can be used to flavour food. Eighteenth‑century breeders crossed these plants and selected the most interesting and clearest scents that arose – hence the great number of varieties and scents now available.

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How to reuse old compost | Alys Fowler

If you can happily dig around in it, go ahead and recycle it for another planting

It’s time to attend to the pots in your life, particularly those that contain half-dead (or completely dead) remains.

It is entirely possible to reuse old compost: the books tell you not to, but they are assuming you have money to spare/a car/easy access to a garden centre. Certainly, if the plant died from disease or soil pests such as vine weevil, then the compost is best sent elsewhere. But if it just looks very tired, use it as mulch. Bang out the compost from around the roots and use this on top of other pots or plants in the garden. It’s not going to have a great nutrient content, but it will suppress a few weeds and lock in moisture.

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Gardening tips: plant sun-loving ceanothus

Then visit a new children’s garden at Kew and harden off bedding plants

Plant this Blue doesn’t come more dazzling than the Californian lilac (ceanothus). Spring-flowering members of this clan of sun-loving shrubs flourish when trained against a sheltered wall: try the evergreen C. ‘Concha’ or ‘Puget Blue’. The more compact ‘Skylark’ will do well in a mixed border.

Visit this A new garden designed for children opens today at Kew Gardens, London. The space covers the equivalent of 40 tennis courts and includes an aerial walkway around an ancient oak, splash pools fed by water pumps children can control, a giant log scramble and more than 100 mature trees.

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Scented pelargoniums – blooming perfect for patios

These delicate plants can smell of rose, coconut, cedar and more. One head gardener shares tips from her 25-year-old collection

On open days at Offham House in Lewes, East Sussex, the greenhouse is a sea of competing scents: mint, rose, citrus and spice. “Most of the time it smells perfectly lovely,” says head gardener Jo Crispin. “And on open days we encourage visitors to rub the leaves of the scented pelargoniums, to find their favourites so they can buy cuttings to take home. They are constantly brushing past them as they walk around, too.” Crushing and brushing releases the essential oils that are held in these plants’ leaves and allows clouds of scent to rise.

Scented pelargoniums (often known as scented geraniums) are distinct from bedding pelargoniums, their gaudier, bolder relatives, commonly seen flowering from hanging baskets and window boxes all summer long. The scented types are descended from species that use strong scent to see off grazing animals and draw in pollinating insects. Those descended from Pelargonium cordifolium give off a scent of apple; those from P. crispum smell citrussy; and there are species with cinnamon, coconut, hazelnut, ginger, camphor, balsam, peach, pineapple, myrrh and rose scents. All can be used to flavour food. Eighteenth‑century breeders crossed these plants and selected the most interesting and clearest scents that arose – hence the great number of varieties and scents now available.

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How to reuse old compost | Alys Fowler

If you can happily dig around in it, go ahead and recycle it for another planting

It’s time to attend to the pots in your life, particularly those that contain half-dead (or completely dead) remains.

It is entirely possible to reuse old compost: the books tell you not to, but they are assuming you have money to spare/a car/easy access to a garden centre. Certainly, if the plant died from disease or soil pests such as vine weevil, then the compost is best sent elsewhere. But if it just looks very tired, use it as mulch. Bang out the compost from around the roots and use this on top of other pots or plants in the garden. It’s not going to have a great nutrient content, but it will suppress a few weeds and lock in moisture.

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'A terrible shock': council hands flat owner £146,000 bill

Nurse faces losing his property after council demands gigantic sum for refurbishment of block

How would you feel if a council bill for £146,000 landed on your doormat?

This monster demand – for £146,257, to be precise – was sent to Lloyd Onuoha, a 62-year-old nurse, by Southwark council in London.

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Five top tips for taking the best photographs to sell or let a home Nottingham Estate Agents

Hennings Moir Estate Agents reveal how best to prepare a property to guarantee the all-important photographs Whether you are taking photographs of your home for a property website or a property brochure, it’s important to remember that these images could mean the difference between a potential buyer or tenant booking a viewing, or deciding against […]

The post Five top tips for taking the best photographs to sell or let a home appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Let’s move to Hertford: if it’s cool enough for George Ezra…

A picturesque commuter town (with a fine collection of toothbrushes)

What’s going for it? Hertford is a gentle place of small pleasures, like its greatest son George Ezra. Everyone fancies a bit of George – even if it is just singing karaoke drunk at a ’Spoons on a Friday night. Likewise, only the harshest of hearts could savage Hertford. It might not be where you want your life to end up, but there are worse places. Its grand Saxon street pattern sprawled across the confluence of four rivers, its castle grounds and handsome centre of Georgian townhouses draped in creepers, and half-timbered salmon-pink cottages, speak of a time when Hertford was a big kahuna. Local lore even suggests this is the burial place of the Holy Grail, lurking somewhere in mysterious tunnels beneath the streets.

These days, though, Hertford is comfortable with a more sedate lot in life, a picturesque commuter town for those priced out of Edmonton. The museum has the largest collection of toothbrushes in the country (plucked from the Addis factory when it closed). Enjoying a pint on the riverside terrace at the Woolpack; small pleasures. That’s not to say Hertford can’t cut some rug when it wants to. Look at the 1970s theatre and arts centre, poised for reinvention by zippy architects Carmody Groarke, as avant garde as anything one could find in, ooh, St Albans.

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