Will help-to-buy restrictions cut the price of new builds?

I am unsure whether to postpone a purchase until the scheme no longer applies to most buyers

Q I am looking into buying a new-build property and am considering using the help-to-buy scheme. I have weighed up the benefit of using the scheme and feel the interest savings over the first five years would outweigh the potential for the government’s 20% stake to appreciate in value substantially over the same term. My main concern is that help-to-buy will be restricted from next March to first-time buyers. I am a second-time buyer so wouldn’t be able to use the scheme. However, there is evidence that help-to-buy inflates new-build property prices (encouraging them to build more, I assume) so would it be better to wait until after next March and see if new-build purchase prices come down once the scheme doesn’t apply to most buyers? I am looking at a four-bedroom property at about £300,000 so assume that size of property wouldn’t be a popular first-time buyer choice and therefore most buyers would have less purchasing power once the scheme is withdrawn. Any thoughts would be great. SL

A You are right that the help-to-buy scheme in England is changing next year but it’s from April rather than March. You are also right that from April 2021, the scheme will be open only to first-time buyers of new-build homes. However, you are wrong in thinking the new help-to-buy scheme won’t apply to most buyers. Since 2013, when the current help-to-buy scheme was introduced, eight out of 10 help-to-buy properties have been sold to first-time buyers, rather than existing homeowners, which perhaps explains the government’s decision to restrict the new scheme to them.

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15 tips for making buy-to-let work Nottingham Estate Agents

Since the advent of the buy-to-let mortgage in the 1990s, many thousands of people have invested in a property to rent out. Some have gone on to acquire multiple units and become professional landlords. Others find themselves becoming ‘accidental landlords’ – as when a temporary job move takes place and the family home needs to […]

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Explore five homes with private beach access

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Living in the past: lifestyles from bygone eras

Sick of 2020? Growing numbers of people are turning back the hands of time, drawn by a retro aesthetic and a comforting sense of nostalgia

Every Saturday evening, a suburban street in Greater Manchester bears witness to a peculiar sight: at the first-floor bay window of a 1930s semi, top-hatted heads bow over a platter of Victoria sponge slices, silhouetted against the sepia light of a gasoline lamp. Eavesdroppers might even catch the strains of Gilbert and Sullivan issuing from an 1890s gramophone as Michael Koropisz, a 24-year-old portrait artist who goes about his daily life as if he’s a well-to-do Briton of the 1890s, stages a tea party for fellow Victorian enthusiasts.

“We do get children pointing and laughing, and passersby taking selfies in front of us,” says Koropisz, who wears a top hat and 120-year-old frock coat, and adheres to a “pious” code of conduct.

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Living in the past: lifestyles from bygone eras

Sick of 2020? Growing numbers of people are turning back the hands of time, drawn by a retro aesthetic and a comforting sense of nostalgia

Every Saturday evening, a suburban street in Greater Manchester bears witness to a peculiar sight: at the first-floor bay window of a 1930s semi, top-hatted heads bow over a platter of Victoria sponge slices, silhouetted against the sepia light of a gasoline lamp. Eavesdroppers might even catch the strains of Gilbert and Sullivan issuing from an 1890s gramophone as Michael Koropisz, a 24-year-old portrait artist who goes about his daily life as if he’s a well-to-do Briton of the 1890s, stages a tea party for fellow Victorian enthusiasts.

“We do get children pointing and laughing, and passersby taking selfies in front of us,” says Koropisz, who wears a top hat and 120-year-old frock coat, and adheres to a “pious” code of conduct.

Continue reading...

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Pest control for indoor plants | James Wong

It’s easy to keep indoor plants free from unwanted visitors – put new arrivals into quarantine

Time for a controversial opinion… While indoor gardening is often considered second fiddle to its outdoor cousin, I think it is superior in pretty much every way. First, it is far more democratic. The vast majority of people have access to a sunny windowsill, but those with substantial outdoor space (and the resources needed to landscape this) are significantly more limited. Secondly, for those living in less idyllic climes, it means you keep growing all year round, even at 10 o’clock on a stormy February evening. It even comes far less encumbered with dusty, cultural baggage of not only the “right” way to do things, but even the “right” way to think about them – including the idea that indoor horticulture is not “real” gardening.

However, there is one aspect of gardening in the great indoors which can put it at an enormous disadvantage: pest and disease control. Perhaps counterintuitively, although living rooms and conservatories provide in many ways a sealed sanctuary, protected from external threats, these very same conditions mean that if a pest hitches a ride on new plant purchases they can quickly reach plague-like proportions. In a stable, warm, indoor climate with an ample food source and no predators, populations of mealy bug, scale insect, red spider mite and thrips can explode, and quickly cripple the health of many plants. This has been made especially likely in recent years as most of the big houseplant growers in the Netherlands, who supply the vast majority of the market, have done a really commendable job improving their environmental footprint by slashing the amount of pesticides they use to essentially zero. When once plants arrived pretty much sterile to store, they now often come with a hitch hiker or two. Sometimes doing the right thing can have its downsides!

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Children of former Azeri security chief acquired luxury UK properties

Investigation into hacked bank files reveals £100m business empire owned by family of former Azerbaijan minister Eldar Mahmudov

 A string of luxury properties, including a £17m home near Harrods, were acquired by the children of Azerbaijan’s former security chief, an investigation has revealed.

Eldar Mahmudov was dismissed as national security minister by a presidential order in 2015. No official explanation was given for his removal.

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Pest control for indoor plants | James Wong

It’s easy to keep indoor plants free from unwanted visitors – put new arrivals into quarantine

Time for a controversial opinion… While indoor gardening is often considered second fiddle to its outdoor cousin, I think it is superior in pretty much every way. First, it is far more democratic. The vast majority of people have access to a sunny windowsill, but those with substantial outdoor space (and the resources needed to landscape this) are significantly more limited. Secondly, for those living in less idyllic climes, it means you keep growing all year round, even at 10 o’clock on a stormy February evening. It even comes far less encumbered with dusty, cultural baggage of not only the “right” way to do things, but even the “right” way to think about them – including the idea that indoor horticulture is not “real” gardening.

However, there is one aspect of gardening in the great indoors which can put it at an enormous disadvantage: pest and disease control. Perhaps counterintuitively, although living rooms and conservatories provide in many ways a sealed sanctuary, protected from external threats, these very same conditions mean that if a pest hitches a ride on new plant purchases they can quickly reach plague-like proportions. In a stable, warm, indoor climate with an ample food source and no predators, populations of mealy bug, scale insect, red spider mite and thrips can explode, and quickly cripple the health of many plants. This has been made especially likely in recent years as most of the big houseplant growers in the Netherlands, who supply the vast majority of the market, have done a really commendable job improving their environmental footprint by slashing the amount of pesticides they use to essentially zero. When once plants arrived pretty much sterile to store, they now often come with a hitch hiker or two. Sometimes doing the right thing can have its downsides!

Continue reading...

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I cherished Barnard Castle as a hidden gem before Dominic Cummings ruined it

News of his visit to the town has led to a soaring number of inquiries about short stays, much to my annoyance

Like many people, I’m still enraged by the exploits of the prime minister’s adviser, Dominic Cummings, and those who seek to protect him. But alas, my ire is additionally tinged with my strongly proprietorial feelings about Barnard Castle, where he travelled to in order to test his eyesight. Naturally, I’m well aware that several thousand people live in Barnard Castle; I’ve seen, too, the crowd that gathers at the Bowes Museum to watch the glorious Silver Swan – an automaton much admired by Mark Twain when he saw it at the 1867 Paris exhibition – dive for fish. Nevertheless, I’ve always clung to the illusion that the town is my secret. Reading in the Northern Echo that inquiries about short stays in the area were up by 160%, my heart sank faster than Boris Johnson’s ratings. 

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I cherished Barnard Castle as a hidden gem before Dominic Cummings ruined it

News of his visit to the town has led to a soaring number of inquiries about short stays, much to my annoyance

Like many people, I’m still enraged by the exploits of the prime minister’s adviser, Dominic Cummings, and those who seek to protect him. But alas, my ire is additionally tinged with my strongly proprietorial feelings about Barnard Castle, where he travelled to in order to test his eyesight. Naturally, I’m well aware that several thousand people live in Barnard Castle; I’ve seen, too, the crowd that gathers at the Bowes Museum to watch the glorious Silver Swan – an automaton much admired by Mark Twain when he saw it at the 1867 Paris exhibition – dive for fish. Nevertheless, I’ve always clung to the illusion that the town is my secret. Reading in the Northern Echo that inquiries about short stays in the area were up by 160%, my heart sank faster than Boris Johnson’s ratings. 

Continue reading...

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Bright candy colours bring summer cheer

A chance purchase introduces new colours to the window boxes and roof terrace

Early summer means geraniums. Time to change the window boxes, refresh the rooftop pots. We usually leave it until the early May bank holiday,or the later one at a push. We stock up on lupins, geraniums and lobelia (always dark blue); perhaps a few deep purple petunia.

My window-box tastes were defined at 19, selling plants in a posh Kensington square. I like the restricted palette, the repetitive ritual, keeping changes minimal.

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Bright candy colours bring summer cheer

A chance purchase introduces new colours to the window boxes and roof terrace

Early summer means geraniums. Time to change the window boxes, refresh the rooftop pots. We usually leave it until the early May bank holiday,or the later one at a push. We stock up on lupins, geraniums and lobelia (always dark blue); perhaps a few deep purple petunia.

My window-box tastes were defined at 19, selling plants in a posh Kensington square. I like the restricted palette, the repetitive ritual, keeping changes minimal.

Continue reading...

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How much value does an extra bathroom add? Nottingham Estate Agents

Gone are the days when family members were happy to take their turn in the bathroom. Make no mistake: a house with two bathrooms trumps a home with just one. In the shopping list of building works that can add significant value to a property – from conservatories to loft conversions to new kitchens – […]

The post How much value does an extra bathroom add? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Cabin fever: why people are going wild for custom garden rooms

A colourful, cosy cabin at the end of the garden is a perfect way to get some more space – or getaway from it all

When Virginia Woolf extolled the virtues of having “a room of one’s own” she might have been referring to a cabin in the garden. For anyone who’s had to work from home recently, and is in possession of a patch of outside, a garden getaway where you can labour, undisturbed by cats padding across keyboards or the tug of a toddler’s hand during a conference call, has taken on a new appeal.

But a garden room needn’t just be for work. Thanks to wireless technology and efficient insulation, today’s 21st-century cabins are multi-tasking boltholes. In need of a meditation space, a studio, a guest room or cocktail lounge? The cabin can accommodate every whim.

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Cabin fever: why people are going wild for custom garden rooms

A colourful, cosy cabin at the end of the garden is a perfect way to get some more space – or getaway from it all

When Virginia Woolf extolled the virtues of having “a room of one’s own” she might have been referring to a cabin in the garden. For anyone who’s had to work from home recently, and is in possession of a patch of outside, a garden getaway where you can labour, undisturbed by cats padding across keyboards or the tug of a toddler’s hand during a conference call, has taken on a new appeal.

But a garden room needn’t just be for work. Thanks to wireless technology and efficient insulation, today’s 21st-century cabins are multi-tasking boltholes. In need of a meditation space, a studio, a guest room or cocktail lounge? The cabin can accommodate every whim.

Continue reading...

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Gardening tips: buy herbs for your windowsill

Then plant cornflowers and take a virtual garden tour

Buy this If you hanker after something to nurture, a mini growing kit from the Crop Club (£13.50) will provide something to enjoy on your windowsill. Choose herbs and edible flowers to sow in each of three decorated pots, then you can watch them grow.

Plant this The vivid blue flowers of the perennial cornflower (Centaurea montana) are cottage garden favourites, blooming from now until late summer in sun or partial shade. Cultivars ‘Jordy’ (dark purple) and ‘Carnea’ (pale pink) are worth a look, but you can’t beat the blue. Height and spread: 45cm x 60cm.

Continue reading...

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How to grow berries | Alys Fowler

From raspberries to gooseberries, blackcurrants or tayberries, we can enjoy soft fruit all summer long

Soft raspberries and wineberries; sun-warmed strawberries so ripe you can smell them before you see them; blueberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, and the strange delicacy that is white currants. Then there are jostaberries, worcesterberries, tayberries and the fattest blackberries you can imagine. Our climate may not be one for citrus or mangoes, but we have berries and we can have them all summer long.

Productive soft fruit is the most cost-effective of all food growing when you compare with shop prices – productive being the operative word here. It is very easy to do little and have plants that do the same. Strawberries need love poured into them in the form of liquid feed high in potash (comfrey is ideal) once a week during the growing season; regularly propagate runners to maintain vigour and mulch with well-rotted compost from autumn to early spring to keep the soil in good health. That, a lot of sun and, crucially, a sheltered spot, as bees don’t like to be belted about to find their tea.

Continue reading...

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Gentle giants: fall for exotic tree ferns

Sculptural and primeval, Australian tree ferns have been thrilling British gardeners for more than 150 years. They’re also perfect for today’s tiny back gardens and shady courtyards

With thick, fuzzy trunks topped by a headdress of imposing fronds, these giants of the fern family are showstoppers. “When you see them, you think, wow,” says designer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, who has been using them in his gardens for more than 30 years. But it is their ability to make a statuesque feature in the smallest of spaces that has cemented the tree fern’s recent popularity, he says. “When you’ve got a dark area where little else will grow, few plants perform so well.”

Among the tree ferns available in the UK, the most popular is Dicksonia antarctica. Its huge trunks, which arrived on our shores in the 1840s and 50s, were transported from their native Australia to be planted in Britain’s grand gardens by well-heeled Victorian gardeners. The plant’s main asset is its hardiness: it can cope with temperatures as cold as -5C, which means it will survive the average British winter with the help of some insulation around the crown. They can grow to 15m (49ft) in their native south-eastern Australia. Others, such as the black tree fern (Cyathea medullaris), may thrive outside in a sheltered garden in Cornwall or in the heat island of central London, but would struggle elsewhere in the event of a harsh UK winter.

Continue reading...

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Small wonders: choose pot plants for a perfect summer display

It’s not too late to add a splash of colour. These flowers thrive in containers, in even the smallest of spaces

Over the past two years, I have accumulated a little collection of terracotta pots in a sheltered corner of the Garden Museum in London, where I am head gardener. The largest is no wider than 30cm (12in), the smallest the size of my hand. They allow me to trial plants I haven’t grown before, and together form an uplifting, colourful display. Through spring they have bulged with yellow uvularias, bright dicentras and the tubular blooms of corydalis. Most enjoyable is the ease of maintenance: I can water by hand, feed as necessary and rearrange to my heart’s content.

With spring now almost over, I’m transferring these plants to suitable homes throughout the garden and preparing to refill the pots. Like many gardeners in lockdown, I want bright, long-lasting blooms, but also low maintenance: pot-tolerant species able to cope with my reduced visits to the garden.

Continue reading...

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Cash in the time of coronavirus: how to get in financial shape for the new normal

Guardian Money helps you put your finances in order while adapting to a new way of living

The coronavirus crisis has had a huge impact on all of us. About 8.4 million workers have been furloughed, tens of thousands have lost their jobs and many self-employed workers’ incomes have taken a hit.

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Gardening tips: buy herbs for your windowsill

Then plant cornflowers and take a virtual garden tour

Buy this If you hanker after something to nurture, a mini growing kit from the Crop Club (£13.50) will provide something to enjoy on your windowsill. Choose herbs and edible flowers to sow in each of three decorated pots, then you can watch them grow.

Plant this The vivid blue flowers of the perennial cornflower (Centaurea montana) are cottage garden favourites, blooming from now until late summer in sun or partial shade. Cultivars ‘Jordy’ (dark purple) and ‘Carnea’ (pale pink) are worth a look, but you can’t beat the blue. Height and spread: 45cm x 60cm.

Continue reading...

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How to grow berries | Alys Fowler

From raspberries to gooseberries, blackcurrants or tayberries, we can enjoy soft fruit all summer long

Soft raspberries and wineberries; sun-warmed strawberries so ripe you can smell them before you see them; blueberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, and the strange delicacy that is white currants. Then there are jostaberries, worcesterberries, tayberries and the fattest blackberries you can imagine. Our climate may not be one for citrus or mangoes, but we have berries and we can have them all summer long.

Productive soft fruit is the most cost-effective of all food growing when you compare with shop prices – productive being the operative word here. It is very easy to do little and have plants that do the same. Strawberries need love poured into them in the form of liquid feed high in potash (comfrey is ideal) once a week during the growing season; regularly propagate runners to maintain vigour and mulch with well-rotted compost from autumn to early spring to keep the soil in good health. That, a lot of sun and, crucially, a sheltered spot, as bees don’t like to be belted about to find their tea.

Continue reading...

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Gentle giants: fall for exotic tree ferns

Sculptural and primeval, Australian tree ferns have been thrilling British gardeners for more than 150 years. They’re also perfect for today’s tiny back gardens and shady courtyards

With thick, fuzzy trunks topped by a headdress of imposing fronds, these giants of the fern family are showstoppers. “When you see them, you think, wow,” says designer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, who has been using them in his gardens for more than 30 years. But it is their ability to make a statuesque feature in the smallest of spaces that has cemented the tree fern’s recent popularity, he says. “When you’ve got a dark area where little else will grow, few plants perform so well.”

Among the tree ferns available in the UK, the most popular is Dicksonia antarctica. Its huge trunks, which arrived on our shores in the 1840s and 50s, were transported from their native Australia to be planted in Britain’s grand gardens by well-heeled Victorian gardeners. The plant’s main asset is its hardiness: it can cope with temperatures as cold as -5C, which means it will survive the average British winter with the help of some insulation around the crown. They can grow to 15m (49ft) in their native south-eastern Australia. Others, such as the black tree fern (Cyathea medullaris), may thrive outside in a sheltered garden in Cornwall or in the heat island of central London, but would struggle elsewhere in the event of a harsh UK winter.

Continue reading...

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Small wonders: choose pot plants for a perfect summer display

It’s not too late to add a splash of colour. These flowers thrive in containers, in even the smallest of spaces

Over the past two years, I have accumulated a little collection of terracotta pots in a sheltered corner of the Garden Museum in London, where I am head gardener. The largest is no wider than 30cm (12in), the smallest the size of my hand. They allow me to trial plants I haven’t grown before, and together form an uplifting, colourful display. Through spring they have bulged with yellow uvularias, bright dicentras and the tubular blooms of corydalis. Most enjoyable is the ease of maintenance: I can water by hand, feed as necessary and rearrange to my heart’s content.

With spring now almost over, I’m transferring these plants to suitable homes throughout the garden and preparing to refill the pots. Like many gardeners in lockdown, I want bright, long-lasting blooms, but also low maintenance: pot-tolerant species able to cope with my reduced visits to the garden.

Continue reading...

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How to make your deposit go further Nottingham Estate Agents

Managing to secure a mortgage isn’t just about proving you can afford to repay it each month. You’ll need to have at least 5% of the deposit saved up – more if you want the lowest rates. If saving tens of thousands of pounds feels like a daunting prospect, you aren’t alone. OnTheMarket asked the […]

The post How to make your deposit go further appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Birds of a white feather flock together

After the Labour peer David Clark said he had spotted an albino pheasant for the first time in 75 years of bird-watching, readers respond with their own sightings

We were surprised when an albino pheasant (Letters, 22 May) took up residence with our seven domestic chickens last year. They seemed to coexist happily for a few weeks, sharing the same food, although the pheasant roosted elsewhere. We’ve not seen it this year and don’t know what happened to it.
Stephen Ross
High Biggins, Cumbria

• Last year I saw an albino pheasant occasionally on walks through local countryside. The last time I saw it, it was among several other pheasants hanging in the back of a gamekeeper’s quad cycle after a shoot. How jolly unsporting, I thought!
Alex Allan
Gore End, Hampshire

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Inside five jaw-dropping overseas properties

Go and explore!

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Birds of a white feather flock together

After the Labour peer David Clark said he had spotted an albino pheasant for the first time in 75 years of bird-watching, readers respond with their own sightings

We were surprised when an albino pheasant (Letters, 22 May) took up residence with our seven domestic chickens last year. They seemed to coexist happily for a few weeks, sharing the same food, although the pheasant roosted elsewhere. We’ve not seen it this year and don’t know what happened to it.
Stephen Ross
High Biggins, Cumbria

• Last year I saw an albino pheasant occasionally on walks through local countryside. The last time I saw it, it was among several other pheasants hanging in the back of a gamekeeper’s quad cycle after a shoot. How jolly unsporting, I thought!
Alex Allan
Gore End, Hampshire

Continue reading...

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Arts and Crafts homes for sale – in pictures

From impressive original designs to those more recently inspired by the movement

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Everything you need to know about planning permission Nottingham Estate Agents

Planning permission can seem a daunting process – OnTheMarket’s guide explains exactly what’s involved. What is planning permission and when do I need it? If you want to construct a new building or make large-scale changes to an existing structure, including extensions and outbuildings, you will need planning permission from the local authority. The purpose […]

The post Everything you need to know about planning permission appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Favourite fixer upper Nottingham Estate Agents

Beneath the dense foliage which currently covers the outside is an amazing property waiting to be brought back to life. Primrose Farmhouse is ripe for total renovation, either as one large family home with four bedrooms or two smaller semi-detached properties with two bedrooms each. It is for sale with a guide price of £225,000 […]

The post Favourite fixer upper appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Star property over £500,000 Nottingham Estate Agents

It is hard to imagine ever getting bored living in this sumptuous manor house with so much to keep you entertained. Chalfont Manor is a Tudor style mansion which packs a lot into its 14,085 sq ft and no expense has been spared in the £5 million new build refurbishment it has undergone. It has […]

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Star property under £250,000 Nottingham Estate Agents

It’s hard not to be wowed by this beautifully presented four-bedroom end-of-terrace home with period features. And that’s before you hear about the affordable price tag. The stone-built home in the scenic County Durham town of Barnard Castle offers spacious accommodation over three storeys. The property is for sale for £199,950 and is marketed by […]

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How to finance a property purchase Nottingham Estate Agents

A property to live in is probably the most valuable item you will ever buy. Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to afford the whole purchase price, you will need to borrow a substantial sum of money in order to buy your home. Here are OnTheMarket‘s  eight things to consider to help you […]

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Our homes have become our whole world – and now I'm obsessed with changing mine

For those lucky enough to have stable homes in lockdown, improving them has become a compulsion

Last week my housemate moved out, taking everything she owned, which was pretty much everything we had, with her.

She lived in this house for 10 years and had made it a true home – a soft-pink armchair from a friend who’d died, paintings from the desert community where she had worked, and a vintage cabinet you could barely close because it was so stuffed with pots and pans. She knew what to do when we blew a fuse, how often the gutters should be cleared, and why the neighbours screamed at their television on weekends in winter – “the Rabbitohs are losing again”. She had things in the attic.

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Our homes have become our whole world – and now I'm obsessed with changing mine

For those lucky enough to have stable homes in lockdown, improving them has become a compulsion

Last week my housemate moved out, taking everything she owned, which was pretty much everything we had, with her.

She lived in this house for 10 years and had made it a true home – a soft-pink armchair from a friend who’d died, paintings from the desert community where she had worked, and a vintage cabinet you could barely close because it was so stuffed with pots and pans. She knew what to do when we blew a fuse, how often the gutters should be cleared, and why the neighbours screamed at their television on weekends in winter – “the Rabbitohs are losing again”. She had things in the attic.

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What renters looking for a new property need to know Nottingham Estate Agents

Renters searching for a new home are now allowed to visit properties to view them but must ensure their viewings are conducted as safely as possible. Although the Government has re-opened the rental market, many renters are nervous about viewing properties, and about letting people in to look around their current homes. Remember that even […]

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How to pick a calming colour scheme

Read these tips and get painting!

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Nine ways to transform your home into a sanctuary

Head this way for some inspiration.

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Can I use a removals firm now?

Read the latest government advice.

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Charles Dickens’ Kent holiday home is up for sale

It's anything but bleak.

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The deposits you’ll need in 20 cities across England

How much of a deposit will you need?

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Can I still buy my first home? Our experts answer your questions

Find out how lockdown has impacted your plans.

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How to stage your property ready to sell Nottingham Estate Agents

In today’s climate, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your property is presented to its full potential to be able to secure the best price. Houses that are staged correctly can sell more quickly and, in many cases, for a higher price. For those who aren’t familiar with home staging, it’s a method […]

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Brian May was 'near death' after suffering heart attack while gardening

The Queen guitarist said doctors found three blocked arteries after he experienced a ‘small’ heart attack

After admitting to shredding his buttock muscles while gardening earlier this month, Brian May has revealed further details of an incident that led to a small heart attack and the discovery of three blocked arteries that left the Queen guitarist “very near death”.

In a series of posts on his Instagram account, the 72-year-old said that a week after he was sent home after sustaining the gardening injury, he was still in such agony that he “wanted to jump at some points”. He was readmitted to hospital for an MRI scan, which discovered a severely compressed sciatic nerve – the product, he concluded, of 50 years as a guitarist. “That’s why I had this feeling that someone was putting a screwdriver in my back,” he said.

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Brian May was 'near death' after suffering heart attack while gardening

The Queen guitarist said doctors found three blocked arteries after he experienced a ‘small’ heart attack

After admitting to shredding his buttock muscles while gardening earlier this month, Brian May has revealed further details of an incident that led to a small heart attack and the discovery of three blocked arteries that left the Queen guitarist “very near death”.

In a series of posts on his Instagram account, the 72-year-old said that a week after he was sent home after sustaining the gardening injury, he was still in such agony that he “wanted to jump at some points”. He was readmitted to hospital for an MRI scan, which discovered a severely compressed sciatic nerve – the product, he concluded, of 50 years as a guitarist. “That’s why I had this feeling that someone was putting a screwdriver in my back,” he said.

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Can I use a help-to-buy Isa to purchase a rental property?

I can’t afford to buy in London and am thinking I could get a flat in my home town to let out

Q I was just doing some research regarding buying a property to rent and was hoping I could pick your brains.

I live and work in London and cannot afford to buy a property there on my own. My dad and I were therefore thinking about buying a property back in my home town of Loughborough to rent out to students. Can the mortgage be in our joint names or would it have to be in my dad’s name only?

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How much value does a conservatory add? Nottingham Estate Agents

Home improvements are big business, with millions of homeowners opting to extend or upgrade their homes. Since 2013, some £40 billion has been spent on home improvements, according to research by NAEA Propertymark (formerly known as the National Association of Estate Agents), with redecorating, new flooring and garden landscaping the most popular options. Only 11 […]

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Most ingredients are in place for a property crash later this year | Larry Elliott

Rising unemployment is toxic for the property market and low interest rates may not be enough

This weekend marks the start of a truncated summer house buying season, the moment the residential property market comes out of hibernation.

Normally this happens at easter but, for obvious reasons, that has not been possible in 2020. Estate agents have been shuttered along with almost every other business, waiting impatiently for the lifting of the lockdown. This bank holiday weekend, with fine weather forecast, provides a chance to make up for lost time.

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Enjoy the great outdoors – from the inside

You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy the magic of nature

As a botanist, I am fascinated by the growing body of scientific evidence of the powerful and positive impact that simply being around plants can have on mental and physical health. From reducing healing times in hospitals to helping control pain and anxiety, spending time in nature can constitute an important therapeutic tool for many people, especially in the current situation.

However, amid continuing lockdown, for many of us escaping on a forest walk or to a country park is difficult to achieve. For city flat dwellers like me, getting time with nature can be even tougher, just when we need it the most. So here are three simple ways in which anyone can benefit from the great outdoors, without needing to leave your front door.

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Enjoy the great outdoors – from the inside

You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy the magic of nature

As a botanist, I am fascinated by the growing body of scientific evidence of the powerful and positive impact that simply being around plants can have on mental and physical health. From reducing healing times in hospitals to helping control pain and anxiety, spending time in nature can constitute an important therapeutic tool for many people, especially in the current situation.

However, amid continuing lockdown, for many of us escaping on a forest walk or to a country park is difficult to achieve. For city flat dwellers like me, getting time with nature can be even tougher, just when we need it the most. So here are three simple ways in which anyone can benefit from the great outdoors, without needing to leave your front door.

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Spuds you’ll like: the first earlies are nearly ready

The big taste of British summer starts with a bowl of small potatoes

Our potatoes are growing, purple and metal-green leaf covered over in the trench where magic happens. It won’t be long now. A couple of weeks or so until our primal root crop is ready. Literal buried treasure, unearthing memories of childhood summers and dinner.

Alongside fresh-picked peas and corn, potatoes are maybe the best test of the homegrown veg, eaten on the same day as cropping if possible, still tasting sweet of the soil. Every year as December ends, my thoughts turn to what varieties we might grow, where we will get them and when. I will try to wait for a potato fair, but they are often later than I like.

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Spuds you’ll like: the first earlies are nearly ready

The big taste of British summer starts with a bowl of small potatoes

Our potatoes are growing, purple and metal-green leaf covered over in the trench where magic happens. It won’t be long now. A couple of weeks or so until our primal root crop is ready. Literal buried treasure, unearthing memories of childhood summers and dinner.

Alongside fresh-picked peas and corn, potatoes are maybe the best test of the homegrown veg, eaten on the same day as cropping if possible, still tasting sweet of the soil. Every year as December ends, my thoughts turn to what varieties we might grow, where we will get them and when. I will try to wait for a potato fair, but they are often later than I like.

Continue reading...

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A guide to buying land: 10 top tips Nottingham Estate Agents

Buying land can be far more romantic than buying bricks and mortar. You feel as if you are acquiring your very own share, however small, of Planet Earth. And although there are a few pitfalls, purchasing land is generally simpler than purchasing property. It can also, potentially, be just as lucrative. If you’re a first […]

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Rhapsody in blue: a Milanese apartment

In the heart of Italy’s design capital, this spectacular home hits all the right notes

Milan’s Sforza Castle may not be as well known as its Teatro alla Scala or Duomo, but it is one of the Italian city’s proudest monuments. In the mid-1400s the Duke of Milan, Francesco I Sforza, transformed what were near ruins into one of the most exclusive residences of the Italian Renaissance. A few years later, the restoration was taken further by Francesco’s fourth son, Ludovico il Moro, who enlisted his contemporaries to help him deck it out, including a couple of chaps called Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci. Five centuries on, across the road in the home of former fashion designer Lorenza Bozzoli, history is repeating itself.

The Milan-born artist and interior designer, together with her husband, architect Piergiorgio Fasoli, has just finished a six-month renovation of their mezzanine apartment in front of the castle on the Piazza Castello. They have turned “a boring studio”, as Bozzoli puts it, into a multicoloured Tardis filled with furniture and art.

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Rhapsody in blue: a Milanese apartment

In the heart of Italy’s design capital, this spectacular home hits all the right notes

Milan’s Sforza Castle may not be as well known as its Teatro alla Scala or Duomo, but it is one of the Italian city’s proudest monuments. In the mid-1400s the Duke of Milan, Francesco I Sforza, transformed what were near ruins into one of the most exclusive residences of the Italian Renaissance. A few years later, the restoration was taken further by Francesco’s fourth son, Ludovico il Moro, who enlisted his contemporaries to help him deck it out, including a couple of chaps called Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci. Five centuries on, across the road in the home of former fashion designer Lorenza Bozzoli, history is repeating itself.

The Milan-born artist and interior designer, together with her husband, architect Piergiorgio Fasoli, has just finished a six-month renovation of their mezzanine apartment in front of the castle on the Piazza Castello. They have turned “a boring studio”, as Bozzoli puts it, into a multicoloured Tardis filled with furniture and art.

Continue reading...

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How to grow chicory | Alys Fowler

Italians put these bitter greens at the heart of classic peasant dishes. Growing your own is as simple as scatter and go

The taste of bitter greens, swirled into the holy trinity of garlic, olive oil and chilli pepper to make cicoria ripassata alla Romano, is one of those simple yet delicious dishes we all need right now. There’s another, lighter version that calls for lemon juice and salt instead of garlic and chilli. And I go weak at the knees for the Pugliese take, where the greens are comforted in a puree of broad beans and garlic. Better yet, these are some of the easiest of greens to grow: simply open the seed packet and scatter.

These are all classic cucina povera – peasant food – dishes, in this case using chicory leaves, which originally would have been foraged from meadows and field margins. The Italians have made a fine art of this vegetable family – think of all those radicchios and endives.

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How to grow chicory | Alys Fowler

Italians put these bitter greens at the heart of classic peasant dishes. Growing your own is as simple as scatter and go

The taste of bitter greens, swirled into the holy trinity of garlic, olive oil and chilli pepper to make cicoria ripassata alla Romano, is one of those simple yet delicious dishes we all need right now. There’s another, lighter version that calls for lemon juice and salt instead of garlic and chilli. And I go weak at the knees for the Pugliese take, where the greens are comforted in a puree of broad beans and garlic. Better yet, these are some of the easiest of greens to grow: simply open the seed packet and scatter.

These are all classic cucina povera – peasant food – dishes, in this case using chicory leaves, which originally would have been foraged from meadows and field margins. The Italians have made a fine art of this vegetable family – think of all those radicchios and endives.

Continue reading...

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Paint, pallets and a chicken coop: how DIY and upcycling can save cash

Lockdown provides opportunity to start the home improvement projects you have been putting off

After weeks stuck indoors, many of us have a very good idea of which bits of our home we would like to improve. Some have already been moving through their DIY to-do lists but with the bank holiday weekend here and restrictions on lockdown easing in parts of the UK, it is the perfect time to get going on a new project – big or small.

Medina Grillo, an award-winning DIY and home improvement blogger at grillo-designs.com, says now is an opportunity to tackle projects you may have previously put off. “DIY helps to structure your day a bit more and it keeps you from feeling too bored,” she says. She has painted a small wall in her entrance hall, hung up a few pictures and waxed a coat rail over the past few weeks.

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What's the best way to start composting?

My local council has stopped collecting food waste and I’m not sure what I need to compost it

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.

My local council has stopped collecting food waste and I think I need to start composting. What works best? Is it worth spending money on proper equipment or can I use an old bin?

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What's the best way to start composting?

My local council has stopped collecting food waste and I’m not sure what I need to compost it

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.

My local council has stopped collecting food waste and I think I need to start composting. What works best? Is it worth spending money on proper equipment or can I use an old bin?

Continue reading...

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Five ways to bring to bring the festival vibe to your garden Nottingham Estate Agents

As we move into summer, we’re approaching what would have been the start of the festival season. But, with major events like Glastonbury, Latitude, and Wireless all cancelled because of coronavirus, many of us will be wondering how we’re going to fill that festival-shaped hole in our lives. If you’re lucky enough to have a […]

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Explore beautifully remote homes across the UK

Would you move out here?

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New video by Rightmove on YouTube

As lockdown lifts Can I still buy my first property?
We’ve been inundated with questions from first-time buyers, like you, desperate to know how they’ll be affected and what options are available. To put your minds at ease, we’ll be answering your questions via a live Q&A – When lockdown lifts: Can I still buy my first property? Questions covered: When can I start my property search again? Is now a good time to buy? What are my mortgage options? Will I still be able to get one? Can I still use Help to Buy?

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UK mortgage payment holiday extended by three months

Treasury also extends ban on home repossessions to 31 October amid Covid-19 crisis

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The government has extended its mortgage payment holiday scheme by three months and the ban on home repossessions until the end of October.

More than 1.8 million homeowners have taken a three-month mortgage holiday since the scheme was announced in March to help borrowers in financial difficulty because of the coronavirus crisis, according to Treasury figures. It was due to expire at the end of June.

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Homes for growing your own food - in pictures

From kitchen gardens to trout fishing rights, these properties can put food on the table

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Ten key questions to ask an agent when looking for a home to rent Nottingham Estate Agents

It’s important to ask your estate or letting agent the right questions when you search for a property to rent. “Competition can be fierce and time tight in the rental sector, so it is crucial to have your finances in order and be able to move quickly,” says Kate Eales, Head of National Lettings at […]

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Buying a property on your own: How it can be done Nottingham Estate Agents

It may seem like a Herculean task, but it is possible to buy a house if you are on your own. There is no doubt the coronavirus pandemic has complicated things for the majority of would-be solo homeowners. The property market has been majorly affected by the strict measures put in place to contain the virus […]

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Sunak planning to extend UK mortgage relief scheme

Chancellor said to be in discussion about how to continue helping borrowers

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Rishi Sunak is drawing up plans to extend the mortgage relief scheme beyond the end of June as many businesses remain unable to reopen, Whitehall sources have confirmed.

The Financial Times reported that the chancellor is in discussions with the banking sector about how to continue supporting cash-strapped borrowers through the coming months.

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Five tips for turning your garden into a sanctuary Nottingham Estate Agents

Gardening can make us feel better – mowing the lawn, weeding the flower bed, planting seeds in the potting shed and staying connected with nature can all help to boost our mental and physical health. The way we design our gardens and the features we choose to incorporate can be restorative – from the soothing […]

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Country diary: why did the snail tiptoe across the road?

Crook, County Durham: Rain makes for an easy journey, but dry and dusty asphalt is a different matter

Forty-nine early morning lockdown walks, and I’d only been rained on twice. Today balanced the account a little, with raindrops hammering on my umbrella. Not a day for lingering, with a cold wind and scudding grey clouds, but ahead, crossing the asphalt of the lane, was a fellow traveller, almost luminous in the gloom: a white-lipped snail, Cepaea hortensis.

Cepaea shells come in several colour schemes, with variable numbers of thick or thin spiralling brown bands or, more rarely hereabouts, simply bright yellow with no bands at all. Since the 1940s academic careers have been built on fathoming the evolutionary significance of this genetically determined variation within the genus. Climate, habitat and susceptibility to predation all play a part in the local frequency of morphs.

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Country diary: why did the snail tiptoe across the road?

Crook, County Durham: Rain makes for an easy journey, but dry and dusty asphalt is a different matter

Forty-nine early morning lockdown walks, and I’d only been rained on twice. Today balanced the account a little, with raindrops hammering on my umbrella. Not a day for lingering, with a cold wind and scudding grey clouds, but ahead, crossing the asphalt of the lane, was a fellow traveller, almost luminous in the gloom: a white-lipped snail, Cepaea hortensis.

Cepaea shells come in several colour schemes, with variable numbers of thick or thin spiralling brown bands or, more rarely hereabouts, simply bright yellow with no bands at all. Since the 1940s academic careers have been built on fathoming the evolutionary significance of this genetically determined variation within the genus. Climate, habitat and susceptibility to predation all play a part in the local frequency of morphs.

Continue reading...

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Plantwatch: vital peat needs protection from compost sales

Damaged peatlands account for 5% of all annual manmade greenhouse gas emissions

Gardeners have been loading up with compost and plants as garden centres have reopened in the UK, except for Scotland. But compost made with peat is still being used by both gardeners and commercial growers, even though it is dug up from peatlands, devastating wild bogplants, wildlife, and sabotaging the fight against the climate crisis.

Peat is made up of dead plants saturated and preserved in water, locking away vast amounts of carbon in the plant remains. Peatlands account for about 3% of the Earth’s land area but hold more than one-third of all the carbon in soil, and more than twice as much as the world’s forests. But when peatlands are damaged they release their carbon, some 2bn tonnes of CO2 worldwide annually, more than 5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions.

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Plantwatch: vital peat needs protection from compost sales

Damaged peatlands account for 5% of all annual manmade greenhouse gas emissions

Gardeners have been loading up with compost and plants as garden centres have reopened in the UK, except for Scotland. But compost made with peat is still being used by both gardeners and commercial growers, even though it is dug up from peatlands, devastating wild bogplants, wildlife, and sabotaging the fight against the climate crisis.

Peat is made up of dead plants saturated and preserved in water, locking away vast amounts of carbon in the plant remains. Peatlands account for about 3% of the Earth’s land area but hold more than one-third of all the carbon in soil, and more than twice as much as the world’s forests. But when peatlands are damaged they release their carbon, some 2bn tonnes of CO2 worldwide annually, more than 5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions.

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Can renovation work restart now?

We’ve broken down the latest advice for those of you planning a renovation.

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'The garden helps me cope with the virus.' How the Chelsea flower show is aiding the NHS

Plants grown for the cancelled show are bringing a sense of calm and relief to hospital patients and staff

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The physical and mental benefits of gardening are well documented. And as the Chelsea flower show begins its virtual show this week, a new survey by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) shows that nearly three-quarters of people who have access to a garden, courtyard or balcony, say it has helped their mental health during lockdown. It follows analysis of data from nearly 8,000 people published earlier in May, which found that those who spent time in their garden were significantly more likely to report higher psychological wellbeing than those who did not.

Nowhere has this been more apparent than in a hospital setting during the coronavirus pandemic. Take Albert Ridge, a patient at the Highgate Mental Health Centre, in north London. Most days he can be found either sitting, smelling the herbs and roses or painting in the 200 sq metre-space between two of the centre’s secure wards.

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'The garden helps me cope with the virus.' How the Chelsea flower show is aiding the NHS

Plants grown for the cancelled show are bringing a sense of calm and relief to hospital patients and staff

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The physical and mental benefits of gardening are well documented. And as the Chelsea flower show begins its virtual show this week, a new survey by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) shows that nearly three-quarters of people who have access to a garden, courtyard or balcony, say it has helped their mental health during lockdown. It follows analysis of data from nearly 8,000 people published earlier in May, which found that those who spent time in their garden were significantly more likely to report higher psychological wellbeing than those who did not.

Nowhere has this been more apparent than in a hospital setting during the coronavirus pandemic. Take Albert Ridge, a patient at the Highgate Mental Health Centre, in north London. Most days he can be found either sitting, smelling the herbs and roses or painting in the 200 sq metre-space between two of the centre’s secure wards.

Continue reading...

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Silly Billy: what the Ikea bookcase tells us about the true cost of fast furniture

A Billy bookcase is made every three seconds. But with a third of people admitting to throwing away furniture that they could have sold or donated, does the cheap furniture boom have a heavy environmental price?

Jo Jackson remembers the day when it was clear that nothing was going to be the same for a while. It was mid-March and Made.com, an online purveyor of millennial-friendly furniture, had big plans for growth in the year of its 10th anniversary.

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Silly Billy: what the Ikea bookcase tells us about the true cost of fast furniture

A Billy bookcase is made every three seconds. But with a third of people admitting to throwing away furniture that they could have sold or donated, does the cheap furniture boom have a heavy environmental price?

Jo Jackson remembers the day when it was clear that nothing was going to be the same for a while. It was mid-March and Made.com, an online purveyor of millennial-friendly furniture, had big plans for growth in the year of its 10th anniversary.

Continue reading...

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What the re-opening of the property market means for mortgages Nottingham Estate Agents

The property market in England has been given the green light to get moving, prompting a sharp increase in mortgage enquiries from homebuyers and those looking to remortgage. OnTheMarket looks at the what the reopening of the property market means for the mortgage market. Mortgage market reacts positively to English housing market restart Housing Secretary […]

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Inside five homes with AMAZING extensions

Looking for inspiration?

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Nine questions all first-time buyers should ask at a viewing

Never feel embarrassed about asking these.

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What can you afford as a first-time buyer?

Find out what your budget is.

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Equity release debt is growing – can I apply for mortgage holiday?

Reader thwarted by lockdown from selling mother’s home to pay for her care home costs

Q My mother took out a lifetime mortgage for equity release in 2011. The amount borrowed was nearly £100,000 (about half the value of her home at that time) at a rate of interest of 7.54%. Following a stroke, she moved into a nursing home in December 2019 so I am now in the process of selling her house to fund the care home fees.

By lockdown in March, I had a buyer in place but activity has been frozen for the last three months. Meanwhile the debt repayable to the equity release firm is apparently increasing at £230 a week, which would reduce the equity available at the end of the lockdown period by over £3,000.

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Chelsea flower show opens online amid lockdown gardening boom

Event comes as experts say green spaces are important for health and mental wellbeing

As an online version of the Chelsea flower show kicks off, horticultural experts are highlighting the mental health benefits of green spaces, with evidence showing people are appreciating their gardens more than ever during lockdown.

The annual show had been due to welcome royals, celebrities and members of the public from Monday, until the coronavirus pandemic forced the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to cancel the physical event.

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Chelsea flower show opens online amid lockdown gardening boom

Event comes as experts say green spaces are important for health and mental wellbeing

As an online version of the Chelsea flower show kicks off, horticultural experts are highlighting the mental health benefits of green spaces, with evidence showing people are appreciating their gardens more than ever during lockdown.

The annual show had been due to welcome royals, celebrities and members of the public from Monday, until the coronavirus pandemic forced the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to cancel the physical event.

Continue reading...

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A guide to shared ownership Nottingham Estate Agents

It might not seem the ideal way of getting on the property ladder but for more and more young people, it is the only way to make the move. Getting a foot on the property ladder has become increasingly difficult for first time buyers and as a result, shared ownership is becoming more and more […]

The post A guide to shared ownership appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Country diary: these trees have become part of the family

Stamford, Lincolnshire: We share our garden with this elderly couple and I breathe a sigh of relief when they burst into leaf

I know these two well. There they stand, side by side, rain or shine – stoic through the seasons, resolutely inseparable. We share a garden and, as I would any elderly couple, I check on them, watch them for change – and trouble myself by imagining what life would be like if we lost them.

Trees do that when you have them close. They become a part of your family. Beneath the horse chestnut, mine have camped, collected conkers, made leaf piles tall enough to disappear into. We’ve hugged it, climbed it, studied it, sometimes worriedly. I breathe a sigh of relief when the horse chestnut bursts into leaf every March, afflicted as it is with a leaf-mining moth – nothing more serious, not yet – that turns its leaves brown earlier every year.

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Country diary: these trees have become part of the family

Stamford, Lincolnshire: We share our garden with this elderly couple and I breathe a sigh of relief when they burst into leaf

I know these two well. There they stand, side by side, rain or shine – stoic through the seasons, resolutely inseparable. We share a garden and, as I would any elderly couple, I check on them, watch them for change – and trouble myself by imagining what life would be like if we lost them.

Trees do that when you have them close. They become a part of your family. Beneath the horse chestnut, mine have camped, collected conkers, made leaf piles tall enough to disappear into. We’ve hugged it, climbed it, studied it, sometimes worriedly. I breathe a sigh of relief when the horse chestnut bursts into leaf every March, afflicted as it is with a leaf-mining moth – nothing more serious, not yet – that turns its leaves brown earlier every year.

Continue reading...

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Ahead of the curve: an eco dome by the sea

An architect’s striking home in a dome on the New Zealand coast is as visually interesting as it is groundbreaking

There is an unusual sight to be found in the small hamlet of Peka Peka, on the windswept west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. At first, it looks like a series of modest hillocks, but on closer inspection some of them have windows and small white towers rise above the landscape like periscopes.

Friedrich (“Fritz”) and Helen Eisenhofer’s idiosyncratic dwelling lies beneath the grass of these knolls; it is a prototype domestic biodome for what Fritz, a modernist architect who was trained at the Kunstakademie in Vienna, has called the Eco Home. Fritz travelled from Austria to the Pacific in 1953 to begin a career there that now spans more than half a century.

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